All posts tagged 'Game Reviews'

Roxy Raccoon’s Pinball Panic (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)

Many popular video game franchises and characters eventually get their own video pinball game. Mario, Kirby, Sonic, Pac-Man, even Metroid! But Roxy Raccoon? Who the heck is that? Apparently it’s a 3D platformer that was released a few years ago. I think it was just on PC so that’s probably why I never heard of it. But now you can play a pinball adventure based on that game. It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

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Rider’s Spirits (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S)

Back when they were more popular and more relevant, I used to love reading video game magazines.  I liked them so much it’s even what helped me choose my major in college (not such a good idea now, but that’s a 20/20 hindsight kind of thing).  Some of my favorites included Nintendo Power, Next Generation, and Electronic Gaming Monthly.  One of the cool things EGM would do sometimes was cover games from Japan that we’d never see over here.  One of them I remember was TwinBee Rainbow Bell Adventure for Super Famicom, a cutesy 2D pastel platformer with characters from the TwinBee shooter series.  Another Super Famicom one I remember was a motorcycle racing game that caught my eye because it looked similar to Super Mario Kart, one of my top favorite games of all time.  And now you can play that game on all modern consoles (reviewed on PS4 here).  In Japan the game was originally called Bike Daisuki!  Hashiriya Kon.  I think EGM called it “We Love Motorcycles,” which is probably a more direct translation of the first part of the title.  But here it’s called Rider’s Spirits, which I think is more like the last part of the title.

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Ginger the Tooth Fairy (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC)

Help a tooth fairy named Ginger, who also happens to be a rabbit for some reason, collect all the teeth in this basic 2D platformer.  It’s available on PlayStation consoles, Switch, and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

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Ghost Teen: Escape from Limbo (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)

Here’s something completely different.  How about a 2D single screen precision platformer where you’re SUPPOSED to die?  In Ghost Teen: Escape from Limbo, you control a kid character who must collect a key and unlock a door to pass the level.  But if you get hit, you turn into a ghost and can fly and pass through certain walls.  You’ll have to do this to solve puzzles and bypass obstacles, but you must touch a gravestone in the level to turn back into the kid so you can exit the door.  The game has retro styled black and white graphics that remind me of the games I used to play on my Apple ][+ computer.  It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

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Tokyo Cooking (Switch)

Cook Japanese food for customers in Tokyo Cooking.  It’s a first person cooking game for Nintendo Switch.  Start by talking to the customer at the register and take their order.  You can then view a recipe card on the bottom of the screen to see the steps to cook it.  There is a workstation you can place ingredients and utensils, and once they’re all there, you can play a few cooking based mini games to prepare it.  Once you’re done, give it to the customer and you’ll get paid based on how well you did.

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Hotel Hustle (Switch)

Help a couple of crazy cats run a hotel in Hotel Hustle on Switch. Check in guests, keep them happy, and clean the room when they’re done.  Do this quickly and efficiently to earn points and stars so you can move onto the next level.  Two can play at the same time, too!  It’s similar to other time management games like Overcooked.

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Unplugged: Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig (Boardgame)

The boardgames of Mad King Ludwig continue to shrink. First we had Castles of Mad King Ludwig where players auctioned tiles, placing them to build their own personal castle. Next came the Palace of Mad King Ludwig (reviewed here) where all players work together to finish only a single castle. Now, there isn’t any building at all, only the blueprints. In Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig, players simply draw out their dreams on a piece of paper, in the hopes of catching the king’s eye and his favor. Players are still placing funny shaped rooms into a castle area, but gone are the auctions and money shenanigans of the original Castles of Mad King Ludwig. This slims the game down and keeps it moving at a quick pace. Your opinion of this “flip and write” game will depend on whether you are willing to give up the greater strategic depth of money auctions and associated shenanigans for a faster-paced and shorter over-all game.

Blueprints of Mad King Ludwig
Designer: Ted Alspach
Publisher: Bézier Games
Players: 1-5
Ages: 15+ (although easily played by a 10 yr old)
Time: 60 min
(review copy provided by publisher)

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Goliath Depot (Switch, PC)

Robots in a warehouse, factory, and even the cold icy parking lot are taking over, and it’s up to you to stop them by…closing all the doors and windows?  Hey, who said video games had to make sense all the time?  Goliath Depot is a single screen 2D platform action game that takes inspiration from arcade classics like Donkey Kong, Mappy, Bubble Bobble, and even…Hotel Mario?  But it’s still a pretty good game and is available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.

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Tell Me Your Story (Switch, PC)

A granddaughter is visiting her grandmother, and while unpacking, she sees some of her grandmother’s trinkets and asks about them.  Turns out in her younger days, her grandmother  travelled around the world and had lots of adventures and experiences!  Re-create her stories and put them in a scrapbook by playing little puzzle mini-games in Tell Me Your Story.  It’s available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.

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Electronics Puzzle Lab (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)

Solve switch based puzzles in circuits with Electronics Puzzle Lab.  You might even learn a thing or two about electronics and circuitry along the way.  Maybe.  It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

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