Hello gentle readers and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 8th, 2023. In today’s article, we have a bit of news to look at before we head into a review of Disney Illusion Island. After that, we check out today’s new releases, such as they are, and then dive into a curated selection of sales from the big Multiplayer Deals event. Let’s get to work!
News
Check Out Today’s Pokemon Presents
It’s one of those weird time zone things again, friends. As I write this the Pokemon Presents is hours in the future. As you read it, I reckon it will be the past. That means you probably know more about what was shown than I do. On the off chance you haven’t seen it and are interested, follow the link in the post from The Pokemon Company to find the video [Ed. Note: Full video embedded above for your viewing pleasure]. I’m guess we’ll be hearing about the Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Expansion Pass content schedule at the very least, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a game we didn’t know about pops up as well. We’ll follow up tomorrow.
Reviews & Mini-Views
Disney Illusion Island ($39.99)
There’s a very particular context in which Disney Illusion Island is at its best. Multiplayer, first and foremost. Four players, ideally. At least one of them should know their way around Metroidvania games, but it’s going to go best if the majority of the players are less experienced. Extra points if some or all of those players are Disney fans or kids. I suspect it’s the way the game was meant to be played, so the fact that it achieves that goal well is to its credit. The more of these boxes you can check off, the more enjoyable Disney Illusion Island is.
Unfortunately, the converse is also true. If you’re a solo player with any measure of experience in the Metroidvania genre, this is at best a decent game. A looker at times, to be sure. Densely packed with that Disney charm, yes. But in terms of world design and mechanics, this is merely a decent game for the genre. Regular readers might remember what I say about the state of Metroidvania-style games on the platform. With as many great choices as we have available to us, a game can do everything reasonably well and still fail to stand out. Outside of some lousy boss fights, Disney Illusion Island manages to be a very smooth, frictionless experience. Quite agreeable, but also just kind of bland.
There are three main things Disney Illusion Island has going for it to separate it from the crowd. First is obviously the Disney license. It’s well-used here, and the characters all manage to express the personality you would hope to see in a game like this. The voice acting and animated cut scenes are nice. Second, there is almost no combat or violence to speak of in the game. Outside of the bosses, you’re meant to be dodging the enemies you see scattered around. That’s somewhat interesting, at least. Finally, that multiplayer aspect. There aren’t a ton of multiplayer Metroidvania-style games around, and while I don’t think the format is particularly well-suited for it (even at a relatively brisk seven or eight hours, Disney Illusion Island‘s playtime might be a bit more than most groups want to deal with), it’s certainly somewhat novel.
Otherwise, all I can really say is that the game is fine. Navigating the world was alright, there were some secrets to look for, the controls didn’t let me down, and it made me smile from time to time. If you have people to play it with, I think it’s definitely worth looking at. If you love these classic Disney characters, you’ll have a good time with the game. For anyone else, it’s a bit difficult to recommend Disney Illusion Island with too much vigor.
SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5
New Releases
Chickenoidz Super Party ($9.99)
I feel like today was really banking on that WrestleQuest release, and without it, we’re having to lead with stuff like this. It’s a top-down arena shooter for up to four players via local multiplayer. You can customize your chicken and there are a variety of weapons and arenas to do battle in. You could probably do worse for a tenner as this kind of thing goes.
Anthology of Fear ($8.99)
In this mystery horror game, you are investigating the disappearance of your brother. Your search takes you to an abandoned medical facility, which seems like an absolutely fantastic place to be checking out alone. As the pieces of the puzzle are slowly revealed, the truth comes to light not just about your brother but about the facility itself. Odds are good the main character killed his brother or something like that. I haven’t played through the game, just a pure guess.
The Bin Bunch
Ball Master Up! ($0.99)
Sales
(North American eShop, US Prices)
There are a ton of games on sale right now thanks to Nintendo kicking off its big Multiplayer Deals event. I’ve included what I think are the most interesting ones, and do pay particular attention to the first-party titles at the top of the list as Nintendo really doesn’t do discounts often. The outbox is small, so feel free to splurge on the new sales. I’ll leave you to it.
Select New Games on Sale
Mario Strikers: Battle League ($41.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Mario Tennis Aces ($41.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Mario Golf: Super Rush ($41.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Mario Party Superstars ($41.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope ($29.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Kirby Star Allies ($41.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition ($41.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Snipperclips ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido ($34.99 from $49.99 until 8/21)
Miitopia ($34.99 from $49.99 until 8/21)
Kirby Fighters 2 ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
ARMS ($41.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Big Brain Academy Brain vs Brain ($20.99 from $29.99 until 8/21)
Clubhouse Games 51 Classics ($27.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
Hola! Reversi ($4.19 from $6.99 until 8/21)
Brain Show ($11.99 from $14.99 until 8/21)
Chess Maiden ($1.99 from $5.99 until 8/21)
Scrapnaut ($4.79 from $11.99 until 8/21)
Monaco Complete Edition ($2.99 from $14.99 until 8/21)
HEROish ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/21)
Wings of Bluestar ($9.74 from $14.99 until 8/21)
EA Sports Fifa 23 Legacy Edition ($9.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
Glitch Busters Stuck on You ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Super Mega Baseball 4 ($34.99 from $49.99 until 8/21)
MotoGP 23 ($27.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
We Love Katamari Reroll + RR SE ($29.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
Planet Cube: Edge ($11.24 from $14.99 until 8/21)
Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel DotBR ($9.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
FurryFury: Smash & Roll ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/21)
N++ ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/21)
Wargroove ($7.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos ($27.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris ($29.99 from $49.99 until 8/21)
Doraemon Story of Seasons: FotGK SE ($38.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
A Hat in Time ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/21)
Soundfall ($8.99 from $29.99 until 8/21)
LEGO 2K Drive ($47.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Hexagroove Tactical DJ ($14.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Dogfight A Sausage Bomber Story ($12.59 from $17.99 until 8/21)
Aliens: Fireteam Elite ($23.99 from $29.99 until 8/21)
Castle of Shikigami 2 ($24.49 from $34.99 until 8/21)
Stones Keeper ($10.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Them’s Fightin’ Herds Deluxe ($19.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
God of Rock ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/21)
Slipstream ($3.49 from $9.99 until 8/21)
Monster Hunter Rise ($15.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak ($39.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Robotry ($6.24 from $12.49 until 8/21)
de Blob 2 ($8.99 from $29.99 until 8/21)
R-Type Dimensions EX ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/21)
Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection ($3.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Contra Anniversary Collection ($3.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
TMNT The Cowabunga Collection ($23.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
Falling Out ($8.99 from $14.99 until 8/21)
Coffin Dodgers ($2.59 from $12.99 until 8/21)
Chompy Chomp Chomp Party ($2.49 from $9.99 until 8/21)
MLB The Show 23 ($29.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Spy Bros. ($4.79 from $7.99 until 8/21)
Warhammer 40k Shootas Blood & Teef ($13.39 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Torchlight III ($4.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
Pac-Man Museum+ ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Blizzard Arcade Collection ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Diablo Prime Evil Collection ($19.79 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Inertial Drift ($6.59 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Temtem ($30.14 from $44.99 until 8/21)
Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection ($14.79 from $39.99 until 8/21)
Immortals Fenyx Rising ($8.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Immortals Fenyx Rising Gold ($14.99 from $99.99 until 8/21)
Ni no Kuni II Revenant Kingdom ($17.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher ($29.99 from $49.99 until 8/21)
Puyo Puyo Tetris ($4.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz HD ($8.99 from $29.99 until 8/21)
LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga Deluxe ($23.09 from $69.99 until 8/21)
Splash Cars ($2.79 from $6.99 until 8/21)
Curse of the Sea Rats ($15.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Biped ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/21)
Wrestling Empire ($9.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Tetris Effect Connected ($19.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
Lumines Remastered ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/21)
Prodeus ($17.49 from $24.99 until 8/21)
SD Gundam Battle Alliance ($29.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/21)
River City Girls ($14.99 from $29.99 until 8/21)
Omen of Sorrow ($13.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Castle Crashers Remastered ($7.49 from $14.99 until 8/21)
Waifu Uncovered ($2.79 from $6.99 until 8/21)
Waifu Discovered 2 Medieval Fantasy ($3.99 from $9.99 until 8/21)
The Rumble Fish 2 ($17.99 from $29.99 until 8/21)
Trigger Witch ($5.99 from $14.99 until 8/21)
Dyadic ($3.49 from $6.99 until 8/21)
Minimal Move ($2.09 from $6.99 until 8/21)
Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection ($24.99 from $59.99 until 8/21)
Capcom Arcade Stadium Bundle ($15.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium Bundle ($19.99 from $39.99 until 8/21)
Kitiara Fables ($6.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
Kitiara Fables Deluxe ($8.74 from $24.99 until 8/21)
SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog ($2.79 from $7.99 until 8/21)
SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 ($2.79 from $7.99 until 8/21)
SEGA AGES Gain Ground ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/21)
SEGA AGES Puyo Puyo 2 ($1.99 from $7.99 until 8/21)
Sonic Origins ($22.49 from $29.99 until 8/21)
SEGA Genesis Classics ($8.99 from $29.99 until 8/21)
Fight’N Rage ($6.99 from $19.99 until 8/21)
OmegaBot ($6.49 from $12.99 until 8/22)
Sophstar ($6.49 from $12.99 until 8/22)
Harmony: The Fall of Reverie ($17.49 from $24.99 until 8/22)
West Water ($3.29 from $10.99 until 8/28)
Aeternum Quest ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/28)
Adventure Field 4 ($2.99 from $9.99 until 8/28)
The Atla Archives ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/28)
Project: Knight 2 Dusk of Souls ($2.69 from $8.99 until 8/28)
Sales Ending Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 9th
Alternate Jake Hunter Daedalus ($4.79 from $39.99 until 8/9)
Chaos Code: New Sign of Catastrophe ($4.99 from $9.99 until 8/9)
Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Bundle ($29.99 from $39.99 until 8/9)
Double Dragon 4 ($3.49 from $6.99 until 8/9)
Flashout 3 ($3.99 from $19.99 until 8/9)
Hatchwell ($3.99 from $9.99 until 8/9)
KURSK ($1.99 from $9.99 until 8/9)
Radio Hammer Station ($3.98 from $6.99 until 8/9)
River City Melee Mach ($4.75 from $13.99 until 8/9)
River City Saga: Three Kingdoms ($23.99 from $29.99 until 8/9)
Shin chan: Summer Vacation ($27.99 from $39.99 until 8/9)
Slice, Dice & Rice ($4.85 from $17.99 until 8/9)
Worldend Syndrome ($9.99 from $39.99 until 8/9)
That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with a recap of whatever big news was in that Pokemon Presents, summaries of all the new releases, more sales for the sales gods, and the small possibility of another review. I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, and as always, thanks for reading!
