Richard 
The Switch software library is weird. It has epic technologically-astounding games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It has wonderful, quirky indie games like Snipperclips and Untitled Goose Game. Then there are amazing older games like Katamari Damacy and Resident Evil 4. Sitting alongside all these gems and curios …
Remember me raving about Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3? It reminded me of the all great games of the PS2 era, and how they’re sorely missed, being far removed from the endless time pits many modern titles are. Well, here comes MUA3’s first DLC. Should you buy it? No! Has my opinion of the game shifted? …
In 2009 the iPhone was rising in prominence, putting a dent in the handheld market. iOS games like Canabalt, Angry Birds and Doodle Jump were available for less than a quid, making the £30 asking price for DS and PSP games seem steep. To counter this, Sony commissioned a range of ‘PlayStation minis’ – small …
The PSone era was packed with great RPGs*. The Final Fantasy games, which have never matched their PSone peak, Vagrant Story, Crono Cross, Xenogears and more. Wonderful stories bursting with imagination. It’s a joy, then, to see so many of them landing on modern consoles. A joy and a considerable time sink. The latest to …
Get ready for an ‘old-man-yells-at-sky’ moment. The gaming industry has changed drastically over the last ten years, with games as a service becoming more predominate. Keeping up with the likes of Fortnite and FIFA is almost a full-time job, with seasons, timed events and continual updates designed not only draw in new players but keep …
This platformer is of the monochromic variety, set within a stark, black and white world. You control a small black dot, able to change colour and move only at a snail’s pace. Getting around quicker involves changing colour to alter the direction of gravity – only objects of the matching colour support your weight, so …
Justice is a difficult thing. A young stable boy of limited cognition ties a saddle loosely. He doesn’t want to hurt the horse. His master yells at him for a job badly done, the boy pushes the master down the stairs. The master breaks his neck and dies. What verdict would you give? What about …
Giving certain games the review treatment feels pointless. For instance, listen to this: It’s almost as if developers NG:DEV TEAM knew this musical piece alone would bring back fond memories of the Amiga 500. Going one step further, if you’re aware of Gunlord X’s existence you’ve probably handed over your hard-earned eShop credit already. For …
Witch Thief is the latest attempt to take such classics as Smash TV and Robotron and update them with a 3D coat of paint, all the while colliding them with twitchy Japanese shoot ‘em ups. Question is, is it a Sabrina-style reimagining, taking something old and twisting into something new and fun, or is it …
SlabWell is Q*bert. An isometric puzzler where the goal is to step on all of the yellow tiles once, turning them red. Simple, right? I can go home now. It’s Q*bert. Nothing to discuss. Review over. It’s Q*bert. Except SlabWell is actually rather fascinating – it shows how you can take a simple premise, think …
Homage is difficult. Scott Pilgrim vs the World is a homage to 1980’s video games and the Toronto indie music scene. Both the novel and the film are wildly inventive and beautiful works which use the specificity of the premise and place to say wider things about love, responsibility and growing up. Mockbuster movie Transmorphers …
Flailing limb sims such as Surgeon Simulator and Octodad have become big business recently. The former, in particular, has sold over 2 million copies. It’s easy to see why. Surgeon Simulator is hilarious, frequently making the slippery controls and the player’s incompetence the centre of its comedy making machine. Godly Corp is the latest attempt …
The gaming industry sucks at preserving its heritage. Take Super Mario Bros. for example. It’s one of the most important games ever made. Gaming’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Gaming’s Pet Sounds. A creation of genius design and perfect mechanics. The gaming landscape would look completely different had never come along. And yet, Nintendo treats it …
If you’re going to name a game after someone, Amelia Earhart is a fine choice. Not only was she the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, but she also formed a feminist organisation, may have been a spy, and disappeared under mysterious circumstances. She was, as the children say, ‘lit’. Airheart developers Blindflug …
From engaging in cannon battles to finding lost treasure, this 2D pirate simulator allows you to partake in all kinds of nautical activities. No one can accuse creator Sebastian Nigro of not being ambitious enough. You start by creating your pirate. The character creation screen is neat, with a diverse choice of options including gender, …