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The 10 Best PlayStation 1 Games on Nintendo Switch – SwitchArcade Special – TouchArcade

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The 10 Best PlayStation 1 Games on Nintendo Switch – SwitchArcade Special – TouchArcade


Well here it is, friends. This will be the last of my retro game eShop lists, mostly because I am running out of retro consoles with a good variety of games to choose from. I’ve left one of the best for last, though: the PlayStation. Sony’s first whack at the ol’ console market succeeded beyond any expectations, and it’s little wonder it built a library so full of great games that we still see re-releases to this day. Sure, these games gave Nintendo a black eye a quarter of a century ago, but it’s all smiles now for everyone who can enjoy them on their platforms of choice. We’ve got ten of our favorites here, in no particular order of course. On with the PlaySta-Show!

Klonoa: The Door to Phantomile – Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series ($39.99)

Klonoa is a really great game that probably didn’t get as much attention as it deserved, but got enough that it didn’t go totally unnoticed. Probably one of the more successful 2.5D platformers on the console, even. You play as a little floppy-eared cat-creature who is navigating the world of dreams to stop a dangerous threat. Vibrant visuals, snappy gameplay, interesting bosses, and a surprisingly impactful story for what it is. The second game, originally released on PlayStation 2, isn’t quite as good as the first, but you have to get them as a set anyway.

Final Fantasy VII ($15.99)

This is one of the big ones, isn’t it? The Japanese RPG that finally woke the wider Western market up to the genre, Square Enix’s biggest success ever, and one of the main instruments of the PlayStation’s rocket to the top of the business. Sure, there is that remake of Final Fantasy VII out there, but I hope by now that people realize what that really is. If you want to play the original Final Fantasy VII story, you’ll have to risk getting your eye poked out on some sharp polygons. Still a very good game, and it’s not hard to see why so many people took to it the way they did.

Metal Gear Solid – Master Collection Version ($19.99)

Another very big name from the PlayStation, Metal Gear Solid dragged a franchise that was more or less dormant into the spotlight of a much bigger stage. The Metal Gear Solid series got a lot sillier over time, and perhaps started gazing into its own belly button a little too deeply. But it’s hard to argue with this first game, which feels less like a bizarre trip through Kojima’s philosophical musings and more like an episode of GI Joe. It doesn’t hurt that it’s a very fun game to play, either. And hey, if you enjoy it enough, both of the PlayStation 2 follow-ups are available on Switch too.

G-Darius HD ($29.99)

Alright, let’s venture into the weeds again just a little bit. G-Darius took Taito’s classic shoot ’em up series into 3D, and it’s amazing just how well it made that transition. Sure, those chunky rough-textured polygons haven’t aged as well as the sprites in the 2D games, but there’s a real charm to them. The vivid colors, enjoyable enemy-catching mechanic, and creative bosses make for one heck of a solid shooter.

Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition ($19.99)

I could almost fill this entire list with Square Enix games, but I’m going to leave it with this one and Final Fantasy VII just to give other games a chance. Chrono Cross had an impossible job: follow up one of the most well-liked Japanese RPGs ever made. And no, it couldn’t quite manage that task. People today do not speak of Chrono Cross the way they do Chrono Trigger, and that’s fair. But pull it away from that comparison and you’ll find a really clever and gorgeous RPG with a huge cast of (admittedly poorly developed in the main) characters to recruit and play with. Also, one of the best video game soundtracks of all time. Feel free to @ me, I’m right.

Mega Man X4 – Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($19.99)

I love just about every Mega Man game to some extent, but I am well aware that my vision is clouded by bias stemming from a severe case of childhood nostalgia. As such, when it comes to recommending games in the series with clearer eyes, there are only a few games in each series I feel good about putting in the hands of non-fans. With the Mega Man X series, it’s just two games: Mega Man X and Mega Man X4. While I enjoyed the games between them, X4 just feels like it has itself put together better than most of its siblings. This was a short-lived slice of balance, because things went off the rails again with the next game. But hey, don’t take my word for it – buy the Legacy Collections and see for yourself!

Tomba! Special Edition ($19.99)

You know, there were a lot of games published by Sony as first-party releases that it ended up not owning. I always assumed Tomba was as much a first-party property as Crash Bandicoot was, but… oh wait, I guess it was. Anyway, Tomba! is a really interesting platformer. It incorporates a lot of adventure game elements, but the action is on point too. Just don’t forget that that creator of Tomba! is the same guy behind Ghosts ‘n Goblins. It might seem breezy at first, but it’s going to challenge you as it goes on. Very neat game, and I’m glad it’s available again.

Grandia – Grandia HD Collection ($39.99)

Okay, technically Grandia was a SEGA Saturn game first, but the PlayStation port was clearly used as the basis of this HD release so I’m putting it here. Grandia comes from many of the same people who made Lunar, and it channels much of its spirit. In a time period where many RPGs were taking heavy cues from Evangelion, Grandia dared to be a bright and cheerful adventure. It also has a very satisfying combat system that builds on what Game Arts was doing with the Lunar games in strong ways. The other game in this set isn’t too shabby either.

Tomb Raider – Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft ($29.99)

Another true icon of the PlayStation era, Lara Croft had five adventures on the PlayStation by the time the console reached its end. The quality varied from game to game, and some of them were stronger at some things and weaker at others. If you asked me to pick the best one, I think I’d have to go with the original. It was more focused on actual raiding of tombs and less on action, and I think that was putting the best foot forward as far as the Core Design period of the franchise went. But this is another chance to make up your own mind, because you get the first three games here whether you like it or not.

moon ($18.99)

Let’s finish up with a deeper cut. Originally only released in Japan, moon was something of a deconstruction of the contemporary RPG. Indeed, its creators refer to it as an anti-RPG. In practice, it’s more of an adventure game than anything else, and it is very… punk? Can I call it punk? There are parts of the game that aren’t very fun at all, but it’s also not trying to be fun all the time. There’s an interesting message to this game if you see it through, and I’m glad we finally got to see this come out in English.

And that’s the list, friends. Are there any PlayStation 1 games you enjoy on the Switch? Feel free to sound off down in the comments and let us know what you’re thinking! It’s always interesting to hear the opinions of others on this kind of thing. I hope everyone has enjoyed this series of articles as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them. As always, thanks for reading!



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Reviews Featuring ‘Emio – The Smiling Man’, Plus Today’s New Releases and Sales – TouchArcade

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Reviews Featuring ‘Emio – The Smiling Man’, Plus Today’s New Releases and Sales – TouchArcade


Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for September 5th, 2024. Thursday already, eh? Where does the time go? We’re going in hard on the reviews again today. I have two for you, covering Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. Our pal Mikhail chimes in today too, with his looks at Nour: Play With Your Food, Fate/stay night REMASTERED, and TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK. We then move into the finest new releases of the day, then sweep up with the lists of new and expiring sales. Ah, Thursday. I shall miss you when it is Friday. Let’s go!

Reviews & Mini-Views

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

It seems like the latest trend is making sequels to decades-dormant franchises. Video games, always trying to be like Hollywood. Nintendo has rather unpredictably decided to resurrect Famicom Detective Club, a series mainly known in the West through the “blink and you’ll miss it” remake of the first two games that came out on Switch a couple of years back. I feel like there may be a connection here. At any rate, for the first time this millennium we have a brand new Famicom Detective Club adventure! That’s nifty.

The challenge with bringing back an old brand is in deciding how faithful to the original the new game should be. The risk of being too faithful is that the game could be seen as old-fashioned or out of date, but change too much and there’s a chance fans could be completely turned off. Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club leans more toward maintaining the style of the recent remakes, themselves hewing quite closely to the originals. It’s an odd blend, to be sure. The visuals are as good as anything you would see in similar games from modern times, and the story certainly pushes a little further than what the Nintendo of the 90s would have done even in Japan. But the gameplay feels very old-school, and I think that is a determining factor in whether or not you enjoy this game.

A student is found dead with a paper bag over his head that has a smiling face on it. This digs up some old unsolved murders from eighteen years ago that featured a similar calling card, which raises all manner of questions. Then there is the urban legend about Emio, a killer who promises to give his victims an eternal smile. Has a previous killer resurfaced after all this time? Is it a copycat? Is there really any such thing as Emio? The cops are stumped, so it’s time to call in the Utsugi Detective Agency! Using the powers of going around to places and badgering people, you’ll do what the law enforcement was powerless to: find the truth!

Basically, you’re searching around every scene for clues, talking to all of the people you meet (sometimes you need to press the issue and ask multiple times to get what you want), and trying to find the connections you’ll need to solve the case. Think of the sections of Ace Attorney outside of court and you’re not too far off the mark. Depending on how well you take to this kind of gameplay, you mind find parts of the game to be annoying or a slog. There are certainly bits I feel could have been handled more smoothly, and it feels like specific chains of logic needed just a little more signposting. Well, this is a Cat Hair Mustache genre, and I suppose by that standards Emio isn’t doing anything particularly egregious.

And you know what? That’s where I’m going to leave it. I have some criticisms of the story, but I enjoyed it on the whole. It was engaging, twisty, and well-written. Some of the plot beats didn’t hit me the way it seems they hit others, but I can’t really talk about that in detail without ruining the story. And I really don’t want to do that, because this is a tale that is best experienced fresh. I liked more than I didn’t, and when it picks up it really picks up.

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is not the sort of thing we typically see from Nintendo, but if there was any rust on the team it assuredly doesn’t show. It’s perhaps a little too adherent to the original games in its mechanics, and while the plot is mostly excellent there are some times where the pace falls off or things resolve in ways I didn’t find as satisfying as I would have ideally hoped for. Still, these are minor complaints for what is otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club. Don’t stay away so long this time.

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate ($29.99)

We’re starting to get a nice little set of TMNT games on the Switch, aren’t we? You can enjoy the Konami classics in the Cowabunga Collection, get an incredible modern take on the arcade beat ’em up formula with Shredder’s Revenge, bring the modern arcade home in Wrath of the Mutants, and now satisfy your urge for something with a little more home console flavoring in Splintered Fate. There are a couple more on the way, too. We’re swimming in Turtles! With Turtles? Turtles, they’re everywhere. So how is this one?

Not too shabby, actually. I mean, if you’ve played this on Apple Arcade then you know the deal, and if you’re reading this site then the odds are somewhat decent you have. But just in case, let’s go over the broad pitch. Basically, imagine taking a TMNT-style beat ’em up and blending it with Hades. Alright, that pretty much does it. You can go it alone in the usual roguelite style, or play with up to four players via local or online multiplayer. Mikhail and I did the online multiplayer thing together and it worked rather well, so that’s a good way to go. The game is fine when you’re on your own, but adding more people predictably improves the experience. That’s TMNT for you.

Anyway, some kind of shenanigans occur with Shredder and a mysterious power. Splinter is in trouble, and the Turtles have to try to figure out how to save him. When all you have is a katana, every problem looks like a Foot Soldier. Slice, dice, and/or bludgeon whatever enemies come in front of you, dash tactically to avoid attacks, pick up some perks that you can enjoy in your current run, and collect another currency to score some permanent upgrades. If you die, it’s back to the lair to try again. Roguelite beat ’em up. But with the Turtles, so it’s automatically better than it would be without them. It isn’t particularly inspired, but it does its job well enough.

I wouldn’t call Splintered Fate a must-have in general, but TMNT fans will probably enjoy this twist on the usual fare. The multiplayer is well-implemented, and it’s good to see that important TMNT element wasn’t passed over despite this being the kind of game that is usually played solo. Those without an affinity for the Turtles can find better roguelite games to play on the Switch, but with this being such an intensely competitive genre on the platform it’s to the credit of Splintered Fate that it can manage to keep pace at all. Not bad.

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Nour: Play With Your Food ($9.99)

When Nour: Play With Your Food originally released on PC and PS5, I was a bit surprised to see it not also released on Switch and mobile. It felt like a perfect fit for touchscreens as an experimental food art experience. I played it on PC and liked it quite a bit, but this isn’t a traditional game for everyone. If you enjoy playful sandbox-like experiences and love food, you will likely find a lot to love in Nour: Play With Your Food, but the Switch version is a bit lacking.

If you’re new to Nour: Play With Your Food, it has you playing with specific food types across different stages with interesting music and a lot of over the top nonsense (compliment). It feels like a combination of an interactive app made for those who love food and art equally. Initially, you only get access to the basics, but I found myself surprised at how much the developers added to let you literally play with your food as the name suggests. This is when I realized why it might not be as easy to play on a touchscreen.

I am disappointed in the lack of touchscreen support on Switch though. Aside from that, Nour: Play With Your Food was a bit of a heavy game on Steam Deck as well, and you can see the cutbacks on Switch to have it run decently. The biggest issue is the load times being long both docked and handheld on Switch.

Nour: Play With Your Food is worth experiencing if you love food, art, and interactive apps. While the Switch version isn’t the best way to experience it, Nour still feels best on a portable, and I hope it does well enough to get more DLC or even a physical release. We don’t see many releases like this in gaming, but games like Nour and Townscaper are the perfect compliment to more-involved RPGs and story-driven games. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 3.5/5

Fate/stay night REMASTERED ($29.99)

Fate/stay night REMASTERED launched about a month ago on Nintendo Switch and Steam worldwide. I was hoping to have it covered sooner, but the month has been really busy and Fate/stay night itself is very long. Before covering the game itself, I want to take you on a bit of a journey. Many years ago, a close friend convinced me to watch Fate/Zero as one of the first few anime I watched from start to finish. Back then, I wanted to experience more from the universe, but there wasn’t really something interesting I could officially play in English. I ended up importing the PS Vita version of Fate/stay night Realta Nua just to own it, and since then have basically been playing whatever Fate-related release or Type Moon property we see in the West. This includes Fate/EXTELLA, Fate/Samurai Remnant, watching Fate/stay night, and even trying out Fate/Grand Order for a bit.

All of that led to me being very glad that Aniplex brought over Witch on the Holy Night and Tsukihime‘s remake recently, but there was the one game I was hoping we’d see released in English somehow. I didn’t bother with fan translations, and kept hoping we’d see Fate/stay night in English. Here we are. It still feels unreal that this is in English and on Switch. But is it worth your time and money? Well I can save you some time and say absolutely on both fronts with a few caveats.

Fate/stay night REMASTERED is a remaster of the 2004-released Type Moon visual novel covering the story of Emiya Shirou, the Holy Grail war, and more. This is basically the best entry point into the Fate universe, and I know there are many who have only experienced it through anime and other games so far, so this is now a chance to see the origin of the series as it was meant to be. Fate/stay night REMASTERED even with its few quality of life features is still a 55+ hour experience at least, and that makes the low asking price shocking. I get that this is a remaster of an older game, but the volume of text and work done really makes it one of the best value releases on the eShop this year.

If you already played the original versions of Fate/stay night in Japanese, Fate/stay night REMASTERED does a lot to improve the experience. Obviously it adds English, but the 16:9 support is welcome. It also feels like a lot more work went into this than I initially expected. I’ve been playing a bit of the PS Vita release to compare, and the developers of this remaster have done a great job at making Fate/stay night look good on modern displays, but don’t expect the gorgeousness of Tsukihime‘s recent remake.

While I love Fate/stay night itself, I’m glad that the developers actually put in touchscreen support on Nintendo Switch. I played most of Fate/stay night REMASTERED on my Switch Lite (which is sadly busted now) and then synced it to my Switch OLED to play at home and also docked. It feels perfect on Nintendo’s hybrid system. Hopefully it gets more platform releases in the future like iOS and PS5 so more can experience it.

Speaking of more platforms, I also played a good amount of Fate/stay night REMASTERED on Steam Deck. It works perfectly out of the box. If you were wondering where to play Fate/stay night REMASTERED assuming you owned a Steam Deck or Switch, get it wherever you want but make sure you play it. It is that good.

There’s nothing really holding Fate/stay night REMASTERED back right now aside from no physical release on Switch, and I hope it does well enough to get one in the future to go on my shelf with Witch on the Holy Night and Tsukihime.

Fate/stay night REMASTERED is basically an essential for visual novel fans and I still can’t believe it is not only available in English, but also on both Switch and Steam. The low asking price makes it an even easier recommendation. While it may not look as good as Tsukihime‘s recent remake, Fate/stay night REMASTERED is still worth your time, and I’m glad I finally got to play it in English after all these years of owning the Japanese PS Vita release. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 5/5

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

As someone who didn’t bother with VR outside of borrowing a PS VR headset on PS4 Pro years ago, I know I’ve ended up missing out on some great games. When looking at what my friends who own current VR headsets talk about, in addition to games like Thumper or Beat Saber, I used to see rumblings of TOKYO CHRONOS and ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos mentioned. Both were praised for their stories and also for being full experiences in VR. I never got to experience the stories until TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK hit Switch through Izanagi Games just over a month ago.

When you first boot up TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK on Switch, you get to choose which game you want to play. The first game has you experiencing the story of high school friends in an alternate version of Shibuya, lost memories, killers, and more. If you’ve played many visual novels or adventure games, the narrative here will feel very predictable in parts, but it isn’t bad. It has good visuals and I feel like trying it out in VR after seeing how it feels on Switch just for the novelty of a full visual novel in VR.

ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos on the other hand is a lot better with its production, music, writing, voice acting, and characters in general. It also goes beyond being a pure visual novel in parts, and I love when developers do this. Punching above your weight in a visual novel usually makes for a more memorable experience when coupled with important story beats. ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos is the standout of the two, but I think the pack is definitely worth buying if you’re ok with the controls and movement in the demo.

Aside from some aspects of the stories not hitting as hard, the Switch version has some performance issues when it comes to camera movement. These aren’t a dealbreaker, but it is distracting having that happen during first person and other encounters. The rest of the Switch features more than make up for it though with touchscreen support (my favorite feature in adventure games) and good rumble.

TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK is a great experience on Nintendo Switch with its touch controls and rumble support added to make it even more immersive. I’m glad I got to finally experience these stories since I never owned a VR headset, and I hope to see more from this team in the future. If you enjoy sci-fi stories, I urge you to download the demo at least to see how this one feels on Switch. -Mikhail Madnani

SwitchArcade Score: 4.5/5

Select New Releases

Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku ($49.99)

This might be the winner for the title that does the most clear and concise work in explaining a game’s content. At least for 2024, anyway. So yes, this is Fitness Boxing. Featuring Hatsune Miku. It has 24 songs from Miku and friends, plus 30 more from the Fitness Boxing series. Plenty of tunes to punch it out to, in other words. Mechanically, it looks like the other games in the series. No surprise there. Pick it up if you want a Fitness Boxing game featuring Hatsune Miku.

Gimmick! 2 ($24.99)

I reviewed this yesterday, but in case you missed that, allow me to bring you up to speed. This is a very faithful follow-up to the original cult favorite, building on its foundations a bit, bringing in a slick new presentation, and still as hard as that piece of a Subway pizza sub you lost under the sofa back in the 90s. If you don’t mind a challenge and enjoy clever platformers, you’ll want to check this one out.

Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost ($29.99)

Are you tired of switching between games based on whether you feel like playing a rhythm game or a bullet hell shoot ’em up? Touhou Danmaku Kagura Phantasia Lost is here to save you from the inconvenience! There are two modes in this game, and it kind of feels like peanut butter and chalk in some sense. But the Touhou theme ties them together, and for fans of the property I’m sure it will pass muster. At least you know the music will be good?

EGGCONSOLE Hydlide MSX ($6.49)

We’ve already seen one version of Hydlide release in EGGCONSOLE, but here’s another one for good measure. It came after the one we have, but before the NES one. It falls somewhere in between them as a result, and I suppose if you are a Hydlide super-fan then you’ll want to grab as many versions as they release. For everyone else, I’m not sure how much more you’ll get out of this MSX version if you already played the PC-8801 release.

Arcade Archives Lead Angle ($7.99)

Well, at least Hamster’s mixing it up a little. This is a 1988 Seibu Kaihatsu release, a follow-up to Empire City 1931. It’s one of those gallery shooters that were all the rage at the time, though I can say with some confidence that Lead Angle was not all the rage at the time. It’s a decent enough example of the genre though, so if you enjoy this sort of game you probably shouldn’t be too quick to push the plate away. Shooting gangsters! You don’t see that kind of theme all that often anymore either, come to think of it.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

Not much excitement going on today, but No Man’s Sky is never a bad choice. The rest of the good games in the inbox are frequently on sale, so do what you will with them. Oddly, one could say the same about the outbox. I’ll leave all of that business to you today, as I don’t have any strong feelings on the matter.

Select New Sales

No Man’s Sky ($23.99 from $59.99 until 9/17)The Last Campfire ($1.99 from $14.99 until 9/17)XALADIA: Rise of the Space Pirates X2 ($8.09 from $17.99 until 9/18)Scars of Mars ($15.99 from $19.99 until 9/18)Die for Valhalla ($3.59 from $11.99 until 9/25)Moonlighter ($3.74 from $24.99 until 9/25)Thea: The Awakening ($5.39 from $17.99 until 9/25)Children of Morta ($5.49 from $21.99 until 9/25)Dungeon of the Endless ($3.99 from $19.99 until 9/25)Yes, Your Grace ($2.99 from $19.99 until 9/25)Hypnospace Outlaw ($4.99 from $19.99 until 9/25)Nowhere Prophet ($2.49 from $24.99 until 9/25)Soccer Story ($7.99 from $19.99 until 9/25)Family Man ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/25)South of the Circle ($6.49 from $12.99 until 9/25)Wingspan ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/25)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, September 6th

Ambition: A Minuet in Power ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/6)Dance of Death: Du Lac & Fey ($2.39 from $15.99 until 9/6)Fear Effect Sedna ($1.99 from $19.99 until 9/6)Galak-Z The Void Deluxe ($2.99 from $14.99 until 9/6)Kingdom Rush ($5.49 from $9.99 until 9/6)Kingdom Rush Frontiers ($5.49 from $9.99 until 9/6)Kingdom Rush Origins ($8.24 from $14.99 until 9/6)My Time at Portia ($4.49 from $29.99 until 9/6)PowerWash Simulator ($17.49 from $24.99 until 9/6)Skulls of the Shogun ($3.99 from $19.99 until 9/6)Suhoshin ($4.49 from $14.99 until 9/6)The House of Da Vinci 2 ($4.99 from $9.99 until 9/6)Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 4 ($9.99 from $19.99 until 9/6)Ty the Tasmanian Tiger HD ($10.49 from $29.99 until 9/6)Violet Wisteria ($7.49 from $14.99 until 9/6)What the Fork ($4.49 from $17.99 until 9/6)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow to finish things up, with more reviews, new releases, and sales to look at. Hey, did you know? I have an at-the-moment dormant blog that is going to get active again soon. You can find it at Post Game Content. If you like reading Shaun’s thoughts on games, you’ll certainly find some there. I hope you all have a thrilling Thursday, and as always, thanks for reading!



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Razer Kishi Ultra Mobile Controller Review – The Best Mobile Controller in 2024? – TouchArcade

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Razer Kishi Ultra Mobile Controller Review – The Best Mobile Controller in 2024? – TouchArcade


Back in April, the Razer Nexus (Free) app on iOS and Android was updated with support added for an unannounced “Razer Kishi Ultra” controller boasting features like analog stick deadzone customization and more. Since then, Razer has announced and released the Razer Kishi Ultra with support for more than just phones. The Razer Kishi Ultra is also the most expensive mobile controller as far as I’m aware, but it offers more features than expected for specific devices. Having used the Razer Kishi and the Backbone One including the new USB-C versions for years now, I didn’t think I needed a new controller, but the Razer Kishi Ultra changed my mind in a way the Hori Split Pad Pro did on Nintendo Switch a few years ago.

Razer Kishi Ultra – what’s in the box

The Razer Kishi Ultra box included the controller itself, a few sets of rubber cushions to use depending on your device, a sheet of stickers, and an instruction booklet. For the price point of $149.99, I expected to have a carrying case or at least a pouch included. Beyond that, the box and casing for the controller in the box are good quality as usual from Razer.

The Razer Kishi Ultra rubber cushions come in pairs that are properly labeled for use with iPhone (Pair A), iPad Mini 6th generation (Pair B), and Android (Pair C). If you use a case, you don’t need to use any of these rubber cushions.

Razer Kishi Ultra compatibility – iPhone, Cases, Android, and iPad Mini

While most mobile controllers, especially the telescopic ones, only support iPhone and Android, the Razer Kishi Ultra also supports tablets like the iPad Mini 6th generation. We’ve also recently had some telescopic controllers ship with bluetooth support, but as for USB-C, this one seems to have some of the best compatibility. For the purpose of this review, I tested the Razer Kishi Ultra on my iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus, and wired on my iPad Pro. I didn’t test on Android or Windows, but I did try it on my Steam Deck wired. It is detected as a generic Xbox gamepad, but it did work when I was playing NBA 2K25 on Steam Deck yesterday for review and it also supports decent rumble in games like Bakeru that I tested with.

Razer Kishi Ultra buttons, d-pad, and triggers

Before getting to the new features, how does the Razer Kishi Ultra actually feel and perform? I was a bit worried about the d-pad, but it ended up working great when I played games like Garou: Mark of the Wolves ACA NeoGeo or even newer ones like Hades and Hitman Blood Money Reprisal. Beyond the d-pad, the shoulder buttons and triggers work well just like Razer’s older controller. The analog sticks are comfortable and smooth to use with the face buttons being clicky albeit with more travel distance which I didn’t expect after the original Razer Kishi.

Overall, I have no complaints with the Razer Kishi Ultra d-pad, buttons, or triggers after considerable use including some sessions lasting a few hours where I played Zenless Zone Zero while charging my phone through the passthrough charging here.

In terms of feel, the textured finish isn’t rubbery, but it works well for a grip and remains very comfortable to hold even for a few hours. I don’t usually care for Chroma stuff on controllers, and just like the Razer Kitsune, I would’ve preferred if the lights could somehow match the gameplay on screen.

Razer Kishi Ultra – new features

The main draw of the Razer Kishi Ultra is the full-size form factor. Instead of feeling like a compact mobile controller as we’ve seen with Razer’s prior release or the Backbone One, the Razer Kishi Ultra is a full-size one that feels like you’re holding your phone in the middle of a good quality console controller. This may not be a plus for some looking for a compact solution, but it isn’t meant to be that. The full-size form factor makes this the comfiest mobile controller I’ve used by far.

The other features are the Chroma customization through the app, haptics (for Android and Windows), and virtual controller mode (Android only). The virtual controller mode is good for Android games since we see some notable ones skip adding controller support outside iOS on mobile like Genshin Impact.

Aside from the new features, the Razer Kishi Ultra has a 3.5mm headphone jack, passthrough charging (15W), and the L4 and R4 shoulder buttons.

Razer Kishi Ultra features missing on iOS – haptics and virtual controller mode

The haptics and virtual controller mode are only available on Android (or Windows as well for the former) and not available on iOS. I don’t really care about virtual controller mode, but I hope Razer can work on something to enable the haptics in some way for iOS devices as well. I love haptic feedback on PS5 and HD Rumble on Switch, so having something that tries to do similar things on iOS would be nice.

Razer Kishi Ultra price point – is it worth it?

I already think most folks are better off getting a PS5 or Xbox controller to play wirelessly on iOS as the best possible and cheaper option. If you do want a good controller that has a telescopic form factor and attaches onto your phone, the most popular options are already $99.99 so the Razer Kishi Ultra at $150 is definitely a more premium controller. Is it worth that much more? If you’re ok with the current Razer Kishi and Backbone One price point, this is definitely worth the extra price for the comfort, but the lack of the haptics makes it feel like a lesser experience on iOS compared to Android where you get the fully featured experience.

It remains to be seen if the joysticks on this one don’t drift over time as well.

Razer Kishi Ultra – the best mobile controller in 2024?

If you’ve not read my review of Razer’s older controller, check it out here. Moving from that more compact form factor that I’ve gotten used to for years across Razer and Backbone products to this big one has been interesting. Just like the Hori Split Pad Pro for Nintendo Switch, I find myself wanting both a full-size controller and a more compact one for iPhone.

The Razer Kishi Ultra is easily the comfiest mobile controller I’ve ever used, but I wish it was easier to travel with. I worry about how it might end up in my bag unless I carry it in the big box it ships with. I don’t know if the Razer Kishi Ultra will replace my normal Kishi or Backbone One when I travel, but I’m definitely only using it when I play at home.

At the asking price, I was hoping for hall effect analog sticks though. I’ve had drift issues with multiple controllers over the years and while it hasn’t happened to the Razer Kishi Ultra yet (or the Razer Kishi itself), but I can’t say how things might be in a few more months. This is more of a thing to keep in mind when you buy it.

Having now covered the Backbone One and Razer Kishi models, I definitely want to try out the GameSir lineup as they seem more than worth checking out. Hopefully in the near future.

Razer Kishi Ultra 2 wishlist

When thinking about what I’d like to see in an updated Razer Kishi Ultra, aside from hall effect sticks, I’d like some of the sharper edges like the passthrough charging port to be smoothed out a bit. Beyond that, while I love the L4 and R4 buttons as options, I vastly prefer having paddles on the bottom of the controller since they feel more natural to use. It would be good to have those as options given the premium price. Maybe even L5 and R5 as paddles on the bottom with remapping available in the Razer Nexus app. The final thing I want is a carrying case for this to come with the controller. When looking at the pro level controllers on console, they usually come with a nice hard case. Granted this one doesn’t cost as much as a DualSense Edge or Victrix Pro BFG, but it would be a nice addition to the package that wouldn’t cost too much.

Razer Kishi Ultra review

If you’re used to playing on traditional PS5 or Xbox Series controllers or basically any full-sized controller and don’t enjoy using the compact Joy-Con size buttons and sticks we usually see in mobile controllers, the Razer Kishi Ultra is perfect for you with its comfortable grip, great d-pad, and face buttons. The lack of full feature support on iOS is disappointing, but this is a great addition to the mobile controller space, and I hope Razer can build on this through the years while also offering a carrying case so I don’t have to worry about anything happening to this in my bag when I go out.

Razer Kishi Ultra review score: 4.5/5

Amazon Link: Razer Kishi Ultra

If you’re curious about the book in the header image, it is Andy Kelly’s upcoming book titled Perfect Organism: An Alien: Isolation Companion that I’m currently reading for review. You can pre-order it here.

Disclaimer: TouchArcade may earn a small commission from purchases made using the affiliate links above.



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The 10 Best Game Boy Advance & Nintendo DS Games on Nintendo Switch – SwitchArcade Special – TouchArcade

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The 10 Best Game Boy Advance & Nintendo DS Games on Nintendo Switch – SwitchArcade Special – TouchArcade


In the latest look at retro game offerings on the Nintendo Switch, I’ve opted to take a different approach. You see, there aren’t quite so many distinct Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS ports on the Switch as some other consoles. I know, it surprised me too! So they’re going to be sharing a list, much like how they shared a few years on retail shelves. While you can find plenty of great games from the Game Boy Advance in the Nintendo Switch Online app, we’re instead looking at those games that dare to exist in the wilds of the Switch eShop. We’ve got ten of our favorites here, four from the Game Boy Advance and six from the Nintendo DS. No particular order, of course. On with the show!

Game Boy Advance

Steel Empire (2004) – Over Horizon X Steel Empire ($14.99)

We’ll start off with a decent little shoot ’em up, Steel Empire. While the original Genesis/Mega Drive version is the better game in my opinion, this isn’t a bad take at all. Worth playing just to compare with the other version, and it’s certainly a breezier experience in some ways. Steel Empire is a pretty cool game no matter how you play it, and it’s one that even those who don’t normally get into shooters tend to enjoy.

Mega Man Zero – Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection ($29.99)

While the Mega Man X series started to flounder on home consoles, the true successor to the Mega Man crown was rising up on the Game Boy Advance. Mega Man Zero is the start of an excellent series of side-scrolling action games, and one that perhaps didn’t figure out how to present what it wanted to do in the smoothest way. Those rough edges would get sanded off as the series went on, but the first game is where you want to start. Feel free to continue on from there.

Mega Man Battle Network – Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection ($59.99)

Yes, I’m double-dipping on Mega Man here. But I think it’s warranted here, because Mega Man Zero and Mega Man Battle Network are very different kinds of games, and both are very good at what they do. This one is an RPG with a unique battle system that manages to incorporate a bit of action to go with the more strategic elements. The core concept of this whole virtual world existing inside of electronic devices is a clever one, and the game doesn’t do things halfway with it. The returns diminished harder on this series than they did with Zero, but there’s plenty of fun to be had here.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow – Castlevania Advance Collection ($19.99)

Another collection where you’ll probably just want to run the whole board, but if I have to pick one best one it’s clearly Aria of Sorrow. When I’m in the right mood, I’d rather play this than even the amazing Symphony of the Night. The soul collecting system encourages grinding, and the gameplay is so fun that I don’t even mind that. Throw in an unusual setting and some fun secrets and you’ve got a real winner here. One of my favorite third-party Game Boy Advance games full-stop.

Nintendo DS

Shantae: Risky’s Revenge – Director’s Cut ($9.99)

The original Shantae was something of a cult hit, but the low distribution numbers meant that relatively few people had a chance to play it. It was with the DSiWare release of Shantae: Risky’s Revenge that the Half-Genie Hero had a chance to make a bigger splash, and she certainly did that. Indeed, this established Shantae so well that she hasn’t missed a console generation since. This game kind of sits on a fuzzy line since it was sort of built from the ashes of a Game Boy Advance game that never released. Curiously, that game will be getting a release soon and might fit this list when it does.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy ($29.99)

Look, if you’re really bothered about the lists being imbalanced, you could (and maybe should) count this as a Game Boy Advance game. That is the console where it originated after all, it just wasn’t localized at that time. Anyway, you probably know Ace Attorney. Fun adventure games that blend on-location investigations with overly dramatic court scenes. Goofy humor, but rather good stories. This first game completely knocks it out of the park, and while I might prefer later installments I wouldn’t be able to argue against anyone who said this was the best.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective ($29.99)

From the creator of Ace Attorney, Ghost Trick is just as well-written but has its own cool gameplay hook. You’re a ghost and need to use your abilities to save people, all with an eye to figuring out the truth behind your own untimely demise. This game is a complete wild ride and I recommend everyone play it from start to finish. It was a bit slept on in its original Nintendo DS form, and I’m glad to see Capcom hasn’t given up on it. Reward them for their tenacity.

The World Ends With You: Final Remix ($49.99)

The World Ends With You is, quite frankly, one of the top games on the Nintendo DS. Ideally, it’s the place where you should play the game. It’s just so tightly built around that hardware and its capabilities that none of the ports have been able to get just right. Still, time marches on. The Switch version of this game will do just fine if you don’t want to dig up a working Nintendo DS, and you really should play it somewhere. Why not here? A great game in just about every possible way.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow – Castlevania Dominus Collection ($24.99)

The Castlevania Dominus Collection just released not long ago, and it collects all of the Nintendo DS Castlevania games. This is another case where all of the games are worth playing, and I’m picking Dawn of Sorrow simply because having its gimmicky touch controls replaced with more fitting button controls makes for a significant improvement. But really, play all three of the Nintendo DS games in this collection. They’re all great in their own ways.

Etrian Odyssey III HD – Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection ($79.99)

This is another franchise that in some ways can’t exist easily outside of the DS/3DS ecosystem. But Atlus made a good attempt here, and I think the results are playable enough. Each of the Etrian Odyssey games stands alone, and they’re all pretty substantial RPGs. Etrian Odyssey III is the largest of the three, and while it’s more than a little wooly, it’s well-worth sinking your teeth into.

And that’s the list, friends. Are there any Game Boy Advance or Nintendo DS games you enjoy on the Switch? Feel free to sound off down in the comments and let us know what you’re thinking! It’s always interesting to hear the opinions of others on this kind of thing. As always, thanks for reading!



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‘Balatro’ Is Coming to Apple Arcade and Also iOS as a Standalone Premium Release Beginning September 26th – TouchArcade

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‘Balatro’ Is Coming to Apple Arcade and Also iOS as a Standalone Premium Release Beginning September 26th – TouchArcade


Balatro from developer LocalThunk and publisher Playstack is finally coming to mobile later this month on iOS, Android, and also directly on Apple Arcade. Yes, this will be a premium release on iOS and Android, but also one available as a “+” version on Apple Arcade from day one. The Poker-inspired roguelike Balatro has sold over 2 million units across PS5, Switch, Steam, PS4, and Xbox platforms in less than six months, and I can’t wait to see how it performs on mobile with more planned including a major free update in 2025 bringing new ideas and strategies. Balatro will be launching for $9.99 on mobile and you can watch the mobile announcement trailer ahead of its September 26th release date below:

If you’ve not played Balatro yet, read my 5/5 review of it here on Switch and check out my feature on the best games of the year so far on Switch where I included it here. I also interviewed LocalThunk about the game, the mobile release, and more. Read that here. You can pre-order Balatro on the App Store for iOS here and pre-register for it on Android here. The Apple Arcade version is here. Have you played it before and will you be getting one of the best games of 2024 later this month on mobile?



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19 New Games to Drop for GeForce NOW in September

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19 New Games to Drop for GeForce NOW in September


Fall will be here soon, so leaf it to GeForce NOW to bring the games, with 19 joining the cloud in September.

Get started with the seven games available to stream this week, and a day one PC Game Pass title, Age of Mythology: Retold, from the creators of the award-winning Age of Empires franchise World’s Edge, Forgotten Empires and Xbox Game Studios.

The Open Beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 runs Sept. 6-9, offering everyone a chance to experience game-changing innovations before the title officially launches on Oct. 25. Members can stream the Battle.net and Steam versions of the Open Beta instantly this week on GeForce NOW to jump right into the action.

Where Myths and Heroes Collide

A vast, mythical world to explore with friends? Say no more…

Age of Mythology: Retold revitalizes the classic real-time strategy game by merging its beloved elements with modern visuals.

Get immersed in a mythical universe, command legendary units and call upon the powers of various gods from the Atlantean, Greek, Egyptian and Norse pantheons. The single-player experience features a 50-mission campaign, including engaging battles and myth exploration in iconic locations like Troy and Midgard. Challenge friends in head-to-head matches or cooperate to take on advanced, AI-powered opponents.

Call upon the gods from the cloud with an Ultimate and Priority membership and stream the game across devices. Games update automatically in the cloud, so members can dive into the action without having to wait.

September Gets Better With New Games

The Casting of Frank Stone on GeForce NOW
Choose your fate.

Catch the storytelling prowess of Supermassive Games in The Casting of Frank Stone, available to stream this week for members. The shadow of Frank Stone looms over Cedar Hills, a town forever altered by his violent past. Delve into the mystery of Cedar Hills alongside an original cast of characters bound together on a twisted journey where nothing is quite as it seems. Every decision shapes the story and impacts the fate of the characters.

In addition, members can look for the following games this week:

The Casting of Frank Stone (New release on Steam, Sept. 3)
Age of Mythology (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on PC Game Pass, Sept.4 )
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts  (New release on Epic Games Store, early access Sept. 5)
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (New release on Steam, early access Sept. 5)
Crime Scene Cleaner (Steam)
FINAL FANTASY XVI Demo (Epic Games Store)
Sins of a Solar Empire II (Steam)

Here’s what members can expect for the rest of September:

Frostpunk 2 (New release on Steam and Xbox available  on PC Game Pass, Sept. 17)
FINAL FANTASY XVI (New release on Steam and Epic Games Store, Sept. 17)
The Plucky Squire (New release on Steam, Sept. 17)
Tiny Glade (New release on Steam, Sept. 23)
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (New release on Steam, Sept. 24)
Greedfall II: The Dying World (New release on Steam, Sept. 24)
Mechabellum ( Steam)
Blacksmith Master (New release on Steam, Sept. 26)
Breachway (New release on Steam, Sept. 26)
REKA (New release on Steam)
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown (New release on Steam)
Rider’s Republic (New release on PC Game Pass, Sept. 11). To begin playing, members need to activate access, and can refer to the help article for instructions.

Additions to August

In addition to the 18 games announced last month, 48 more joined the GeForce NOW library:

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Day zero release on Steam, Aug. 8)
FINAL FANTASY XVI Demo (New release on Steam, Aug. 19)
Black Myth: Wukong (New release on Steam and Epic Games Store, Aug. 20)
GIGANTIC: RAMPAGE EDITION (Available on Epic Games Store, free Aug. 22)
Skull and Bones (New release on Steam, Aug. 22)
Endzone 2 (New release on Steam, Aug. 26)
Age of Mythology: Retold (Advanced access on Steam, Xbox, available on PC Game Pass, Aug. 27)
Core Keeper (New release on Xbox, available on PC Game Pass, Aug. 27)
Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Car Manufacture (Steam)
Cat Quest III (Steam)
Commandos 3 – HD Remaster (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Cooking Simulator (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
Crown Trick (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Darksiders Genesis (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Desperados III (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Expeditions: Rome (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
The Flame in the Flood (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
FTL: Faster Than Light (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Genesis Noir (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
House Flipper (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
Into the Breach (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Iron Harvest (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
The Knight Witch (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Lightyear Frontier (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
Medieval Dynasty (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
My Time at Portia (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
Night in the Woods (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store )
Offworld Trading Company (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Outlast 2 (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Project Winter (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Psychonauts (Steam)
Psychonauts 2 (Steam and Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (Steam, Epic Games Store and Xbox, available on the Microsoft store)
Sid Meier’s Civilization V (Steam)
Sid Meier’s Civilization IV (Steam)
Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth (Steam)
Spirit of the North (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
SteamWorld Heist II (Steam, Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)
Visions of Mana Demo (Steam)
This War of Mine (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
We Were Here Too (Steam)
Wreckfest (Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)
Yoku’s Island Express (Xbox, available on Microsoft Store)

Breachway was originally included in the August games list, but the launch date was moved to September by the developer. Stay tuned to GFN Thursday for updates.

Starting in October, members will no longer see the option of launching “Epic Games Store” versions of games published by Ubisoft on GeForce NOW.  To play these supported games, members can select the “Ubisoft Connect” option on GeForce NOW and will need to connect their Ubisoft Connect and Epic game store accounts the first time they play the game. Check out more details.

What are you planning to play this weekend? Let us know on X or in the comments below.



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Check Out The Latest Events In ‘Marvel Future Fight’ & ‘Marvel Contest of Champions’ – TouchArcade

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Check Out The Latest Events In ‘Marvel Future Fight’ & ‘Marvel Contest of Champions’ – TouchArcade


It has been pointed out to me that perhaps I could be fairer to other Marvel games. I’m always covering Marvel Snap (Free) whenever it gets any kind of update, but the others tend to get relegated to the Best Updates articles on Mondays. That… is a valid point! And thus, let us enjoy a Marvel Minute and see how other Marvel games are faring at the moment. It turns out that both Marvel Future Fight (Free) and Marvel Contest of Champions (Free) have some cool events going on at the moment. Let’s have a look-see!

First up, over in Marvel Future Fight, it’s Iron Man time! You know Tony. He’s always concocting new suits, finding bigger and better guns to deal with whatever the situation presents. This particular event is inspired by Invincible Iron Man, and has some new threads for Tony and Pepper. Here’s what you can look forward to in this event, straight from the update notes:

“Invincible Iron Man has joined Marvel Future Fight.

Beat the enemies with upgraded suits!

 

1. New Uniforms Added!

– Iron Man, Rescue

 

2. New Tier-4 Advancement!

– War Machine, Hulkbuster

 

3. The New World Boss: Legend+ Added!

– Returned the Black Order, ‘Corvus & Proxima’

 

4. The New Custom Gear, ‘C.T.P. of Liberation’ Added!

 

5. Getting 200 Crystals Event

– Obtain 200 crystals by linking your e-mail account!”

Okay, now over to the ever-popular fighting game, Marvel Contest of Champions. New events for this game typically bring some new playable fighters with them, and at this point in the game’s life some of these cuts are getting very deep indeed. I don’t think we’ll ever see a Marvel fighting game again with a roster this varied. Like, Count Nefaria? Seriously? As an old-butt Marvel fan from a very long time ago, I like seeing these less common characters show up at all, let alone as playable characters. Over to the update notes to give you the full skinny on all of this:

“NEW CHAMPIONS

 

Count Nefaria

Count Luchino Nefaria was the descendant of a long line of Italian noblemen, and used his wealth and connections to become a powerful leader within the Maggia crime syndicate. He furthered his rise to power by subjecting himself to scientific experiments that granted him superhuman abilities, but cost him his life. He was later resurrected as a being made entirely of Ionic energy, rendering him effectively immortal as long as he drains other Ionic beings to maintain his power.

 

Shathra

Daughter of the Elder Goddesses Oshtur and Gaea, Shathra comes from the world that would come to be known as Loomworld. Shathra was tasked with creating the Celestial Map of Humanity, however, after being outdone by her younger sister Neith, she became enraged with jealousy and spite towards her sister and the Great Web she had designed. Consumed by her vengeance and envy, Shathra gave into her feral nature to tear down everything her sister created, one Spider at a time.

 

NEW QUESTS AND EVENTS

 

Event Quest – Lupus In Fabula

There has been an undertaking to overthrow The Collector’s ship! The Summoner is being called in to evict these evil-doers! But as they make it deeper into the ship they also find themselves deeper in trouble as each villain seems to be making their own plans for how best to make the most of The Collector’s treasures. Will The Summoner be able to manage these miscreants? Or will they go down with the ship? Find out in LUPUS IN FABULA!

 

Side Quest – Ludum Maximus

The Maestro has declared four months of celebratory games to honor his return. The festivities begin with the Circus Maximus, an onslaught of games and challenges hosted by Count Nefaria. The Count will not accept anything less than the best, the mightiest, the greatest of games. So dare to enter LUDUM MAXIMUS!

 

Nefaria knows that a true battle is a mix of skill and luck, so 5x weekly Maps will open which present randomized Paths filled with fearsome foes!

 

Act 9; Chapter 1

Glykhan has self-destructed but the sinister plotting of Ouroboros is far from over. However clues for where to head next seem few and far between. Luckily (depending on your definition of luck) Superior Kang has some secrets to share in the form of holo-tapes scattered around Battleworld. Mister Fantastic and Doctor Doom send The Summoner on an intel retrieval mission, but they aren’t the only ones looking for answers. Will the past come back to haunt The Battlerealm? Find out in Act 9 – Chapter 1: THE RECKONING

 

Glorious Games

Introducing our third Saga: Glorious Games! To celebrate the history of the Contest and his triumphant return, The Maestro has declared four months of celebratory games. Each month of the Saga will revolve around a different element of games, starting with September’s Circus Maximus and culminating in the celebration of December’s Grand Banquet! Featuring a classical antiquity aesthetic, an exciting Champion chase, surprise Champion reworks and brand new kinds of Events and Quests, Glorious Games is sure to usher in our 10-year anniversary celebration in style!

 

Realm Events

Get ready to work alongside every Summoner in the Battlerealm! Realm Events are a brand new type of Event in which points will be contributed on a global level. Milestone rewards can be claimed once global and individual point contribution thresholds have been reached. For those more competitively-inclined Summoners, ranked rewards will also be up for grabs, including an exclusive and unique player title.”

And that’s that. Let it never be said that Shaun was not interested in a level playing field. Kind of. Anyway, both of these events look very cool in their own ways, and if you haven’t played these games before or fell off a while back, this might be another good opportunity to give them both a try. I mean, I know I’m going to try out Count Nefaria. Look at him! He’s so nefarious! He cavorts with nefarious fellows! Hadouken? More like Ha-Don’t-ken! Okay, sorry. I’ll leave now. Enjoy!



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NFL Retro Bowl 25, Monster Train+, and Puzzle Sculpt Release Today on Apple Arcade Alongside Major Game Updates This Week – TouchArcade

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NFL Retro Bowl 25, Monster Train+, and Puzzle Sculpt Release Today on Apple Arcade Alongside Major Game Updates This Week – TouchArcade


Beginning today, Apple will have released one new Apple Vision Pro game, one App Store Great, and upgrading an App Store Great to an Apple Arcade Original (as a standalone release) alongside some notable udpates. NFL Retro Bowl 25 () (Edit: No longer an update) will let players create their own dynasty using official NFL teams and players featuring official retro art, attributes, stats, and contracts. Since this was announced, I was surprised at how much interest I saw for it online. I don’t follow the NFL much, but I didn’t expect as much of a positive reaction to the NFL Retro Bowl 25 announcement. Hopefully it ends up well when it goes live as an update later today. Alongside NFL Retro Bowl 25, App Store Great Monster Train+ has launched on Apple Arcade including The Last Divinity DLC from the get go. Check out a screenshot from NFL Retro Bowl 25 below:

Puzzle Sculpt is a Vision Pro-only set to launch today on Apple Arcade letting players solve puzzles in their own living room by removing blocks to reveal a cute collectible in a cube. As for this week’s notable updates, Hello Kitty Island Adventure has the Jam Jamboree on with Petunias appearing in the Merry Meadow as a festive flower. Rabbids Multiverse has new cards, outfits, seasonal events, and quality of life improvements with this week’s update. Wylde Flowers has its Magical Creatures update now live with jewelry crafting, secrets in the lighthouse, and more. Disney Spellstruck adds Hercules with a limited time event, a high contrast event, and more. What the Car brings in yet another update with a “Meet the Developers” special, scissors, bear improvements (yes), and more. What do you think of this month’s new Apple Arcade additions?

Update: It looks like they launched NFL Retro Bowl 25 as a new app and not an update.



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How to Date 5+ famous athletes in BitLife – ISK Mogul Adventures

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How to Date 5+ famous athletes in BitLife – ISK Mogul Adventures


With the new challenge this week, there’s a step that you need to know which steps to complete. Each time you make a new character for the challenge you are a bit stuck on the RNG. Along with all the other steps in the Athletic Supporter challenge in BitLife, you need to do one thing that can get pretty expensive. The process is easy once you have the money.

You need to be able to date 5+ famous athletes in BitLife. This used to be a lot harder without a certain new feature, but the devs are a lot more merciful this time around. Here’s what to do.

How to Date 5+ famous athletes in BitLife

The new feature to the app allows you to directly date famous people. The downside is that it has a hefty price tag. Under the Relationships tab, you will find a Celebrity Dating App, click on that and a menu will show up, but so will the price tag.

Within that menu, you will see a dropdown to pick your desired celebrity type. Choose Athlete. You can also pick age and gender. The younger you are, the lower you should set the age selection to improve your chances of getting dates. Do this until you get five dates with five athletes and you just have the college and job sections left to finish off.

This is the most expensive part of the challenge this week. Fortunately, BitLife has a Celebrity Dating app feature that allows you to find famous people pretty easily, as long as your character can afford its $100,000 usage fee. One of the easiest ways to get this is to use the Pray feature. Once each year, you can Pray to the devs under the Activities menu, and an ad will play. Each time you play the ad, you can earn around $75,000. Do that during every year of your life and you’ll be golden. When you have that $500,000, you can then move on.

The products below are affiliate links, we get a commission for any purchases made. If you want to help support ISKMogul at no additional cost, we really appreciate it.



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How To Complete the Athletic Supporter Challenge in BitLife – ISK Mogul Adventures

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How to Date 5+ famous athletes in BitLife – ISK Mogul Adventures


BitLife has another new challenge this week, and along with the challenge vault, there’s tons of content in this lifesim game. There’s a lot to do this week, and this guide can help you a lot. With the new challenge this week, there’s a step that you need to know which steps to complete. Each time you make a new character for the challenge you are a bit stuck on the RNG. Here are the steps you need to do to complete the Athletic Supporter Challenge in BitLife.

How to complete the Athletic Supporter challenge in BitLife

Be born in the United KingdomJoin the table tennis team in secondary schoolDate 5+ famous athletesBecome a massage therapistBecome a physical therapist

Setting up for the challenge does require a bit of work. As usual, you’ll have to create a character born in a particular location. In this case, you’ll need a character born in the United Kingdom. Your starting gender and place don’t matter as long as your birth country is the UK.  Once your character is up and running, you can move on to getting an education. You can also give yourself a head start by using the Golden Piggy Bank addon if you have it. You will need at least $100,000 to do one of the steps.

Once your in school, make sure to keep those Looks and Smarts up high, mostly by going for walks and to the library. Once you get to High School, you can go to the Gym as well. You will need a high Health and Looks stat to do well on the table tennis team later in the Athletic Supporter challenge in BitLife.

Get to High School and check the Activities menu to look for Table Tennis under the Extracurricular menu. If you don’t find it that’s a problem. This is one of the more difficult steps in the Athletic Supporter challenge in BitLife, as you won’t get the RNG on your side every time. You aren’t always guaranteed to see the table tennis team pop up as an option in High School, so you need to sometimes reset your character to get the option. You could use the Time Machine addon if you have it to go back a few years. That can reset the high school activities as well.

Once you’re out of school and working on that degree (more on that below) you can start working on getting plenty of cash for the final step.

Date 5+ famous athletes in BitLife

This is the most expensive part of the challenge this week. Fortunately, BitLife has a Celebrity Dating app feature that allows you to find famous people pretty easily, as long as your character has the money to afford its $100,000 usage fee. One of the easiest ways to get this is to use the Pray feature. Once each year, you can Pray to the devs under the Activities menu, and an ad will play. Each time you play the ad, you can earn around $75,000. Do that during every year of your life and you’ll be golden. When you have that $500,000, you can then move on.

Within that menu, you will see a dropdown to pick your desired celebrity type. Choose Athlete. You can also pick age and gender. The younger you are, the lower you should set the age selection to improve your chances of getting dates. Do this until you get five dates with five athletes and you just have the college and job sections left to finish off.

Become a Physical Therapist

Being a a massage therapist in BitLife is fairly easy, it’s all about what degree you go for. The RNG is once again sometimes an issue here. If you don’t get the job once you have the degree, you can age up to reset the list. To get the job once you apply for it, you need a science-related degree from a university, such as biology, chemistry, or psychology. Once you’ve gone to college and have that degree, check the Job menu for the availabel options.

You can also use a Golden Diploma if you have one to get a degree instantly.

This is one of the easier steps in the more advanced parts of the challenge. Once you’ve become a message therapist, you can then go to school again and become a physical therapist in BitLife.

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