Biomechanical Toy Review (Switch)

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

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

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

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

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

Overall 7/10

Bluey’s Quest for the Golden Pen

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall 6/10

Psyvariar 3 Review (Switch 2)

The Psyvariar franchise has been around for some time. The first time we encountered it was via the PS2 version where it was a fun, if not top tier shoot’em up with good potential for high scores. There was a sequel and then Psvariar Delta in 2018 which acted as a sort of remix/compilation, but this is the first new game in the franchise proper for a very long time.

In terms of presentation this is what you come to expect from your standard post 2010’s vertical scrolling shooter. The ship sits at the bottom of the screen, flies over 3D environment scaling below, avoids bullets and shoots things. The twist with Psyvariar though has always been about really pushing your hit box as close as you can in order to powerup and maximise you score. You must get the enemy bullets to skim you which continually boosts the bonus the pot. You can also spin you ship which makes it a bit slower but helps with the hit box and also changes the intensity of your own bullets.

Speaking of those 3D environments, Psyvariar 3 looks beautiful beneath the chaos. A lot of care an attention has gone into making the stages look as stunning as possible. Unfortunately, this is also a bit of a problem. The environments are so busy and fully constructed that it can be very difficult to judge incoming fire, enemy ships and even what is and isn’t an actual obstacle. This would be a major problem if it wasn’t for the fact you can go into the settings and change the brightness. Doing so helped to resolve the problem and it at least allows for the individual player to find something they are comfortable with.

The game contains a good amount of content for players to get stuck into. There are seven characters to choose from (including Cotton from that series as a guest), Arcade mode, Arrange mode (which allows upgrading to make the game easier), Caravan, Endless and Mission Modes (49 short challenges). It plays out over seven pretty large stages as well with the expected spectacular boss battles at the end of each. It’s a nice package for fans who really take to the game as there is always something to go to when you want to change things up a bit. It’s certainly not just a quick arcade style port. It also runs buttery smooth, even in handheld mode, something essential for games in this genre.

If there is a downside it's that the overall design aesthetic does seem a bit bland. If you think about the iconic games from the genre there will be bosses, ships and levels that instantly spring to mind. Who could forget pretty much all of Ikaruga for instance? But here, though everything works well, nothing really stands out to that degree. As a result this isn’t as essential as games like Radiant Silver Gun or some of Caves output. Instead, it becomes as must play for those that are really into the genre.

Overall, Psyvariar 3 is a well put together shoot’em up with a gimmick that makes it unique and keeps it separate from others in the genre. However, it’s not up there with the real top tier shoot'em ups. If you are into these types of games you’ll get a lot out of this. But we suspect most players will have a list of a fair few games to buy before they reach this.

Overall 7/10

Citzen Sleeper 2 Review (Switch 2)

 

The first Citizen Sleep was a resounding success, with its space styled cyber punk aesthetic and the mixture of rich storytelling and board game and RPG elements. In fact, it garnered a dedicated following and even had a card game version appearing. It’s not a massive surprise then to see a second game in the series.

There is no direct link to the story of the first game here. Continuity wise it is set a little later in the time period, but new players won’t feel left out if they start here first. To add to this, your character is a malfunctioning android who has no memory of anything either so it’s very much about discovering the world for the first time.

There are a handful of classes to choose from, and you can also upgrade skills and buffs as you get points from completing various missions and objectives. These then add modifiers to your dice or allow you do things like create rerolls or fix them should they become damaged.

The premise is simple, at the start of each cycle (or day) , you get a number of dice that are randomly generated with which to carry out actions. The higher the number of the dice mixed with your affinity for carrying out certain type of task will decide if you are likely to be successful at it. Once, you have used all your dice you can end the cycle and start again with a fresh set.

Of course, things are never that easy and there is normally some kind of cycle timer counting down to a major story event that you need to be aware of. Time is very much essential so resetting a day just because you have bad dice is never really an option. On top of this you need food and need to think about damage caused by stress to your body. There really are a whole host of things keeping you on the edge of anxiety and always watching the clock.

You’ll spend much of your time investigating around space stations or out on salvage operations. The interface is simple, pick the location to move to and then the options of what you can do will show up when you get there. There are options to work or find food, as well as hunt for clues or interact with the population. When you are off the station for salvage missions you need to also think about fuel and the amount of supplies you have with you. These missions are normally perilous as the hulks you try and get salvage from tend to breach and fall apart, just in case you needed yet another time clock to think about.

The initial goal is simply to stay one step ahead of the people chasing you. After that the mystery deepens and you’ll also encounter new characters and crew with their own skills and agendas to deal with. The human interaction element is key to the games philosophy as you will live or die by your network of crew. In this respect it’s important to think about how you are interacting as you’ll want as many options as possible as you venture on your space road trip.

Overall, Citizen Sleep 2 is a beautifully thought out and refined experience. It’s certainly tough but can be progressed through with careful thinking (and there are easier difficulty settings as well). It’s quite unique in its approach to the genre and still manages to stand out from the crowd. If you are looking for an immersive sci-fi adventure with a twist, then this comes highly recommended.

Overall 8/10

Super Scram Kitty Review (Switch)

 

After wooing us with the wonderfully named Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims and The 2D Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character the mad cap humour of Dakko Dakko (now Kumogami) studios returned with the then Wii U exclusive Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails. Many years have passed and despite a quick return on the PSN Scram Kitty has been mostly silent until now, arriving in a remixed form and looking better than ever.

The plot is mad and sends us back to the 16-bit days of lunatic ideas. Basically, your cat sends you a message from the international space station saying super intelligent mice have taken over and you need to get up there and rescue all the cats and take it back from them. What this amounts to is jumping on your spinner and blasting, leaping and spinning your way around some top down puzzle/platform levels.

The puzzle elements are based around shooting switches, finding different weapons to destroy obstacles and simply working out how to make jumps to different rails. It’s nothing massively complex but when combined with the past paced gameplay and onslaught of enemies it’s more than enough to deal with.

The game draws a lot of influence from previous game Rotating Octopus but there are a ton of new ideas going on here. Working out the movement is key to success and your character controls in a fairly unique way. Your spinner is magnetic and attaches to any rail. You can move along the rails under your own steam but the only way you can reach another rail is to jump to it. What this means is that you need to use the rails carefully to get the right angles to jump and fire.

You will be attacked by various types of mice on your adventure and making sure you can actually hit them with your variety of weapons forms part of the crux of the game. Your character only fires directly in front of themselves so if you are on a side rail and they are coming at you from below you need to jump to a rail facing towards them in order to hit the pesky vermin. It starts out tricky but you soon get the hang of how it all works, and it adds to the puzzle elements of certain levels. 

The goal of each level is to rescue four cats and reach the exit door. You can just find the exit if you want but you’ll need cats to unlock levels as you go so replaying earlier stages is vital to progression. The four cats each have their own characteristics to be found. The lazy cat just sits by the exit and the lucky cat requires all the lucky pennies to be found in a level before appearing. The black cat requires a super tough mouse to be destroyed before it will come out and finally the scaredy cat, when picked up, will run off to somewhere else on the station and requires chasing around and capturing in a strict time limit.

Scram Kitty is a tough game and you’ll need both patience and perseverance to get through. You have an energy bar but once it’s gone you’ll have to start the level again from scratch. This includes finding cats, coins and weapons again or taking down the big bad mouse commanders. The levels are fairly compact but the amount of skill required from the player means dying near the end of a stage can be exasperating. 

The main problem with Scram Kitty from the Wii U version has now been removed. On The Wii U proverbial Scram would appear on screen to give advice. When this happened he pretty much took up the entire screen and this led to a number of deaths and missed jumps as we simply couldn’t see what was going on. Scram no longer does this. While this means you don’t get the advice it also makes for a much smoother experience overall.

Overall, Scram Kitty is still an excellent game. There’s a lot of invention and originality on show in terms of the games mechanics and we certainly haven’t played anything like this for years and there’s nothing else like it on the eshop. It says a lot that even now, this is a pretty essential purchase for anyone who wants an old school challenge mixed with some clever design.

Overall 8/10

 

Soccer Kid Collection Review (Switch)

 

Once Soccer Kid appeared as the headline for one of the Evercade collections it was only a matter of time before it made its way onto the Switch. A semi successful attempt at creating a new mascot, the character that started on the Amiga went on to grace a host of platforms from the SNES to the Atari Jaguar and Playstation. What is a little disappointing is that only two versions of the game are included here.

What you have here is the most controllable version of the game – the Super Nintendo one, and the one with the all the cut scenes – the MS DOS version. So while that makes sense to some degree it begs the question of why call this a collection when so many other platforms have been overlooked?

That said, the little dude certainly has something of a cult following and it’s easy to see why. This can’t hide its Amiga platformer roots with the loose feeling controls, but the main gimmick helps to keep it above its peers. We are of course talking about the football that Soccer Kid uses as his main way of dispatching enemies. Control of it can be a little tricky to begin with but once you’ve worked out how the momentum of it works it’s a satisfying experience belting it at the many caricatured people that inhabit the levels.

While there are only two versions of the games here it doesn’t mean they have skimped on the general features. All the usual quality of life features such as rewind and saving are included along with screen filters and borders. You can even activate various cheat codes. There is a decent gallery as well with instruction manuals and materials from the other versions of the game not included. It’s actually far more than most of these collections have.

While the game plays a bit lose it is fun. There are a few frustrations like too many leaps of faith and not being able to properly look up or down. This seems like a minor thing until you release that if you really want to finish the game properly you are going to have to search for football cards that let you try and reclaim a piece of the missing world cup. Think of the chaos emeralds in Sonic and you aren’t too far off.

Overall, Soccer Kid is a fun game that we are glad getting some attention again. It’s release around the World Cup was somewhat inevitable and we really do love it when games a little more obscure are given the time to be ported. It’s not perfect by any means but there’s fun to be had here for those willing to master the controls.

Overall 6/10

Sektori Review (Switch 2)

While the landscape is currently filled with Metroidvanias and indie rogue-likes there was a time when twitch shooters were all the rage. Driven in part by the return to high score culture brought about by various online services, games like Mutant Storm and, most prominently, Geometry Wars developed a huge following. 

Sektori is a game heavily drawing on the Geometry Wars ethos and it does it so well that you might just start to forget about the shape-based blaster for a while. It does have serious pedigree behind it though as the developer used to work for the company responsible for Resogun. 

This is clearly a love letter to Bizarre Creations pinnacle game though, and the identity runs through it so strongly that changing a few shapes around would easily make this a direct sequel. As such, this is a crazy twin stick shooter that relies on its pumping techno soundtrack to keep adrenaline high. Too start with you are tied into the campaign mode, but other modes become available the more you play. 

The basic gameplay will be familiar to most. You control a ship, moving with one stick while blasting with the other. You can pick up power ups which move rewards up a scale, and you can then cash in on the one you want with speed ups being low down and things like shields and level wide strikes higher up. You must collect little triangles to fill you powerup meter (a mechanic used to multiply the score multiplier in Geometry Wars), and if you touch anything you die. You also only have one life so make sure to make it count. 

There is a unique trick in here as well with the player being able to do a sort of charging forward manoeuvre which creates a small explosion around where you end up. If this is down with the player landing on a particular icon it creates a much bigger explosion which can take out a host of enemies.

As you progress through the campaign the level will shift and change shape, creating barriers which raise from the floor. There are also boss fights with creations that take up most of the screen even early on. Your standard enemies are a host of neon shapes that form into things that dart towards you, move along fixed rails or turn into swirling snakes. This may well sound very familiar, the one Geometry Wars mechanic that isn’t here though is the black hole which does help create a little separation. 

Once you have played the campaign for a while you’ll start unlocking challenge modes. These are more score attack minded pursuits and seem to be the developer’s favourite modes from Geometry Wars 2. As you achieve a D rank score in each more challenges open up. These include things like gate mode where your weapons are disabled and you must destroy enemies by moving between exploding gates, Charge Mode where you only have the charge move and things like a boss rush and classic score attack modes. There’s certainly a lot here for players to get the most out of if they connect with the game. And it all works beautifully. 

Overall, Sektori is a stunning game. It looks and sounds amazing and plays incredibly well. While we can all wish for some kind of Geometry Wars collection or sequel this really is the next best thing. It’s so successful at what it does that in some ways it has really surpassed those games. Comparisons may be inevitable but the brilliance on display here means it is worth considering as something far more than just a love letter to an iconic franchise. 

Overall 9/10

The Last Ninja Collection + Bonus Games Review (Switch)

Of all the collections we thought might make their way to the Switch, we didn’t have a Last Ninja collection at the top of our likelihood list. With the prevalence of C64 releases on the Evercade that seemed like a far more likely destination. We are however delighted to see one of the most iconic franchises of the 8-bit computer era find its way to a new audience.

One-time British powerhouse, System 3 has been pretty quiet for a long time. We had a Putty Squad release a long time ago and Constructor, but this is by far their most high-profile release for decades. Even then, it took a Kickstarter campaign to finally get the franchise over the line in some form. In terms of context of why a Ninja game was out on the C64, it can help to remember that the West was absolutely obsessed with Kung Fu and Eastern culture back in the 80’s, with martial arts movies prevalent at video rental shops.

What you get included here is The Last Ninja one, two and three and the Last Ninja Remix with the C64, Amiga and ZX Spectrum versions of the relevant titles. As well this Internation Karate and IK+ are added in as bonus games along with the easily forgettable Bangkok Knights.

There’s no hiding that anyone new to these games is going have a steep learning curve to go through. The games are difficult and the controls and isometric viewpoint will take some time to adjust to. The basic layout of all three games is similar. You explore a level, pick up weapons and key objects and then progress to the next. But you can leave key items behind and then find you can’t progress later such as the glove in the first game which is needed to pick up a poisoned rose later, or the shuriken’s in the second game.

There are also traps and puzzle elements to overcome and the river and swamp jumping sections were infuriating even in the 80’s. All that said, the first two games are stone cold classics and when it clicks, they still offer a unique experience. The Last Ninja 3 isn’t as strong sadly and the emphasis on almost constant combat makes things very frustrating.

Which brings us to the added quality of life features. Or lack of them. There is no rewind function which is the biggest shame as that would have really made these games accessible, and no way to implement any kind of cheat codes. There is a save function. But each game can only have one game saved and there is also no quick save and load option, meaning you have to quit and then reload when you want to load again. Why we couldn’t just have a load option in-game I don’t know. That said, the screen transition very quickly so we didn’t find it to be a major issue and we were loading a lot. It’s strange though as the Steam version seems to have one.

The other disappointment is the extras. It seems clear the museum text is pretty much all identical for each game with a few words (such as the platform) changed. That’s a real missed opportunity as getting a real insight into some of these titles would have been great.

We are somewhat surprised that IK+ doesn’t get a bigger billing on this collection as it was arguably as iconic as the Ninja games back in the day. Here you have three combatants on a single screen trying to score points to win a round of karate. As these are 8-bit computer games, controls are based around a one button joystick configuration. In this case, you hold a button then press a direction to break out different moves. It actually works really well, and no matter which version you are playing it’s a great high score chasing games.

We found that the Last Ninja games where best played in their C64 guise. This makes sense as this was originally the main platform for games. The ZX Spectrum version of Last Ninja 2 is also remarkably playable. We found the Amiga versions, although they look a lot better, to be far less playable. And if anything, the extra graphical detail made the environments more difficult to traverse and objects more difficult to find.

Overall, we are just really happy that this collection exists at all. These are games that really should be preserved with Last Ninja 1 and 2 and IK+ being among some of the most iconic games the British games industry has ever produced. Yes, there could be more here in terms of the quality of life and museum features, but we can hope for that in an update. We just hope that this gives System 3 some latitude to get other release out the door, we would love to see a Putty or James Pond Collection in the future also.

Overall 7/10

The Rogue Prince of Persia Review (Switch 2)

We didn’t have a Dead Cells inspired Prince of Persia rogue-like game on our prediction list but now it’s here we are certainly glad it exists. The team responsible for some of the Dead Cells DLC are behind the wheel here and while it is clear what the template is, it also does enough to stand out. It released digitally a while ago, but with the physical release on the horizon we decided to take a deeper look.

The story is that the kingdom is under siege from the Hun. The Prince is knocked out during a battle on the outskirts of the city and awakens three days later to find the city besieged. He now must make his way through to the inner palace to save the day. It follows the same sort of format as Dead Cells does. You enter an area, are allotted a standard weapon, a tool and an upgrade from the unlocked roster and then search for an exit to the next realm. There is normally more than one route you can discover to add some variety, and more can be added as you discover maps and information in your adventure.

There is a stronger story element than Dead Cells though. As you discover clues and information, you’ll get little mini quests to complete to further the plot. These are normally things like finding out who has been kidnapped or locating certain items, but they add another layer to the game and the gradual unravelling of events is entertaining. There are also NPC’s to talk to and some will return to the Oasis to offer services and more plot specific points. Away from this it’s the standard structure of push forward as far as you can, unlock as many permanent upgrades as possible and rinse and repeat until you win the day.

The pace of the game is also much faster than Dead Cells. The sense of inertia and momentum we now associate with the Prince of Persia has been captured beautifully. There are a whole host of zooms, walls run, wall jumps and other moves that keep the Prince bouncing around the levels, and the combat fits perfectly into the pace as well as you dodge and flip around. It’s clear a lot of thought and feedback has gone into getting this just right and it makes each run a fluid joy. As a result, the game is also far more platform heavy than Dead Cells to the point of being Super Meat Boy like with its traps and contraptions at times.

The ‘Sands of Time’ reversal mechanic is tied into the narrative this time by the fact that when the Prince dies, he reverses back to awakening in the starting Oasis. Only, any people he has rescued or story points he discovers return with him. You can’t rewind time when you make a mistake though, a good choice as that would clash with the genre conventions.

The look of the game is closer to the long-forgotten cell shaded Prince of Persia which came after the ‘Sands’ trilogy. It gives it a story book aesthetic which works well and allows for clear definition on the screen. We are also very grateful to see a host of colour-blind options that can be set - something Dead Cells really needed when we first played it. As a result, it means frustration is kept to your own limits of your skill set rather than things you can’t see on the screen.

Overall, The Rogue Prince of Persia has been put together very well. This may seem like a strange source of a Rogue-like title but it in practice it works perfectly. There’s even an argument to be had here about it being better than the Metroidvania version of the Prince we got not so long ago. We are slightly surprised it wasn’t a piece of extended Dead Cells DLC, but it’s certainly been fleshed out into a rewarding and fun game. It’s very much worth playing if you are a fan of Dead Cells or Prince of Persia.

Overall 8/10

Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf Review (Switch)

We were a little surprised to see Planet of Lana receive a sequel. The charming first game is one of the most beautiful looking and sounding indie platformers out there, but it felt like one of those flashes in the pan moments of genius and it’s not exactly like cinematic platformers are that prevalent.

The second game, somehow, looks even more beautiful and continues the story of Lana and her weird pet Mui as they adventure across the planet of Novo. It’s set two years after the events of the first game (which is deftly recapped) and shows how the various tribes and factions have taken to the now discovered technologies scavenged in the aftermath of the first.

Lana has a host of new ways to move around, with faster movement, sliding and things like wall jumps and the ability to swim now in place. As a result, movement is much more fluid than the original, but the platforming sections or also a bit more fiendish as well. The heart of the game though is about solving puzzles. Early on, Lana will normally be given requests from settlers and then head off to find something. This acts as a good introduction to her new skills while showing off the gorgeous visuals and setting up a healthy chunk of world building.

Almost all puzzles require you to use the two characters in partnership with each other. Mui can manipulate technology and pass control on to other animals. So, most puzzles fall into a pattern of working out how to get Mui to a point they can take control of something, then working out where that goes and then getting Lana to race to the new location. An early example of this is where Lana needs to retrieve a particular piece of seaweed from underwater. It requires getting Mui into a shallow pool of fish, then getting the fish through a dangerous area using its ink special skill and then getting Lana to clear a path and then trap a predatory fish before her air runes out.

It’s quite different from the original game in terms of how it plays out. In the first game you were normally hiding or running away from technological monstrosities. And while that is still the case in places, this is much more about using the different animals and interacting with the population. The game feels much more alive as a result.

With most puzzles having a clear timing element it means players need to be precise and agile to get through as well. Controls are slick and precise though, so frustration rarely comes from a clunky input. The game is also exceptionally well checkpointed, so when you do die there are no long sections to retrace. We also found the game was far less frustrating than the original with regards to its puzzle design with it being clear most of the time what we had to do.

Planet of Lana is a beautiful game, but the sequel is off the charts. From the villages to mountain tops and the technological encampments it all looks astounding. The score that goes with everything is also exceptional, really breathing life into the locations. Progress is rewarded with visual highlight after highlight, and it really does keep players pushing through the game. The art design here is akin to something studio Ghibli would be proud off, it’s simply breathtaking.

Overall, Planet of Lana II manages to somehow be even better than the original. Every aspect has been improved, and the original was already an exceptional game. The sharpening of Lana’s movement is a delight, and the majesty of how the game looks makes it irresistible. It might just be a touch short for a few people but then its still longer than the original. It’s hard to see anyone not liking this. It comes highly recommended.

Overall 9/10

Sands of Aura Review (Switch)

While the top down and ismoteric dungeon crawling genre has been an ever present on platforms like Steam, the Switch has seen far fewer titles make it over to the platform. Of course, there is the giant of Diablo and a few games such as Moonlighter but overall it’s all Rogue-likes and Metroidvania’s that dominate the indie sales of the eshops. Sands of Aura it a solid and content filled attempt to change that.

The game is an open world adventure where most of the world is buried beneath a huge sea of sand. Players spend most of their time delving beneath the sand in dungeons, looking for ancient relics with the overall goal of restoring life to the world. The dungeons are dark and complex with well-designed layouts that wind around labyrinthine like. They are perhaps a little too dark at times though as we kept falling off the edge of things we couldn’t see.

You don’t spend the whole time in the dark though as there are numerous settlements and islands above the ground to explore as well and players can take sand ships to sail around the sand ocean looking for new areas to explore. While you do have quests, you can explore fairly freely as long as you can stay alive.

There’s a certain Dark Souls feel to the game as well. It’s certainly not as crushing as the Souls series, but the linking level designs, combat pace and the fact you drop all your money when you die certainly show the rootes winding through this. It did make us wonder what a full isometric Dark Souls game might look like.

There’s certainly a lot for players to get involved with here as well. Your inventory is detailed and upgrading is the only real way to improve weapons and armour. You don’t pick up new weapons as such, but instead different parts such as pommels or blades and then forge them together to create upgrades and imbue special qualities. This goes for armour as well and you’ll find you are always collecting things, sometimes to the point that you aren’t really sure what you hard earned junk collection is useful for.

Combat is solid as well with a good range of moves and options. You have your standard light and heavy attacks along with rolls and dodges and both a shield and parry system. Add in special attacks and spells and you’ll find there are a range of options for players to think about in how they approach the bashing of enemies.

The only real issue with the game is that it’s quite ugly to look at. Its indie routes are very much on show above ground where we had a lot of noticeable pop in and there is a real blandness to colours and textures. A lot of the time you don’t notice this as the camera stays fairly close, but when you are looking out over the sand sea or in certain positions things really show their lack of details. This isn’t a massive issue due to how engaging the game can be, but if you find yourself repeating difficult sections it can quickly become dull and doesn’t help with getting lost in the maze like levels.

Overall, Sands of Aura is an engaging and deep game that if you dig into it will keep you engaged for the hours and hours it will take you to complete it. It does take engagement from the player to get the most out of it though and you’ll need to spend a good few hours getting used to how everything works. It’s the sort of games that Souls and Diablo fans should get on well with and just accessible enough for those not so hardcore to enjoy it as well.

Overall 7/10

The Prisoning: Fletcher's Quest Review (Switch)

Here at Retro 101 we are huge fans of Elden Pixels and everything they put out. The Alwa games remain among our favourite indie games, and we have reviewed and rated the company’s entire output. We even had the good fortune to be able to review the physical NES copy of Alwa’s Awakening when it released some years ago. With that in mind we are always looking forward to a new release and The Prisoning doesn’t disappoint.

The concept of the game is that a developer is working through one of his nightmares and fighting off all those pesky inner demons. Along the way you’ll encounter a cast of very meta characters and there are lots of jokes and quips about the development and publishing process. In terms of the game design, what this amounts to is a platform adventure game with some Metroidvania elements. But one that plays more like an Amiga or old DOS platformer than what we are perhaps used to today.

Graphically, the game matches the Amiga aesthetic as well. It’s not a million miles away from something like Rick Dangerous or the original Duke Nukem platformers. It matches Elden Pixels general approach to the look of their games, although this is closer to a Void Hope than the purposely NES and SNES looking Alwa’s games.

The game plays out over one large level with multiple checkpoints throughout. These take the form of a sort of bar kiosk were every time you die you recycle through the vending machine nearby. Death is a near constant as you can only take two hits before expiring. Even that must be earned as right at the start of the game you are naked and unarmed, meaning you have a few tough sections to get through before the game opens up to you and you get your clothes and handy pistol.

The two-hit mechanic also makes boss fight pretty tough as you’ll need to pretty much perfect them to win. Even taking on a weird mechanical horse thing early on proved a tough obstacle as it was filled with attacks seemingly impossible avoid (until we learned the pattern), with and a health bar that stretched across the screen.

Collision detection is also a tiny bit lose which doesn’t help. Several times we found ourselves losing a hit when we were convinced we had avoided an attack. There’s nothing here that derails the experience, but it certainly can be frustrating at times as the game has a pretty high difficult.

Generally, though, the controls are pretty tight and responsive. Your character moves around at a crazy pace so zipping about from checkpoint to check point is quick and fun. Jumping and attacking is also precise, so everything is satisfying and enjoyable. You can warp from vending machine to vending machine as well which adds even more pace to the game. We can see this becoming a popular speedrun among indie games for sure.

Being in the Metroidvania mould you of course start to unlock new abilities as you progress such as a double jump and a slide which makes you invincible for a second or so. This in turn opens new areas to explore. Early on for instance you’ll find your new double jump allows access to a UFO which then takes flight into a short side scroller shooter phase before crashing into a new location.

Despite how many of these games we have played in the past we did find that the approach that The Prisoning took kept things fresh and pacey. It goes to show how slight changes to approach can keep things interesting and having this slightly closer to games like Switchblade in terms of style certainly helps it.

Overall, The Prisoning is another fun title from Elden Pixel that shows the studios unique humour and its ability to take tried and tested genres and add their own twist to them. This game may not have the same impact as Alwa’s Legacy on the wider market but it deserves to. For retro gamers or those who find humour in the subject matter this is an easy purchase.

Overall 8/10

Street Racer Collection Review (Switch)

I don’t think it’s a secret that we do love a QUByte collection here at Retro 101. As long time SNES collectors it’s great to see some of the more obscure titles out there being given a second life and we’ve been hoping Street Racer would get a release for quite some time. Indeed, back in the day there was a semi-sensible argument to be had that it might even be better than Mario Kart.

This collection may seem a bit strange as there was only one game in the franchise, but it becomes more coherent when you realise Street Racer was quite different depending on the system you played it on. Here we have the SNES, Mega Drive, Gameboy and DOS versions of the game with their various quirks and alterations.

We’ll start by saying that the Gameboy version is only here from a curiosity point of view and you’ll likely spend a few minutes with it as it’s not great. A bigger shame is that the package omits the PS1 and Saturn versions of the game. They are most closely aligned to the DOS version but much tighter in their controls so it seems an odd choice unless there were emulation issues, but then there’s no shortage of either consoles games on the Switch currently.  

The most well-known version of Street Racer is the original, SNES version from 1994. It was most notable for allowing four player split-screen via the multiplayer adapter. Something that’s seems crazy now when you think just how crushed the image would look and how small TVs were at the time. Still, it’s a crazy cross between street fighter (there’s even a sumo wrestler driver), and kart racing with a host of colourful characters in crazy, Wacky Races style vehicles.

Each character has a front and rear attack that can be deployed whenever you like and they can also punch to the left or right. Karts have health bars which when depleted see you really slow down. The only on track collectibles are stars, which can give bonus race points and turbo picks ups. The structure is like Mario kart in that you engage in a series of races across themed courses in different cups. You can get bonus points for punching, lapping opponents or a few other things though which means even if you finish down the pack you can stay competitive. One thing we will say though is the controls feel a tad lose compared to the Evercade version, which is odd.

The one real issue is that the tracks are really short. This is evened out by races having a higher lap count, but it can be almost impossible to get yourself to the front of the pack if you have a bad start as a race can fly by in under a minute. It will be a lot for new players to take as it’s very fast and frantic, far more so than other kart games. The SNES version at least gets to utilise its mode 7 to make tracks seem as dynamic as 16-bit consoles will allow.

As well as the standard racing there are two fun bonus modes included. There’s the rumble where all the cars are in an arena and you need to knock them off the edges, and a soccer mode where you are trying to score goals. Both games work surprisingly well and are good distractions.

The Mega Drive version by contrast doesn’t hold up as well. The lack of the Mode 7 magic means you get quite generic tracks which all seem to blend after a while as they snake away into the distance. It all feels a bit dull and samey, a real shame as the game still moves at a frenetic pace. Much like the Gameboy version it seems unlikely you’ll spend much time with this.

The DOS version at least brings something different to the collection. The game looks and plays quite a bit different with tracks designed to look more cartoon like and races taking a steadier pace. There are also a few collectibles and picks ups you can use. It reminded us of a slower Wacky Races than the chaotic SNES game, but it is something you’ll likely go back to a few times.

Overall, while we personally are happy to see one of our favourite games from the past revitalised there are a few problems here. The price of £17.99 is way over making it an impulse purchase and seems a strange price point for an obscure title. Also, missing the PS1 and Saturn versions is a real shame as if you are putting together a collection like this it now feels incomplete for the hardcore fan. That said, the SNES and DOS versions are fun, so if you can overcome the price and lack of completeness then there’s a lot to play with here.

Overall 7/10

System Shock Review (Switch 2)

It was only a month or so ago that we looked at the System Shock 2 Remaster on the original Switch. Where that added some quality-of-life features and some HD filters it was still pretty much the same game. This remake of System Shock is a much more fully rounded reimagining from the ground up and a very different beast.

We’ll admit to not having played the original game before, or indeed, the System Shock remake on any other systems. In that respect we can’t comment on how this looks and runs compared to a PS5, but then you would imagine it doesn’t look as pretty by the very nature of the console. We are also aware that upon initial release the game was reported to have numerous problems regarding its framerate and some graphical quirks. Even up to a few weeks ago there were plenty of videos out there showing quite considerable stutters.

However, from what we can tell, a large amount of these issues seem to have been solved. We’ve not put the game through a framerate checker, but it is fair to say nothing as dramatic as what has been circulating around has happened during play. Apart from some very brief stutters when loading, the game seems to run in a much more stable way. It is certainly playable and at no point did something happen performance wise that effected gameplay and much of the time we played it in handheld mode.

The only bug we did encounter is the widely reported textures issue. Basically, the first time you load up the game it doesn’t load in all the textures, so you are left with a mix of HD assets and pixelated mush. Details such as numbers on keypads and text for instance are just a pixelated mess. After reloading a save though the issue has never repeated itself.

Now the game appears to be in a stable and playable state it certainly makes it easier to see what the fuss is about. You are a hacker placed onto the Citadel orbital station and charged with bringing down the Ai security system that has started to take control. Failure to do so will see the stations mining lasers used to destroy all of earths capital cities as the Ai SHODAN tries to establish itself as a god. The game plays out as a mix of first person shooting and adventure and there are light RPG elements in place as well which allow you to augment your character and take different approaches to playing.

The real strength of System Shock is the setting and atmosphere. The station is a winding mass of labyrinthian tunnels and hatches. Some of which twist and turn into huge areas, meaning you aren’t simply moving from small room to room. It’s easy to get lost or wander into areas you aren’t prepared for but that’s kind of the point of the thing. You do have map to help you and there is a certain amount of logical progression from gathering keycards and activating bridges and doors. We certainly didn’t find ourselves with no clue where to go as there was always somewhere new to explore.

It's certainly not a fast paced game and you’ll find edging around slowly and quietly to be a much more successful approach to exploration. The station is filled with mutated monsters and security cameras, and you take heavy damage from combat, so it is always vital to be properly prepared for what’s around the corner. Weapons and ammunition can be hard to come by as well so there is always the tension of potentially being overwhelmed by what lies ahead. System Shock certainly hasn’t left its survival horror routes behind.

The story mostly unfolds through audio logs from the crew that you pick up while exploring. As well as giving passwords and combination codes, they also highlight the desperation of the few surviving crew as the fast decent of the station is brought to light. You can certainly see how the DNA of the game went on to heavily influence the Bioshock series. There is also a host of junk and all manner of other items to pick up as well so it pays to search every area, even it does mean spending some time organising your inventory and converting junk into the in-game currency.

Overall, the System Shock remake is an incredibly tense and effective survival horror game. The performance may not be up to the PC or PS5 versions but its certainly running in a good enough state to enjoy now on the Switch 2. It kept us captivated and engaged throughout and there was nothing performance wise that broke that immersion. If you are a fan then it seems safe to get this now, it’s an experience unlike any other.

Overall 8/10

Cobra Triangle Review (Evercade)

 As far as we can tell there is very little in the way of plot that surrounds Cobra Triangle. For some reason there is a bloke in a boat who shoots things, but this is the NES, a more simple time when it was all about gameplay.

Developed by Rare, the game is set across a number of levels, each of which is different from the last. One level may have you simply racing to the finish, whilst another could involve removing mines, saving drowning people, jumping waterfalls, going through an assault course or even taking on a huge sea monster in a titanic life or death battle. Variety is definitely the name of the game and it's this that helps to excel the Cobra Triangle to greatness.

Graphically, this certainly isn't the prettiest of games. The boat is a triangle shape coloured in with two colours, the backgrounds fair little better, mainly consisting of blue for the water and green for the land. It's animated well with the boat tipping up at the back depending how fast you are going and boss monsters being suitably large and imposing.

Importantly though, everything moves along at a high rate and slowdown never once appears to ruin the gameplay. The biggest problem is flickering, which is apparent a little more than it should be, this is mainly because in certain areas there is so much on screen and it moves very quickly. Flickering aside, the game holds up pretty well.

The game may look a touch drab but the boat is superbly controllable and allows you to make near handbrake turns and other manoeuvres with ease. This is essential to the gameplay as the pace never lets up from start to finish. Furthermore, every level really feels like something fresh - meaning you never get bored of just doing the same thing over and over again and you look forward to seeing what the next level will bring. This element helps make it highly addictive.

Overall, Cobra Triangle is a stunning game. Graphically, it's certainly not amazing, but they do the job and it allows the gameplay to really shine. Upon release it was mostly ignored by the gaming public, mainly due to poor coverage from magazines - this is probably why it was never remade for the new consoles. In years to come it would be great to see a remake as this has all the style, and a lot more originality than most retro franchises. It stands as another example of why Rare were the hottest property around back in the gaming golden age.

9/10

Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster Review (Switch)

Hands up how many of you forgot that LucasArts made a quirky Western themed FPS with cool comic cut scenes. Cut scenes that look awesome and really remind us of classic Lucas games such as Full Throttle and Monkey Island. Outlaws has been dormant for a long time and didn’t create the biggest of stirs upon initial release due to the market shifting. Those that did play it though will remember a fresh take on a genre that was becoming a bit over saturated and generic and certainly one that was filled with character.

It's always helpful when the original game is solid to start with so Nightdive have been able to concentrate on polishing it for a new audience. Outlaws was released well into the point the FPS genre had taken hold and as such allows for things like jumping and ducking and some more precise movement and shooting. The transition to game pad has been handled excellently with controls mapped smoothly and you’ll be able to switch weapons and items easily with an in-game selection wheel. We did struggle to work out how to use the medical bags for a while though.

 The updated graphics and interface don’t seem like such a huge jump from the original due to its comic book style, everything is of course much more HD but switching between styles isn’t particularly jarring. The environments also lend themselves to the limitations of the time. While Doom would have you traversing labyrinthian areas of corridors, Outlaws it mainly set in farmsteads and Western towns meaning it gives a more open approach to levels and the environments without looking sparse or lacking in detail.

Levels themselves are well structured with plenty of action and an emphasis on key finding. Certain buildings are normally locked, so you’ll need to find whichever bandit has access to get in and continue. It rarely becomes a chore though as the Western theme lends itself to levels being more clearly laid out than some other first-person shooters. There is also a handy in game map to show where you have and haven’t been.  A whole host of secret areas are squirreled away to find as well and clever players will also note you can thin out the bad guys in a lot of locations by shooting them through the windows first.

One thing that might have been helpful is just a brief tutorial on how the controls work. There is an in-game reference card but that still doesn’t really explain things like how to select individual items or how certain interactions work. It’s not that difficult to work out but a few pages of explanation at a minimum would have really helped in sorting out the controls more quickly.  That said, we did work things out.

In terms of content, you not only get the addition of the extra missions included but there is also a whole host of gallery material. It’s always great to see how much the studio puts into its releases. It makes the games feel like complete and definitive packages and makes them all the easier to recommend. We can’t remember the last time we wanted more from a Nightdive Studio release as they are always so well curated and put together.

Overall, Outlaws is another example of Nightdive Studios taking a slightly niche game and really giving it the love and attention it deserves. It is likely to have a limited audience again, but that is a real shame. If you missed out on Outlaws, the first time this is the perfect way to get into it. It’s a game that really deserves much more praise and attention and this version of it is well put together, fun and essential for FPS fans.

Overall 8/10

Battle Toads Review (Evercade)

The story goes that one day while the biggest and toughest Battletoad (Pimple), was taking Princess Angelica out for a spin in the toadster the evil Dark Queen ambushes them and takes them to Ragnarok’s world - the Queens home planet. 

The remaining toads, Rash and Zitz have to beat everything up that stands in their way and rescue their friends. Far from being the dull side scrolling fighter that this game could so easily have turned into, Rare and Tradewest have made sure that it is something different and fresh.

While the first level keeps the classic side scrolling fighter format, from then on each level offers something new. Level two has our heroic toads being lowered down a tunnel having to jump from side to side to avoid obstacles and enemies while Level three has you jumping chasms on speeder bikes, and the next level (if you make it), is a more standard platform affair, each level offering a different twist taking the game away from constant repetitive button bashing. 

Graphically superb, everything is well animated and presented extremely well. The toads themselves offer different facial expressions from time to time, for instance having their jaws drop to the floor and eyes pop out when a huge monster arrives on the scene. Enemies differ from level to level but are repetitive in their respective worlds with only a handful of different creatures per stage. But this slight lack of variety is more than made up for by the shear quality the game overall. 

The Game plays well, although there are areas in the game when the limitations of your toad become far too apparent. During fights you could not ask for better controls, and while they simply consist of hitting one button continuously the attacks vary from level to level - in one the toad may hit the enemy with a huge fist while another will see him knocking him into the ground before kicking the enemy away like a living football. What lets the game down is when you are required to perform precision jumps, with the game being set in a multi-levelled playing field it is hard to judge the depth of the field often meaning a fall to an untimely death. 

Another problem with the game is the insane difficulty level, unusual for Rare games the difficulty curve for Battletoads is extremely unforgiving and in fact if you manage to get past the third level without using a warp then I would be very surprised. But strangely, the difficulty of the game adds to the overall charm and though you will die over and over again you will find yourself returning for one more go. 

Battletoads is a charming and fun filled game, which for a moment in time kept the mighty toads at the top of the gaming pile. Alas, along with many other characters from the creative minds of Rare the Toads never made it past the sixteen bit generation. Although we doubt a new version would have the same sort of charm it would still make a unique experience for the modern gamer. Until the day the Toads rule again this serves as a good reminder that it was not all Mario and Sonic back in the good old days.

Overall 8/10 

 

Simon the Sorcerer Origins Review (Switch)

With all the retro revivals that have been going on for the last decade or so it’s a bit of a surprise that we haven’t seen Simon the Sorcerer reappear sooner. The point and click genre is long past its heyday but we’ve had big hitters such as Broken Sword and Monkey Island both release new games and remaster older ones. Sam and Max had their own comeback as well and there have been a host of solid new games in the genre. Simon the Sorcerer is a decent enough franchise though (well, the first two games anyway), so we were happy enough to see a new game appear.

As the name suggests, Origins is a prequal game to the series and sets the scene of how Simon first acquired his powers. It’s a classic styled point and click game which has wisely kept away from the unfortunate 3D phase a lot of franchises tried to implement. It looks quite different to the original games with the pixel art replaced with a more clear-cut cartoonish look. It took a little while to get used to but works well enough.

There are a few things to help the player out. For instance, you can hold down a button to highlight all the interactable objects in a location. For anyone who has played a point and click game before you’ll know how much of a help this is and actually something that doesn’t affect the challenge of the game.

There’s also a map which means you can fast travel to different locations which helps reduce back tracking. You can also use the new control system which involves moving Simon around and highlighting objects he’s near, though we found it easier to switch back to classic controls which puts an on-screen cursor on screen to move around. Call us traditionalists but this just made the game seem a lot more controllable and enjoyable.

The game itself does start quite slowly. You’ll control Simon as he wonders around his new house. The environments are a little dull and you’ll soon be glad when he manages to move into the more fantastical world. Here, things look a lot more interesting, and you’ll get some interesting puzzles to overcome. The overall design of the game though is a little sparce with the environments lacking some of those more personal touches that help brings games like this to life. It is fully voiced though, and the script is decent enough as to not harm the lineage of the past games. You even get Chris Barry back to reprise his role which really is both a nice and respectful touch.

Overall, Simon the Sorcerer Origins is a solid enough return for the franchise. The humour and script retain the distinctly British humour and the puzzles and world work well enough. The environments may lack a little charm but there’s enough here to keep fans of the point and click genre interested while the game is also gentle enough in the beginning to bring in players not familiar with the genre. If anything, it has whetted our appetites to see the first two games given the HD remake treatment, even if this doesn’t quite match either of them.

Overall 7/10