Arcade Updates: Emio Review, New Releases, and Deals

Hello discerning readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Roundup for September 5th, 2024. Already Thursday? Time flies! We're diving deep into reviews today, featuring Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. Our contributor, Mikhail, also shares his thoughts on Nour: Play With Your Food, Fate/stay night REMASTERED, and the TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK. We'll then highlight the day's noteworthy new releases and wrap up with the latest sales information. Let's begin!

Reviews & Mini-Views

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club ($49.99)

Sequels to long-dormant franchises are all the rage, mirroring Hollywood's trends. Nintendo's unexpected revival of Famicom Detective Club, primarily known in the West through a brief remake, is intriguing. This marks the first new Famicom Detective Club game in years, a welcome surprise.

The challenge in reviving an old IP lies in balancing faithfulness to the original with modern appeal. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club largely retains the style of the recent remakes, closely adhering to the originals. This creates a unique blend. The visuals are top-notch, and the narrative pushes boundaries beyond what 90s Nintendo would have attempted. However, the gameplay feels old-school, significantly impacting enjoyment.

The game centers around a student's death, revealing a connection to unsolved murders from 18 years prior. The urban legend of Emio, a killer promising eternal smiles, adds another layer of mystery. The Utsugi Detective Agency must unravel the truth.

Gameplay involves searching for clues, questioning characters (often requiring multiple interactions), and connecting evidence. It's reminiscent of Ace Attorney's investigation segments. While engaging, the gameplay can feel tedious at times, lacking clear signposting in certain logical chains. Despite this, it remains true to its genre conventions.

While I have some minor story critiques, I found the game enjoyable overall. The plot is engaging, well-written, and full of twists. However, certain plot points lacked the impact they seemed to have on others. To avoid spoilers, I'll leave it at that. The game's strengths outweigh its weaknesses.

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is atypical of Nintendo, but the developers show no signs of rust. The mechanics are perhaps too faithful to the originals, and while the plot is mostly excellent, the pacing occasionally falters. Nevertheless, it's a thoroughly enjoyable mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club!

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate ($29.99)

The Switch is gaining a solid selection of TMNT games. Following the Cowabunga Collection, Shredder's Revenge, and Wrath of the Mutants, Splintered Fate offers a different console-style experience. And more are on the horizon!

This game blends a TMNT-style beat 'em up with Hades-like roguelite elements. Play solo or with up to four players locally or online. The online multiplayer worked well in my experience. The game is enjoyable solo, but multiplayer enhances the experience.

Shredder's schemes and a mysterious power put Splinter in danger, forcing the Turtles into action. Fight enemies, use tactical dashes, collect perks for the current run, and earn currency for permanent upgrades. Death sends you back to the lair to retry. It's a familiar roguelite beat 'em up formula, elevated by the TMNT theme. It's not groundbreaking, but it's well-executed.

Splintered Fate isn't a must-have, but TMNT fans will appreciate this unique take. The well-implemented multiplayer is a plus. While not the most innovative roguelite, it holds its own in a competitive genre.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Nour: Play With Your Food ($9.99)

Nour: Play With Your Food's initial PC and PS5 release surprised me by omitting Switch and mobile. It felt perfectly suited for touchscreens. While enjoyable on PC, it's not a traditional game for everyone. Those who enjoy playful sandbox experiences and food will likely appreciate it. However, the Switch version has shortcomings.

Nour lets you interact with food in various stages, featuring interesting music and playful elements. You start with basic tools, but the game's depth is surprising. The lack of touchscreen support on Switch is disappointing. Performance is also impacted, resulting in longer load times.

Despite the Switch version's flaws, Nour: Play With Your Food is worth experiencing for food and art enthusiasts. While not ideal on Switch, its portable nature is a plus. Hopefully, it will receive more DLC or even a physical release. It's a unique title that complements more involved games. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)

Fate/stay night REMASTERED, released recently on Switch and Steam, is a remaster of the 2004 visual novel. It's the best entry point into the Fate universe. The 55+ hour experience offers incredible value for the price.

The remaster improves upon the original with English language support, 16:9 support, and visual enhancements for modern displays. The improvements are significant compared to the PS Vita version. Touchscreen support on Switch is a welcome addition.

The game runs well on Switch and Steam Deck. A physical release would be a welcome addition. It's an essential for visual novel fans. The low price makes it an easy recommendation. While not as visually stunning as Tsukihime's remake, it's still a worthwhile experience. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 5/5

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK ($49.99)

This twin pack offers two VR titles now available on Switch. TOKYO CHRONOS follows high school friends in an alternate Shibuya, dealing with memory loss and murder. While the narrative is predictable at times, the visuals are good. ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos, however, is superior, boasting better production values, writing, voice acting, and characters. It also expands beyond a typical visual novel.

The Switch version has some camera movement performance issues, but touchscreen support and rumble compensate.

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great Switch experience, enhanced by touch controls and rumble. It's a worthwhile purchase for sci-fi fans. The demo is recommended to check the controls. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5

Select New Releases

Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku ($49.99)

A Fitness Boxing game featuring Hatsune Miku. It includes 24 songs from Miku and friends, plus 30 from the Fitness Boxing series. Mechanically, it's similar to other games in the series.

Gimmick! 2 ($24.99)

A faithful sequel to the original, featuring improved visuals and challenging gameplay. Recommended for fans of clever platformers.

Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost ($29.99)

Combines rhythm game and bullet hell shooter elements. Likely appealing to Touhou fans.

EGGCONSOLE Hydlide MSX ($6.49)

Another Hydlide version for completionists.

Arcade Archives Lead Angle ($7.99)

A gallery shooter from 1988.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

No Man's Sky is a highlight among the sales.

Select New Sales

Sales Ending Tomorrow, September 6th

That's it for today. We'll return tomorrow with more reviews, new releases, and sales. Check out Post Game Content for additional game insights. Have a great Thursday!