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

Hello discerning readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 5th, 2024. Already Thursday? Time flies! 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. Our contributor, Mikhail, also weighs in on Nour: Play With Your Food, Fate/stay night REMASTERED, and the TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK. We'll then cover the day's top new releases and round up the latest sales. Ah, Thursday. I'll miss you when Friday arrives. Let's get started!

Reviews & Mini-Views

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

Sequels to long-dormant franchises seem to be the latest trend. Video games, ever the imitators of Hollywood. Nintendo, surprisingly, has revived Famicom Detective Club, a series primarily known in the West through a fleeting remake of the first two games released on Switch a few years ago. I suspect a connection exists. Regardless, we have a brand-new Famicom Detective Club adventure for the first time this millennium! That's exciting.

The challenge in reviving an old IP lies in balancing faithfulness to the original with modern sensibilities. Too faithful, and the game risks feeling outdated; too much change, and fans might be alienated. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club leans towards the style of the recent remakes, which closely adhered to the originals. It's a curious mix. The visuals are on par with contemporary games of its type, and the story pushes boundaries beyond what 90s Nintendo would have dared, even in Japan. However, the gameplay feels very retro, a crucial factor in determining enjoyment.

A student is found dead, a smiling face on a paper bag covering his head. This unearths unsolved murders from eighteen years prior, all bearing a similar calling card. Questions abound. Is a previous killer back? A copycat? Is Emio even real? The police are baffled, so it's time for the Utsugi Detective Agency! Using the power of investigation and interrogation, you'll uncover what law enforcement couldn't: the truth!

The gameplay involves searching scenes for clues, interrogating characters (often requiring repeated questioning), and connecting the dots. Think of the investigative sections of Ace Attorney, and you're close. Depending on your tolerance for this style, you might find parts tedious. Certain logical leaps could have been smoother, with more guidance. It's a classic visual novel style, and by those standards, Emio isn't overly egregious.

I'll leave it there. While I have some story criticisms, I enjoyed it overall. It was engaging, suspenseful, and well-written. Some plot points didn't resonate as strongly with me as others, but I can't elaborate without spoilers. This is a story best experienced fresh. The positives outweighed the negatives, and when it picks up, it really picks up.

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is atypical for Nintendo, but any potential team rust is invisible. It's perhaps overly faithful to the originals in its mechanics. While the plot is mostly excellent, the pacing occasionally lags, and some resolutions felt less satisfying than hoped. Still, these are minor flaws in an otherwise enjoyable mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club. Don't stay away so long next time.

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? There's the Cowabunga Collection, the superb Shredder's Revenge, Wrath of the Mutants, and now Splintered Fate, offering a more console-like experience. More are on the way. We're swimming in Turtles! So, how's this one?

Pretty good, actually. If you've played it on Apple Arcade, you know the drill. But for those unfamiliar, imagine a TMNT beat 'em up blended with Hades. That's it. Play solo or with up to four players locally or online. Mikhail and I played online, and it worked well. It's fine solo, but multiplayer significantly enhances the experience. That's TMNT for you.

Shredder and a mysterious power cause mayhem. Splinter's in trouble, and the Turtles must save him. When all you have is a katana, every problem looks like a Foot Soldier. Slice, dice, and bludgeon enemies, dash strategically, utilize power-ups, and collect currency for permanent upgrades. Death means starting over. Roguelite beat 'em up. But with Turtles, so automatically better. It's not groundbreaking, but it works well.

Splintered Fate isn't a must-have, but TMNT fans will appreciate this twist. The multiplayer is well-done, a crucial TMNT element successfully integrated into a typically solo genre. Those without a Turtle affinity can find better roguelites on Switch, but given the platform's competitive roguelite scene, Splintered Fate holds its own. Not bad.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Nour: Play With Your Food ($9.99)

The initial PC and PS5 release of Nour: Play With Your Food surprised me by skipping Switch and mobile. It seemed perfect for touchscreens as an experimental food art experience. I enjoyed the PC version, but it's not a traditional game for everyone. If you enjoy playful sandbox experiences and love food, you'll likely adore Nour: Play With Your Food, but the Switch version has shortcomings.

For newcomers, Nour lets you play with various foods across different stages, featuring interesting music and playful absurdity. It blends an interactive app for food and art enthusiasts. You start with basics, but the developers' additions allow you to truly "play with your food." This highlights why touchscreen control might be problematic.

The lack of touchscreen support on Switch is disappointing. Also, performance was heavy on Steam Deck, and the Switch version shows compromises for decent performance. Long load times, both docked and handheld, are the biggest issue.

Nour: Play With Your Food is worth experiencing if you appreciate food, art, and interactive apps. The Switch version isn't ideal, but Nour feels best on a portable device. I hope it performs well enough to warrant DLC or a physical release. Games like Nour and Townscaper offer a nice counterpoint to more involved games. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)

Fate/stay night REMASTERED launched a month ago on Switch and Steam. I aimed for earlier coverage, but a busy month and the game's length delayed it. Before discussing the game, let me share a personal journey. Years ago, a friend introduced me to Fate/Zero. I wanted more, but few English-language games were available. I imported the PS Vita version of Fate/stay night Realta Nua. Since then, I've played various Fate titles and Type Moon properties, including Fate/EXTELLA, Fate/Samurai Remnant, and Fate/Grand Order.

This led to my excitement over Aniplex's releases of Witch on the Holy Night and Tsukihime's remake. But one game remained: Fate/stay night. Now, it's finally here in English on Switch. Is it worth it? Absolutely, with a few caveats.

Fate/stay night REMASTERED remasters the 2004 visual novel, following Emiya Shirou, the Holy Grail War, and more. It's the best entry point into the Fate universe, ideal for those only familiar with the anime or other games. Even with quality-of-life improvements, Fate/stay night REMASTERED is a 55+ hour experience, making the price incredibly low. It's a remaster, but the sheer volume of content makes it one of the year's best eShop values.

For those who played the original Japanese versions, Fate/stay night REMASTERED offers significant improvements. English is obvious, but 16:9 support is welcome. More effort went into this than expected. Comparing it to the PS Vita version, the developers did a great job making Fate/stay night look good on modern screens, though it doesn't reach the visual heights of Tsukihime's remake.

The inclusion of touchscreen support on Switch is excellent. I played most of it on my Switch Lite and then my Switch OLED. It's perfect on Nintendo's hybrid system. Hopefully, it gets iOS and PS5 ports.

I also played it extensively on Steam Deck. It works flawlessly. Play it wherever you prefer; it's that good.

The only drawback is the lack of a physical Switch release. I hope it sells well enough to warrant one.

Fate/stay night REMASTERED is essential for visual novel fans. Its English release on Switch and Steam is remarkable. The low price makes it an easy recommendation. While not as visually stunning as Tsukihime's remake, Fate/stay night REMASTERED is worth your time. 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 limited VR experience, I missed out on some great games. Friends with VR headsets mentioned TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos, praised for their stories and VR immersion. I experienced them only with the Switch release via Izanagi Games.

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK 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 predictable at times, but it's not bad. The visuals are good, and I'm curious to try the VR version.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is superior, with better production, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It transcends the visual novel format, which enhances the experience. ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is the highlight, but the pack is worthwhile if you can handle the controls.

Beyond some story elements, the Switch version has camera movement issues. Not game-breaking, but distracting. Touchscreen support and rumble compensate.

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is excellent on Switch, with touch controls and rumble enhancing immersion. I'm glad I finally experienced 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 perfectly describes the game. It's Fitness Boxing featuring Hatsune Miku. It includes 24 songs from Miku and friends, plus 30 from the Fitness Boxing series. Plenty of music to work out to. 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 cult classic, with improved presentation and challenging gameplay. Recommended for fans of clever platformers.

Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost ($29.99)

Combines rhythm game and bullet hell shooter elements. The Touhou theme connects them. Fans of the series will likely approve.

EGGCONSOLE Hydlide MSX ($6.49)

Another Hydlide version for EGGCONSOLE. Falls between the PC-8801 and NES versions. For dedicated Hydlide fans.

Arcade Archives Lead Angle ($7.99)

A 1988 gallery shooter. A decent example of the genre.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

No Man’s Sky is always a good deal. Other noteworthy 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. I also have a blog, Post Game Content, that will be reactivated soon. Check it out if you enjoy my thoughts on games. Have a great Thursday, and thanks for reading!