Superb Owl winners: Those who bet the 1st half under, Taylor Swift fans, and the news editor who walked away with a shiny 93 Hisuian Decidueye.
Things we missed last week: The Archives release is called Face Off, it's from Namco, and it's only available in Japan and Canada. SURE.... wait, it's a hockey game? Oh, that makes sense.
There are four major games being remade depending on the territory, and in both groups three of them have a whiff of fraud about them. The fourth is of course the remake of Mario vs Donkey Kong for the GBA (not as many Minis, more of a DK '94), but in the West there are remakes of the first three Tomb Raider games - and our reviewer assures me that unlike another recent Aspyr Media-published game I could mention, this one does come with everything up front. (Look for the review later this week in gaming magazines.) Japan, meanwhile, gets a trio of Tokimeki Memorial Girls Side releases from Konami. And I didn't see a cheaper bundle, so enjoy dropping 18k yen on those ones if you wish to partake. The other retail class release this week that we will acknowledge is Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II from Aksys.
Because the alternative is continuing to watch Limited Run see how far they can push me before I remove credit for publishing The House in Fata Morgana by way of blessedly not Plumbers Don't Wear Ties, but an intentional homage to the ZELDA CD-I games in Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore. In the other download titles this week, there is a former Indie World game in PlateUp!, a rhythm game based on the Azure Striker Gunvolt games - hey, music's big in that plot, might as well - and a new source of the original Ys if you want to play the PC-8801 version by way of the EggConsole line. Lastly, shout out to Banchou Tactics, which asks the most important question: what would Final Fantasy Tactics play like if all of the units were Japanese delinquent teenagers?
North America
Retail
Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II (US$49.99/C$68.51)
Mario vs Donkey Kong ($49.99/$64.99: Friday)
Digital
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft ($29.99/$40.65: Wednesday)
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore ($19.99/$26.99: Wednesday)
Lords of Exile ($19.99/$21.99: Wednesday)
Banchou Tactics ($19.99/$25.99)
Maid of the Dead ($19.99/$25.99)
PlateUp! ($19.99/$25.99)
Meta Meet Cute+ ($17.99/$22.99: Wednesday)
Genso Chronicles ($14.99/$20.99)
Gunvolt Records: Cychronicle ($14.99/$20.29)
Scream and Steel ($13.99/$17.99: Friday)
Cyber Taxi Simulator ($12.99/$17.99: Saturday)
Birth ($10.99/$12.49)
Tenement ($9.99/$12.99: Sunday)
Fit My Cat ($9.99/$13.47: Friday)
Z War Apocalypse Shooter ($9.99/$12.99: Friday)
Swords & Adventures ($6.5/$8.78)
Eggconsole Ys PC-8801 mkIISR ($6.49/$7.34)
Dreamland Solitaire ($5.99/$8.23: Monday)
Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire Plus ($5.99/$6.99)
Party Party Time 2 ($5/$4.71)
Throne of Egypt ($4.99/$6.75: Monday)
Witch's Rhythm Puzzle ($4.99/$6.49)
Caveman Ransom ($4.99/$6.99: Friday)
Sea Port Tycoon 2024 ($4.99/$6.99: Friday)
Your Majesty ($4.99/$6.75: Friday)
Bucket Crusher ($4.99/$6.73: Friday)
Edge of Reality ($4.99/$6.64: Friday)
DIY Makeup ($4.99/$6.73: Saturday)
Monster Legacy: New Horizons ($4.9/$6.60: Monday)
Art of Glide ($4.39/$5.84: Friday)
Twilight Survivors ($2.99/$4.31)
Hex Cats ($2.99/$3.99)
Top Web Search 2023 ($2.29/$3.11)
My Name is Mayo 3 ($1.99/$1.99: Wednesday)
Revealed Later
Adam Wolfe ($29.99/$40.50: Friday)
Lake ($19.99/$22.79)
Duck, Quack, Shoot! ($19.99/$26.99: Friday)
Last 4 Survive: The Outbreak ($14.99/$20.99)
Magic City Detective: Secret Desire ($14.99/$14.99)
Maze of Realities: Reflection of Light ($14.99/$14.99)
Membal ($11.99/$15.99)
The World According To Girl ($9.99/$13.55)
I Love Finding Furbabies ($9.99/$11.00: Friday)
Legendary Tales: Stories ($6.99/$9.3)
Lo-Fi Haiku: Coffee and Chill ($6.9/$9.9)
Hentai Girls: College Crush ($5.99/$8.49)
Line Color World ($2.99/$3.99)
Shooting Blocks ($2/$2.7)
Courage's Reasoning Nori 5 Chewed Rice Balls ($1.00/not released)
Tippy Pads ($0.99/$1.29: Saturday)
Archives
Master of Weapon ($7.99/$9.87)
Sales and Price Drops
Highlights: 2020 Game of the Year Hades is half off until February 20. PSPrices, DekuDeals
Europe
Retail
Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II (€49.99/£44.99)
Mario vs Donkey Kong (€49.99/£39.99: Friday)
Digital
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (€29.99/£26.99: Wednesday)
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore (€19.99/£17.99: Wednesday)
Lords of Exile (€19.99/£17.99: Wednesday)
PlateUp! (€19.99/£16.75)
Duck, Quack, Shoot! (€19.99/£17.99: Friday)
Banchou Tactics (€19.5/£17.59)
Maid of the Dead (€19.5/£17.59)
Genso Chronicles (€14.99/£13.49)
Scream and Steel (€13.99/£12.99: Friday)
Gunvolt Records: Cychronicle (€13.49/£12.19)
Cyber Taxi Simulator (€12.99/£12.99: Saturday)
Fit My Cat (€9.99/£8.99: Friday)
Z War Apocalypse Shooter (€9.99/£8.99: Friday)
Birth (€8.99/£8.29)
Dreamland Solitaire (€5.99/£5.39: Monday)
Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire Plus (€5.99/£5.49)
Eggconsole Ys PC-8801 mkIISR (€5.59/£5.39)
Party Party Time 2 (€5/£2.97)
Throne of Egypt (€4.99/£4.49: Monday)
Caveman Ransom (€4.99/£4.99)
Witch's Rhythm Puzzle (€4.99/£4.49)
Edge of Reality (€4.99/£4.49: Friday)
Sea Port Tycoon 2024 (€4.99/£4.49: Friday)
Your Majesty (€4.99/£4.49: Friday)
Monster Legacy: New Horizons (€4.9/£4.40: Monday)
Art of Glide (€3.69/£3.29: Friday)
Hex Cats (€2.99/£2.69)
Twilight Survivors (€2.99/£2.69)
Tiny Treasure Hunt (€2.49/£2.24)
Top Web Search 2023 (€2.49/£2.29)
My Name is Mayo 3 (€1.99/£1.79: Wednesday)
Revealed Later
Adam Wolfe (€27.56/£23.64: Friday)
Lake (€19.99/£17.99)
Last 4 Survive: The Outbreak (€16.99/£14.99)
Magic City Detective: Secret Desire (€14.99/£13.49)
Maze of Realities: Reflection of Light (€14.99/£13.49)
The World According To Girl (€9.99/£8.58)
Legendary Tales: Stories (€6.99/£6.29: Wednesday)
Lo-Fi Haiku: Coffee and Chill (€6.90/£6.19)
Hentai Girls: College Crush (€5.99/£5.99: Wednesday)
Bucket Crusher (€4.99/£4.49: Friday)
Swords & Adventures (€5.99/£5.39)
Shooting Blocks (€2.00/£1.79)
Tippy Pads (€0.99/£0.99: Saturday)
Archives
Master of Weapon (€6.99/£6.29)
Japan
Crimson Flame Sanada Ninpocho (¥7150)
Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 1st Love (¥5995: Wednesday)
Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 2nd Season (¥5995: Wednesday)
Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 3rd Story (¥5995: Wednesday)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak (¥5940)
Mario vs Donkey Kong (¥5900: Friday)
Maid of the Dead (¥2780)
Pirates Outlaws (¥2490)
Lords of Exile (¥2450)
Bancho Tactics (¥1980)
Gunvolt Records: Cychronicle (¥1980)
HunterX: Code Name T (¥1900)
Fit My Cat (¥1465)
Genso Chronicles (¥1320: Friday)
Birth (¥1120)
Eggconsole Ys PC-8801 mkIISR (¥880)
Edge of Reality (¥660)
Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire Plus (¥600)
Candy Shake Cup (¥563)
Witch's Rhythm Puzzle (¥563)
Party Party Time 2 (¥500)
Hex Cats (¥435)
Learn About Japanese Swords (¥420)
Top Web Search 23 (¥350)
Twilight Surviors (¥240)
Revealed Later
Lake (¥2050)
Manita's Kitchen (¥1900)
Dino Get Out!! (¥1499)
Z War Apocalypse Shooter (¥1476)
The World According To Girl (¥1280)
Legendary Tales: Stories (¥999)
Swords & Adventures (¥963)
Master of Weapon (¥838)
Caveman Ransom (¥660)
Borzoi Adventure (¥630)
Shooting Blocks (¥325)