Thunder Hoop Collection is a duology of Thunder Hoop and Thunder Hoop Strikes Back. Hardcore 2D action platformer/shooter where players have to survive chaotic bio-organic nightmares created by the mad scientist Professor Genbreak. The games are making their console debut as they were originally designed for arcades. Players are put in the virtual boots of Thunder Hoop, or TH for short, who has to survive a myriad of levels to reach Genbreak. In the first game, levels are pretty straight forward; go from start to finish and kill the boss. Typical run and gun. You’ll also be able to upgrade your firepower up by picking up specific items. You can also kill/damage enemies by bouncing on their heads. For the sequel, while the format remains largely unchanged, there’s a bit of diversity in levels. Thunder Hoop Strikes Back adds more platforming and also unique levels such moving platforms from which you need to jump over and duck obstacles. Once again, you can pick up specific items to power up your projectiles. Once maxed out, it doesn’t change much against generic cronies, but does more damage to bosses.
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered is a great game from top to bottom. The game has a surprisingly deep combat system, a myriads of game modes and is budget priced. Sure, there are a few nuisances such as requiring a bit of practice to get a hold of the combat, position of the block button (Y), and leveraging the internet to restrain a single city at a time in Destruction mode, but once the game has its claws in you, you’re going to be hooked. And with a budget price, it’ll be one of the best investments you can do; solo or even with friends.
Future Knight is set in 1993 where The Lady of the Past, leader of the “Present” pyramid scheme cult, has accidentally wiped the brains of all humanity…by washing her underwear. It’s up to you, a robot built from remains of a 90s soap opera actor to stop her. You’re thrown back into the past and have 8 hours to prevent the end of the world. Future Knight is a 2D action platformer where you’ll need to shoot your way through each level. The catch being you’ll need to conserve your ammo as it’s limited. Once you run out, you need to wait for it to be refilled. The protagonist can also jump, go prone, dodge and dash mid-air.
SNØ: Ultimate Freeriding is a chill ski/snowboard/sit-ski riding game where you go down mountains either to accumulate or simply a chill relaxing ride depending the game mode you’ve selected. The game features a handful of modes for players to enjoy. The controls are simple and smooth. You use the trigger to carve right or left, pressing B allows you to pull off tricks in mid-air, you can grind on rocks. When in mid-air, you can also glide to keep amassing points. You can change the camera from third to first person view, which is actually quite the trip.
Fallen City Brawl tells the story of four strangers joining forces in order to bring order into Fallen City; who’s been at the mercy of the criminal underworld. It’s up to Sergeant Clay, Rico, Natasha and Iron Jackson to clean up the streets and bring back peace to the city. Fallen City Brawl is a standard beat’em up where players go from point A to point B while beating up everyone in your path and reaching a boss. As you plow through waves of cronies, you’ll also be able to pick up a decent selection of weapons such as katanas, baseball bats, giant hammers, and even motorcycles.
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival puts players in the virtual boots of Aidan Lynch who must use the the Genesis Configuration, a mysterious puzzle box, to save his beloved Sunny from the Labyrinth. After a night of debauchery, Aidan and Sunny opened the gates of hell by using the the Genesis Configuration, and Pinhead and friends took Sunny away from our protagonist. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is a first person survival horror game with a healthy mix of action and stealth. While you can go guns blazing, some areas will leave the door open for stealth opportunities to take down enemies silently to avoid being overwhelmed. Aidan can run, dodge and slide: all three movements will be a lifesaver throughout different parts of the game. As you progress through the game, you’ll be able to acquire additional weapons. While you’ll start off with a scalpel (which remains your default weapon instead of your fists and kicks), you’ll find a pistol. And when the shop opens you’ll be able to purchase additional firepower; shotgun, SMG, Revolver and AK47. Some enemies will also drop melee weapons while can others can be found by exploring. And yes, weapons do break. But thankfully, you’ll find basic and advanced repair kit to prolong the life of your favorite toy. Although, once it breaks, you lose it; you can’t keep it in your inventory and fix it at a later time. You’ll also be able to purchase recipes that will allow you to craft a myriad of items such as ammo for all your weapons, bandages, first aid kit; among others. Similar to the Silent Hill franchise, players will spend the game jumping between two worlds: the normal world where you’ll take on enemies, find keys and puzzle items to progress forward. And then there’s the Labirynth world where you’ll use need to move around treacherous areas, and use the Genesis Configuration to complete some platform puzzles. Speaking of the Genesis Configuration, you can also use it in combat. As you progress through the story, you’ll unlock some skills; telekensis to throw specific items, use fire and the might Hellchains. All three of these use the Suffering meter which can be filled up by killing enemies and dishing out damage. While the first two can be used at all times, if you have some Suffering in the metter, the Hellchains can only be triggered once it’s full. This devastating attack will capture and stretch out every cronies on screen; obviously doesn’t work on bosses. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival looks great. Both the normal world and the Labyrinth offer two completely unique environments. With its moving parts, it does feel like the Labyrinth is alive. Enemy variety is a bit limited; between skinless walkers and Cultists dressed up in BDSM gear. Bosses are well designed and offer a new glimpse of gore. The voiceover work is absolutely spot-on. Doug Bradley, who played Pinhead in the movies, is back all pined up. Albeit a bit light and forgettable, the soundtrack is enjoyable. And not everything is perfect in hell. Every melee weapon feels cheap; they don’t take much to break and their longevity doesn’t seem to matter no matter the material; blade, baseball bat. There’s also some repetitive segments; such as being chased by The Chatterer; three times is a bit much. And playing hide and seek with the The Revealer, a.k.a. Leviathan, is incredibly irritating. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is easily a contender for my GOTY list. The game is perfectly balanced, combat, while simple, is quite satisfying, the puzzles are enjoyable and the story, while a tad predictable, is really interesting. This game feels a bit like Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Bioshock had a love triangle baby. While they are some sequences that are frustrating, they are far and few between. If you’re a fan of horror games or action game and can tolerate some gore, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is an absolute blast to play.
Project Songbird tells the story of Dakota, a singer-songwriter currently experiencing a writer’s block. At the recommendations of her agent, she decides to leave and isolate herself in a cabin in the remote Appalachian forest with her instruments in hopes of finding inspiration. However, finding such inspiration might pull her into the darkest depths. Project Songbird is a first person survival/psychological horror game. The game is split into two main worlds; the regular world and a nightmarish, dream-like world. The normal world allows you to find useful items such an axe, flashlight, firearms. Exploring the limited environments will pull Dakota into the alternate universe
Dynasty Warriors 3 originally released in 2001 for the PS2 in North America; it was also the second entry in the now long running Shin: Sangoku Musou series in Japan and was actually the first entry to release in the European market; releasing on Xbox via THQ. It introduced a myriad of improvements over its predecessor such as two player mode and new stages to name a few. It also received an expansion called Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends while simultaneously acting as the first title in the Xtreme Legends sub-series. The events of Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered takes place across China during the Three Kingdoms era at the fall of the Han Dynasty, shorthly before the death of Emperor Ling. Simultaneously, the leader of the Way of Peace, Zhang Jiao, led an uprising against the Empire. The game also includes the Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends expansion.
Gears of War: E-Day is set during Emergence Day, fourteen years before the events of the original Gears of War, as Marcus and Dom, along with a host of other Gears, face off against the first wave of Locust. They’ll have to fight and survive against the unknown as they scramble to save civilians scattered throughout the city. Gears of War: E-Day is a third person action shooter where players will be able to use a myriad of weapons to take the fight up to the Locust. Returning players will notice that The Coalition have made a few tweaks in terms of controls. Given that our protagonists are younger, their movement is a bit more nimble. Running has been delegated to pressing the left joystick instead of holding A. Marcus and company can now jump and climb up reasonably high surfaces. There’s also a useful slide mechanic to dodge enemy projectiles.
The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival is a pretty mid run of the mill beat’em up that feels a bit slow, outdated and 10 years too late. I really did try to like this, but the issues kept killing my enjoyment. This game should’ve released about 8-10 years ago during the peak of the franchise. While the upgrade mechanics are a nice touch to the genre, there’s really no reason to buy this. There are so many better, more fluid beat’em ups than this. Unless you’re a die-head fan of The Walking Dead or you must play every beat’em up in existence, this is an easy pass.
The Soccer Kid is a 2D action platformer series that first began way back in 1993 on the Amiga system. It was later ported to a myriad of consoles/home computers such as the Game Boy Advance, Super NES, Jaguar, MS-DOS; just to name a few. This newly released “collection” (should’ve been called a duology and not a collection) includes two games: the Super NES and MS-DOS versions. The Soccer Kid games tells the story of a young soccer player who must travel the world in order to recover the fragments of the stolen trophy. In order to accomplish his goal, our young protagonist uses, as you’d expect given the theme, a soccer/football ball as a weapon. Computer& Video Games
Psyvariar 3 is a fun and addictive bullet hell shmup. The game has a lot of depth and variety due to the diversity of characters to use and the myriad of game modes to choose from. A proper optional tutorial mode/level would’ve been a nice addition here so newcomers to the series can be put through the ringer properly before jumping in the carnage. That being said, Psyvariar 3 is one of the best shmups out there. Whether you’re a hardcore fan of the genre or looking to take plunge, Psyvariar 3 is worthwhile entry.
I’m a fan of the car combat genre and was actually interested in Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks. But unfortunately, it falls pretty flat. This feels like an early access game that should be free to play given the limited variety. Due to being multiplayer centric, it’ll ride or die based on its fanbase. The combat in itself is actually pretty fun and there’s a great selection of vehicle with unique strengths and weaknesses, but that doesn’t make up for the limited gameplay. Always happy to see neglected genres getting some love, but Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is disappointing. Unless you need everything Warhammer 40,000 or you’re a multiplayer type of person, then Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks, but for those hoping for some depths will be disappointed. It left me wanting more, but if and when they add more content, I’ll have moved on to something else.
ZPF is a great addition to the shmup gernre, albeit it is quite brutal. This will test your metal and force you to get better. The shop is an interesting addition and will level the challenge as you unlock new perks. If you’re a fan of the genre, ZPF is an absolute blast and must play. If you have yet to dabble in the genre, I still recommend it, but get ready to die. A lot.
The first problem with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown is that our fast paced heroes doesn’t feel right working within a restrained grid. It feels off and unnatural having fast paced ninjas move at a slow pace. The game can also feel unfair and brutal at times as enemies can surround you really quick and kill you in a single turn. The game also has a steep learning curve. And completing a mission feels more luck based than actual skill. As a long time fan of TMNT, our heroes in a half shell doesn’t work as a TRPG. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown takes the effciency and typical fast paced action of the turtles and brings it down to a crawl. The learning curve is quite steep and completing a mission feels more like you got lucky than actual gaming skills. Unless you must own everything TMNT related, this is an easy pass.
If you’re looking to fill that Bioshock void, Crisol: Theater of Idols is the closest thing we’ll get as of this writing. The combat is unique and solid, the atmosphere is top notch, and the island is really fun to explore. Despite the little aforementioned nuisances it won’t hinder the experience. Combat is fun and unique, there’s lots to explore in each burrough and the game is atmospheric. Highly recommended.
As a casual racing fan, I wanted to like Screamer; it had been on my radar for a while. But your enjoyment of it will depend on your commitment to it. The game looks and sounds amazing, the controls overall feel tight, albeit a bit more complex than the typical racers. The twin stick mechanic feels counterintuitive and requires an adaptation period. If you’re conquered every Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsports, Forza Horizon, Assetto Corsa Competizione, or the Project CARS trilogy, Screamer is for you. Otherwise, if you’re looking to dab into the genre, this ain’t it. Only hardcore racing fans need apply.
The game looks great and surprisingly combines two visual styles. While levels are vast 3D environments reminiscent of later boomer shooters from the late 90s/early 2000s, enemies and NPCs are 2D 16-bit pixelated characters. It works given the non serious tone of the game. Between missions, you’ll be treated to movie like cutscenes featuring General Johnny Rico and Major Samantha “Sammy” Dietz along with others characters looking to “recruit” you. On the audio side of things, nothing major to report. The soundtrack is minimal lost through the banter of your colleagues. Speaking of which, it’s enjoyable with a bit of humor. The game does have a few nuisance. The first one being the repetitiveness of the objectives. It often feels like you’re doing the same thing in different levels. Another issue is the lack of vehicles. While the maps aren’t that huge, running/walking from one objective to another is tedious and boring. Thankfully, with a mech, you’ll go a bit faster.
Rushing Beat X: Return Of Brawl Brothers is one of the best beat’em ups of the last few years. And a surprising entry in a series that had been dormant for so long. Having a decent variety of characters to choose from, being able to have an inventory of health items and weapons is more enjoyable than being forced to use them outright. While the movements do feel a bit stiff and the control mapping is questionable, once you get acclimated, you’ll find a fun and addictive beat’em up. Highly recommended.
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is an absolute blast to play solo with bots or with friends online. It has enough unique nuances that give it a different flair compared to Left 4 Dead and Back 4 Blood. The gameplay is solid, each class feels unique with their own perks, the driving is tight and it has a fun B-movie presentation. While it’s a bit annoying that it’s requires to be online at all times so people can join, playing with bots is as enjoyable as playing with others for the most part. John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is one of the most enjoyable games of the year and it features big dumb fun. Whether to play solo or with friends or randoms, if you enjoy a good shooter, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is for you.