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 starts with some exciting news, followed by a game review and a look at a new release. We'll wrap things up with the 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 covered partner showcases and indie titles. While no first-party announcements were made (and definitely nothing about the next Switch console!), you can watch the full presentation above. I'll share a detailed summary of the key announcements tomorrow.

Reviews & Mini-Views

EGGCONSOLE Star Trader PC-8801mkIIsr ($6.49)

This untranslated EGGCONSOLE release presents a familiar dilemma: is the game itself enjoyable, and is it playable without knowing Japanese? Star Trader is an intriguing but not outstanding title. It blends Japanese adventure game elements with side-scrolling shooter stages, but neither aspect shines particularly. The adventure segments boast appealing artwork, and the attempt to integrate a story into a shoot 'em up is unique. Gameplay involves interacting with characters, undertaking quests to earn money for ship upgrades, crucial for progressing through the shooting sections.

The shooting sections, however, suffer from the PC-8801's limitations, resulting in jerky scrolling. Even with smooth scrolling, the gameplay might not be exceptional. The game's structure is unclear, but Star Trader is more interesting conceptually than it is fun to play. This leads to the language barrier issue. The adventure parts are text-heavy, requiring player input for optimal results. Without understanding Japanese, players miss half the game and struggle to earn enough credits, hindering progress. While brute-forcing is possible, it's not an ideal experience.

Star Trader offers a glimpse into gaming history, showcasing a developer venturing outside their usual genre. However, the significant amount of Japanese text significantly detracts from the experience for Western players. While some enjoyment might be squeezed out, a strong recommendation is difficult.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

Select New Releases

Crypt Custodian ($19.99)

This top-down action-adventure game features Pluto, a recently deceased cat banished from the afterlife for a mishap. Pluto's eternal punishment? Cleaning! Explore, battle enemies with a broom, meet quirky characters, fight bosses, and upgrade 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 shoot 'em ups with unique mechanics, I recommend Dreamer and Harpoon Shooter Nozomi. On the other hand, don't miss out on 1000xRESIST! Other notable sales include Star Wars titles, Citizen Sleeper, Paradise Killer, Haiku, the Robot, and some Tomb Raider games. See the lists below!

Select New Sales

(List of new sales)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 28th

(List of sales ending tomorrow)

That's all for today! We'll be back tomorrow with a recap of the Nintendo Direct, new game releases, sales, and more reviews. Have a great Tuesday, and thanks for reading!