In recent years, Namco’s seminal Dig Dug has found itself branded as being far easier than other games of the era. I can see how this line of thought came about. Unlike Pac-Man and similar maze games, Dig Dug’s hero isn’t restricted to pre-set paths, instead free to tunnel anywhere. The burstable enemies are more …
In the mid-’90s, the time came to transport Psygnosis’ loveable Lemmings into the world of 3D. Like a lot of mascots stepping into the third dimension, this foray was slightly misguided, resulting in a game soon forgotten. While it wasn’t the end of the Lemmings franchise, it did signal the start of the decline, with …
Developer Compile Heart seems to have set themselves the challenge of making the most quintessentially Japanese role player of all time. Fairy Fencer F: Refrain Chord features dragons, mechs, monsters, heroes with swords, and a lot of sexual tension. If you’ve seen it before, it’s in this game. Unfortunately, Fairy Fencer doesn’t have much new …
Back in 2021, students at the Sumo Digital Academy were given the chance to remaster and modernise the 1992 platformer Zool, which was then published on PC by Sumo’s Secret Mode division. It’s easy to imagine it being a valuable learning tool for the team, being far beyond a straightforward re-release. Two years on a …
Let’s face it, a game called ‘Garden Simulator’ was never going to feature a complex plot or premise. That’s unless we’re talking about the kind of plots where plants grow. The text-based introduction explains that our silent protagonist is a stressed-out IT worker based in a bustling city. When the pressure becomes too much, they …
This fantasy hack ‘n slasher introduces us to Farren West, a gallant adventurer whose bravery and determination hold no bounds. It’s easy to imagine him holed up in a tavern, capturing an audience with tales of his conquests. He speaks with a gruff British accent, describing himself as a man of the world. That’s our …
Developer Cococucumber rounds off their ‘voxel trilogy’ with this Alice in Wonderland inspired sword-swinging adventure. You may be pushed hard to tell that it features voxel visuals at times, as a lot of the backdrop elements use regular, everyday, polygons. We’re not sure if this was to accelerate development or an artistic choice, but when …
Despite the deep space setting, this simulation is less about exploring the stars and more about survival. A core meltdown has occurred on a spacecraft, prompting a frantic dash to the nearest one-person escape pod. Less than a minute is given to grab vital spare parts, with the rest of the experience then taking place …
A certain red-headed witch in a certain seven season HBO series once said, “The night is dark and full of terrors.” It rings true for Hunt the Night, where darkness falling heralds the uprising of unholy creatures affected by the corruption of the night, damning humanity again and again. In the 9th Age of Man, …
Like a lot of men my age, I’m a huge Haruki Murakami fan. Yet, whenever someone asks me why I like his work, I struggle to come up with a reason. Nothing really happens in a lot of his stories. There’s often a well and a cat and people just wandering around not doing very …
This toothy take on The Binding of Isaac goes for a gross-out aesthetic, filled to the brim with bile, phlegm, and all manner of other bodily fluids. As the name suggests, dental hygiene is its central theme – you play as a bipedal gum able to fire teeth, via a twin-stick shooting set-up, and must rid …
Tetris is, to my mind, close to perfection. It’s also a game that can support an unfathomable amount of mutations. There’s the classic Game Boy Tetris, the annoying controls and T-Spin ticks of the arcade games, the frantic battles of Tetris 99, the blissfulness of the Tetris Effect, the mad energy of SEGA’s Puyo Puyo …
In this game about death, life’s regrets, and moving on the titular Kabaret happens to be a monster entertainment den, where the supernatural monsters go to hang out. They chill, unwind, and unburden themselves of their pain. And we’re talking heavy life stuff, anything from carrying the sadness or pride of war, to the horrible …
Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. No, really, it isn’t. This latest release from ININ Games is a little-known 2D arcade game from 1996; one that few will have heard of and even fewer will have played, never gaining a home conversion. By 1996 the Mega Drive and SNES were showing their age, while …
Last summer Wired Productions released Arcade Paradise, a day-to-day laundromat sim where it was possible to slack off and play arcade games in the dank backroom. While reviews were generally positive – including an 8/10 from ourselves – running the laundromat hampered the enjoyment somewhat, soon becoming repetitive. Super Villain Games has seemingly taken note …