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

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

Author : Savannah Update : Feb 07,2025

Hello fellow gamers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 5th, 2024! It's Thursday already – where does the time go? We're diving straight into our 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 noteworthy new releases and wrap up with our usual sales lists. Let's get started!

Reviews & Mini-Views

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

Resurrecting dormant franchises is the latest trend, it seems. Nintendo's unexpected revival of Famicom Detective Club, a series largely unfamiliar to Western audiences outside of a recent Switch remake, is a prime example. This new entry marks the first entirely new Famicom Detective Club adventure in years.

The challenge in reviving an old IP lies in balancing faithfulness to the original with modern sensibilities. Emio – The Smiling Man opts for a style consistent with the recent remakes, resulting in a unique blend. The visuals are top-notch, and the story pushes boundaries beyond what 90s Nintendo would have dared, yet the gameplay retains a distinctly old-school feel. This is crucial in determining your enjoyment.

The game centers on a student's death, triggering the investigation of similar unsolved murders from 18 years prior. The urban legend of Emio, a killer promising eternal smiles, adds a layer of mystery. Is it a copycat, a resurrected killer, or pure fiction? The police are baffled, leaving the case to the Utsugi Detective Agency. You'll solve the mystery by exploring locations, questioning suspects, and piecing together clues – reminiscent of Ace Attorney's investigation segments. The gameplay might feel tedious or frustrating at times, with certain logic chains lacking clear guidance. However, within the confines of the genre, Emio doesn't stray too far from the norm.

While I have some minor story criticisms, I found the narrative engaging, suspenseful, and well-written overall. Certain plot points may resonate differently with individual players, but I won't spoil anything. The game's strengths outweigh its weaknesses, especially during its more intense moments.

Emio – The Smiling Man is an atypical Nintendo release. While its mechanics closely adhere to the originals, and the pacing occasionally falters, the compelling mystery adventure makes a successful comeback. Welcome back, Detective Club – don't be a stranger!

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate ($29.99)

The Switch is accumulating a solid collection of TMNT games, including classics, modern arcade-style beat 'em ups, and now, Splintered Fate, offering a more console-focused experience. How does it fare?

Quite well, actually. If you've played the Apple Arcade version, you know the basics. It blends beat 'em up gameplay with the roguelite mechanics of Hades. Solo or multiplayer (local or online) options are available. Online multiplayer worked smoothly in our test. While enjoyable solo, adding players significantly enhances the experience.

Shredder's mischief and a mysterious power put Splinter in danger, forcing the Turtles into action. Fight enemies, use tactical dashes, collect power-ups, and upgrade your abilities. Death means starting over, true to roguelite style. It's a familiar formula, but the TMNT theme elevates it. It's not groundbreaking, but it's well-executed.

Splintered Fate isn't essential, but TMNT fans will appreciate this twist. The well-implemented multiplayer is a bonus. While other superior roguelites exist on Switch, Splintered Fate holds its own in a competitive genre.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Nour: Play With Your Food ($9.99)

Nour: Play With Your Food's absence from Switch and mobile upon its initial PC and PS5 release was surprising. It seemed perfectly suited for touchscreens as an experimental food art experience. While enjoyable on PC, it's not a traditional game for everyone. If you appreciate playful sandbox experiences and food, you'll likely adore Nour, but the Switch version has shortcomings.

For newcomers, Nour lets you interact with various food types across different stages, accompanied by engaging music and playful absurdity. You start with basic tools, gradually unlocking more options to truly "play with your food." The lack of touchscreen support on Switch is disappointing. Performance compromises are also evident, resulting in lengthy load times.

Despite its flaws, Nour is worth experiencing if you enjoy food, art, and interactive apps. While not ideal on Switch, its portability is a plus. Hopefully, it'll perform 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, released recently on Switch and Steam, is a remaster of the 2004 visual novel. This is arguably the best entry point into the Fate universe, offering a chance to experience the series' origin. The sheer volume of content makes its price incredibly reasonable.

For those familiar with the original Japanese versions, Fate/stay night REMASTERED offers significant improvements, including English localization, 16:9 support, and enhanced visuals. While not as visually stunning as Tsukihime's remake, it does a great job of presenting the game on modern displays.

The addition of touchscreen support on Switch is a welcome feature, making it very comfortable to play on both handheld and docked modes. Its compatibility with Steam Deck is also a plus.

The only significant drawback is the lack of a physical Switch release. Overall, Fate/stay night REMASTERED is a must-have for visual novel fans. Its affordability further strengthens its recommendation. It's a fantastic experience, regardless of platform. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 5/5

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

Having missed out on VR experiences, I was curious about TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos, praised for their VR presentation. The Switch version allows experiencing these stories without VR hardware.

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 murder. While the narrative is somewhat predictable, the visuals are good.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos, however, is superior in terms of production quality, music, writing, voice acting, and characters. It goes beyond a standard visual novel, enhancing the experience.

The Switch version suffers from some camera movement issues, but touchscreen support and rumble compensate.

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK offers a great Switch experience with added touch controls and rumble. The demo is worth trying. Sci-fi fans should definitely check it out. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5

Select New Releases

Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku ($49.99)

A Fitness Boxing game featuring Hatsune Miku. It includes 24 songs from Miku and friends, along with 30 tracks from the Fitness Boxing series. Mechanically, it's similar to other entries in the series. Pick it up if you're a fan of both franchises.