Nintendo Direct Unveils News, EGGCONSOLE Star Trader Impresses

Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 27th, 2024! Today's update begins with some breaking news, followed by a review and a look at a new game release. We'll wrap things up with our usual sales information. Let's dive in!

News

Nintendo Direct/Indie World Showcase Recap

As predicted by some industry insiders, Nintendo surprised us with a last-minute Nintendo Direct! The 40-minute presentation featured both Partner and Indie World Showcases. While primarily focusing on third-party titles and indie games, first-party announcements were scarce, and there was no news regarding the next-generation Switch console. Check out the video above for the full presentation, and I'll provide a detailed summary tomorrow.

Reviews & Mini-Views

EGGCONSOLE Star Trader PC-8801mkIIsr ($6.49)

This untranslated EGGCONSOLE release presents a familiar dilemma: is the game enjoyable, and is it playable without understanding Japanese? Star Trader is intriguing but not exceptional. Falcom blends an adventure game with side-scrolling shooter elements, but neither aspect truly shines. The adventure portion boasts decent artwork, and the shooter's attempt at narrative integration is unique. Players primarily interact with characters, accepting quests to earn money for ship upgrades. These upgrades are crucial for tackling the challenging shooting stages.

The shooting segments, however, suffer from the PC-8801's limited scrolling capabilities, resulting in a jerky, unpolished experience. The game's core mechanics feel unbalanced, leaving the overall experience more interesting than truly satisfying. The second question—playability without Japanese comprehension—is critical. The text-heavy adventure sections require player input for optimal outcomes. Without understanding Japanese, players miss out on half the game and significantly hinder their progress in the other half due to an inability to earn sufficient credits. While some brute-forcing is possible, it significantly diminishes the enjoyment.

Star Trader offers a glimpse into gaming history, showcasing a developer experimenting outside their typical genre. However, the substantial Japanese text makes it difficult to recommend wholeheartedly to Western audiences. It might offer some limited enjoyment for dedicated explorers, but the language barrier significantly detracts from the overall experience.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

Select New Releases

Crypt Custodian ($19.99)

This top-down action-adventure game stars Pluto, a recently deceased cat banished from the afterlife for a mishap. Pluto's eternal punishment? Cleaning! Players explore, battle enemies with a broom, meet eccentric characters, defeat bosses, and upgrade abilities. It's a familiar formula, but executed well. Fans of the genre should definitely give it a try.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

For fans of vibrant shooters with unique mechanics, I suggest checking out the Dreamer series and Harpoon Shooter Nozomi. Also, don't miss out on 1000xRESIST—it's a must-buy! Other notable titles on sale include Star Wars games, Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Haiku, the Robot, and some Tomb Raider titles. See the lists below for details!

Select New Sales

Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 28th

That's all for today! Join us tomorrow for a full Nintendo Direct recap, along with new game releases, sales updates, and potentially more reviews. Have a great Tuesday, and thanks for reading!