Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC)
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Posted on October 25th, 2019 by
The Gunvolt game series is made by Inti Creates, who specializes in mostly 2-D action games. In fact, they helped make some of Capcom’s Mega Man titles and spinoffs, including the Mega Man Zero series. Gameplay-wise, the Gunvolt games play a lot like Mega Man X, just a bit more anime-ish. And now the newest in the Gunvolt saga is out, and stars a side character named Copen and his adorable android helper Lola. But it’s still the same kind of 2-D action that Gunvolt and Mega Man X fans love. Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avengers iX is available to download on all current game consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Kine (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on October 23rd, 2019 by
Three personified musical instruments aspire to play together on the main stage, but in order to get there, they must solve puzzles along the way. Help Roo the piano-turned-accordion, Quat the drummer, and Euler the trombone solve 3-D puzzles in this downloadable game for all current game consoles (reviewed on Switch here).
Family Tree (Switch)
Posted on October 21st, 2019 by
A family of fruits lives peacefully in an orchard, but late one night Pedro the Day of the Dead-looking skull swoops down and fruit-naps all the babies! Now it’s up to the Daddy (?) Fruit to get them all back in this action platform game that mixes pinball and Breakout elements. Family Tree is available to download exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
Mario Kart Tour (Mobile)
Posted on October 18th, 2019 by
When the first Super Mario Kart game came out on the SNES, I knew it would be big the first time I saw it. That first game even ended up being one of my top five favorite games of all time. But I don’t know if I realized just HOW big it would end up being, with eight games in the main series, three arcade titles, a VR attraction, an upcoming ride at Universal Studios, and tons of toys and products like slot car tracks and Hot Wheels sets! Wow! So naturally when Nintendo was thinking about what games to bring to mobile devices, Mario Kart would eventually be one of them. So here comes the free-to-play Mario Kart Tour (reviewed on iPad here). So is it any good? You’ll just have to read on to find out!
Cloudspire (Boardgame)
Posted on October 17th, 2019 by
Cloudspire is a boardgame based around the extremely popular MOBA and tower defense genres of videogames. MOBAs have players working as a team of individual characters trying to destroy an enemy base, while fighting the other team and its stream of AI controlled “minions” streaming out of the opponent’s base. In Cloudspire, players send out heroes (which they control) and minions (which are sent out and just march along) against the other player (or players) in an attempt to wear down and destroy the opponent’s home base. Cloudspire provides plenty of gameplay in one package, with diverse starting factions (each with unique play styles) and many options of play (such as both solo, cooperative, and competitive modes.)
The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors (PS4, Switch)
Posted on October 16th, 2019 by
Taito Corporation has had a very important part in the history of video games. They made such greats as Bubble Bobble, Arkanoid, and a phenomenon you might remember called Space Invaders. They’ve always tried to innovate in the arcade scene, and one thing they did in the mid to late 80s was make a couple of arcade cabinets that were three screens long! The first one was a 2-D shooter called Darius, which I loved. The second one I wasn’t into as much, but it was certainly more popular and lasted longer in arcades (from what I noticed), and that was The Ninja Warriors. It was a 2-D side scrolling beat ‘em up starring a male and female ninja team who were actually robots (this was the 80s after all). Anyway, after this hit, other companies followed suit with multi screen games of their own, like the arcade version of Tecmo Bowl and later, Konami’s X-Men arcade game. So, back to The Ninja Warriors. Years later, they made a sequel on the Super Nintendo called The Ninja Warriors Again. They had to ditch the three screen format, but they added new characters, enemies, and better graphics. And now they’re back once again with The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors. It’s a port of the SNES game featuring more enhanced graphics, sounds, and added unlockable characters. It kind of makes me think of if the game were on more advanced 16-bit hardware, like the NEO GEO. Why the name change, though? I think it may have to do with the popular American Ninja Warrior game show, which probably has more clout. Anyway, The Ninja Saviors is available to download on PS4 and Switch, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Fight’N Rage (Switch, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on October 14th, 2019 by
2-D side scrolling beat ‘em ups were all the rage in the late 80s and early 90s. And if you want to relive those gaming days again, Fight’N Rage plays a lot like those classics. It even looks like something you’d see on a 16-bit console. It’s available to download on Switch, Xbox One, and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Fantasy General II (PC)
Posted on October 10th, 2019 by
One can see the influence of the original Fantasy General in the popular Fire Emblem franchise. However, Fantasy General (and Fantasy General II) maintain the focus of the game on the main commander, with the majority of supporting units changing and growing over time, but without all the interpersonal interactions. This sequel maintains the original Fantasy General style and substance but updates it for modern sensibilities and computer architecture. If Fire Emblem feels like trying to manage a somewhat unruly bunch of tweens and you’d rather play a game focused on actual combat and unit growth, Fantasy General II may be the game for you.
Grobo (Mobile)
Posted on October 9th, 2019 by
Grobo is a little robot who awakens in futuristic city ruins and now must find out what happened to everyone. Luckily Grobo has the power to shift gravity so you must help him use this skill to solve mind bending 2-D puzzles to help him reach a computer monitor in the stage. Grobo is available to download on mobile devices, but reviewed on iPad here.
Imperial Settlers: Roll & Write (Boardgame)
Posted on October 8th, 2019 by
Use actions and resources to build up your kingdom in Imperial Settlers: Roll & Write. Convert the resources shown on the dice directly into points or use them to invest in buildings to gain even more resources in future rounds. Roll & Write games of this sort are a great family gaming option since all players take their turn at once. This particular game stands out because it also has solo mode that can be played as a campaign, where the game changes up slightly each time, keeping each game fresh.
