#BIT.TRIP CORE

[imsociallyanxiousgetoverit]

My ranking of the Bit.Trip games based off my own skill and opinion of them:

1. Runner

2. Void

3. Flux

4. Fate

5. Core

6. Beat

[iloveabunchofgames]

1/29 - Week In Review

#JakeReviewsItch Week In Review Archives

This week's reviews: 🧡🧡🧡🧡🤍 2000:1: A Space Felony 🧡🧡🤍🤍🤍 a completely normal dating simulation that is definitely sweet, innocent and normal 🧡🧡🤍🤍🤍 A Dance of Fire and Ice 🧡🧡🧡🤍🤍 A Mortician's Tale 🧡🧡🤍🤍🤍 A Day In the Woods 🧡🤍🤍🤍🤍 A e r o c r a f t 🧡🧡🧡🤍🤍 A Forgetful Loop

Game of the Week

Video games. Space. How many times have we seen this chocolate-and-peanut-butter combo? We've piloted and landed spacecraft, and lord knows we've zapped an alien or two, but you know what you don't see very often beyond the digital atmosphere? Due process of law.

Oh, you know what? Frog Fractions. I almost forgot about the courtroom scene on Bug Mars. Fine, so 2000:1: A Space Felony or How I Came to Value My Life and MURDER Mercilessly. isn't the first or the best game to remind us that law and order are the bedrock of society, even beyond the confines of national and planetary borders, but it is a game about gathering evidence and presenting a solid argument in the case of Fake HAL 9000 v. An Entire Spaceship's Dead Crew. Give it a try. It's short, it's free, and it's easily the best Itch game I played this week.

QubicGames

The early days of Nintendo Switch were the best. See, the best way to get visibility on the eShop was for a game to sell a lot of units, and the best way to sell—short of making a good, well-marketed game that people wanted play—was to put a game on sale for a couple cents. The sale would end, and the game would still be on the best-seller list alongside the big-budget blockbuster. Additionally, depending on one's system settings, owning a game from a publisher might enable that publisher to push advertisements to the owner's Switch News section. Shady tactics, but for those of us who kept up with sales, those were great times. Sure, most of the games I downloaded were trash, but the prices were so low, and there were enough pleasant surprises, that it was usually worth rolling the dice. Nintendo got wise, though, and quietly implemented some policy changes. Now, you'll rarely see prices dip below $1.99. And that's why the latest QubicGames sale is a big deal. Now through the middle of February, most of their lineup is available for just 50¢ a pop. (You won't see the sales prices in the eShop unless you own at least one Qubic release. Fortunately, Coloring Book is currently free. Claim it, and then watch the prices melt.) Qubic is actually really cool about breaking the $1.99 barrier. I snagged several games for 99¢ just a few weeks ago, which felt like a smokin' hot deal. If only I'd known. They also have a history of briefly making a handful of games free in December.

I'd love to tell you a little bit about all the games I recommend, but there's a problem: We're not talking about the kind of cheap eShop garbage described above. I have player 39 Qubic games, and most of them are pretty good. Some of them are all-time classics at any price.

The most efficient purchasing advice I could offer is a ranked list.

A Ranked List of the 39 QubicGames Games I Own

BIT.TRIP BEAT

BIT.TRIP VOID

Tharsis

BIT.TRIP FATE

BIT.TRIP RUNNER

BIT.TRIP CORE

BIT.TRIP FLUX

LOUD

Pocket Pool

Pocket Mini Golf 2

One Strike

REKT! High Octane Stunts

Puzzle Book

Good Night, Knight!

Pudding Monsters

Dungeon Top

Akane

Zombie Blast Crew

Space Pioneer

Door Kickers

Chex Quest HD

Rimelands: Hammer of Thor

Akuto: Showdown

UTOPIA 9 - A Volatile Vacation

Coffee Crisis

Warlocks 2: God Slayers

Gravity Rider Zero

Timothy and the Mysterious Forest

#RaceDieRun

Wondershot

Coloring Book

Koloro

Escape Doodland

Mini Trains

Pocket Mini Golf

Mana Spark

Robonauts

Wreckin’ Ball Adventure

Eyes: The Horror Game

I'd be happy to talk about any of these in more detail, but they're so cheap! I keep futzing with the order of this list, but all you need to know is that the top 11 are fantastic. You can safely skip 29-39, although the only one that's outright bad is Eyes: The Horror Game. The rest deliver at least $0.49 of entertainment. Peep the store pages and see what matches your interests. There are still a few gaps in my Qubic knowledge, so take a look at the sale page if you're into, I dunno, boxing and sausage. (Ugh. Do I need to buy the sausage games?) Yuck, I sound like such a shill. To be clear, I'm not getting paid for this, nor do I have any other incentive to promote these products. I just really love those BIT.TRIP games.

#JakeReviewsTwitch is a series of daily game reviews. You can learn more here. You can also browse past reviews…

• By name • By rating • By genre

[nostalgiachan]

I'll go ahead and do that little text-version of the list, plus a game or two that I don't have on Steam but do have in general. I don't have a capture card or anything, so console games are out for the moment. If there's anything you don't see here that you'd like to see, feel free to suggest! Hit the Read More to see.

100% Orange Juice

7 Days to Die

Age of Empires III

Alice: Madness Returns

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

Bad Rats

Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition

Banished

The Banner Saga

Barony

Bastion

Beat Hazard

The Binding of Isaac

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

BIT.TRIP BEAT

BIT.TRIP RUNNER

Blood Omen 2: Legacy of Kain

Borderlands 2

Borderlands GOTY Enhanced

Captain Forever Remix

Castle Crashers

Chantelise

Child of Light

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

Conan Exiles

Cookie Clicker (don't think I wouldn't)

The Count Lucanor

Crypt of the NecroDancer

Darkest Dungeon

Dead Island

Dishonored

Divinity: Dragon Commander

Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Don't Starve Together

Donut County

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale

Dungeons & Dragons Online

Dungeons of Dredmor

Dwarf Fortress

The Elder Scrolls: Arena

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard

Enter the Gungeon

E.Y.E.: Divine Cybermancy

Fallout

Fallout 2

Fallout 4

Fallout: New Vegas

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster

Final Fantasy XIV

The Forest

Fortune Summoners: Secret of the Elemental Stone

FTL: Faster Than Light

Game Dev Tycoon

Garry's Mod

Goat Simulator

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition

Grand Theft Auto V

Grandia II HD Remaster

Grounded

Guild Wars

Guild Wars 2

Half-Life

Half-Life 2

Halls of Torment

Hotline Miami

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

how do you Do it?

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

Jade Empire: Special Edition

Jet Set Radio

Killing Floor

Left 4 Dead 2

Legacy of Kain: Defiance

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2

The Lord of the Rings Online

Lumines

Lumines Remastered

Mad Max

Magicka

Majesty Gold HD

Majesty 2

Marlow Briggs

Mount & Blade: Warband

Mount Your Friends

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One

OneShot

Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition

Our Darker Purpose

Path of Exile

Phasmophobia

Planet Coaster

Portal

Pregnancy

Prison Architect

Project Zomboid

Pyre

Realm of the Mad God Exalt

Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale

Rez Infinite

Risk of Rain

Risk of Rain 2

Saints Row 2

Saints Row the Third

Saints Row IV

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell

Sakura Angels

Sakura Spirit

Septerra Core

Shadowrun Returns

Shadowrun: Dragonfall

Shadowrun: Hong Kong

The Ship

Sid Meier's Civilization V

The Sims 3

Sine Mora EX

Slime Rancher

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Collection

Sonic Generations

Soulcalibur VI

Space Hulk

Starbound

Stardew Valley

SteamWorld Heist

Stick Fight: the Game

Summer in Mara

Sunless Sea

Symphony

Tabletop Simulator

Tales of Maj'Eyal

Tales of Zestiria

Team Fortress 2

Terraria

This War of Mine

Thumper

Total War: Shogun 2

Transistor

Two Point Hospital

Undertale

V Rising

Valheim

Vampire Survivors

Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines

Viscera Cleanup Detail

VRChat (not that I have a VR setup)

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II (with expansions)

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide

Wasteland 1

Wasteland 2

Wasteland 3

Wattam

Streaming Interest Check

After three years, I'm finally returning to daywalker status and will be operating on Normal American Hours. I've also been thinking of maybe starting to stream again (after not having done so since 2015).

Only problem is, I was never much of a game streamer Back in the Day™, and all of my go-to stream options (horrible fanfic, terrible hentai and copyrighted anime) would get me nuked from Twitch. So, I ask you, dear audience: What would you want to see me stream?

Here's a list of all games I currently have on Steam. Let me know if you can't access that and I'll make a Read More post or something.

Anyway, once I'm on my new schedule, I'll start doing some test streams over on https://www.twitch.tv/nostalgiachan. Help a girl out maybe?

[delfinoluma101]

One day, during a RocketStation stream, I drew Commander Video from Bit.Trip. Fun game series with lots of colour.

[g4zdtechtv]

NTom & Volk's Spot of PC #13 - BIT.TRIP Collection

The sights and sounds of bits.

[touhou-gensoudairantou]

Can I get a fuckin uhhhhhh CommanderVideo moveset

(Dear Anon who requested this, I’m sorry I ignored this for so long, you really threw me a curveball and I struggled for so long on how I would even go about a fighter like this since I never really gave his games much thought before. However, upon doing research, I came to respect what these games have done for the Indie scene by being so bold with its aesthetic sense, and gaining so much attention with so much simple gameplay. I hope that my interpretation of what CV would be like in Smash does him justice. ...I swear to God, if CV is announced for real in Smash at E3 this year, I’m gonna shit an entire house. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this if you haven’t given up. -With love, Tsuki-Sennin.)

BIT.TRIP Presents... Gensou Dairantou Smash Bros.! Now Featuring CommanderVideo! (The Mysterious Voxel Hero Beyond Time)

(His appearance in this game would likely be a combination of his looks in BIT.TRIP Runner and Super Meat Boy.) Overview: The mysterious, psychedelic hero known as CommanderVideo. His appearance is simple, reminiscent of a long past and especially primitive era of games played on wooded consoles with only one joystick and button per controller. His past, on the other hand, is quite complicated. Enduring a journey of hardship and growth stretching from his youth in the brilliantly inventive BIT.TRIP BEAT all the way to his passing on in BIT.TRIP FLUX, CV took the Indie world by storm with challenging Atari-inspired rhythm and high-speed running games recognized by the Big N themselves, to the point where he was immortalized as a trophy in Smash 4! His hobbies likely include racquetball, jogging, and music. Much like Mr. Game and Watch, he’s a wafer-thin sprite acting in a three-dimensional space, which makes for a fascinating opponent to watch in battle. Get all those unfunny Among Us memes out of you at the door, then strap in for a... challenging, to say the least, concept fighter. As the battle goes on, he can accumulate lightning speeds and incredible attacking power from his MODEs, but be careful. Even a small misstep can cost you dearly with a hitbox as big as he is. He is only a man, but he is not alone. He is ready. Don’t lose your beat!

Intro Animation: CV popping out of the ground and running forward like he does in Runner, before slowing down.

Gimmick: MODEs are the mark of how well you’re doing in any given BIT.TRIP title, and as such it’d be carried over here. Landing multiple special attacks without getting hit will cause CV to MODE-Up from HYPER to MEGA, represented by him getting a Pink Core just above his fighter icon at the bottom of the screen and him gaining his signature technicolor trail behind him as he runs. That means the power of his attacks, and his movement speed will increase with each mode increase. Getting hit too many times will cause you to MODE-Down, which’ll naturally bring you back to normal. Screwing up too many times, however, will cause you to fall to NETHER MODE, and your attacks will do pitiful damage and slow your movement and non-special attacks to a snail’s pace until you get yourself together. However, you do gain a slight boost to your knockback resistance and overall damage is reduced, so you won’t get so severely punished for relatively minor damage. Fans of the Pokémon Archeops such as myself are no doubt jealous. If you can chain together massive combos however, you will be delighted by the speed and intensity of your attacks... but don’t run off the stage now, will you? If you get hit once in EXTRA or above, you’ll MODE-Down.

To put it simply, if NETHER’s speed is equal to Robin, then EXTRA and above are among the highest speed in the game. Got all that? Good, here’s an easy chart. NETHER <- (HYPER) -> MEGA -> SUPER -> ULTRA -> EXTRA -> GIGA -> META

Whew... Now let’s talk Specials. I uh... can’t really think about what kind of standard attacks or tilts our good Commander would have aside from some fairly standard stuff like uh... kicks, maybe reflecting beats into the opponents. His aerials would likely just be more of the same too.

His Dash Attack lets him run into the opponent with the Paddle acting as a shield like it does in Runner. And he’s got a fairly standard but strong slide attack for his Down Tilt!

However, his Smash attacks allow him to fire high-powered lasers. Just like the kind he uses in FATE. And they come with cameos too!

Up Smash: Junior Melchkin Shot. Fires thin lasers into the air only slightly stronger than CV’s Beat anti-air Up Tilt. However, the signal from his antenna also doubles as an attack, so you have two hitboxes to work with! Probably the attack you’ll get the least use out of, but hey!

Side Smash: Mr. Robotube Shot. Fires two streams of bullets in a sine wavelike pattern. It’s super strong and easily pierces through walls and opponents with ease.

Down Smash: CommandgirlVideo Shot. A pair of conical triple spread shots, each facing away from each other. This is a sweeping move that can easily knock a lightweight opponent off their feet. You can tell she’s a girl because she’s pink-ish... and in some games, happens to have boobies. Refreshingly, she’s not a love interest, so I appreciate that at least.

Neutral B: The Red Core. Unlike the Paddle, which is purely for defensive counters, the Red Core allows CV to destroy projectiles and attack with lasers! The Red Core’s lasers can nullify lesser projectiles, and it also has a lot of extra power.

Side B: The Paddle. A nameless icon from the ancient 8-bit era of gaming, the Paddle was a stalwart object of protection for the developing CV in his debut to the world, even guiding him to the afterlife in FLUX. It’s mostly for reflecting Beats, but in Smash it can reflect damn near any projectile that comes its way. It can also be maneuvered up and down by distance equivalent to CV’s height. However, it can be slashed or punched right through, so be careful.

Up B: Spring. CV bounces up on a spring straight out of Runner, going for a pretty high distance. Unlike Sonic’s Spring Jump, CV’s Spring remains in place no matter where on the screen he uses, but causes almost double the damage.

Down B: The Void. The namesake of VOID, in which you absorb black Beats while knocking away white ones. Here in Smash, it functions identically to Ness and Lucas’s PSI Magnet, although the recovery rate only half and the range is somewhat wider. It also does rather small damage.

Bomb: Beat-Clearing Bomb. This is a feature in CORE that allows you to remove Beats from the screen.

Final Smash: BIT.TRIP. CV calls upon the Paddle to slam down on up to three opponents, doing large starting damage

The opponents are taken through a montage of CV’s life, amping up from HYPER in BEAT all the way to META in FLUX as they are pelted by an onslaught of Beats doing chip damage from the games’ various playable entities, and guest attacks from fan-favorite characters like Mr. Robotube and CommandgirlVideo, before finally being reflected by an enormous version of the Paddle in FLUX, doing major knockback.

Victory Screens:

-CV and CommandgirlVideo grilling up a pair of sausages.

-CV posing alongside his Trophy from Smash 4 before jumping over it and looping around the screen.

-CV suddenly transforms into his 3D incarnation from Runner3, then runs around on screen.

Naturally, CV comes with all of his series’ absolute BANGER of an OST, so no need to worry about that.

Uhh... some of my favorites are Descent from BEAT, Exploration from CORE, Super-Ego from VOID, and Triumph from RUNNER.

Enjoy these tracks in the meantime, because I gotta get ready for E3 and plan this silly project of mine accordingly. Thank you for your time!

[dj-cublex]

honestly this just makes me mad that choice provisions is making another runner game when they have four other bit.trip games to do. i know nobody cares about fate or core or void sadly. when's the last time you thought about bit.trip fate. it's been a while, hasn't it?

but, oh idk, a new beat/flux game with a tracklist of 30 or something would PRINT MONEY. IT WOULD PRINT IT. SO MANY DOLLARS

YOU ALREADY HAVE 10 TRACKS YOU CAN JUST STRAIGHT UP USE IMMEDIATELY

PLEASE I BEG YOU

the 32bit ipad version of bit.trip beat has bit.trip void remix dlc but i can't fuckign access it HELP ME

[eldritchdraaks]

Here’s my revised Rhythm Game Tier List (These are my opinions)

S+

Just Shapes and Beats - It’s crazy fun, has a lot of techo/electric songs by popular artists, multiplayer, an ACTUAL STORY MODE!!!!!! With characters you actually CARE about! There’s a lot of great tracks to unlock, the gameplay is synced perfectly to the beat, it’s just awesome. I jam out to the soundtrack a lot.

Thumper - A different take on rhythm games, this is full of cosmic horror. There’s not so much songs as there are sounds which create the atmospheric soundtrack. It’s fast paced and can be difficult, but very forgiving with the number of check points. Includes a hard mode.

Rhyhtm Heaven - Multiple games in the series, each one with a large collection of minigames with widely different mechanics to spend hours on. If you don’t like one, you won’t have to spend too long on it before trying the next one.

S

Crypt of the Necrodancer - A mashup of rhythm game and rogue-like. Tons of replay with the randomly generated levels, tons of characters with different movement mechanics, a story mode, a killer soundtrack, even covers done in other genres. It’s hard, but worth the difficulty.

Elite Beat Agents - The same gameplay as Osu, but with a story, characters, and easier inputs using the DS touch screen.

Bit.Trip Complete (Beat, Core, Void, Runner, Fate, Flux) - 

Beat Saber - Though more of a workout game, it’s done incredibly with VR and your twin light-sabers cutting through the blocks. It even has custom songs. The only down side is the steep price for a VR setup.

A

LEGO Rock Band - Everything great about Rockband, but with Lego. More memorable than the original, it includes a full story campaign, customizable band members AND crib. A number of tracks feature fun cutscenes while you play.

Taiko Drum Master - Only played enough to know it’s not for me. Take’s awhile to get the hang of, starting off like a “Rub your belly and pat your head” kind of song and dance. Still, excellent game design.

Rhythm Doctor - The best part of it is the simplified gameplay. you only use one button and you have to hit on the 7th note. The difficulty comes from how the game tries to distract you or throw you off your rhythm. The tracks vary in genre.

The Impossible Game - Though it came first, it’s a simplified version of Geometry Dash. Only 5 tracks to play and only a few different hazards in the levels. However, it’s simplicity with it’s presentation makes it more fun to play.

Cadence of Hyrule - Nearly the same gameplay as Crypt of the Necrodancer, but with some features held back making it easier and with little replay value.

Osu! - Same gameplay as Elite Beat Agents, but with custom songs. Held back by it’s controls. Easiest with a touch screen or pen, hard with a mouse.

B

Riff Racer - Like Audiosurf but with free movement and custom songs.

Audiosurf - One of the older games. Plays like Thumper, but otherwise not too different from Riff Racer.

Deemo - A simple yet beefy tapping game for mobile. Has a bit of a story, cute and well designed characters, and mainly piano mixes. Not much to say.

Rock Band - It’s Guitar Hero, but with vocals and drums thrown in. More options!

Geometry Dash - An improved version of The Impossible Game. Includes a lot of tracks and level hazards, customization, and a level editor. However the presentation is overly distracting at times.

PaRappa The Rapper - A classic, full of charm, super cute and fun. It’s not as rhythm based as other games, rather it’s very simple. 

HarmoKnight - A lot like the Runner games, but I’m not a fan of the art style. It’s still a lot of fun and includes levels with pokemon songs and themeing.

Runner 2 & 3 - The original Bit.Trip Runner was great, and though the sequels have the same fun gameplay, the art style is drastically changed, and it loses a lot of it’s charm because of it.

C

Dance Dance Revolution - More of a workout. Tiring to play on a dancepad, easier with a controller. You need strong foot-eye coordination that not everyone’s got. DDR is a difficult beast, unique but not always that fun. It takes more practice than most rhythm games. Arcade versions are better than console.

Space Channel 5 - Plays like PaRappa The Rapper but arguably without the charm.

Rocksmith - A more complex Guitar Hero. Less about the game, more about learning to play guitar.

Vib-Ribbon - A great, fun little game, but the sounds are ear grating. Would greatly benefit from a remaster.

D

Just Dance - Not all that fun. Only a rhythm game by technicality. It’s not bad, but it’s more of a workout than a game.

DJ Hero - Not bad, just confusing. You’d rather play Guitar Hero.

Guitar Hero - Rock Band and Rocksmith do the same thing but better. 

[monocore-lives-here-blog]

We got company... Nice, right Despair?

Yeah. Whatever, Hope.

Introducing, Monocore!

This blog is all about him! Go ahead and ask away to the two sides of himself, Hope and Despair (White and Black)!

(Based on Monokuma from Danganronpa and Core from Bit.Trip, I made this fused thing.)

[galagawiki]

Game Codes for Trade

Hey! I’ve got a bunch of games (Mostly for Steam) that I’ve had lying around for a while, and I’m looking to trade them off. I take all kinds of games: Steam, Uplay, Origin, PSN, eShop, etc. If anyone’s interested in any of these, please let me know!

My wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/wishlist/profiles/76561198043019778/

2064: Read Only Memories

Ace Combat Assault Horizon Enhanced Edition

American Truck Simulator

Back to Bed

Battle Chef Brigade

Binary Domain

BioShock Remastered

Bit Blaster XL

BIT.TRIP Presents… Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien

Blazblue: Continuum Shift Extend

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Standard Edition

Chroma Squad

Chronology

Columns

Columns 3

Contagion (3 available)

Cosmonautica

Day of the Tentacle Remastered

Dead Rising 2: Off The Record

Deep Dungeons of Doom

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Devil Daggers

DmC: Devil May Cry

DreadOut

Dreadout: Keeper of the Dark (+ Soundtrack and Manga DLC)

Duck Game

Dungeon of the Endless

A Fistful of Gun

Endless Space - Collection

Geometry Dash

Grim Fandango Remastered

Guacamelee! Gold Edition and Super Turbo Championship Edition

GUILTY GEAR XX ACCENT CORE PLUS R

Gunman Clive (3DS)

Gunpoint

Guns of Icarus Online (2 Available)

GRID 2

Hand of Fate

Headlander

Hitman: Absolution (Elite Edition)

HITMAN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

Hollow Knight

How to Survive

INK

Insurgency

Just Cause 3 XXL Edition

Kholat

Killer Is Dead - Nightmare Edition

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

THE LAST BLADE

The Last Remnant

Layers of Fear

Layers of Fear: Masterpiece Edition

Lethal League

Lost Horizon

Mega Man Legacy Collection

Mercenary Kings: Reloaded Edition

METAL GEAR SOLIDV: GROUND ZEROES

METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN

Mighty Switch Force! (3DS)

Mini Metro

Minit

Mirage: Arcane Warfare

MURDERED: SOUL SUSPECT

Mushroom 11

N++ (NPLUSPLUS)

Nex Machina

No Time to Explain

Octodad Dadliest Catch

Overgrowth

Overlord

Overlord II

PAC-MAN 256

Pathologic Classic HD

Pony Island (2 Available)

Prison Architect

Psychonauts

Q.U.B.E. Director's Cut

Refunct

Resident Evil 6

Resident Evil Revelations

Rise & Shine

Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball

Rocket Knight

Rusty Lake Paradise

Sacred Franchise Pack (Includes Sacred 2 Gold, Sacred 3, Sacred Citadel, and all DLC)

Saint’s Row 2

Saint’s Row: Gat out of Hell

Saint’s Row The Third

Sanctum 2

Secret Files: Tunguska

Shadwen

SHOCK TROOPERS

Skullgirls

Small Radios Big Televisions

Sniper Elite

Sniper Elite 3

Sniper Ghost Warrior 2

Star Wars Dark Forces

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II

A Story About My Uncle

STRIDER

Styx: Shards of Darkness

Sundered

Super Hexagon

Super House of the Dead Ninjas

Super Meat Boy

System Shock Pack (Includes System Shock 2, System Shock Classic, and System Shock Enhanced Edition)

Tales from the Borderlands

Teslagrad

Toy Odyssey: The Lost and Found

Tumblestone

VVVVVV

Volgarr the Viking

[c7thetumbler]

Quick Game Reviews 2020

Hey, I had this saved in my drafts and even though it’s only a fraction complete I figured I should publish it anyway cuz why not. There’s only 8 reviews here and they’re a weird selection so it’s not relevant, but ye.

Runner3 (Steam)

The third game in the Bit.Trip Runner Series, the first of which was the 4th game in the Bit.Trip Complete pack. I’m a big fan of these games; the first and second ones were really tight and fun, a very difficult yet fair romp through several wacky worlds and each had their own unique look. I was excited to try this one out for sure, though I admit I took my sweet time getting here (It’s $20, so I wasn’t in that much a rush)

I hate to say that I’m a bit disappointed. It builds off the crazy, gross but in a good way, wacky the-narrator-is-actually-just-the-voice-actor-Charles-Martinet-as-himself vibe that Runner 2 made and I love that so that’s good. Where it fails however is in its gameplay. It’s fine; by no means terrible, but the “normal” levels have you replaying the same level multiple times to accomplish different goals after passing alternate routes the first time around, some of which lead to some pretty weird and wacky geometry you’re not clear how to handle, which is a bad thing for this. I kinda which they had elected to the alt paths being equally optional instead of adding a second “gem run” to it that’s essentially a whole new level. And really should’ve been.

The double jump opens up new possibilities but makes the game feel a lot more loose since you can do it at any time and that’s a whole new angle to run into obstacles with. The vehicle sections similarly rely more on placement than on timing your actions (the core gameplay of the series, since you time the result of your actions to the beat otherwise).

The worst offender is the unlockables and the Retro mode. See all those wacky characters up there? I couldn’t figure out how to unlock any of them while I was running through. It was bizarre beating the final boss just over 3 hours in, and then going back to the title screen to still not have unlocked anything. The retro mode returns from Runner 2 as well, though in Runner 2 it was supposed to look like an NES game, in 3 it looks like an old cartoon mixed with Newgrounds Flash animator’s first game. And plays like it too; it’s clunky, it isn’t even timing or music based, enemies behave very strangely and even unfairly at times, and it just felt like I had been conned into it; There appear to be just as many normal levels as Retro levels as well, so after playing a few I just stopped and zoomed through the rest of the game. Honestly, the Bit.Trip series has a lot to offer and I’d recommend giving each title a try, but for this one? Runner2′s a more solid experience, and you can definitely skip 3.

Gris (Steam)

This game is gorgeous and lovely and charming, play it.

It’s a fairly simple Indie 2D platformer, but where it stands out is it’s artstyle and how it winds that into the gameplay and narrative. It’s not a hard game, nothing really can kill you and none of the puzzles or platforming is difficult, but that’s fine. That’s not the point; Think of it like Journey, but with a different theme which necessitates the lack of other players. It’s beautiful and sounds great, and is definitely worth the praise it got.

Honestly I went back and looked at some of the reviews to see what everyone thought about it specifically, and was pretty surprised about some of the criticism it got. People saying it was too easy, or that the game shouldn’t deal with the themes it does; varying wildly from “why are there no enemies” to “why can’t this just be a pretty game I just run through” and everything far between. And I could try and say games don’t have to be inherently fun or challenging in order to be enjoyable, but I don’t even need to go that far. This game is fun, a nice 3-hour run through some unique and amazing scenery with a bunch of random secrets to collect if you’re so inclined. But this game was made with a specific theme and narrative in mind, and complaining that it’s overdone for an indie-platformer to focus on that in the same breath as saying it should’ve done something more challenging with it’s gameplay very much misses the entire point of the game, and I’d argue even playing it.

Soviet Jump Game (Steam)

So I played this only a couple times; once when it first came out (very buggy, virtually unplayable), and then again a month or so later. It’s in Early Access at this moment and they’re constantly adding features and improving it. It’s also free. Honestly, it’s definitely not a bad game; there’s quick fun to be had here and there’s enough variety in power-ups for re-playability, but it’s also a Battle Royale and I am not a huge fan of those so. Worth a pick-up just to see if you like it though

Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, Modded (Steam)

So I had the urge to replay this game and see if I could go for the 100%, but knowing that the Sonic community is really big on fan games and mods I decided to go on and try them out to see if I could get rid of its famously bad jankiness. I got them all of Gamebanana, and they built their own mod manager so I used:

Character Select Plus: https://gamebanana.com/guis/35023 (Allows you to select any character, including MP only ones

Chao World Extended: https://gamebanana.com/gamefiles/6336 (adds back a lot of missing/new features to make Chao raising less tedious and more varied)

Amy With Shorts: https://gamebanana.com/skins/169559 (she’s 12, SEGA wtf)

A variety of other Chao and visual improvements, including HD gui, textures, no model tinting, etc.

A couple level specific fixes, like Crazy Gadget but fun and a fix for random crashes

And a few cheat codes built in that let characters use other characters’ power-ups

I then proceeded to painstakingly 100% the game. What did I learn? Unless the mods mean to completely redefine the game, they’re not going to make it a whole new experience. It’s still Sonic Adventure 2, and that means the game  is 80% jank. It’s also not worth your time to 100%, since it’s a whole lot of insane, glitchy jumps and looking for invisible springs and all kinds of nonsense. If you’ve not played SA2 since it first came out and remember liking it, it’s worth looking through the Mods on GameBanana if you want to relive the experience slightly improved, but really this game’s age shows through either way.

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger (Steam)

So I bought the whole quadrilogy not realizing they’re making an HD remaster of this one.

Whoops.

Anyway, I was on a 3D platformer kick I guess and decided to indulge myself of these games. This first one is definitely like “Oh this is early GC platforming.” It’s not bad, but it’s a lot of random things scattered around the level kinda nonchalantly and then telling you to go find it. It’s kinda buggy, but they put a lot of effort into the characters and theme, so there’s points to it there at least. It’s not particularly noteworthy for what it is, but it’s a fun 3D platformer to kill a few hours with. If you haven’t played other, more notable 3D platformers though, go ahead and give this a pass; I’d honestly recommend New Super Lucky’s Tale first.

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2 (Steam)

You know that 2000′s era thing where a bunch of game companies turned their mascots and franchises into edgier, “cooler” versions of themselves and added guns and cars and made it GTA like in aspects? You know, Shadow the Hedgehog, Bomberman, Jak II, Ratchet & Clank’s focus on combat, etc.?

This did that. Hard. I could only play through the first level where I went from idly throwing boomerangs in a warzone to piloting a mech that was manning a turret to destroy giant mechs, and like, I have no idea how to recommend this one because that age of edge was a pass for me.

Chibi-Robo: Clean Sweep (Emulated DS, Fan Translation)

I have a big beef with the Chibi-Robo series that people who have read previous review from me would get. Mainly the first GameCube one was amazing, and then they’ve been degrading in quality ever since. Queue this game, the actual one to one sequel both gameplay and plot wise to the GC one that never got localized because ???

It’s really good, not as good as the GC one, but does an excellent job of scratching that itch. The toys are interesting, the story’s funny but has some genuine compassionate moments, and it plays pretty well. All in all, for a portable vision of the GC this knocks it out of the park so I still don’t get why they went pure gimmicks from here on out.

Mousecraft (Steam)

One of my beefs with a lot of the steam games that I own is that they’re just ported phone games. That really shouldn’t be a beef, but when I start up a game I’m a tiny bit interested in and I see a level system with 3 Stars ad ideal solutions to collect the bonuses and all the typical phone stuff I’m just like “I can do without this tbh”

That being said, I played a bit of this one, and it’s fine. Kinda like Lemmings or the Mario Vs. DK series, you guide the mice to the cheese while making them run into things, but you only have tetris blocks and various powerups to do it with so you can’t do it directly. It’s a fun puzzle game that’s fine in micro-doses, but I’m not terribly into that on my PC so I only played half the first world. There seems to be a lot of content in it though.

Other games that I played in 2020 but never got around to reviewing:

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition Animal Crossing: New Horizons Chex Quest HD Divinity: Original Sin 2 Helltaker Hakoniwa Explorer Plus Picross Touch Shantae and the Seven Sirens nullpointer Eat Girl ART SQOOL Pokemon Shield: Isle of Armor Anodyne Beglitched Bleed Fall Guys BRKÖUT Curse of the Crescent Isle DX Data Loss Democratic Socialism Simulator JUMP GRID Lenna’s Inception LOOK at the PALACE OF WOE Micro Mages Mobius Oh Jeez, Oh no, My Rabbits Are Gone PikuNiku Puzzle Puppers Speer Switch ‘N’ Shoot Task Force Krampus DATA LOSS TEN_S Your Future Self WATERSFINE Witch Thief Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn -> Shadowbringers Muse Dash Super Mario 3D All-Stars Among Us Hades

[muenchkevin]

League of Legends spinoff hints at Netflix Gaming's plans for more show tie-in games

If League of Legends fans enjoyed getting a mobile version of the game, Wild Rift, earlier this year, they’re probably overwhelmed by the explosion of new content following the release of the Netflix series Arcane (based in the same universe starring its most famous characters). Among them is Hextech Mayhem, a new game that’s available now on Nintendo Switch and PC – which is also coming to Netflix.

Hextech Mayhem is a bit of a hybrid: a side-scrolling runner featuring rhythm-like mechanics, which sees players jumping and diving to the beat of the soundtrack. The beat prompts, in whimsical League of Legends fashion, are explosions: players control the tiny but chaotic Ziggs as he bombs his way through the industrial city of Piltover while trying to evade the orderly and naysaying Heimerdinger. 

Both characters are among the hundred-plus champions in the original League of Legends, but take center stage in Hextech Mayhem, which is one of several spinoffs currently being produced by Riot Forge, the publishing arm of Riot Games. And while there’s no date set for its release on Netflix, Hextech Mayhem gives us an idea of what the streaming giant’s plans are for expanding into gaming. In short: what makes a Netflix Game?

The answer isn’t clear-cut, at least right now. Rather, it seems Hextech Mayhem has several qualities that ended up fitting Netflix Gaming’s appeal: it draws from the world of an already-established IP with a tie-in show on Netflix, and has casual gameplay that likely appeals to streaming service subscribers.

In other words, both giant companies are reaching to frontiers of entertainment that are new to them, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that their demographics overlap. Streaming content fans are also gamers – especially if the show they’re watching has a tie-in game playable without leaving the app.

(Image credit: Riot Forge / Choice Provisions)

Riot's publishing arm, a partner studio, and a less serious League of Legends

Riot Forge selected Choice Provisions for its project that would become Hextech Mayhem, noting the studio’s work on the BIT.TRIP series of lauded rhythm-based auto-runner games. While there’s clear influence of the latter in Hextech Mayhem’s gameplay, Riot Forge Creative Director Rowan Parker assured that the publisher worked with Choice Provisions but allowed the studio to find their own way to interpret League of Legends to its gameplay.

“The game wasn't decided when we first met though, it was after a long period of discovery that we eventually arrived at Hextech Mayhem, which translated perfectly to some good light-hearted fun,” Parker told TechRadar over email. “The result in Hextech Mayhem is something that stays true to League's universe and champions, but has the heart of a Choice Provisions game.”

That ‘heart’ involves taking simple core gameplay – auto-running and rhythm prompts – and making it compelling without making it more complex. The studio has “historically taken casual genres and ‘hardcored’ them,” as Choice Provisions Co-Founder and Design Director of Hextech Mayhem Alex Neuse put it. Over email to TechRadar, he and the studio’s other co-founder Mike Roush, Creative Director of Hextech Mayhem, explained what went into making the new game – including implementing some key parts of old games. The Quake III rocket jump, one of Roush’s favorite mechanics, inspired the bomb jump used by players to navigate and engage the rhythm system of Hextech Mayhem.

Not that Neuse would call Hextech Mayhem a rhythm game – it's more accurate to call it a 'Music Game' tying your inputs to the melody, verses, and more, as he explained in a featurette:

Go behind the scenes with developers @TotallyChoice and sneak a peek at the musical madness that went into crafting Hextech Mayhem, plus get some bomb gameplay tips while you’re at it! pic.twitter.com/MExMj7w9K5November 16, 2021

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The studio also found their muses among League of Legends’ roster of colorful characters. While Netflix’s Arcane tells a more somber story rife with betrayals and tragic backstories, Choice Provisions pitted two of the sillier stars of Riot’s MOBA against each other for the right whimsical tone they wanted for their auto-runner...which is also the tone around Choice Provisions.

“Our studio also has an aesthetic that leans cute and wacky. Ziggs fit into this mold perfectly with his explosive nature and stunning personality. Heimerdinger is of course part of the package, being the antithesis of Ziggs,” Roush said. “Having Ziggs come up from Zaun to Piltover to basically troll Heimerdinger gave us a lot of opportunities to expand their relationship and I think fans are going to love it.”

“We also wanted to expand the League of Legends oeuvre to include forays into less serious territory. If we’re expanding the universe, let’s go where it has never gone before, you know?” Neuse said.

🎮📱 Let the Games Begin📱🎮Tomorrow, Netflix Games will start rolling out on the Netflix mobile app. First on Android, with iOS on the way.It’s early days, but we’re excited to start bringing you exclusive games, with no ads, no additional fees and no in-app purchases. pic.twitter.com/ofNGF4b8AtNovember 2, 2021

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Riot’s multiplatform ambitions and Netflix’s gaming overlaps

A game like Hextech Mayhem seems like such an obvious fit for Netflix’s nascent gaming platform, which launched in early November, that it must have had the service in mind since its creation. But the game was already in development when discussions started with Netflix, according to Leanne Loombe, Head of Riot Forge – and talks started in the same way the studio began them with Microsoft, Sony PlayStation, and Nintendo.

“It’s very important to talk to the platform holders early and often so we can understand which platforms the games make sense to release on based on the type of players that play each type of game. Ultimately, our games will go wherever players are playing, including PC, Console and Mobile,” Loombe told TechRadar over email, noting that not every game would be released on all platforms. “We aim to ensure that each of our games is designed with the right platform in mind for the best possible player experience.”

The streaming platform has been in talks with Riot and Riot Forge over the past year, a Netflix spokesperson told TechRadar over email. The timing is auspicious: Netflix gaming launched with only five games, two of which are tie-ins to Stranger Things, one of the streaming platform’s most popular original series. It’s not clear when Hextech Mayhem will be added, but it’s the only other game we know is coming to Netflix Gaming.

Netflix did say that its gaming offerings won’t all be spinoffs of its popular shows, though they do hope to find more opportunities for fans to engage with content they love. Given Netflix Gaming is only available on Android (and soon iOS) phones and tablets, there’s little likelihood you’ll be able to play them via remotes on a smart TV or Apple TV. We can probably expect more games that play well on smaller screens with simple yet compelling mechanics, like Hextech Mayhem – and there are plenty of other Netflix shows we can imagine fans would love to explore in tie-in games.

League of Legends movies could be on the way, as ex-Netflix exec joins Riot Games

source https://www.techradar.com/news/league-of-legends-spinoff-hints-at-netflix-gamings-plans-for-more-show-tie-in-games/ from Blogger https://ift.tt/3CBRf5x Source Link League of Legends spinoff hints at Netflix Gaming's plans for more show tie-in games

[nintendoduo]

34 Cool WiiWare Games That Are Going Away FOREVER*

 *Unless Nintendo decides to sell them again when the Switch U 4DS VR comes out in 2025.

As you might have heard, starting next Monday Nintendo is taking away the ability to add funds to the Wii Shop, which will close down for good in early 2019. That means a whole bunch of great games won’t be able to be purchased anymore. In order to raise awareness of this, the most important issue of our times (after all the other issues), we spent the winter playing as many WiiWare games as we could over on our YouTube channel. Here’s a summary of the gems we encountered:

1. 3D Pixel Racing

A pretty challenging motion control racing game with Minecraft-esque graphics. Pro tip: use a regular old Wiimote, not a Wiimote Plus. Trust us, the Plus is too sensitive for this game and you’ll end up falling off the track every two seconds. Despite the difficulty, this one gets a recommendation because of the cool look and for giving us an excuse to use the Mario Kart Wii wheel again.

2. And Yet It Moves

Using the Wiimote’s gyroscope, this game has you move the world around you (rather than vice versa) to navigate the levels.  One of those “easy to learn, difficult to master” type of games that defined many of the best on the platform.

3. Bit.Trip Runner

Originally a WiiWare exclusive, although you can now play it on 3DS, PC, Mac, Linux, and probably some Japanese toilets. You run from left to right and jump, slide, kick and... jump again to the music. A tribute to the platforming classics that deservedly became a classic itself (and the sequel, available on Wii U, is even better).

4. BurgerTime: World Tour

You know, BurgerTime! If you don’t know, this is a good excuse to get acquainted with this ‘80s arcade title. Like in the original, you attempt to assemble giant hamburgers on a series of platforms whilst dodging humanoid food monsters, only this time the graphics are in 3D and it’s all happening in space, for some reason. NOTE: Ironically, this fast-food themed game can’t be bought in North America right now, only Europe.

5. Chrono Twins DX

Originally designed for the DS, the gimmick is that the main character is fighting enemies in two different time periods at once.  For the DS this used each screen for the different time zones, but with WiiWare you get a simple split-screen.  It’s quite unique and challenging as you’re basically playing two sidescrollers at once.

6. Contra Rebirth

Remember when dudes with rippling muscles and mullets got to be badass gunfighters and nobody complained they were toxic?  Contra sure does.  Konami gave “Rebirth” to three of their classic franchises on WiiWare (CastleVania and Gradius were the other two) but this was probably the best of the bunch.

7. Dracula: Undead Awakening

If you never get tired of mowing down undead enemies then this will scratch that itch.  Basically you get a bunch of different cool weapons and use them against a bunch of different cool monsters for as long as you wish, or at least as long as you survive.  The challenge is so high that even lasting ten minutes on your first playthrough has the game calling you “noob.”

8. Eduardo the Samurai Toaster

A simple run n’ gun game (think Metal Slug) starring a sentient toaster facing off against flying onions, spear-toting carrots, and what appears to be an army of angry playing cards. It’s not clear what the plot of the game is, and there’s not a whole lot of depth to the gameplay, but it’s still a fun way to waste an hour (or more, depending on the difficulty). It’s supposed to be even more fun with 4 players, if you can find three other Wii-loving weirdos.

9. Excitebike World Rally

Motorcycle races.  Simplicity works sometimes, and just like the original Excitebike this one proves it once more.  Just like the original you get a cool level creator, only this time you can share it with anyone and not just whoever you give your cartridge to.

10. Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition

Lots of different modes that still capture the appeal of the original arcade classic.  The overall look is kinda coked-up, which captures the ‘80s arcade scene reasonably well.

11. Frogger Returns

Only the one mode this time, but it serves as a reminder of the timeless quality and endearing appeal of the core gameplay.

12. Gnomz

A chaotic 4-player party game starring sock-obsessed gnomes. You go around a single screen collecting socks and stomping other players to kill them; it’s like life itself. (Or, as many have pointed out, like the Super Mario War fan game, but less illegal.) There are three modes and a variety of scenarios. Like with Eduardo the Samurai Toaster, the more players the better, but the single player mode ain’t bad (and that way, you don’t ruin any friendships).

13. Gyrostarr

A pseudo-3D shoot ‘em up where the main difficulty is that you can actually shoot the power ups away, and you kinda need those to finish the stages -- if you don’t collect enough energy, the portal at the end of the level closes on your face. The difficulty ramps up slowly but surely across 50 levels. Another difficulty is not getting an LSD flashback on those trippy bonus stages.

14. HoopWorld

A basketball/fighting game that makes surprisingly good use of the Wii’s motion controls. This definitely falls in the “easy to pick up, difficult to master” category, since there’s a pretty wide range of ball throws and kung-fu moves you can perform by shaking your Wiimote and nunchuck in different ways. Or you can just wave your arms randomly and hope you win. The game is currently unlisted in North America, which we’re hoping is a sign that they’re planning to re-release it in modern platforms (with online multiplayer, hopefully).

15. Horizon Riders

A futuristic on-rails shooting game that you play with the Wii balance board. If you have the Wii Zapper accessory, even better (and you’ll look even sillier), but it’s not necessary to play. You aim and shoot with your Wiimote while leaning on your balance board to move from side to side. Definitely a good reason to dig that thing out of your closet. Be warned, though, that the game crashed on us in the middle of a stage, as seen at the end of our gameplay video.

16. Jam City Rollergirls

Roller derby has never been as popular to watch as it is for people to randomly talk about every few years for the novelty, usually accompanied by a movie that flops at the box office.  The last time the mainstream tried to make this sport happen it resulted in this game, though, so there’s at least that.  You play as characters with hilarious names roller blading through others with random power-ups and combat moves.

17. Jett Rocket

It’s a lofty ambition to offer gamers something that will remind them of Super Mario Galaxy, and it might seem foolish to do so on an indie dev’s budget.  But Shin’en managed to deliver with an uncommon 3D platformer collectathon with good amounts of action sprinkled in.

18. LostWinds

When a developer approached a title with motion controls in mind, it always stood out more than other games that tried to crowbar motion controls into the scenery in the hopes of a shortcut to Wii success.  LostWinds is in the former camp, making you use the pointer to create gusts of wind to elevate the main character onto platforms and knock around enemies.  In fact it’d be more accurate to say you’re playing as the wind spirit rather than the story’s protagonist.  Fun game with a beautiful art style.

19. Maboshi's Arcade

Nintendo knows how to make simple games that present difficulty when you don’t expect it.  In the three modes of this puzzler you play as generic shapes but the controls are difficult to master.  It kind of has to be seen to be believed.

20. Magnetica Twist

A connect-three type of game where you fire marbles and stuff.  What ends up twisted the most are your wrists whilst trying to aim your shots with any sort of precision.

21. Max and the Magic Marker

There are plenty of side-scrolling platformers that use childhood visuals and hobbies to appeal to the player, and yet they never really get old do they?  In this one you use a marker via motion controls to create platforms and defeat enemies.  You also can go in and out of Max’s childhood drawings.

22. Monsteca Corral

This is a weird one.  A bunch of monsters vaguely shaped like Doshin the Giant are gathered together by an unseen god-ish alien to fight robots that said alien had created earlier, but they turned against him.  That’s the plot as we can best make out, anyways.  There’s also dinosaurs.  Recommended for those who like their fun to be completely unlike the other fun they’ve had with games.

23. Pearl Harbor Trilogy – 1941: Red Sun Rising

Old-school dogfighting in a new-school 3D game.  Well, it was new when it released.  Anyways you shoot down enemy planes, defend your base, attack naval fleets and get commendations you don’t deserve.  Sometimes you see the action from the POV of the bombs you drop, and it works much better here than in Michael Bay’s version of Pearl Harbor.

24. Pole's Big Adventure

Chindōchū!! Pole no Daibōken is bizarre Japan-only SEGA title made to parody the crappy platform games that came out during the 8-bit era. Despite being full of intentional design flaws, like power ups that kill you or background objects that suddenly cut your head off, the game is pretty easy -- until you unlock hard mode, where the boss fights are actually challenging. Still, you’ll be playing this one mostly to laugh at the dozens of Easter eggs.

25. PictureBook Games: Pop Up Pursuit

Not many board games made it to WiiWare, but this was easily the best.  It’s largely straightforward “run to the end of the board” contests, with plenty of opportunities to ruin friendships.  The art style is the main hook, looking like a pop-up book, like the title indicates.

26. Rage of the Gladiator

You fight for your life against larger-than-life mythological creatures, like ogres and minotaurs and senseis.  The game got compared frequently to Punch-Out!! and with good reason, but the combat is actually a more creative and the dialogue is more humorous.  A blast to play through the first time, and a blast to replay.

27. Snowpack Park

Unlike most of the games on this list, there’s no combat in this one and your blood pressure won’t ever raise.  There’s plenty to do but it’s fun stuff, mostly involving playing with penguins.  It works great as a sort of palette cleanser to the violent action-packed games primarily showcased in this list.

28. Sonic the Hedgehog 4

The 16-bit Sonic games still hold up today as all-time greats.  Sonic 4 didn’t live up to those expectations but it did get SEGA to think about their past a little more seriously, and helped lead to Sonic Mania.  Episode I is on WiiWare, but you’ll have to find Episode II elsewhere.

29. Space Invaders Get Even

Another sequel to another arcade classic, but with the novel twist of playing the game from the enemies’ point of view.  Word of warning: this is possibly the only WIiWare game that has DLC.  The initial purchase of 500 points will escalate up to 2′000 points if you’re enjoying yourself.

30. Star Soldier R

Top-down arcade-style shooter, and if you know the type you know the drill.  The amount of content is pretty bare-bones, as it’s basically just time attacks.  But the replayability is rewarding if you’re a fan of the genre.

31. Tetris Party

We hope you know Tetris.  This is a Tetris that has good multiplayer, interesting variants where you do things like create platforms for some guy to climb to the top of the screen or use the tetrinos to make exact shapes like that of an apple.  There’s also a balance board mode, and as stated earlier it’s good to have an excuse to pull out the balance board.

32. Vampire Crystals

Vampires used to live peacefully with zombies but now they don’t, and it becomes your problem.  Thankfully you get plenty of guns, some so powerful that you end up creating a bullet hell where you’re the one firing them rather than dodging them.  It looks simple but the game actually is quite tough.  It’s not Cuphead-level but you will fail many times over.  With plenty of content and being one of the last WiiWare releases, this title approached the platform’s fullest potential.

33. WarioWare DIY

What sets this apart from the 87 other WarioWare games? The fact that players could make their own minigames, leading to an avalanche of creative, insane, and even NSFW games. Unfortunately the servers are no longer online, but you can still find thousands of fan games online if you look hard enough. The included games are pretty fun too, and if you have the DS version, you can make your own and send them over to your Wii.

34. Zombie Panic in Wonderland

Shooting galleries are perfect for motion controls, but gamers don’t get as many as we deserve.  Thankfully this one helps rectify that, with an interesting story and cool comic-book art sequences that keep things moving between all the gunning down of zombies and various giant monsters.

[gamenewsworld]

WiiWare games Bit.Trip Beat, Core, Void, Runner, Fate, and Flux coming to Nintendo Switch – My Nintendo News

WiiWare games Bit.Trip Beat, Core, Void, Runner, Fate, and Flux coming to Nintendo Switch – My Nintendo News

[ad_1]

The acclaimed WiiWare series Bit.Trip is coming to the Nintendo Switch system on 25th December. The series comprises of six very different titles that juggle different genres and they are now being released on the Nintendo Switch eshop on 25th December (Christmas Day!). You will be able to purchase each game in the series individually and they are priced up at $4.99 each. Here’s details…

[mikotoazure]

Rhythm Inktober day 02! (*´꒳`*) Exploration from the Bit.Trip Core.

[4colorrebellion]

4cr Plays - Wunderling

If you think about it from the right perspective, Mario is a monster. Think of all of the little Goombas that he has killed - Goombas who were just minding their own business and living their lives! Heck, think about how Bowser must feel! He just invited Peach over to his castle - maybe a little forcefully - and now Mario is tearing down his kingdom!

As silly as that seems, the developers of Wunderling have taken that premise and run with it. Their platform puts you in the shoes of a lowly underling, and asks what happens if that underling were made... a little more wonderful. What if the equivalent of a Goomba were given the power to jump?

You play as the Wunderling, a simple game goon. You have your default AI behavior - you walk in a direction until you hit a wall, then turn and walk until you hit the next wall. One day, after the hero has rampaged past, you’ve found yourself elevated beyond your station. You still uncontrollably walk in a direction until you hit a wall. However, you can now jump! With great power comes great responsibility, however, and you’ve also been tasked with tracking down and getting revenge on the hero. Oh, and if that wasn’t stressful enough, you also have been given a powerful addiction to magical seeds - your new powers require a lot of fuel. 

That is the basic premise of Wunderling. You progress through a series of short side-scrolling stages. Your goal is to make it to the portal to the next stage. However, getting there is not as simple as moving from left to right. You can’t control your movement. You simply move in a direction until you hit a wall, then your turn. All you can control is when you jump. As a result, each stage becomes a sort of puzzle - you need to find the right times and locations to jump to carve a path to the exit. 

You can’t take it as a leisurely pace either, as you need to constantly feed your need for magic power or face death. Each stage is filled with magic seeds that buy you more time. However, each seed can only be activated once - after hitting it, it blooms into a flower and can no longer sustain you. Now, often this isn’t a huge problem. However, each stage also has a hidden treasure - a cosmetic item that you can use to customize your Wunderling. 

Wunderling, then, is a bit of a cross between an endless runner game like Bit.Trip Runner, a traditional platformer, and a sort of puzzle game where you try to find the most efficient route through each stage while also trying to find as many treasures as you can. It’s a weird and clever blend of ideas that I have found surprisingly satisfying to work my way through. 

A lot of that satisfaction comes down to clever design from the developers at Retroid (who, as it turns out, are in the same town I live in - Gothenburg, Sweden). Wunderling is quite polished. The levels rise elegantly in difficulty, adding new tricks just as you start to let your guard down. New abilities and challenges are brought in at a nice pace, and you never get too overwhelmed. If you make a mistake, it is easy to restart and try again. Even the controls feel snappy and responsive. I was quite impressed with the level of polish.

I haven’t quite enjoyed the presentation as much as the core gameplay. The pixel art is functional, but nothing memorable in the constant stream of pixel-based indie platformers. Also, while I found the premise amusing, the writing itself is a little over-the-top and the jokes are a bit forced. I found myself clicking through the cutscenes in order to get back into the action. Still - there’s nothing particularly offensive or wrong with the presentation. It just didn’t click for me. 

Overall, Wunderling is an addictive blend of puzzle, platformer, and runner. It takes an amusing premise - placing you in the shoes of a random grunt - and runs with it, creating an inventive little game. I recommend giving it a shot.

A copy of Wunderling was provided for this review.

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