SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring ‘Arcade Archives’, Plus NIS America Sales and the Latest Releases

Hello mild readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for May 3rd, 2022. In today’s article, we’ve solely received a single new release to take a look at. We’ve obtained some gross sales to dig into, and they’re not too shabby in any respect. The bulk of today’s article, nevertheless, is dedicated to reviewing all the games from Hamster’s Namco Month in Arcade Archives. Five arcade classics, all evaluated on your pleasure. Let’s get to it!

Reviews & Mini-Views

Arcade Archives Namco Month Special

Hamster’s Arcade Archives are a well-known sight by now for most Switch owners. There has been a brand new recreation in the sequence launched each week with out fail since the console launched, including up to lots of of video games from varied legendary publishers. The most up-to-date to affix the fold was Bandai Namco, and in April Hamster dedicated the entire month to its video games. Five titles have been launched in complete, and I’ve determined to evaluate the entire lot.

Generally talking, the entire video games share some frequent factors. The emulation is high-quality, you get a fairly in depth set of options masking issue, video/audio, management settings, and extra. Beyond the essential arcade mode, there are two further modes that allow you to try and earn the best score you’ll find a way to or see what quantity of factors you can score in a set period of time. Most of the games additionally provide both Japanese and Overseas variations to play, though not all. There are also on-line leaderboards for every mode, and for a number of the games that could also be a real highlight.

While there aren’t many extra features like the type you’d see in collections like Mega Man Legacy Collection or Disney Classic Games, you can a minimum of view the instruction cards for every recreation and make a save state so you possibly can quit enjoying and resume later. Basically, when you like the sport in query you can trust that Hamster has carried out proper by it within the Arcade Archives line. These critiques are primarily for these unfamiliar with the titles.

Arcade Archives Wonder Momo ($7.99)

Wonder Momo is a unusual title in some ways and a really standard one in others. Originally launched in 1987, this may be a single-plane side-scrolling beat-em-up of types similar to the likes of Irem’s Spartan X/Kung Fu Master or Taito’s Ninja Warriors. Rather than the prolonged affairs found in lots of those video games, Wonder Momo‘s phases are all pretty compact arenas. The cause for that is that the sport itself seems to take place on a stage, complete with an viewers watching the action. The recreation commits heavily to this theme, and its that unique high quality that helps Wonder Momo stand out.

In terms of gameplay mechanics, Wonder Momo is more pedestrian. You have the usual assortment of melee attacks and jumps that you’ll use to attack your foes, and after battling a certain variety of weaker opponents a boss will appear. Momo has a neat trick up her sleeve when you can catch the whirlwind that appears or acquire sufficient power. She can rework into Wonder Momo, giving her a ranged attack in the form of a somewhat capricious Hula hoop. You additionally have to be careful of the viewers, as some of the men will attempt to snap shots of Momo’s panties when she does a high kick, briefly stunning her whereas she covers herself.

Wonder Momo‘s theme is its most memorable side, with the gameplay being a bit on the odd facet. Beat-em-up followers likely won’t find much to sink their teeth into here, and the scoring system doesn’t really lend itself well to jostling elbows with others on the leaderboard. Still, it’s charming in its personal way and definitely evocative of a specific period. That may be enough for some.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

Arcade Archives Pac-Land ($7.99)

Before there was Super Mario the gaming icon, there was Pac-Man. Most individuals know that fairly nicely. Only barely less well-known is that earlier than there was Super Mario Bros. the scrolling platformer, there was Pac-Land. This 1984 sport sees Pac-Man traversing levels to convey lost fairies residence. The ghosts naturally try to get in his way, but the terrain itself is usually enough of a hazard. After returning the fairy to its home on the finish of the stage, you’ll turn around and have to convey Pac again to his residence, where his family waits for him. For this a part of the journey, you’ll have special boots that let you practically fly.

Pac-Land initially had a somewhat unusual control scheme, with buttons to tap that transfer Pac-Man left and proper. The quicker you slap them, the faster Pac-Man moves. An further button permits Pac-Man to leap. Those who prefer a more typical control fashion will find that Hamster has made that potential in this launch. It takes away some of the game’s uniqueness, but it’s positively simpler to control. This release additionally has edited sprites for Pac-Man’s family, presumably due to outstanding points with the rights of Ms. Pac-Man. You additionally solely get Japan’s version of the sport, with the more Saturday morning cartoon-inspired American version doubtless additionally overlooked for authorized causes.

With Pac-Land being as early an instance of the style as it is, it’s obviously not going to hold up to a few of the fancier platformers on the market. But it’s not a nasty little sport all by itself, regardless of which control set-up you go for. The colourful, chipper presentation is appealing, and that triumphant trip again through the stage after dropping off the fairy is a fun touch. It’s unlucky that the included version isn’t the one the North American audience will bear in mind, however it performs the identical and in this case that’s not a bad thing in any respect.

SwitchArcade Score: three.5/5

Arcade Archives The Legend of Valkyrie ($7.99)

There was a very brief, somewhat curious era in arcade history where RPG mechanics began to leak into the scene despite being extremely poorly-suited to how most individuals played arcade video games. The style was just so sizzling in the console and laptop markets that it was inconceivable to ignore. Perhaps even odder is that most of the games borne of that pattern are actually fantastic. Namco’s 1989 effort The Legend of Valkyie is one of those treasures. It’s an odd mix of gameplay mechanics. It’s an overhead action recreation, a platformer, and a bit of an RPG multi function. This is one of my favorite Namco video games, but there’s one caveat to this launch.

You see, The Legend of Valkyrie was never launched outside of Japan back within the day. Unlike many arcade games, it features slightly bit of text and even if you don’t care about flavor textual content there are some things you would ideally like to find a way to read. Unfortunately, this particular release only provides the Japanese version with its Japanese textual content. It would have been nice to see it translated the finest way the sport was when it was ported for the Namco Museum collections on the PlayStation again in the day, however the largely vertical text would make such a task considerably daunting.

The recreation is totally playable in Japanese even should you don’t converse a word, however you’ll positively have a few moments the place issues would possibly play out in an surprising way. Should you let this dissuade you from playing The Legend of Valkyrie? I positive hope not, as a outcome of this is a seriously gratifying game. The action is great, the presentation is outstanding, and there’s really little or no like it on the market. The West missed out on this again within the day, so don’t let it slip previous you now.

SwitchArcade Score: four.5/5

Arcade Archives Gaplus ($7.99)

First there was Galaxian, which was Space Invaders in colour with swooping enemy formations. Then there was Galaga, which was Galaxian with extra dynamic enemies and quicker gameplay. It additionally had one of many first power-ups in a shooter, allowing you to double up your ships by making a sacrifice play. People really dug that, and that is perhaps why the third sport within the sequence, Gaplus, takes all of that even farther. Released in 1984, Gaplus‘s timing wasn’t nice. For various causes it slipped under the radar, failing to make even a fraction of the influence its predecessor loved.

One of the advantages of retro games getting rereleases is that it gives a second likelihood to select up the nice experiences that slipped between the cracks. Gaplus is a type of games that deserves a reappraisal. Do you like the tough enemies of Galaga? These ones are even trickier. You get a cooler bonus spherical, and the gameplay is a lot sooner in general. Enemies can now drop a variety of ship elements, together with one that offers you a tractor beam. Use that to scoop up enemies and they’ll be a part of your aspect, lining up right into a mega-ship that makes Galaga‘s double ship seem like a child’s toy.

Being a shoot-em-up with an emphasis on racking up a excessive score, Gaplus is well-positioned to benefit from the extra modes and on-line leaderboards which are a regular a half of the Arcade Archives package deal. If you get pleasure from Galaga, I’m assured you’ll additionally really have a great time with this under-the-radar sequel. As single-screen shooters go, it’s frankly one of many better ones.

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

Arcade Archives Youkai Douchuki ($7.99)

Youkai Douchuki is another Namco cult favourite from 1987, and like Wonder Momo it’s not a recreation I actually find myself too thrilled with. This is a side-scrolling run-and-gun platformer where your “gun” is definitely ki shots that you launch at varied mythical creatures from Japanese people lore. Defeated enemies leave behind money, and you’ll also discover cash strewn about every stage. That cash is necessary for figuring out which of the five endings you’ll get, should you be ok to truly get by way of this tough little nut.

Surprisingly, this sport did have an overseas release again in the day, so your English text is sorted. The cash you gather doubles as your score, and there are heaps of fascinating ways to boost that total while also taking over a wholesome amount of threat. That makes things somewhat extra fascinating. The theme can additionally be pretty cool, though nowadays it’s not as unusual as it might have been again in the day. While the gameplay mechanics aren’t probably the most revolutionary, it’s not like it doesn’t play well or something.

Youkai Douchuki is a recreation that I might perceive anyone enjoying. It has a pleasantly odd theme, and the gameplay mechanics are largely simple and straightforward to select up. It’s a really challenging game, however such things aren’t unusual in the arcade finish of the pool. On the other hand, it’s additionally not much of a stand-out. The arcade scene had loads of run-and-gun platformers, and there’s nothing about this one that actually speaks to me. Decent, but not much more than that.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

New Releases

Darkness and Flame: Enemy in Reflection ($6.99)

Another day, another hidden object adventure. This is, I suppose, the fourth game in the Darkness and Flame collection, and it continues the story of Alice as she uses her flame powers to resolve puzzles and save a realm from the forces that threaten it. She’ll have to do it on her own this time, as her pals have fallen sufferer to a strong curse. Or will she? Maybe she will make… new friends? Nothing new under the solar right here, but when you’ve been enjoying this collection so …