SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring ‘Emio – The Smiling Man’, Plus Today’s New Releases and Sales

Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 5th, 2024. It's Thursday already! Time flies, doesn't it? We're diving deep into reviews today. I've got two for you: Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. Mikhail's also contributing his insights on Nour: Play With Your Food, Fate/stay night REMASTERED, and TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK. After that, we'll cover the day's top new releases and round things off with the usual sales lists. Let's get started!

Reviews & Mini-Views

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

Sequels to long-dormant franchises seem to be all the rage these days. Nintendo's surprise revival of Famicom Detective Club, a series largely known in the West through a fleeting remake a couple of years ago, is a prime example. This marks the first brand-new Famicom Detective Club game in years, which is exciting.

The challenge in reviving an old IP lies in balancing faithfulness to the original with modern sensibilities. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club largely sticks to the style of the recent remakes, which themselves closely resembled the originals. It's a curious mix. The visuals are top-notch, and the story pushes boundaries beyond what 90s Nintendo would have dared. However, the gameplay feels very retro, a key factor in whether you'll enjoy it.

The game begins with the discovery of a deceased student, a paper bag bearing a smiling face over his head. This unearths a series of eighteen-year-old unsolved murders with similar calling cards, prompting a flurry of questions. The urban legend of Emio, a killer promising eternal smiles, surfaces. Is it a copycat? Is Emio real? The police are baffled, so it's time for the Utsugi Detective Agency to step in! You'll solve the case by investigating locations and questioning suspects, much like the investigative sections of Ace Attorney. Depending on your tolerance for this style, you might find parts frustrating or tedious. Certain logical connections could have been better signposted.

While I have some minor story criticisms, I enjoyed the game overall. It's engaging, full of twists, and well-written. Some plot points didn't resonate with me as much as others, but I can't elaborate without spoilers. This is a mystery best experienced fresh. The positives outweighed the negatives, and when the plot picks up, it really picks up.

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is atypical for Nintendo, but any potential team rust is certainly not evident. Its mechanics are perhaps too faithful to the originals, and while the plot is mostly excellent, the pacing occasionally lags. Despite these minor flaws, it's a thoroughly enjoyable mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club! Don't disappear again for so long.

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate ($29.99)

The Switch is getting a nice collection of TMNT games, isn't it? We have the Konami classics in Cowabunga Collection, the modern arcade beat 'em up Shredder's Revenge, Wrath of the Mutants, and now Splintered Fate, offering a more console-like experience. Several more are on the horizon. So, how does this one fare?

Pretty well, actually. If you've played the Apple Arcade version, you know the drill. It blends a TMNT-style beat 'em up with the Hades roguelite formula. You can play solo or with up to four players locally or online. Mikhail and I tried online multiplayer, and it worked smoothly. The game is fun solo, but adding players enhances the experience.

Shredder and a mysterious power cause trouble, putting Splinter in danger. The Turtles must save him. Slice, dice, and bludgeon enemies, use tactical dashes, collect perks for your run, and earn currency for permanent upgrades. Death means starting over. It's a roguelite beat 'em up with Turtles, making it automatically better. While not groundbreaking, it's well-executed.

Splintered Fate isn't a must-have, but TMNT fans will appreciate this twist. The multiplayer is well-done, a welcome inclusion in a genre usually played solo. Those not enamored with the Turtles might find better roguelites on the Switch, but considering the platform's competitive roguelite scene, Splintered Fate holds its own.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Nour: Play With Your Food ($9.99)

I was surprised Nour: Play With Your Food didn't launch on Switch and mobile alongside its PC and PS5 release. It seemed perfect for touchscreens. I enjoyed the PC version, but it's not a traditional game for everyone. If you enjoy playful sandbox experiences and food, you'll love Nour, but the Switch version has shortcomings.

For newcomers, Nour lets you interact with food in various stages, accompanied by interesting music and playful absurdity. It's a blend of interactive app and food-art experience. You start with basic tools, but the developers have added plenty of options to truly let you "play with your food." This highlights why touchscreen control might not be ideal.

The lack of touchscreen support on Switch is disappointing. Performance is also impacted, showing cutbacks to maintain decent frame rates. Load times are lengthy, both docked and handheld.

Nour: Play With Your Food is worth checking out if you appreciate food, art, and interactive apps. The Switch version isn't ideal, but its portability is a plus. Hopefully, it performs well enough to warrant DLC or a physical release. Games like Nour and Townscaper offer a nice contrast to more involved games. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)

Fate/stay night REMASTERED launched recently on Switch and Steam. This is a remaster of the 2004 visual novel, serving as an excellent entry point into the Fate universe. The sheer volume of content justifies the low price. It's a remaster of an older game, but the amount of text and work involved makes it one of the year's best value releases.

For those familiar with the original Japanese versions, Fate/stay night REMASTERED offers significant improvements. The English translation is a major plus, alongside 16:9 support. The developers have done a great job making it look good on modern displays, although it doesn't reach the visual polish of Tsukihime's recent remake.

The inclusion of touchscreen support on Switch is fantastic. I played extensively on both Switch Lite and OLED, finding it perfect on Nintendo's hybrid system. Hopefully, it will see releases on other platforms like iOS and PS5. It also runs flawlessly on Steam Deck.

The only drawback is the lack of a physical Switch release. Hopefully, its success will lead to one.

Fate/stay night REMASTERED is essential for visual novel fans. The low price makes it an easy recommendation. While not as visually stunning as Tsukihime, it's still worthwhile. I'm thrilled to finally play it in English after years of owning the Japanese PS Vita version. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 5/5

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

Having missed out on VR gaming, I was curious about TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos, often praised for their VR experiences. The Switch version lets you choose which game to play. TOKYO CHRONOS follows high school friends in an alternate Shibuya, dealing with lost memories, killers, and more. The narrative is somewhat predictable, but the visuals are good. I'm tempted to try the VR version for the novelty.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is superior, with better production values, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It goes beyond a pure visual novel, enhancing the experience.

Despite some narrative shortcomings, the Switch version has camera movement issues, though not game-breaking. Touchscreen support and rumble make up for it.

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great Switch experience, thanks to touch controls and rumble. I'm glad I could experience these stories without needing a VR headset. If you enjoy sci-fi, try the demo. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5

Select New Releases

Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku ($49.99)

The title says it all. It's Fitness Boxing with 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. Get it if you want Fitness Boxing with Hatsune Miku.

Gimmick! 2 ($24.99)

A faithful sequel to the original, with improved visuals and challenging platforming.

Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost ($29.99)

Combines rhythm game and bullet hell elements.

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. Many other good games are frequently on sale.

Select New Sales

Sales Ending Tomorrow, September 6th

That's it for today. We'll be back tomorrow with more reviews, new releases, and sales. Check out my blog, Post Game Content, for more gaming thoughts. Have a great Thursday!