{"id":2827,"date":"2024-09-06T20:36:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T20:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/?p=2827"},"modified":"2024-09-06T20:36:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T20:36:00","slug":"reviews-featuring-fitness-boxing-feat-hatsune-miku-plus-new-releases-sales-and-good-byes-toucharcade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/?p=2827","title":{"rendered":"Reviews Featuring \u2018Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku\u2019, Plus New Releases, Sales, and Good-Byes \u2013 TouchArcade"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 6th, 2024. Well, this is the last one. You\u2019ll see one more special from me next week with a few reviews that have specific embargo dates, but this is the final regular SwitchArcade Round-Up for TouchArcade by yours truly. We\u2019ve been at this for several years and I wish I could have seen the Switch through to its end with these articles, but circumstances dictate another course. We\u2019re going out with another chunky one, with a pair of reviews from our pal Mikhail, a pair of Shaun reviews, a handful of new release summaries, and the usual lists of new and expiring sales. Let\u2019s ride one last time!<\/p>\n

Reviews & Mini-Views<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Fitness Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU ($49.99)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

After Imagineer\u2019s success with the Fitness Boxing<\/em> games that led to the hilarious but good Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star,<\/em> I didn\u2019t know what IP the team would work with for a new fitness game. When Fitness Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU<\/em> was announced, I thought it was a smart collaboration, but was curious to see how the game felt after Fist of the North Star<\/em>. I\u2019ve been playing it over the last few weeks alongside Ring Fit Adventure<\/em> and I\u2019m impressed with Fitness Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU<\/em> in many ways.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re new to the Fitness Boxing<\/em> series, these games, as the name suggests, use boxing and rhythm game movements to get you into shape through daily exercises, mini-games that also get you sweating, and more. With Fitness Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU<\/em>, everyone\u2019s favorite vocaloid gets in on the action and there\u2019s even a separate dedicated mode for her songs in addition to the normal songs included in this release. Keep in mind that this is a Joy-Con only game so you can\u2019t play it with a Pro Controller or any third party accessories as far as I\u2019m aware.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As with other games in the series, there are difficulty options, a free training mode to do as you please, warmups, and tracking with reminders and the systemwide alarm that can remind you even if your Switch is in sleep mode. There are cosmetics you can unlock through the points you earn by playing as well. I can\u2019t comment on the DLC yet, but as for the base release, I liked Fitness Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU<\/em> more than Fist of the North Star<\/em> aside from one issue.<\/p>\n

The audio in Fitness Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU<\/em> is great, but the main instructor\u2019s voice isn\u2019t great. I ended up turning this voice down because it felt out of place with the rest of the game, and just sounded a bit weirdly directed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Just like the Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star<\/em> release from Imagineer, Fitness Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU<\/em> is a solid fitness-focused game that does a great job of bringing Miku to the world of Fitness Boxing<\/em> to try and appeal to her fans. While it is a competent fitness game with its daily workout, customization, and tracking, I feel like it would be better as a complement to something like Ring Fit Adventure<\/em> or your own other exercise routine rather than being the sole exercise you do during the week. -Mikhail Madnani<\/em><\/p>\n

SwitchArcade Score: 4\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n

Magical Delicacy ($24.99)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Magical Delicacy<\/em> from sKaule and Whitethorn Games is one I hadn\u2019t paid much attention to until a friend of mine linked me to an Xbox Game Pass announcement for it. Since then, I\u2019ve played it on Switch as well, but feel like it needs a bit more time in the oven. I adore Metroidvania-style platformers and cooking games, but it feels like Magical Delicacy<\/em> takes the good bits of both genres while not putting them together in the best way possible. This results in a game I adore in parts, but one where the flaws hurt a bit more.<\/p>\n

You play as Flora who is a young witch in a story that\u2019s equal parts mysterious, magical, and wholesome. Your aim is to cook meals and craft for various folks, and I was surprised at how well the exploration was implemented aside from the backtracking that annoyed me sometimes. I expected it to be lacking compared to the cooking and crafting, but the team nailed the Metroidvania elements. There are some issues with ingredients in the crafting and in how inventory is managed. This is made a bit worse by the UI that I took a while to get used to with interaction.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Magical Delicacy<\/em> makes a great first impression with its gorgeous pixel art visuals, lovely music, and tons of settings. The latter includes UI scale and text options that are both very useful when playing on Switch in handheld mode. I feel like Magical Delicacy<\/em> would have benefited a lot from an early access release or will from potential updates.<\/p>\n

When it comes to the Switch version, it plays very well aside from some seemingly frame pacing-related hiccups. It has good rumble as well. Having played it on Xbox Series X, this is definitely a game I\u2019d play more on a portable so a Switch or Steam Deck version would be best. I just play the genre more on handhelds.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Magical Delicacy<\/em> is a game I should\u2019ve loved given it is basically a blend of a Metroidvania and a crooking\/crafting game, but it feels a little undercooked (I couldn\u2019t resist) in parts thanks to some inventory and backtracking issues. While it is a very good game right now that feels at home on Switch, a few quality of life updates and polishing will make it an essential. -Mikhail Madnani<\/em><\/p>\n

SwitchArcade Score: 4\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n

Aero The Acro-Bat 2 ($5.99)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A lot of companies tried their hand at the whole mascot platformer thing in the 16-bit era in the wake of Sonic the Hedgehog<\/em>\u2018s explosive success. Like, the sheer number of them is just baffling. Even more than I remembered. Not many of them managed to see sequels, but Aero The Acro-Bat<\/em> is part of that elite few. How each member of that club got there is its own story, but in Aero\u2019s case it seems to have been a combination of the first game going over well enough, and sheer force of will to try and make fetch happen. Sadly, fetch did not happen. Aero<\/em> spin-off Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel<\/em> launched several months after Aero 2<\/em>, but outside of that Aero was never seen in another original title again.<\/p>\n

Does that make Aero The Acro-Bat 2<\/em> a bad game? I don\u2019t think so. It doesn\u2019t seem like it was a big enough success to merit another follow-up, at the very least. But then again, Sunsoft\u2019s parent company had recently lost a ton of money on a bad investment involving golf courses, and that certainly put it in a fiscally conservative mood for a while. Either way, I don\u2019t think the fault can be placed on the quality of the game. It\u2019s as good as the first game was, with all that implies. A more polished experience that in shedding some of those rough edges loses some of its character, but a decent enough platforming romp.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I was fully expecting this release to be in Ratalaika\u2019s usual emulation wrapper, but much to my surprise there\u2019s been an upgrade in the presentation. This feels a lot more tailor-made for the game, and in terms of both options and extras I think this is a far better experience overall. Box and manual scans, achievements, a gallery of sprite sheets, a jukebox, a bunch of cheats, and more. I frankly have no complaints at all about how the game plays and the suite of features here. The only nit I will pick is that you only get the Super NES version of the game here. I feel like the SEGA Genesis\/Mega Drive version should have been included too, just to keep everyone happy.<\/p>\n

Those who enjoyed Aero The Acro-Bat<\/em> should naturally give Aero The Acro-Bat 2<\/em> a shot. I even think those who were slightly put off by the first game\u2019s quirks might have a better time here. I really have to commend Ratalaika for stepping up its game with the emulation wrapper for this release. Perhaps I\u2019m being greedy, but I\u2019d love to see the first game updated with a similar interface just for consistency. A fine release for Aero<\/em> fans and those on the look out for 16-bit platformers to play, and one that makes me optimistic for the remaining reissues of this series.<\/p>\n

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n

Metro Quester | Osaka ($19.99)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I got quite a bit of enjoyment out of the original Metro Quester<\/em> when it released a while back. It\u2019s a bit of a bear to get into, but once you understand its rules and what you have to do, it\u2019s an immensely satisfying dungeon-crawling turn-based RPG. Experimenting with party builds to try to find the optimal team was a task I truly enjoyed taking on. With that in mind, I was very happy to see that there was another game in the series coming. Metro Quester | Osaka<\/em> feels a little more like an expansion pack than a proper sequel, but I\u2019m more than happy with that given how much I got out of the original.<\/p>\n

The story here is a prequel to the original game, and we\u2019ve moved to Osaka as a setting. You get a whole new dungeon to explore, and some new character types to do that exploring with. Osaka is a much wetter location, so you\u2019ll need to use your canoe to travel over the water in places. With the new dungeon comes new weapons, skills, and enemies to deal with. Definitely more to chew on here for those who have wrung out the original game, and if you had a good time there then you will enjoy this one, too.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

That said, this game shares much of its broader mechanics with the original Metro Quester<\/em>. If you need an explanation, please check out my review of that game for more details. Short version: turn-based combat, top-down dungeon exploration, and a whole lot of inching your way outward a little further each time before having to head back to camp. You know, the good stuff. Those who are careless will find themselves in hot water very quickly, as planning and cautious play is practically a necessity in this game.<\/p>\n

Those who found themselves fully absorbed in Metro Quester<\/em> will find plenty to enjoy in Metro Quester | Osaka<\/em>, and new players should probably just skip right to this game. It\u2019s more of an expansion pack than a sequel, but that in no way should be taken as a bad thing. Rather, it just seems like the designer wanted to send players on another adventure that pushes out the existing systems in some fascinating ways. It\u2019s certainly a game you\u2019ll have to be patient with to get the most out of, but those willing to invest the time will enjoy the dividends.<\/p>\n

SwitchArcade Score: 4\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n

Select New Releases<\/strong><\/h3>\n

NBA 2K25 ($59.99)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

NBA 2K<\/em> is back\u2026 in 25 form! You know, I find myself wondering something. What happens to the name of this series when we hit the year 2100? NBA 2K100<\/em>? Just feels weird. We\u2019ll have to talk about that when the situation arises, I suppose. Apparently this year\u2019s version has improved gameplay, a new feature called Neighborhood, and some nonsense about MyTEAM. I\u2019m not going to pretend to know what\u2019s going on here, so instead I will just toss out the amount of space you\u2019ll need on your memory card for this game and then move on. Here we go. 53.3 GB!<\/p>\n

Shogun Showdown ($14.99)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Got room in your heart for another riff on Darkest Dungeon<\/em>? This one has a Japanese-inspired setting, and there are a few bits in here that change things up a little. Setting all of that aside, this is very much a familiar style of game and I think it\u2019s a decent enough example of such to be of interest to those on the hunt for another one.<\/p>\n

Aero The Acro-Bat 2 ($5.99)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Well, there\u2019s a review up above this section, but in case you\u2019re in the habit of skipping down the page, let me fill you in. This is the somewhat more polished sequel to the successful Aero The Acro-Bat<\/em>, all done up in Ratalaika\u2019s emulator wrapper. Said wrapper was given additional effort for this release, and it looks good! The version of the game included is the Super NES one, and you can play the North American release or the Japanese one. I wish the Genesis\/Mega Drive version was in here, but I can\u2019t imagine Aero<\/em> fans being unhappy with this overall outside of that.<\/p>\n

Sunsoft is Back! Retro Game Selection ($9.99)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sunsoft is back! Okay, Sunsoft has been back for a while now, and you probably don\u2019t need a trio of heretofore non-localized Famicom games to sell you on that. So instead let the games sell you on themselves, as you get a trio of unique and varied titles in this bunch. A side-scrolling action platformer, an adventure game, and an action-RPG of sorts. I reviewed this set a couple of days ago, so I advise checking that out if you need more details. Short version: if you like weird old games, this is a good pick-up.<\/p>\n

Sales<\/strong><\/h3>\n

(North American eShop, US Prices)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Some fun stuff in the inbox today, including a really good price on the Cosmic Fantasy Collection<\/em>. A little dear at its normal price, but at 40% off I think it is worth considering for retro RPG fans. I\u2019ll also call out the enjoyable platformer Tinykin<\/em>, which is at its lowest price yet. Have a good look through those lists and see what catches your eye.<\/p>\n

Select New Sales<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Zombie Army Trilogy<\/strong><\/em> ($8.74 from $34.99 until 9\/12)
Zombie Army 4: Dead War<\/strong><\/em> ($14.99 from $49.99 until 9\/12)
Wild Seas<\/strong> <\/em>($2.49 from $4.99 until 9\/12)
Chants of Sennaar<\/strong> <\/em>($14.99 from $19.99 until 9\/13)
The House of Da Vinci 3<\/strong><\/em> ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9\/13)
Warhammer 40k: Boltgun<\/strong><\/em> ($15.39 from $21.99 until 9\/13)
Toziuha Night: Dracula\u2019s Revenge<\/strong> <\/em>($1.99 from $4.99 until 9\/16)
Monkey Barrels<\/strong><\/em> ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9\/19)
Banchou Tactics<\/strong><\/em> ($15.99 from $19.99 until 9\/19)
Transiruby<\/strong> <\/em>($10.49 from $14.99 until 9\/19)
Picontier<\/strong> <\/em>($19.99 from $24.99 until 9\/19)
Kamiko<\/strong> <\/em>($1.99 from $4.99 until 9\/19)
Fairune Collection<\/strong><\/em> ($3.99 from $9.99 until 9\/19)
Alchemic Dungeons DX<\/strong><\/em> ($3.19 from $7.99 until 9\/19)
Ninja Smasher!<\/strong><\/em> ($6.39 from $7.99 until 9\/19)
Ninja Striker!<\/strong><\/em> ($1.99 from $3.99 until 9\/19)<\/p>\n

\"\"
Great Ambition of the Slimes<\/strong><\/em> ($9.59 from $11.99 until 9\/19)
Shinobi Non Grata<\/strong><\/em> ($11.99 from $14.99 until 9\/19)
Let\u2019s Build a Zoo<\/strong> <\/em>($7.99 from $19.99 until 9\/20)
Owlboy<\/strong> <\/em>($8.74 from $24.99 until 9\/20)
Hakuoki: Wind & Blossom<\/strong><\/em> ($44.99 from $49.99 until 9\/20)
Omen of Sorrow<\/strong><\/em> ($7.99 from $19.99 until 9\/20)
Dungeonoid 2 Awakening<\/strong> <\/em>($4.49 from $8.99 until 9\/20)
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt CE<\/strong><\/em> ($23.99 from $59.99 until 9\/22)
Knights of Grayfang<\/strong><\/em> ($10.49 from $14.99 until 9\/26)
Gale of Windoria<\/strong><\/em> ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9\/26)
Justice Chronicles<\/strong><\/em> ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9\/26)
Armed Emeth<\/strong> <\/em>($7.49 from $14.99 until 9\/26)
Jinshin<\/strong> <\/em>($10.49 from $14.99 until 9\/26)
Alphadia Genesis<\/strong> <\/em>($7.49 from $14.99 until 9\/26)
Grace of Letoile<\/strong><\/em> ($10.49 from $14.99 until 9\/26)<\/p>\n

\"\"
Tinykin<\/strong> <\/em>($6.24 from $24.99 until 9\/26)
Despot\u2019s Game<\/strong><\/em> ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9\/26)
Cosmic Fantasy Collection<\/strong><\/em> ($29.99 from $49.99 until 9\/26)
Cosmic Fantasy<\/strong><\/em> ($15.90 from $26.50 until 9\/26)
Cosmic Fantasy 2<\/strong><\/em> ($15.90 from $26.50 until 9\/26)
Spirittea<\/strong> <\/em>($15.99 from $19.99 until 9\/26)
Punch Club 2: Fast Forward<\/strong><\/em> ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9\/26)
Railway Empire 2<\/strong> <\/em>($37.49 from $49.99 until 9\/26)
Lil\u2019 Guardsman<\/strong> <\/em>($11.99 from $19.99 until 9\/26)
Potion Craft Alchemist Simulator<\/strong> <\/em>($11.99 from $19.99 until 9\/26)
Euphoria<\/strong> <\/em>($1.99 from $14.99 until 9\/26)
Of The Red, the Light, & Ayakashi<\/strong><\/em> ($25.06 from $50.13 until 9\/26)
Modern Combat Blackout<\/strong><\/em> ($1.99 from $7.99 until 9\/26)
The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa<\/strong> <\/em>($8.99 from $14.99 until 9\/26)
Arrest of a Stone Buddha<\/strong><\/em> ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9\/26)
Fading Afternoon<\/strong><\/em> ($16.99 from $19.99 until 9\/26)
Astor: Blade of the Monolith<\/strong><\/em> ($14.99 from $24.99 until 9\/26)
Tamarak Trail<\/strong><\/em> ($8.99 from $14.99 until 9\/26)
Rigid Force Redux<\/strong><\/em> ($3.99 from $19.99 until 9\/26)
Yaga<\/strong> <\/em>($6.24 from $24.99 until 9\/26)
Rabi-Ribi<\/strong><\/em> ($13.99 from $19.99 until 9\/26)<\/p>\n

Sales Ending This Weekend<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dead in Vinland: True Viking<\/strong><\/em> ($2.79 from $27.99 until 9\/7)
Gunslugs<\/strong> <\/em>($4.79 from $7.99 until 9\/7)
Gunslugs 2<\/strong><\/em> ($4.79 from $7.99 until 9\/7)
Heroes of Loot<\/strong><\/em> ($4.79 from $7.99 until 9\/7)
Heroes of Loot 2<\/strong><\/em> ($5.99 from $9.99 until 9\/7)
Meganoid<\/strong> <\/em>($5.39 from $8.99 until 9\/7)
NOISZ re:||COLLECTION G<\/strong> <\/em>($19.99 from $24.99 until 9\/7)
Phoenotopia: Awakening<\/strong><\/em> ($6.99 from $19.99 until 9\/7)
Space Grunts<\/strong><\/em> ($8.39 from $13.99 until 9\/7)
Stardash<\/strong> <\/em>($5.99 from $9.99 until 9\/7)
Superhot<\/strong> <\/em>($9.99 from $24.99 until 9\/7)
Dormitory Love<\/strong><\/em> ($24.49 from $34.99 until 9\/8)
Dying Light: Definitive Edition<\/strong><\/em> ($9.99 from $49.99 until 9\/8)
Fur Squadron<\/strong> <\/em>($2.79 from $6.99 until 9\/8)
Tchia: Oleti Edition<\/strong> <\/em>($23.44 from $34.99 until 9\/8)<\/p>\n

That\u2019s all for today, this week, this month, this year, and forever, friends. I haven\u2019t been very loud about this, but this is not only the end of the SwitchArcade Round-Up, but also of my eleven and a half years at TouchArcade. I\u2019ll still be writing here and there at my blog at Post Game Content as well as putting up exclusive articles on my Patreon, but other than that I think I\u2019m hanging up the ol\u2019 webs on this specific kind of work. Twenty-six years in this end of the business is a good run, and I\u2019m ready for new challenges. Do look for me at one of the aforementioned places, hit me up on BlueSky and say hi, and if you\u2019re a fancy executive looking to hire a very seasoned writer, I\u2019m your guy.<\/p>\n

With that said, I will extend the highest possible gratitude to all of TouchArcade\u2019s readers for being with me on this leg of my life\u2019s journey. I treasure all of you more than you can know. I wish you all the sincerest happiness in your lives, and forever and always \u2013 thanks for reading.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 6th, 2024. Well, this is the last one. You\u2019ll see one more special from me...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cdn.toucharcade.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Fitness-Boxing-feat-HATSUNE-MIKU-switch-review-main.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[528,2458,531,527,533],"class_list":["post-2827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rj","tag-featured","tag-games","tag-news","tag-review","tag-switcharcade"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2827\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}