Josh Speer's Reviews
I was very pleased with my time with Pirate Pop Plus. It takes a simple arcade game premise and fleshes it out with style, substance and lots of replay value. There is just enough nuance to the gameplay to keep things interesting, and with all the unlockable content, you’ll be coming back again and again for more bubble popping fun. This game has done what I thought impossible and captivated me just like the classic games of my past. For $4.99, you’d be foolish not to pick it up, especially considering it will also be releasing on Wii U and Steam. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more coins to gather and more stuff to unlock!
Overall, I was very pleased with RunGunJumpGun. At $7.99 it’s an utter steal on Steam, though I would recommend you buy the Special Atomik Edition for the incredible soundtrack. It’s not a game for everyone, but if you like hardcore platformers with lots of soul, then I’d recommend it wholeheartedly. ThirtyThree have proven themselves a developer to keep on my radar, and I’m very excited to see what else they can come up with in the future. For now, you’ll have to excuse me, as I need to go and try to find more Atomiks to get 100% completion!
Overall, I was very pleased during my time with Azure Striker Gunvolt 2. For $14.99, you get two great campaigns that play very differently and serve to complement each other nicely. It manages to recapture the magic of the first game while improving on what the first one did poorly. My only real complaint was that sometimes the boss dialogue prevented me from seeing an incoming attack, but you can turn that off if it troubles you. If you are at all a fan of well animated 2D action games, looking for your Mega Man fix, or just a great new game for your 3DS, I highly recommend Azure Striker Gunvolt 2. I would definitely pick it up the launch week, since it will be a Nindies sale for the first week it comes out. I am glad I was afforded the opportunity to review it, and can’t wait to see the next game that Inti Creates puts out in this series!
While I did enjoy my time with Super Mutant Alien Assault, I was a little surprised at how short the game was. Granted, you can and should put in more hours if you want replay value, but not every gamer will care about that. Some are just here for the main mission, and if that’s all that interests you, I can’t highly recommend Super Mutant Alien Assault for the asking price of $9.99. However, if you like hardcore retro games and want to unlock all the achievements and other goodies, then this game may just be for you. If nothing else, I look forward to the next title that Surprise Attack Games manages to cook up. Perhaps they’ll take what they learned from this game and use it to make a truly epic Metroidvania in a similar vein!
In summary, I spent a good 6 or so hours playing Downwell, and am happy I did so. While it’s frustrating to not have beaten the boss yet, I do recognize roguelikes aren’t known for holding player’s hands. But if I can beat Mega Satan on The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth twice, I will beat this horror at least once. I would definitely recommend Downwell highly to any fan of retro, or even any Steam user looking for a lot of bang for very little buck. Moppin has truly made a classic experience in Downwell, and I look forward to their next descent into madness!
In the end result, I think that Mighty No. 9 got a bad rap. Granted, there was a lot of money invested in the project, and, as backers, we should feel we got our money’s worth. But I also feel the anxiety and negativity that plagued the end of the campaign and the release of the game heavily biased all the early reviews that came out. After playing the game myself and beating it, I found Mighty No. 9 to be an enjoyable, if flawed, experience. However, for $19.99 for the Steam version or $29.99 for the physical version, I feel fans get their money’s worth. The main campaign is fun, but when you factor in the Ray DLC, the other playable characters, the boss rush and other features, there’s a lot to enjoy for a while to come. If nothing else, I hope I have given fans of the project some hope that their money wasn’t wasted. As much as I love and adore the Mega Man series, it has its issues and problems, as well, which is something I feel we all conveniently forget whenever we condemn Mighty No. 9 for not being perfect.
In the end result, Project G isn’t the next big Shmup, but neither is it a failed Darius clone. It’s a quaint little game that tries some interesting new things while also having some serious design flaws that need to be addressed. I didn’t hate my 4 hours spent playing Project G, but I also wasn’t enamored of its many problems. It is an okay game that could have been great with a bit more QA and a lot more polish. As it is now, I find it hard to recommend Project G that heartily when it’s priced at $9.99. If Nebula Interactive finds the time to fix the many issues with the game, then I would recommend giving it a chance. Until then, perhaps Shmup fans will enjoy buying it on a Steam sale.
In the end result, I was incredibly pleased with Mutant Mudds Super Challenge. It’s bigger than the original (sans the addition of free Ghost Levels update), introduces great boss fights, and is enough of a challenge to satisfy this old school gamer. There’s also some hidden goodies to find to add to replay value, as well as trying to beat the game with less deaths. One minor quibble I have is that the game is so linear, and once you beat the final world, you won’t unlock any bonus worlds. But considering there are 20 regular stages, 20 secret stages and 5 boss fights, you can’t really complain about length. My biggest complaint is that I just want MORE Mutant Mudds goodness right this second, but I guess I can patiently wait for the sequel hinted at upon beating the game. For $9.99 this is a steal, especially when you consider it’s cross buy and allows for a further loyalty bonus discount. It’s not for everybody, but fans of the series will be very pleased. This game has actually eclipsed the original Mutant Mudds for me. And for anybody who is curious, my final death tally was 279. Maybe you’ll do better once you get your mitts on Mutant Mudds Super Challenge!
Ultimately, I was very pleased with my time in Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright. It provided a rousing, emotional 45 hour adventure full of combat, heartache and memorable characters. It mostly improved upon all the features found in Awakening, as well as introducing a few cool new mechanics of its own. Its only real missteps were the confusion regarding new items, and the unresolved plot points found at the end. Ultimately I feel this game was more than worth the $39.99 price tag, even though part of me wishes they just released one experience with multiple paths instead. I wouldn’t say that Fire Emblem Fates was better than Awakening, but it was just as good. I heartily recommend it to any fan of the series that enjoyed Awakening.
My playthrough with The Delusions of Von Sottendorff was a mixed one. I enjoyed the premise, was captivated by the promise of secrets to come, but ultimately disappointed by the revelation at the end of the game. The gameplay is a mixed bag, mostly because of laggy platforming and occasionally wonky camera, but the music is a standout high point. For $12.99 I spent a grand total of 9 hours with the game, and despite my complaints, found the whole experience endearingly weird. While The Delusions of Von Sottendorff and his Square Mind is definitely not for everyone, I’d recommend it for 3DS puzzle fans or those who love super niche indie games. Overall, I was happy with my time, and look forward to future games from Delirium Studios.
Overall, I was very pleased with Guild of Dungeoneering. It was one of those addictive yet simple games that keeps me coming back for more. It was a great game to play in my free time, and one that I found myself spending more and more time than I intended with. Play sessions could range from a half hour to several hours straight, which is a testament to how fun it all was. Though the difficulty of the game was oftentimes frustrating, nothing in it was so tough that I couldn’t get through it with a bit (or a lot) of trial and error. Furthermore, the game ramps up gradually, so by the time it gets harder, you’re better equipped to deal with it. If this game taught me anything, it’s that I really should have spent more time playing tabletop games in my childhood. Guild of Dungeoneering was approachable to a noob like me and quickly drew me in. I recommend it for any fan of simple yet challenging games, and feel it’s more than reasonable for $14.99, or $22.99 for the deluxe edition. Give it a shot, you won’t regret it!
All in all, I was very pleased with Dementium Remastered. For $14.99, you get a fantastic horror title worthy of any console. I’m still shocked it made its way to Nintendo again, especially given how prone the company is to sticking with more well known properties lately. While the game isn’t perfect (and I am still irritated by some features), it is a great game, and one that aptly shows what the 3DS is capable of. If you want a real freaky treat, turn on that 3D slider and play the game. Now, I just have to wait patiently for Dementium III to answer all my burning unanswered questions…
PONCHO isn’t a huge game, as I found myself able to beat it in a couple hours, but it does offer replay value if you want to spend more time in this world. Without spoilers, I will say that a decision you make at the end of the game will give one of two possible endings, and there are also achievements for collecting every single collectible. While I’m not sure if accomplishing this task gets you anything other than a sense of pride, it is a nice bonus. I wouldn’t say PONCHO is for everybody, as some of the platforming, especially later in the game, can get quite frustrating, but for those stubborn enough to buckle down, you’ll get your value. Priced at $14.99 on Steam, PONCHO may be a bit pricey, but I feel it’s worth it, especially if you find it on sale. Overall, I was quite pleased with PONCHO, and would recommend it to any fans of touching, mysterious indie games. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go back and find the rest of those collectibles…
While I mostly enjoyed my time with Mondrian, I left a bit underwhelmed by the whole experience. I spent a couple hours unlocking a bunch of content — approximately 60% — but didn’t feel that accomplished when I unlocked features. That could be because of the lack of progressive difficulty, or it could be due to the casual aspect of the game. I also wish I had found more video game styles to unlock in my time with the game. More than anything, I suppose I just wanted more — more features, more challenge, a more frantic sense of urgency. That said, there is nothing technically wrong with the game, and for $6.99, it’s a pretty good bargain. If you can’t get enough of puzzle games or just want a fun Steam game for a bargain price, you might consider giving Mondrian a chance.
Overall, I was very pleased with Yoshi’s Woolly World. My playthrough took around 13 hours, and that’s without finding all the hidden goodies. When you factor that in, you probably have 15-20 hours of fun, more if you decided to take things slow and play on Mellow Mode, or try out co-op with a buddy. It took 20 years, but I feel Woolly World is the successor that Yoshi’s Island has always deserved. I’m really happy with it, and it truly shows how talented Good-Feel is at treating a beloved franchise with care and respect. I highly recommend this to fans of Yoshi, young and old, and hope this isn’t the last adventure for Mario’s plucky dinosaur steed.
In the end, I was very pleased with Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash. It took me about 9 hours to beat it, and that’s without having found all the Badges and Alien Babies. The replay value will mostly depend on your willingness to find a bunch of things that have no bearing on the completion of the game. I wasn’t sure how it would translate to a platformer, but I feel Chibi did so successfully, albeit with a couple of missteps. Most importantly, I find most if not all of the complaints I saw leveled at the game without merit. It is a fun, challenging and occasionally frustrating game. Considering it’s a totally new genre for this environment friendly robot, I was really impressed with the whole thing. It’s not the best platformer I’ve ever played, but it is by far my favorite game in the Chibi-Robo series. Here’s hoping it did well enough to keep seeing Chibi in strange adventures far into the future.
Much as I enjoyed Assault Android Cactus, I can’t help but lower the score a bit for the boss difficulty. That said, there is still a lot to enjoy about the game. If twin-stick shooters are your thing, and you don’t mind a bit of masochism, I highly recommend it. This is especially true if you have some friends to tackle it with locally, up to 4 at a time. However, if you are thrown by steep challenge and can’t stand bullet hell, this might not be for you. You can normally purchase the game for $14.99 for PC, Mac and Linux, though it is 20% off until this Wednesday. It is also slated to release for PS4, Wii U and Vita at a later date. Overall, I was pretty happy with Assault Android Cactus, and I look forward to what Witch Beam cooks up for their next game.
For a mere $9.99, I think Shutshimi is a great bargain. It offers a game so strange that it stands out from the pack, and it’s simple nature keeps me replaying it just for kicks. Though the version I reviewed was on my Vita, the game is also available on PS4 and Steam, and will eventually make its way to other consoles. If you like crazy games or SHMUPs, or just want to take your anger out on some laser-spewing sharks, you won’t go wrong with Shutshimi. Well done, Neon Deity Games and Choice Provisions. This fish is worth keeping!
As far as replay value, Tachyon Project is pretty standard. You can get through the entire Story Mode in two to three hours, but there is also a Challenge Mode to keep you playing. Here you can find several different options, such as Endless Challenge. Your progress here can be shared to leaderboards, for the more competitively-minded gamer. You can also go back an play levels in Story Mode to unlock Weapons and Perks, if you’re so inclined. But, unless you’re truly obsessed, you probably won’t spend more than five hours on the game. That said, I was very satisfied with my time with Tachyon Project. It was different enough to hook me, drew me in with the story, and left me desperately wanting a sequel. I can’t think of higher praise for a game than that. If you have $9.99 to spend, Tachyon Project is a great game for both Steam and XBox One.
If it sounds like I’ve mostly been gushing about Odallus, that’s probably because I was utterly transfixed by the game. I could barely put it down, and whenever I got stuck, I just got more compelled to keep playing and playing til I found what I needed to progress. Odallus: The Dark Call is a fantastic game for any retro fans. It has great style, compelling and challenging combat and a dark and mysterious plot. The highest praise I can give it is that it takes inspiration from many classics, and yet remains true to its own vision. I clocked in at a little over six hours in my playthrough, and still need to find that last 4% to get the true ending. For $14.99, Odallus is a fantastic bargain. If you are a fan of Metroidvanias, retro games or just challenging yet fun experiences, then go buy it now! Just don’t stare too deeply into the fire…