tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52526077074709529592024-03-19T08:46:53.057+00:00Retro 101Retro gaming reviews, covering all consoles from 8-bit and 16-bit eras and beyond.Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.comBlogger666125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-15566024154419354592024-03-18T07:30:00.003+00:002024-03-18T07:30:00.185+00:00Llmasoft: The Jeff Minter Story Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnEnHw1FCJizzXoA7gIJsaBmlVN-EgyfJuHcdWpCUbXZOcjYOgQGaOIzVNIhf5j9gvcDBwiIDrHGAO5-3UQRwaV-zPcoCzYtfLOrfhih7O7x1DvbWuJdELb3povkKQIt2I9dJqRJY7JMJecwEL0oZli1xWQBQ1hVgJrqZBJlNihRG5_qcaQwCumK94THI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="870" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnEnHw1FCJizzXoA7gIJsaBmlVN-EgyfJuHcdWpCUbXZOcjYOgQGaOIzVNIhf5j9gvcDBwiIDrHGAO5-3UQRwaV-zPcoCzYtfLOrfhih7O7x1DvbWuJdELb3povkKQIt2I9dJqRJY7JMJecwEL0oZli1xWQBQ1hVgJrqZBJlNihRG5_qcaQwCumK94THI=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">When Digital Eclipse first announced its plan to release interactive
documentaries it seemed like an interesting prospect. The first release in the
series looked at Karateka and one of the main issues we had was the lack of
games included. We are glad to see that isn’t the case this time around and we
can’t think of a better company to look at for this kind of release. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jeff Minter already has a presence on the Switch due to
Atari’s recent strategy of utilising its back catalogue to release new games.
Tempest 4000 and Akka Arrh are both examples of Minters work, and we’d recommend
both if you get with the psychedelic style on display here. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The documentary elements of this are exhaustive. Spanning from
1981 to 1994, there are numerous videos, spec documents, pictures, concept art
and inputs from Minter himself. It’s all arranged into four separate timelines
and easy to move through. The interviews with Minter are a particular highlight
with him always coming across with great insight and in an entertaining way. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All these elements combined will give you an excellent
understanding of how everything came together through this period. The few games
not playable on the collection through these periods are also lightly touched
upon but it would have been nice to have a bit more about some of them even if
they aren’t available to play.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are a lot of games here though, and they cross many
classic systems from Atari 8-bit, C64, Vic-20 to the Atari St and Atari Jaguar.
Multiple versions of each game are also present so in terms of what is here its
exhaustive. A lot of the games are also great. If you are into retro games and if
you’ve not played Grid Runner or Attack of the Mutant Camels, then you are in
for a treat. It’s nice to have some of the games that weren’t as well received
as well so you can get a full overview if Minter’s back catalogue. Just get
ready for a lot of weirdness and Llamas. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s a visually enhanced exclusive version of Gridrunner <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>included as well which is based on the C64 version
of the game. This will be one of the main reasons for fans to pick up the
collection and plays as crazily as the original. This coupled with the fact Tempest
2000 is here gives you more than enough to play even if you can’t get on with
some of the earlier games. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tempest 2000 itself brings up a slight issue though. People who
are likely to buy this will no doubt also be interested in the Atari 50
collection. Tempest 2000 is also on that and this potentially takes away one of
the main reason to get this. Having the Gridrunner upgrade here along with some
of Jeff’s over classics is awesome, but we felt it could have done with at
least one more big exclusive. Something super obscure like Tempest 3000 would
have made this utterly essential, no matter how difficult it may have been to
get working properly. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's difficult with collections like this not to look to
omissions even when there is such a sizable chunk of Minters back catalogue
here to play. The biggest omission is of course the fact that the documentary
stops at 1994. This means all of Minters later games aren’t included which is a
real shame. Adding a Space Giraffe or later releases of Grid Runner would have
really rounded the collection off perfectly. There’s also a lack of certain
licensed games such as Defender 2000 on the Jaguar. But there is a lot of stuff
here, so we are being picky. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, This collection does an excellent job of getting
across the work of Minter and it’s a joy to dive into and explore. Omissions
aside, you’ve got one of the best games ever in Tempest 2000, and a great
upgrade to Gridrunner backed with some excellent retro classics. The archive
materials are flawless, and we can’t think of anyone more worthy than Minter to
have been given this sort of treatment. Essential for retro gaming fans, but it
still could have been even more.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 8/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-53710177540380675352024-03-11T07:30:00.002+00:002024-03-14T11:36:18.141+00:00Geometry Survivor Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7I9vx8MeATfRLtHSW5h-KbZKSPPXnWKoVBWveHO7TQMNML0HIxY6V4wAV1N5w9DZcKJ3pIxnUbs2WQprrEHDq94qMzYpLARjUPqh7a_teNDtBqdkQ0c_F_gRPd-ssDRr1v8tOX54zIeyQKJxkZpsHbxKH93PWI9AyK4qe12577JNiKa97uLPULTpCaA/s1920/gs1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw7I9vx8MeATfRLtHSW5h-KbZKSPPXnWKoVBWveHO7TQMNML0HIxY6V4wAV1N5w9DZcKJ3pIxnUbs2WQprrEHDq94qMzYpLARjUPqh7a_teNDtBqdkQ0c_F_gRPd-ssDRr1v8tOX54zIeyQKJxkZpsHbxKH93PWI9AyK4qe12577JNiKa97uLPULTpCaA/w400-h225/gs1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is an odd one. A long time ago now there was an awesome
twin stick shooter by the name of Geometry Wars. It started life as a mini game
in Project Gotham Racing 2 and then found a bigger audience via Xbox Live
Arcade. There have been several sequels across all platforms, but sadly none of
these have reached the Switch yet. Despite the name and look of this game it is
not part of that franchise but that doesn’t mean it should simply be ignored.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Geometry Survivor is the latest in an ever-growing sub-genre
which mixes twin stick shooting and Rouge-lite elements, the auto shooter. The most
famous of this current indie darling genre is Vampire Survivors but you can
tell already several hundred more are about to burst through the Steam dam and flood
the console marketplaces. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Despite not being part of the Geometry Wars franchise, it
certainly looks the part. The same pulsing neon surges around the screen and squares,
rectangles and just about every other shape emerges from the play field and
charges at you. The sense of speed and chaos isn’t quite there but by the time
the countdown is into the last five minutes or so the screen will be continually
full of shapes flowing around. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The game works by giving you twenty minutes to survive a continual
onslaught of shapes as you move around a rectangular playing field. As you move
you will auto fire at the incoming enemies. Collecting exp from dead shapes
levels you up which grants new weapons such as back holes that suck shapes in
and a host of other creative offensive options. These can then be upgraded so
they fire more often and further. There’s a host of different pick ups as well and
you can only carry six in one run so getting a good balance is essential for success.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As well as experience you can also pick up credits which can
be used to unlock permanent upgrades from the main menu or different ships
which carry their own quirks and characteristics. We found collecting enough
credits to do anything useful took a long time though so unless you are really
planning to put the hours in, you’ll likely not see much of the benefits of
this approach. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, despite its seeming simplicity we did find
ourselves drawn to the game due to the fact in handles well and the weapons and
upgrades are logical and behave in a consistent way. However, there isn’t
really anything here that’s going to really hook you and keep you coming back repeatedly.
Runs are also hampered a bit by the fact the first ten minutes or so soon
become dull. It’s certainly not a bad game, just one unlikely to drag people
away from Vampire Survivors. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Overall 6/10</p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-55877828229379217742024-03-11T07:30:00.001+00:002024-03-11T07:30:00.307+00:00Lords of Exile Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PJTuDPvh6fGd38OAChIxKH6mSzojfAwpPkkUn69M4NGFH7V3429xD6v6r1eGjrd-E7ce2MUnK_HjeBLXrHTlmyHDOszOpdzOeU7nHy0-xeWbE0naRaX8hEv3p22_PdXrX0aMbTiKegzVa4VWCzEszHT9O9hK2Hr65vVRrOoagdPnH4UjCqXZdZqJMG4/s282/LOE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="282" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8PJTuDPvh6fGd38OAChIxKH6mSzojfAwpPkkUn69M4NGFH7V3429xD6v6r1eGjrd-E7ce2MUnK_HjeBLXrHTlmyHDOszOpdzOeU7nHy0-xeWbE0naRaX8hEv3p22_PdXrX0aMbTiKegzVa4VWCzEszHT9O9hK2Hr65vVRrOoagdPnH4UjCqXZdZqJMG4/w400-h254/LOE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p>There have been a lot of indie games over the years that
have used Castlevania for their inspiration. However, most of these have taken
the Metroidvania route rather than the more linear level-based approach. Set
over eight stages, Lords of Exile is very much in the platform hack and slash category
and is clearly influenced by the 8-bit Castlevania games and other titles of
the time such as Ninja Gaiden.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In terms of how the game looks everything is absolutely spot
on. This could easily fit in with the NES Castlevania games in terms of style and
even the music fits the part. Luckily it plays a bit more fluidly though with
you character feeling a whole lot better than an 8-bit Belmont. The only issue
with controls we had was the double jump which seemed a bit temperamental and
inconsistent to get working at times which led to a few unexpected deaths. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, when you are taking influence from some of the
toughest games to have ever existed the game you make is also going to be on
the difficult side. For the most part Lords of Exile walks the line between
difficulty and frustration well. Levels are tough but they aren’t impossible.
That is until you reach the final stage. Here things tip over too far into the
impossible side of things. One section in particular with instant death spikes
on the ceiling was simply not fun. Everything else though is pitched really
well, with the checkpoint system keeping frustrations at a minimum. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Each of the eight stages is varied visually and you’ll take in
all manner of swamps and cursed places on your quest. After each stage is completed,
you’ll take on a new ability of some kind. Some of these are simply buffs such
as adding more throwing objects or damage while overs offer new abilities like
the double jump or adding in a shadow creature to summon. Adding in the new
elements keeps things fresh as you know you’ll have something new to play
around with when you get to the next stage. These abilities don’t open new
areas though as progression through stages is completely linear.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Each stage also ends with a suitably epic boss fight. Initially
daunting, once you work out the pattern these can normally be downed with some
suitable button mashing and appropriate use of throwing objects. But they prove
to be interesting obstacles to overcome and some of their design is quite
clever. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Lords of Exile is a solid homage to the Castlevania
and Ninja Gaiden games of old. As with all these sorts of games this is aimed
at a particular niche audience, but it does everything it can to make sure that
it hits the mark. Seven of the eight stages are excellent with only the final
one being unbalanced in terms of the fairness to death ratio. With a little bit
more polish this would be really excellent. As it is it’s still very good and
well worth checking out if you are busy working your way through the better 8-bit
inspired games out there.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 8/10 <o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-9125724811276107062024-03-04T07:30:00.000+00:002024-03-04T07:30:00.296+00:00A Void Hope Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVblgDgp5wYuImsY-e9dg3UdJn1HEs826cQwlT2CM9eHn0LligOaIiWkmpciZkCFloDaBfDHiDrsSaKiWN2m55tGyo0FhcMHdyENKoWgz2KTSeFr1z14CgmobSxWMpy98pUXKBywAzaj6KHTM70AztBeqnf5TdVdNijw6m39E-ZM46StdiZg0mfduO1w/s1920/AVH.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVblgDgp5wYuImsY-e9dg3UdJn1HEs826cQwlT2CM9eHn0LligOaIiWkmpciZkCFloDaBfDHiDrsSaKiWN2m55tGyo0FhcMHdyENKoWgz2KTSeFr1z14CgmobSxWMpy98pUXKBywAzaj6KHTM70AztBeqnf5TdVdNijw6m39E-ZM46StdiZg0mfduO1w/w400-h225/AVH.png" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p>It’s been a while since we last had a game from Elden
Pixels. Their previous output has been excellent, and we’ve covered all of it. They
are most well known for the two Alwa games, while also publishing the excellent
Cathedral and retro inspired Kraino Origins. Their latest game is a platform
puzzle game with a heavy emphasis on narrative set in a collapsed city blighted
by a strange plague.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The player takes control of a couple as they look for a cure
and try to decipher between reality and distorted memories. You start out by
playing the husband who has seemingly been infected by the mysterious plague. His
part of the story is to search the city for memories as he tries to keep hold
of his mind. Halfway through it switches to the wife who is searching for a
cure. There isn’t any ability difference between the two but it’s a story beat
that works well. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In terms of how the game plays this is very much on the
narrative side of narrative puzzle games. It’s a 2D platform game but the
challenge involved is minimal. Players move around self-contained levels
looking for items, exits and computer terminals. Early on you also pick up a
sort of phase gun thing which can be used to shoot switches and defend against
infected creatures. But aside from box pushing and switch shooting there isn’t
much else involved in the gameplay but it does the job well enough.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Speaking of the infected, they are there to present small
obstacles and little else. As you traverse the world, people within the levels
will sometimes phase into some kind of monster. These can be shambling shadow
people, dog creatures that are much faster or a sort of flying bat thing. There
is a random element here as people can change into any of the creatures and it’s
not always the same people that turn. You never get more than one creature on a
screen though. Of course, if they touch you its back to the last checkpoint. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The infected creatures form one of the biggest stylistic issues
we had with the game. While the game looks beautiful with its pixel art style,
there is a lack of reaction from inhabitants we found a bit jarring. Most
screens have numerous citizens doing various things. Some are sick but others
are just standing around eating sandwiches or reading papers. As such you would
think when a creature appears they would react in some way, but they don’t,
they just continue to stand there. Now, this could be part of the whole ‘is this
a memory or dream’ thing but we really could have done with a little more
immersion in this area. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a game we did find A Void Hope didn’t really grab us in
the way that we expected. There are just too many elements that need a bit more
punch to them. Neither the platforming or puzzles are particularly engaging,
and the combat is completely functional. There’s a snake like mini game as well
which kicks in when you access a computer terminal but it’s awkward and not particularly
fun. As a narrative experience though, it’s effective and tells a good story so
if you know what you are getting into there’s a lot to be taken away from the game.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, it’s nice to see Elden Pixels going in a slightly different
direction with this project. As a story driven title it works quite effectively
but as a game it’s not as accomplished as their other output. We are glad we
played it and the story itself is excellent. If the studio can tie this sort of
narrative to a stronger gameplay loop then they’ll really have something.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 7/10<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-34441383254058400422024-02-26T07:30:00.001+00:002024-02-26T07:30:00.331+00:00Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBfbyfqUBzZUyfyppAPinqrpCfOEM0v7CUcRbUxVYsyDqUuabkVwIAFMtzBfzbLnlGltgMdXYMZORgRWLUiU9xntTvcsV58XI3FjSI-CwW4G-R-ow7XPyu5lNawSmZWiiYogtqC1uTFPlspMf0_LuNAH7FkK9Pbz0z_DYK6n3-R0AmJqSgF2qRAKfM3A/s1920/Arzette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBfbyfqUBzZUyfyppAPinqrpCfOEM0v7CUcRbUxVYsyDqUuabkVwIAFMtzBfzbLnlGltgMdXYMZORgRWLUiU9xntTvcsV58XI3FjSI-CwW4G-R-ow7XPyu5lNawSmZWiiYogtqC1uTFPlspMf0_LuNAH7FkK9Pbz0z_DYK6n3-R0AmJqSgF2qRAKfM3A/w400-h225/Arzette.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p>Games inspired by titles from the past is hardly a new thing,
especially on the Switch. But It’s quite hard to recall a game which actively
tries to play on the unique nostalgia created by the CD-i, and more
specifically the two Legend of Zelda games that were notoriously released on
the system. Needless to say, this is for a niche audience but then that niche
audience is us so let’s not complain. It even starts with the same sort of CD
Logo.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For those too young to remember, the CD-i was a machine
developed by Phillips and was notorious for having a rubbish controller and an
awful lot of FMV filled games. Quality wasn’t generally high through the catalogue,
but the system certainly has its fans and some games, such as Burn Cycle remain
high points. It also had four Nintendo games licensed to it. A weird Mario hybrid
called Hotel Mario, (which is referenced here in mini games) and three Zelda
games (2 side on and one top down). Arzette, is an attempt to recreate the two
side on Zelda games.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The story follows a fairly generic path of an evil big bad
by the name of Demon King, Daimur threatening the kingdom. The heroic princess
Arzette then must go and light some magical beacons, reform a magical triangle
and destroy the menace once and for all. There are objects to pick up along the
way, which adds a very light Metroidvania element, and upgrades to your health
and weapons as well. It’s basically the 2D Zelda games without the license. It’ll
take around four hours to finish and you’ll need a good memory to avoid
backtracking through levels when you acquire something to get through whatever
the next barrier is. At least each individual level is short so even if you go
through each one searching it won’t outstay its welcome. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Visually, the game looks gorgeous in exactly the way it’s
meant to. The sprites and backdrops perfectly recreate the feel of the CD-i games
(no one ever accused them of being ugly after all). It also recreates the
terrible cartoon/FMV sequences to an absolute tee. Only this time the weird voicing
and look of the characters is being done ironically. Perhaps the most impressive
thing though is this even sounds like a CD-i game. There’s something about how
the samples work that has obviously been really developed and has been nailed perfectly.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Though it looks and sounds the part we are happy to say that
it plays much better than it would have done on the Phillips system. If you
want to understand some of the torture you can actually go and buy a replica
controller for this game but save yourself the morbid curiosity and just use
the Switch options instead. It’s also a lot more stable than the titles it
draws influence from. The two Zelda games were full of constantly spawning
enemies and relentless awkward combat. Here enemies stay dead while you are on
the screen and if you do die, you’ll respawn at a decently spaced checkpoint. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Arzette plays well though, with your character highly responsive
in the way you would hope for from this sort of action platform game. There’s a
good tempo to levels as well and a nice balance between difficulty and
progression. You can set the game to easy mode as well which offers up more
health drops and lessens damage, but we found the default setting was a good,
sweet spot. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Arzettte: The Jewel of Faramore is the reminder of
a very specific type of retro gaming that we never really knew we needed. On
its own merit it’s a solid and well-meaning animated platform adventure. If you
get into the unique nostalgia, it’ll elevate it even more. We found ourselves
pretty obsessed with it for its moderate run time. It’s a fun and unique game that’s
well worth playing through and now we really want the developers to somehow
remake the original Zelda games. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 8/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-88433628875261828222024-02-19T07:30:00.001+00:002024-02-19T07:30:00.323+00:00Lil' Guardsman Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGkRB8IZtFBuLoEnDZpkRef7hC-ETN279uf2aHeabwdxVZD4dRVhCHGoQsYAsN_iTw1fy1OZQ_D1BltOrEjvVii8lpaxyFDATlsNP7bC9bjtbIdPBl18QkIxJTC2_1fp_MbcRfqEx7habHKEgEuTe5gvdhq6uwMdWipSVRzw8rSX1MRhHdRfCfng4EzY/s1280/lilguardsman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGkRB8IZtFBuLoEnDZpkRef7hC-ETN279uf2aHeabwdxVZD4dRVhCHGoQsYAsN_iTw1fy1OZQ_D1BltOrEjvVii8lpaxyFDATlsNP7bC9bjtbIdPBl18QkIxJTC2_1fp_MbcRfqEx7habHKEgEuTe5gvdhq6uwMdWipSVRzw8rSX1MRhHdRfCfng4EzY/w400-h225/lilguardsman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A good few years ago we reviewed a game by the name of
Papers Please, which put players in the role of a check point operator with an ever-increasing
number of tools at their disposal to judge who to let through. Lil’ Guardsman follows
the same sort of scenario; all be it in a much more light-hearted and fantasy-based
way. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The story follows the daughter of a guardsman who is asked by
her father to take over the position as he needs to go out and bet on a local
goblin ball game. With each passing day Lil finds herself operating the post again
for various reasons and making judgments about who should be allowed into the
kingdom. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Throughout the day creatures arrive and you’ll need to use your
various tools and judgment to decide what their intentions are. You have five
main tools – an X-ray machine, a whip, truth spray, metal detector and a
decoder ring. The tools are all powered by crystals though so choosing what to
use and when is key to getting all the information you need. You can also
confiscate items from people which can then be used later and a phone where you
can ring up a number of the kingdoms important residents to get advice. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To add challenge, each day comes with a host of rules and edicts
to adhere to. These may range from simple things such as saying ‘no goblins
today’ to more complex warnings about people in disguise or revolutionaries
trying to make their way through. It all works remarkably well, and you never
feel too overwhelmed. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The slightly undercooked part of the game comes in the form
of a time machine which you acquire early on. Its basic use is to allow you to
rewind time if you get something fatally wrong. This does remove serious threat
from the game, but it works as a story focused point and click adventure with
each person acting as an individual puzzle to solve so it’s not going to hinder
your enjoyment. You can also go back and start the game from the beginning of
each day as well if you want to really hunt for the maximum rating for each
level. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Speaking of the rating, it is a bit confusing to start with
how you get the best score for each person. We assumed it was making the
correct decision as quickly as possible by using the least tools but often that
is not the case. Much of the time you get a higher score from finding out the most
information. At the end of each day, you’ll then get a summary of how you did
and what each person went on to do once they had made their way into the
kingdom. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Occasionally you’ll also get to wander around when you have
finished your shift and visit various other locations. There isn’t much to do
at these apart from speak to people but it’s a welcome change of pace and
allows you to catch up with a few of characters you have allowed in, as well as
understanding what’s going on in the kingdom as the story continues to unfold. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Lil’ Guardsman is a fun, if slightly light weight,
take on the point and click genre. There are still ideas left to explore for
this sort of check point sub-genre and much of the game works very well. There
are a few moments when it becomes a bit of a drag and a bit more guidance from
the start about score would be welcome, but this is a well put together game
that is full of charm and it’s hard to see anyone really disliking. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 8/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-64839010348767810402024-02-12T07:30:00.000+00:002024-02-12T07:30:00.120+00:00Door Kickers; Action Squad Review (Steam)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyhjS2_N-oxaD70kb2nNMNKIRyqjNJvN2oTxxK72oPkPTgicUM4VUg6Xqru9kqBwiG1DFQbtgRzGRn0IrGTYnL0pOaEE-b1uE5woN4px63hFh5WaD33fxBfBG0UNufl_GQ-GH1Ca9ObhdrWvWMZAAscG7Pe_xdnZkMstuOc6TVe9GAUulicRcciiV7" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="600" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyhjS2_N-oxaD70kb2nNMNKIRyqjNJvN2oTxxK72oPkPTgicUM4VUg6Xqru9kqBwiG1DFQbtgRzGRn0IrGTYnL0pOaEE-b1uE5woN4px63hFh5WaD33fxBfBG0UNufl_GQ-GH1Ca9ObhdrWvWMZAAscG7Pe_xdnZkMstuOc6TVe9GAUulicRcciiV7=w400-h134" width="400" /></a></div><p>By Thomas G.J. Sharpe</p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Door Kickers: Action Squad</i> is the arcade-y shoot-em-up
sibling to Killhouse Games more serious <i>Door Kickers</i>. Lovingly fun,
there is more depth than you might expect, but it is, in the end, a bit
repetitive.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With vertical slices of apartments, bunkers, planes, trains,
and offices, you play as one of a gang of action film stereotypes. There’s a
brutal shotgun breacher, a Clarice Starling-esque Fed, wholesome hero
assaulter, and on the far end of the silly scale, a boxer-shorted off-duty
veteran. The parody is not as direct as <i>Broforce</i> but evokes a more
general wash of bold 90’s and 00’s action movies.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As one might expect, you bust down doors and fulfil your
against-the-odds missions which fall under a slim selection; hostage rescue, hostile
elimination, arrest and bomb-defusal. Terrorists, kidnappers, bombers,
bandana’d machete wielders, arsonists, and all manner of gunners stand in your
way. The mode of play defined largely by your class and loadout selection.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You see, already, <i>Action Squad</i> is a bit more
developed than other side-scrolling arcade shooters. Adding this mild range of
customisation through gun choice, gear slots, “special ability”, and a simple
skill tree, you have some degree of personalisation to the proceedings. The
classes broadly represent difficulty, some are glass cannons, others rely on
armour or gadgets to gain the upper hand. While there is only mild difference
between the handling, the FBI agent who can roll, for example, was rendered
unfun for me due to slightly clumsy animations and controls.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You get into a rhythm, perhaps taking the surprise-stealth
approach with the Recon guy to surgically pick off targets around hostages.
Take the Breacher and his chainsaw to indiscriminate elimination stages. Don’t
expect too much by the way of AI. This plays very close to heist classic <i>Bonanza
Bros</i>, wandering back and forth. This can lead to some frustrating moments,
for example trying to bait thick hostiles that you must squish under elevators.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Despite the repetition, and rather short-lived character
upgrade tree, there is something fantastically engaging about <i>Action Squad</i>.
It’s quick to get you in and out if you fail, feedback from the visuals and
sound is immediate and vivid. The ant-farm levels are cartoonish and simple,
but evocative, the animations get a lot of mileage out of few frames and
pixels. The design is tongue-in-cheek from top to bottom, and it makes up for
the relative repetition, if it grabs you.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I found myself coming back to this for a couple of blasts at
a level for a while. The music got caught in my head, which is always a sign
that they need more tracks, and/or those tracks are cracking. I must note that
I have not had the chance to sample the multi-player option. Further, despite
there being some user-made levels on the Steam Workshop, nothing really grabbed
my attention, but there is some legacy for the game there.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a fan of <i>Door Kickers</i> (the serious, macho, CQT
one), I am glad there is this lighter take on the SWAT subject. It doesn’t
quite have the out-and-out hilarity of <i>Not A Hero</i>, but is arguably as
competent as an arcade shooter.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">8/10</p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-55670907010484609382024-02-05T07:30:00.000+00:002024-02-05T07:30:00.143+00:00Goodboy Galaxy Review (GBA)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7N2KRU5ZCtwp595O9nMtydkwroBMrO119iUXYLI5EKErvXYZnKc2RNhjqanIHmp-hMiDQAincO4E-2DfUYDrdWODPPJOzOH87VeuaDpZQzA7-Y7Es0pYUwuOSEc4cXSDQcz7KUUZ2BUWGkb4sTX9BsAqULfK5ndYzhu3wx6Stdxp31HXDZlnjTn9JH4w/s275/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7N2KRU5ZCtwp595O9nMtydkwroBMrO119iUXYLI5EKErvXYZnKc2RNhjqanIHmp-hMiDQAincO4E-2DfUYDrdWODPPJOzOH87VeuaDpZQzA7-Y7Es0pYUwuOSEc4cXSDQcz7KUUZ2BUWGkb4sTX9BsAqULfK5ndYzhu3wx6Stdxp31HXDZlnjTn9JH4w/w400-h266/download.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p>So called homebrew titles have come on leaps and bounds in
the last few years. Now, we have reached a place where developers can create
titles for older consoles and have them fit perfectly into the indie marketplace.
Indeed, we think it’s only a matter of time before one of the big developers decides
to dive into the world of retro consoles with a fully-fledged retro release.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We’ve covered an ever-growing number of these games including,
Micro Mages, Alwa’s Awakening and Witch N’ Wiz, as well as some of the compilation
which have made their way to Evercade, who could forget the excellent Tanzer
after all? The latest of these to reach our door is Goodboy Galaxy, a platform
exploration game for the GBA.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The plot is simple and follows a space dog called maxwell as
he fly’s around various planets solving quests and making friends. It’s all one
large collectathon, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun. Each character you meet
along the way will require help in some way (normally finding things) and will
then give you their friend card upon completion. Some also give you other items
as well to further aid your exploration and allow you to get deeper into
galaxy. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Goodboy Galaxy is not a Metroidvania game though, thanks to
the well-placed gates around each planet. Maxwell can jump, has a shield which
will absorb damage and has a blaster. However, when you pass through one of the
gates on each level something will be disabled. This could mean losing your jump,
meaning you must think creatively about switches or platforms, or losing you
weapon or shield meaning you are much less protected. It’s a gimmick that lasts
throughout the game and allows a series of short but interesting puzzle
platform sections to be thrust on the player. There are of course ways of
getting around these to reveal secrets as well. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's good then that Maxwell handles excellently. You must
get used to the game as it has its own mechanics such as the firing pace of the
weapon and the jump working slightly different than how you would expect, but
once you’ve played it for a while it all becomes second nature. It’s cleverly
done and shows real thought has been put into how players are expected to
traverse around the worlds. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The look of the game is classic Gameboy Advance platformer.
Bold colours and large cartoon like sprites are the order of the day and you
can’t help but smile at the heavy nostalgia and generally joyful vibe. It fits
the style of game perfectly, as does the character design which effectively
takes animals and objects and puts bigger eyes and jackets on them. Each planet
also sticks with the bright feel, while also being distinctive from each other
to keep the overall look from becoming too samey. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Goodboy Galaxy is a fun game that would have easily
found an audience if released during the original GBA years of handheld
dominance. It’s like finding a hidden gem for the system and hopefully it will
find a much larger place when it releases on modern consoles (Goodboy Galaxy is
also currently available on the Evercade). There’s a lot of fresh ideas here
and if you are looking for something new that seems like something old then
this is an excellent place to start. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 8/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-33916048174910973482024-01-29T07:30:00.008+00:002024-01-29T07:30:00.134+00:00The Legend of Steel Empire Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhffVe4d_uAVercNQDtWqi-ppDERaQKejr3UMTgK93zP-xk9JdGqnTtLb1IDSkvDqqbHcRWa3PMowjK8IsylzILtawm6ghYyNpT-sT7Qcxx9lzJ1GPvCu5oQ8QCqw2J6K8MMSCOBR7PNX6LlhiUC4J8saSAwSTM4ACf9TjpJ5GLWDjqTO2LKON2ZHlx3A4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1346" data-original-width="2398" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhffVe4d_uAVercNQDtWqi-ppDERaQKejr3UMTgK93zP-xk9JdGqnTtLb1IDSkvDqqbHcRWa3PMowjK8IsylzILtawm6ghYyNpT-sT7Qcxx9lzJ1GPvCu5oQ8QCqw2J6K8MMSCOBR7PNX6LlhiUC4J8saSAwSTM4ACf9TjpJ5GLWDjqTO2LKON2ZHlx3A4=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Megadrive was home to an awesome range of 16-bit shoot’em
ups and it’s great to see some of them making their way over to the Switch. We’ve
had less high-profile releases of games such as Gleylancer and Gynoug, as well
as some of the Thunder Force series. Steel Empire is the first to get a proper
reworking though. First released in 1992, we’ve seen the game pop up a couple
of times. First on the Gameboy Advance and then later the Nintendo 3DS. Unbelievably,
the last release was now ten years ago so we are more than happy to have its
steam punk inspired madness appear again on the Switch. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The wonderfully stupid story revolves around two waring
factions. The tyrannical Motorhead Empire are trying to take over the entire
world with their huge steam powered mechanical monsters and all that is
standing in their way is the small, rebellious Republic of Silverhead. Players
take on the role of head of the Silverhead air force and are charged with
single handedly blasting through seven stages to victory. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first thing you notice is how amazing the game looks.
The original sprites have been kept as pixels but everything in the backgrounds
and in terms of explosions has been given much richer colours and had detail
added. There’s a few new FX and bits of lighting as well which really helps to
enhance the overall look of an already pretty game, without sacrificing the
style of the original. The game still runs in the original aspect ratio with
the side of the screen now used for much of the information and feedback which
works well in this case.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The original control scheme remains and is now fully customisable.
Here buttons are used to shoot to the left or right with the final one primed
to deliver the games version of the smart bomb which not only causes massive damage
but clears the screen of projectiles, allowing much needed escapes from the
constant onslaught of enemy fire. There’s no noticeable input lag either which
is excellent. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In terms of powers ups, there is a simple but effective system
in place. There are the standard extra lives, increased speed, and points to collect
but there’s also icons that level up your ships rank up to a maximum of 20.
Each level provides extra fire power or assist vehicles to help you, and it can
often be worth taking damage in order to collect them, so you’ll stand a
fighting chance of being able to down the massive units you’ll come across. You
can also pick between two ships at the start of each mission. There’s a plane
which is quick and agile but takes less damage and the slow but heavily
armoured blimp. Each craft is better suited to one of the levels, so you’ll
have to think carefully about what you’ll need. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, The Legend of Steel Empire is great re-working of
the original game which was pretty great to begin with. It’s chaotic but isn’t
the hardest of shooters to get through so It’s testament to how fun it is that
you’ll likely be more than happy to go round for another loop. There’s a lot of
these types of game on the Switch but the style of Steel Empire means it’s
still well worth checking out and can hang in there with the best of them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 8/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-42764644950593442542024-01-22T08:00:00.000+00:002024-01-22T08:00:00.407+00:00Rock N' Roll Racing Review (Nintendo Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSdEdg7cgeRkTpuRWKq675geY-WGtzrhpY4gvHhcUld-DW_muPUa-YUgq8WxquomMwio5xpV7Xafzz0wPfIRUOOKUO063n0RirEOjq_s42HGJt4JzORpK3hE2B_LfqY_aQHuYx8CiIiE//" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="600" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSdEdg7cgeRkTpuRWKq675geY-WGtzrhpY4gvHhcUld-DW_muPUa-YUgq8WxquomMwio5xpV7Xafzz0wPfIRUOOKUO063n0RirEOjq_s42HGJt4JzORpK3hE2B_LfqY_aQHuYx8CiIiE/w400-h134/Rock-N-Roll-Racing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>For many, the highlight of the recent Blizzard collection is
Rock N’ Roll Racing. It packages the original SNES version and the later
released Mega Drive game together with the new ‘definitive’ edition and a version
which allows four players. This shows fans right from the start that the
franchise has been treated with great care.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The story goes that in 2833, intelligent life was found on
the planet of Bogmire. The inhabitants of this strange world became addicted to
the art of racing and started using souped-up cars to bomb around the planet.
Something else that caught on quickly was Earth's rock music and thus from
these strange beginnings the Rock N Roll Racing Commission was created. Set
across six planets each with a whole host of tracks, Rock N Roll Racing is good
over-the-top racing fun.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The definitive version has had the most significant upgrade
work done on it. There are more tracks, environmental effects have been added to
planets and amazingly the rock music soundtrack has been changed to include the
original songs rather than chip tune representations. Unfortunately, we have
lost Paranoid from the soundtrack but new tracks such as ‘Breaking the Law’
have been added.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The game has you racing around a host of crazy planets
against three other racers trying to win as much money as possible to upgrade
your vehicle and make it to the next season. Its great fun and you can move
from first to last in the blink of an eye as you get buffeted and blasted
around the track. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s also a host of cars such as tracked vehicles and
hydrofoils to buy and each vehicle can have numerous things added to it in
order to help you through - these include mines, missiles, nitros, better
tyres, and thicker armour. But the real skill comes in being able to take on
opponents with as little as possible, as when you reach a new planet one of the
opponents will have a new car meaning you need to upgrade - and rest assured
these contraptions do not come cheap.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The cars are a joy to drive and very easy to get to grips
with. After your first race you should be able to grasp the controls enough to
be able to fire well-aimed shots at your opponents while taking a ninety-degree
corner. Indeed, after a few races - as well as fighting off the other racers -
you will find yourself trying to grab all the extra money packages laid around
the courses as well. While the action can become a touch samey due to the fact
certain tracks must be raced upon more than once, nothing really takes away
from the feeling that you are having a lot of fun.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The one downside to the definitive version of the game is
that for some reason you are unable to save your progress. There are passwords
but these don’t record all your information and will see you set back to the
start of a race season when used. It’s a baffling oversight and one we can only
assume will be patched at some point. You are also restricted with regards to
display settings and other features.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, it’s clear a lot of attention and care has been taken
when bringing Rock N’ Roll Racing to a new audience. That said, there are some
weird quirks in here that take some of the shine off such as not being able to
use screens settings and other options in the definitive version. Not being
able to save is also something that can’t be overlooked. That said, if you are
a fan the game (and who isn’t?), this provides an excellent way of playing it
for a reasonable price. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 8/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-37908569368669044422024-01-15T07:30:00.001+00:002024-01-15T07:30:00.238+00:00Astral Ascent Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz9tmAV1OaFqiFIiigNeZzkX8ToolVx_1zizwHeSAwQYHM7KzeIE29vXnif5UdApkinl4JDYX6tLWQqmJz2vBZy4tpc_pIrIvpj52WuFGRkpqMQpZDIlyJ7ziEI_P7MdwZi6nuZ3AjnVaoGDggyv7k0PskSUEcUshoG_RDssh9H1NFSZNMzsPn0o5maaM/s300/Astral%20Ascent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz9tmAV1OaFqiFIiigNeZzkX8ToolVx_1zizwHeSAwQYHM7KzeIE29vXnif5UdApkinl4JDYX6tLWQqmJz2vBZy4tpc_pIrIvpj52WuFGRkpqMQpZDIlyJ7ziEI_P7MdwZi6nuZ3AjnVaoGDggyv7k0PskSUEcUshoG_RDssh9H1NFSZNMzsPn0o5maaM/w400-h224/Astral%20Ascent.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">There’s a couple of genres on the Switch that most people would
agree probably have enough games already. The rogue-like would certainly be one
of those and there seems to be a new one released every week. But as Hades proved,
there’s always room for one more when they can be put together in a way that
engages and draws you back in time after time. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In keeping with Hades, Astral Ascent is also a story about
trying to escape from a celestial prison. In this case it’s a sort of Garden of
Eden guarded by 12 zodiac gods. As you progress through the game, you’ll find
memory fragments for the different characters which will slowly unfold the link
between the gods and why the various prisoners are trapped there. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In terms of the structure this works like pretty much every
other action rogue-like. In this case each of the environments you need to get
through consists of twelve relatively short levels with a boss at the end.
Levels are classified as exploration, where you can treat them like assault
courses and just find the exit, or fight based which normally enclose you
inside a locked arena until all enemies have been defeated. If you are lucky,
you’ll come across rest rooms and shops to help you as well. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Along the way you’ll acquire more skills and buffs until you
inevitably hit something too strong and get sent back to the start to try and
do it all again. In this case there are also a host of permanent improvements
that you can unlock slowly along the way which grant you more strength, hit
points and things such as mana and magic. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In terms of when you are in a run you can pick up add-ons
for your various spells known as gambits. There are an absolute ton of different
gambits and range from simple attack increases to adding elemental statuses or
poison. Coupling these with your ever-increasing spells list means you have
will eventually end up with a huge arsenal at your disposal to customise your
attacking options. On top of this you can also pick up auras which add further
buffs to your character.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are four characters in total with two being available
from the start. All of them approach combat in almost completely different ways
but all share the core move set of a standard attack that can be used to create
combo’s, a jump, a dodge, four single spells that once used gradually recharge
and a special attack. So, you are well equipped for what’s to come. All this
means that when you are facing the multiple hordes that are trying to take you
down that you always feel in control of your own destiny and death is always
due to players not reacting rather than any innate unfairness. That said, it
did take at least an hour of banging against a relative brick wall to start
make small chunks of progress and to get out of the first area will likely take
much longer than that. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The visuals are done in a glorious pixel visual style that
captures the heavenly vibe particularly well. As lovely as they are though they
are very small on the Switch when it’s in handheld mode. We didn’t find any
other performance issues aside from this but when porting to the Switch, in an
ideal world, more consideration should have been taken regarding this. Even if
the text size could have been changed it would have made things a lot easier. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Astral Ascent doesn’t really do anything new or anything
particularly innovative but the game plays so beautifully well that it won’t
really bother you. It’s one of the more hardcore and complex rogue-likes as
well so there’s something for veterans to challenge themselves with. If you’ve
got room for one more of these games, then Astral Ascent is a good one to fill
the gap with.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 8/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-81328191841554154602024-01-08T13:52:00.000+00:002024-01-08T13:52:25.595+00:00ASTLIBRA Revision Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHyy78dps32pXVmteUPqjpZ6vjdBYYwhaAkuLP4wBmyFsP4-_Jrjn4ZAUtdt6jjSZC178WPbOIJtJjH4mcSNdY_BxhSBXofhrysyAHGF0pwjbX4-sp5P-69_fJqqZW2uzafhlRrPQl0YoAHu21gtMBpb7kuwY4kgCfleLsgW9_QxCgDVrnNzgft4HLm4/s1920/AstlibraRevision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHyy78dps32pXVmteUPqjpZ6vjdBYYwhaAkuLP4wBmyFsP4-_Jrjn4ZAUtdt6jjSZC178WPbOIJtJjH4mcSNdY_BxhSBXofhrysyAHGF0pwjbX4-sp5P-69_fJqqZW2uzafhlRrPQl0YoAHu21gtMBpb7kuwY4kgCfleLsgW9_QxCgDVrnNzgft4HLm4/w400-h225/AstlibraRevision.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p>We cover mainly indie games here at Retro 101 and there can
be little argument that ASTLIBRA is about as indie as you can get. The passion
project of a single man developed over the course of 15 years you certainly can’t
doubt the dedication behind it. It’s also with some relief that we can report
that, though flawed, it’s also a playable and interesting take on the action rpg.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The plot is an intriguing one. It follows a nameless blond
hero who loses a young girl to monster attack one night. When he awakens, he
has amnesia and with the aid of a newly arrived talking crow they set off to
nearby town, only to wander for eight years in the wilderness without meeting a
single soul. Eventually you find a mysterious old traveller and things pick up.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As evidence to its long development the game has isolated
chapters which often move you off to different locations each time. There is a
sort of central hub city eventually and despite the patch work nature of the
structure it does all just about hold together enough to remain enjoyable. Tying
in with this jigsaw approach to design, a lot of the graphics are acquired assets
but the way everything is put together does give the game a distinct
personality of it’s own which is an impressive feat. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These sorts of games live and die on how they play and
though a touch old fashioned, the combat is solid. You can jump, attack, cast
magic and use a parry to get the upper hand against the wide range beasties on
offer. You also get a host of satisfying sound effects and numbers feedback on
each strike. If anything this can become difficult as when there are multiple
enemies attacking the action can become obscured with all the data feeding back
to the player. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Away from the satisfying combat there are a few old school
problems that players will have to breath in and just accept. One of the most
annoying is that quests can be locked behind conversation sequences that need
to be gone through in pretty much an exact order. Early on we were stuck for
ages looking for wood simply because we hadn’t spoken to the owner of the pub
at the correct point during the quest set up. Along with this, finding quests
in the first place takes the very old school approach of NPC’s giving out the vaguest
hints and directions possible. We would suggest keeping a guide nearby for
help.</p><p class="MsoNormal">The levelling system is an interesting one and based around collecting
different materials to unlock buffs on a skill tree. You level up as well, but
you’ll need a certain amount of grinding to gather the materials required to
move substantially up the skill tree. There is also a nice concession in that
if you don’t have the specifically required material needed you can still
upgrade by using three times the amount of a different one.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, ASTLIBRA Revision is an interesting and somewhat
unique game that is well worth your time. It does require quite a large chunk
of patience to get the most out of, however. For those that are willing to put
in the time and can forgive some of the archaic throwbacks to action RPGS of
the past there is a rich and rewarding game here.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 7/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-22878008747420800302023-12-18T07:30:00.000+00:002023-12-18T07:30:00.172+00:00Visco Collection Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOl1du7PopYjKav1G-SOmt0vHS7MPT2sLHlQmu4MlIuDpqZUpTNb9P-EluQjKE5C1oI_6w0IXyzkyx6LvxiP8TLNACTTavH78uBPOqE1xu-NObXCl27WFuJ3IVJwzg-yokXLOO9YfnEbzGdk2c8iXrIz8-7-dT245cV73M_KJ7y04SPifFfRImhsgda8/s300/visco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOl1du7PopYjKav1G-SOmt0vHS7MPT2sLHlQmu4MlIuDpqZUpTNb9P-EluQjKE5C1oI_6w0IXyzkyx6LvxiP8TLNACTTavH78uBPOqE1xu-NObXCl27WFuJ3IVJwzg-yokXLOO9YfnEbzGdk2c8iXrIz8-7-dT245cV73M_KJ7y04SPifFfRImhsgda8/w400-h224/visco.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Retro collections are becoming more and more common on the
Switch and it has now reached the point that more niche and obscure titles are
getting their chance to shine. Pixelheart have previously acquired the license
for a host of Visco products and have published sequels to a few of them such
as Andro Dunos 2 and Ganryu 2 (which we have previously covered). This though is
the first time they have selected original Neo-Geo titles and bundled them together.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are seven games in total, and they range across genres.
You get the original Andro Dunos and Ganryu games, Windjammers inspired
Flipshot and its sequel Bang Bead, a vertical shooter called Captain Tomaday,
Goal!, Goal! Goal! and rally game Neo Drift Out. It’s a varied bunch of
somewhat lesser known and obscure Neo Geo titles. If we are honest, it’s also a
little on the light side and a few more games to round out the package would have
really pushed this to the next level. But what’s here shouldn’t be overlooked. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Neo Drift Out in particular is very welcome as it's
the very rare, third game in the Drift Out franchise and means something that
is going to cost you a small fortune is now easily available. It plays much the
same as the others in that it’s a very arcade take on rally driving. The goal
is to complete a course under a certain time limit and then move onto the next.
It’s viewed from an isometric perspective and there are of course plenty of
hazards and short cuts along the way to learn. It’s pretty difficult but also
great fun and certainly one of the high points here.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">More forgettable are Goal! Goal! Goal! and Captain Tomaday.
There are a whole host of football games on the Neo-Geo and while Goal! Goal!
Goal! Is good, arcade, fun in small bursts it doesn’t really do anything to
stand out from the crowd. Captain Tomaday, certainly has the quirky element
going for it as you are in control of a flying tomato taking on an evil
eggplant who wants to take over the world. Its closet comparison would be
something like Galaga as you scroll up then stop at arenas that fill with
enemies. There’s a host power ups and some fun scoring mechanics but we
struggled to stay with the game for too long. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Flipshot and it’s follow up, Bang Bead, are two games based
heavily around the Windjammers model. You must hit a ball back and forth to each
other with the aim of breaking the wall behind your opponent. Precision deflections
add power to the shots and once your opponents wall is down you can score.
There’s a host of different characters each with their own strengths
and weaknesses and it’s decent fun in small bursts. The games also have online
play which helps their longevity massively. Bang Bead being super rare is yet
another reason to be glad this collection exists as well as only a handful of
physical copies are out there. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The two most high-profile games on the collection have
already been mined for sequels. The first Andro Dunos is a great little game,
even if it lacks some of the visual flair of other Neo-Geo shooters. It’s a
horizontally scrolling shoot’em up where you start with all available weapons
and power them up continually by collecting pods. Knowing what to use and when,
along with the chargeable super attacks is the backbone of the title. It’s fast
and clean looking and should keep you occupied for a fair while. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ganryu, is the other high-profile game here and it’s quite different
from its sequel. A ninja platformer sitting somewhere between Revenge of
Shinobi and Legend of Kage it looks great, fusing a sort of feudal Japan
setting with neo-industrial overtures. Its biggest problem is that it’s quite
stiff to control and while players can leap around, throw out grappling hooks
and use a host of weapons, you can’t dash which makes movement and avoiding
certain attacks unnaturally difficult. It’s still fun, but you’ll be wishing it
just controlled as good as it looked much of the time. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, the Visco Collection does an excellent job of bringing
some of the more obscure Neo-Geo titles to players attentions. The work that
has gone into making pretty much all of them available to play online should
also be applauded as it was always going to be somewhat of a niche release. It’s
not perfect and it could do with a few more games but we are certainly glad it
exists and it gives players a way of accessing some quite rare titles for very
little money. We would be happy to see more of this in the future for sure. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 7/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-18488837330333613472023-12-13T07:30:00.001+00:002023-12-13T07:30:00.404+00:00Irem Collection Volume 1 Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6APFlwSMYZOnx326nODAZkUfI0_dhGr8bPhLC9a6gUyV4NXaDlzds_goPBfZI1Z-WvN0mwmXOlrTXGZfHjUsukU5VsJSlAwGjBL_uQYJ_8FYMwD2gQHMJuG4OpTg4XIIXqRdLupXO34LeA85F5YGgkLsC6ySbMhV0oEUqKme2v4dc7m9UX-9VuK_5z4/s1024/IF.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="1024" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6APFlwSMYZOnx326nODAZkUfI0_dhGr8bPhLC9a6gUyV4NXaDlzds_goPBfZI1Z-WvN0mwmXOlrTXGZfHjUsukU5VsJSlAwGjBL_uQYJ_8FYMwD2gQHMJuG4OpTg4XIIXqRdLupXO34LeA85F5YGgkLsC6ySbMhV0oEUqKme2v4dc7m9UX-9VuK_5z4/w400-h220/IF.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>Irem have been one of the most notable companies to not fully
exploit its back catalogue yet when it comes to retro collections and the exploitation
of its classic franchises. The approach they have now taken is to release a
selection of small volumes starting with this three-game collection of shoot’em
ups. Here you get Image fight 1 and 2 and X Multiply, perhaps not the most well-known
games from the company’s history but all of them are well worth playing. The big
question is if these three games are worth the pricey sum of £19.99 when you
compare them to other collections available.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One thing in the collections favour is that multiple
versions of each game (Where available), are included. X Multiply has both the ‘World’
and Japanese arcade variants and Image Fight has all the Arcade, NES, Famicom
and PC Engine versions available. The PC Engine CD version of Image Fight 2
rounds out the package. This means that while the package may seem a bit mean
in terms of content and price it also means that it is far cheaper than trying
to track down the original versions of the game to play on the original
hardware. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In terms of options, they are deceptively extensive. You get
multiple difficulty settings and the usual ability to create save states. There’s
also a host of things to do in the arcade games such as calibrating how the
sticks feel and various video options. There is also a section where you can enable
cheats as well, so you are well served no matter how you want to play the
games. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Image Fight is the most well-known game here and one that
was an early pioneer in the world of the vertically scrolling shooter. It’s
also crushingly difficult. It’s a game you’ll really need to memorise in order
to make it through with the smallest of mistakes often leading to death. It’s a
good thing those cheats are there for the more casual player. Of course, when
you die you are stripped of your well-earned power ups as well which makes things
even harder. T<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">he powerup system itself is complex with a mixture of pods that
can be launched briefly before returning, and force like add-ons which bolt on
to provide secondary weapons. Just make sure to pick the right ones or you will
die. Often. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just when you thought Image Fight was hard the sequel comes
along and is perhaps even more difficult. Bigger bosses and more intense action
coupled with players needing to build their powerups back up at the start of
each stage mean this is really one for the hardcore gamers out there. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">X Multiply is a horizontal scrolling shooter that initially recalls
R Type. It is, perhaps, even more organically grotesque in its design. The
concept is that you are making your way through a human body and need to rid it
from a microscopic alien invasion. It’s a lot faster and more action intense
than R Type for sure and a game that many have likely not encountered before so
it’s great to see it get a spotlight here. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, it’s difficult to judge where the first Irem Volume
lands. The three games here are great and the emulation is rock solid. But
there’s a lack of general finesse in terms of the presentation and the asking
price for a collection of three games is steep. When you consider Irem has more
volumes already lined up it’s obvious there could have been something put out
that would have appealed to a much wider audience. In the end it’ll come down
to just how much you want to play three great shoot’em ups. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 7/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-38865759098259456852023-12-11T07:30:00.004+00:002023-12-11T07:30:00.211+00:00Dave The Diver Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuWw5-5k2WyaxMnA-UI6ujqk2LB8akdvfyAOgP-fUwX0eks2SU1kSb5A1GxInTH2NujqmiRFQK-kFVrT5Vb_MRB7YvbkSMB7j-qQB345bjcml6CV0au-fqCf8mon3WIij2fYDylDbgRf3tD4tiEksyqCldgqfYDSifXR7WFdzRljghtJnmYKfW0ogLZE/s1400/dtd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1400" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuWw5-5k2WyaxMnA-UI6ujqk2LB8akdvfyAOgP-fUwX0eks2SU1kSb5A1GxInTH2NujqmiRFQK-kFVrT5Vb_MRB7YvbkSMB7j-qQB345bjcml6CV0au-fqCf8mon3WIij2fYDylDbgRf3tD4tiEksyqCldgqfYDSifXR7WFdzRljghtJnmYKfW0ogLZE/w400-h225/dtd.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Originality is a lost art in the realm of video games. But just
when you think you’ve seen it all someone will invent a game where you must
evolve fruit into a watermelon. This has little to do with Dave the Diver, but
if I told you this was a procedural generated rogue-like with a gear building
and management element I bet you’d think you had seen it all before. But
wonderfully, you haven’t. Even with all these tried and tested components Dave
the Diver is actually original…enough.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Split between two main game types our hero, Dave, searches
the depths of the nearby ‘Blue Hole’ by day and tends to the needs of customers
at the local rundown sushi restaurant at night. The diving section see Dave
catching fish for the restaurant and taking on fetch quests for items which have
manged to find themselves in the deep. As the game progresses, you’ll need to
continually upgrade your gear to reach lower depths, breath for longer and
fight off larger and larger aquatic creatures. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At night any fish caught can be turned into treats to serve
at the sushi restaurant. After setting a menu customers will come in and Dave
is required to run around serving drinks and delivering food which is
continually dispensed from the chef. As time progresses, you’ll get ever more
tasks to attend to such as clearing away bowls and grating wasabi with the
overall goal being to get the restaurant as popular as possible. It’s kind of
like if someone mixed Root Beer Tapper with Theme Park. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You also have a mobile phone which continually updates with
new apps providing you with more and more to manage. You’ll need to keep up the
social media promotion for the restaurant, check emails for requests, answer scientific
queries, develop weapons, and gear and hire staff. Life at a small restaurant was
never going to be easy after all. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s a good thing then that every aspect of the game works
and remains fun throughout. The short but chaotic bursts of the restaurant are
a perfect juxtaposition with the more tranquil and longer diving sections.
While the continued upgrading of gear and unlocks move at a pace that means
there is always something new to do or slightly further to explore without it
seeming completely overwhelming or becoming stagnant. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It helps that the game looks joyfully lovely. The Blue Hole
is a gorgeous place to explore and even though it’s procedurally generated for
each dive it still conforms to a sort of logic that means it’s both memorable
and mysterious at the same time. There’s a wide range of fish swimming around
and various sizes of creatures to capture, kill or simply avoid with the biggest
sharks acting as unofficial bosses and gear check points. The above water
sections are as equally full of life in their own way with characters all
having their quirky charms and the customisable restaurant fitting the setting
and overall tone well. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Dave the Diver is a welcome addition to the Switch
library. Everything it sets out to do it achieves pretty much perfectly. All
the different aspects of it blend to produce a wonderfully quirky and fun
adventure for players to undertake. In a year of strong indie releases for the
Switch this is one of the very best. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Overall 9/10</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-8935271079105906792023-12-04T07:30:00.002+00:002023-12-04T07:30:00.142+00:00Knight vs Giant: The Broken Excalibur Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA3PV7tS6SMaPLMQjeoLC6UltYxowEce3ygkJLWAZe8RgjrCnE45l7s_Z3XxKq-6m3QwLXU4vGrFgR2MNzxG9JXdjQtc8X3AKm7XhDj2n_iGrDHYSOAQ42ShgE_ToLUYKAURoRepWpyf0UmXsSsZziiSNVGrGfNnG1wZYpBaCOvrueboaCNlQKdxl-PDs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA3PV7tS6SMaPLMQjeoLC6UltYxowEce3ygkJLWAZe8RgjrCnE45l7s_Z3XxKq-6m3QwLXU4vGrFgR2MNzxG9JXdjQtc8X3AKm7XhDj2n_iGrDHYSOAQ42ShgE_ToLUYKAURoRepWpyf0UmXsSsZziiSNVGrGfNnG1wZYpBaCOvrueboaCNlQKdxl-PDs=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div> <br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Written by Thomas G.J. Sharpe<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Combining so many pieces of the rogue-lite genre, a few too
many design styles, and frankly too many bits of a title, makes <i>Knight vs
Giant: The Broken Excalibur</i> a messy but not wholly unsuccessful adventure.
At its worst it’s a gaudy <i>Hades </i>clone and at its best, it’s a charming
diversion, I didn’t find a great drive to dive in for one-more-run for much
time, as this genre really requires. I bounced off of this one, as I have with
others of its ilk, but some may find this hits some good marks.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first thing that hits you (especially if you’re from the
UK) is Brian Blessed’s cataclysmic voice. Yes, once again the shrinking violet
Brian Blessed, man mountain who mans mountains, has hit the video game voice
over scene. It is no surprise that Blessed ended up in this sphere with such a
characterful and entertaining voice. His video game credits are now rather
lengthy, from movie tie-ins to some real classics like the equally colon-stricken
<i>Kingdom Come: Deliverance</i>. While not seal of quality, Blessed is a
strong selling point, and his performance makes the expository dialogue
sequence bearable. The story is that Camelot is flung into a void as a
shattered landmass floating in a crack in reality (sort of like <i>Loop Hero</i>,
I understood), which sets up King Arthur as our player character, aided by
Merlin (played by Blessed) in a quest to bring the whole situation back to
reality. This is an effective set up for the style of game chosen, given that
the different “biomes” that one has to battle through can be visualised as
separated islands or areas in this floating void. The “hub” of the destroyed
Camelot is set up as a place to pick loadouts, spend found currency and
aesthetically develop.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you’re familiar with <i>Cult of the Lamb</i>, <i>Hades</i>,
or <i>Enter the Gungeon</i> (to pick a few notable titles), you already have
the measure of this. As Arthur picks his base abilities, representing the
styles of the other knights of the Round Table, you battle through a series of
areas and then a boss. Each time you fail, you gain more experience of how to
fight mechanically, but also develop your power and tools at the hub. There is
a little flexibility with play style, but it feels somewhat restrictive because
of the awkward controls in combat. I never felt a sparky cohesion of responsive
control and hitbox management. Things just never felt connected to me. Due to
this, I favoured the direct, melee fighting styles rather than the ranged
attacks (I recall similar issues with <i>Cult of the Lamb</i>, causing me to
feel unsatisfied before too long). Adding into this problem is the animations
of the player character and the mobs are all “marionette” style, that have
always felt quite unnatural and give vague visual cues about movement and
perspective.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To follow this line of weakness, there are a mixture of art
styles across this game that became distracting. While not unattractive, there
feels a lack of singular purpose to it aesthetically. This is not, however, and
unfun world to be in. There are lashings of humour, a positive charm, a good
deal of decent dialogue, with some of it quite well and spiritedly voiced.
Please, do not go rabbiting for any interesting Arthurian interpretation. There
is artistic licence being taken everywhere, and this is not a criticism unto
itself, but just a warning if you were looking for a slick reinterpretation of
the ol’ legends.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Where <i>Knight vs Giant</i> really succeeds is not
necessarily in the “knight” bit, but the “giant” part (the Chibi style of the
Arthur player model is particularly and irritatingly out of step with all the
other characters). The hulking bosses are wonderfully realised and are
consistently the best bit of the actual gameplay. They are a fun mash-up of garish
Eldritch and <i>Kingdom Rush</i> cute, leaving most of the rest of the enemy
design in the dust. These are great moments that do some of the heavy lifting
to keep the game afloat after hitting the same, quickly tired, areas again and
again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If <i>Hades</i> was a bit mawkish and <i>Cult of the Lamb </i>a
bit Hot Topic for you, you could do well with this. Getting in and out of runs
was a bit laborious for me, the execution a little clumsy, but still has a
decent bit of fun to be had. Flawed, but not forlorn.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Overall - 6/10</p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-38025994500316932512023-11-27T07:30:00.001+00:002023-11-27T07:30:00.133+00:00Air Twister Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJJYOg9eaxdA7EtC7qG_eSDQf4Fhg-fa1dncOdX1za_cNB_7hyc8gdiJlrg5XmYglHtCZmS5XmDpglCyh7ScoIE2zdd9onjaxPJza5nHNCQoRV-WYolP4k9g6yExbEHP-3LA9O_jD4cqDDpuOI8Z7kLhFPW1ShaXP_a3i5T6XTgGZ-23LpYIyZ5seSGxE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJJYOg9eaxdA7EtC7qG_eSDQf4Fhg-fa1dncOdX1za_cNB_7hyc8gdiJlrg5XmYglHtCZmS5XmDpglCyh7ScoIE2zdd9onjaxPJza5nHNCQoRV-WYolP4k9g6yExbEHP-3LA9O_jD4cqDDpuOI8Z7kLhFPW1ShaXP_a3i5T6XTgGZ-23LpYIyZ5seSGxE=w400-h224" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p>Of all the retro comebacks and genres out there, the Space
Harrier clone is something that developers haven’t gone to that often in their
quest tap into our nostalgia glands. We have had a classic arcade release of
course, Sin and Punishment popped up on the Wii and the Switch N64 store and a
Panzer Dragoon remake, but overall, it’s been quiet. It’s fitting then that Yu
Suzuki, the original creator of Space Harrier, has taken it upon himself to add
a new entry to the genre.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Air Twister, was originally released on Apple Arcade in 2022
and follows the Space Harrier mould very closely. You zoom around fantastical
locations, led through the levels on rails and you can fly anywhere on the screen.
The one big difference is that the heroine of the piece, Princess Arch, can use
lock on lasers as well as just blasting in the same way as something like
Panzer Dragoon. At the end of each level is a boss to take down and it’s about
as pure an arcade experience as you can get. It also, sadly, never quite shakes
of that feeling of it being a mobile game. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In its favour are the mass of unlocks available. These range
from the cosmetic, such as new costumes or hairstyles to a whole host of buffs
and upgrades. These cover just about everything that could be helpful to you
from health and attack power to making certain obstacles unable to damage you. These
are all unlocked by collecting stars as you progress through the stages as well
as additions from bonuses produced at the end of rounds. It gives some
incentive to keep playing as a run through from beginning to end will take
about half an hour. As well as unlockable buffs and costumes though, there are
also a host of additional modes, boss rushes and mini games so there is at
least an attempt to keep the player with the game. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While impressive in bursts, the visuals of Air Twister can
be a bit odd. There is no consistency from one world to the next and instead
you are just sort of flying through a kaleidoscope of vaguely surrealist level
design. One minute you might be flying through an abandoned desert, while the
next you’ll be in amongst giants mushrooms and flowers. This does create an element
of detachment and makes it all seem a bit random. Even some kind of world map would
have been helpful here. The upscaling can be patchy as well. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The biggest flaw with the game though is that it’s just a
bit basic and repetitive. When you think other games in this genre have added
things like dodges or wider ranges of movement this just seems flat. It also
lacks the urgency and pace of the original Space Harrier. It’s all ok but
nothing really changes. There are a few levels where you must avoid obstacles
or position yourself through gaps, but they are all too fleeting and blasting
at lack lustre enemy formations isn’t enough to sustain it. The bosses are all similar
as well which doesn’t help. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Air Twister is inoffensive in its design but it’s
also not particular inspirational. It controls ok and looks ok, but nothing
really makes it stand out. The truth is there are at least three other games
like it on the Switch and all of them have more identify and personality. If
you are the most hardcore of Yu Suzuki fans, then you’ll get something out of
this but when Space Harrier and Panzer Dragoon are often available for pennies
it’s unlikely to hold anyone’s attention for long.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 5/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-85577214393619357492023-11-20T07:30:00.010+00:002023-11-20T07:30:00.150+00:00Pan-Dimensional Conga Combat Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_neUN8U-BUJdhV6TJok7JGeqbfr9Fu0zX-I6dQtcKD5kJTJUghKbrDRqahKrko4wxi-nm2gROl-4brmVFeTlmaYgYuFpArv0HMCGH3oLSj1BR44YeL3FJnFu27_M4G8Z-FlCiP2t21VrpQk9KDfJ_xjz9D6Ffzt1YEl5rjjaeola1mrXG7dPwxcy78o8/s735/PDC.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="735" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_neUN8U-BUJdhV6TJok7JGeqbfr9Fu0zX-I6dQtcKD5kJTJUghKbrDRqahKrko4wxi-nm2gROl-4brmVFeTlmaYgYuFpArv0HMCGH3oLSj1BR44YeL3FJnFu27_M4G8Z-FlCiP2t21VrpQk9KDfJ_xjz9D6Ffzt1YEl5rjjaeola1mrXG7dPwxcy78o8/w400-h268/PDC.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div>Written by Dan Gill</div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A good game lives or dies by its hook. Geometry Wars had a
simple multiplier system and could be picked up quickly, whereas Vampire
Survivors offers a simple starting point then builds on it with each replay. Look
at something like Hollow Knight or Blasphemous, each title rewards exploration
and hard-won tussles with tricky bosses. You’ll probably notice I’ve selected
indie titles, and with good reason. Each of the above games are cheap to pick
up but offer rewarding gameplay, the pounds (or insert your regional currency
here)-to-hours ratio is a fair one. Pan-Dimensional Conga Combat on the other
hand, isn’t quite so generous.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The game plays much like Pacifist mode in Geometry Wars, but
your ship has a tail which can take out enemies. Hitting certain enemies with
the tail can also charge a laser attack. Once a certain number of enemies has
been destroyed, a gateway opens to the next level. One hit and it’s game over,
and that’s it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Control is imprecise, mostly due to the inertia imposed on
the player’s craft. The tail follows the path of the ship, dishing out damage
on whatever it touches, and there’s a lot to contend with as enemies come in
from all sides, helpfully forewarning the player via an arrow indicating which
edge they’re joining the arena from. Some pre-planning is required in order to
have the ship’s tail waiting for enemies, as one hit will end the game.
Sometimes wormholes open to allow more enemies in, but they can be closed by
circling with your ship. Occasionally you’ll gain the odd power-up, but it’s
just more of the same over and over again, with no draw to pull you back in for
one more go.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The pixel art is nice enough and the music is pretty decent,
but the whole thing feels like it’s trying too hard to win you over with its
style and difficulty. And this is its biggest failing; it just can’t back it up
with the gameplay. The taunting triangle after every game over is more grating
than playful, and the music is limited to a couple of tracks, so can wear over
time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And that’s basically it. The game feels like a mode within
something larger rather than a game in its own right. It features a couple of
modes and some multiplayer options, but the whole thing feels like an
incomplete thought, and what is there fails to entice the player back for one
more go. All in all, it plays like a half-baked attempt at an arcade score
attack title, but sadly it has no sting in its tail. Perhaps One-Dimensional
Conga Combat would have been more apt as a title.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Overall 4/10</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-88670635082149646622023-11-13T07:30:00.014+00:002023-11-13T07:30:00.145+00:00Witch n' Wiz Review (NES)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4RpM7hfbXkUstmWUCTYTgO-F9BaLwGYr3m8Yp5OMUJ0g9czyTBG_4Hc0chG5KOEul-P2TOn78lQLm3-CKZwsTD8gO-qj2hhEWk43SwALkL6_pcG9PyLFQ4gbga_fYmH3db79f5o2PxlHmnX7riYLv7Od9BlWSfb_1Lq4h-xCUanhwZH_clw0r1AkGlc/s275/witchnwiz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4RpM7hfbXkUstmWUCTYTgO-F9BaLwGYr3m8Yp5OMUJ0g9czyTBG_4Hc0chG5KOEul-P2TOn78lQLm3-CKZwsTD8gO-qj2hhEWk43SwALkL6_pcG9PyLFQ4gbga_fYmH3db79f5o2PxlHmnX7riYLv7Od9BlWSfb_1Lq4h-xCUanhwZH_clw0r1AkGlc/w400-h266/witchnwiz.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>For some the retro style simply isn’t enough and this has
led to a resurgence in games coded for original systems. We’ve covered some of these
before such as Micro Mages and Alwa’s Awakening, both of which proved to be
excellent. They also both ended up heading to the Evercade system as well,
something Witch and Wiz is also about to do.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The story is simple, a young boy has been kidnapped by a
dark sorcerer and now his witch friend must try and rescue him. Once rescued, the
boy wizard becomes part of the many dynamics the game plays around with. Your
character handles really well and everything is responsive and free from the
flicker and other such quirks of NES games so it may have been designed with
8-bit in mind, but it runs as well as modern ‘retro’ inspired games running on
more powerful systems. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Witch and Wiz is a puzzle platform game that is built around
single screen levels. Players complete each stage by collecting all the
creatures that are within it. This is of course, trickier than it sounds as you
can’t jump and need to get around by pushing blocks. It’s easy to lock yourself
out of being able to complete the levels but you can reset or rewind your moves
which makes it possible to quickly get back on track.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As well as the rewind a new gimmick is added in each new
chapter. This could be something such as flipping gravity or adding a second
character to control but it means each of worlds stays fresh and original while
still focusing on the same core theme. It’s not the longest game either and
will likely last you around an hour to complete. But then NES games never have
been that lengthy and we would rather have a short, fun, and inventive game
than one that outstays its welcome. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The main encouragement for replaying is beating the levels
in the quickest time possible. The game keeps track of your best time as you
progress so it’s certainly one for the speed runners out there. That said, the
nature of the genre does restrict replayability a bit. Each puzzle only really
seems to have one solution so once you’ve worked it out there isn’t that much
else to do aside from enjoy the simple story. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Witch and Wiz is another excellent indie game
developed for retro hardware. Often in these situations the limitations of the hardware
mean developers must get creative and this is yet another example of it. It’s
certainly easier than a lot of NES games and aside from speed runners there will
be little for many to go back in for, but while it lasts it’s creative, fun and
always throwing something new at you. It’ll certainly be perfect for handheld
consoles such as the Evercade and Switch and well worth checking out. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 8/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-65743499372683321852023-11-06T07:30:00.002+00:002023-11-06T07:30:00.164+00:00Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtuless Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Pe5T12yE3o42w823rPMW0CHPraORZktUKeUSAWViicJPBMYSh-9T_a-ypjQ7_1fJJmCixINf9Bb-pQfZ7iiXqUVcdDn0OyvziEddTdk6Z_VGUW7gM5ixedPfy1u5YVlB_42vls3k7hDRgYLwIGwkS-Ca7F74bkJcZxJ4B8cz1SexAuOKs_ue2XXEusk/s300/Dis7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Pe5T12yE3o42w823rPMW0CHPraORZktUKeUSAWViicJPBMYSh-9T_a-ypjQ7_1fJJmCixINf9Bb-pQfZ7iiXqUVcdDn0OyvziEddTdk6Z_VGUW7gM5ixedPfy1u5YVlB_42vls3k7hDRgYLwIGwkS-Ca7F74bkJcZxJ4B8cz1SexAuOKs_ue2XXEusk/w400-h224/Dis7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p>Somewhere out there will be someone who has completed all
the Disgaea games, and not just the seven mainline titles but the spinoffs and
probably Phantom Brave and a host of the others NIS titles. We are happy to be
honest and say that isn’t us and we also didn’t make it all the way to the end
of this Disgaea entry. But unless we wanted our review to come out next year we
had to stop playing at some point. And just in case you think we are tapping
out early, the developers claim a 400-hour run time on this one so just go with
us here.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We found Disgaea 6 solid, but it struggled to keep our
interest in the long run, especially compared to other games in the series. The
new look in particular didn’t settle well with us, but we are glad to say that
Disgaea 7 is much more visually appealing and consistent in it’s style. This in
part comes from the game taking inspiration for its look from the Edo period of
Japanese history. This has allowed for a lot of the rough edges and visual
clutter to be stripped back and give us something that looks modern, but also keeps
the series looking good enough for current systems. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This time the story follows a rich and spoiled tourist girl
called Pirilika who has arrived in the universe to take in the unique culture
and understand more about their Bushido code. Unfortunately, she finds that the
universe has been overrun by demons working for the big bad Shogun Demmodore
Opener and has thus lost it. She’s soon joined by a grumpy samurai named Fuji
who is drawn to the magical sword she happens to be carrying around in her bag.
It turns out the sword is one of seven founding weapons and the two set off to
find the rest and overthrow the evil Shogun. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In terms of mechanics, the core ones never really change
when it comes to Disgaea. Levels take place across grided environments with characters
having different movement, magic, and attack stats. Various obstacles and bits
of the map add or take away various bonuses and most levels are completed by
either defeating a boss or eliminating all opposition. This is a massive oversimplification
of course as every stat of every character can be changed and manipulated in
countless ways until you have the ultimate team of heroes ready to march
through to the end. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As an added complication, levels often have the series
tradition of geo panels present as well. These are coloured squares which are
linked to a node which adds effects such as upping attack power or healing. If
you destroy nodes in the right order and in the right places, it’s possible to
clear all the coloured squares and gain a huge bonus. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unlike some previous entries Disgaea 7 does a very good job
of drip-feeding news systems to you. You’ll start out with very little to sort
out aside from the basic battles but as you progress through the worlds more
and more shops and buildings will unlock back at your base. There’s a hospital
of course and weapon and items shops which are self-explanatory, but you’ll
soon get the juice bar to allow bonus boosting of stats and the dark assembly
where you can go and try and get new rules implemented, change upcoming levels
or a host of crazy other things. There are bonus missions, cheat rooms, squads,
and the meta game of the item world, it all seems sometimes like you’ll never
get to the end of it all.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For those new to the series, the item world is a series of randomly
generated levels which occur when players want to jump inside an item or
weapon. For each level you beat the object will get stronger and you can find item
world citizens as well which add more bonuses once completed. Considering you
can do this with every single item in the game you could lose thousands and
thousands of hours here if you really wanted to. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Most games in the series have a sort of gimmick added into
them. In the past we’ve had monsters being able to be turned into weapons,
tower battles (where characters stack on top of each other) and ridable giant
creatures. Vows of the Virtueless brings ‘Jumbification’ into the mix. When a
character fills its meter it’s able to grow to gigantic Kaiju proportions.
Characters become so big that they don’t even fit on the battlefield anymore. Instead,
they stand at the back or to the side and can unleash huge area effect attacks.
Giant characters also add effects to the whole battlefield both positive and
negative. Of course, this also makes them more vulnerable as multiple enemies
can reach the edge of the battlefield and all attack at once. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Disgaea 7 is up there with the series best. It’s
easy to access for newcomers while also being incredibly challenging as you
progress to the depths of the game. Mechanics are complex but introduced slowly
so that you are never overwhelmed, and the writing is top draw and encapsulates
all the humour and quirks we have come to expect. Whether you are new to the
series or a veteran this is one of the best games of its kind and it works extremely
well on the Switch. Highly recommended. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 9/10<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-36695777970995981312023-10-30T07:30:00.001+00:002023-10-30T07:30:00.321+00:00A Boy and His Blob Retro Collection Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zGw6CoJTPoHL-N7YRDm8fs4R4tRlU09JyNp7RTxAGIwd2z1WeBJ8BzeBJQa9D558ug7CXhrD6zpegDs1F4sLgmOnXE_TtprYi43zx0zSK2nPF9T_YSxwTODZpfAaC2ksnfb-peTQQojupG2phqAE7qhJwFBxmv3hgi1NyWL_C6zV-ZJr1wBFznDVcKY/s1280/Boy%20and%20blob.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zGw6CoJTPoHL-N7YRDm8fs4R4tRlU09JyNp7RTxAGIwd2z1WeBJ8BzeBJQa9D558ug7CXhrD6zpegDs1F4sLgmOnXE_TtprYi43zx0zSK2nPF9T_YSxwTODZpfAaC2ksnfb-peTQQojupG2phqAE7qhJwFBxmv3hgi1NyWL_C6zV-ZJr1wBFznDVcKY/w400-h225/Boy%20and%20blob.webp" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p>Of all the franchises floating around the retro sphere A Boy
and His Blob is certainly among the more niche. There was a revival on the Wii,
which later moved to over platforms, but this is the first time that the
original two games have made their way out of the retro abyss.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is a fairly simple package which contains the NES game ‘Trouble
on Blobonia’ and the Gameboy sequel ‘The Rescue of Princess Blobette’. There’s
a nice bonus in that the Western and Japanese versions of the games are
included which have different graphics but there is little in the way of archive
material or other extras outside of some fancy borders and a basic CRT filter. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The games themselves are a mixture of platforming and
puzzles which players overcome by feeding Blob different flavoured jellybeans.
Each flavour transforms the Blob into something different, Tangerine for instance
turns him into a trampoline while Liquorice transforms Blob into a ladder. There’s
a host of different transformations such as an umbrella, blow torch, rocket or
even a bubble. Each of which can be used to overcome a range of different obstacles.
None of the jellybeans turn Blob into any sort of weapon though, which means
any enemies need to be avoided as a single touch will cause death. As a nice
touch each game does have a couple of unique transformations as well.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Both games are set in different places. The NES game is
split into two different sections and starts on earth. First, you need to
search through caves under the city streets to find treasure then take it to
the shop and buy packs of vitamins. You then blast off to the planet of
Blobonia and use the vitamins to neutralise the marshmallows and other sweets
that have invaded it. The Gameboy game is set in a castle with the overall goal
being to find and rescue Princess Blobette who has been locked in a tower. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In terms of general controls, the game is ok, if not
spectacular. Your character slips around a bit so it can be difficult to
position him precisely. Blob is pretty rubbish at moving where you want him as well,
but you have a jellybean which will teleport Blob to where it lands so you can
move him around if he won’t get in a specific place. You don’t get an awful lot
in the way of modernisation to help you either.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is a very handy map of both games accessible from the
menu screen but in terms of save states it is very basic. There is no rewind function
and while you can save, there is only one slot and it exits you from the game
when you do it. This is a really strange decision as it’s not a quick save so
you’ll return to the spot if you die, but if you want to save often you’ll have
to go through the process of booting up the game again each time from the menu.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, the two games offer something different for retro fans.
We enjoyed both games upon original release and while they are a bit rough
around the edges neither are impossible to finish. If you are willing to look
through the flaws and the lack of modern options, there’s some wholesome fun to
be had at a pretty reasonable price. Fans of the newer game and NES games in general
will find a lot to like and we are always happy to see more niche titles
brought back for a wider audience.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 7/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-10323529406249389452023-10-23T07:30:00.003+01:002023-10-24T09:36:09.907+01:00The Games That Weren't Book Review<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLlXOu3K14CDa9qDUskRawtOWOgzTZmeztYNJkslD008oF4bzqOzY7YPvn8dTqRgPbVTRdFa_SI4e-vE1g5fahrg0vBcE_d47TUG-4sfEWpy4WTR5RDvAZige2nR9hbHwhELAhXH0FLtVKPS5TKYielwhuaeKK6-KUH8647Mv6vccXYco3Fn8iA5_h6uI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLlXOu3K14CDa9qDUskRawtOWOgzTZmeztYNJkslD008oF4bzqOzY7YPvn8dTqRgPbVTRdFa_SI4e-vE1g5fahrg0vBcE_d47TUG-4sfEWpy4WTR5RDvAZige2nR9hbHwhELAhXH0FLtVKPS5TKYielwhuaeKK6-KUH8647Mv6vccXYco3Fn8iA5_h6uI=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Written by Dan Gill</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Picture the scene: it’s 2006. A fresh-faced young(ish)
writer with a full(ish) head of hair is on the staff forum of much missed
website GameStyle. Staff are putting in requests for what they want to review,
so I – being a fan of StarCraft (despite being rubbish at the game) - request
to cover the upcoming StarCraft: Ghost. I get the thumbs-up, and eagerly await
news from Blizzard. By this point, it had been about four years since the
spin-off was announced, so surely, it’d be due soon. A few weeks (possibly even
days) later, I see the news that it’s been cancelled. It was a bit of a blow as
I had been looking forward to it, but that’s the games industry, I guess.
There’ll always be something new around the corner. But still I wonder, what
would it have been like? Frank Gasking asks that same question, but about a
multitude of games spanning the past fifty years or so.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">TGTW is divided into decades, so starts with games from
Atari, Dave Nutting Associates and the like, then works its way through the
evolution of the medium to its current high-stakes projects and massive
studios. The early days of game development came with some wild ideas. The
industry was new and testing the waters. Pitches were thrown out during lavish
pool parties or by engineers messing about in the office. But even then, some
ideas were too expensive to realise, up against similar competition, or just no
fun to play. The book is presented cleanly, with full developer and publisher
information, and a handy guide to whether the game can be played or not (some
ROMS are out there if you know where to look). Through interviews, archives and
vague descriptions, Gasking pieces together info on these phantom titles. Where
there’s no pictorial evidence, artists reconstruct what things may have looked
like if they’d materialised. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As one would expect, the insights vary in depth; some games
or hardware may have a few words and a screenshot, while others have pages of
information. There’s a wealth of information on the well-known Dreamcast port
of Half-Life, multi-format drive-‘em-up Carmageddon TV, and even the 32X-bound
Virtua Hamster. The book covers a lot of ground in its 600 or so pages and does
well to highlight games the reader may never had heard of. It’s the
lesser-known games that tend to have more information in some cases, supposedly
because the bigger publishers are reluctant to discuss their misses, but the
author still manages to present enough detail to pique the reader’s interest.
I’d almost forgotten about the ambitious Game Boy Color remake of Resident Evil
until its minimalist yet impressive graphics leapt from the page.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s quite a bold move by Bitmap Books – a publisher who presents
lavish tomes chock-full of glorious gaming art – to release a book based around
games that never saw the light of day and don’t always come with any solid
visual evidence of their existence, but it’s a fascinating read. It’s a glimpse
into an alternate reality where Super Mario’s Wacky Worlds may have become the
CD-I's killer app, or where Flashback Legend took its place as the rightful
sequel to Flashback. Sadly, StarCraft: Ghost is relegated to a special mention
rather than a full feature, so the Dan of 2006 will just have to imagine how it
would have looked or played. I guess you can’t always get what you want, but
thanks to the author, you can at least have a glimpse into what could have
been.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Store link - <a href="https://www.bitmapbooks.com/products/the-games-that-werent">https://www.bitmapbooks.com/products/the-games-that-werent</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">*Picture from Bitmap Books. </p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-91522753302280545482023-10-16T07:30:00.015+01:002023-10-16T07:30:00.145+01:00Replikator Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nBwsegISpEuqW-oLpLtbBeO8snbIgUhyBOr5J-v9y2-6PH2IwVEQJG-yX5gydMoIa24MiuWUysU_ts7FdrSVAxjPltxqkgESG7WsyKulr9zEGv0AQTuNeJvdJpigzfMi0qy-Jezl1mCDb7tMy7YalitW5c1k3kVbGXSmQXCCBjRHcTCNBqJCP5LCVYY/s1280/Replikator.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nBwsegISpEuqW-oLpLtbBeO8snbIgUhyBOr5J-v9y2-6PH2IwVEQJG-yX5gydMoIa24MiuWUysU_ts7FdrSVAxjPltxqkgESG7WsyKulr9zEGv0AQTuNeJvdJpigzfMi0qy-Jezl1mCDb7tMy7YalitW5c1k3kVbGXSmQXCCBjRHcTCNBqJCP5LCVYY/w400-h225/Replikator.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In the world of the roguelike the Switch is particularly
well stocked. However, most of these games in recent times have been of the platform/Metroidvania mould. Enter the Gungeon, is of course one of the yard
sticks of the top down shooter variety of roguelike but there is still plenty
of room for more entrants in the arena. One you may well have overlooked is
Replikator, an indie blaster that is very much in the hardcore category of the
genre.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Players take the role of one of a handful of galactic
mercenaries who are tasked with boarding a huge scientific complex where a project
has gone wild and taken over. The different characters come with their own
stats in areas such as speed and health and all have unique special skills. There
is of course a wealth of areas to continually upgrade and enhance ranging from
ammo and energy to how often your onboard equipment and weapon tables produce
new items. There’s so much in fact that we can only imagine how many runs you would have to complete to get everything to top level. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In order to upgrade you need to gather data cubes which can be picked up from secret rooms or after defeating tougher
enemies. There’s also a more traditional coin type currency to collect which
can used to operate things such as med stations and ammo dispensers.
Batteries can also be picked up to operate machinery and access cards which
open certain doors. What we’re saying is there’s a lot to collect. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Away from personal upgrades you can pick up blueprints
for weapons and other enhancements. The mass of upgrades and unlocks will likely
overwhelm new players or those not familiar with the genre and it took us a
good few hours to even begin to understand what was going on and make any sort
of progress past the first stage. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One issue is that with everything that the game has going on
it really needed a better way of explaining how things work. There
is a training section which goes over the controls but everything else is very
much left up to you to discover for better or for worse and there’s a lot to
think about. Replikator runs with a dual stick shooting mechanic with players
able to move between two weapons at a time. You also have a shock attack which
is a low damage melee strike mainly used for breaking boxes. From a defensive
point of view you can dash which also allows you to move through some ground
based traps and other gun fire. There’s a host of other gadgets and tricks
going on as well which are simply too extensive to list here. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Enemies take the form of robots and androids and come at you
in every form imaginable. Some fly, some roll, some shoot, some explode
and some are really damn big. Even in the early stages enemy variety is good
with each new stage adding more and more creations to dispatch. Despite the
mechanical carnage the aim of each level is actually to find a key which opens
the terminal allowing progression to the next stage. Each exit allows the
player to move to one of three new stages, each offering a different bonus.
There is then a boss battle every few stages. Another thing to be aware of is
that stages can be huge, so this isn’t a speed running approach to the genre.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Replikator is a bit rough around the edges but if
you can stick with it then it becomes an incredibly deep and satisfying game. We
certainly wouldn’t recommend it to someone as an entry point for this sort of game and
you are going to need a solid amount of patience and determination to get the
best out of it. Once you’ve broken through the initial barriers though this
about as addictive and rewarding as they come. If you are a fan of the genre don’t overlook it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 8/10<o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-35429093869185762822023-10-09T07:30:00.001+01:002023-10-09T07:30:00.148+01:00Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit Review (Switch)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtJNmyp1qYeHKgCEfd6AzS2CgxSYLbeoiAYo2MuCI1h3nrhoJvUAnfaeqw8HU3hSBLUPeIfrNv-cq8IiMjij5QUFXlAVFtoDyqS1Fpjk3YhLfQ9umD1SRadj1tsvU0csFJHuWWFsJecNpZ_1gSpiFvQaxmlV7F1ED6A-GW3NLbcLODIq8bcKrhEB2nP8/s900/CandP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtJNmyp1qYeHKgCEfd6AzS2CgxSYLbeoiAYo2MuCI1h3nrhoJvUAnfaeqw8HU3hSBLUPeIfrNv-cq8IiMjij5QUFXlAVFtoDyqS1Fpjk3YhLfQ9umD1SRadj1tsvU0csFJHuWWFsJecNpZ_1gSpiFvQaxmlV7F1ED6A-GW3NLbcLODIq8bcKrhEB2nP8/w400-h225/CandP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <p></p><p>Of all the retro revivals happening at the minute the
beloved point and click game is still somewhat underutilised on consoles. There
have been some highlights of course with Broken Sword 5, Monkey Island and Roki
being particular favourites, but compared to Metroidvaias and Rogue-likes there
isn’t the strength in depth you might have hoped for. This is changing though,
as the original Broken Sword and a new sequel are coming. Speaking of Broken
Sword, here we have Crowns and Pawns which is a game clearly inspired by it and
a title that should keep you busy until the triumphant return of George Stobbart.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Crowns and Pawns follows Milda, a girl with Lithuanian
heritage who inherits a house from her grandfather which sets in motion a chain
of events that sees her exploring the lesser highlighted areas of Europe and
European history. The setting is a nice change from the norm as countries such
as Lithuania offer a rich cultural and historical heritage to explore which will
likely be less familiar to players. It’s something more developers should think
about when choosing the settings for their games. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, as soon as Milda touches down it becomes obvious
there is much more going on than simply sorting out her grandfather’s house and
soon, you’ll be caught up with the KGB and looking to uncover a long-hidden
secrets and mysteries. This does play out in a way similar to the Broken Sword
games with a lot of historical researching and visiting of churches and other
cultural sights. But Revolutions game certainly doesn’t have a monopoly on churches
so while it feels familiar it never moves into full copying territory. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are two main processes to solving puzzles. The first will
be familiar to point and click fans in that you move around areas picking up
objects, combining when needed and then using them to solve a location-based puzzle.
An early example of this is needing to figure out how to get a key from between
a crack in the floorboards which requires magnets and string. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The other thing the game has you doing is combining notes in
Mildas phone. For instance, when reading a book, she will often mark down
important things such as locations or dates. You may then need to combine these
with a note which says something like “My grandad was looking for treasure at a
church”. Matching the two things will then normally give Milda a revelation leading
to a new line of enquiry or a new location to go to and explore. The system
itself is not particularly complicated but we did find ourselves stopped in our
tracks a bit too often with this and starring at notes in her phone is far less
interesting than interacting with the world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Being stopped in our tracks is a bigger issue with the game as
well. You’ll always get those moments where you aren’t quite sure how to solve
a puzzle in point and click games but the clue giving in Crowns and Pawns is
slightly off and not quite good enough too often. A lot of the time we didn’t
have any idea what our goal was even when we asked what we should be doing, or
we felt we had already done it. When you have a clear thread of what to do the
puzzles are very good but too often, we found ourselves wandering aimlessly. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Crowns and Pawns is a fun and worthwhile game for
point and click fans. It may be a bit unrefined in terms of its dialogue, but
the puzzles, locations and general story are interesting and engaging. If you
can get over the stop start nature of the game, then it is well worth playing
as there is a lot of charm here and it’s clear the developers had a lot of passion
for the project. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 7/10<o:p></o:p></p><br />Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5252607707470952959.post-68681382565544556192023-10-02T07:30:00.001+01:002023-10-02T07:30:00.153+01:00Full Void Review (Switch)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7sgPS4l_6LkPTgDnlpFFmPAlzhgUddfat9VjxzgLzgP6i9pf5GZVsP3kUSjEeFLS4a-wXF19QlH_CsTdCCKDgRaA4Z3JiL--KZnvDc8HVF9N_z9_1e5_rF3vZoWXKV8sC09LfFBayn7Di2ChK_ctN5wdJZZR9NmnPGKcCZTM3Tz3BjYVF2kjXp0x2mA/s640/FullVoid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7sgPS4l_6LkPTgDnlpFFmPAlzhgUddfat9VjxzgLzgP6i9pf5GZVsP3kUSjEeFLS4a-wXF19QlH_CsTdCCKDgRaA4Z3JiL--KZnvDc8HVF9N_z9_1e5_rF3vZoWXKV8sC09LfFBayn7Di2ChK_ctN5wdJZZR9NmnPGKcCZTM3Tz3BjYVF2kjXp0x2mA/w400-h225/FullVoid.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Indie games certainly go through trends, first everything
was Metroidvania and then came the Roguelikes. Now it seems the Cinematic Platformer
is the genre of choice. In recent times we’ve had Lunark, Eternal Castle, Library
of Bable and remasters of Another World and Flashback to mention a few. Full
Void is the next game to take on this approach and, for the most part, it does
a pretty good job.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The story of Full Void is told entirely visually. There’s no
voice or text so it’s left to the brief cutscenes and general environment to get
across the near future world where some form of AI menace has started to enslave
humanity and steel away it’s children. You start out running in a forest before
heading back into the city as you simply try to survive and escape the ever-pursuing
creatures.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The style of the Full Void fits perfectly with down beat
colours and a pixel style graphical approach. It gets across the nostalgia of
the genre and acts to portray the story and environment well. It also looks
very much like its own game and doesn’t take too much from classics in the
genre, meaning it is distinctive enough to standout in an ever more crowded market.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Controls are simple
with a two-button scheme which lets you jump or interact with objects. There are
no guns or weapons, so you are always vulnerable to enemies and it is very much
about keeping away from things. The game responds well so there are few
frustrating deaths caused by controls and the checkpoint system is also sensible
so when you do die you won’t be repeating huge sections of the game. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The other added bonus is that each death comes with a small
cut scene to further emphasise your demise. The only slight blip here is that
two or three times (and only two or three times), the story cutscenes turn interactive
without warning, often leading to a quick death as you are not expecting it. In
one of these you are required to duck, while another requires you to press the interact
button to shut a door. These Dragon’s Lair like interaction come so out of the
blue and are so inconsistent that you’ll have little chance of surviving them
first time which is a shame. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Away from the running and leaping there are also puzzle sections
to overcome. This starts out with some simple box moving scenarios and a basic
hacking game where you must line up spinning tubes. Before long you’ll acquire a
sort of robot thing than can be issued instructions at various control panels. The
robot can be used to get through dangerous environments or sent to hard to reach
places and then activate switches to make it safe for you to progress. We did
find that there were a few too many of these sections and some of them are a
bit obtuse but generally our progress was never halted for too long. We aren’t
sure the game would lose much without them though.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Full Void is also fairly brief with general play time around
an hour. That’s no big deal as such, as the story feels about the right length but
there isn’t an awful lot to go back through the game for aside from a few
secrets. Once completed the game does let you start from any chapter you like
though so you can easily play your favourite sections or seek out a few easter
eggs if you wish.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Full Void certainly works as a Cinematic Platfomer.
The look and controls are spot on for this sort of game and the story is
interesting and well thought out. The platforming sections work far better than
the robot puzzles but there is nothing here that is going to stop you from
enjoying the experience. It would have been nice to have more reasons to go
back to it after finishing but what’s here is inventive and fun and easy to recommend
- as long as you aren’t expecting an epic.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Overall 8/10 <o:p></o:p></p>Retro Ghosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03574981284443559988noreply@blogger.com0