SwitchArcade Round-Up: ‘Bravely Default II’, ‘Thunderflash’, ‘Dungeons & Bombs’, and Today’s Other New Releases and Sales

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for February 26th, 2021. Typically weeks that have heavy Thursday releases have lighter Fridays, but this week isn’t interested in following norms. There are a whole bunch of games to check out today, with Bravely Default II leading the charge. There aren’t a whole lot of big names beyond that, but the eclectic selection includes a number of games that I’m sure will find an audience. We finish things out with the sales, both incoming and outgoing, though it’s a rather smaller list than we generally have on Fridays. As I write this, the Pokemon presentation is upcoming so I can’t say much about what I’m sure includes two very big pieces of news, but we’ll probably catch up on that on Monday. Let’s get going!

New Releases

Bravely Default II ($59.99)

SwitchArcade Highlight!

Bravely Default was a surprise hit several years back by being something of an antidote to a tumultuous period for the Final Fantasy brand, but those that saw it through would have found a game that was unconventional in almost as many ways as it adhered to traditions. That kind of magic trick is hard to pull off a second time, and indeed Bravely Second had a hard time finding an audience in its time and place. Bravely Default II tells a new story with new characters, bringing back many of the familiar gameplay elements that people liked about the first game. I think they’ve once again come up with something not quite so good as the original, but it’s still a mighty fine adventure for RPG fans.

Demon Hunter: Revelation ($14.99)

The title may sound like a Shin Megami Tensei game, but it’s all Artifex Mundi, baby. That means another hidden object adventure with a reasonably interesting story and very detailed visuals. A Demon Huntress is searching for a missing girl, and she’ll have to cross proverbial swords with a creature from another dimension to find her. As the mysteries unfold, our heroine starts to realize that not only is there more going on than she initially thought, this case may have something to do with her own troubled past. Sounds like a neat set-up for this kind of adventure, at least.

Thunderflash ($4.99)

This is an affordable homage to the likes of SNK’s Ikari Warriors and Capcom’s Commando, and it gets a lot of things right in its aim to relive the past. The graphics fit the era, there’s a two-player local co-op multiplayer option, and you can pick up some cool weapons to help you deal with the many, many enemies that will swarm you. There are a couple of extra modes including a boss rush, and the way the game is structured just about anyone should be able to eventually finish it. You’ll have to be a bit stubborn, because the other authentic point is just how cheap the enemies can be. Your characters are a bit too sluggish to avoid some shots at times. But anyone who has spent time with the top-down run-and-gun legends of the arcades know all too well that such things aren’t inaccurate to the source material by any means. Not bad at all for a fiver.

Baobabs Mausoleum Grindhouse Edition ($19.99)

So this is basically a version of Baobabs Mausoleum that collects all three previously released chapters into one game. It costs one dollar more than buying those chapters separately, but it takes up less space on your home menu. That’s nice, I guess. Somehow it also takes up somewhere near 5GB less space on your memory card than the separate chapters, if the eShop data is to be believed. That’s actually very nice. Still, it’s a bit odd that it costs more at regular prices to buy the games bundled than it is to get them individually. You don’t see that too often. Interesting adventure games, however you choose to buy them.

My Coloring Book ($4.99)

It’s another coloring app! Well, this isn’t my kind of thing but I’m sure some people have fun with them. This one has 144 drawing to color covering 12 different categories, with simple ones that will appeal to kids and complex geometric shapes for adults to zone out on. You get a lot of tools and colors to use in these endeavors, making this better than many of the other similar titles on the eShop. You can even save your progress on a picture and pick it up later. I suppose for five dollars that’s not too shabby.

Monster Truck XT Airport Derby ($11.99)

This is another one of those driving games from Boom Hits that has been ported over from mobile, where it’s a free-to-play title. You can try it on your mobile device if you want a sample. The idea here is that you can drive various monster trucks around an old airport that has been repurposed as an obstacle course. You can just roam around and have fun seeing the sights, or work on the game’s seventy missions. Those involve doing particular tricks, beating time records, and so on. Someone is clearly buying these things, and maybe that someone is you. If indeed that is the case, here’s the new one for you.

Dungeons & Bombs ($4.99)

The aim here is to rescue the bearded princess in each of the fifty stages. It’s turn-based, and you have a limited number of moves to clear each stage in. You also have bombs, so that’s pretty helpful in places. The idea here is to use your human powers of logic to figure out the best path to the bearded princess without being mulched by a trap or enemy. Not the fanciest or most innovative of games, but if you like your puzzlers well enough this will probably be worth your time and money.

Katana Kata ($14.99)

It’s nice when a game goes to the trouble of describing itself as a Souls-like so that I can avoid the cliche comparison myself. This one aims to blend that design philosophy with some tricky timing-based sword combat. It’s been out for a while on home computers, and the reception seems to be somewhat warm if not overtly so. It seems to go down better for those approaching it as a roguelite than it does for those expecting a full-on Souls-style experience. At the very least, the presentation looks solid. You can tell at a glance what kind of experience it’s trying to deliver, and it seems like it mostly makes good on that.

Horned Knight ($5.99)

This is fine. Not much more than that. It’s an action-platformer where you make your way through thirty-two stages spread across four worlds. The level designs can get a bit repetitive, but the controls work well enough that you won’t have a bad time picking your way through the game. There are boss fights at the end of each world, and they’re alright. Sorry if I don’t sound too enthusiastic about this one. It just doesn’t do anything to light a fire within me, for good or for ill. I suppose for the price it doesn’t have to, but it does make it hard to come up with much to say about it.

Dat Gaem ($7.99)

A humorous take on the JRPG genre, or at least it’s trying to be. Play as special agents and recover soy milk from the forces of evil. Indeed, you level up by collecting soy milk, not by defeating enemies. Apparently there are stealth elements and logic puzzles, so I’m not sure how rigidly it’s keeping to the genre, but the battles certainly look quite orthodox. The price is low enough that I’m tempted to gamble on it, but then again Bravely Default II just came out and I’m not sure I have the time to fuss around with iffy-looking stuff until I’m done with it.

1912: Titanic Mystery ($9.99)

This… is a bizarre premise. You’re on board a replica of the Titanic named Titanic II on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic, and apparently there’s a bomb on board? And you’re the only one who can find it? You know, maybe don’t build more Titanics. This seems like it’s not really working for anyone. Anyway, you have to save the ship and the people on board by finding the bomb. You do that by solving hidden object puzzles and unlocking clues to the bomb’s whereabouts. There are some mini-games in there to break up the routine, too. I’m not a big hidden object adventure person, but if you are this may be to your liking.

Pixel Game Maker Series Remote Bomber ($9.99)

This is the latest in the line of releases using the Pixel Game Maker MV software. This one is probably inspired by the likes of Lode Runner, putting you in the shoes of a character who can run, climb ladders, and use explosives. What the main character can’t do is jump. You have to avoid the security robots and destroy all of the jammers on each stage to move on. If you have fond memories of Lode Runner or its contemporaries, you’ll likely find this to be just evocative enough to feel comfortable while still having a bit of its own thing going.

Spooky Chase ($4.99)

A little out of season for a Halloween game, but oh well. Something to be said for counter-programming. The idea here is similar to those Shadow Mario stages in some of the Mario games. You’re being chased by clones that follow the actions you took, and if one of them hits you, you’re dead. The aim is to collect the flags, but the more you grab the more evil clones you’ll have to deal with. There are some unlockable characters here to keep you coming back. Rather simple, but if that’s what you’re looking for this seems decent enough.

Real Driving Sim ($14.90)

I don’t want to be too harsh, but… is there any need for this? With EA’s one-two punch of Burnout Paradise and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, I feel like there just isn’t a whole lot of room for mediocre would-be sims on the Switch anymore. You may feel differently from me, though. This has a bunch of vehicles to drive, a big open world map with more than 20 cities, a variety of terrain types to drive on, and a bunch of challenges to complete. I suppose if you don’t have quite enough money for Burnout Paradise and don’t care about rough edges, you might be entertained enough by this? You can try it for free on your mobile device first to see if it interests you, as it is on both the App Store and Google Play.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

As I mentioned in the introduction paragraph, there isn’t as much here as we usually see on Fridays. The most noteworthy sales are the Arcade Archives games from Taito, though most of them are so old that their play value is a bit dubious. Puzzle Bobble is a great pick-up, and I’d stump for Elevator Action as well. Beyond that, it’s a lot of stuff that goes on sale every month or two. That doesn’t mean you won’t find treasure in there, but you’ll have to find it on your own. The outbox is comparatively huge, thanks to the big sale from last week finishing up on Sunday. I said it before and I’ll say it again: grab Ninja Saviors. It probably won’t be on sale again for a very long time, and it is awesome.

Select New Games on Sale

Deployment ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/3)
Giana Sisters: TD ($4.99 from $29.99 until 3/4)
Rad Rodgers Radical ($4.99 from $29.99 until 3/4)
Mad Games Tycoon ($11.99 from $39.99 until 3/4)
Into A Dream ($11.89 from $13.99 until 3/4)
What The Fork ($12.59 from $17.99 until 3/4)
Adventures of 00 Dilly ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/4)
Soccer, Tactics & Glory ($11.99 from $39.99 until 3/4)
Sticky Monsters ($4.97 from $9.95 until 3/4)
Aery: Journey Beyond Time ($6.99 from $9.99 until 3/7)
Stellar Interface ($1.99 from $12.99 until 3/7)
Colorful Colore ($2.09 from $2.99 until 3/9)
Arcade Archives Front Line ($3.99 from $7.99 until 3/10)
Arcade Archives Time Tunnel ($3.99 from $7.99 until 3/10)
Arcade Archives Wild Western ($3.99 from $7.99 until 3/10)

Arcade Archives Alpine Ski ($3.99 from $7.99 until 3/10)
Arcade Archives Elevator Action ($3.99 from $7.99 until 3/10)
ACA NEOGEO Puzzle Bobble ($3.99 from $7.99 until 3/10)
Fall of Light: Darkest ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/10)
UnExplored ($4.50 from $15.00 until 3/10)
Frost ($3.89 from $12.99 until 3/10)
Nefarious ($3.74 from $14.99 until 3/10)
Valfaris ($11.24 from $24.99 until 3/10)
Blacksea Odyssey ($3.24 from $12.99 until 3/10)
Slain: Back From Hell ($4.99 from $19.99 until 3/10)
INK & HackyZack Bundle ($2.24 from $14.99 until 3/10)
Couch Co-Op Bundle ($6.89 from $45.99 until 3/10)
Bleed Complete Bundle ($4.19 from $27.99 until 3/10)
Indie Darling Bundle Vol.1 ($5.24 from $34.99 until 3/10)
Indie Darling Bundle Vol.3 ($7.57 from $50.49 until 3/10)
Pixel Art Bundle Vol. 1 ($5.69 from $37.99 until 3/10)
Horror Bundle Vol. 1 ($4.56 from $30.49 until 3/10)

Snakeybus ($7.19 from $11.99 until 3/10)
XenoRaptor ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/10)
Odallus: Dark Call ($3.59 from $11.99 until 3/10)
Oniken: Unstoppable ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/10)
Straimium Immortaly ($4.07 from $11.99 until 3/10)
Skelly Selest ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/10)
Reverse Crawl ($3.24 from $12.99 until 3/10)
Black Paradox ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/10)
Super Blood Hockey ($7.49 from $14.99 until 3/10)
Demon Pit ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/10)
Verlet Swing ($5.09 from $14.99 until 3/10)
Golem Gates ($7.49 from $24.99 until 3/10)
Glass Masquerade Pack ($3.29 from $21.99 until 3/10)
Monster Slayers ($3.74 from $14.99 until 3/10)
Slayaway Camp ($3.74 from $14.99 until 3/10)

Letter Quest Remastered ($2.99 from $11.99 until 3/10)
Rotating Brave ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/11)
Spy Chameleon ($4.95 from $7.99 until 3/11)
Inversus Deluxe ($2.09 from $14.99 until 3/11)
Quell Memento ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/11)
Spooky Chase ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/11)
Gnomes Garden: Lost King ($2.99 from $9.99 until 3/11)
Cobra Kai: Karate Kid Saga ($19.99 from $39.99 until 3/11)
G.I. Joe: Op. Blackout ($19.99 from $39.99 until 3/11)
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 ($19.99 from $39.99 until 3/11)
Reflex Unit 2 ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/11)
Newton’s Cradle Puzzle Game ($2.00 from $2.99 until 3/11)
Bossgard ($13.99 from $19.99 until 3/11)
Typoman ($4.54 from $12.99 until 3/11)
Black The Fall ($4.49 from $14.99 until 3/11)

Defoliation ($4.99 from $9.99 until 3/11)
Space Elite Force ($1.99 from $2.99 until 3/11)
Swapperoo ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/11)
Under Leaves ($9.09 from $12.99 until 3/11)
Unitied ($2.00 from $2.99 until 3/11)
The Snake King ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/12)
One Line Coloring ($3.49 from $6.99 until 3/12)
Tachyon Project ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/14)
Spheroids ($1.99 from $7.99 until 3/14)
Super Toy Cars ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/14)
Forest Home ($1.99 from $14.99 until 3/17)
Holedown ($4.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Go All Out! ($2.59 from $12.99 until 3/17)
Wanderlust Travel Stories ($2.99 from $14.99 until 3/17)
Tennis Open 2020 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)

Ultimate Ski Jumping 2020 ($1.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Sudoku Relax ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Poly Puzzle ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Pack Master ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Cooking Simulator ($1.99 from $19.99 until 3/17)
Kuukiyomi 2: New Era ($3.74 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Seeds of Resilience ($2.09 from $14.99 until 3/17)
Masky ($1.99 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Towaga: Among Shadows ($2.24 from $14.99 until 3/17)
Frontline Zed ($2.99 from $11.99 until 3/17)
Mini Island Challenge Bundle ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/17)
SpyHack ($2.49 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Mushroom Savior ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Here Be Dragons ($8.99 from $17.99 until 3/17)
Ultimate Fishing Simulator ($4.99 from $19.99 until 3/17)

Mini Motor Racing X ($4.99 from $19.99 until 3/17)
Hot Shot Burn ($3.74 from $14.99 until 3/17)
Bomber Fox ($2.49 from $4.99 until 3/17)
The Lost Cube ($8.49 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Binarystar Infinity ($3.34 from $4.99 until 3/17)
Death Tales ($3.99 from $9.99 until 3/17)
Outbreak: Nightmare Chronicles ($5.19 from $12.99 until 3/17)
CMS ($2.99 from $14.99 until 3/18)

Sales Ending This Weekend

Dadish ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/27)
Bubble Bubble Ocean ($3.49 from $4.99 until 2/27)
Jumping Stack Ball ($2.99 from $3.99 until 2/27)
Katana Kata ($11.99 from $14.99 until 2/27)
LocO-SportS ($1.99 from $5.99 until 2/27)
Lydia ($2.00 from $4.00 until 2/27)
Soulblight ($3.74 from $14.99 until 2/27)
Spinny’s Journey ($7.99 from $14.99 until 2/27)
Super Arcade Racing ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/27)
#womenUp, Super Puzzles Dream ($2.06 from $6.19 until 2/27)
Absolute Drift ($8.39 from $11.99 until 2/28)
ABZU ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron ($3.75 from $15.00 until 2/28)
Among Us ($3.50 from $5.00 until 2/28)
Anarcute ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/28)

Anthill ($3.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
ATOMIK: RunGunJumpGun ($1.99 from $7.99 until 2/28)
Battle Planet: Judgement Day ($4.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Beach Buggy Racing ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Beholder 2 ($5.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Black Future ’88 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Black Rainbow ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Blacksad: Under the Skin ($14.99 from $49.99 until 2/28)
Brightstone Mysteries: PH ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Burnout Paradise Remastered ($14.99 from $29.99 until 2/28)
Cave Digger ($7.45 from $14.90 until 2/28)
Children of Zodiarcs ($10.79 from $17.99 until 2/28)
Conga Master Party! ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Cooking Tycoons 2 – 3 in 1 ($5.19 from $12.99 until 2/28)
Country Tales ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)

Curious Expedition ($8.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Darkest Dungeon ($12.49 from $24.99 until 2/28)
Debris Infinity ($3.49 from $4.99 until 2/28)
Distrust ($4.79 from $11.99 until 2/28)
Do Not Feed the Monkeys ($3.89 from $12.99 until 2/28)
Don’t Starve ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Doodle Derby ($1.99 from $7.99 until 2/28)
Earth Atlantis ($1.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Electronic Super Joy ($3.99 from $7.99 until 2/28)
Electronic Super Joy 2 ($3.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Farm Mystery ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
FIFA 21 Legacy ($29.99 from $49.99 until 2/28)
Fimbul ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Flashback ($1.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Flipon ($5.09 from $5.99 until 2/28)

Flipping Death ($3.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Fox n Forests ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Furi ($6.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Ghost of a Tale ($22.49 from $24.99 until 2/28)
Ghostrunner ($20.99 from $29.99 until 2/28)
Giga Wrecker Alt ($12.49 from $24.99 until 2/28)
Glyph ($13.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Goat Simulator: The GOATY ($7.49 from $29.99 until 2/28)
Golf Story ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Guacamelee! 2 ($7.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Guacamelee! Super Turbo ($5.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Hob: Definitive ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Huntdown ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
In Between ($1.99 from $11.99 until 2/28)

Invisible Inc ($13.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Iris & the Giant ($13.49 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Jet Lancer ($9.89 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Jigsaw Abundance ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/28)
Jigsaw Solace ($1.99 from $3.99 until 2/28)
John Wick Hex ($13.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Julie’s Sweets ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Last Day of June ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Lofi Ping Pong ($3.49 from $4.99 until 2/28)
Lonely Mountains: Downhill ($13.39 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Manticore: Galaxy on Fire ($2.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Mark of the Ninja ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
MechaNika ($2.99 from $5.99 until 2/28)
Melbits World ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Memory Lane ($1.99 from $4.99 until 2/28)

Milanoir ($4.49 from $12.99 until 2/28)
n Verlore Verstand ($2.09 from $13.99 until 2/28)
Nerved ($2.24 from $8.99 until 2/28)
Never Again ($6.99 from $13.99 until 2/28)
Never Give Up ($9.89 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Oh… Sir! Hollywood Roast ($1.99 from $2.99 until 2/28)
OlliOlli: Switch Stance ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Ori & the Blind Forest ($13.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Ori & the Will of the Wisps ($25.49 from $29.99 until 2/28)
Out of Space: Couch Edition ($8.49 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Party Crashers ($1.99 from $15.00 until 2/28)
Party Golf ($1.99 from $15.00 until 2/28)
Pilot Sports ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Project Highrise ($15.99 from $39.99 until 2/28)
Pumpkin Jack ($20.99 from $29.99 until 2/28)

Railway Empire ($27.99 from $39.99 until 2/28)
Raji: An Ancient Epic ($16.74 from $24.99 until 2/28)
Red Crow Mysteries: Legion ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Retro Arcade Shooter: AfP ($1.99 from $5.99 until 2/28)
Riptide GP: Renegade ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Rush Rally 3 ($9.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Safety First! ($1.99 from $2.99 until 2/28)
ScourgeBringer ($14.44 from $16.99 until 2/28)
Semblance ($2.49 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Severed ($5.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Shalnor Legends: Sacred Lands ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Skee-Ball ($2.49 from $4.99 until 2/28)
Sky Racket ($3.49 from $14.99 until 2/28)
Squidgies Takeover ($1.99 from $15.00 until 2/28)
Squids Odyssey ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)

Storm In A Teacup ($2.09 from $2.99 until 2/28)
Superhot ($14.99 from $24.99 until 2/28)
Syberia 1 & 2 ($1.99 from $34.99 until 2/28)
Tales From Space: MBA ($3.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
The Adventure Pals ($9.89 from $14.99 until 2/28)
The Drama Queen Murder ($4.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
The Eyes of Ara ($7.49 from $14.99 until 2/28)
The Inner World ($2.39 from $11.99 until 2/28)
The Inner World: Last Wind Monk ($2.99 from $14.99 until 2/28)
The Jackbox Party Pack 3 ($16.24 from $24.99 until 2/28)
The Jackbox Party Pack 6 ($19.49 from $29.99 until 2/28)
The Last Days ($2.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
The Ninja Saviors: RotW ($9.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
The Persistence ($14.99 from $29.99 until 2/28)
Toby: The Secret Mine ($1.99 from $11.99 until 2/28)

Torchlight II ($11.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Torchlight III ($19.99 from $39.99 until 2/28)
Tropico 6 ($39.99 from $49.99 until 2/28)
Tyd wag vir Niemand ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Unravel Two ($4.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Urban Street Fighting ($5.99 from $7.99 until 2/28)
Vosaria: Lair of the Forgotten ($1.99 from $9.99 until 2/28)
Warhammer 40k Mechanicus ($23.99 from $39.99 until 2/28)
Wide Ocean Big Jacket ($1.99 from $7.99 until 2/28)
Windscape ($6.99 from $19.99 until 2/28)
Yuppie Psycho: Executive ($10.82 from $16.66 until 2/28)
Zumba Burn It Up! ($21.99 from $39.99 until 2/28)

That’s all for today, this week, and this month, friends. When we meet up next, March will be kicking off. It’s bound to be a busy month, with Monster Hunter Rise, Apex Legends, Crash Bandicoot 4, and many more on the way. For Monday, however, we’ll be trying to catch up on a few reviews and summarizing that sinfully delicious news you’ve all likely already seen in the Pokemon presentation. I hope you all have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for reading!