{"id":26962,"date":"2026-06-26T00:01:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T00:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/?p=26962"},"modified":"2026-06-24T09:23:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T09:23:03","slug":"we-adore-the-ps4-part-2-biggies-and-indies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/2026\/06\/26\/we-adore-the-ps4-part-2-biggies-and-indies\/","title":{"rendered":"We Adore the PS4 Part 2: Biggies and Indies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>In the last part of my PS4 tribute blog, we looked at the games I enjoyed on the PS4 that were classic collections or remakes.\u00a0 And on this one, we\u2019ll look at the more AAA titles (well as AAA as I get anyway), as well as the indie titles on the opposite end of the spectrum.\u00a0 Like I said before, most of these games you can enjoy on other platforms, I just played them on PS4.<\/p>\n

Tearaway Unfolded<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll start off with the \u2018biggie\u2019 titles.\u00a0 This was kind of a port\/1.5 sequel to Tearaway on the Vita.\u00a0 I had gotten a Vita for Christmas after it had \u2018died\u2019 and Tearaway was my favorite game on it.\u00a0 It\u2019s a 3D platformer but like other Media Molecule games (LittleBigPlanet) there is a lot of user customization.\u00a0 And it does the papercraft thing even better than Paper Mario.\u00a0 Just a very charming game and it\u2019s a real shame that Sony didn\u2019t support the Vita like they should\u2019ve.<\/p>\n

Square-Enix<\/strong><\/p>\n

Probably their biggest game on the PS4 I played was Kingdom Hearts 3.\u00a0 I don\u2019t really get into the stories of those games, but I sure do like tromping around Disney worlds.\u00a0 They also had Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, which was a music game and kind of a spin-off of the Theatrhythm games.\u00a0 Speaking of which, they did have a \u2018new\u2019 Theatrhythm game as well, but I\u2019m kind of suspicious that they released it right around the time the 3DS eShop went down.\u00a0 Just had to find a way to make more DLC money.\u00a0 Dragon Quest Builders was pretty fun even though you did everything in the first level.\u00a0 And World of Final Fantasy was another Vita game I wanted to play on the PS4.\u00a0 World of Final Fantasy got my GOTY back in 2016, as that was a rough year for Nintendo.<\/p>\n

LEGO Games<\/strong><\/p>\n

I played a lot of LEGO games on the PS4.\u00a0 DC Super Villains, Marvel Heroes 2, and that third person looking Star Wars one.\u00a0 The LEGO Movie 2 game stood out as it took a different approach and was more open world like LEGO Worlds.<\/p>\n

Nickelodeon Games<\/strong><\/p>\n

I reviewed a lot of these games, too.\u00a0 There was the Smash Bros. clones Nick All-Star Brawl 1 and 2, and Nick Kart Racers 2 and 3.\u00a0 I like that most of these had Garfield in them.<\/p>\n

Psychonauts 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

I loved the first Psychonauts game.\u00a0 It was my GOTY back when it was released.\u00a0 So I was really excited for the sequel.\u00a0 While it was a fun game, I ended up not beating it because we live in such a different world now rather than when the first game was released.\u00a0 And nowadays everyone is so afraid of offending people that they don\u2019t know how to be funny anymore.\u00a0 And the sequel was missing the humor from the first game.\u00a0 And it had subject matter I just don’t want in my video games.<\/p>\n

Ys Games<\/strong><\/p>\n

You could say the PS4 was my Ys machine, as I pretty much played all the Ys games on it.\u00a0 Ys Origins was a return to the classic top down era of Ys with nothing but dungeons to tromp through but it worked very well.\u00a0 One of my brothers called Ys 8 \u201cJurassic Park: The JRPG.\u201d And Dana was cool.\u00a0 \u00a0Ys 9 took the new elements of Ys 8 and streamlined them, although I do like the setting of Ys 8 better.\u00a0 But the characters in 9 were so memorable and this game along with Animal Crossing New Horizons helped me cope with my mom\u2019s breast cancer and got my mind off of it (she\u2019s cancer free now thankfully).\u00a0 Ys X (10) tried new things with a pirate\/Viking theme and only two characters to control, and while I liked the other ones more, this one was still very good.<\/p>\n

Soul Calibur 6<\/strong><\/p>\n

My last of the AAA games.\u00a0 I love this series but I didn\u2019t get into this one as much as I did on the 360.\u00a0 All the character customization was already in those games and they didn\u2019t add too much. It\u2019s still a fun game, though.\u00a0 I guess I just played 4 and 5 to death on the 360.<\/p>\n

Hoa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now we\u2019re onto the indies.\u00a0 I don\u2019t remember much about this one but it still stuck out in my mind as a good 2D puzzle platformer.<\/p>\n

Intrepid Izzy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another surprisingly good 2D Metroidvania style game.<\/p>\n

Minit<\/strong><\/p>\n

This one used all black and white graphics and you played in top down fashion like classic Zelda.\u00a0 But you only have one minute to do things before you get swept back to the beginning.\u00a0 Way more fun than it sounds, and really made you think differently on how to tackle objectives.<\/p>\n

No Straight Roads<\/strong><\/p>\n

This combination of 3D platforming and music rhythm gaming had the feel of a Dreamcast title.\u00a0 I hope the sequel comes to consoles.<\/p>\n

Oceanhorn<\/strong><\/p>\n

It played like a classic top down Zelda game except in an isometric perspective.\u00a0 I hear the sequel was more like a 3D Zelda, but I never got to review that one.<\/p>\n

Princess Farmer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Really unique take on match three puzzling.<\/p>\n

RIME<\/strong><\/p>\n

The main thing I remember about this game is that it had one of the saddest video game endings I\u2019ve ever seen.<\/p>\n

Rifftrax: The Game<\/strong><\/p>\n

One time I reviewed a game called What the Dub? which I said was the closest thing we\u2019d get to a Mystery Science Theater 3000 or Rifftrax game.\u00a0 And then the same folks went and made Rifftrax: The Game.<\/p>\n

Shantae<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had two Shantae games on PS4: Half Genie Hero and Seven Sirens.\u00a0 Both are great.<\/p>\n

Snakeybus<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s basically the game Snake except you\u2019re a bus getting longer when you pick up passengers.\u00a0 And you can jump over your bus worm.\u00a0 It\u2019s really funny to see.<\/p>\n

Stardew Valley<\/strong><\/p>\n

I reviewed this phenomenon when it first hit the PS4.\u00a0 It\u2019s fun, but I had a hard time seeing why this game was such a big deal when Harvest Moon was doing the same thing decades prior.<\/p>\n

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a big fan of Jim Henson, and the only way you\u2019re going to get me to play a tactics game is to make it out of a property like this.\u00a0 But the game was pretty fun, too!<\/p>\n

Them\u2019s Fightin\u2019 Herds<\/strong><\/p>\n

This 2D fighter featured cartoony hooved animals designed by the same lady who helped make the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic cartoon.\u00a0 In fact, this game started out as a fan project with My Little Pony characters in a fighter, but then Hasbro stepped in.\u00a0 Still a neat one, though.<\/p>\n

Tinykin<\/strong><\/p>\n

This was one of the best indie games I\u2019ve played in a while.\u00a0 It\u2019s like a cross between Pikmin and Chibi Robo and plays like a GameCube classic.<\/p>\n

Yoku\u2019s Island Express<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking of one of the best indie games I\u2019ve ever played, this one is a cross between pinball and\u2026a Metroidvania?<\/p>\n

Yooka-Laylee<\/strong><\/p>\n

A spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie.\u00a0 Didn\u2019t turn out as good, but still fun.\u00a0 The next game was The Impossible Lair, which was a 2D platformer imitating Donkey Kong Country. Also good, but very hard.<\/p>\n

Bridge Constructor Portal<\/strong><\/p>\n

Typical physics puzzle game but it was sure nice to hear GlaDOS\u2019 voice again.<\/p>\n

Freedom Planet 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh man this 2D Sonic clone was SO GOOD.\u00a0 I wish they\u2019d make the next 2D Sonic game with these folks.<\/p>\n

PHOGS!<\/strong><\/p>\n

What a weird game!\u00a0 You controlled a weenie dog with a head on each end.\u00a0 Kind of like CatDog, but DogDog.<\/p>\n

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yo-Yo<\/strong><\/p>\n

I loved how this game had that GBA feel to it, and was a top down Zelda game in a modern setting.<\/p>\n

Power Wash Simulator<\/strong><\/p>\n

What a crazy idea for a game!\u00a0 I loved some of the DLC packs, like the Wallace and Gromit one that let you power wash their inventions!<\/p>\n

Sea of Stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a classic styled RPG that plays like Chrono Trigger, a very good start.\u00a0 It\u2019s also a prequel to The Messenger, a 2D platformer, so that\u2019s interesting.<\/p>\n

Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeons<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a Shovel Knight puzzle game.\u00a0 And just like the original, it\u2019s very hard!<\/p>\n

Wattam<\/strong><\/p>\n

This game was made by the same guy who did Katamari Damacy!\u00a0 So it\u2019s very weird.\u00a0 The Prince even makes a cameo!<\/p>\n

Blade Strangers<\/strong><\/p>\n

I reviewed a lot of 2D fighters on the PS4, but this one stood out as it had a lot of indie game characters in it like Shovel Knight!<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s all I have to say about the PS4!\u00a0 I hope you enjoyed my tribute blogs.\u00a0 I certainly enjoyed the PS4 more than the PS3.\u00a0 I wish I could get a PS5, but at 700 bucks, I don\u2019t think I will any time soon, if ever. It\u2019s not really a fun time to be a gamer right now.\u00a0 Also, there are only two PS5 games I want to play right now anyway.\u00a0 There\u2019s a Ratchet and Clank game on it, and Astro Bot and that\u2019s it.\u00a0 Anyway, that\u2019s all for now!\u00a0 Later!\u00a0 –Cary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the last part of my PS4 tribute blog, we looked at the games I enjoyed on the PS4 that were classic collections or remakes.\u00a0 And on this one, we\u2019ll look at the more AAA titles (well as AAA as I get anyway), as well as the indie titles on the opposite end of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":26954,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26962"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27023,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26962\/revisions\/27023"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}