Having been a fan of The Angry Video Game Nerd for a good few years (I think the first video I ever saw was The Silver Surfer), I can remember when the games based on the series were first released - in 2013 and 2016 respectively – and their addictive ‘dive in and out’ qualities combined with laser-focused platforming challenge and shining 8-bit audio work made such an impression on me that I leapt to cover the deluxe versions when they were released last year (https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/search/label/AVGN%201%262%20Deluxe).
30/09/2021
๐ฟ๐ฟThe Angry Video Game Nerd 1&2 Deluxe Vinyl | Review | "An Expansive Triple Vinyl" ๐ฟ๐ฟ @blackscreenrec #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl
29/09/2021
๐ฎ NACON MG-X | "Designed for Xbox" Mobile Controller |Review | 9/10 | "OMG-X!" ๐ฎ @Nacon
It was a sad, sad day when I relinquished my Switch Lite. Having been a fan of the Gameboy and Atari Lynx in my misspent youth, I enjoyed getting hips deep into Mario (oo-er) on bus and train journeys. But, having bought an Xbox when the latest generation came out, I couldn’t justify the expense of running two prime consoles and the double game costs associated with it (I realise this is Games Freezer heresy as Britt has every console available, including TWO Magnavox Odysseys. Probably).
28/09/2021
๐ฅ Dustwind | PS4 | Ten minute Taster | Gameplay | "Eat My Dust!" ๐ฅ @dustwind_game #GameDev #IndieGames
27/09/2021
๐๐️๐จ Cruis’n Blast | Nintendo Switch | Review | 7.5/10 | "I Have Very Fond Memories of The Cruis’n Series" ๐๐️๐จ @rawthrills
I have very fond memories of the Cruis’n series, both in terms of the original arcade versions and homeports – well, some of them.
Originally released in 1994, the first game in the series – Cruis’n USA – was a fixture in a lot of arcades I visited in my teens and I was instantly drawn to the twitchy handling, energetic music and pure arcade gameplay.
The home ports were decent and got better with each iteration, meaning that Cruis’n Exotica was the highlight for me, despite the pop-in, smoothness always wins the day!
26/09/2021
๐ป Tormented Souls | PS5 | Review | 8/10 | "Like Early Resident Evil" ๐ป @PQubeGames #IndieGames #GameDev
Before Tormented Souls, I had played two games this year where the developers’ goal has been to emulate early survival horror games such as Resident Evil or Silent Hill. One was bad, the other is my least favourite game of all time and contained design choices that still make me angry to this day.
I was very sceptical going into Tormented Souls, thinking that maybe this type of game should be left in the past, so I don’t have to watch my love and nostalgia being quickly eroded by games trying to recapture their spirit.
Luckily, I love Tormented Souls, it did exactly what it was supposed to do - first and foremost, allow me to enjoy the experience but also fired up my nostalgia and transported me back to the early days of survival horror.
25/09/2021
๐ No Longer Home | PC | Review | 7/10 | ๐ @PixelHunted #GameDev #IndieGames
There’s a thin line between homage and plagiarism. No Longer Home lifts a lot from Kentucky Route Zero, with the flat-shaded graphics, magical realist elements, font-choice, animation, controls, and general vibe suspiciously familiar to anyone who’s played Cardboard Computer’s indie classic.
As a big-time fan of Kentucky Route Zero this isn’t exactly unwelcome, but when you’re a tiny indie developer with the freedom to make whatever you want cribbing heavily from someone else’s aesthetic feels like a creative lapse. Then, late in the game, you walk into a room to find a computer with Kentucky Route Zero on it and you’re asked if you want to name your dog Blue or Homer.
Well, fair enough then. At least they aren’t being subtle about it.
24/09/2021
☢️ Sheltered 2 | PC | Ten Minute Taster | Gameplay | "Going Deeper Underground" ☢️ @Sheltered_Game #GameDev #IndieGames
23/09/2021
๐น๐ด A Monster's Expedition | Ten Minute Taster | Gameplay | Nintendo Switch | "Smarter Than Your Average Monster" ๐น๐ด @ChickadeeGames #GameDev #IndieGames
22/09/2021
๐ฅ RICO | Nintendo Switch | Review | 3/10 | "I wouldn't call myself an expert in police procedures" ๐ฅ #IndieGames #GameDev
21/09/2021
๐ณ Backworlds | Nintendo Switch | Ten minute Taster | Gameplay | "A Real Head Scratcher!" ๐ณ @BackworldsGame #IndieGames #GameDev
❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️
20/09/2021
๐น️ PLAY RETRO VIDEO GAMES ON LINUX WITH THIS OPEN-SOURCE PROJECT ๐น️ #Unity #RetroGaming
Is there a certain age that a game has to be considered retro?
It’s actually a little bit more complicated than that and there’s no real definitive answer or age the game has to be considered retro.
๐⬛ Heart Chain Kitty | Nintendo Switch | Ten minute Taster | "This Game Is A Fever Dream!" ๐⬛ #IndieGames #GameDev
19/09/2021
๐ A Profound Waste of Time ๐ @APWOTmag
Described on the website (www.apwot.com) as:
‘an award-winning independent magazine that celebrates games as an art form. Each issue plays host to a rich variety of voices from inside and outside the videogame industry, interwoven with stunning bespoke imagery from leading illustrators and artists. Editorially discerning and beautifully designed, the magazine serves to celebrate gaming culture and discussion.’
18/09/2021
๐ฎ Lake | Xbox Series X | Review | 6.5/10 | "A Break From The City That’s Maybe Too Mellow" ๐ฎ @Lake_The_Game #IndieGames #GameDev
Lake was a game that really stood out to me when I watched a showcase from the publisher last year. The trailer depicts a woman (Meredith Weiss) taking a two-week break from her busy computing job in a city - the game is set in 1986, so there’s some cool, old tech kicking around - to cover her postman father’s job back in her hometown of Providence Oaks.
17/09/2021
๐ฌ Lake | PC | Ten Minute Taster | Gameplay | "Just Checking The Mail ๐ฌ @Lake_The_Game #GameDev #IndieGames
16/09/2021
๐ Honey I joined A Cult | PC | Gameplay | "The Cult of the Worm Is Born" ๐ @solesurvivorgms #GameDev #IndieGames
It's time to start working towards that ultimate goal of enlightenment, faith and money…lots and lots of money. Create, customise, expand and manage your own cult whilst listening to funky music in Honey, I Joined a Cult!
๐ฎ Easy SMX ESM-4108 | The Best Budget Wireless Pro Controller For Nintendo Switch For Under £10? ๐ฎ @EasySMX_Gaming
I needed a new Switch Controller as I only had wired ones and this Easy SMX ESM-4108 Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch/PC was the perfect fit for my budget at an astonishingly cheap £9.99!
15/09/2021
⚽️๐ฅ Super Arcade Football | PC| Review | "FUN FOOTBALL FEVER!" ⚽️๐ฅ @outofthebit #GameDev #IndieGames
14/09/2021
⚽️ Tux and Fanny | Nintendo Switch | Review | 9.5/10 | "A rich world of wonder, packed with magic" ⚽️ @simplysylvio #GameDev #IndieGames
I had never heard of Tux and Fanny before happening across a conversation on Twitter a few days ago in which the developer stated that he was incredibly proud of the game and that it featured over 25 mini-games.
As a sucker for mini-games, I went into my usual trance and my hands worked of their own volition, guiding me inevitably towards the Tux and Fanny trailer on YouTube. I watched the trailer with my eyes and was absolutely sold on the Microsoft Paint-like chunky pixelated visuals and simple characters.
As I’ve mentioned recently in other child-friendly games I’ve covered, I’m compiling a list of games to play with my son when he is old enough and this is firmly, firmly on that list, it’s Pikuniku levels of brilliant.