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

Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Roundup for September 5th, 2024. It's Thursday already! Time flies, doesn't it? We're diving straight into the 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 with his thoughts on Nour: Play With Your Food, Fate/stay night REMASTERED, and the TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK. After that, we'll cover the day's noteworthy new releases and round things off with our usual sales lists. Let's get to it!

Reviews & Mini-Views

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

Sequels to long-dormant franchises are all the rage these days, it seems. Nintendo has surprisingly revived the Famicom Detective Club series, primarily known in the West through a fleeting remake of the first two games on Switch a few years back. This new entry, the first in this millennium, is a welcome addition.

The challenge with reviving an old IP is striking a balance between faithfulness to the original and modernization. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club sticks closely to the style of the recent remakes, which themselves were quite faithful to the originals. The result is a curious blend. The visuals are on par with modern titles in the genre, and the story pushes boundaries further than what 90s Nintendo would have dared, even in Japan. However, the gameplay feels very retro, significantly influencing the overall enjoyment.

The game centers around a student found dead, a smiling face on a paper bag over his head. This triggers a re-examination of similar unsolved murders from eighteen years prior, raising numerous questions. The urban legend of Emio, a killer promising eternal smiles, enters the equation. Is it a copycat, a returned killer, or pure myth? The police are baffled, so it's time for the Utsugi Detective Agency to step in! You'll solve the case by investigating locations and questioning suspects, much like the investigative sections of Ace Attorney.

While I have some minor story criticisms, I overall enjoyed the experience. The narrative is engaging, full of twists, and well-written. Certain plot points may not resonate with everyone, but I won't spoil them. This is a mystery best experienced fresh. The game's strengths outweigh its weaknesses, particularly during its more captivating moments.

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is atypical of Nintendo, but any potential team rust is certainly not apparent. The mechanics might be a bit too faithful to the originals, and while the plot mostly excels, the pacing occasionally falters. Despite these minor flaws, it's a thoroughly enjoyable mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club!

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate ($29.99)

The Switch is getting a solid collection of TMNT games. We have the Konami classics in the Cowabunga Collection, the excellent modern beat 'em up Shredder's Revenge, the arcade-style Wrath of the Mutants, and now Splintered Fate, offering a more console-like experience. And more are on the way!

This one's quite good. If you've played the Apple Arcade version, you know the drill. It's essentially a TMNT-style beat 'em up blended with Hades. Play solo or with up to four players locally or online. Mikhail and I tried online multiplayer, and it worked flawlessly. While enjoyable solo, the experience is significantly enhanced with friends.

Shredder and a mysterious power cause chaos, putting Splinter in danger. The Turtles must save him. Slice, dice, and bludgeon enemies, use tactical dashes to evade attacks, collect perks for your current run, and earn currency for permanent upgrades. Death means starting over. It's a roguelite beat 'em up, but with the Turtles, making it inherently better. It's not groundbreaking, but it's well-executed.

Splintered Fate isn't a must-have for everyone, but TMNT fans will appreciate this unique take on the franchise. The well-implemented multiplayer is a significant plus. Those without a fondness for the Turtles might find superior roguelites on Switch, but considering the genre's competitiveness on the platform, Splintered Fate holds its own.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Nour: Play With Your Food ($9.99)

I was surprised Nour: Play With Your Food wasn't initially released on Switch and mobile. It seemed perfectly suited for touchscreens as an experimental food art experience. I played the PC version and enjoyed it, but it's not a traditional game for everyone. If you appreciate playful sandbox experiences and love food, you'll likely adore it. However, the Switch version has some shortcomings.

For the uninitiated, Nour lets you play with various food types across different stages, accompanied by interesting music and over-the-top elements. It blends an interactive app with food and art. You start with basic tools, but the developers have added many features allowing you to truly "play with your food." This highlights why touchscreen controls might be preferable.

The lack of touchscreen support on Switch is disappointing. Furthermore, the game was resource-intensive on Steam Deck, and the Switch version shows some performance compromises to maintain decent framerates. Long load times, both docked and handheld, are a significant issue.

Nour: Play With Your Food is worth checking out if you're a fan of food, art, and interactive apps. While the Switch version isn't ideal, its portability is a plus, and I hope it performs well enough to warrant DLC or a physical release. Games like Nour and Townscaper offer a refreshing change of pace from more involved titles. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)

Fate/stay night REMASTERED launched recently on Switch and Steam. It's a remaster of the 2004 visual novel, following Emiya Shirou, the Holy Grail War, and more. This is arguably the best entry point into the Fate universe.

Fate/stay night REMASTERED is a 55+ hour experience, making its low price remarkable. Even with quality-of-life improvements, it's one of the best value releases on the eShop this year. The remaster significantly enhances the experience for those familiar with the original Japanese versions, adding English language support and 16:9 widescreen. The visuals are improved for modern displays, though not as stunning as Tsukihime's recent remake.

The inclusion of touchscreen support on Switch is a welcome addition. It plays perfectly on both Switch Lite and OLED models, and also works flawlessly on Steam Deck.

The only drawback is the lack of a physical Switch release. It's an essential for visual novel fans, and its affordability makes it an easy recommendation. While not as visually impressive as Tsukihime, Fate/stay night REMASTERED is well worth your time. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 5/5

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK ($49.99)

Having limited VR experience, I missed out on TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos. Both were praised for their VR presentation and narratives. The Switch version allows me to finally experience them.

TOKYO CHRONOS follows high school friends in an alternate Shibuya, dealing with lost memories, killers, and more. While the narrative is somewhat predictable, the visuals are good. I'm curious to try the VR version after playing the Switch port. ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos, however, is superior, with better production, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It also transcends the visual novel format, making it more memorable.

Despite some narrative shortcomings, the Switch version has camera movement performance issues. These are minor, but noticeable. Touchscreen support and rumble are welcome additions.

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great Switch experience, thanks to touchscreen controls and rumble. I'm glad I could finally play them without needing a VR headset. If you enjoy sci-fi stories, download the demo. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5

Select New Releases

Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku ($49.99)

The title says it all. It's Fitness Boxing featuring Hatsune Miku. It includes 24 songs from Miku and friends, plus 30 more from the Fitness Boxing series. Mechanically, it's similar to other games in the series.

Gimmick! 2 ($24.99)

A faithful sequel to the original, 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. A good option for Touhou fans.

EGGCONSOLE Hydlide MSX ($6.49)

Another Hydlide version for completionists.

Arcade Archives Lead Angle ($7.99)

A gallery shooter from 1988.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

No Man's Sky is a standout sale. Other noteworthy titles are frequently discounted.

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. Check out my blog, Post Game Content, for more gaming insights. Have a great Thursday!