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Another classic game has received the battle royale treatment. Pac-Man 99 was only just announced this week, but a day after it’s reveal, the title was released for Switch. Nintendo Switch Online members can try out the title at no extra cost.

Like Tetris 99 and Super Mario Bros. 35, Pac-Man 99 puts a twist on the classic arcade formula that we’ve come to love. Players are tasked with being the last one standing as they gather Power Pellets, eat ghosts, and send Jammer Pac-Mans to make things more difficult for their opponents. We have all of the relevant details here.

With Pac-Man 99 having been out there for a few days, what are your impressions thus far? How do you feel it stacks up to the other Switch Online offerings? Let us know in the comments below.

Lizzie Freeman has had a number of different voice roles in gaming and anime over the past few years, including JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Sword Art Online, Fire Emblem Heroes, and Dragalia Lost. She’s also voicing Zas in Cris Tales, one of the RPG’s main characters.

We recently had a chance to speak with Freeman about her role in Cris Tales and other topics. Outside of the upcoming Switch game, she spoke about how she became involved with voice acting, shared advice for those aspiring to get involved in the same field, spoke about her love for Nintendo, and more.

Here’s our full discussion:

A new month rolled right on in this week. Now that we’re in April, we want to know what you’ve been playing.

Have you been putting your hunting skills to the test in Monster Hunter Rise? Taking the plunge on other recent Switch games like Crash Bandicoot 4, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, or Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning? No matter the case, let us know in the comments below.

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Balan Wonderworld

System: Switch
Release date: March 26, 2021
Developer: Arzest / Balan Company
Publisher: Square Enix


When Square Enix revealed Balan Wonderworld to the world in 2020, I immediately felt that fans of 3D platformers would soon be experiencing something special. Not only did the game’s trailers exude a bold sense of style and charisma that felt genuinely endearing, but the game was also being helmed the creator of the Sonic the Hedgehog and Nights franchises. I was sold on the concept before I had even seen any gameplay – after all, with such an industry heavyweight leading the game’s development, what could possibly go wrong?

Root Film

System: Switch
Release date: March 19, 2021
Developer: Kadokawa Games
Publisher: PQube


There aren’t many games out there that attempt to use the world of filmmaking and video production as a narrative backdrop. As someone who has spent his whole career working in said industry, I was excited to see Root Film – the latest visual novel from the up-and-coming Kadokawa Games, who also released Root Letter in 2016 – attempt to explore what I had hoped would be a unique spin on the murder-mystery genre. While the title attempts to craft an interesting narrative progression for this type of game, the game ultimately failed to hook me on its premise.

A-Train: All Aboard! Tourism

System: Switch
Release date: March 12, 2021
Developer: Artdink
Publisher: Artdink


The city simulator style of gameplay has been around since SimCity released on various platforms back in 1989. Since then, the formula has been used in a variety of ways to give players the chance to customize their own towns, homes, farms, and explore the concept of planning and managing bustling communities over the decades. Believe it or not though, A-Train’s series has been going on since before the Sim craze began, releasing its first game back in 1985 on the beloved NES among other platforms. Artdink’s long-running franchise has become a beloved staple of urban planning, and this release on Switch brings the storied history of the title to more people than ever before – but is will this management adventure become a tedious grind, or a relaxing past-time?

Gnosia

System: Switch
Release date: March 4, 2021
Developer: Petit Depot
Publisher: Playism


There’s an intriguing aspect to deducing fallacies, misconceptions, and lies that constantly keep us thinking deeper and trying to uncover any sort of truth in places where it’s difficult to do so. Crime thrillers and detective work have consistently been a genre and style of narrative that we gravitate towards as we feel as if we’re playing a part in what’s happening. Gnosia, which is being localized for the first time on Switch, offers that exact kind of experience. It brings with it a unique and fascinating dive alongside a new perspective into the visual novel genre by implementing elements not normally seen to keep it further engaging. Gnosia’s sci-fi visual novel mystery amalgam is excellent in every sense of the word, and its brilliance shines the further into it you get with each of its gameplay sessions.

Nintendo decided to drop some fairly big news on a random Monday evening this past week. It was announced that in collaboration with Pokemon GO developer Niantic, a new app is in development featuring Pikmin. Not much is known at present, but Nintendo said that the project will offer “gameplay activities designed to encourage walking and make the activity more enjoyable.” It’s also confirmed for a 2021 release.

Based on Nintendo’s announcement, it sounds like Pikmin could be just the start of future projects with Niantic. The press release mentioned “apps” (meaning more than one) and “Nintendo’s beloved characters”. You can catch up on the full announcement here if you missed it.

Let’s assume that Nintendo and Niantic are indeed collaborating beyond Pikmin. What other franchises from the Big N would you like to see Niantic tackle? Let us know in the comments below.

April is a packed month for the Switch, with a bunch of awesome games releasing for the system. There is a wide selection for everyone to enjoy, but specifically there are a lot of JRPG’s and indie games to keep on your watch list. We’ve narrowed down 10 games that people have been anticipating the most, and added a bonus game at the end that people should keep their eye on.

Check out the full list in the video below and make sure to keep an eye out for these videos every month!

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

System: Switch
Release date: March 16, 2021
Developer: 38 Studios / Big Huge Games / Kaiko
Publisher: THQ Nordic


Some games are like fine wine and age better with time whether through sheer nostalgia, groundbreaking ideas, or art direction while others are lost in the wind or just manage to barely stay alive through a small but dedicated fanbase. Despite originally being published by EA, Kingdoms of Amalur leans more towards the latter of having that cult following. While there are many reasons for this, the game was well-received at the time, though it wasn’t exactly brought up in conversation when discussing popular western or medieval RPGs. But now thanks to THQ Nordic, Kingdoms of Amalur gets another shot in modern times with a remaster that’s worthy of a second chance, even if it is visually untouched outside of polish – at least on Switch.


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