Moto Roader MC (Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, X/S)
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Posted on February 28th, 2022 by
Moto Roader was a launch title for the TurboGrafix-16, a video game console from the late 80s and early 90s. The game was a top down racer and the screen scrolled in any direction as you made laps to win (kind of like Micro Machines). Moto Roader had a couple of sequels, but I’m not sure if they left Japan. Moto Roader 2 had a futuristic feel to it, and the tracks scrolled mostly vertically up. The third game in the series, Moto Roader MC, went back to the lap tracks of the original, but ditched the scrolling, so everything was on one single screen. So it played more like Super Sprint or the Top Ride mode from Kirby Air Ride. And now you can play Moto Roader MC on most current game consoles, but reviewed on Switch here.
The Humans (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on February 25th, 2022 by
When I was a pre-teen/early teen in the late 80’s and early 90’s, one of my favorite games was Lemmings. I played the heck out of this series, and I’m sure most gamers still know about it since there were tons of ports and sequels. In these games, you guided a bunch of mindless critters to an exit by giving them tools and skills so they wouldn’t walk blindly off of cliffs and into danger. Back when this game was on store shelves in places like Babbage’s (remember those), another game that was next to it was usually The Humans. It featured cartoony art of cavemen so it always caught my eye, but I never played it back then even though it looked like another Lemmings style game to me. So that’s why I’m glad I got to review this collection now. Turns out the game is a bit more like The Lost Vikings than Lemmings (games with prehistoric themes sure were popular back then, what with titles like Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninjas and this). Anyway, The Humans is a puzzle platformer where you guide and switch between cavemen as you use tools and make human ladders to achieve goals. It’s available on most current consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch and PS4 here.
Draw a Stickman EPIC (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mobile)
Posted on February 23rd, 2022 by
Have you ever wanted to create your own video game character and have it star in a game? Well now you can with Draw a Stickman EPIC. You’ll draw a character and a friend for it to save, then you’ll explore top down doodle filled worlds and solve puzzles and avoid obstacles by moving around and drawing things. It kind of reminds me of Scribblenauts or Drawn to Life. The game has been popular enough to spawn a couple of sequels on mobile devices, and now the original game is available on most current consoles and PC, too (reviewed on Switch here).
KungFu Kickball (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on February 21st, 2022 by
KungFu Kickball is a multiplayer cartoony sports game that really has more in common with a 2-D version of soccer or basketball rather than kickball. Choose from one of several stereotypical martial arts characters (old dude, karate guy, ninja lady, and more to unlock), and punch and kick a ball (or other players) so that it rings a bell on the opposite side of the field, like a goal. Up to four can play (two on each team), and the game is available on most current consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
NERF Legends (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on February 18th, 2022 by
The NERF line is one of the most popular toy brands out there, earning nearly half a billion dollars annually. It includes not only foam sports balls, but also toy blasters that shoot out foam darts and other safe projectiles. And now you can play a first person shooter game based on the blaster toys. You are selected to compete in NERF challenges on a futuristic island. Go at it alone in obstacle filled challenges where you must zap robots, solve puzzles, and bypass obstacles. Or you can challenge others online in multiplayer matches. NERF Legends is available on nearly all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Flow Water: 3-D Fountain Puzzle (Mobile)
Posted on February 16th, 2022 by
One of my favorite puzzle games is Pipe Dream. In that game, you placed different shaped pipes to lead a path of water around. Flow Water: 3-D Fountain Puzzle takes that concept and adds 3-D visuals and gameplay to the mix. It’s available free-to-play on mobile devices, but reviewed on iPad here.
Cake Invaders (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on February 14th, 2022 by
There’s a kind of German cake called Baumkuchen, and you bake it by rolling batter on a spit and spinning it around. I’d like to try it, but it sounds like a pain to make! Because of how you make it, the cake looks like it has rings, like the ones you find in trees. In fact, the direct translation of Baumkuchen is ‘tree cake,’ Baum meaning tree and Kuchen meaning cake in German (my German classes in high school and college finally paying off). This kind of cake is also popular in Japan for some reason. And I learned all of this by playing Cake Invaders. Who says video games don’t teach you anything? Anyway, in Cake Invaders, you must protect slices of Baumkuchen from waves of aliens in this classic arcade styled shooter. It’s like a cross between Space Invaders and Missile Command, and it’s available on nearly all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
One More Quest (Tabletop RPG)
Posted on February 13th, 2022 by
One More Quest is a unique entry into the world of tabletop role playing games. When I say it is a dice-chucking RPG, I mean it LITERALLY is a dice-chucking game. The value of the die rolled is not as important as where it lands on the table. Players must toss one or more 6 sided dice onto the table, trying to get them to land in the center of a target ring. Rolls closer to the center represent a better outcome. As with most RPGs, players create characters with abilities and skills which give them advantages to specific situations. What brings particular levity to the game is the requirement that players must toss their dice in a certain way, depending on the situation. Are you doing a stealth check? Make your roll crouching low to the table? Some sort of intelligence check? Bounce it off your forehead, etc.. Players’ skills provide bonuses, but also incur a “cost” such as a ranged attack requiring rolls from a step away from the table. These can be combined so one might end up rolling extra dice with bonuses, but throw them backwards, with your off hand, and they must bounce twice before hitting the target. Clearly the game is not going to provide a dark, long-term strategic RPG, however it can provide a night of hilarity as long as everyone knows what they’re getting into. I’m posting a note about the game because it is currently up on Kickstarter for just a few more days. If it sounds like it might be your cup of tea, feel free to check it out! Read on to find further thoughts I’ve had about the free playtest copy that is available.
Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage! (Mobile)
Posted on February 11th, 2022 by
There is a music synthesizer called Vocaloid that can replicate singing voices, and in Japan, they’ve created characters to go along with those voices. Probably the most popular of those characters is Hatsune Miku, an anime styled girl character with long blue pigtails. Pretty neat character designs on these Vocaloids, really. And now you can play a game where you help Miku and her friends play music, perform in band groups, and help others in this free-to-play mobile title (reviewed on iPad here).
Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Switch, PS4, PS5, PC)
Posted on February 9th, 2022 by
In the land of Picnic, which is full of talking anthropomorphic animals, there is one special individual who wields a paintbrush. This ‘Wielder’ is in charge of all the colors in the land, and the brush has been passed down from generations. The new wielder is a rabbit named Chicory. But you don’t play as her. You play as her janitor, a little dog named after whatever you put as your favorite food. So in my game you played as Pizza. One day while cleaning, all the color disappears from the world so you go check on Chicory. She’s locked herself in her room, but the brush is outside. So you take the brush and become the new wielder, but all of a sudden, black corrupted plants fill the land and you must use your new brush powers to stop them and find out what’s happened to Chicory. Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a top down viewed adventure game that combines elements from classic Zelda games with paint and drawing puzzles like Okami. And since every screen is black and white at first, you can color in every single area like a coloring book if you like! The game is available on Switch, PlayStation consoles, and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
