SwitchArcade Round-Up: ‘Life is Strange 2’, ‘Drainus’, ‘The Pathless’, and Today’s Other Releases and Sales

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for February 2nd, 2023. We’ve actually got a little news to look at today, and that’s where we’ll start things. There are also a ton of new games, some of them very good (Life is Strange 2, Drainus), and some of them very bad (the usual trash from Midnight Works and VG Games). We’ve got summaries of all of them, plus the usual lists of new and expiring sales. Let’s get to work!

News

Nintendo Switch Online Vouchers Are Back in North America

This news won’t be of much interest to readers outside of North America, but Nintendo of America has brought back the Game Vouchers program for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. You can buy two Vouchers for $99.98, with each of them good for any of the select games in the program. It’s a nice way to save a little money on games that normally don’t go on sale, and it’s good to see them return.

Check Out the New Update for ‘Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak’

Capcom has lifted the veil on the latest update for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. You can see the details in the video above, but the gist of it is that there are two amazing new monsters to battle, some expanded anomaly research quests to complete, and some new weekly event quests to embark upon. This update is of course free, so anyone who owns Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak can enjoy it without paying anything more. The update will be available from February 7th.

‘Theatrhythm Final Bar Line’ Demo is Now Available

If you were to peek at my Nintendo 3DS’s play logs, you would see that two of my top played games in terms of hours were Theatrhythm Final Fantasy and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call. And Theatrhythm Dragon Quest, but we don’t talk about that one so much. I also enjoyed Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory which, let’s be honest, was a Theatrhythm game in all but name. So yes, I am rather looking forward to the upcoming release of Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. It’s out on February 16th, just two weeks from now, but if you’re like me and can’t wait to get a taste, there is now a demo available on the eShop. It offers a generous selection of songs to play and allows you to carry your save and progress over to the full game. Give it a go and see how you take to those button controls.

New Releases

Life is Strange 2 ($31.99)

Here’s the latest in the Life is Strange series, I think, now available for your playing enjoyment on the Switch. It follows the story of two brothers on the run to Mexico with the police in hot pursuit. The younger brother of the two has telekinetic powers, you see. You play as the older brother and need to take care of your brother and his needs as you make the treacherous trip to the border. I’m pretty sure our pal Mikhail is doing a review of this one, so do look forward to it.

Drainus ($19.99)

Drainus is a very cool new side-scrolling shooter that I think stands a decent chance of breaking through in the same sort of way Ikaruga did. The gimmick here is that you can drain enemy shots and fire them back, all the while filling up energy cans that you can use to buy upgrades for your ship. It’s less of a score attack arcade game and more one that you just want to play through and enjoy the ride. I’ll have a full review of this one soon, but I will say for now that it’s a good, relatively approachable shooter that should play well with a crowd that usually isn’t interested in the genre.

The Pathless ($39.99)

First up, I should mention that the above screenshot is from the PC version. I couldn’t get my hands on a Switch screenshot in time. Anyway, this is the latest from Annapurna. It has been out for a while on other platforms, and it’s had a rather sunny reception overall. You play as a hunter who travels to a mysterious island on a quest to dispel a curse that is afflicting the land. Explore the open world, seek out secrets, solve puzzles, and hunt evil spirits that stalk the woods. If you need a little air, call on your eagle buddy to give you a lift. Mikhail is also looking into this one, I think. You all know him and his Annapurna games.

Fashion Police Squad ($19.99)

Well, this is a new way to handle a first-person shooter. Instead of hunting demons or Nazis, you’re going after fashion disasters. Jump, climb, and swing your way around the city, solving fashion crimes and searching for hidden goodies. Rather than use shotguns on your enemies, you’ll instead have to choose the right tool to help fix their fashion fumble. Maybe you need to add a bit of color. Maybe you have to take in the seams. I don’t know, I am not a fashionable person at all. The main character in this game would definitely be hunting me. I wear suspenders, for crying out loud. Do not hurt me, Fashion Police Squad.

Cuddly Forest Friends ($39.99)

Aksys has a cute little game here. It features an assortment of animal friends that you need to take care of. There are more than ten different minigames to play in order to do that, and in helping out the animals you’ll nourish the forest’s Tree of Happiness and make it grow stronger. I’ll be honest: this doesn’t look like something I would pay forty bucks for, but I also don’t think I’m anywhere near the demographic this is aimed at. Perhaps you are, and you should investigate accordingly.

Arcade Archives Phelios ($7.99)

Here is one of Namco’s lesser-seen shoot-em-ups, and one I’m largely familiar with through its port on the SEGA Genesis. You play as Apollo, who is riding Pegasus on a quest to save Artemis from Typhon. Your primary means of attack is through a special charged attack as your standard shot is barely useful at all against the enemies you’ll face. There are seven stages in all. This arcade version actually wasn’t released outside of Japan back in the day due to some concerns about the content in the cut-scenes. Hamster has done its usual capable job bringing the game to Switch, of course.

Active DBG: Brave’s Rage ($19.99)

Oh, I see. Deck building game. Got it. So yes, this is one of those deck building roguelite games. We have a lot of those on the Nintendo Switch already. The gimmick in this one is that you can actually interrupt turns to make moves. The description suggests it is inspired by Final Fantasy‘s Active Time Battle system and action-RPGs, which is a little hard to visualize for a game like this. If it works, however, then I would say that is a cool way to stand out from the pack. I haven’t had a chance to play this yet so I’ll have to investigate further.

Jumbo Airport Story ($14.00)

Hey, another Kairosoft simulation game. In this one you’re running an airport. It has a few new twists thanks to its theme, but structurally it’s fairly similar to most of the other Kairosoft games. As always I will mention that you can get this at a lower price on mobile, and it’s every bit as playable if not more so. But if you really want to own it on your Switch, here it is.

Rhythm Sprout ($14.99)

Here’s a cute little rhythm game where you play as a little sprout off on some adventure or another. Walk along to the music and fight along with the beat, just like you would expect. Some extra modes are available to keep the good times rolling once you’ve finished the story. Also to that end there are unlockable outfits and skins for Sprout. I’m probably going to wait it out for Theatrhythm but if you’re a big fan of the genre and want something to hold you over, this might be a good choice.

Oshiiro ($10.99)

Um, so this is a horror game. You explore a haunted arena and need to exorcise evil spirits using some sort of ghost-busting glowstick. Find the hidden idol symbols and swing the properly colored glowstick at them to clear each stage. I can say with some degree of certainty that I haven’t seen a game like this before, for better or worse.

Monster Girls and the Mysterious Adventure 2 ($21.99)

Where did part one go? Let me check on that. Oh yes, there it is on Steam. Well, there you go. This is the sequel. It’s a Mystery Dungeon-like Japanese roguelike featuring parties of monster girls. Befriend monsters to help you make your way through the procedurally-generated floors of the dungeon. As you make friends, they’ll populate the town and take on various jobs or just chill out somewhere. If you like Mystery Dungeon, you very well may enjoy this take on the familiar format. It has a rather solid reputation over on Steam and I have no doubt it will find an equally welcoming audience on Switch.

Pixel Game Maker Series Cat and Tower ($4.99)

This calls to mind bizarre Flash games from the earlier days of the internet. You play as a cat who needs to climb a tower of platforms. You can move, jump, and dash. The game keeps track of your time, so I suppose you could speed run if that’s your thing. There are extra missions to complete and some unlockable additional difficulty levels. The visual presentation is a hodge-podge of mismatched elements that somehow sings a sweet melody to my soul that I remember just scarcely enough to feel something. Is that worth a fiver? Maybe. Maybe.

Sakura Cupid ($9.99)

The latest Sakura visual novel game. The protagonist is a lazy cupid named Lilim who has been exiled from heaven for being terrible at her job. Rather than being down about the whole thing, Lilim is actually thrilled because she can now chill out and watch anime and read comics all day. She blows it by using a love bullet to try to charm a free cup of coffee and ends up causing a waitress to fall in love with her. All the while one of her old friends from heaven is hunting her to try and bring her back. Quite the mess. Make your choices and find your ending.

Exitman Deluxe ($4.99)

This isn’t what I thought it was, but that’s on me for expecting a modern version of Square Enix’s Exit. This game has a rather simple concept. The ceiling is falling and it will crush you if you don’t squeeze into the gap. Each time the ceiling comes down and goes back up, the gaps move around. How long can you survive? There are multiple modes of play, including local multiplayer for up to four players. Could be fun for a fiver, I suppose.

Harvest Yuuka ($25.00)

With so many Touhou games and so many farming games available on the Switch, how can one make their own game stand out? First, combine the two. Second, release a text-heavy game with only Japanese language support. Yeah, I’d like to see the other farming games do that. Advantage: Harvest Yuuka.

Air Jet Fighter Combat – Europe Fly Plane Attack ($4.99)

Some utter trash from the trash merchants at VG Games. Likely cobbled together from a template of some kind. You could use a fiver better by lighting it on fire.

Kart Crazy Race Simulator Game ($4.99)

More trash from the trash merchants at VG Games. Also likely cobbled together from a template of some kind. You could use a fiver better by lighting it on fire and using it to light another fiver on fire. You’d be down ten but you’d still be better off than you would you be if you bought and played this game.

Shark Attack: Fish Predator Ocean Sea Adventure Survival ($4.99)

Another heap of trash from VG Games. Another game likely originating from a template, and another absolute waste of five dollars. You could use a fiver better by lighting it on fire and using it to light a pile of fivers on fire, because even though you would be out a ton of money, at least you wouldn’t have to play this soulless waste.

Radiantflux Hyperfractal 4.0 ($1.99)

Hey, I remember this from the Wii U. It’s a basic scrolling shoot-em-up wrapped up in an oddly appealing early Windows aesthetic, complete with some diversions like a Minesweeper clone and a paint program. It’s cheap, so that’s one thing going for it. And it is certainly unique. It would be hard not to get your money’s worth at this price point, but I don’t know how much enjoyment you’d really get out of it.

Beat Them Up – Box Simulator – Boxing Battle Fight Combat for Nintendo Switch Ultimate 2023 ($4.99)

Here is Midnight Works with an absolute rubbish-tier beat-em-up that was almost certainly pieced together from a template. Same deal as the VG Games stuff. Don’t waste your money on this garbage.

Box Roulette Simulator – Boxing Battle Fight Combat for Nintendo Switch ($2.99)

And another from Midnight Works, this one a handheld mode-only game of Russian Roulette with a boxing glove instead of a bullet. There’s really not much of a game here at all. There are probably better ways to spend three bucks. A delicious Snickers bar or two, perhaps. An egg, in these trying times. I don’t know. Just don’t spend it here.

The Intership ($3.99)

Cooking and Publishing has to get its lick in today, too. This is a very plain visual novel-style game where you just make a series of choices and try to get all of the characters through to the end. There are multiple endings to find. At least it isn’t one of those question-answering games.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Not a huge list of new games yet at the time of writing, but there are some good ones in there. There are new low prices on Slaycation Paradise and Monster Harvest, plus sales on Monster Hunter Rise and a lot of the individual DLCs for Capcom Arcade Stadium. Over in the outbox, sales from Ubisoft and others are winding down. Have a look through both lists as ever.

Select New Games on Sale

Retro City Rampage DX ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/8)
Shakedown Hawaii ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/8)
Spinfrog ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/9)
Aragami 2 ($26.79 from $39.99 until 2/15)
Slaycation Paradise ($6.79 from $19.99 until 2/15)
Hayfever ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/15)
Monster Harvest ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/15)
Rogue Star Rescue ($9.74 from $14.99 until 2/15)
Time on Frog Island ($8.49 from $24.99 until 2/15)
Frogun ($11.24 from $14.99 until 2/15)
Kholat ($2.09 from $14.99 until 2/16)
Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak ($39.99 from $69.99 until 2/16)
Monster Hunter Rise ($19.99 from $39.99 until 2/16)

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water ($29.99 from $39.99 until 2/16)
Fatal Frame: MoBW Deluxe Edition ($41.24 from $54.99 until 2/16)
Dance of Death: Du Lac & Fey ($14.39 from $15.99 until 2/17)
Runefall 2 CE ($6.99 from $9.99 until 2/21)
I Love Finding Critters ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/21)
Extinction Eclipse ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/22)
Super Fowlst ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/22)
Super Fowlst 2 ($2.00 from $10.00 until 2/22)
Dadish ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/22)
Dadish 2 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/22)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, Friday, February 3rd

Aka ($10.39 from $12.99 until 2/3)
Assassin’s Creed Ezio Collection ($19.99 from $39.99 until 2/3)
Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Bite the Bullet ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Blue Fire ($7.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Cake Invaders ($2.99 from $5.99 until 2/3)
Casual Challenge Players’ Club ($3.49 from $4.99 until 2/3)
Child of Light UE ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Construction Site Driver 2 ($6.49 from $12.99 until 2/3)
Cyber Shadow ($15.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Don’t Knock Twice ($3.74 from $12.49 until 2/3)
Double Cross ($3.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Family Feud ($9.89 from $29.99 until 2/3)
Football Manager 2023 Touch ($35.99 from $44.99 until 2/3)
Graze Counter GM ($11.99 from $14.99 until 2/3)

Hungry Shark World ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/3)
I Saw Black Clouds ($7.79 from $12.99 until 2/3)
Immortals Fenyx Rising ($11.99 from $59.99 until 2/3)
Immortals Fenyx Rising Season Pass DLC ($15.99 from $39.99 until 2/3)
Inertia Redux ($2.06 from $4.39 until 2/3)
Joggernauts ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Legendary Fishing ($4.49 from $29.99 until 2/3)
Lila’s Sky Ark ($4.49 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Lost in Play ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Mable & The Wood ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Monopoly ($9.99 from $39.99 until 2/3)
MotoGP 20 ($2.49 from $24.99 until 2/3)
Pill Baby ($7.50 from $15.00 until 2/3)
PopSlinger ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Project Starship ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/3)

Rabbids: Party of Legends ($15.99 from $39.99 until 2/3)
Restless Soul ($4.49 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Revertia ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/3)
Rule No.1 ($4.19 from $5.99 until 2/3)
Scott Pilgrim vs The World ($4.94 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Super Jagger Bomb ($3.49 from $4.99 until 2/3)
The Enigma Machine ($4.79 from $7.99 until 2/3)
The King’s Bird ($3.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Time Rift ($5.99 from $9.99 until 2/3)
Trials Rising ($5.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Trivial Pursuit Live 2 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion ($5.99 from $14.99 until 2/3)
Unbound Worlds Apart ($6.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Valiant Hearts The Great War ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Wheel of Fortune ($7.99 from $19.99 until 2/3)
Yum Yum Cookstar ($19.99 from $29.99 until 2/3)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with the remaining releases of the week, plus what I am sure will be a healthy list of new sales. Gosh, the games are piling up again already. I hope you all have a great Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!