Extreme Exorcism: This Ghost-Busting Retro Game Will Haunt Your Every Move

Posted on August 26, 2015 by geelw

Until a few minutes ago I’d never heard of NYC-based Golden Ruby Games. Now I want to be their best friend or something like that. The indie developer’s upcoming PC (and hopefully console bound soon) Extreme Exorcism is yet another one of those inspired “retro” games that looks to give fans of both single player and co-op games something to grin about. While this teaser trailer is way too short, it certainly made me smile and want to see more:

The gameplay seems straightforward, but EE’s AI happens to be programmed to repeat the controller moves you’ve made to dispatch each enemy when the next one appears. This means even “perfect” players who can clear the initial few maps will soon
find themselves dealing with enemies that are as good as they are in higher numbers. The longer it takes you to dispatch that next ghost, the harder it becomes to get rid of the next one. I’m gathering the game will drop enemies onto maps one at a time at first, as it’s going to be a rage-fest for players who let themselves get overwhelmed when things get trickier.

Anyway, a handful of screens below. Keep an eye peeled for this one as it’s still in development and there’s no concrete release date. As far as publishers go, Ripstone Games is getting it out and I’m hoping we see a PS4 and Vita version with the possibility of a Wii U port down the road. As usual, we shall see.

Bard’s Gold: Throw Down The Gauntlet (And Your Controller) In This Instant Classic

Posted on August 25, 2015 by geelw

If you remember way back when games didn’t hold your hand at all or you’re a newer gamer who wants a game that’s going to test your skills while teaching you some patience, welcome to Pixel Lantern’s Bard’s Gold. Available NOW on Steam, this retro platformer is neither another “Metroidvania” retread nor some speed-runner’s dream frenzy of the week. The game is a deliberately slower-paced side-scroller with an extreme difficulty that the developer (or at least the PR guy working for them) claims it’s the “hardest game on Steam”.

Now, I can’t say whether or not this is true, but that trailer below sure doesn’t make it look anything close to “casual” at all.

Anyway, color me sold on this one. A request for a Steam code has been made, so we’ll see how tough this one is. Given the comments I’ve scanned so far, I’m expecting to be needing a new controller at some point.

Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus: Somebody Bring Me a Bear!

Posted on August 21, 2015 by geelw

I’ll have to admit that the title Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus confused me for a bit because I thought it was the name of the playable hero and that character art above certainly doesn’t scream “Teddy” to me at all. In fact, that’s a girl named Tarrant and Teddy is actually her loyal plush bear.

Adding to the confusion was once I poked around the internet I found out that this game is the sequel to developer LookAtMyGame’s gorgeous-looking Finding Teddy, a PC and mobile point and click adventure where the title tells you what that game is actually about. In that game, a little girl’s stuffed toy is “kidnapped” into a strange fantasy world and she goes after it, facing off against assorted hazards along the way.

The sequel (which, amusingly enough is called Finding Teddy 2 on Steam) has Tarrant in a more action/RPG style of game with an entirely different (and still lovely) pixel art style and more familiar gameplay action/platform fans should love. Aksys Games will be publishing the game in North America for the PS4 and Wii U this fall as a digital-only release and if that trailer and all those positive Steam reviews are any indication, this one will be a must-play keeper.

At the very least, it’ll certainly make me forget all about paying full price for Magus back when it was released last year. Anyway, keep an eye on this one, folks.

RymdResa: Retro Rockets In Random Space Hit Steam

Posted on August 20, 2015 by geelw

Well, the eyes aren’t really lying at all. Morgondag’s stellar space rogue-like exploration game RymdResa is out now on Steam at a temporary 10% discount off its $11.99 price tag ($10.79). The game is a beautiful blend of retro visuals, languid pacing and slyly terrifying moments where your ship is about to run low on resources often at the wrong moment. Toss in a disembodied voice spouting seemingly random poetic musings along with a gorgeous ambient score and you get an instant classic with wide appeal.

I’ll have a review up over the weekend, but if the demo I’ve been playing on and off between other things (a demo that’s been taking time away from other games and stuff, mind you) is any indication, this one’s a keeper or a sleeper. The good thing is the developer is getting their great little game onto a few other platforms (Xbox One, Wii U, iPad and Linux), so some of you out there using those will soon be able to experience the same cold space and give your zen-like reflexes a total workout.

Back with a review shortly.

A Few Bundles To Mix Up Your Monday

Posted on August 17, 2015 by geelw

This Monday’s bundles of joy include some really nice games in a few genres for not a lot of scratch at all. I’d grab them all if not for my already burgeoning backlog and need for a newer computer (which will be taken care of next month at some point). Anyway, the usual suspects score with some nice stuff as always. IndieGala’s Every Monday Bundle featured six games for $1.99, including Viktor, a side-scrolling action/platform game that should please fans of games like Castlevania and other retro classics:

Meanwhile, Bundle Stars has the Stay Alive Bundle, which you should get just for Sunside’s Crow, a port of a mobile game that looks pretty unique:

And finally, over at The Humble Bundle, there’s no Monday deal… but there IS last week’s The Return of Space Boy Bundle which has ROCKETSROCKETSROCKETS in it. That’s a game were you fly rockets that shoot rockets at other rockets, which is simple enough to grasp for anyone who can hold a controller:

As usual, your money gets some charities very happy and in turn, you get very busy making up excuses to run on home so you can game in peace. Anyway, go check out those links and make a few people happy, I say.

Whispering Willows: A Haunting You Will Go (On Even More Platforms)

Posted on August 15, 2015 by geelw

Abstraction Games and Night Light Interactive have a nice and spooky surprise coming soon for Xbox One, Wii U, iOS and Android owners. Although the game is already out for a few platforms (PC, PS4, Vita and OUYA), I’d actually never heard of Whispering Willows until an email about the latest version popped up in my inbox. Initially set for an August 12 launch at $9.99, Xbox One owners will be seeing the game as part of Microsoft’s Deals With Gold promotion starting Friday, August 28th at 30% off ($6.99) for two weeks only (through Friday, September 11).

iOS and Android versions will also be available on the 28th with the Wii U version following shortly thereafter. The horror-themed puzzle adventure has you playing as Elena, a young girl with the ability to use astral projection. The talent comes to good use thanks to her father going missing in a creepy mansion and yes, Elena heads into that haunted palace set on finding out just where he is and what’s happened to him. I’d say more, but I’ll need to play the game and get back to you on how it turned out. I’d gather all those plaudits on the official site mean the game is worth the price and more. A half dozen screens to ogle are below.

Zelda: Sword of Moria Update: Western Calatia’s Pretty, But Not A Nice Vacation Spot

Posted on August 11, 2015 by geelw

When last we ventured into the land of Western Calatia (a few weeks ago), ever-questing hero Link had just died at the hands of a boss, but upon his revival was wondering when he’d see more of the rather well-made fan game he was starring in, The Legend of Zelda: Sword of Moria. Actually, the game’s creator, Jessica Brown has been busy working on it in between her writing for a few gaming sites and other things like life in general. So it’s a case of her own patience and persistence overcoming any sort of burnout and boredom that tends to set in when working on something for such a long period of time. My experience with the last couple of demo builds has been nothing but total fun because here’s a case of someone who’s dedicated to making a game that’s worthy of the Zelda lineage and canon while not rushing it out just to say it’s “finished”.

That map above seems as if it’s huge (and it is indeed!). And as note, it’s not a nice vacation spot because it’s got monsters that will keep Link from enjoying his stay by constantly trying to kill him. But it also seems likely that it’s not the entire game world Brown has planned for the final release. Excellent. Even more excellent, she’s just posted a nifty article over at Zero Friction that details some of her thoughts on developer fatigue and how to deal with it. If you follow the fan game scene (whether it be ROM translation efforts or full-on games being created from scratch), you know many projects flame out and vanish or move from person to person sometimes for years until they disappear for good or actually get completed. brown touches on that and more as she lays out some ideas on how her game may or may not be chapter-based along with some other stuff I’ll let you get to on your own.

Abyss Odyssey Extended Dream Edition: ACE Work, Now On PS4

Posted on August 1, 2015 by geelw

ACE Team’s rogue-like brawler/RPG/adventure hybrid Abyss Odyssey was one of those uniquely gorgeous games that catered best to those who spent time mastering the intricacies of its seemingly simple combat system. The game’s lovely Art Nouveau-inspired visuals and realistic animation made it less of a button basher and more a game where practice makes perfect. Capturing enemy souls and using those enemies or the allies you’d also unlock to replay procedurally generated maps added plenty of replay value to what was a nicely challenging game experience.

Now, the PS4 finally gets what’s looking like the definitive version of the game. As you can see from those nice-looking screen shots below (which do indeed look nice, but don’t really do the game much justice at all), the game is Mucha beautiful:

In addition to some nicely enhanced visuals and smoother gameplay, there’s also a new online PvP mode for those who crave fighting against live opponents. Speaking of gameplay – here’s a short look at the launch trailer:

Se what I mean by screenshots not doing this justice? Anyway, go grab this one if your artistic and energetic sides have been activated. It’s a neat little sleeper that will keep you entertained for quite a bit.

Retro City Rampage REALLY Goes Retro: 486 – MS-DOS / Windows 3.1 Version Now Available

Posted on July 31, 2015 by geelw

Vblank Entertainment’s head honcho Brian Provinciano is a truly mad genius in the best possible way. His single-minded obsession with his hilarious “retro” game Retro City Rampage has led to it being released on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS over a few short years. Now, he’s gone and reprogrammed the instant classic and has gotten the game onto a 3.5″ floppy disk for 486 computers along with a Windows 3.1 prototype as a free bonus. If you still have an old PC lying around with a floppy drive, you can (and should indeed) snap up one of the limited edition boxed versions (there were only 1000 total made) and prepare for a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a game that probably wouldn’t have existed back then and if it did, it would be hailed as a fine slice of comic genius or something like that.

If you happen to own the more modern PC version of the game already and bought it from the developer directly, guess what? You should probably check your Steam account for a nice freebie surprise. Everyone else, run or click like the wind HERE and hope for the best. Like the PS4 and Vita retail editions, this will probably sell out ridiculously fast. Yes, the game will also run on DOSBOX if you have a newer PC. I almost forgot to mention this, so now you don’t need to hit up eBay looking for some aged system to run RCR 486 on.

Stay Strong With More Heroic Bundles From Bundle Stars

Posted on July 31, 2015 by geelw

Bundle Stars wraps up five days of heroic game deals with a trio of collections under three bucks for a limited time. Everything’s good in this digital buffet, so help yourself to a backlog-worthy set from one, two, or all three deals before they disappear. Just click on those banners above and prepare to be transported to each sale page where you can check out each deal and see what’s what. I won’t tell you which one to buy, but 24 games for about nine bucks is a solid deal any day of the seek (so you should get all three deals and perhaps the other two while you’re at it. But I didn’t tell you that).