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Overall, while I enjoyed aspects of Cryptark, the unbalanced nature of the game and perplexing difficulty spikes made it a unfortunately frustrating experience. Though I did spend a couple hours with the game, I was unable to beat Campaign mode once, and had zero chance in Rogue mode. While I admire Alientrap Games for their art and sound design, the gameplay needs much more balancing before I can recommend it to any other than the most hardcore of fans, at least without massive future updates. Here’s hoping Alientrap learns some lessons from Cryptark and manages to make a more enjoyable and approachable roguelike game in the future.
It’s true that Hey! Pikmin might not be for everyone. It’s not a pulse-pounding adventure or an intrigue-rich escapade, but that’s okay. It’s not supposed to be that sort of game. Hey! Pikmin is more like a service animal, meant to help provide a relaxing and comforting experience, not unlike playing a Kirby game. If you enjoy simple, fun and relaxing games or are just a fan of Captain Olimar, you can’t go wrong with this one for $39.99. Arzest and Nintendo have done our spacefaring captain justice on the 3DS.
In the end, I was very happy with Chicken Wiggle. While comparisons to Renegade Kid’s previous works are unavoidable, I felt it differentiated itself enough and more than made up for any deficit with the expansive Level Editor. While it’s true I was a little disappointed by the total lack of unlockable content, I found myself drawn into this strange new world, and desperately hoping for a bigger and crazier sequel. Atooi has proven it still has that magic touch when it comes to retro styled platformers, and I hope this is just the first of many successful new games. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more levels to make!
Having said that, I greatly enjoyed my time with Pirate Queen’s Quest. After playing this DLC adventure, I can say with confidence I would love Risky to get her own standalone game, maybe even a prequel that shows how and why she became a pirate queen, as well as where the Tinkerbats came from. Though I had some minor complaints, all in all I feel it fixed the issues the original game had and offered a streamlined and fun experience. I managed to beat it in a little under three hours with 93% item completion. For $9.99, this DLC is a must have for any fans of classic platformers, lovable genies, naughty pirates or who just want to support WayForward. If anything, this just made me hungry for more cartoony adventures in this lush world. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait too long for the next game in the Shantae series.
Overall, I was quite impressed with A Robot Named Fight. It provided a healthy challenge, tons of unexpected variety and just enough exploration to satisfy fans of the genre. It’s clear to me that Matt truly understands the factors that make this genre great, and did his level best to include all of them in this, his very first game. While the base journey is pretty short, the various achievements and the need to find everything keeps me playing. I would venture that even Sundered, another fantastic Metroidvania with random generation, isn’t quite so adept at procedural generation as this one. For only $9.99 (or 25% cheaper for the next few days) this game is one any Metroidvania fan should own. I can only hope that it does well in sales, since I’d love to see it make its way to other consoles, as well as maybe getting some DLC. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and beat the Megabeast for the third time and finish getting 100% of those achievements!
Even though it stumbled a little, overall I was quite pleased with Metroid: Samus Returns. I managed to beat it in just over 12 hours with 62% map completion, and only got seriously stuck a handful of times. Not only was this remake gorgeous, but it offers a fantastic return to form for the long running series. If you’re a fan of the series, or are just looking for an excuse to jump on board, you can’t go wrong for only $39.99. Best of all, if the ending is any indication, this might not be the last remake of a 2D Metroid we can look forward to! Here’s hoping Samus is around for many years to come, annihilating alien scum and looking great while doing it.
All in all, I really enjoyed my time with Let Them Come. It featured intense action, tactical decision making and brutal boss battles. For only $4.99, it’s a hell of a bargain. While I did get frustrated getting past a couple of the bosses, that didn’t drag the entire experience down. If you want a challenging action game infused with the machismo of the action movies of yore, you can’t do better than Let Them Come. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more alien scum to mow down in New Game+!
Though reviews require I look at games with a critical eye, I truly did enjoy my time with Omega Strike. I could hardly put it down, and my biggest complaint was the lack of replay value. Considering that this was made by a one person team though, I have to cut it a little slack. For $12.99, you get a quality Metroidvania that is only really hampered by the lack of difficulty. While it would be nice if the game was a little cheaper, I can’t help but recommend Omega Strike. It’s fun, moderately challenging and full of character. If this is what one person can accomplish, I can’t wait to see the next game by Woblyware.
Overall, Creeping Terror was a revelation in my horror gaming experience. In my 4-hour playthrough, I was constantly on edge, yet kept putting one foot in front of the other in my attempt to find out what was actually happening. Though I did manage to get Arisa safely home, I didn’t get the best ending, so I will assuredly be playing it again very soon. If you’re a fan of horror and own a 3DS, Creeping Terror is a bargain at $8.99. Aksys has published a winner here, and I hope they continue to bring over unique and creepy titles.
Overall, I rather enjoyed my time with Cursed Castilla EX. It’s old school hard, but not quite as difficult as Super Ghouls n’ Ghosts. It plays very well on my Vita (though I wish that the graphical options didn’t only stretch the game, making it look fuzzy and unappealing). For $11.99, you really can’t go wrong. If you like the NES hard games of yore and want a more modern, portable successor, this is the game for you.
In summation, VA-11 HALL-A was well worth the wait on my Vita. It drew me in much deeper than I would have thought possible, making me actually care about the lives of these characters. Kudos as well to Sukeban Games for subtly tying in themes of consciousness, sexual identity, depression, true friendship, love and much more. For $14.99, VA-11 HALL-A is a game every Vita fan should own. It’s full of heart, drama and hope. My only hope now is that the world of the game gets expanded in the future, as I would love a sequel or something similar from the developers. VA-11 HALL-A is the bar I desperately need in my own life, and after playing it, you’ll feel the same.
All in all, I enjoyed my time with Dimension Drive. It took me 6 and 1/2 hours to beat all 13 levels, which is pretty good for a SHMUP. What’s nice is after you beat the game, you unlock Mirror Mode, which when combined with the Data Cubes, offers solid replayability. For $12.99, you get a pretty great adventure in Dimension Drive. I’m happy to finally play the polished end result of 2Awesome Studio’s hard work. They’ve managed to offer some innovation in a genre that typically rests on its laurels. While the game isn’t perfect, it’s solid and fun, and shows a lot of heart. Here’s hoping this isn’t the last adventure we get from the talented indie studio. I have a feeling there’s a lot more story for Jack and V.E.R.A. to tell, especially after that cliffhanger ending…
In total, I spent about four hours playing Hive Jump, with most of that spent in Campaign. I also briefly tried out Arcade on easy, which seemed easier than Campaign at first but then the bosses utterly destroyed me. In fact, a boss I had no problems with in Campaign was suddenly a beast in Arcade. While the game is fun solo, I truly feel it was meant to be played with friends. It’s just too easy to get overwhelmed by the hordes of Ordovicians. So if you don’t have a bunch of friends who can crash and play on your couch, the game is much harder than it needs to be. And regarding the glitches, while not the worst thing, the Wii U version of Hive Jump can’t be its best while they persist. That said, for $14.99, Hive Jump is a fun, if flawed, experience. I’m glad I was finally able to play it on the console I backed it on, and I’m happy that Graphite Lab is making such a concerted effort to make the best game they can. I only hope the Wii U build gets patched soon, so Nintendo fans can enjoy it to the fullest.
While the game is fun, and WayForward does a good job of mixing stage hazards up to keep things fresh, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed with Friends to the End. This is in large part due to the fact that we’re still playing essentially the same levels with the same bosses, despite the new plot and humorous interplay of banter between the trio. Maybe I was spoiled by Shovel Knight, where each DLC is distinct and featured significant new content, but I can’t help but want more. While Friends to the End is enjoyable, it also feels like the most barren of the Shantae DLC. I was able to beat the entire episode in a little over 2 hours, and feel little desire to get 100%. If getting all the Dream Squids unlocked a true final boss or new area, similar to a basic Metroidvania, I would have been much more likely to platinum the game, instead I ended up with only 79%. I appreciate that this is the least expensive of the DLC, sitting pretty at $7.99, but I still wish it was a lot meatier. Hell, it doesn’t even have a truly new final boss, as the one here is a reskin of the foe Risky faced in Pirate Queen’s Quest. The only real new stages are the intro stage and final stage, the latter which feels more like a series of infuriating challenge rooms than a cohesive new area. If you’re a fan of Shantae and have to own all the DLC, then by all means pick Friends to the End up. For everybody else, wait til it’s on sale. Here’s hoping the next Shantae game learns more from Pirate’s Curse and less from Risky’s Revenge.
In summation, after 5+ hours, I have somewhat mixed feelings about The End is Nigh. On the one hand, it’s fun in a brutally challenging way, and it’s utterly unlike most other games I’ve played, other than those developed by Ed McMillen. On the other hand, the balance feels a bit skewed in the latter half of the game, and even the first half might prove too much except for truly hardcore fans. I would say that for those who like a hefty challenge and enjoy platformers, The End is Nigh is worth getting. For everybody else, it’s really not for you.
I mentioned at the beginning of the review that short length doesn’t mean a game fails to leave a lasting impact, and I left Shu pleased with my time. Even though I was able to beat the main game in less than an hour, and the DLC in about 20 minutes, I enjoyed every minute of my time with Shu. It’s charming, creative and accessible to all levels of gamer. While some may be discouraged by how quickly I beat the game, I would venture my speed is a bit unusual, as the devs confirmed most players beat the game in 3-4 hours. Regardless, Shu is a wonderful game and a delight on the Nintendo Switch. If you enjoy fun platformers or are just looking for something new on your console, I would recommend it strongly for only $9.99. I just hope it’s not the last we’ve seen of this vibrant game world.
All in all, I was truly impressed with Iconoclasts. I spent 11 hours playing through the game, and that’s without even finishing all the side quests or finding all the deviously hidden chests. It’s not often an indie game comes out of nowhere to surprise me, but that’s just what it managed to do, proving itself a new indie gem. If you have a PS4, Vita or Steam account, go buy it. It’s easily the best indie I’ve played so far in 2018, and one I highly recommend.
Despite my complaints, I had a mostly positive experience playing through Dandara. For $14.99, I got about 15 hours of playtime. The mixture of creative world design, unique gameplay mechanics and challenging bosses make this a worthy game, despite the oppressive difficulty of a few sections and occasional lack of balance. While I never felt like I got to know Dandara as a person very well, the world of Salt was still one of haunting beauty that I’d love to return to. I’m impressed by this first mainstream release by Long Hat House, and look forward to what else they’re able to create. Dandara isn’t perfect, but it’s a laudable attempt, and one that I won’t soon forget.
All in all, I really enjoyed my time with Space Dave! It’s retro done right, and it’s just challenging enough without being overwhelmingly hard. Pattern recognition and fast reflexes are important on higher difficulty levels, but you could always stick to Easy Peasy and still have a lot of fun. I spent about 5 hours with the game, most of that spent on just beating the main game. Afterwards, the game loops, so if you get really good, you can rack up incredibly high scores that way. For $9.99, I would recommend this to any fan of classic gaming that owns a Switch. My only minor complaint was that there was nothing to unlock, though there are a ton of hidden achievements and purportedly some truly super secret stuff. Space Dave! impressed me far more than Woah Dave!, and I’m looking forward to which classic game Choice Provisions does justice to next!
I was a bit torn complaining as much as I did, since I truly did enjoy Mercenary Kings Reloaded. But often I am more critical on things I enjoy, especially when I feel they didn’t fulfill their utmost potential. That said, for $19.99 I got 20 hours of gameplay out of it, which is pretty impressive for a smaller indie title. I can still appreciate all the hard work and heart that Tribute Games put into this, and would still recommend Reloaded for those who missed out on the initial release. It’s a fun game hampered by some design issues, but it’s still a fulfilling experience if you can look past its flaws.