#ps4
#ps4
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Despite preceding it by decades, Spelunker is more likely to draw comparisons to games like Spelunky, which draws direct influence from Spelunker, than the other way around. Spelunker’s harsh, unexpected deaths can be seen as the predecessor to modern roguelike platformers, and plenty of the elements that made it into a cult hit continue to influence modern titles. Spelunker’s one of those titles that forms a missing link in the chain of history. A game like Lode Runner, or Wizardry, that had reasonable success in the West, but became the basis of plenty of imitators in Japan.
Unlike Wizardry or Lode Runner, Spelunker isn’t held up in popular memory for its compelling gameplay or endlessly replayable structure. No, Spelunker is remembered for being the ultimate kusoge, and with the release of Spelunker HD Deluxe, it’s finally wrapped around to drawing influence from its imitators.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Most games try to give you some sense of your impact. You can construct stories about your prowess, about what you did to help bring your team to victory. You know how many kills you made, how many objectives you captured, and how you assisted your teammates. The numbers spell out plainly exactly what you’ve accomplished.
In Hell Let Loose, sometimes it’s an achievement just to stay alive. A bomb you had no chance to avoid might take you out seconds after spawning. Or you might run ten minutes to the next objective only to be killed instantly by an enemy you’d never seen.
Sometimes you play a key role in setting a well timed offensive that creates momentum for the whole team. And sometimes you wander around, separated from your squad with no objective, no direction, and wondering if you’re even going to contribute anything in the next 30 minutes of bloody attrition.
Hell Let Loose is both the most exhilarated and bored I’d ever been in a shooter.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
When Space Invaders Forever released here, I lamented the fact that we were getting a cut down version of an already lacking collection. Apparently, the sentiment was heard, because almost a year later, Space Invaders Invincible Collection, the previously Japan-only Switch collection, is finally here. Invincible Collection is an improvement on the previous bare bones collection, but as the basis for Forever, it shares plenty of the same strange problems and has plenty of shortcomings of its own.
By Amr (@siegarettes)
Combining RPG mechanics and aesthetics, Cotton proved to be a longtime resident of many lists of shooter recommendations, especially for the cute-em-up crowd. With so many other shooters finding their way onto modern platforms lately, it only made sense for Success to return to it. Reboot, as you might expect, reboots the series, with a remaster of the first game that brings new art, an arranged OST and mechanics that feel at home with modern shooters. Conveniently, the original’s X68000 port is included as a bonus, making it easier to see just how much has changed.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
R-Type Final 2 is a game banking on the poor memories of its returning players. It’s been nearly a decade and a half since the release of the original R-Type Final, plenty of time to forget the details of its melancholy goodbye to the genre. A premature goodbye as it turns out, with the last decade seeing a surge in the popularity of the genre, and R-Type Final 2 acting as a celebration of this fact, declaring the happy return of a genre favorite. For many, that’s a triumph in itself. Getting behind the controls of Final 2’s extensive arsenal of ships is a joy that will carry the experience. But come armed with clear memories, and all its flaws cast harsh reflections through the haze of its brilliant lights.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
When Umihara Kawase Bazooka was announced, I was skeptical. The franchise has had its share of left field outings and cameos–to mixed success–and I wasn’t sure that the series’ signature wire action physics would translate to the hectic pace of a platform fighter. Well, after a strange, staggered release, Umihara Kawase Bazooka is finally here on the Switch and I can confidently say that my concerns were mostly unfounded–at least as far as the singleplayer goes.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
With its fixed arc jumps and punishing difficulty, Prinny might initially seem to be an updated take on Capcom’s Ghouls and Ghosts. But spend a little more time with it and you’ll find Prinny is more about avoiding enemies than fighting them. The titular Prinnies, damned souls sentenced to serve inside explosive penguin bodies, are fragile, and they aren’t too hot with a sword either. Instead you’ll have to make use of the deceptively effective dash, which can make you completely invulnerable with the right timing.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Starting with Mask of the Betrayer and then moving onto Utwarerumono ZAN, I’ve somehow ended up experiencing the story backwards through the process of reviewing it. So it’s a bit strange to be “finishing” the story by playing the first entry in the series. To be fair, this might also be a lot of people’s first experience with the original Utawarerumono, having only previously been available through a fan translation of the 2002 game, and an anime adaptation. Knowing that, Prelude to the Fallen sets out to remake the original PC game, bringing it in line with the aesthetics and presentation of the recent games. It mostly succeeds in that goal, but its close adherence to the source material sometimes draws attention to the underlying disparity between the two styles.
