Josh Speer's Reviews
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!
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 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.
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!
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.
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…
So, in summary, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse was a fantastic game. It was a streamlined, beautiful and entertaining experience held back only slightly by some minor quibbles. It made me care about the world of Shantae much more than I thought possible, and managed to close the series on a decidedly high note. That’s a long way of me saying this — Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is the best game of the series. For $19.99, it’s a steal, and a game that belongs in any 3DS or Wii U owner’s library. So stop reading and go buy it! It will help pass the time until Half-Genie Hero finally releases, and gets me hooked on genie magic once more.
Overall, BattleBlock Theater was a hell of a lot of fun. It more than satisfied my retro yearning and kept challenging me as I played. It was honestly hard to put the game down as I played through Story mode, approximately a 10-hour process, and with the user-generated levels I might be playing for a very long time. I would recommend it to any fan of old school gaming done right. I cheer The Behemoth on for such a mighty game, and not-so-patiently wait for their next creation.
So, the question remains – was Shovel Knight worth the time and the hype? The answer is a resounding yes! The game not only lived up to my expectations, it exceeded them in many respects. From my experience with it at PAX Prime last year, I had no inkling of how challenging the final version would be. That said, it is not the longest experience. I managed to beat the story mode in a little less than four hours. I still have more items to find, since I beat it with only 66% item completion, and only achieved some 24% of the various Feats. They are accomplishments awarded for various actions, and can be checked from the start screen. I’m sure they will also lend some replay value as I come back to it. Overall, though, I was well pleased with Shovel Knight. Not only was it worth my wait, I venture many who didn’t back it would do well to buy themselves a copy now. It’s only $15, and for that price is much better than the drivel put out by many larger studios. I only hope Yacht Club Games doesn’t sit on their laurels, and I anxiously anticipate a new game in the near future. Until then, I’ll be shoveling my way through New Game +. For Shovelry!
Though the plot is nothing special, and the graphics are pretty basic, I would say Cloudberry Kingdom is easily worth the price of admission. It will be one of the downloadable games I keep in my library and return to whenever I get that itch to play a sadistic platformer. If you feel the same, then don’t hesitate to download it for whatever system you have. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you…
I was very pleased with Rage of the Gladiator. For $6.99, it offers a fun, surprisingly cinematic handheld experience that offers hours of entertainment. It effectively scales the difficulty so that each mode has something new to offer, and is much harder than the one that came before it. Though the plot is a bit bare bones, it was acceptable given the fact that the whole game is based around fighting monsters in an arena. Ghostfire Games and Gamelion Studios have given us a worthy handheld experience that I would heartily recommend to anyone with a 3DS. However, if you’re still not convinced, we could always throw you into the arena for a bit. A couple rounds with Ixthid are sure to change anyone’s opinion.
Though the game is pretty linear, I was well pleased with the amount of content in Moon Chronicles. Though it’s not perfect, it does most everything right. It took me approximately 11 hours to beat the game on Normal, and that was without playing all the Virtual Missions unlocked in the game, which serve mostly to offer some replay value. The experience was just as tight now as six years ago, but with an extra dollop of polish. Plus, it cost less, as the entire season is less than $20. Serving as the first true FPS experience on the 3DS, Moon Chronicles will hopefully usher in more Episodes in the future. I can only hope so, as Season 1 ends on a cliffhanger. Seeing as how I’ve been waiting for resolution to that cliffhanger for several years, I can only hope others enjoy Moon Chronicles and give Renegade Kid the attention they deserve.
Considering I wasn’t a fan of KINGDOM HEARTS before I tackled Melody of Memory, I’m shocked by how much fun I had playing it. Not only did it bring back fond memories of Theatrhythm, but it made me more than a bit eager to dive into some other KINGDOM HEARTS games. This mixture of Square Enix and Disney is a novel idea in a world full of pale imitations, if nothing else. While the game isn’t quite perfect, it came pretty darn close. If you’re a fan of music games or just love KINGDOM HEARTS, you really can’t go wrong here.
Despite how long I’ve been ranting here, there’s plenty more I could say about Hades. But honestly, I feel it’s best you discover for yourself why I’m so enamored of Supergiant’s latest adventure. Though the game isn’t quite perfect, it truly earned the accolades it’s been receiving. And honestly, if they decide to implement some additional content later on, most of my complaints would be rendered moot. This is honestly my favorite game yet by Supergiant Games, and easily one of my favorite indies of 2020. If you love rogue and need something new to enjoy, be sure to put this one on your wishlist.
Honestly, Grindstone is a game I’m ecstatic I finally got to try. If I hadn’t known it was originally for mobile, I wouldn’t have believed it. This is a high-quality adventure, and a reason I keep following the work of Capybara Games. It’s full of content, amazing art, and challenge galore. Yet it never gets so hard that I decided to stop playing for very long. Honestly, this is the best puzzle game I’ve played in a decade. It’s tremendous fun, and the only real downside is that sometimes the difficulty will spike unexpectedly. If you have a Nintendo Switch and are looking for a game to grind away the hours, this is a wonderful choice.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I took Everhood for review. Now that I’ve beaten the game once and touched upon New Game+, all I can say is this is my favorite 2021 indie so far. And I strongly think it will take something incredible to dethrone it from that position. Not only does it feature amazing music, but it also has evocative artwork and a compelling plot about mortality and human choice. If it helps, don’t think of this as an indie. Think of it as required gaming for anyone that enjoys video games.
ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights is one of the best Metroidvanias I’ve played. Sure, it’s challenging, but also well balanced and fair. When you add stunning artwork, captivating music and a touching story, you have a winner.
Honestly, there’s not much of anything I can say negatively about Toodee and Topdee. If you’re looking for something new to play, or if you just want to support an up-and-coming indie team, you owe it to yourself to check this out.