Umihara Kawase Fresh! (Switch) Japan eShop demo is available now

[ggx2ac]

You have to access the Japan region of the eShop which is done using your Nintendo account or using a separate Nintendo Account to do so. You can find the game in the coming soon section.

The demo is expected to be 1.6GB big.
The full game is 1.9GB big.

You can play the demo in English. The full game of the Japanese release will have English and Chinese language options available.

The demo includes 12 Quests where one is a boss fight.

Save data from the demo is not carried over to the full game. The demo will mention leaderboards and time attack mode but is not a working feature in the demo. You won't be able to use Cotton in the demo.

Here's the WebLink for the Japan eShop listing of the game: https://ec.nintendo.com/JP/ja/titles/70010000011861

For more information on the game, head to the info thread: https://www.resetera.com/threads/um...g-on-switch-jp-april-25-2019-ww-july-9.66526/

The Japanese version published by Success will release on April 25th, 2019. (Preloading is available now if you wanted to get this game digitally)

The western version published by Nicalis will release on July 9th, 2019. But it will be cheaper, price: $40.

Here's the screenshots from the eShop page:

 

[ggx2ac]

English is available in the demo, this is the first text I saw in the game when I booted it up.

More screenshots:

 

[casiopao]

Really nice for the devs to add English for the demo.^_^ Hope many will try this gem there.

Also the stage design remind me of Sonic and Knuckles lol.

 

[Eolz]

Tempted to make a JP account for that, but not sure how to make one and I remember some stories about having the news feed full of jp news...

 

[ggx2ac]

Tempted to make a JP account for that, but not sure how to make one and I remember some stories about having the news feed full of jp news...

Click to shrink...

You have to make a separate Nintendo Account (which needs a separate email) and set it to Japan region. Make a separate User account on your Switch to link the Nintendo Account.

To remove any JP news on your newsfeed go to System Settings > System > News Channel Settings

That is where all the news channels are displayed, you are then able to remove the JP related ones.

 

[Eolz]

You have to make a separate Nintendo Account (which needs a separate email) and set it to Japan region. Make a separate User account on your Switch to link the Nintendo Account.

To remove any JP news on your newsfeed go to System Settings > System > News Channel Settings

That is where all the news channels are displayed, you are then able to remove the JP related ones.

Click to shrink...

Nice thanks! Will it remove just per account? I still want to keep regular news.

 

[ggx2ac]

Nice thanks! Will it remove just per account? I still want to keep regular news.

Click to shrink...

It lists every news channel on your Switch. You can just disable the JP ones.

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

To remove any JP news on your newsfeed go to System Settings > System > News Channel Settings

That is where all the news channels are displayed, you are then able to remove the JP related ones.

Click to shrink...

I think that will remove the game-specific news items but there is still a ton of Nintendo HQ Japanese stuff that clogs up the feed. Unless they've changed this in a recent update there's no way to eliminate all the JP spam.

 

[Akumatica]

I made a Japanese account and downloaded the demo. It's cool that it's in English, but there's no option to play in Japanese in the options. Will the full game (the Japanese release) allow you to freely change the language or is it fixed to whatever region your system is set to like in this demo?

It's my first time playing a game it this series so the mechanics are taking a bit of getting used to.

 

[celebi23]

Awesome! Perfect that I already have a JPN eShop account all set up.

 

[Tohsaka]

You don't need to make a new account to download on the Japanese eShop, just change your region on the Nintendo website. You will lose funds in your wallet if you have any that way, though.

 

[Eolz]

It lists every news channel on your Switch. You can just disable the JP ones.

Click to shrink...

I think that will remove the game-specific news items but there is still a ton of Nintendo HQ Japanese stuff that clogs up the feed. Unless they've changed this in a recent update there's no way to eliminate all the JP spam.

Click to shrink...

Hmmmm. Will see how to do it then.
Sorry for the derail!

You don't need to make a new account to download on the Japanese eShop, just change your region on the Nintendo website. You will lose funds in your wallet if you have any that way, though.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, don't want to use that method, even if it's nice :p

 

[Slam Tilt]

Tempted to make a JP account for that, but not sure how to make one and I remember some stories about having the news feed full of jp news...

Click to shrink...

If you're in the US and don't have any gold coins in your Nintendo account, go to Nintendo.com and change your profile's region to Japan. You can then use the Japanese eShop to download the demo. Switch it back after you're done. You'll get Japanese news items for a day or two but they fall off afterwards.

 

[Contra]

Demo Gameplay

 

[ggx2ac]

I think that will remove the game-specific news items but there is still a ton of Nintendo HQ Japanese stuff that clogs up the feed. Unless they've changed this in a recent update there's no way to eliminate all the JP spam.

Click to shrink...

If you follow what I said, you will find those specific JP news channels at the bottom of the list which is the one with the eShop icon.

The only issue I've discovered is that the Nintendo News channel contains all regional news. Meaning that if you unfollow that, it unfollows everything.

I made a Japanese account and downloaded the demo. It's cool that it's in English, but there's no option to play in Japanese in the options. Will the full game (the Japanese release) allow you to freely change the language or is it fixed to whatever region your system is set to like in this demo?

It's my first time playing a game it this series so the mechanics are taking a bit of getting used to.

Click to shrink...

I assume you have to play with the JP account for it to change to Japanese. It's like playing BotW before they added in options in-game.

I have no idea if it will change in the full release.

 

[Akumatica]

I assume you have to play with the JP account for it to change to Japanese. It's like playing BotW before they added in options in-game.

I have no idea if it will change in the full release.

Click to shrink...

Nah, I tried with my Japanese account and it's the same. Not a big deal, but I'm learning Japanese and would like the option without having to change the region of my Switch and restart the system. I know the Western release is English only and wanted to get the JP version for that reason.

The game is fun so far now that I have a basic understand of the fishing line mechanics. Not sure why there's a hunger mechanic in a platformer, but we'll see.

 

[ggx2ac]

The challenge in the game is finding the quickest way to the goal. You will take the longest route but eventually you will find shortcuts that allow you to complete a stage quicker.

Here is an example:

 

[cbajd5]

If you're in the US and don't have any gold coins in your Nintendo account, go to Nintendo.com and change your profile's region to Japan. You can then use the Japanese eShop to download the demo. Switch it back after you're done. You'll get Japanese news items for a day or two but they fall off afterwards.

Click to shrink...

You can have gold coins in your account, they will be available once you switch back to the region you earned them in. You just can't have any money in your account.

 

[Slam Tilt]

You can have gold coins in your account, they will be available once you switch back to the region you earned them in. You just can't have any money in your account.

Click to shrink...

Thanks, I stand corrected.

Never heard of Umihara Kawase until recently, but I'm tempted to give this game a try. The core gameplay reminds me of the old Atari 2600 Spider-Man game, and you seldom see that kind of swinging mechanism around.

 

[Deleted member 14939]

I might have mess up, but I can't be sure. I was on the Japanese Nintendo Umihara Kawase Fresh page and I clicked the bottom of these two buttons. Does anyone know what it says?

 

[Akumatica]

I believe the top option is preload/purchase the full game and the bottom option is to get the demo.

 

[Treasure Silvergun]

Looks like the DOF is bigger than usual?

Umihara Kawase games are interesting but man, they're hard as nails.

 

[ggx2ac]

I might have mess up, but I can't be sure. I was on the Japanese Nintendo Umihara Kawase Fresh page and I clicked the bottom of these two buttons. Does anyone know what it says?

Click to shrink...

I put the link in the OP: https://ec.nintendo.com/JP/ja/titles/70010000011861

The bottom of the two boxes is the demo.

 

[Deleted member 14939]

I put the link in the OP: https://ec.nintendo.com/JP/ja/titles/70010000011861

The bottom of the two boxes is the demo.

Click to shrink...

Perf! Thanks.

 

[ggx2ac]

So after you finish each stage, there is a time attack mode unlocked for each stage including boss fights. The point is that the time you complete in time attack mode gets added to the Online Leaderboards (Does not require Nintendo Online Subscription) however, that feature is not available in the demo. It's only for the full game release.

And then there's Challenge mode, where there is one unlocked for the demo. It's basically the boss fight but with added challenges: The floor is ice so you cannot hook to it and, you cannot swim in water so falling off is an instant death.

Here is an example of that challenge mode stage:

 

[ggx2ac]

Don't forget to explore the map during the demo. You might end up finding hidden items like I did.

 

[Linde]

thanks for the heads up!
gonna download this now

 

[The Bankslammer]

fyi you can actually go to an area under the surface in the demo through a small gap towards the bottom-right that looks like this:

Click to shrink...

there's an additional boss as well as an area that hasn't been shown yet with a bunch of weird stuff. genuinely not sure if you're supposed to be able to get here in the demo lol

 

[Ximonz]

does this game count as indie game?

 

[ggx2ac]

does this game count as indie game?

Click to shrink...

Well... History-wise the game has been made by a very small team of people so they can be considered indie. On the other hand, they have always been funded by a publisher to make their games.

Source:
https://www.usgamer.net/articles/indie-before-it-was-cool-the-umihara-kawase-story

This isn't simply Sakai taking credit for the work of an army of dedicated minions; the original Super NES game was made by half a dozen developers, and the team behind the most recent entry was even smaller. "The team capacity kind of shrank over time," Sakai explains. "With Shun, the team size was right about the same as the Super Famicom version. However, with Sayonara, the team shrank down to almost half that size. There was only one programmer and two designers on the game."

Click to shrink...

__________

fyi you can actually go to an area under the surface in the demo through a small gap towards the bottom-right that looks like this:



there's an additional boss as well as an area that hasn't been shown yet with a bunch of weird stuff. genuinely not sure if you're supposed to be able to get here in the demo lol

Click to shrink...

I tried going to Mid-Layer and it was blocked off. I'll see if I can find what you explored.

 

[Ximonz]

Well... History-wise the game has been made by a very small team of people so they can be considered indie. On the other hand, they have always been funded by a publisher to make their games.

Source:
https://www.usgamer.net/articles/indie-before-it-was-cool-the-umihara-kawase-story

Click to shrink...

thanks for the info,
ya I was wondering cuz i remember this is a series existed for a long time but never truly evolve out of "indie" feeling to me.
that's why I asked.

 

[ggx2ac]

What happens when you try to go to areas that are not supposed to be accessible in the demo:

 

[The Bankslammer]

What happens when you try to go to areas that are not supposed to be accessible in the demo:

Click to shrink...

this is how i slipped by em, and then you're basically totally free to explore the area (which is massive)

 

[ggx2ac]

this is how i slipped by em, and then you're basically totally free to explore the area (which is massive)

Click to shrink...

I recognise the crab boss, that is also from Sayonara Umihara Kawase. But yeah, that's the third area of the game which they've revealed before officially.

 

[Deleted member 14939]

I got to the extra world a different way. I snuck by the one-hit-KO pig and through a spike platform challenge and it's just a leap of faith away. While exploring I found these creep folks.

 

[Eila]

Damn, the game actually has a good style, unlike the previous game. Animations don't look the part, but hey, it's Umihara Kawase. Can a series get any more niche?

 

[Akumatica]

The challenge in the game is finding the quickest way to the goal. You will take the longest route but eventually you will find shortcuts that allow you to complete a stage quicker.

Here is an example:

Click to shrink...

Managed to get the controls down enough to follow the route you took in that clip. Only it took me over 4 minutes. I'm enjoying the demo and trying to get better at the mechanics, but I haven't face this much of a learning curve since the grapple beam and wall jumping in Super Metroid, or the Xbox game Gun Valkyrie. I'll listen to some podcasts this weekend and try to improve some more.

 

[ggx2ac]

The demo for Umihara Kawase Fresh! has been downloaded 3000 times so far.

 

[ggx2ac]

A quick tip video put out by Success showing how to extend your hook further, this is also doable in previous games:

 

[Camjo-Z]

The demo is really great! I wasn't sure whether the new mechanics would mesh with the typical Umihara Kawase gameplay style but I actually quite like the quest system, finding items to craft with, and having a health bar. Since there's a cheaper western release confirmed I think I'll wait for that instead of importing.

 

[Efejota]

This approach actually seems interesting. I only got to one of the five ending routes in the 3DS game because it was too hard for me, so I'm fine if the hard bits are challenges and quests this time around. Really curious about there being NPCs and dialogue this time, too.
I wasn't sure about picking it up and now I'm considering it at least, but I think these games could do with a good tutorial mode that helped you understand the inputs you need to make.

Also, I've loved the artist ever since I saw (his?) work on Cave Story 3D, but actually prefered how the game itself looked on the previous entry, so I'm more conflicted about that. If the flat colours help to remember the enviroments when exploring it'll be fine, though.

 

[Linde]

How do I get good at this game
I suck so bad

 

[Murlin]

I wonder how many of these "Travel Memos" can be found in the demo. I got #s 08 and 09 so far but I have a lot more to explore.

 

[the_wart]

How do I get good at this game
I suck so bad

Click to shrink...

Umihara Kawase is truly the Dark Souls of... whatever kind of thing it is.

 

[Syril]

Umihara Kawase is truly the Dark Souls of... whatever kind of thing it is.

Click to shrink...

Worms ninja ropes?

 

[Murlin]

"Rubbering action" is the term the developer has used in the past.

 

[ggx2ac]

A second quick tip video has been put out by Success, this is for how to scale walls vertically:

 

[Revolsin]

Kawaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

 

[1upsuper]

I missed that a demo came out. I'll definitely give it a go. Very excited for the game as a longtime fan of the series. Looks like the high skill ceiling is still in place.

 

[ggx2ac]

A third quick tip video has been released by Success, this is for how to travel along ceilings which is something done in past games as well: