Rainbow Arts was one of the most prolific publishers on the Amiga, Commodore 64 and Atari ST yet they’re only regularly spoken about whenever Turrican is involved. When the company was sold off in the late ‘90s, they had an astonishing 70+ games credited to their name. It’s only now that we’re starting to see …
The present gaming landscape is incredibly diverse, and Marron’s Day is the perfect example of this. It’s a 1-2 hour story driven adventure with Game Boy-style visuals (well, technically Game Boy Color as screens change palette) that’s light on action and heavy on cuteness, ideally suited for youngsters. Had this released when the Game Boy …
This military-themed pixel art defence shooter brings back a classic ‘80s arcade trope. To wit, you’re the last line of defence against an entire army determined to bring your beloved country to its knees. Rather than playing as a muscular clone of either Schwarzenegger or Stallone, as seen in such arcade classics as Mercs and Total …
There are entire universes that we don’t even know exist. Take MACROSS, for instance. Before this week, I’d never heard of it – not even its US incarnation Robotech. Considering I was tasked with reviewing a new MACROSS shoot’em up, it only felt right to do some research. It turns out this Japanese series has seen …
It initially seems that the main selling point of this inexpensive (£5.79) auto-shooter is the authentic Game Boy-style visuals. Well, the Game Boy Color-style visuals, to be more precise – moving objects are coloured, and there’s a selection of palettes to flick through. Soon it transpires that it has a lot more to offer beyond …
This modern retro first-person shooter has an incredibly apt name, letting players know what they’re in for before even pressing the start button. We’re introduced to Johnny Turbo (no, not the TurboDuo console’s ill-fated mascot), a Terminator-esque cyborg with upgradeable circuitry who just happens to have a chainsaw concealed in their leg. By sliding along …
Between them, Capcom, Bandai Namco, NetherRealm, and Arc System Works have the fighting genre well covered, releasing new entries in long running franchises every couple of years. There are plenty of outliers out there too, able to plug gaps between long waits, such as modern day SNK. Today’s fighting games are, mostly, rich and complex, …
To say DMA’s Lemmings was a hit in the ‘90s is an understatement. It sold an estimated 20 million copies across over 25 different formats. This success didn’t go unnoticed, with most publishers of the era creating imitations. Diggers, Troddlers, King Arthur’s World, and The Humans are just some that spring to mind. Moons of …
Every so often you’ll hear of someone with a fruit machine (or slot machine, if you prefer) in their home. While it’s easy to recognise the allure of the lights and sounds, along with the desire to beat the odds and hit the jackpot, owning a gambling device is an odd proposition as you’ll only …
There was a time when you could stroll into any second-hand game store, car boot sale, or charity shop and find a bunch of old cartridge-based sports games practically being given away. Nowadays, this isn’t quite the case – you’ll likely need to visit a specialist store, and even then, prices are edging into the …
Never underestimate the extremes social media gurus will go for extra views. After breaking into an abandoned house, the 17-year-old Vlogger protagonist of this first-person adventure finds instructions on how to perform a satanic ritual conveniently lying around. This, somewhat unsurprisingly, summons a demonic spirit. What ensues is a struggle to appease a tormented schoolgirl …
This co-op pixel art platformer originates from Spain and is strongly influenced by the classics of yesteryear, even using this as a selling point. There’s a slight hint of NES classics, with the game’s super-sized cast of characters resembling Mega Man and his 8-bit cohorts, but generally, it cribs from the Master System the most …
If there’s one name able to strike fear into a Star Wars fan, it’s Jar Jar Binks. That, and Jedi Power Battles. Lucasarts chose to create a second wave of Episode 1 tie-ins roughly a year after the film’s release, squeezing out every cent they could before turning attention to Episode II. You’d think this …
Have you ever played a game that fell short of its potential, only for something similar to come along and make good on the promises that original game made? That’s the case here, with Cuisineer – a fantasy-based restaurant management sim that involves dungeon crawling, ergo RPG elements – improving on 2024’s much-maligned Sword and …
After refusing to listen to his parents, the disobedient Popotinho finds himself abandoned, with his mum and dad believing that alone time would teach our potato-shaped star a lesson. Little did they realise that Popotinho would venture into the wilderness to find them; a world filled with moving platforms, spinning saw blades, spiked floors, and …