Joseph Barrood
Within the Blade is an action-adventure game with various stealth elements. I stalked my foes through the tall grass, dashed from rooftop to rooftop, and strangled my foes mercilessly. Prepare to watch yourself get mangled in this macabre journey. Is it fulfilling? Find out in this Rapid Review.
Bamerang is an action-packed party game featuring boomerangs. Prepare to compete against your friends as you face off in this silly feud to please an almighty goddess. Is this game perfect for game night? Or will it leave you wanting more? Find out in this Rapid Review.
Fire: Ungh’s Quest is an excellent experience burdened by some substantial drawbacks. Even with an excellent gameplay loop, a game without tight controls is a game I find myself playing sparingly.
A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories is an education game that mixes learning with the action-platformer genre. Play as Nero on her quest to collect the four sacred books, learning math along the way. Is this mashup twice the fun? Find out in this Rapid Review.
Ayo the Clown is an action-platformer that follows Ayo on his quest to retrieve his lost dog. It clearly takes inspiration from Super Mario Bros., Yoshi, and Little Big Planet. With such iconic franchises cited as inspiration, these developers have big shoes to fill. Luckily, Ayo is a clown, and he is accustomed to wearing big shoes. Is Ayo the Clown a standout entrant in the Nintendo Switch catalogue? Or will it be soon forgotten? Find out in this Rapid Review.
Sun Wukong Vs. Robot is a short Metroidvania adventure. Instead of journeying far and wide to uncover upgrades and fight challenging enemies, this game will have you exploring a small area that still follows the Metroidvania tropes. Is this brief adventure still worth your time? Find out in this collaborative Rapid Review written by myself and Brent Gass.
Samurai Warriors 5 is the latest addition to the Samurai Warriors series. Prepare to wield a variety of weapons, slaughter thousands of enemies, and learn about the tragedies that accompany war in this title. Will you be wanting a swift retreat or will it keep you coming back for war? Find out in this Rapid Review.
Battle Axe is a top-down hack and slash adventure developed by talented pixel artist Henk Nieborg. Having worked on many games in the past such as Wizard of Legend, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, and Xeno Crisis, there is no doubt that the development team has plenty of experience working in the field. Does this experience come through in Battle Axe? Find out in this Rapid Review.
Pecaminosa is a pixel noir adventure. I played as an ex-cop with a dream for revenge. I navigated an interconnected world, met an interesting cast of characters, and enjoyed a wonderful jazz soundtrack all throughout. Is this adventure one worth going on? Find out in this Rapid Review.
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown is a fighting game in the Virtua Fighter franchise. It features mainly two-dimensional combat with the occasional movement into the Z-axis. With a wide variety of characters and customizable options, does Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown stand out from the crowd? Find out in this Rapid Review.
The Ninja Gaiden Master Collection is a compilation of the three action-adventure titles. They are known for their intense action-packed gameplay as well as their difficulty. I have already published reviews for these three titles, so most of the detail will be in their respective reviews. However, I will cover my experience playing through each game sequentially and the main differences in each title.
The Eternal Castle [Remastered] is a mysterious cinematic platformer. The main character needs to find parts to repair their ship. In doing so, they will encounter ferocious beasts, find fascinating characters, and uncover the secrets of the world around them. Does The Eternal Castle [Remastered] stand the test of time? Find out in this Rapid Review.
Anodyne 2 is a narrative-focused action-adventure title with puzzles, combat, and exploration. Rid New Theland of Dust and learn about the residents as you venture inside them to cleanse their souls. Anodyne 2 offers substantial social commentary and will leave the audience thinking about and reconsidering their life choices.
The Nintendo Switch is an excellent platform for puzzle games. The accessibility of a portable console works well with the short, fast-paced levels in them. Picross S6 is no exception. You progress through well over three hundred levels in this collection of puzzles.
Boomerang X is the latest release from Devolver Digital. In this first-person shooter, the player wields a boomerang and fights hordes of dark beings. This title focuses on movement and encourages the player to gracefully soar through the air while bombarding their foes with attacks. Is Boomerang X worth a shot? Find out in this Rapid Review.
Mighty Goose is a run and gun shooter featuring a bounty hunter goose. Fight your way through hordes of bugs and robots to prepare for battle against the Void King. Meet an adorable cast of battle-ready creatures and fight with high octane gameplay. Is this goose cooked all the way through? Find out in my Rapid Review.
Pinkman+ is a precision platformer focused on speed and tight controls. As a pink man, travel through one hundred handcrafted levels. Experience the minimal art style this game provides in various colour palettes while progressing through these challenging trials. Pinkman+ features swift movement, sound level design, and an interesting art style.
Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World is a remastered version of Wonder Boy IV released in 1994. It is an action-platformer, meaning the player needs to navigate side-scrolling gauntlets of platforming. There are specific levels for the player to traverse, and enemies to battle along the way. Along with a blue Pepelogoo, become the hero the town needs in Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World.
Signs of the Sojourner is a narrative card game. The cards in the deck represent the player’s character. Tasked with reestablishing the prominence of the main character’s mother’s shop, the player must travel on a caravan and gather resources. This unique take on a visual novel provides a refreshing spin on digital storytelling.
Classic games are frequently ported to modern systems for players to revisit the games or experience them for the first time on modern hardware. At times, the systems featured in these games are outdated. Other times, games feel just as good as they did when last played. One such game, Shantae, was published in 2002 for the Gameboy Color. This title has recently been ported to the Nintendo Switch. Whip enemies with hair, transform into animal buddies, and save the town from imminent peril in Shantae.