Rune Factory 4 Special (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
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Posted on January 19th, 2022 by
Story of Seasons, formerly known as Harvest Moon, is a popular long running series of farming life simulations. They’ve also had spinoffs in the Rune Factory series. These games combine the farming gameplay aspects with dungeon exploration and action packed battles in a fantasy setting. Nearly ten years ago, I reviewed Rune Factory 4 on 3DS, and now it’s getting a re-release with added features for current consoles and PC (but reviewed on PS4 here).
Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon (PS4, Switch, PC)
Posted on January 17th, 2022 by
The indie game Shovel Knight has really gained fame since its release. And for good reason, because it’s a great game! The 8-bit styled 2-D platformer has gotten spinoffs with playable bosses, a Smash clone with Shovel Knight Showdown, and has even gotten kids meal toys at Arby’s! And now Shovel Knight is starring in a puzzle action game! It’s available on PS4, Switch, and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Match Three Pirates II (Switch, PC, Mobile)
Posted on January 12th, 2022 by
Help a kid build a pirate themed amusement park for his pirate friends in Match Three Pirates II. I’ve never played the first game so I don’t know what’s improved or changed in the sequel, but it’s your typical match three puzzle game like Candy Crush or Bejeweled. It’s available on Switch, PC, and mobile devices but reviewed on Switch here.
Horatio Goes Snowboarding (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on January 10th, 2022 by
Horatio is a little blue ball guy with a moustache and goggles and he wants to go snowboarding! Guide him through the busy streets to the snowboard shop to pick up gear and then to the helicopter so he can ski down the mountain in this action game that takes elements from arcade classics like Konami’s Frogger and Taito’s Alpine Ski. It’s available on nearly all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Tunche (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on January 5th, 2022 by
Tunche is a side scrolling beat ‘em up with roguelike elements and features South American myths and lore, which is something you don’t see much in video games. Choose from five playable characters. Four of which are kids from South America and the other is a guest star: the kid from A Hat in Time for some reason. Indie games like to feature other indie game characters I guess. Anyway, up to four can play couch co-op as you battle all sorts of creatures in the Amazon. The game is available on most current home consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask (PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
Posted on January 3rd, 2022 by
Mickey Storm and his family are visiting a new water park, but the evil Dr. Fisher kidnaps his parents and now it’s up to Mickey and his sister to save them! Apparently their parents are also spies, so they’ve left them a backpack with all sorts of gadgets and a flying robot named B.U.D.D.Y. to guide them around the waterslide obstacles and save the day. Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask is a 2-D platformer available on most current consoles but reviewed on PS4 here.
Marsupilami: Hoobaventure (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on December 31st, 2021 by
Marsupilami is a European comic book character who is a fictional animal with leopard like spots and a trademark super long tail. And he says “Hooba” a lot. Die-hard Disney Afternoon fans like myself might remember some trailer bumpers advertising the block with Marsupilami spelling out the Disney Afternoon logo with his tail. And I remember Marsupilami having some shorts on the Saturday Morning Raw Toonage show (but I think they were pretty annoying). But that’s all the notoriety that character has had in the US. But in Europe he’s had comics, multiple cartoons, a movie, and tons of merchandise. And now he has his own video game, a 2-D platformer very similar to Donkey Kong Country. In the game, an evil pirate skeleton thing has hypnotized all the animals, and now it’s up to Marsupilami to stop him! The game is available on most current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Inspector Waffles (Switch, PS4, PC)
Posted on December 29th, 2021 by
Waffles is a cat who lives in a world full of anthropomorphic animals, but mostly cats and dogs. He’s an inspector who works for a local police station, but has been downtrodden after his last big case went south. Now a nearby cat, Fluffy, has been murdered and Waffles is on the beat again. With his newfound partner, snifferdog Spotty, will Waffles be able to solve the case and get back on his feet again? You’ll find out in Inspector Waffles, a point and click adventure mystery game. It’s available to download on Switch, PS4, and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Castle on the Coast (Switch, PC)
Posted on December 27th, 2021 by
Meet George the Giraffe! He has blue hearts for spots and is the mascot of Valley Children’s Healthcare, a hospital in California. And now he’s starring in his own 3-D platformer! This game was designed for children to play while healing at the hospital, and some of the proceeds from the game will go to the establishment. In the game, George explores an old castle where wizards live. He’ll make friends with wizards and try to figure out why some of them are being mean. Tromp around the winding halls of the sprawling castle, explore crystal caves and stunt areas and warp to alternate dimensions via stained glass windows. Castle on the Coast is available to download on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on December 24th, 2021 by
In the distant past, long before streaming services and 24-hour cartoon channels, there was a thing called Saturday Morning Cartoons. Kids back then, me included, looked forward to this time because it was one of the only times TV was made just for kids. And as a child of the 80s, one of the most popular of these cartoons I remember was The Smurfs. Originally a European comic strip, The Smurfs gained popularity in the US from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon. I was never a super big fan of it, but I watched it anyway because, one, kids will watch pretty much anything. And two, it came on right before the Pac-Man cartoon. In recent years, The Smurfs have had a bit of a resurgence with a handful of computer animated movies and specials, and a new series on Nickelodeon. And now there’s a new Smurfs 3-D platformer game. In Mission Vileaf, the evil wizard Gargamel has created a plant that can capture Smurfs and lead him to their hidden village. But luckily, Handy Smurf has invented the Smurfizer, a backpack spray gun that can destroy the plants and restore the vegetation that the Vileaf has contaminated. Now it’s up to Hefty, Brainy, Smurfette, and more to use the Smurfizer to de-contaminate their forest home and stop Gargamel’s plans. The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf is available on most current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
