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Rick Henderson is a fun retro shoot ‘em up that provides plenty of bang for your buck. It controls like a game in this genre should and the random levels always throw something different at you. Some people may not like the fact that the levels aren’t curated and that is fair criticism for sure as that is something that had made many other shmups memorable. For just a handful of dollars though you should have a pretty good time with this one.
Dyna Bomb 2 is an easy to pick up and play platformer but challenging at the same time. I don’t think I can whole heartedly recommend it though as nothing about it stands out from the level design to the visuals and audio. If this was priced similar to games that we get from Ratalaika Games then it would be easier to say go for it but for $15 you can find many other platformers that will bring much more enjoyment.
After Wave: Downfall doesn’t do anything to stand out as a shoot ‘em up but it can still provide some fun, frantic action for fans. I would wait for a sale personally as I think that for a bit of a lower price you’ll be getting a pretty decent game here with some fun modes that you can play alone or with a friend.
Pac-Man World Re-Pac is another fun blast from the past 3D platformer but one that I would say isn’t a must-play. The game plays well and the visual improvements are excellent but those who like challenge in their platformers or imaginative level design will likely find themselves disappointed in this. If you are a huge Pac-Man fan or just enjoy platformers in general and missed out on the original version then this is the best way to experience it.
SD Gundam Battle Alliance is a fun action-RPG with a ton of love packed in from various Gundam universes. While the missions can get a bit repetitive over time, the gameplay loop of wanting to unlock more mobile suits and upgrade them kept me wanting to play and you can do it by yourself or online with a couple friends. We’ve had to go through a few rough Gundam games to find a good one but SD Gundam Battle Alliance finally delivers what the series deserves.
Sofiya and the Ancient Clan’s art style is pretty nice but everything else about it just feels average at best. The gameplay is mindless and forgettable and what is left of the fan service doesn’t even make much sense in its dumbed down form. This is another game from eastasiasoft for the trophy hunters as anyone else is better off finding one of the many other platformers out there for their fix.
Digimon Survive tells a captivating, dark, and emotional story that kept me wanting to see what would happen next. The focus on being a visual novel first won’t be for everyone as if you value gameplay in your Digimon games you won’t get a ton of that here. I wish the combat was a bit deeper in this game but I still had fun with it and I was always trying to get new Digimon on my side. If you are looking for a bit of a different Digimon experience I highly recommend Digimon Survive.
Arcade Paradise is an awesome management sim that shows a lot of love to the era of arcades. I really enjoyed balancing running both businesses and trying out all the different arcade games even if it got a bit repetitive at times. It’s got a lot to do, a great look, and some really good tunes and it’s highly recommended by me to check it out.
Arsonist Heaven fails in executing its ideas and because of that you should probably skip this retro platformer. Taking cheap hits in games is one of the most un-fun things to me and it happens a lot here. Not only that but making it so that your ammo and jetpack fuel runs out too quick leads to even more frustration. If you’re in it for some easy trophies you might be able to get them all before getting fed up with the game but if you have no interest in that then you can safely look past this one.
Pretty Girls Four Kings Solitaire is another solid entry in the Pretty Girls line of titles and the new ruleset does help it feel different from the rest. It requires a bit more skill and planning in order to come out on top. The rest of the package is a bit slim on the offerings with there not being a ton to unlock and keep you playing. Still, if you’ve enjoyed these casual card games in the past and feel like spending a couple hours with a new one then you’ll likely enjoy your time with it.
Super Bullet Break is fun deck builder but one that is very challenging and doesn’t teach the player very well. There are a ton of bullets to collect and test out different strategies with but expect to fail quite a lot along the way.
Endling – Extinction is Forever is a beautiful, heartfelt journey but one that is also tragic and cruel. It really goes into how man’s actions on the environment have far reaching consequences and I applaud Herobeat Studios for building a game around this message. The only downside of it to me is that I wish it had a bit more variety in some parts. If you love animals and are looking for a game that will hit you right in the feels then Endling is a must-play.
Noel the Mortal Fate is an enjoyable action-adventure/visual novel but one whose strength lies firmly in the story. That story is what kept me playing to the end as I enjoyed the twists and turns and the character development along the way. The gameplay was just fine to me and the visuals also are somewhat lacking. In short, if you’re looking at Noel hoping for a great gameplay experience you should look elsewhere but if the storytelling is what you value then you’ll most likely be quite pleased.
Soul Hackers 2 can’t quite match the high bar that the Persona franchise has set but it is still an enjoyable turn-based, dungeon crawling JRPG. The best parts about it are the story, the stylish art direction, and gaining new demons to use while the worst are the repetitive dungeons you’ll be spending hours and hours in. If you can look past that latter point then there is a lot to enjoy about Soul Hackers 2 whether you’re a returning fan or a newcomer.
South of the Circle tells an emotional and thought-provoking tale that isn’t to be missed by those who enjoy narrative adventure games. I found myself caring more and more about Peter and Clara as I got to learn more about them and it isn’t often that you get an emotional video game tale that focuses so much on love while also talking about things like war and social issues. The game won’t take more than a few hours of your time but you’ll likely remember it for far longer than that.
Long Live The Queen is an enjoyable visual novel game that provides plenty of replay value thanks to the choices and stat systems. You never know how Elodie’s tale will play out as she could end up killed if you didn’t raise a certain skill enough or end up taking her rightful place on the throne if played your cards right. It can be a little intimidating managing all the stats and those who don’t enjoy reading over gameplay won’t find this to their liking. For visual novel fans though I think you’ll find a lot to like about this one.
Turrican Anthology Vol. I & II have some great games and the extra features that have been added are among the best that I’ve seen in a retro game collection. That is why it is such a shame that these are two separate collections that are priced so high as I can’t fully recommend them at the asking price. It becomes even harder to recommend to those who picked up the Flashback Collection last year as you already got some of the best entries in that even if it was missing many of the extra features that are included here. Whether you’re a fan of the series or just have a passing interest in seeing what the Turrican series is all about I think you should wait to pick these two collections up on sale.
Turrican Anthology Vol. I & II have some great games and the extra features that have been added are among the best that I’ve seen in a retro game collection. That is why it is such a shame that these are two separate collections that are priced so high as I can’t fully recommend them at the asking price. It becomes even harder to recommend to those who picked up the Flashback Collection last year as you already got some of the best entries in that even if it was missing many of the extra features that are included here. Whether you’re a fan of the series or just have a passing interest in seeing what the Turrican series is all about I think you should wait to pick these two collections up on sale.
I personally love a good side-scrolling beat ‘em up game but Samurai Riot: Definitive Edition is just not one of them. While the different schools and branching paths are some cool ideas the actual gameplay and technical issues left me feeling disappointed. There are a lot of other recently released titles in this genre that are just flat out better so you are better off spending your money on those.
Avenging Spirit is a fun retro arcade game but one that you likely won’t be spending much time with. It isn’t expensive so I don’t mind the length too much but if you’re expecting to get hours of unique content out of this you won’t. You’ll get to kill enemies as dragons, vampires, ninjas, and more while trying to save your girlfriend and then you’ll likely head off for some new adventure. If that sounds alright with you then give this one a shot.