James Cunningham

Jhaymes
Jhaymes

238 games reviewed
78.1 average score
80 median score
69.1% of games recommended

James Cunningham's Reviews

James grew up in the arcades of the 80s and has played games on everything from the Milton Bradley Microvision to the PlayStation 5. He worked in gaming retail during the PS1/PS2 eras, and even had a small stint at Working Designs. It's been a very long ride and is nowhere even close to over yet, and every stop along the way is a chance for something new and fascinating to emerge. Whether that be on a mainstream console like the now-classic Xbox 360 or something less obvious such as PlayDate or NeoGeo Pocket Color, it's all worth looking at. Granted, what's worth looking at is defined by personal taste, and in James' case that tends to be more mechanics-oriented games rather than narrative ones. Fast action shooters such as Dusk are as good as more meticulous games like Satisfactory, but there's always room for a good action RPG too. Most importantly is always looking to see what's new, because as nice as the past was and as important as it is to not forget it, getting mired down in what one knows is a great way to stagnate. There's too much amazing gaming being created on a near-daily basis to settle for what you know.
3.5 / 5.0 - Circles
Feb 21, 2017

Circles is a relaxing puzzle game that can still be surprisingly tricky, sometimes exasperatingly so. Making precise movements while taking the level's rotation into account and also keeping the speed up because the circles in the level grow larger the faster you move can take more than a few tries to get past, but those sections are the exception to the move laid-back nature of the rest of the game.

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4 / 5.0 - Flywrench
Feb 16, 2017

Flywrench is a deceptively simple challenge that requires nerves of steel and a vast reservoir of patience if you want to see everything it has to offer.

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3.5 / 5.0 - Poi
Feb 3, 2017

Poi is an affectionate love letter to the 3D platformer, filled with challenges and a good number of mini-games to liven up the adventure.

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4 / 5.0 - Smashbox Arena
Jan 23, 2017

Smashbox Arena is a fantastic take on dodgeball, combining the classic playground activity with an arena FPS to make something fast enough for good competitive gaming while remaining appropriate for all ages.

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4 / 5.0 - Dungeon Souls
Dec 27, 2016

Dungeon Souls is an action-packed roguelike featuring plenty of characters with a good variety of skills, all sorts of monsters to use those abilities on appearing in large numbers, and an upgrade path that keeps on climbing.

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3.5 / 5.0 - Arizona Sunshine
Dec 23, 2016

Arizona Sunshine is a decent take on the zombie shooter, hardly revolutionary, but using its tech to good effect.

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4.5 / 5.0 - SUPERHOT (VR)
Dec 20, 2016

SuperHot VR is one of the best games VR has seen yet.

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Dec 15, 2016

Drive!Drive!Drive! has the heart of a great arcade racer, but isn’t quite there yet.

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Dec 3, 2016

Digital pinball can’t replace real pinball, but it does an excellent job of approximating it.

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4 / 5.0 - Xanadu Next
Nov 28, 2016

While Xanadu Next is buggy and its menus just plain busted for controller use, the rest of the game is a wonderful trip through a classic JRPG world.

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4 / 5.0 - Slayaway Camp
Oct 27, 2016

Slayaway Camp is a brilliant and funny block-sliding puzzle game that’s drenched in good-humored gore.

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Oct 26, 2016

Yomawari: Night Alone is a game that will be remembered more for its tone and story than gameplay, but that’s enough to recommend it.

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Oct 24, 2016

DoDonPachi Resurrection is a monster of an arcade shooter.

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3.5 / 5.0 - GoNNER
Oct 19, 2016

Gonner is a single gameplay mechanic away from being a fantastic run & gun roguelike, and if you don’t mind passing up a set of options, that problem can be ignored.

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4 / 5.0 - Blue Revolver
Oct 17, 2016

Blue Revolver is a shooter that meets its audience more than halfway.

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4.5 / 5.0 - Thumper
Oct 11, 2016

By the end of Thumper, the speed is insane, the music wild and oppressive, and the feeling of just barely holding on to a beast that wants to send you flying so it can gnaw your bones is disturbingly strong.

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3.5 / 5.0 - Thoth
Oct 6, 2016

The result of all its elements is a shooter that requires thought and planning, but Thoth won’t let you go light on the arcade reflexes, either.

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4.5 / 5.0 - RunGunJumpGun
Oct 5, 2016

RunGunJumpGun is simple arcade action taken to its extremes.

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Oct 1, 2016

The Metronomicon is bright and upbeat fusion of two genres that shouldn’t fit together as well as they do.

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3 / 5.0 - DOGOS
Sep 10, 2016

DOGOS is close to being a fantastic free-roaming shooter and only held back by a few small issues and a giant glaring one.

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