balancing issues, uninspired presentation, and reliance on accessibility features to offset its steep difficulty, Macross Shooting Insight struggles to live up to the potential of the Macross franchise. While it has some creative ideas in blending multiple shooting styles, the execution feels uneven. Fans of Macross may find some enjoyment in seeing their favorite ships and characters together, but as a shmup, it shakes things up but doesn’t quite hit the mark.
QUByte did the best it could with this somewhat hodgepodge selection of games. It’s a collection that I have nostalgia for, but I wonder how many gamers would care enough. Of all the games, two or three have stood the test of time well enough to appeal to more than just era and brand enthusiasts like me. With Winter Challenge and Hardball! as clear highlights, the collection—despite its accurate emulation across different retro platforms—feels lacking. The absence of more playable sequels, such as Hardball! III, and franchises left untouched on the IP shelf, like the Jack Nicklaus series, could have elevated it into a more mainstream realm.
his re-release offers genre fans a chance to rediscover a cult classic with a fresh coat of polish and some excellent quality of life features. If you’re up for a challenge, Rage of the Dragons NEO is more than worth the fight. The casual fighting gamer may be better of with other newly released fighters like Pocket Bravery or seek out ways to play more mainstream NEO GEO genre highlights like Garou: Mark of the Wolves or one of King of the Fighters games.
With Spirit Mancer's colorful world and lighthearted humor, the stage is set for an entertaining platforming adventure. However, the game falters under the weight of its own complexities and its ambition to mix mechanics. What could have been a promising platformer is hindered by static enemies designed to be caught rather than defeated, introducing pacing issues and stale gameplay through most of your playtime. Despite this, the game's charm and character as well as range of fun Spirit cards may just be enough to pull you through to the end.
In terms of structure, this may be a mixed bag for many players. Fans of Metal Slug who loved the high-octane, gun-blazing action may feel out of place here, aside from the immensely pleasing and nostalgic pixel art. Turn-based tactics enthusiasts might struggle with the roguelike, rinse-and-repeat progression. That said, the turn-based tactical gameplay is extremely fun and well-executed. Players who are open to something different and have the patience to let the somewhat overwhelming mechanics grow on them will undoubtedly find plenty of enjoyment in it.
Roguelike diehards will feel right at home in the cyberpunk world of Elsie. Gamers seeking a straightforward platforming experience might find the roguelike mechanics convoluted and confusing with its messy UI. When you have the right upgrades at your disposal and the action is firing on all cylinders, Elsie is hard to put down. However, it feels like a chore to reach that point within every new run.
Difficulty spikes and sluggish controls detract from the experience in an otherwise enjoyable game. However, the gameplay fundamentals are solid and the game looks and sounds amazing.
It offers quite a bit of content with fun and engaging puzzles that pushes you to do more than look for patterns. It actively supports you to try, fail, and eventually solve it's 30 levels. SokoMage adds a lot to the core Sokoban gameplay which revitalizes the concept considerably.
Super Woden GP 2 feels like a toy box overloaded with content, featuring 180 different cars and dozens of tracks. Arcade racing enthusiasts are in for some good old-fashioned fun. Unfortunately, you have to grind your way through the game to unlock and enjoy all it has to offer.
SCHiM is an endearing, highly stylized experience that misses the beat on one or two critical elements in its design. It's visuals and controls motivate you to play through to the end, but actually having something to care about would evolve this game into the upper echelons of indie game development.
Crow Country is a well written story survival-horror adventure that keeps you dig through the abandoned theme park for clues and missing objects while unravelling the story of Mr. Crow. It feels like a labor of love for old school genre classics and horror tropes. The PS1-era graphics add a lot of flavor to the mix as well.
The reward mechanics in "Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragon" might seem a bit convoluted, but its highly addictive Super KO and Crowd Control mechanics make it a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It is able to authentically tap into the nostalgia, while creating a completely original gameplay experience. With a sizable and distinctly diverse playable cast, attractive presentation, and intricate fighting mechanics, this game is one that genre fans can fully engage with while still being very accessible for casual gamers.