Richard 
Funnily enough, the John Wick films seem to be both perfect and impractical video game material. Set in a heightened fantasy version of the real world, they involve an assassin coming out of retirement to gun down goons while rival assassins argue out arcane rules and traditions. A couple of generations ago, a publisher would …
Cheese, biscuits, mulled wine, turkey and board games. All things that come to mind when you think of Christmas. But like nan drinking too much mulled wine, or cheese-based trumps, board games can go terribly wrong. Make a poor choice and you get fights over the rules, or suffer the tedium of sitting through a …
Sometimes Nintendo’s way of thinking is beyond baffling. Take this NES re-release for example. As you’re likely aware, Nintendo has a platform on Switch full of SNES, Famicom and NES games. A handful are added periodically for online subscribers, including Japan-only titles. So, where did Nintendo put this localised re-release of the first-ever Fire Emblem? …
Vaporwave seems to be the new big thing, with purple, pink and blue, clean lines and ‘80s soundtracks becoming the order of the day. Out of this trend has popped Electro Ride, a stylish street racer that leans into the aesthetic, maybe to its determent. Electro Ride initially appears to be a heavily stylised take …
The No More Heroes series strikes us as being one loads of gamers have heard of, but few have played. Almost the dictionary definition of a cult classic, it launched on Wii in 2009 when the platform was struggling with ‘shovelware’ and a perception of being a console for grandparents. A lot of gamers (myself …
Glance at Space Avenger’s screenshots and you’ll soon get the gist. It’s a top-down arena shoot-em-up where asteroids hurtle about while you scramble to destroy ships gunning after you. It does, at least, show what a bit of love can do to a genre that’s as old as gaming itself. Things start off slowly. Your …
Games are all about attention to detail; the small little things that break or make an experience. A little bit of love and craft makes all the difference. Why do I bring this up? Because on the Switch dashboard Her Majesty’s Ship has the wrong name. It’s just a typo – not exactly the worst …
This is a Public Service Announcement. Paradise Killer is beyond brilliant. I’ve just wrapped up this Switch detective mystery, and now I’m desperate to sing its praises. You play investigator Lady Day Break (stage names are very much part of the deal here), who’s been summoned from exile to solve the murder of the council, …
Do you like tanks? Your answer is important here. If you don’t, I’m not sure you’re going to enjoy Tank Mechanic Simulator. It features lots of tanks. Loads. If you love tanks, well, rest assured you fall neatly within the target audience. This simulator casts you in the role of a World War II tank …
We love a good pun, so upon being asked to review a game running with a pun on a 1900s anti-war book, we jumped at the chance. Norman’s Great Illusion is a pixel art visual novel with overtly political themes. The developers bill it as an attempt to talk about people who ‘allow the coming …
Everybody loves trains. They chug, bellow steam, and the refreshment cart serves delicious lukewarm tea. Trains are inherently fun. Children know it. Railfans know it. Rod Stewart knows it. Railway Empire entails connecting cities with railroads, setting up signals, and both purchasing and upgrading trains along with their accompanying carriages. Nonstop train action – Railway …
What does simple mean? You have a really simple goal in Dungeon of the Endless. Find the exit, and transport your crystal there, so that you can move up to the next level. Seems easy. Seems simple. It’s not that simple and it’s not that easy. It’s not easy at all. Every level consists of …
Everyone loves a good board game – the perfect way to take our petty gripes and frustrations out on those we love. It’s no secret or surprise that they’ve gone through a renaissance in the last ten years. Modern examples are often fun, snappy, and varied thanks to interesting themes. El Dorado sees you trek …
Eighty-nine penny sweets. Just under a third of a modern-day Beano. One used copy of Waterworld on DVD. 89p doesn’t buy much these days. Amazingly though, it can still get you a Switch game. We put three budget-price buys through their paces. Pocket Mini Golf This softly coloured arcade game makes a good first impression. …
Ring Fit Adventure is not Wii Fit. I mean that in a few positive ways, as well as a few negative ones. Like a lot of people, I bought Ring Fit at launch and it didn’t really stick. I do Muay Thai a few times a week, and soccer and a boot camp both once …