I love it when a lost project is dusted off and finished. It happens, rarely, and often it is attached to a project that was either so far ahead of its time that the money overlooked it, or was a real passion project of some artist who ran out of money or couldn’t get backing. This is the story of…
I was so sure that Nintendo would launch the Switch 2 with a new Mario adventure. So, Nintendo being Nintendo, of course they launched with Donkey Kong instead. Mean Mr. Kong hasn’t been in a 3D adventure of his own since way back with the N64, and that effort was……
Disney Illusion Island first launched for Nintendo Switch about two years ago.…
Ruffy and the Riverside is a platformer first, but its cut-and-paste puzzle…
I’m starting to get a little peeved at Nintendo for not remaking Fire Emblem (as in the first Fire Emblem to be released in the West; the one with Lyn). Not only is there a game there that would desperately benefit from modern production values (Lyn and her lovely dress…
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The preservation of video games is a subject that’s near and dear to my heart. Not just in some kind of dusty academic sense, either. I’m a keen retro gamer, and I truly do think that there’s huge benefits for all audiences to take in the breadth of gaming history.…
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The release of Atari 50 last year represented a change in mindset about how retro compilations are packaged up. I hope so, anyway. Including development documents, timelines, video interviews, and other materials made Atari 50 essential, even if those classics aren’t really your kind of games (as is the case…
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Today, Marvelous Europe announced that it would be publishing female-led high-speed platformer Freedom Planet 2 in Europe and Australia. Marvelous already has a relationship with the developer: while the first game as well as its sequel are both self-published for PC, Marvelous published the first title for PlayStation 4 and…
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On the news cycle today was the news that a third collection of classic Valis games was in the works for the Nintendo Switch. As reported by Gematsu, the publisher is looking to crowdfund the collection, but it’s a pretty safe bet that it will get there. There aren’t many…
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A full disclaimer here: I’m not the world’s biggest fan of Sonic the Hedgehog. I respect the contribution that the series has made to the history and development of video games, but I do find the characters aggravating, and the aesthetics garish. More simply, I just prefer slower-paced platformers that…
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KarmaZoo is a wholesome little thing with some real potential to become a multiplayer favourite. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a couple of other critics, and a member of the Pasta Games dev team to play through some of the co-op experience. Though I’m not someone…
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Curse of the Sea Rats is a cute concept that needs to compete in a badly over-saturated genre. I’m now at the point where seeing “Metrodvania” in press materials will make me groan. Not only because the term itself has, like with the roguelike, lost almost all meaning from its…
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Inti Creates is one of the most talented retro-style platform developers out there. While Nintendo continues to look for ways to modernise the 2D platformer in its Mario, Donkey Kong, and other properties, Inti Creates focuses on pixels, classic level design, and challenging, taut mechanics. Grim Guardians: Demon Purge is…
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Wonder Boy is one of those classic gaming icons that you’ve probably encountered at some point in your gaming life, whether it’s the classic arcade game or the more recent remakes of titles such as Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap. I say “recent”, and then I look it up…
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