🍋🔫🍍 Review: Juicy Realms "A Fruity Shooter That Ripens Quickly" 🍒🔫🍉

Game Title: Juicy Realms

Developer: SpaceCan

Platform Reviewed: PC (Steam)

Rating: Melting

Juicy Realms is a (sort-of) top-down twin-stick shooter that can be played locally or in co-op modes. 

Set in a world where the food chain has completely altered, leaving sentient fruits and vegetables at the top of the chain and humans somewhere in the middle, it’s up to you (and possibly a friend) to load up and delve deeper in to the Plant Empire, putting a stop to their ‘seedy ways.

👊🏻🏀 Review: Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn "The Big Daddy is BACK!" 🏀👊🏻 #ShaqFu

Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn

I know nothing about basketball, but after Shaquille O’Neil was in his own hot game on the SNES and in that one movie where everyone thinks it was Sinbad, I figured he must be a major star. And that opening line is all we need to mention about the original game, as this second iteration seems to want nothing to do with the classic fighter, other than as material for some jokes. 

Many years and a sprinkle of crowdfunding later though, this dominant athlete is looking to craft a new legend, or at least wants to make something closer to an actual success in the video game world. 

Is it possible though, or are some things in history truly doomed to repeat?

⚔️ Moonlighter - PS4 - Ten Minute Taster ⚔️ #GameDev #IndieGame

🎮 "Looting Dungeons and running my own shop has long been an ambition of mine and now I can live that dream in Moonlighter on PS4. 

Loot the local dungeons and sell your wares in a cross between Legend Of Zelda and Stardew Valley" 🎮

⚽️ Episode 14. SNES Football Games Were Shite - Kevin Keegan's Player Manager - Imagineer - 1993 ⚽️ #SNES #Retrogaming

🎮"With Kev's hair and Kick Off gameplay combined what could possibly go wrong here? 

We'd love it if you watched to find out!"🎮

🏚️ Review: Without Escape - "A Brief Jaunt into The Unknown" 🏚️ @BrittRecluseuk @kingdomofcarts #GameDev #IndieGame

Game Title: Without Escape
Developer: Bumpy Trail Games
Platform Reviewed: PC (Steam)
Rating: Melting

Without Escape has been released previously in a different guise on the Xbox Live service and has been in development through various stages since 2001, when it was a very different beast indeed. 

The game comes with a brief history of its development cycle (Bumpy Trail Games is a one-man team) and it’s clear to see that the game is a labour of love. 

From its inception as a very basic point and click game with graphics drawn in Paint through to the newest and final incarnation as a game with lushly rendered graphics and extra sections with multiple endings that we see today.

❄️Review: ICEY - Nintendo Switch "Almost ‘ICE’-cool" ❄️ #GameDev #IndieGame @BrittRecluseuk @kingdomofcarts

Game Title: ICEY

Developer: Fantablade Network

Platform Reviewed: Switch

Rating: Melting

ICEY is a video game that has been around on the PC for a couple of years and has gained quite a fervent fan following, it’s blend of classic hack-and-slash gameplay paired with a meta-story approach and concepts have appealed to a wide audience, but if the story doesn’t grab you….what are you left with?

💾 Matilda Talks 80's Choplifter, Big Box PC Games and Mrs Ball's Chutney - Video Games Memories 💾 @Bhaal_Spawn #Retrogaming #BigBoxGames

Here are some more awesome video games memories from one of our fave Twitter peeps.

Today is the turn of Matilda aka @Bhaal_Spawn aka ☀️ 🌸 idspispopd  🥀 aka Tilly

Tilly loves PC gaming and especially those beautiful MS-DOS games that I am prone to retweeting screenshots of when I fall down a Twitter screenshot rabbit hole...

Let's get to know the MS-DOS gaming, Big Box loving Matilda with a few questions, you know the drill, so here goes...

🔫 Ten Minute Taster - Milanoir - PS4 - "70's Gang Land Pixel Milan!" 🔫 #IndieGame #GameDev

🎮"Milanoir: What about some cool as hell twin stick video game gang land shooting action in 70's Milan on your trusty PS4?"🎮

⚽️ Episode 13. SNES Football Games Were Shite - International Superstar Soccer Deluxe - Konami - 1995 ⚽️ #Retrogaming

🎮 "As the saying goes, "Tails Never Fails", watch me go about proving this scientific fact whilst playing the awesome ISS Deluxe.

This game is surely NOT SHITE!" 🎮

🥊 Review: Punch Club "Comes out swinging but struggles in the last rounds" 🥊 #IndieGame #GameDev

Game Title: Punch Club

Developer: Lazy Bear Games

Platform Reviewed: Nintendo Switch

Rating: Melting

As I played Punch Club, the game that came to mind was World Championship Boxing Manager, a personal classic that I loved back on the Amiga 500.

Whilst the games differ in many ways, the essentials of building skills up to rise through the rankings remain the same and it’s a genre that is quite thin on the ground, more so with an injection of humour.  

After a strong start and an interesting setup, Punch Club stumbles more and more the longer it is played and eventually the heavy grinding and micro-managing wore me down.

🔫 Review: Garage - Nintendo Switch "Just Needs a Slight Tuning Up" 🔫 #IndieGame #GameDev

Game Title – Garage

Platform Reviewed – Nintendo Switch

Developer – tinyBuild Games

Garage is a top-down shooter with horror elements that is set entirely underground.

With Hotline Miami and the Sega Saturn / PlayStation game Loaded as touchstones, Garage gets a lot right but has some issues running throughout that reduce the ‘one more go’ factor that can make or break these types of games.

🦊🌳 Review: Fox 'n' Forests "A Hidden Gem from an Alternate Universe" 🌳🦊 #GameDev #IndieGame

Game Title: Fox n Forests

Developer: Bonus Level Entertainment

Platform Reviewed: PC (Steam) - £15.49

Rating: Ice Cool

Fox n Forests is a throwback the video games platformers of the mid-90s with a very Super Nintendo vibe running through it. 

From the colourful graphics through to the visual styles and touches, this is very much a game that could have been released in 1994 to critical acclaim and, like the best of those games, it still stands up today.

🎮 Ten Minute Taster: Omensight - PS4 - "Watch me buddy up with a possessed Rat and a Giant Bear" 🎮

🎮"Watch me buddy up with a possessed Rat and a Giant Bear with an English accent in this beautiful action adventure murder mystery on PS4"🎮

⚽️ Episode 12. SNES Football Games Were Shite - International Superstar Soccer - Konami - 1995 ⚽️

🎮"Surely a visit to my old friend ISS will be a joyous video gaming moment as I revisit a football game legend......or maybe I will just blame the joypad for my lack of video games skills....you decide!" 🎮

🦄 Aravelle Talks Tandy Tennis, Gauntlet and Dr Pepper Mixed With Kahlua - Video Games Memories 🦄 @aravelle

Aravelle is an awesome Twitch Streamer who has a life-size diamond unicorn called Alvin a PC called Penelope and a chair called Cher.

Aravelle is also one of our fave Twitter peeps, so we thought we would invite her to take part in our Video Games Memories feature so we can find out a bit more about this gaming goddess...

🍳 The Drisk Talks Ant Attack, Outrun and Triple Fried Egg Chilli Chutney Sandwiches - Video Games Memories 🍳 @TheDrisk

It's my pleasure to have The Drisk in the Games Freezer for Video Games Memories.

The Drisk is an encyclopedia of all video games knowledge and someone I have enjoyed listening to for the last 3 years.

I first became aware of The Drisk when I began listening to the Retro Asylum podcast as The Drisk was a regular on the show at the time.

Now let's delve a bit deeper into the Video Games Nostalgia gland of the almighty Drisk!

🌊 Review: Lake Ridden "A gentle, supernatural tale that doesn’t make a huge splash" 🌊 #GameDev #IndieGame @kingdomofcarts @BrittRecluseuk

Game Title: Lake Ridden

Developer: Midnight Hub
Platform Reviewed: PC (Steam)
Rating: Melting

Lake Ridden tells the story of a young girl called Marie who has gone camping with her sister, Sophia. 

Upon waking, Marie notices that Sophia has gone missing and sets off alone into the darkened woods to try and find her…what could possibly go wrong?

☕️ Review: Coffee Crisis "A caffeine-fuelled burst of arcade action" ☕️ #GameDev #IndieGame @kingdomofcarts @BrittRecluseuk

Title: Coffee Crisis
Developer: Mega Cat Studios
Platform reviewed: PC (Steam)
Rating: Ice Cool

Coffee Crisis was originally released on the Sega Mega Drive back in 2017, developed by Mega Cat studios in conjunction with Black Forge coffee house in Pittsburgh, who handled the story of the game whilst Mega Cat worked on the design.

As a retro game collector myself, (specifically with Sega Mega Drive) the game has been on my radar for a while and I fully intend to pick up a boxed copy at some point. Fast-forward a year or so, and Coffee Crisis has seen a Steam release with enhanced graphics and audio (as obviously this version is not limited by the Sega hardware), but yet still keeping a very 16-bit artistic approach. 

Whilst an enjoyable romp, it is a brief game that has a very arcade approach with the depth that the arcade experience brings.

⚽️ Episode 11: SNES Football Games Were Shite - Head On Soccer - US Gold - 1995 ⚽️ #Retrogaming #SNES

🎮"Come meet Ginger Bob Marley in a unique game of football"🎮

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

🕹️ Things I Miss In Video Games - "Battle Mode League"🕹️ #Retrogaming

Those early days of Super Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo were a delight.

No one had seen a video game like it and no one could believe how great the game was on the mighty Super Nintendo.

Digging beneath the surface of this giant of the SNES world would lead you to a game with longevity that wasn’t weeks it was years and even decades as I still return to Super Mario Kart 26 years later.

🚂 "Elink To The Past Talks North & South Train Running and Smörgåstårta!" - Video Games Memories 🎮

Today we welcome Elin into the Games Freezer and learn more about her video gaming history.

Elin is one of our fave Twitter retro gaming peeps and she lives in beautiful Sweden with her awesome video games & console collection.

Let's sit down with a nice glass of whisky and have a chat in the Freezer...

🕹️ Kingdom Of Carts: The Paris Return 🕹️ @kingdomofcarts @BrittRecluseuk

I wrote an article on our previous retro gaming sojourn to Paris (one of Faye’s favourite places) last year and commented on the price there and the gaming culture of Paris in general, however, we didn’t really know what to expect on that occasion.

This time, we built the holiday specifically around our love of gaming and so we were able to visit more places and also plan our treks more (we ended up clocking over thirty miles of walking in three days!) than our previous trips.

⚔️ Conan Exiles - PS4 - Ten Minute Taster "My Arachnophobic Hero!" ⚔️ #ConanExiles

"⚔️Wander the Conan inspired wasteland in Conan Exiles on the PS4 with me as I build my 1-bed starter home 

with wonderful views and then go hunt some spiders...🕷️" 

⚽️ Episode 10. SNES Football Games Were Shite - Hat Trick Hero 2 - Taito - 1994 ⚽️

🎮 "SNES Football Games Were Shite Jumps onto a bullet train to Japan and visits Hat Trick Hero 2 land and the mystery of the pesky Hyper Super Shot, 

will there be turds?" 🎮

📖 3 Video Games Inspired Books By Kari Fry That Will Blow Your Mind! 📘

I've been poking around the internet as usual and i've found 3 books on the FanGamer website which are going straight on my Fathers Day, Birthday and Christmas list...

I think you are going to love them too!

👕 Primark Are Launching An Awesome Set Of Retro Gaming Apparel This Saturday! 👕 @ReplayEvents #Retrogaming

Games Freezer have been invited to the May 12th launch of a new Primark retro games inspired clothing range at the flagship Primark Store in Manchester City Centre.

We've taken a look at the range and it looks awesome!

⚽️ Episode 9: SNES Football Games Were Shite - FIFA 98 Road To World Cup - EA - 1997 ⚽️ #Retrogaming #SNES

🎮 "The SNES Football Games Were Shite Train Steams into France this week and visits EA for a 4th and final time with FIFA 98 Road To The World Cup! Expect Turds and Terrible Commentary" 🎮 

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ 

⚽️Things I Miss in Video Games - "Championship Manager Hot Seat Sessions"⚽️

As I’ve got older I’ve begun to realise how precious time is to us all.

When we’re younger it seems we have all the time in the world to do whatever we want and we take it for granted.

This is especially true for playing video games.

⚔️ Ten minute Taster - City Of Brass - PS4 - "No Arms Mcgraw's Revenge!" 💀

🎮"I'm taking on the City Of Brass today which is full of undead skeletons, loot, No Arms McGraw and genies what's not to like?"🎮

☆ Review: Max: The Curse of Brotherhood "The modern Penny Crayon" ☆ @BrittRecluseuk #IndieGame #GameDev

Platform Reviewed: Nintendo Switch

Developer: Press Play

Rating: Ice Cool

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood (M:TCOB) is the sequel to the 2010 game Max and the Magic Marker. The game was originally released in 2013 and in the last few months it has been ported to both the Switch and PS4. 

Whilst I had a really good time with the game throughout its 6-8 hour campaign, there was one thing that burned my family photo-album on my birthday throughout…the framerate. 

It wasn’t enough to massively hinder my enjoyment but I must admit that I know the game would have benefitted hugely from a push from 30 to 60 fps.

⚽️ SNES Football Games Were Shite - FIFA 97 GOLD - 1996 - EA ⚽️

☆ Britt is a Self Confesed Video Game Animation-iac ☆ #Retrogaming @BrittRecluseuk

I recently reviewed a game called The Thin Silence which had the most amazingly lethargic ‘kick’ animation that I’ve seen in a game, I found it mesmerising and often I would just randomly kick things in the game to see that wonderful animation in action (booting generators also had a nice accompanying rattling sound effect). 

It dawned on me as I happily booted my way through the (very good) game that over the years there have been quite a few animations in games that I just found really pleasing to watch, almost therapeutic even, and I wondered if it was something that all gamers experience with certain games.

☆ Review: The Thin Silence "An introspective, narrative-driven puzzler" ☆

Game Title: The Thin Silence

Developer: TwoPM Studios

Platform Reviewed: PC (Steam)

Rating: Ice Cool

The Thin Silence puts the player in control of Ezra Westmark, a soldier who wakes up in an underground cave system, refusing to face reality and haunted by his choices, he begins the journey upwards. 

It’s a very deliberately-paced game that slowly unfolds the story to the player very carefully as they make progress.

🏀 Retro Review: Space Jam - PS1 "Jordan's Motivation To Return To Basketball?" 🏀 #Retrogaming #GamersUnite

This Space Jam video game is based on a movie by the same name that I am pretty sure I saw in theatres and remember very little about; partially because that was the only time I saw it, and I know very little about Michael Jordan or basketball as a whole, so it never kept my interest. 

I considered re-watching the movie for this review, but couldn’t find anyone I knew that actually owned a copy, so not sure what that says about the movie or my friends. It is a simple concept though, with the world-famous Looney Tunes meeting real-life NBA players—mostly just MJ after he decided to do baseball—and play a game of intergalactic proportions: Tune Squad vs Monstars, where the stakes are…

I honestly don’t recall, but I’m sure they’re big. The movie, however, was a hit, to the point that Hollywood is still talking about a sequel to this day, so I’m a little surprised there is only one Space Jam video game.

👑 Review: Chess Ultra "Pour a nice glass of Malbec and get that grey matter twitching" 👑

Game Title: Chess Ultra
Developer: Ripstone
Platform Reviewed: Nintendo Switch
Rating: Ice Cool

Ripstone have developed a video game that takes the essentials of the game of Chess, refines the various aspects of it and distils it almost perfectly onto the Nintendo Switch.

⚔️ Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion ⚔️ #AdventureTime

First Official Trailer Released for Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion

An Original Adventure Time Story Coming to Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on July 17 in the US and July 20 Globally

⚽️ SNES Football Games Were Shite - FIFA 96 - 1995 - EA ⚽️ #Retrogaming

🎮 "The SNES Football Games Were Shite Roadshow trundles on and this week it visits EA again with FIFA 96.... was it a turd or could I polish it?" 🎮 

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

⛵️ Review: Solo "A game about love, crafted with love" ⛵️ #GameDev @TeamGotham_

Game Title: Solo

Platform Reviewed: PC (Steam)

Developer: Team Gotham

Rating: Ice Cool

Release date – April 26th 2018

Solo is a video game featuring a sailor traversing an archipelago, solving puzzles and musing on love as he works his way across the scenic islands. I instantly warmed to its tone and charms as I puzzled my way through the game.

Solo starts with you choosing your character and their relationship status (which alters aspects of the story, the choices are quite varied and should cater for everyone). Starting off at your house, your cheerful, rotund character soon sets sail for a distant archipelago and the game starts in earnest.

⚔️ The Swords Of Ditto - Ten Minute Taster - PS4 ⚔️ #GameDev @onebitbeyond #IndieGame

⚔️ "The first title from One Bit Beyond is The Swords of Ditto, the beautiful looking micro RPG that generates a new story, adventure, character and world every time you play. The Swords of Ditto will be published by Devolver Digital on PC and PS4 on 24th April 2018."" ⚔️

☆ Review: Beckett - "An acid trip into a Burroughs-esque dystopia" ☆ #IndieGame @TheSecretExp

Game Title: Beckett

Developer: The Secret Experiment

Platform Reviewed: PC (Steam)

Rating: Ice Cool

There’s no sugar-coating this, Beckett is a tough ride for all the right reasons.

Scottish developers The Secret Experiment pull no punches as they envelop you in the twisted, broken world of Beckett. 

As I played through I winced, felt queasy, and even occasionally found it overwhelming, but I was never bored.

☆ EGX Rezzed 2018 "Tim Schafer & The Lucas Games Ranch Nerds" ☆ @DoubleFine

This years EGX Rezzed was another rip roaring affair with so much indie gaming goodness to take in and such a great atmosphere.

Tobacco Dock is a brilliant venue for this highlight in my gaming calendar and I always look forward to visiting its dungeon like underbelly for the awesome leftfield collection and the brick cavern like gaming areas on the first floor to experience more mainstream indie delights.

For me this year there was a highlight of the show that really stood out for me.

It was an awesome talk from Tim Schafer about his video games writing / developing career which was a brilliant way to spend 45 minutes listening to an industry legend’s experiences at Lucas Arts and Double Fine.

☆ Review: Bombslinger - "Tough As Old Bombs!" ☆ #Bombslinger #Nindies @mode4games

If you hear anyone talking about Bombslinger then you will most likely hear them refer to Super Bomberman R in the same sentence as they are pretty much cousins but they are most definitely not the same and Bombslinger does not come across as a game trying to best Super Bomberman R either.

So, what is Bombslinger all about and is it worth picking up for your Switch?

Well let's have a look shall we?

⚽️ SNES Football Games Were Shite - FIFA International Soccer - 1993 - EA ⚽️

🎮"Over the years of video games playing and owning a Super Nintendo I came to the realisation that the Super Nintendo was shit for Soccer games! They're all rubbish!"🎮

🎮"Join me as I trudge through the poo and serve up a steaming slice for you to consume in weekly portions"🎮

☆ The Sounds Gamers Will Never Forget ☆

Here's a video that I had fun pulling together of some of the sounds that as a gamer you will never forget.

See if you can spot your favourite video game amongst this lot...

☆ Review: Rally Racers - "Colourful Cartoon Karting" ☆ #IndieGame

Game Title: Rally Racers

Developer: West Coast Games

Platform Reviewed: Nintendo Switch

Rating: Melting

Rally Racers is a fun if slightly bland family-friendly racing game with a ‘kart-style’ approach that I found entertaining in short bursts as well as also oddly addictive, despite it’s issues.