NACON MG-X Pro Controller | Review By Max (and a bit of Britt) | "The Phat Controller" 🎮 @Nacon

September 2021 was a different time. I mean, obviously, it was. All times that aren’t NOW are a different time. Even the start of this paragraph exists at a different point in time to this word here. Time that is so precious and yet I have wasted valuable seconds for both of us in trying to explain a point that is irrelevant to what follows.

And this is partly because I am a big fan of a nonsensical opening to a review and partly because (for reasons that will become apparent) the bulk of the review itself is not very long.

Back to September 2021. It was a time of lockdowns and consequently opportunities to indulge in al fresco Xbox gaming were not plentiful.

Despite this, I gave a score of 9/10 to the NACON MG-X, an Android controller that basically turned your phone into a mini Xbox.

It was a solid product that delivered on its promise and though I mainly used it sat on my sofa, I could see the potential for use in the great outdoors (internet connection permitting…)

Debug Magazine Review " a brand-new publication focused exclusively on indie games" 📖 @debugorg #IndieGames

We at GF HQ have always been big supporters of indie games, and so when I first caught wind of Debug magazine, the thought of having a print magazine specifically dedicated to indie games across all systems was of an incredible appeal to me, I was keener than Robbie, Roy, and Steve combined.

Having received the inaugural issue recently,  I’m happy to report that this really does feel very much like THE indie directory, featuring not only news articles, previews and reviews of upcoming/imminent games, but also interviews with developers, publishers-  and features some really neat design touches that make devouring Debug an absolute pleasure.

Atari is Releasing The First New Atari Game on a Cartridge in 32 Years! 🏃‍♂️ #Retrogaming

Atari is Releasing an Atari 2600 Version of Mr. Run and Jump — The First New Atari Game on a Cartridge in 32 Years

Arcade platforming action returns to its roots with an exciting announcement: the unveiling of an Atari 2600 version of the recently revealed adventure platformer, Mr Run and Jump from Atari. This official release marks a significant milestone steeped in retro history: the first cartridge launch for a new Atari title since 1990!

Gematombe Nintendo Switch Ten minute Taster "Bust A Move Meets Breakout" 🔮 @RatalaikaGames #IndieGames #GameDev

Watch as Rich plays Gematombe which is an action-puzzle-vs game where you can play one-on-one matches against your friends or the computer.

PURCHASE LINKS

SWITCH EU: 

https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Gematombe-2375130.html

SWITCH US: 

https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/gematombe-switch/

Main Tips for Big Winning at Online Pokies

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Filthy Animals Heist Simulator Nintendo Switch Ten Minute Taster Gameplay "Axe Troubles" 🪓🐊 @FilthyAnimalsHS #GameDev #IndieGames

Rich plays Filthy Animals Heist Simulator on the Nintendo Switch for the first time and struggles with an axe to a door situation.

Filthy Animals is a chaotic single-player/co-op heist game for up to 4 players. Become a mutant animal working for criminal mastermind Tony as you steal, fight, fall over, and eat tacos. Solve puzzles and avoid security before making off with the loot, ya Filthy Animal!

Video Game LoFi: Yoshi Vinyl Review By 'Lo Fi' Lee 📀 @nokbient @MateriaStore @CuragaRecords #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl #VGM #LoFi

There’s quite a fashion for lo-fi covers of video game soundtracks at the moment. This offering from Save Point, Nokbient and Lofi VGM is released on vinyl through Curaga Records/Materia Music and comes on a single disc of black vinyl, in a nice shiny sleeve with artwork reminiscent of the Monument Valley games. 

It’s also available digitally and in an on-trend cassette version.

REBIRTH + DESPAIR Vinyl Review 'Piano and Cello Covers from NieR: Gestalt/Replicant + NieR Automata' 💿 @TheMangoMage #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl #VGM

The NieR series of games has a seriously hardcore fanbase, and from my own experiences of playing the original title on PS3 (I remember picking it up at a bargain price in a car boot sale near Pontins, natch) I can see where the love comes from, as the characters are memorable, and the story is sweeping, majestic and grand – terms that can also be levelled at the music.

Whilst the original versions feature full orchestration, here TPR and Roxane Genot strip the sound back to primarily piano and cello, re-arranging the tracks to give a closer, more intimate feel.

Dark Quest 3 XSX Review 8.5/10 "oh go on...one more go..." ⚔️ 🧙‍♂️ @brainseal #IndieGames #GameDev

It has only been over the last few years that I’ve really gotten hips-deep into board games. From diving into breezy games like Dungeon! And Hero Quest to rule-laden slogs like Massive Darkness or Endure the Stars/Rules, I’ve really come to appreciate the wonderful blend of dedication and camaraderie that comes from a day of getting some snacks and drinks in, then settling down for eleven hours of arguing over the results of dice rolls and bafflingly unclear card descriptions.

It was after a recent weekend jaunt to a salubrious part of the country – where the curtains were promptly drawn and daylight not sighted for 48 hours – that I began to yearn for a single-player board game experience… but in the digital realm.

I genuinely spent a few days installing and uninstalling various games on my phone, hunting around for what I was looking for - and it was then that I stumbled across Dark Quest 3, which was due for imminent release, I can’t comment on Brain Seal Ltd’s other games, or even the preceding two titles in this trilogy, but I can certainly say that Dark Quest 3 is exactly what I needed.

Landlord's Super Ten Minute Taster PC "A Nice Little Earner" 🍺 @MinskWorks #IndieGames #GameDev

 
Landlord's Super, your quintessential construction simulator, is here. Take a dodgy loan, restore a property, move in the locals, attend to their grievances, then celebrate with a pint in this fully-simulated, open-world 1980s Britain.

Thief Simulator 2 | Preview 🦸‍♂️ @ThiefSimulator #IndieGames #GameDev

The next release in the ‘Thief’ (not that one) series, Thief Simulator 2 follows PlayWay S.A. 2018’s Thief Simulator and – my personal favourite - 2022’s American Theft ‘80s.

This 2023 entry sees you again returning to popping into various locations – uninvited - and going out on the nick. Whilst the game does not yet have a solid release date beyond 2023 (PlayWay S.A.’s release schedule is intense), it builds on the illicit thrills of the previous two entries by including various abilities, items and environmental hazards such as police officers, sleep gas, traffic spikes, ATM hacking, drones, dynamite and weather factors such as rain – to hide the thief’s movements.

The series has previously given me a lot of tension-fuelled thrills, and I’m especially a fan of the way in which the games aren’t afraid to have fun with themselves. As far as I’m concerned, this is an underdog series of games that always manages to deliver idiosyncratic fun with a touch of craziness, and I’m looking forward to diving into this next chapter!

Vampire Survivors PC DLC TIDES OF THE FOSCARI Ten Minute Taster Gameplay Video "Let's Get Lost In The forest!" 🧛🌳 @poncle_vampire #IndieGames #GameDev

 
Vampire Survivors' second DLC Tides of the Foscari is out and I've just received Steam codes to play it! (The DLC is £1.59!) It features new characters, weapons, a massive whimsical forest level to explore and a groundbreaking new feature for the Vampire Survivors universe: 2 of the brand new Survivors (Maruto and Keitha) now have attack animations! This is limited to these 2 Survivors only!

NACON Pro Compact Controller Review (PC & XBOX) 🎮 @Nacon

We’ve covered a few NACON products here at GF over the last few years, and they’ve all stood out as high-quality, robust peripherals that last a lifetime and look cool as they do so, but does the NACON Pro Compact Controller continue this trend?

Return To Grace Ten Minute Taster PC Gameplay Video "AI On My Wrist!" 🤖 @CBytesStudios #IndieGames #GameDev

Return To Grace is a surprise game for me that I have absolutely fallen for. Please watch this taster of what you can expect in this mysterious walking sim set in the future.

A daring space archaeologist has just unearthed the ancient resting place of a long-lost A.I. god known as Grace. Adventure with various fractured A.I. personalities as you uncover the great mystery of why she was shut down all those years ago.

I Think Skyrim May Have Saved My Love Of Video Games 🖤

Video Games are a passion for me that stems from when I was about 7 years old and I discovered that the Amstrad CPC at my mate Briggsy's house could play a video game called Football Manager 2. 

From that day forth I fell for every computer and every console that came out. If I think back even further I do actually remember playing my sister's Pong Machine at home in the early 80s but that is a distant hazy memory that didn't drive my love of video games but probably helped me along that road a bit.

Fast forward around 35 years and I'm still a video games lover but the difference now is that not only do I own various systems to play the latest video games but I also run my own video games website that requires me to be switched onto video games every day of the year.

Some might say that type of always-on mentality can wear you down a bit and I would say to them that,

"Yes, you are correct, it can wear you down". 

Propagation: Paradise Hotel VR Review 8/10 "Zombies! Hotels! Horror!" 🧟 @PropagationVR #IndieGames #GameDev

Steak and chips. Cannon and Ball. Coffee and cream. Zombies and VR. Some things are just destined to go together. Yes, there are roughly 5 gazillion VR zombie games. Yes, some of them are rubbish. No, this isn’t one of them.

Spacebourne 2 Ten Minute Taster PC Gameplay "LOST IN SPACE!" 🚀 @DBK_Games #IndieGames #GameDev

 
Rich tries to embark on a journey to greatness (with varying levels of success). Get ready for adrenaline-fueled battles and a chance to claim your place in the galaxy. Grab the controls of your ship, gear up for the fight, and unleash your ambition to conquer and build a new empire in the vastness of space.

Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! Switch Review 8/10 "Bubble Burstin’ Boisterousness" 🫧 @ININ_Games 🫧

There’s a purity to the Puzzle Bobble games that has always drawn me, a merciless blend of colourful, simple gameplay and snappy action that has entranced me since pounding hours into it on Vs mode on the PS1, back in my days as a teenager.

This new version does a fantastic job of plate-spinning the solid-as-a-rock original mechanics whilst also adding various bells and whistles through extra Modesto giving a neat amount of variety to the usual bubble-popping proceedings.

Lego 2k Drive Xbox Series X Review 7/10 "Is it as good as Mario Kart?" 🏎️ @LEGO_2K_HUB @2K #LEGO2KDrive

Every time a new kart racer comes to market, be it badged as Sonic, Crash Bandicoot, or, somewhat oddly, Garfield, the first question everyone asks is, "Is it as good as Mario Kart?" and the answer, invariably, is no. Lego 2k Drive is the latest to come at the King, and while it does miss, it's a good game in its own right.

Klaus Lee Thunderballs PC Let's Play Gameplay Video "Jetpacks & TNT!" 💣 @TheRealKlausLee #IndieGAmes #GameDev

Dive deep through the neon-hued brash and bawdy '80s-inspired reimagined classic 2D action-platformer with your favourite BADASS Kraut, Klaus Lee! Dust off your jetpack, grab your dynamite and prepare your laser eyes and dive deep into Klaus' first challenging adventure!