Gamedec Soundtrack Vinyl Review "Gamedec will fit snugly on your shelf as you dive into cyberspace" 💿 #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl

Anshar Studios’ Gamedec was a game that I followed pretty much throughout its development cycle, until its eventual release. An impressive, combat-free cyberpunk adventure that really tried to take a lot on and perhaps overreached its grasp, it is a game that stayed with me long after playing due to its eschewing of fighting/shooting mechanics and absolute focus on narrative and player freedom. As such, it was a pleasure to get the opportunity to cover the vinyl release of the soundtrack, which fully captures a musing mood of mystery and suspense for those dark and stormy evenings.

Purchase Link

Samorost 3 Vinyl Soundtrack Review "Samorost 3 is pure Floex through and through" 💿 @FloexOfficial @Amanita_Design #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl #VGM

I was a big fan of Tomas Dvorak’s soundtrack for Samorost 2, it also holds the wonderful distinction in our household of being the first music that my – then 1-year-old – son had ever danced to, which was a very special moment for us as a family. 

Dvorak (A.K.A – FLOEX) has a special way of creating unique, alien landscapes, aurally, through his blend of strong, emotive melodies and idiosyncratic instrumentation, and this continues here in his compositions for Samorost 3, with that signature clarinet vibe hitting home each time it’s used on the album.

There is a real difference in the art styles used in the cover here when compared to Samorost 2, whereas the prequel was abstract and paint-flecked, here we are treated to a luscious evergreen landscape, set underneath a darkened sky spotted by pinpricks of light.

Almost alone, and very small and vulnerable in this image is the protagonist, blowing through a horn as he is watched by a strange, bearded wanderer that is almost hidden in the foreground – ensconced in the shadows, and surrounded by a peppering of fantastical animals.

Graeme Mason Interview "It was a pleasure to learn more about ZX Nightmares and also to find out where Graeme’s pixelated quill will take us next" 📖 @Wizwords @Retro_Fusion #Retrogaming

I recently thoroughly enjoyed Graeme Mason’s new book, ZX Nightmares, published by Fusion Books, and found that reading the book was such a fun experience that I wanted to know more about the background of its creation.

I have a little bit of personal history with Graeme, in that it was through his contacting me through Retro Gamer magazine for a ‘Collectors Corner’ article that my now evil editor endgame boss, Rich, caught wind of my existence and asked me to begin writing for The Mighty Games Freezer waaay back in 2017 –I definitely owe Graeme a pint at some point!

It was a pleasure to learn more about ZX Nightmares and also to find out where Graeme’s pixelated quill will take us next. 

I hope you enjoy this article about one of the most active writers in the retro gaming scene today. 📖

THE CRPG BOOK: A GUIDE TO COMPUTER ROLE-PLAYING GAMES (EXPANDED EDITION) REVIEW ⚔️ @BitmapBooks #CRPG

The release of a new Bitmap Book is always a good thing, and this expanded edition of The CRPG Book: A Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games weighs in at a mammoth 684 pages and is the perfect sibling to their A Guide to Japanese Role-Paying Games – released back in 2021.

Each of these tomes is beautifully designed, and can be used to fend off burglars, so thick are they with glorious information and imagery. This book, in particular, took me a lot longer than usual to review purely because I was poring over each page, devouring the words and constantly getting side-tracked in marking where I was and then watching YouTube videos on the releases covered therein, because the passion of the text drew me in so much that I yearned to find out as much as I could about the games covered.

I’d had my eye on the CRPG Book since a reprint was announced several months ago, and I vividly recall spending a few moments on the Bitmap Books website genuinely getting lost in the cover art alone.

I’ve said this before, I’m not a student of art, and the visual arts are very much not my forte, so when something grabs me in that aspect, I really enjoy the sensation, a sensation which was spiked upon seeing the cover of this book. The richness of the illustration here absolutely captures the feeling of RPG gaming, where the imagination takes over and boundaries between game and gamer bleed into each other, the sense of dynamism and kineticism in the characters bursting forth from the screen is ‘framed-poster-worthy’ (definitely a term, don’t look it up) in how it almost hypnotises the reader into opening the book and getting lost in the pages. Awesome stuff, thank you Jan Pospíšil!

Stray Xbox Series X Review "A Purrfect way to spend an evening" 🐈 @HKdevblog #IndieGame #GameDev

It was only a few weeks ago on my movie-centric podcast that I was discussing emotional manipulation with my co-host. He was more bothered by it than me, but I still find that overtly sentimental forms of media that aim purely to tug at the heartstrings irk me somewhat.

This ties into my initial – misjudged – thoughts on Stray. When it was released last year on PlayStation, the positive reviews that it received – and more so the comments surrounding it – I found actively off-putting in the comparisons to games of a more ‘cinematic’ vibe.

After receiving it for review purposes and playing it through in two straight sessions I really do recommend it, if you were - like me – put off by the thought of a saccharine gaming experience. This is Tokyo Jungle territory.

Abandonware: The Horror Collection PC Preview 😱 @Fossil_Games #IndieGame #GameDev

Fossil Games’ Abandonware is a collection of retro-styled mini-horror games that pack a great horror punch. The story that connects this collection is quite captivating. 

The development team found an old 3.5-inch internal hard drive, and after cleaning up the hard drive, they found a custom operating system and this collection of mini horror games. After investigating, the team grew concerned and, with the police bringing no help, they released it to the public to see if we could uncover the secrets of the mysterious hard drive. 

ZX Nightmares by Graeme Mason – Book Review "The funniest, most quotable book about gaming that I’ve ever encountered" 📖 @Retro_Fusion #Retrogaming

As someone who spent far more time with the C64 and Amstrad computers during the 8-bit wave, I’ve always voyeuristically enjoyed the love that others have for the ZX Spectrum and its idiosyncratic sound and visuals. I do actually own a ZX Spectrum, but – whilst I have amassed a few dozen games for it – I’ve yet to sit down and really get hips deep, my only knowledge of it mainly comes from the many incredible Kim Justice videos that I’ve watched over the years, and game reviews in magazines that I’ve read through– in terms of actual hands-on action, I’ve probably spent less than an hour actually playing one myself in my entire life, not for any reason other than I simply wasn’t around any when I grew up.

An Interview with Zebbe of Delayed Again, Developers of Upcoming Mega Drive Title – The Viking and the Ninja 🥷 @DelayedAgainAB #IndieGame #GameDev

Games Freezer (GF) - First of all, thanks for taking the time to speak to us! With the development of The Viking and the Ninja, you must be pretty busy at the moment. Can you tell us about the game, such as where the initial idea came from, and what players can expect?

SEGA Mega Drive Game Preview – The Viking & the Ninja 📯🥷 @DelayedAgainAB #IndieGame #GameDev

The Viking & The Ninja is an action RPG similar to the Dungeon Explorer series, set in an anachronistic fantasy setting with a lot of humour. The main theme and gameplay centres around cooperation between the two playable characters, but to succeed you also need to explore, fight bravely, and talk to other characters with important information.

Sonic Origins Plus XSX Review 8/10 "12 Game Gear Titles Join this Awesome Sonic Collection!" 💨 @sonic_hedgehog

The Sonic Origins collection was originally released in June 2022 on what was the blue Blurs’ 31st anniversary. Already a solid collection that featured HD remasters of:

• Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)
• Sonic CD (1993)
• Sonic the Hedgehog & Knuckles (1994)

Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission VR Meta Quest 2 Review 7/10 "The Wolf is Back!" 🐺 @Virtuallyz_G

Operation Wolf is a game that pops up quite often whenever my family – my Dad, especially – talk about video games. Some of my earliest memories are of him hunched over that plastic Uzi, blasting away at a myriad of enemy soldiers….and never quite getting past the second jungle stage.

With these fond memories swimming about my mind, it was quite exciting to discover that Microids would be releasing this new VR version of the game, and whilst it may have its flaws and visual differences to the original, this captures the sense of mindless blasting action that Operation Wolf provided to so many fans back in the ‘80s.

Those Games (or, YEAH! YOU WANT “THOSE GAMES,” RIGHT? SO HERE YOU GO! NOW, LET’S SEE YOU CLEAR THEM!) Review 6/10 "A great send-up of fake game ads that lacks the key fun factor" 🤳 @D3_PUBLISHER #IndieGames #GameDev

Designed as a series of actually accurate versions of games glimpsed in fake mobile gaming adverts in the days of yore, Those Games does a good job of representing the games that people who click on those ads assumed that they would play, but it’s a premise that – to me at least – is more fun in concept than in action.

How 2 Escape Nintendo Switch Preview 🗝️@JustForGames #EscapeRoom #IndieGames #GameDev

Sometimes I’m very much in the mood for escape room games – and even hidden object adventures, if things get crazy – and so the chance to dive into How 2 Escape, the upcoming co-op room escape game from developer Breakfirst via publisher Just For Games got my trousers in a right old twist!

As mentioned above, this is a co-op title – one player on the PC / console and the other either on PC or mobile using the How 2 Escape companion app.

Astebros SEGA Mega Drive Review 9.5/10 "The Pinnacle of Mega Drive Gaming" ⚔️ @DAsteborg #IndieGames #GameDev

Back in 2021, I was lucky enough to cover Demons of Asteborg, Neofid Studios’ first release on the Mega Drive. At the time I hailed it as a modern Mega Drive classic, I was really taken by the almost perfect action-platformer, which was up until that point the best game that I had covered on the Mega Drive as it was not only a great game to play, but was also a marvel in terms of the technical design.

In the space of only two years since that release, Neofid Studios have returned to the world of Asteborg and doubled down on what made the preceding title so great, this time upping the ante with local co-op and rogue-lite aspects that exist to add longevity to the game, making it the absolute cream of the Mega Drive crop.

Sephonie (Console release) Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 "Analgesic Release 3D Platformer ‘Sephonie’ on Consoles" 🏃‍♀️ @han_tani #GameDev #IndieGames

My esteemed colleague Pixel Hunted covered Sephonie upon its PC release last year and quite frankly, I’ve been furiously jealous of him ever since. I’ve recently had the pleasure of playing the newly released console version on Switch, in hands trembling with excitement…and possibly unbridled passion.

The developers’ previous game – Anodyne 2 – was my game of the year in 2021 and I’ve been waiting to get my hands on Sephonie since it was first announced, I admittedly had high expectations, knowing what gold the devs were capable of.

Peppa Pig: World Adventures (mini) Xbox Review 7.5/10 "Peppa Goes Global" 🐷 @Outright_Games #IndieGames #VideoGamesForKids #GameDev

Publisher Outright Games’ releases have had such a joyful impact on my 2-year-old that I actually sent them an email of thanks a few months ago. This new release continues the theme of incredibly accessible games with visuals and tonality that accurately reflects the franchise on which they are based, turning them into interactive experiences for all the family.

The Legend of Synthwave Vinyl Review "If The Legend of Zelda was an ‘80s movie, this would be its soundtrack" ⚔️💿 #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl #VGM @GameChops @iamhelynt @VideoGameDJ

It’s Summer, and absolutely the right time for some soothing Synthwave coolness. Cue GAMECHOPS release The Legend of Synthwave, which imagines classic tunes for this most beloved of franchises re-imagined as a breezy neon electronica soundtrack. Good.

The cover – which is rich with shades of pinks and purples,  features a bespectacled and smiling Zelda – with Master Sword earrings, natch – emblazoned under a starry night sky, with the Tri-Force symbol behind her, and mountains rising up from a neon checker design that stretches into the horizon.

This artwork (courtesy of ONSTA) is GLORIOUS. There are nods throughout - in the designs and clothing - of Zelda to the franchise, whilst being a vibrant, stylish piece of art in its own right – it completely conjures up the melding of Zelda and synthwave in incredible detail, awesome stuff.

The rear cover art furthers the landscape set out on the front with the Duelling Peaks, black palm trees and that neon pattern drenched in hues of – again – pinks and purples. It’s very evocative of the ‘80s, and I wouldn’t have been surprised to see Don Johnson tucked away in there somewhere….wearing wicker shoes with no socks in sight.

The records are ensconced in anti-static sleeves and comes on double red/purple, pressed at 45RPM. – again, the colour choice and inner-circle design are completely in tune with the rest of the artwork, it’s a very mood-setting record, even when taken at first glance.

Opening the cover shows off the illustration that is spread across the double gatefold sleeve, a starry Zelda on a pink motorbike surrounded in a fuzzy dreamscape – a smile still plastered across her face. On the right-hand side are the track listing and credits, the blues of these pages breaking up the external colours whilst also being a thematic match.

Donuts ‘N’ Justice Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 "NARC NARC NARCin’ On A Miami Door" 🍩 @FobTi #GameDev #IndieGames

A few days ago, I had a rare spare evening on my hands and thought I would dip into a few of the Switch games that we at GF HQ have been sent, and just haven’t had time to get to, games that have been undeservedly kicked around for far too long in our ‘pending’ bucket.

Luckily, the codes still worked and so began my adventure into the Switch indie vortex, and thus it was a bloody fantastic evening.

The first game I dived into was Donuts ‘N’ Justice, a game that has always tickled my fancy – and, as I was very much in the mindset for some pacey arcade action, it was just the ticket.

A 2D run-and-gun game with pixel visuals and a thumping soundtrack, the way I would describe this one in a single sentence is, ‘NARC, if it was snappier, groovier, and better.’

Developer FobTi also made Gunman Tales, which I covered earlier in the year –  and whilst I didn’t get quite the same punch from Donuts ‘N’ Justice, this is still a very fun game to dip in ‘n out of – especially with a friend.

First Person Shooter: The Definitive FPS Documentary 📽 @FPSDOC @80shorrordoc

The FPS genre is one of the biggest in all of gaming, and has its roots back in the ‘70s, leading from that time of flares, massive tellies and everything being brown or cream – right up to the online competition-based military shooters that capture the imaginations of millions worldwide today.

It is a genre that has morphed through many permutations through the decades, and if one were to cover it, surely they’d need a pretty lengthy documentary – maybe even one that’s four-and-a-half hours long? Just like this one, in fact!

📔 Ben Dever Interview "Lone Wolf is the life’s work of my father - Joe Dever - and sits in a very particular place in gaming history right between the tabletop, and the computer." 📔 @Holmgard_Press @ARLoneWolf

Fantasy gaming pioneer Joe Dever’s epic gamebook series is back in paperback for the first time in over 30 years.

Originally published to huge acclaim and popularity in 1984, with over 12 million copies sold, Joe Dever’s classic Lone Wolf gamebook series have been fan favourites ever since but not widely available.

Author Joe Dever passed away from cancer in 2016. It was his final wish that his son, Ben, complete the remaining unfinished books in the series and bring all of the books back into print for a new audience.

I was lucky enough to get to share a few emails with Ben, talking about the rich history of Lone Wolf, as well as what the future holds for this incredible, long-lasting series.