Imagine you’re the ruler of a fancy realm. The citizens are great, and the land is lush and fertile, but there’s a bit of a creature problem. The beasties have managed to sneak into the castle and steal your hairiest (read: bearded!) daughter. Alas, you’ve sent all your worthy heroes on quests to slay dragons …
Rewinding back to last week, the almighty Blizzard stealth launched Blizzard Arcade Collection over the weekend. The £16.99 compilation includes The Lost Vikings, Rock ‘n Roll Racing, and Blackthorn along with new museum features and some helpful new additions such as on-screen maps. True to its name, Rock ‘n Roll Racing has had its original …
“How can we make retro-inspired shooters more rewarding?†Qute Corporation’s Natsuki Chronicles is seemingly a direct response to that question, constantly dishing out new weapons, upgrades and rewards via an XP/levelling-up system. Every failed attempt unlocks something new, while improved shields and additional credits are dolled regularly to ensure no gamer is left behind. It …
When describing long-running franchises, certain words roll right off the tongue. Super Mario games are playful and inviting; Mortal Kombat is bloody and brutal. Llamasoft games are always described as being trippy and psychedelic, but when it comes to their latest endeavour, I’d hesitate to use either descriptor. It features bright colours and has a …
Despite Switch stock allegedly being thin on the ground last week, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is the UK’s no.1 for a second week running. FIFA 21 enjoyed a sales boost thanks to a minor discount, climbing to #2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe rises one place to #3. The evergreen kart racer celebrates …
Reviews of Persona 5 Strikers went live almost two weeks ahead of launch, suggesting SEGA and Atlus knew full well that they had another hit on their hands. It offers a different kind of experience to its predecessor, providing Musou-inspired hack-and-slash action courtesy of Omega Force. Scores for the PS4/Switch action RPG include an impressive …
Drowning Monkey Games, the creators of Castle Kong, certainly aren’t afraid to hide their inspirations. As the name suggests, it’s a modern-retro take on Donkey Kong that promises an identical ‘hard but fair’ difficulty level. The game’s difficulty is clearly a focal point. On launch day (25th February on Switch) a tournament goes live with …
Hoverboarding aliens surfing at warp speed over golden sparkling dunes? Sign me up. AnShi is a cinematic experience to be savoured slowly and at your leisure. It’s a short-lived experience lasting just a couple of hours, though this could be fleshed out only a little by the more exploratory players. Though it looks like an …
An enhanced version of the HP Lovecraft inspired investigative horror The Sinking City launches on PS5 tomorrow, published not by Nacon (nee BigBen) but rather the developer (Frogwares) themselves. As you may recall, the two companies recently had a falling out. Going it alone has seemingly allowed Frogwares to alter the price as they see …
Next week is looking incredibly busy for the Switch – we can expect Bravely Default II, Persona 5 Strikers, and Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection, as well as smaller titles such as the Crazy Taxi tribute Taxi Chaos and Focus’ sacrificial hack ‘n slasher Curse of the Dead Gods. This week is pretty busy too, especially …
Although not an auto-runner, Gamechuck’s Speed Limit shares the same sense of urgency, constantly ushering the hapless central character – a nondescript chap caught in a time loop – onwards. Pursued by shade wearing FBI types, this mad dash for survival begins with a run ‘n gun shooting section on a train before escalating into a …
Nintendo’s first major Switch release of the year has become the fastest-selling game of 2021 so far, beating Hitman III. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury also had a stronger performing first week than Super Mario Maker 2 and New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe on Switch. It wasn’t able to beat the launch week …
Two very different RPGs launch this week. Having debuted on Apple Arcade in 2019, multiformat cartoon tie-in Steven Universe: Unleash the Light is billed as a “mobile RPG†– whatever that means. It features seven playable characters and voice overs from the show’s cast, which should help give it an edge over the last Steven …
Nintendo’s first major Switch release of 2021 is here, and reviews are predictably glowing. Teaming the Wii U’s Super Mario 3D World with a new co-op, Odyssey influenced, Bowser’s Fury add-on has resulted in a content-heavy package with lots to offer, It gained top marks from several gaming sites, including Destructoid, God is a Geek, …
One of the advantages of working from home – due to one thing and another – has been listening to more music than I have done probably since I was a student. Without the Melody Maker to guide me, I’ve had to turn to new sources of inspiration, one of which has been Sound of …
