Cursed to Golf (Original Soundtrack) Mark Sparling | Vinyl Review By Britt 💿 @blackscreenrec @Markymark665 #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

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The last time I came across Mark Sparling’s music was back in 2021 when I reviewed A Short Hike, Mark Sparling composed the – quite idiosyncratic – soundtrack, which was released through Stumpy Frog Records, and acted as one of my first forays into the word of VGM vinyl.

The artwork alone of Cursed to Golf makes a huge impression, created by Crisppyboat, it’s a great Claymation-style image of the golfer protagonist smashing his ball towards the viewer as various Claymation interpretations of in-game characters and scenarios surround him.

Rich with pastel colours, and devoid of any text, the whole front cover is purely dedicated to this striking image, as is the reverse, which acts as a continuation of the image, showing a trophy atop a pillar in a graveyard, the cartoonish spookiness of the game absolutely nailed here in a totally different – and very cool art style.

Abathor PC Gameplay | The First 30 Minutes ⚔️ @Abathor_Game #IndieGame #GameDev

Rich grabs his sword and enters the world of Abathor which is a 2D arcade action platformer set in the mythical world of Atlantis. As the last hope for the Atlantean civilization, players must fend off hordes of monsters sent by the gods to punish the land. The game features both cooperative and competitive gameplay for up to four players, who must navigate over 50 challenging levels filled with ferocious demons, primordial gods, and treacherous traps. With its retro 16-bit graphics, elaborate pixel art, and epic soundtrack, Abathor offers a nostalgic journey reminiscent of classic arcade games. Rich is ready to defend Atlantis and face the gods' wrath!🎮🌊

Abathor Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 "A golden throwback to 16-bit co-op classics" ⚔️ @Abathor_Game @JanduSoft

I’ve covered hundreds of games during my time at The Might GF, and some can pop up seemingly out of nowhere and blow me away, some can be stewing for months and months, as I hungrily follow every dev post on social media, my appetite whetting ever further...and then the final game gets slopped on the floor in front of me in a steaming mess, leaving me smoking enigmatically up at the night sky, wondering what could have been as Bohren & Der Club of Gore play sexily in the background, the minimalist jazz soundtrack to my burgeoning disappointment.

Sometimes, though – I’ll stumble across a game that looks funky – like Abathor – and each tease or online trailer will have me adjusting my tie as steam comically toots through my collar. Good. 

From the early days of its inception, developer Pow Pixel Games promised to deliver us a throwback platformer, and by Jove, did they ever!