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 – where does the time go? We're diving headfirst into reviews today, with in-depth looks at Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. Our contributor, Mikhail, also shares his thoughts on Nour: Play With Your Food, Fate/stay night REMASTERED, and the TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK. We'll then cover the day's hottest new releases and wrap things up with the usual sales lists. Let's get started!

Reviews & Mini-Views

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

Sequels to long-dormant franchises are all the rage, it seems. Nintendo's surprise revival of Famicom Detective Club, a series largely unfamiliar to Western audiences except for the brief remake of the first two games on Switch a few years ago, is a prime example. This is the first completely new Famicom Detective Club adventure in years, and that's exciting.

The challenge in reviving an old IP lies in balancing faithfulness to the original with modern sensibilities. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club mostly sticks to the style of the recent remakes, which were themselves quite faithful to the originals. The result is a curious mix. The visuals are top-notch, and the story pushes boundaries further than a 90s Nintendo title would have dared, even in Japan. However, the gameplay feels very retro, and that's a key factor in whether or not you'll enjoy it.

The game centers around a student found dead with a smiling face on a paper bag over his head. This triggers a re-investigation into unsolved murders from eighteen years prior, each marked with a similar calling card. The legend of Emio, a killer promising eternal smiles, arises. 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 use classic detective skills – interviewing suspects and meticulously searching locations for clues – to uncover the truth.

The gameplay is reminiscent of the investigative sections in Ace Attorney, involving thorough scene searches and persistent questioning of characters. While engaging, the process can feel tedious at times, and some logical leaps could use clearer signposting. However, by the standards of this specific genre, Emio isn't particularly flawed.

While I have some minor story criticisms, overall, I found Emio – The Smiling Man captivating, twisting, and well-written. Certain plot points might not resonate with everyone, but I won't spoil them. It's a mystery best experienced fresh. The highs outweigh the lows, and when the story picks up, it truly captivates.

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club isn't your typical Nintendo fare, but the developers show no signs of rust. The mechanics adhere a bit too closely to the originals, and the pacing occasionally falters, but these are minor quibbles in an otherwise excellent mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club – don't disappear again for so long!

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate ($29.99)

The Switch is getting a fantastic collection of TMNT games. We have the Konami classics in Cowabunga Collection, the superb 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! So, how does this one fare?

Quite well, actually. If you've played it on Apple Arcade, you know the drill. It's essentially a TMNT-style beat 'em up infused with the roguelite elements of Hades. You can play solo or with up to four players locally or online. Mikhail and I tried online multiplayer, and it worked flawlessly. The single-player mode is decent, but multiplayer significantly enhances the fun.

The story involves Shredder and a mysterious power, putting Splinter in danger. The Turtles must rescue him, battling Foot Soldiers along the way. You'll slice, dice, and bludgeon enemies, utilize tactical dashes, collect power-ups for your current run, and earn currency for permanent upgrades. Death means starting over. It's a familiar roguelite beat 'em up formula, but with the Turtles, it's automatically better. It's not groundbreaking, but it executes its core concept well.

Splintered Fate isn't a must-have for everyone, but TMNT fans will likely appreciate this unique take on the franchise. The well-implemented multiplayer is a significant plus. Those not particularly fond of the Turtles might find better roguelites on the Switch, but given the platform's saturated roguelite market, Splintered Fate holds its own admirably.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Nour: Play With Your Food ($9.99)

I was surprised Nour: Play With Your Food didn't launch on Switch and mobile alongside its PC and PS5 releases. 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 Nour, but the Switch version has some shortcomings.

For the uninitiated, Nour lets you interact with various food items across different stages, set to interesting music and plenty of over-the-top fun. It feels like a blend of interactive app and artistic food experience. You start with basic tools, but the sheer amount of playful interaction surprised me. This is where the touchscreen limitations become apparent.

The lack of touchscreen support on Switch is disappointing. Performance is also impacted, with noticeable cutbacks compared to other platforms to ensure decent frame rates. Load times are lengthy, both docked and handheld.

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 its success leads to more DLC or even a physical release. Games like Nour and Townscaper offer a refreshing change of pace from more involved RPGs and narrative-driven games. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)

Fate/stay night REMASTERED launched a month ago on Switch and Steam. I wanted to review it sooner, but it's a very lengthy game. Before discussing the game itself, let me share some background. Years ago, a friend introduced me to Fate/Zero, and I've since explored various Fate titles and Type Moon properties. This remaster was a highly anticipated release. But is it worth it? Absolutely.

Fate/stay night REMASTERED is a remaster of the 2004 visual novel, following Emiya Shirou and the Holy Grail War. It's an excellent entry point into the Fate universe, perfect for those who've only experienced it through anime or other games. Even with quality-of-life improvements, it's a 55+ hour experience, making the price remarkably low. The amount of content justifies the cost.

For those familiar with the original Japanese versions, Fate/stay night REMASTERED offers significant improvements. The addition of English is obvious, but the 16:9 support and visual enhancements are welcome additions. The remaster's visual quality is impressive, although not as stunning as Tsukihime's recent remake.

I appreciate the inclusion of touchscreen support on Switch. I played much of it on my Switch Lite and then on my OLED, finding it perfectly suited to both. Hopefully, it will see releases on other platforms like iOS and PS5.

The game also runs smoothly on Steam Deck. If you own a Steam Deck or Switch, get it – it's that good.

The only drawback is the lack of a physical Switch release. I hope its success warrants one.

Fate/stay night REMASTERED is a must-have for visual novel fans. Its availability in English on Switch and Steam is fantastic. Despite not matching Tsukihime's visual polish, it's an exceptional experience. -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. Friends who owned VR headsets praised their stories and immersive VR experiences. The Switch release via Izanagi Games finally let me experience them.

The TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK lets you choose which game to play. TOKYO CHRONOS follows high school friends in an alternate Shibuya, dealing with lost memories and killers. The narrative is somewhat predictable, but the visuals are good. I'm curious to try it in VR.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos, however, is superior, with better production values, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It transcends the visual novel format, enhancing the storytelling. It's the standout of the two.

The Switch version has some camera movement issues, but the touchscreen support and rumble make up for it.

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great Switch experience. I'm glad I could finally play them without VR. I recommend trying the demo. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5

Select New Releases

Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku ($49.99)

The title says it all: Fitness Boxing with 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. Pick it up if you're a fan.

Gimmick! 2 ($24.99)

A faithful sequel to the original, with improved visuals and challenging gameplay. Recommended for fans of clever platformers.

Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost ($29.99)

Combines rhythm game and bullet hell shooter elements. Likely appealing to 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 highlight. Many other titles are frequently on sale.

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 thoughts. Have a great Thursday!