☆ Today In Gaming - 4th October 19XX ☆ #Retrogaming

Today in gaming will bring you some cool video gaming facts from years gone by from your favourite video games franchises over the years.

Let's start by heading back to 1991...

☆ BEAR WITH ME EPISODE 3 - "A trilogy you should definitely bear with" ☆

The first two chapters of Bear With Me were strong adventure games with tightly scripted, comedic dialogue and a fun approach to its game world. 

The latest and final trip back to Paper City is a great end to a trilogy that has kept its eye on the ball from the start, with the quality in each instalment keeping to its self-set high standard.

☆ Review: Starpoint Gemini Warlords "I need your clothes, your boots…and your sublight drive" ☆

When I first received this game to review I was hesitant as the last space-themed game I’d played in any depth was G-Police (awesome game) back on the PS1. 

I’m not a fan of anything set in space beyond horror films and so I felt that I clearly wasn’t up to speed on the genre. 

After watching some trailers of SPGW (Starpoint Gemini Warlords) I have to admit that the premise really intrigued me, it seemed to not only have the trading and space battles but also a solid story and I do love a good story, be it set in space or Tonteg! 

And so I prepared myself for life in space as I booted this baby up….and loved it.

☆ Voodoo Vince Remastered "Welcome to the Big Easy!" ☆

Voodoo Vince is a refreshing throwback to the 3D platform genre with enemy bashing, puzzle solving excitement that is reminiscent of Spyro or Rayman. Playing as Vince, a small burlap voodoo doll, you traverse the levels through New Orleans searching for Madame Charmaine who is basically your owner.

☆ The Ten Minute Taster - Ruiner - PS4 ☆

"Watch as Ruiner ruins me......"

Tough as nails Hotline Miami inspired Cyber Punk madness...

☆ Britt's Bridwater Bender At Time Warp Arcade ☆ #Arcade #Retrogaming

Over the weekend of 15th September, I was away at a stag weekend, it was set at that most typical stag destination, the market town of  Bridgwater in Somerset. There was obviously a lot of smoking, boozing and curry-eating but there was also a large amount of button-bashing and joystick-waggling. 

☆ 5 Awesome Games From EGX 2017 That You're Not Playing Yet ☆ #EGX2017 #EGX

The EGX 2017 show was immense. It was bigger and bolder than the others I've been to previously and it seemed like there were enough video games there to keep a small nation occupied for months!

It was my job to wander the hallowed halls of the NEC and delve into the dimly lit corridors of video games in order to unearth some absolute beauties for you to salivate over.

I've come up with 5 awesome video games that you're not playing yet and each one I just know is going to make you wet yourself with excitement...

So without further ado let me introduce you to The Class Acts Of EGX 2017!

☆ Morphite Ten Minute Taster ☆ #GameDev #IndieGame

"Give me a scanner, a laser pistol and a space craft and watch me discover the joys of Morphite!"

☆ Super Nintendo SNES Classic Mini Unboxing - "Now We're Playing With mini Super Power!"☆ #Retrogaming #SNESClassic

29/09/2017 Will be forever etched in our minds as the return of the Super Nintendo.

Arguably the greatest video games console ever made, this is a big day my friends. 

I'm happy to say that mine arrived promptly this morning and I went about unboxing this beauty and seeing what it's all about.

Take a look at my unboxing video above which includes some awesome music from Captive Portal and then we'll sit down and have a chin wag about the SNES Classic in a bit more detail.

☆ RUINER Advanced Loadouts Video ☆ #Ruiner

"Oh my word this Ruiner video game is tough but I love it!

I need as much help as I can get and i'm sure you do too....

Here's some advanced loadouts for you to ogle... "

☆ Mantis Burn Racing On The Nintendo Switch ☆

"This top down racing marvel Mantis Burn will fit nicely onto the switch, here's a taster to whet your appetite!"

☆ The Retro Console Boom Of 2017 ☆ #Retrogaming

It’s an exciting time to be a gamer and if you have an appreciation for retro gaming then it’s like all your Christmases have come at once with all the retro gaming projects that are going on right now.

☆ DragonBall FighterZ - Tien Is Confirmed! ☆ #DragonBallFighterZ

"Tien has got an extra eye and he's a bad mamma jamma!

This Trailer will get you in the mood for some DragonBall FighterZ madness right now!"

Shame we have to wait until 2018 :(

☆ Pang Man Part 31. The Return of Super Play! ☆ #Retrogaming

A couple of weeks ago I got a text from Rich informing me that a new issue of Super Play was coming out. Needless to say, I was pretty damn excited.

Those who grew up with a SNES, will remember that Super Play was one of the best gaming magazines around. The magazine ran for 47 issues, and ended its run in 1996.

☆ Are You Ready For Bubsy's Return? ☆ #Retrogaming

"It's time to get excited in the Games Freezer as we count down to 
the release of Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back! 

We can't wait to get our hands on this one!"

☆ Review: Mantis Burn Racing "Burn Baby Burn!" ☆

It's been a while since I played any type of racing video game seriously other than arcade racers in the arcades on holiday. Wracking my brains I think the last time I bought a racing video game would have been Need For Speed Shift on XBOX 360.

It's not usually my genre but I do love fun racing games and especially, of course, fun racing games like Mario Kart, Micro Machines, and Super Off Road Racer.

Mantis Burn Racing is a top-down racer that is fun to play and easy to pick up.
VooFoo studios have kept it simple with only a few things to worry about. 

Accelerate, Brake and Boost....

☆ RUINER Launch Trailer ☆

RUINER:

"This game looks bloody great! I'm looking forward to getting stuck into this one!"

"Watch out for a Games Freezer Ten Minute Taster Video on this one soon!"

☆ Review: Peregrin - "a Troll, a bull and a frog walk into a bar…" ☆ #GameDev

Peregrin is a story-driven puzzle game from Domino Digital, easy on the eye and also on the mind.

Peregrin begins with your character, Abi, getting off the boat with which she has traversed the waters separating her village from a massive fortress complex surrounded by a sandy beach. It is here that her journey begins in earnest. 

She has been training for years for this moment, embarking on a mission that no-one before her has yet been able to complete.

☆ Max: The Curse of Brotherhood - PS4 Trailer ☆

This game popped up on my radar this morning, looks like an interesting take on platforming with a crayon drawing mechanic built in. 

Gameplay wise it reminds me a bit of Limbo and theme wise too.

What do you think?

☆ Ten Minute Taster: Senran Kagura - Peach Beach Splash ☆

"Watch me play Splatoon with scantily clad females......."

☆ Review: Planetoid Pioneers "In Space No One Can Hear You 3D Print!" ☆

Planetoid Pioneers - PC

Planetoid Pioneers is a game that is physics driven and developed by Data Realms. Data Realms are an independent studio based around ten countries. They invite players to participate and contribute in the development of their games. Their previous game was Cortex Command which was at the forefront of early access games. 

☆ Ten Minute Taster - Songbringer PS4 ☆

"A giant sword and a thumping soundtrack.......what more do you need?!"

☆ Review: Aftergrinder – “If at first you don’t succeed, die, die, die again” ☆ #GameDev

Aftergrinder - PC

Balancing difficulty in a game is no mean feat. Make it too easy, and all the challenge is lost, as is all the point in playing.

Make it too difficult, and you’ll drive your players to rage quits, broken controllers and the unshakeable belief that your game is unfair. 

In an industry awash with titles on the easy side of the spectrum, it takes some balls to intentionally set out to make a game that’s hard as nails.

Aftergrinder from Grave Danger Games is one such title.

☆ DOOM NOOB - THE FINAL EPISODE - "Spider MasterMind is a PAIN in my A***E!" ☆

"It's taken me about 150 goes at Mr Spider Mastermind BUT finally I've worked out how to squash this little sucker!"

☆ Hitman Hits - "Evan Holden With A Kitchen Knife" ☆

"I'm a trainee Hitman and i'm just earning my stripes with a quick hit on Evan Holden using the trusty kitchen knife"

☆ 8 Player ClusterPuck99 is on its way to Nintendo Switch! ☆

This is mega exciting news for all of us SWITCH owners......

ClusterPuck99 is on its way to Nintendo Switch!

☆ Review: Little Nightmares Comic #1 & #2 "Discover The Maw At Your Own Risk..." ☆

Title: Little Nightmares - Publisher: Titan Comics

Imagine something dark and dank. Imagine a world filled with grotesque individuals who prey on the weak and small. Now imagine a little girl in a bright yellow raincoat who resides in this world and must face her greatest fears in order to survive.

☆ Video Game Hardware Timelines - Atari: 1979 to 1995 ☆ #Retrogaming

I'm a sucker for video games related infographics and recently I have been messing around Inkscape to work out a way to display timelines for Video Games Hardware from the legendary video games companies such as Atari, Nintendo and SEGA.

☆ Ten Minute Taster - Absolver - PS4 ☆

"Become an Absolver with me as I take my first steps to proving my worth as a BUTTON MASHER!"

☆ Things That Go Into The Back Of The TV ☆ #Retrogaming

Recently I stumbled across a picture of an Atari TV Switch Box on Twitter. 

That picture brought back many of the memories of connecting various consoles to my old CRT TV that I had in my bedroom for many years. I always thought the switch boxes looked pretty cool and were an elegant solution to switching between the console of choice and the TV picture.

☆ Thoughts From The Freezer - #1 "Super Play Issue 48 is REAL!" ☆ #Retrogaming

Join me for a chin wag about all the things in the world of video games that I have found interesting over the last few weeks.

☆ Review: Blood Bowl II - "A Beast Of A Game!" ☆ #GameDev

Blood Bowl II - PC

Digital conversions of board games are a welcome part of current generation video gaming trends for me as it has allowed me to experience certain games that I would never have experienced in board game form.

☆ Masquerada Songs and Shadows - Ten Minute Taster ☆

Watch me play an awesome taster of this video game of masks, magic and mystery...

☆ My Nintendo Switch Has Arrived! ☆

Well i'm excited to join the Nintendo Switch Video Games Revolution so I thought i'd record a rough n ready un-boxing video.

Watch out for my joyful face at the end!

☆ Review: Rezrog "Crawl Your Way To Victory" ☆ #GameDev

Rezrog is a turn based role playing game with a wonderful art style putting you in control of tabletop game pieces as you traverse dungeons, fight monsters and discover treasures to help you on your way.

☆ Ten Minute Taster - WindJammers "I hope you like Jammin' too!" ☆ #PS4

"Now I've never played the original Windjammers but this is as close as it gets to the Neo Geo original without playing the Neo Geo original."

Dot Emu have done it again with a beautiful conversion to PS4 of a retro gamng legend"

☆ Ten Minute Taster - Graceful Explosion Machine "Beautiful with lots of Explosions!" ☆ #GameDev

"It's Beautifully Graceful and There Are Lots Of Explosions.....
Watch as I show off my divine ability to be not very good at SHMUPS"

☆ Sun, Sea & Arcade Games Part IV - Back To The Islands ☆ #Arcade #Retrogaming

For me, a trip to the seaside/beach means 3 things...

1. Fish

2. Chips

3. Arcade Games

1&2 were consumed heavily

☆ Review: Nidhogg 2 "There will be (multi-coloured) blood" ☆ #Nidhogg2

Nidhogg 2 - PC

I played the first Nidhogg game a couple of years ago at a friend’s house whilst drunk and had a good time with it.

It was only when I was sent this review copy that I remembered how much fun it actually was and cursed myself for forgetting to buy it and smash into it some more at the time.

I’m pleased to say that Nidhogg 2 does what the sequel should in this case and stays true to the original’s roots whilst improving on every aspect.

☆ Pang Man Part 30 - "The SNES Mini and Other Random Thoughts" ☆ #Retrogaming

When the NES mini came out last Christmas I admit I didn’t anticipate the demand. I didn’t pre-order and missed out. Before I knew it, they were all sold out and I was gutted.

Part of me is tempted to get one off eBay, but I just can’t justify to myself paying £150+ for something that was sold for £70 odd pounds a short time before!

🏒 ☆ Review: Super Blood Hockey - "a strong focus on hitting people in the face" ☆🏒 #GameDev

Super Blood Hockey - PC

Let’s get it out of the way, Super Blood Hockey is a pure blast of arcade action.
Loren Lemcke has managed to capture the arcade feel of some classic games and distill it into a modern formula. Super Blood Hockey is pretty much summed up in its title; this is an arcade style ice hockey game with a strong focus on hitting people in the face, bereft of any repercussions.

☆ Review: Ironcast - "Ironcast, The Thinking Person's Toilet Game" ☆

Ironcast - Nintendo Switch

There is a structure to a certain kind of videogame review whereby you try to describe a new release as an amalgamation of a number of other popular titles.  

For instance, 'game A plays like a cross between Frogger and No Man's Sky'.

To this end, Ironcast could effectively be described as a turn-based, steampunk combat strategy game that serves as a mash up of Candy Crush Saga, Pokemon, and Front Mission.

☆ Retro Review: Darkwing Duck - “When there’s trouble, you call DW!” ☆ #Retrogaming

I hate that I never knew about this game when I was a kid, because it might have rivaled Duck Tales for me as a top platformer.

The show only ran from 1991-1992, but it remains the cartoon I revisit the most from the Disney Afternoon—other than Gargoyles possibly—to this day.

I didn’t actually find out about Drake Mallard starring in his own game until looking into emulation many years later, and I just recently acquired my own physical copy of this game after some searching and patience.

There were rumors of a new version of the duck defender for years, but he will finally make his triumphant return in the new DuckTales cartoon it seems, which means it is as good a time as any to type this one up!

☆ Review: Pauli’s Adventure Island "Good From Far..." ☆

Pauli's Adventure Island - PC

Founded in 2015, HEJVISJ (“to go home” in local Dutch) is a small, indie-game studio based in the Netherlands.

The studio focuses on creating beautiful games with an emphasis on non-violence and accessibility – and with roots as far back as the early 8-bit days. Always forward-thinking, the team at HEJVISJ has already started working on their next game.

☆ My Kick Off Revival Wishlist ☆ #PS4

KICK OFF is a legendary series among those retro gamers who love their football video games.

It was the time of Kick Off 2 and Sensible Soccer in the early 90’s that us football gamers were being treated to some of the best sports games that video games had to offer.

☆ 15 Video Game Movie Tie Ins That Are Actually Good! ☆ #Retrogaming

You know the drill. 

Video Games Movie Tie Ins are always crap right?

Well you'd be forgiven for thinking that this assumption is correct as a lot of the time over the years video games that were created from Movie IP have been an excuse to slap the movie name onto a game cartridge and create some kind of shovel-ware title that doesn't really add anything to the video games world other than another generic platform / shooter game.

☆ Beautiful PODD and My School's BBC Micro ☆ #Retrogaming

"Strategically placed roses will definitely sell this beautiful BBC Micro!"

A lot of the time when we cast our minds back to the first video games experiences that we had as kids we think back to a visit to a friends house to play the latest console or computer.

A lot of the time we actually fail to remember that the school classroom gave us our first taste of video games.

 Whether it was the school class room or the school computer room you can bet that as a kid growing up in the 80’s the one computer that was owned by the school was actually most peoples introduction to the wonderful world of computer games.

☆ "Kopanito All-Stars Soccer" - Alternatives To PES & FIFA - No.2 ☆ #FIFA #PES

Kopanito All – Stars Soccer is developed by Merixgames which is a brand of Merixstudio from Poland who have 15 years of experience in the digital business arena.

Skytte is another game they have developed and is really worth checking out if you like fast paced side scrolling shoot’em ups.

☆ Doom Noob Episode 12 "This Is Hell My Friends!" ☆

So you think you've played some tough levels in video games? 

I'm putting this one up there with Gonarch's Lair! 

☆ Preview:Stonewall Penitentiary - Would you like to play a game? ☆ #GameDev

Stonewall Penitentiary is an upcoming point and click adventure horror video game. 
The demo offered the basic tutorial of the game as well as a tiny bit more of the story. 

☆ Review: The Lion's Song - "A Study in Sepia" ☆

The Lion's Song - PC

The Lion’s Song is a story-based video game adventure presented in a pixel-art graphical style. 

Split into four separate chapters each of which is around thirty to forty minutes in length and tied together through links in the narrative, it is a neat addition to any drama lover’s steam library.

☆ Review: Hello Neighbor - "If this game was my neighbour…I’d move." ☆

Hello Neighbor - PC (BETA VERSION)

Hello Neighbor is a stealth-horror game from developer Dynamic Pixels, it has a promising setup and great cartoonish visuals but is ultimately let down by broken physics and tedious puzzle elements.

☆ Some Of The Best PS4 Video Game Bargains ☆ #PS4

I've just been looking on the Playstation Store for some bargains and I've managed to uncover some absolutely beautiful games for beautiful prices!

Take a look at what's on my list to download this August on my lovely PS4

☆ Review: Conarium - "A game crafted with love for Lovecraft" ☆ #GameDev

Conarium - PC

I am familiar with Zoetrope Interactive’s previous titles, namely the ‘Darkness Within’ series, which I enjoyed some years back.

I am a big fan of their approach to horror, with their style more chilling and creepy than gory or horrific and the solid pace of their games appeals to me, I played Darkness Within around about the same time that I played other horror titles that stick in my memory such as Scratches and The Lost Crown (speaking of which, come on Jonathan Boakes, stop teasing us and release the sequel, you fiend! Ten years, TEN YEARS!)

It’s been a fair old while since their last game was released in 2010 and I’m pleased to say that Conarium was definitely worth the wait.

☆ Surf World Series - Ten Minute Taster ☆

"It's been a while since I played any form of video game surfing...30 years in fact! 

California Games surfing is my only surfing video game reference point, so i'm guessing things have changed since then?!"

☆ Review: MINT - "Hero Toothpaste Alien To The Rescue!?" ☆

Mint.

The word is evocative of freshness.

Mint flavour is used as a palate-cleanser.

To be minted is to be loaded with cash money – rich, in other words.

A mint-in-box video game is brand new and most likely sealed, as if it just left the factory: minty-fresh.

☆ "Kick Off Revival" - GOALS REEL #1 ☆

As I learn how to play KICK OFF REVIVAL I savour each and every goal I score as it takes blood sweat and tears to earn those precious goals in each match.

☆ PREVIEW: Party Hard 2 (Alpha release) - "Jason Vorhees with Tony Manero moves" ☆ #GameDev

Party Hard 2 (ALPHA RELEASE) - PC

Pinoki games released Party Hard back in 2015 and it quickly became an Indie darling, having not played the first game (but having a lot of friends who did, and loved it) I was quite excited to get my hands on this Alpha release and see what the fuss was about. 

☆ "Kick Off Revival" - Alternatives To PES & FIFA - No.1 ☆ #FIFA #PES

In a world dominated by PES & FIFA I thought that I would take a look to see what other football (soccer) video games exist out there and if they are any good.

☆ Headset Review: Venom Marauder 7.1 Gaming Headset "Nice Price & Great Sound!" ☆

Marauder Universal 7.1 Virtual Surround Gaming Headset - £49.99

Watch as I give these black and red beauties a once over and enjoy some Deep Bass, 7.1 Virtual Surround and cool Vibration Technology.

Are they worth the money?

Let's find out, shall we?

☆ Review: Tangledeep - "Beautiful but hard, like Jessica Rabbit with a machine-gun" ☆ #GameDev

Tangledeep - PC - EARLY ACCESS REVIEW

Tangledeep is a rogue-like procedurally-generated dungeon crawler video game from Impact Gameworks and whilst it has fantastic potential, for me in its current state it does fall short of greatness.

☆ Review: Original Journey – “It’s a bit of this, and a bit of that” ☆ #GameDev

Original Journey - PC

Genres can be a bit of grey area in video games. I think it’s safe to say that a game’s genre is generally the first point of call for most gamers looking to invest in a new title. While these genres are generally more clear-cut within the AAA gaming market, the rampant innovation and experimentation of the indie gaming market mean that often hybrids arise that aren’t easy to fit into a single genre category. It is this conundrum that I am faced now as I write this review for Bonfire Entertainment’s genre-morphing Original Journey.

☆ Cheat Sheet #1 : Alex Kidd In Miracle World ☆ #Retrogaming

It’s been an idea of mine now for some time. I’ve been wanting to combine story, controls and tips n cheats into a graphic presentation for a series of video games. A cross between an infographic, a cheat sheet and a one-page video game manual.

☆ Games Freezer Video Game Ideas - #1 - "Stadium Architect" ☆ #GameDev

Normally whilst showering in the morning I think of video games related ideas. 
These range from articles to write for Games freezer to Video Games that I’d love to see get made.

In today's world of Indie Devs, the impossible is now possible as the indie devs are always bringing out games that you never thought would ever get a chance in the world of AAA big budget games. 

The indie Devs are creating new genres and genre mashups that delight niche audiences and wider audiences alike.

☆ Review: Aporia - Beyond The Valley - "Investigate North? Investigate EVERYWHERE!" ☆ #GameDev

Aporia: Beyond The Valley - PC

Aporia: Beyond the Valley is a first-person adventure puzzle video game from Nordic development team Investigate North.

I’ve seen a few descriptions of the game as a ‘walking simulator’ but this really isn’t the case, if anything it’s more of an open-world puzzle game, far larger than any game in this genre that I’ve played in recent memory.

☆ Review: Chess Ultra "Almost As Old As Time" ☆ @16bitnostalgia

Chess, a game that seems as old as time, in fact, it originated in India in the 6th Century and is played by millions of people the world over.

My experience with the game is very limited having played a bit at school and these electronic Chess games you could get in the 1980’s with the red LED lights around the board, but I still retained a little bit of knowledge from the game so I was excited to be given the opportunity to play Chess a whole 16 centuries since its inception, in a 21st century style way.