#ps vita
#ps vita
by Amr (@siegarettes)
“Earthbound meets Zelda”. It’s really difficult to describe Reverie in any other way. You can dance around it, play up its New Zealand mythology, or use a phrase like “quirky top down action-adventure game” but the influences are worn very openly. Often imitated, but rarely replicated, invoking them means living up to a lot of people’s high expectations. So does Reverie clear the high bar it sets?
Maybe. Sorta?
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Originally designed for the Dreamcast and Neo Geo MVS, Fast Striker is a straightforward, almost routine example of a shoot-em-up. At the same time, it displays all the competences of the genre, providing examples of what makes the genre feel good. It works with its limitations to provide good visual feedback and varied styles.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Russian Subway Dogs is pure arcade joy. It’s nothing more than a series of levels where you scare train passengers out of their food and watch a combo multiplier go up. What makes it work is the way you juggle items, and the increasing complications each new stage introduces. It’s tricky and taxing, and while it sometimes gets tough, it’s a clean design that makes the endless score chase appealing.
By Amr (@siegarettes)
Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo has a pretty ridiculous name. Thankfully, it also has a pretty simple pitch. It’s a retro style puzzle platformer where you jump on skeletons then collect their heads to smash into a holy temple. It’s about as fun as that sounds. The platforming feels good, the feedback on delivering craniums to the cross is great, and the boss fights are tense and satisfying. It feels a bit like My Owl Software’s Apple Jack series in the way it takes simple platforming and throwing mechanics and creatively builds upon them.
What holds SSSG2T back is how it manages to feel retro in a different way, which is how it tests your patience. SSSG2T is a challenging game, filled with instant death pitfalls and tricky platforming. It’s thankfully never feels unfair or ridiculously precise, but its easy to make a few wrong moves and find yourself restarting the stage. Stages are relatively short, taking only a few minutes or less to run through, so it’s never a huge loss…until a few worlds in.
by Omar (@siegarettes)
I’m going to be honest: it’s taken me this long to write about Yomawai because just looking at the desktop icon for the game fills me with anxiety. It’s joined Silent Hill 2, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and Neverending Nightmares in the ranks of games that are both imminently compelling, and something I dread playing.
By Kevin (@Prufesuroak)
Duke Nukem 3D does a lot of things right, It’s relatively simple, yet relatively complex, It’s brash, it’s crude, its loud and it’s proud but most importantly it’s a ‘whole lotta fun’.
By: RJ (@rga_02)
Every week I will be showcasing one album and a video game that I feel everyone should check out in their spare time. Today, those two will be Sainthood by Tegan & Sara and Freedom Wars
By: RJ (@rga_02)
Zig zagin’ through deep space with WipEout-esque music blasting in your ears, and acid inducing scenery that makes your eyes melt with joy. This is Futurdium EP Deluxe. But instead of racing your way through highways of the future, you are a space pilot shooting blocks. In what seems like an old video game trope rehashed into something pretty, MixedBag attempts to well….mix up the genre a bit.