City Hunter Review (Switch)

For many out there you probably have never heard of the City Hunter Manga. We first became aware of it via the Hong Kong movie featuring Jackie Chan. Even after this though we didn’t realise there was a host of other City Hunter material available and we certainly had no idea that there was an obscure Japanese game released on the PC Engine. Now, like many an obscure retro game before it, it is being brought to a wider audience with a slightly new coat of paint.

Like many action games of the time, City Hunter is a side scrolling mix of shooting and platforming. It has heavy arcade roots but is set out over three chapters. You can choose any chapter you wish but in all honesty they all play very similarly. You move left and right, enemies continually generate and you can also move up and down stairs or go through doors into new rooms. Some rooms will have quest items or people in to talk to. There are some slight variations where sometimes you have to avoid traps but on the whole, you are walking, shooting and looking at identical looking doors.

There are a few additions to the package but nothing that really makes it a must own. Theres a nicely presented representation of the original PC Engine box and a juke box. There are a few filter options and you can also play the original version of the game as well a the more refined one. It is a bit lite overall though and while all these things are nice to have it nots going to make the game essential unless you are already a fan.

Overall, this is going to have a very niche appeal when it comes to players deciding if it’s worth adding to their Switch library. For someone out there I’m sure this will be the easy access to an obscure Japanese game on an obscure console that they have been looking for. For the rest of us though there just isn’t enough here to really warrant the purchase. The game was never that amazing to begin with and this is just a slightly shinier version of that same average game.

Overall 5/10

Constance Review (Switch 2)

It was only a matter of time before some of the more interesting games that were bundled on Evercade cartridges started to find their way to other systems. And Biomechanical Toy is certainly one of those. A fairly obscure arcade release, it never received a home computer version, so this really is one for gamers looking to experience a little piece of cult arcade history.

In terms of how the game plays, the Amiga influence is very clear to see. It has the graphical look of all those weird Amiga platformers and also the slightly lose controls that tended to be the characteristic of any of these games not released on consoles. The levels are all set in a surreal sort of theme park/circus and your goal is simply to get to the end of each, blasting as much as you can.

In general, the game plays well. The main character is responsive and the weapons have a good weight to them. The levels are tough but its not as unfair as most arcade games of the time. It certainly seems like at some point there was an idea of porting this to home systems in terms of how it plays as there is a fairness and sort of balance to it. It’s still pretty tough though, just not in that way that most arcade games are designed to suck up all your money.

In terms of extra content there is n’t anything revolutionary here. You get the usual selection of filters and borders and some quality of life features such as being able to save and also rewind. The rewind is always useful as it stops the need for the constsnt reloading you would otherwise have to do. There is also a gallery included and you can listen to the games soundtrack via a jukebox mode. Some more info about tis development would have been welcomed as its so obscure but there’s enough here to peak the interest for a little while.

Overall, Biomechanical is a fun release and one that sits alongside some of the other weird and wonderful cult games nicely. We are always happy to see these more obscure games brought back into the light and the fact it’s a pretty decent one just makes it all the better. The usual reservations will apply for anyone who struggles with these older games but retro game fans and fans of arcades will love it.

Overall 7/10

Biomechanical Toy Review (Switch)

It was only a matter of time before some of the more interesting games that were bundled on Evercade cartridges started to find their way to other systems. And Biomechanical Toy is certainly one of those. A fairly obscure arcade release, it never received a home computer version, so this really is one for gamers looking to experience a little piece of cult arcade history.

In terms of how the game plays, the Amiga influence is very clear to see. It has the graphical look of all those weird Amiga platformers and also the slightly lose controls that tended to be the characteristic of any of these games not released on consoles. The levels are all set in a surreal sort of theme park/circus and your goal is simply to get to the end of each, blasting as much as you can.

In general, the game plays well. The main character is responsive and the weapons have a good weight to them. The levels are tough but its not as unfair as most arcade games of the time. It certainly seems like at some point there was an idea of porting this to home systems in terms of how it plays as there is a fairness and sort of balance to it. It’s still pretty tough though, just not in that way that most arcade games are designed to suck up all your money.

In terms of extra content there isn’t anything revolutionary here. You get the usual selection of filters and borders and some quality of life features such as being able to save and also rewind. The rewind is always useful as it stops the need for the constant reloading you would otherwise have to do. There is also a gallery included and you can listen to the games soundtrack via a jukebox mode. Some more info about tis development would have been welcomed as its so obscure but there’s enough here to peak the interest for a little while.

Overall, Biomechanical is a fun release and one that sits alongside some of the other weird and wonderful cult games nicely. We are always happy to see these more obscure games brought back into the light and the fact it’s a pretty decent one just makes it all the better. The usual reservations will apply for anyone who struggles with these older games but retro game fans and fans of arcades will love it.

Overall 7/10

Bluey’s Quest for the Golden Pen

The original Bluey game worked pretty well at recreating one of the cartoon episodes in the form of a game, as well as throwing a lot of familiar moments and easter eggs into the mix. It was, in effect and interactive narrative with some mini games that did what it set out to. Quest for the Golden Pen veers more into traditional game territory, taking Bluey into a top-down adventure setting. It has a physical release as well which is nice to see after Sony’s recent announcement.

The story behind this is that players are exploring the world that Bluey and Bingo are drawing while a story is being told around a kitchen table. It’s an attempt to capture the imagination of the characters in a more tangible form. What this looks like in practice is a sort of Zelda-lite game where players wander around the different areas on everlasting fetch and item hunting quests.

There are different lands such as the starting meadow and the forest and each area has something to find such as sweets or goose food which requires a certain amount to be obtained before giving it to whichever characters wants it and then progressing on to the next. There are a host of puzzles to overcome along the way, nothing too taxing of course as this is primarily a kids game. Bluey also has access to a magic want which can be used to zap things. There isn’t really any combat here though and the characters don’t have health bars. The emphasis is very much on exploring and wandering around.

As well as the main things you are looking for there are also lots of other objects such as lady bugs and stones to find. If you don’t like fetch quests this really isn’t for you. Some levels have over two hundred items to pick up so be warned. Puzzles are mainly around things such as switches moving or hitting certain points with Bluey’s wand. Its simple stuff but there is a charm to the aesthetic and its certainly not a game that’s going to stress you. Despite its kid orientated nature though we did find that sometimes we could have used with a bit more guidance on where we were meant to go. You do get a map but its often unclear how you actually finish a level.

As you progress a few more items become available to use such as the birdie glider that lets you floar around and between each level you get a fun cut scene in the cartoon style explaining the set up for the next area. It certainly has some charm to it and the presentation is strong throughout. All that said, it really could use a bit more excitement at times as the environments aren’t interactive enough to make endless wandering fun in its own right.

Overall, It’s nice to see the effort has been put into creating a game around the Bluey license. Much like the first game, kids that like the cartoon should enjoy this. It is also good to the see that something else has been tried in terms of the game genre. However, it just isn’t that fun wandering around all the time. There is the makings of a really good adventure game here but even for kids this is just a bit basic.

Overall 6/10