12 Mar 2021
💣 Papi Commando 2: Second Blood | Review | 8/10 | Mega Drive | "There’s No Blood Like Second Blood" 💣 @Broke_Studio #IndieGames #GameDev #HomeBrew #SEGA
11 Mar 2021
👑🏰 Castle Kong | Nintendo Switch | Review | 6/10 | "For Die Hard Donkey Kong fans Who Want to Really Challenge Their High Score Prowess / Patience" 👑🏰 @DrowningMonkeys #IndieGames #GameDev
Castle Kong is a homage to the legendary Donkey Kong and comes from the Drowning Monkeys devs.
The initial big draw for this game was the high score comp that was run alongside its release which was a great way to get people hyped for the game coming out.
In the cold light of day though now the competition has concluded what is the game actually like to play. Well if you like Donkey Kong then you’ll like this.
10 Mar 2021
🏹🧛♂️ Wallachia: Reign of Dracula | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8/10 | "8-Way Combat is The Order of The Day" 🏹🧛♂️ @Migami_Games #GameDev #IndieGames
Following my review of Tanuki Justice a few days ago, a game from publisher Pixelheart that calls to mind the 8-bit Japanese arcade era, it was interesting to follow up that review with another game – again from Pixelheart – that shifts gears to the 16-bit era.
Wallachia: Reign of Dracula is a game that follows the tale of a vampire hunter as she bows-and-arrows (definitely a real term, don’t look it up) her way through seven stages of vintage arcade action in a bid to finally fire an arrow right up Dracula’s jacksie and put a stop to his haemoglobin-fuelled shenanigans.
📻 We Were Here Forever will arrive in Q4 2021 on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S 📻 @WeWereHereGame #IndieGames #GameDev
9 Mar 2021
👊 SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium | Review | Nintendo Switch | "Pocket Sized & Packing A Punch!" 👊
It was such a highly regarded title that more Neo Geo Pocket Colours were bought because of this title than any other game on the system. It was seen as the killer app that might make the Pocket Colour a viable opponent of the Game Boy Colour (that didn't work out too well in the end)
8 Mar 2021
🐷 GUNPIG: Firepower For Hire | Review | Nintendo Switch | "I'd definitely be up for more of this!" 🐷 @FlynnsArcades #GameDev #IndieGames
To quote my friend Britt, also of this parish: "A third of the game is cutscenes, they are hurling around characters' names which all sound similar and sometimes refer to the same person in a light/dark/alternate version. So in one scene, they can refer to one character by multiple names...and they haven't yet been introduced."
7 Mar 2021
⚔️⛵️ Shores Unknown | First 30 Minutes Of Gameplay | No Commentary ⛵️⚔️ @ShoresUnknown #GameDev #IndieGames
6 Mar 2021
5 Mar 2021
🌟 Anodyne 2: Return to Dust | Review | XBOX Series X | 9/10 | "A Beautifully Realised World With a Wonderful Tale To Tell" 🌟 @analgesicprod #IndieGames #GameDev
It was only a few weeks ago that I noticed a comment on Twitter, lamenting how few games there were that were presented with PS1-era polygonal visuals.
Fast forward a few days to me watching a trailer for Anodyne 2: Return to Dust, a game which not only featured such visuals…but looked so interesting that I had to seek it out as soon as possible, it was my destiny.
4 Mar 2021
🎧 Stealth Shadow X & Stealth Conqueror (Arctic Camo Edition) | Gaming Headset Review 🎧 @StealthGameNet #HeadsetReview
Kindly sent in from the folks at Stealth, I believe it’s the first time on the site that we have covered their products – or at least I have – and it was fun to dive in and see what these headsets had to offer.
Whilst the Shadow X was the clear favourite for me personally, I can see the appeal that the Conqueror would have not only for its aesthetic and complimentary stand but also for children and those of you blessed with smaller ears.
3 Mar 2021
🚕🚖 Taxi Chaos | Review | Xbox Series X | 5/10 | "A Missed Opportunity For Some Throwback Action" 🚕🚖 @LionCastleEnt #IndieGames #GameDev
A title that is very clearly explicitly based on Sega’s Crazy Taxi from back in 1999, Taxi Chaos runs well from a technical standpoint and is initially fun but then falls down quickly in almost all other aspects.
2 Mar 2021
1 Mar 2021
🌟 Tanuki Justice | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8/10 | "Retro Arcade Action Not For The Faint Of Heart" 🌟 @PixelHeart_eu #IndieGames #GameDev
Tanuki Justice was quite a surprise to me. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when installing the game but I certainly wasn’t expecting what feels to me to be a faithful interpretation of a fictional 8-bit Japanese arcade game.
It’s well designed but I do feel that its appeal will be somewhat niche.
28 Feb 2021
⚔️🏹 Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8.5/10 | "Alone or with friends...it’s all good" ⚔️🏹 @Team17 #IndieGames #GameDev
27 Feb 2021
👹⚔️ Hellpoint | Review | PS4 | 7/10 | "Did I Mention This Game Was Challenging?" 👹⚔️ @CradleGames #IndieGames #GameDev
Let’s go!
26 Feb 2021
💥 Shot In The Dark 💥 | @PossumHGames #IndieGames #GameDev
25 Feb 2021
🤜💥🤺 Guilty Gear Strive | PS4 | BETA | Gameplay | "Every Character Tried" 🤜💥🤺 @ArcSystemWorksU #GuiltyGearStrive
Come watch me try all the characters in the starting roster.
24 Feb 2021
💥 Speed Limit | Review | Nintendo Switch | 7.5/10 | "Live. Die. Repeat" 💥 @gamechuckretro #GameDev #IndieGames
Speed Limit is a game that takes the player on brisk journeys across classic genres ranging from side-scrolling shooters to racing games and even isometric flight.
It's a game that works great in both single-player mode, ‘pass-the-pad’ party fun and I can also imagine is a keeper for the speedrunners out there.
23 Feb 2021
⚔️💀 Cathedral | Review | 8/10 | Nintendo Switch | "2D Metroidvania action with a chiptune soundtrack? Good" 💀 @EldenPixels #GameDev #IndieGames
An 8-bit styled Metroidvania, Cathedral really sucked me in with vibrant visuals and comfortably familiar gameplay.
That said, musical issues and a clunky map do detract from the overall enjoyment.
Cathedral was a game I hadn’t heard of before but after a quick goosey at the trailer, I was sold. 2D Metroidvania action with a chiptune soundtrack? Good.22 Feb 2021
🕵️♀️ Dry Drowning | Review | Nintendo Switch | 7/10 | "A Cyberpunk Visual Novel" 🕵️♀️ @VLGpublishing #IndieGames #GameDev
A cyberpunk, visual novel with light interactive elements, Dry Drowning has great presentation and an intriguing story to tell but is held back by some elements of characterisation and gameplay.