WRATH: Aeon of Ruin review

It seems reasonable to suggest most people have a preferred takeaway establishment. The one that you always find yourself coming back to, much to your waistline’s despair. Should that takeaway temporarily close, you’ll doubtlessly have to expand horizons and go elsewhere. Sure, the food from a second choice might be palatable, but it’s never the …

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Teared review

This side-scrolling, pointy projectile lobbing, action platformer makes its inspirations known early. Before jumping into the fur-lined boots of a stumpy Viking-esque warrior, we’re presented with a short introduction set in an arcade. The camera slowly pans around, seemingly drawn to a single cabinet. As it approaches, a cat can be observed, fixated on the …

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Space Mercenary Defense Force review

By experimenting with different themes, developers have opened the gates for new ideas within the Vampire Survivors inspired auto-shooting genre. Earlier this month we had Gladiator’s Arena – with its bloody Roman coliseum battles – and now we’re voyaging into deep space to battle squishy aliens and gelatinous creatures using lasers, gun turrets, and…exploding birthday …

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The Epyx Collection: Handheld review

Until a few years ago, experiencing Atari Lynx games either involved acquiring original hardware or resorting to emulation. Today, almost half the handheld’s catalogue is available to play legally, albeit in drips and drabs. Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection included a handful of titles – albeit not many synonymous with the system – while the …

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Ikki Unite review (Switch)

Since their rebirth a few years ago, Sunsoft has made good on bringing their ‘80s and ‘90s hits to a new generation. At least, all of those without licenses attached. In addition to revivals of cult titles Ufouria, Trip World and Mr. Gimmick, the once prolific publisher has also seen fit to bring back one …

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TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants review

Well, this is neat. As the name suggests, Wrath of the Mutants is the rarest of things – a genuine arcade conversion. With most modern arcade games being ticket redemption machines, this is something seldom seen. In fact, the last arcade conversion we can recall was Raw Thrill’s own Cruis’n’ Blast on Switch back in …

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The Kindeman Remedy review

Before starting this review, I attempted to research the time management genre, inadvertently discovering an unexplored world filled with countless colourful farming and cooking games for PC and mobiles – most of which have either the word ‘frenzy’ or ‘mania’ in their titles. The Kindeman Remedy falls into the same genre but is the polar …

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ArcRunner review

‘Live service’ games have been the source of contention of late, fuelled by reports of numerous publishers having at least one in the pipeline. Publishers love the concept as there are countless ways to implement microtransactions while retaining player engagement. Gamers, however, tend to audibly ‘sigh’ whenever a new one is announced – they’re demanding …

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Gladiator’s Arena review

Even though the Vampire Survivors influenced ‘auto shooter’ genre isn’t long in the tooth, I’m still surprised that it has taken this long for a Roman gladiator-themed rendition to come along – especially with a sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 box office hit Gladiator imminent. It’s thematically perfect, with its circular arena in which one …

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Kudzu review (Switch)

Modern day Game Boy releases tend to take inspiration from either Castlevania or Zelda. It pays to crib from the classics, certainly, and the genres in which these two fall allow for a wealth of possibilities. With its top-down perspective and dungeon-style locations, it’s clear where the bulk of Kudzu’s inspiration lies. The premise is …

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Open Roads review

Whenever the term ‘road trip adventure’ is used, it’s easy to conjure images of unscheduled pitstops, backseat arguments, unforeseen accidents including vehicle breakdowns, drab motels, and gas stations frequented by dubious individuals. Open Roads is pitched as a road trip where a mother and daughter discover a startling family secret, and while it does include …

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Alchemist: The Potion Monger review

It isn’t clear where the recent trend of potion brewing-based games began, but we’d wager it’s a combination of Harry Potter reaching a new generation and the popularity of the Magic Mixies toy line – which may also explain The Potion Monger’s bright purple cauldron. It seems that the developers behind this unique genre are …

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Felix the Cat review

Now here’s a collection that’s equal parts fascinating and puzzling. Hudson Soft’s 8-bit Felix the Cat platformers are rarely mentioned, with the NES version being a reasonably late arrival on the system. One of the last NES games to feature on the cover of Nintendo Power, no less. The Game Boy version is expensive nowadays …

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Freedom Planet 2 review

When it came to their next project, the team behind Sonic Mania trekked into the intrepid world of 3D platforming and came out looking rosier than ever with the recent Penny’s Big Breakaway – a fun and capable platformer, with inviting mechanics. Galaxy Trail, meanwhile, has decided to brush up and refine their 2D talents …

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South Park: Snow Day! review

One of the reasons we’ve never been treated to another South Park movie is because any ideas surrounding new plotlines and fresh directions are fed back into the series itself – it’s a beast that needs to consume, as Matt and Trey once put it. This stance applies to South Park video games too, with …

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