SwitchArcade Round-Up: Today’s Nintendo Direct, Full Review of ‘EGGCONSOLE Star Trader’, Plus New Releases and Sales

Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 27th, 2024! Today's update begins with some exciting news, followed by a review and a look at a new release. We'll wrap things up with our usual sales reports. Let's dive in!

News

Nintendo Direct/Indie World Showcase Recap

As predicted by some industry insiders, Nintendo surprised us with a last-minute Nintendo Direct! The 40-minute presentation featured both Partner and Indie World Showcases. While primarily focused on third-party titles and indie games, it lacked any major first-party announcements and, unsurprisingly, no news about the next-generation Switch console. A full summary of the key announcements will be available tomorrow.

Reviews & Mini-Views

EGGCONSOLE Star Trader PC-8801mkIIsr ($6.49)

This EGGCONSOLE release presents the usual dilemma: game quality and language barrier. Star Trader is an interesting but not outstanding title. It blends Japanese adventure game elements with side-scrolling shooter stages, neither of which are particularly polished. The adventure sections boast decent artwork, and the attempt to integrate a narrative into the shooter segments is unique. Gameplay involves interacting with characters, completing quests to earn money for ship upgrades, crucial for progressing through the shooting stages.

The shooting sections, however, suffer from the PC-8801's limitations, resulting in choppy visuals, even if the scrolling were smoother. The game's structure is unclear, leaving Star Trader more intriguing than genuinely enjoyable. The significant amount of Japanese text severely impacts accessibility for Western players. While some gameplay is possible through trial and error, a full appreciation is impossible without Japanese language skills. It's a fascinating historical artifact, but its enjoyment is hampered by the language barrier.

Star Trader offers a glimpse into a developer's experimentation outside their usual style. However, the significant Japanese text makes it difficult to recommend wholeheartedly.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

Select New Releases

Crypt Custodian ($19.99)

This top-down action-adventure game follows Pluto, a recently deceased cat, banished from the afterlife and tasked with eternal cleaning duties. Explore, battle enemies with your broom, encounter quirky characters, defeat bosses, and upgrade your abilities. It's a familiar formula, but executed well. Fans of the genre should definitely check it out.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

For fans of colorful shooters with unique mechanics, I suggest looking at the Dreamer series and Harpoon Shooter Nozomi. Don't miss out on 1000xRESIST—it's a must-buy! Other noteworthy sales include Star Wars titles, Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Haiku, the Robot, and the Tomb Raider collection. Check out the full lists below!

Select New Sales

Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 28th

That's all for today! Join us tomorrow for a detailed look at the Nintendo Direct announcements, along with new game releases, sales, and more reviews. Have a great Tuesday!