~ Game Over ~
Deltarune (Switch2) – I know I say this every time a new chapter releases, but chapter 5 has definitely been the best so far! Flowery is such an entertaining character, the side-scrolling gimmick is super fun, and I really like that at least for this chapter, we’re examining the idea of how “good” and “evil” are relative to one’s point of view. And as always, the music and creative boss fights are some of the best that video games have to offer.
Night at the Gates of Hell (PC) – A horror comedy that I’ve tried to watch several times, but I always fall asleep. So I just friggin’ bought it to tie up the loose thread. While the start is a little rough, once it got going and I got the hang of the jank, it was a pretty fun little game. Plus, it comes bundled with the hilarious “The Booty Creek Cheek Freak” as an unlockable mini-game.
Bomberman (NES) – If I’d known that this game was essentially just the same level 50 times over, I probably would have just skipped it. Sure, I had a suspicion after about 15 stages, but at that point I was already committed to getting to the end.
Liquid Kids (Switch) – My childhood dentist had this arcade machine in his waiting room, and I very vividly remember being obsessed with it every time I visited. Looking back, it’s a colourful, creative game, but an absolute quarter-munching menace. Between the player character moving at a snail’s pace and dying in one hit, and enemies that can spawn in anytime, anywhere, it’s a good thing this port allows for unlimited credits.
Pokémon Picross (3DS) – It took me a year and a half but I’ve finally done it! I’ve solved every puzzle and completed every mission. I sure would like it if Jupiter made another one of these, albeit without the stupid mobile game energy meter and pay-to-keep-playing elements.
StarFox (Swich2) – A couple more campaign runs, and a little dabbling in mission mode. I don’t think I can fully express how much I’m enjoying this game…
StarFox (SNES) – Felt the need to go back for a run of the original. Good times, indeed, but could definitely use an aiming reticle.
Hollowbody (PS5) – Much words. Beat twice. Platinum, baby.
Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness (GC) – After a month-long break, I hopped back in and finished it up. Going back to retro Pokémon is generally fun, but man do the battles in this one ever drag on. I’d really like to see a Colosseum/XD remake bundle that just makes battle move quicker and brings the mechanics in line with modern Pokémon. More of a tune-up than a remake, I suppose.
Inside Depth 6 (PC) – An indie horror about exploring an abandoned mine, which, more than anything, got me thinking about how odd it is that I’ve recently played a number of horror games that feature an underground tree (which may or may not be evil) as a central plot point.
Scary Shadow Spot: All In (PC) – Been holding off on this one because I’m not too hot on anomaly games, but I ended up very much enjoying my time with it. There’s so much more to it than just trying to spot the differences, which helps a lot. Still very repetitive and soul-crushing when you invariably make a wrong choice and have to start all over again, but the Doesn’t Matter Games charm made it worth the struggle.
Touhou: Blossom Blade (Switch) – Long story short, I bought this for $3 and didn’t really know what to expect. It’s a top-down action game with both platforming and bullet-hell elements. It’s good fun and exactly the right level of challenging, but very bare-bones. Not that that’s a problem, but it’s quite rare these days to go directly from title screen into the start of level one.
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe (Switch) – Finally went back to play the Magolor Epilogue. It was short, but sweet! I’d like to see another Kirby game with somewhat unique character mechanics like this, or even just a fully fleshed-out Magolor game. It’ll never happen, but it’d be neat.
Teardown (PC) – A very fun game about demolition that really came out of nowhere. It’s a little daunting once you learn that the gameplay is 90% planning, and trial and error, but the ability to quicksave and load to try things out at basically no cost makes it work really well. Don’t think I’ll strive for 100% completion, but I could see myself coming back to it for a mission or two every once in a while.
The Entropy Centre (PS5) – A Portal-like about setting up cubes and then rewinding them in time to clear puzzles. It was a really good game, and the puzzles were quite satisfying without being frustrating. My only gripe is that because of the way it works, if you mess something up, you often have to reset the puzzle from scratch, rather than just adjusting one element. Not a dealbreaker, but inconvenient.
~ Progress Notes ~
Pokémon Pokopia (Switch2) – Waiting impatiently for the DLC…
Denshattack! (Switch2) – Beat the second boss
Splatoon Raiders (Switch2) – Reached the second boss.
~ Purchases ~
- Denshattack! (Switch2)
- Evil Awaits (PC)
- Splatoon Raiders (Switch2)