Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for June 7th, 2022. In today’s article, we start things off with a pair of reviews. The intriguing Card Shark demonstrates its talents, and I attempt to climb the tower of TOKOYO without falling to my doom. We’ve got a single new release to check out, and a decent list of sales thanks to DANGEN Entertainment celebrating their fifth anniversary. Let’s check out what’s on offer!
What an odd game this is, but it’s one that I rather like. Through a rather humorous series of events, you end up joining up with a charming thief and assisting him in his scams and tricks. The gameplay boils down to a whole bunch of minigames, with a rather large variety on offer. There’s a real emphasis here on timing and keeping your attention on multiple things at once, which keeps things challenging and tense regardless of the situation. There’s also a slight psychological element to it, as nothing garners suspicion quite like someone having a bit too much luck. All of this is wrapped up in an amusing, engaging story told with plenty of style.
It’s hard to say if any given individual will find Card Shark to their tastes, as it really is its own thing in just about every way. While its mechanics are simple on their face, they can also be very challenging and deep. Perhaps best of all, they make you feel like you’re pulling things off like an expert con artist. When these sequences are woven together with an entertaining narrative and a distinct look, it’s hard for to call this anything but a winning hand. If you’re open to something off the beaten path, feel free to ante up.
SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5
I suppose I should begin this review by mentioning that at this exact point in time, TOKOYO has been pulled from the eShop pending a review of its ESRB rating. Playism has said it will be back before long. That’s a good thing, because this is a rather enjoyable affair. You’re tasked with climbing a tower that changes its form each real day. You have to go as high as you can, scoring as many points as possible along the way. A leaderboard shows how you fared against other players, giving you solid incentive to keep trying to better your score.
There are enemies, traps, and lots of tricky platforming sections to navigate, and you have no normal means of fighting back. Instead, you have a special ability that operates on a cooldown. At certain milestones in the tower, you’ll need to battle a boss. Take them down and you’ll get your pick of a perk that can help you survive. You have a health meter that gives you a bit of wiggle room, but it can be whittled down in a hurry if you’re careless. But don’t dawdle too long or you’ll build up negative karma, and in this game karma is truly something you don’t want to mess with.
Having the same daily, changing tower as every other player along with a leaderboard really fans the competitive flame in me. The snappy controls, variety of situations that can be encountered, and interesting limited attack gimmick make it fun to play on a basic level. Put those two sides together and TOKOYO: The Tower of Perpetuity has a lot to offer fans of challenging platformers.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
Here’s another decent Metroidvania-style game for the pile. A young woman wakes up in a dungeon surrounded by deadly monsters, and to make matters worse she doesn’t remember much of anything. A perilous situation, but a mysterious magician named Beatrice rescues her. With her help, our heroine must explore the Lost Ruins and discover their secrets. There’s a bit of the Souls-like juice in here, so expect the methodical combat that comes with that. With plenty of magic, gear, and fun secrets to find and make use of, this one ticks off the boxes nicely.
(North American eShop, US Prices)
As mentioned at the top, DANGEN Entertainment is marking its fifth anniversary and is having a sale in celebration. It has published quite a few great games on the Switch, and you can get many of them at some of the lowest prices yet. RPGs like Rise of the Third Power, Ara Fell, and Bug Fables, action-adventures like Momodora, Minoria, and Astalon, and straight-up action games like Smelter have some nice discounts and are worth investigating. Beyond that, Thomas Was Alone hits a wild rock-bottom sale price, The Solitaire Conspiracy conspires to take as few of your coins as possible, and Arise: A Simple Story has its first post-launch price drop. Check those lists as always.
Select New Games on Sale
Rise of the Third Power ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Minoria ($10.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Momodora: RUtM ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/10)
Ara Fell Enhanced Edition ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/10)
Smelter ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/10)
Astalon: Tears of the Earth ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Evertried ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Super Sportmatchen ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/10)
Batbarian: TotP ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Pinball FX3 Williams Vol.3 DLC ($3.99 from $9.99 until 6/13)
Pinball FX3 Universal Monsters DLC ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/13)
Lone McLonegan: A Western Adv. ($5.99 from $9.99 until 6/13)
Foregone ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/14)
Talisman Digital Edition ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/14)
Sydney Hunter: The Curse of the Mayan ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/20)
Shieldwall Chronicles SotN ($2.99 from $7.99 until 6/20)
Lila’s Sky Ark ($10.04 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Get Ogre It ($2.39 from $11.99 until 6/20)
Arise: A Simple Story DE ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/22)
Thomas Was Alone ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/27)
The Solitaire Conspiracy ($2.39 from $11.99 until 6/27)
Lair of the Clockwork God ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/27)
Behold the Kickmen ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/27)
Sakura Succubus 2 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/27)
Sakura Succubus 3 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/27)
Sable’s Grimoire ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/27)
Would You Like to Run an Idol Cafe? ($6.69 from $9.99 until 6/27)
Would You Like to Run an Idol Cafe? 2 ($6.69 from $9.99 until 6/27)
Double Shot Gals ($3.34 from $4.99 until 6/27)
Summer in Mara ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/27)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 7th
8-Bit Farm ($8.40 from $14.00 until 6/8)
BioShock 2 Remastered ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/8)
BioShock Infinite Complete ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/8)
BioShock Remastered ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/8)
BioShock The Collection ($19.99 from $49.99 until 6/8)
Borderlands Legendary Collection ($19.99 from $49.99 until 6/8)
Borderlands: GotY Edition ($11.99 from $29.99 until 6/8)
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/8)
Boxing Gym Story ($11.20 from $14.00 until 6/8)
Carnival Games ($9.99 from $39.99 until 6/8)
Dungeon Village ($7.00 from $14.00 until 6/8)
Jade Order ($4.89 from $6.99 until 6/8)
L.A. Noire ($24.99 from $49.99 until 6/8)
PGA Tour 2K21 ($14.99 from $59.99 until 6/8)
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI ($8.99 from $29.99 until 6/8)
Station Manager ($8.40 from $14.00 until 6/8)
Tales from the Borderlands ($14.99 from $24.99 until 6/8)
The Manga Works ($7.00 from $14.00 until 6/8)
The Outer Worlds ($23.99 from $59.99 until 6/8)
The Outer Worlds Expansion Pass ($19.99 from $24.99 until 6/8)
The Sushi Spinnery ($7.00 from $14.00 until 6/8)
Warhammer 40k Space Wolf ($5.39 from $17.99 until 6/8)
Wild Park Manager ($8.40 from $14.00 until 6/8)
That’s all for today, friends. I have an appointment at the fancy hospital tomorrow for my semi-regular tests to see if my problem has become a big problem, but I should be back in time to put together an article of some kind. Probably just new releases and sales, but that should be enough to hold you over. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
Reviews & Mini-Views
Card Shark ($19.99)
What an odd game this is, but it’s one that I rather like. Through a rather humorous series of events, you end up joining up with a charming thief and assisting him in his scams and tricks. The gameplay boils down to a whole bunch of minigames, with a rather large variety on offer. There’s a real emphasis here on timing and keeping your attention on multiple things at once, which keeps things challenging and tense regardless of the situation. There’s also a slight psychological element to it, as nothing garners suspicion quite like someone having a bit too much luck. All of this is wrapped up in an amusing, engaging story told with plenty of style.
It’s hard to say if any given individual will find Card Shark to their tastes, as it really is its own thing in just about every way. While its mechanics are simple on their face, they can also be very challenging and deep. Perhaps best of all, they make you feel like you’re pulling things off like an expert con artist. When these sequences are woven together with an entertaining narrative and a distinct look, it’s hard for to call this anything but a winning hand. If you’re open to something off the beaten path, feel free to ante up.
SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5
TOKOYO: The Tower of Perpetuity ($11.99)
I suppose I should begin this review by mentioning that at this exact point in time, TOKOYO has been pulled from the eShop pending a review of its ESRB rating. Playism has said it will be back before long. That’s a good thing, because this is a rather enjoyable affair. You’re tasked with climbing a tower that changes its form each real day. You have to go as high as you can, scoring as many points as possible along the way. A leaderboard shows how you fared against other players, giving you solid incentive to keep trying to better your score.
There are enemies, traps, and lots of tricky platforming sections to navigate, and you have no normal means of fighting back. Instead, you have a special ability that operates on a cooldown. At certain milestones in the tower, you’ll need to battle a boss. Take them down and you’ll get your pick of a perk that can help you survive. You have a health meter that gives you a bit of wiggle room, but it can be whittled down in a hurry if you’re careless. But don’t dawdle too long or you’ll build up negative karma, and in this game karma is truly something you don’t want to mess with.
Having the same daily, changing tower as every other player along with a leaderboard really fans the competitive flame in me. The snappy controls, variety of situations that can be encountered, and interesting limited attack gimmick make it fun to play on a basic level. Put those two sides together and TOKOYO: The Tower of Perpetuity has a lot to offer fans of challenging platformers.
SwitchArcade Score: 4/5
New Releases
Lost Ruins ($19.99)
Here’s another decent Metroidvania-style game for the pile. A young woman wakes up in a dungeon surrounded by deadly monsters, and to make matters worse she doesn’t remember much of anything. A perilous situation, but a mysterious magician named Beatrice rescues her. With her help, our heroine must explore the Lost Ruins and discover their secrets. There’s a bit of the Souls-like juice in here, so expect the methodical combat that comes with that. With plenty of magic, gear, and fun secrets to find and make use of, this one ticks off the boxes nicely.
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
As mentioned at the top, DANGEN Entertainment is marking its fifth anniversary and is having a sale in celebration. It has published quite a few great games on the Switch, and you can get many of them at some of the lowest prices yet. RPGs like Rise of the Third Power, Ara Fell, and Bug Fables, action-adventures like Momodora, Minoria, and Astalon, and straight-up action games like Smelter have some nice discounts and are worth investigating. Beyond that, Thomas Was Alone hits a wild rock-bottom sale price, The Solitaire Conspiracy conspires to take as few of your coins as possible, and Arise: A Simple Story has its first post-launch price drop. Check those lists as always.
Select New Games on Sale
Rise of the Third Power ($13.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Minoria ($10.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Momodora: RUtM ($5.99 from $14.99 until 6/10)
Ara Fell Enhanced Edition ($4.49 from $14.99 until 6/10)
Smelter ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling ($12.49 from $24.99 until 6/10)
Astalon: Tears of the Earth ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Evertried ($11.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Super Sportmatchen ($1.99 from $14.99 until 6/10)
Batbarian: TotP ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/10)
Pinball FX3 Williams Vol.3 DLC ($3.99 from $9.99 until 6/13)
Pinball FX3 Universal Monsters DLC ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/13)
Lone McLonegan: A Western Adv. ($5.99 from $9.99 until 6/13)
Foregone ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/14)
Talisman Digital Edition ($1.99 from $19.99 until 6/14)
Sydney Hunter: The Curse of the Mayan ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/20)
Shieldwall Chronicles SotN ($2.99 from $7.99 until 6/20)
Lila’s Sky Ark ($10.04 from $14.99 until 6/20)
Get Ogre It ($2.39 from $11.99 until 6/20)
Arise: A Simple Story DE ($9.99 from $19.99 until 6/22)
Thomas Was Alone ($1.99 from $9.99 until 6/27)
The Solitaire Conspiracy ($2.39 from $11.99 until 6/27)
Lair of the Clockwork God ($4.99 from $19.99 until 6/27)
Behold the Kickmen ($1.99 from $3.99 until 6/27)
Sakura Succubus 2 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/27)
Sakura Succubus 3 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 6/27)
Sable’s Grimoire ($7.49 from $14.99 until 6/27)
Would You Like to Run an Idol Cafe? ($6.69 from $9.99 until 6/27)
Would You Like to Run an Idol Cafe? 2 ($6.69 from $9.99 until 6/27)
Double Shot Gals ($3.34 from $4.99 until 6/27)
Summer in Mara ($9.99 from $24.99 until 6/27)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 7th
8-Bit Farm ($8.40 from $14.00 until 6/8)
BioShock 2 Remastered ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/8)
BioShock Infinite Complete ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/8)
BioShock Remastered ($7.99 from $19.99 until 6/8)
BioShock The Collection ($19.99 from $49.99 until 6/8)
Borderlands Legendary Collection ($19.99 from $49.99 until 6/8)
Borderlands: GotY Edition ($11.99 from $29.99 until 6/8)
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection ($15.99 from $39.99 until 6/8)
Boxing Gym Story ($11.20 from $14.00 until 6/8)
Carnival Games ($9.99 from $39.99 until 6/8)
Dungeon Village ($7.00 from $14.00 until 6/8)
Jade Order ($4.89 from $6.99 until 6/8)
L.A. Noire ($24.99 from $49.99 until 6/8)
PGA Tour 2K21 ($14.99 from $59.99 until 6/8)
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI ($8.99 from $29.99 until 6/8)
Station Manager ($8.40 from $14.00 until 6/8)
Tales from the Borderlands ($14.99 from $24.99 until 6/8)
The Manga Works ($7.00 from $14.00 until 6/8)
The Outer Worlds ($23.99 from $59.99 until 6/8)
The Outer Worlds Expansion Pass ($19.99 from $24.99 until 6/8)
The Sushi Spinnery ($7.00 from $14.00 until 6/8)
Warhammer 40k Space Wolf ($5.39 from $17.99 until 6/8)
Wild Park Manager ($8.40 from $14.00 until 6/8)
That’s all for today, friends. I have an appointment at the fancy hospital tomorrow for my semi-regular tests to see if my problem has become a big problem, but I should be back in time to put together an article of some kind. Probably just new releases and sales, but that should be enough to hold you over. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!