Cash Cow DX review

In Cash Cow DX you play as a cow trying to collect cash. We are so back, as the youths say. It’s from the same developer as Donut Dodo, which we showered with praise upon release. A genuine triumph, it was a love letter to early ‘80s arcade game with warmth, style and a rare …

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Funko Fusion review

Although it’s easy to be cynical about Funko Fusion – with its lengthy roster of playable characters available to purchase as vinyl figures, and even sneaking in product placement for KFC buckets and Loungefly bags – the timing still feels right for a light-hearted universe-jumping collectathon adventure. We haven’t been treated to something like this …

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Iron Meat review

Konami’s celebrated Contra series provides the bulk of inspiration for Iron Meat. It’s a relentless run ‘n gunner starring a battle-hardened hero – one who’s able to tuck themselves neatly into a ball while jumping – and features weapon drops carried into battle by flying drones. The main difference here is the buckets of gore, with …

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The Karate Kid: Street Rumble review

Despite the popularity of The Karate Kid trilogy in the ‘80s, it didn’t gain anywhere near as many gaming adaptations as the likes of Back to the Future, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones. The first film saw a considerably rough entry on the NES, published by the notorious JLN, while the Amiga and Atari ST …

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A Night on the Farm review

Spending a night on a farm doesn’t sound all that bad. The animals will be locked in their barns, there’s likely little in the way of noise pollution, and doubtlessly the fridge will be filled with fresh produce. Just think of the breakfast options! Then again, farms are known for housing potentially dangerous equipment and …

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Road Defense: Outsiders review

Had this tower-defence/twin stick shooter hybrid existed in the ‘80s, it would also certainly be an early Apple Macintosh exclusive. The two-tone colour scheme of beige and black, along with the crispness and formal nature of the UI, recalls the sharp monochrome visuals of Apple’s early computer line, only here there are splashes of green …

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112 Operator review

Thanks to the self-explanatory name, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect going into this emergency service management sim. It soon transpires to be more involved than the name lets on, not only focusing on dispatching police, ambulance, and fire units but also a lot of additional management aspects such …

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Deep Beyond review

Fortune awaits Lilly and her faithful dog Chester in this treasure seeking adventure. They’ve spent their life living along the coast, and as such, are well-versed with all things nautical – right down to navigating the surrounding seas. This short story begins with a jaunt underwater to recover a relic that’ll supposedly lead to a …

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Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland review

Nostalgia forms the core of this side-scrolling 2D platformer. What we have here is a brand-new NES game – with even a physical NES cartridge release planned – that’s overlayed with cartoon-like HD visuals, complete with the option to toggle between the two visual styles. This two-pronged approach recalls the current state of the toy …

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The Meating review

While playing this homebrew NES platform puzzler – available for Switch and on physical NES and GBA carts – I couldn’t help to think what ‘80s and ‘90s gaming critics would say about it. Eventually, I reached a surprising conclusion to my musings. The Meating simply couldn’t have existed back when the NES was around, …

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Sunsoft is Back! Retro Game Selection review

As pleasing as it is to see genuinely cherished retro video games re-released, it can be equally pleasing to see more obscure titles gain a revival too – the kind that few will have heard of, and even fewer will have played. That’s the case with Sunsoft is Back, which brings together three of Sunsoft’s …

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Billy’s Game Show review

Oh, Billy. The loveable blood-stained spawn of Kermit the Frog and Grover, known for his fondness of human flesh, has created a twisted game show and our plucky protagonist just so happens to be the latest contestant. To escape Billy’s compound, you’ll need to avoid sawblades strung to crude DIY constructions, hunt for items and …

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Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn review

Back in 2019, Tengo Project successfully revived the 1994 SNES scrolling brawler The Ninja Warriors. Action platformer Shadow of the Ninja – Reborn is their latest project, this time taking us back to 1990 and the humble NES. Upon release, the original Shadow of the Ninja was praised for its fluid gameplay and simultaneous two-player mode. …

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Thief Simulator 2 review

Shortly after that fateful day when SEGA pulled the plug on the Dreamcast, over 100 titles ended up either being scrapped or reworked for other consoles. One of these casualties was Picassio, a promising looking stealth adventure that entailed sneaking into museums and galleries to steal valuable artworks. Development moved over to the PS2, but …

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CYGNI: All Guns Blazing review

The franchises Konami are known for often vary from one individual to the next depending on which era they grew up in. Today they’re commonly referred to as the publisher behind Metal Gear Solid, Contra and Castlevania. Two generations ago, they were on a winning streak with Pro Evolution Soccer, which yearly went up against …

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