Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the last game from September’s Nintendo Direct that I am excited about. There are other games from the Direct that I won’t be covering because they didn’t draw enough of my attention. Make sure you check out the official Nintendo of America YouTube channel to catch anything I missed.
The Lost Crown is an action-adventure platformer that brings back a classic IP to the current generation of gaming. The lore is rich, the art is great, and the gameplay looks like a lot of fun. There are some mechanics in the trailer I know I’ll be frustrated with, but that’s only because I suck at platforming. Ever since Nocturnal, I’ve been hungry for another side-scroller. I’m definitely making time to try this game when it comes out.
Another Code: Recollection has been announced on the Nintendo Switch, and I am excited to get my hands on this title. I’ll keep saying it, I love all the remakes Nintendo is coming at us with. I don’t think I’ll ever have enough time to play all of them, but I love that they are an option since I never got to play them when I was younger. It also gives people an opportunity to share a bit of nostalgia with a new generation of gamers.
Now I hadn’t heard about the Another Code games until this announcement, but they seem like games I will thoroughly enjoy. The art style is cool, and I love puzzles and story-driven mysteries.
Help Ashley as she looks to solve the mysteries around her family in two remastered titles you might need in your collection: Another Code: Two Memories and Trace Memory. Trace Memory was neverreleased in North America, so this might be your chance to play through it. The remaster promises overhauled visuals, and new voice acting, puzzles, and music.
Another Code: Recollectionreleases on January 19th at $59.99 MRSP. You can preorder your copy today! If you’ve been enjoying these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends!
The September Nintendo Direct was huge! We got a ton of new game announcements, and rather than making a giant overwhelming post, I’ve decided to break it up as best I can into smaller manageable chunks. I’ll be starting with the Mario games because we have a bunch on our horizon. If you enjoy these updates, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!
Super Mario RPG ($59.99)
Let me start with the announcement I am most excited about, Super Mario RPG. Now I never got to play the original so I don’t know what to expect but based on the trailer, it has some similar mechanics to Sea of Stars, and I am here for it. I love the art style, and these Mario games tend to lean towards the perfect level of quirkiness I tend to enjoy. Super Mario RPG releases on November 11. You can preorder it off the eshop today.
Princess Peach: Showtime
We got a bit more gameplay for the upcoming Princess Peach: Showtime, and it’s pretty exciting. This time, the princess is doing her own saving in her own stand-alone title. The art looks great, the mini-games look fun, and I love the idea of the different costumes giving Princess Peach her own powers. I love that they didn’t just recolor her iconic dress, but rather gave her a unique look for each power. Princess Peach: Showtime is coming to Switch on March 22nd. You can preorder yours from the eshop today.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD
Luigi’s Mansion 2is coming to the Nintendo Switch. If you are a fan of the original, this might be the remaster you need to relive some nostalgia. The game looks great! I never got to play the original when it came out, so this might be my chance. You can play solo, or with up to four friends in couch or online co-op. Luigi’s Mansion 2 comes out summer 2024.
Mario Vs. Donkey Kong ($49.99)
Mario Vs. Donkey Kongis back in a nifty little puzzle game that I am sure fans of the original will appreciate. The puzzles look like fun, and I love how the boss fights look in this. Mario Vs. Donkey Kong comes out on February 16. Preorder yours today!
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
I’ve said this before, I love that Nintendo is bringing back classic titles to the Switch because I never had a chance to play them when I was younger. Not that I have much time to play them now, but it gives people the chance to relive some nostalgia. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Dooris coming to the Switch with updated graphics, and its so cute! The games out sometime next year.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass Wave 6
The new course pack is coming just in time for the holidays. It’s bringing with it seven new courses and four returning characters: Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, Pauline, and Peachete. You’ll have access to these courses if you have a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack ($49.99/Year)
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The Quadroids Demo is Steam, and I recommend you check it out if you are looking for a chill yet engaging puzzle game. This cute yet morbid pixel art puzzle platformer will test your ability to multi-task. Guide your Quadroids through a series of dangerous puzzles on your quest to conquer the galaxy. Quadroids are expendable, and you will lose a lot of them.
The demo is short, about 30 minutes long (depending on your ability to multi-task), and it does a fantastic job of easing players into the mechanics while creating a solid expectation for the full game. It is a little sad that the Quadroids are so cute because you will need to sacrifice them on your path to total domination. There will be solutions that will require you to sacrifice Quadriods to clear the puzzle. Don’t worry, you eventually grow numb to their deaths.
The gameplay loop is simple. Quadroids move automatically. The only command issued to Quadroids is jump. Puzzles are divided into four quadrants, and each quadrant has a unique button for the jump command. When the Quadroid is in the top left quadrant, it will only react to the top left trigger. The game has keyboard support, but I recommend using a gamepad because it feels more comfortable. What makes this game difficult is that you will often be controlling multiple Quadroids at once. You’ll want to coordinate multiple Quadroids through the puzzles to get the fastest times in the least amount of commands. If the puzzles prove too easy, you can always try completing the optional challenges.
I really enjoyed this game. The puzzles are fun, the music is great, and the art is cute. I am not the best when it comes to platformers, but the platforming and puzzles are manageable. This is a game you’ll want to pick up when you want to relax, but you either don’t have much free time or don’t want a game that requires a huge commitment. This might not be a game you play till completion, but I’ll need to check out the full version to know for sure.
Quadroidswill launch on PC, Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox soon, but no release date has been set yet. Until then, check out the demo on Steam.
The new trailer introduces the new character Serai, and she is bringing with her a whole new dimension to combat. She can portal around the battle field and back stab enemies! It honestly doesn’t get cooler than that. I love how creative the combat system is in Sea of Stars. This isn’t your traditional turn-based RPG, it is a lot more involved than that. I haven’t had this much fun with a demo in a while, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the full game.
I’ve been excited to play Sea of Stars for a while now. The game looks very good, and the demo is a lot of fun. I you haven’t tried the demo yet, I highly recommend you do so now. If you weren’t thinking about buying it before, you will after the demo. The demo is available for Xbox, Steam, PlayStation, and on the Nintendo Switch. Make sure you check out my impressions of the demo.
Sea of Stars launches on August 29th. I’m hoping to pick it up on the Switch day one, and will be back with the review as soon as I can.
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I was sent Viewfinder as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will not let it sway my opinions.
Viewfinder is a first-person puzzle game for PC and PS5 where you solve puzzles using pictures to manipulate the world around you. A group of scientists created a virtual world where they worked on solving the world’s problems. It is believed that hidden somewhere in this world is a machine that can solve the negative effects of climate change. You are sent into this world to find this machine and any other secrets that can benefit humanity. What secrets will you uncover within this virtual labyrinth?
I got to play Viewfinder at this year’s GDC and have been excited for its release since. This game is as fun as I remembered and surpassed all of my expectations. If you are in the market for a relaxing and fun puzzle game, Viewfinder is your answer. The game has an interesting story, unique mechanics, a fantastic soundtrack, and a beautiful world to explore. This is one of the few games where I went out of my way to collect every bit of story I could from the notes, recordings, and journal entries.
The puzzles in this game are manageable and extremely creative. I had a ton of fun solving the puzzles because of how much flexibility there is for each solution. To solve a puzzle in Viewfinder, you use photos to manipulate the room around you. For example, you can use a picture of a side of a building to make a ramp to get you somewhere high, or you can use the same picture to make a bridge. How you use these pictures and solve the puzzles is up to you. Each puzzle feels open to multiple solutions, and watching the world change as I solved the puzzles was really cool to see. I am blown away by how creative the puzzles and mechanics are. You need to play this game to appreciate how much love and hard work was put into it.
My main complaint with this game is that it felt a little short. I was either having too much fun, or I am really good at puzzles because I felt like I breezed through this game. My other complaint is that some of the filters make pictures harder to see when placing them. The filters are optional, and therefore not a deal breaker.
Viewfinder is a fantastic puzzle game for players who are looking for something with a beautiful atmosphere, a solid story, and innovative mechanics. You can grab your copy of Viewfinder on Steam or PlayStation for $24.99. There is also a demo on Steam if you’d like to try it out first. This is one of the best games I’ve played this year, and I would argue that you will think the same.
I was very fortunate to get to review Nocturnal Earlier this year. Nocturnal is a beautiful and unique platformer for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation that might be worth looking into even if you don’t enjoy the genre. I had a lot of fun with this game and recommend it to those interested. Go check out the full review if you want to get the full opinion.
Well, Nocturnal just got its first major update, and I felt the need to share the news. The new update brings with it some much-needed quality-of-life changes, a new enemy, and new story bits to play through. The update introduces a new performance mode that opens up the game to lower-spec computers, which I always love to see. I remember the days when my toaster could barely run anything, it’s nice to see when companies care about their players.
There are also some nice updates to the level and UI design and improved combat feedback for both players and bosses. The game has been released, but it is nice to see the devs are still passionate to make the game better for their customers. It is even nicer that this update isn’t locked behind paid DLC.
I recommend you look into this game if you are in the market for something new. It looks like there are still plans for future updates. It is currently on sale on Steam for $11.89 (normally 16.99) until August 7th. PlayStation also has it on sale for $14.99 (normally $19.99) until August 16th. Sorry Xbox mains, you have to pay the full $19.99 for now.
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I was sent Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine as a review code. I am very grateful for this opportunity, but won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be an honest review of the game.
I covered Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine in a previous post when I got to try the game early at GDC. While I didn’t get to finish the demo, I liked the game enough to want to play more of it. The game is cute, unique, and challenging. After spending more time with the game, my opinions remain mostly unchanged, but I’ve got a few addendums I’d like to make.
Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine is a match-four game like you’ve never played before. Dr. Fetus has created a machine to clone his own Meat Boy. With your help, he will weed out the undesirable traits and build the perfect Meat Boy with what is left. To beat a level, you must match colors to fill the meter while avoiding hazards like saws or missiles. Levels start easy, but they quickly become impossible. Dr. Fetus slowly introduces new hazards that will make levels frustratingly bloodied. Do not be tricked by the false sense of security this game may give you. After completing a set number of levels, you can face off against a boss and move on to a new world. Bosses are hard and are sure to claim a few controllers.
I enjoyed this game a lot, but it isn’t something I can play to completion. While each level offers unique challenges and mechanics, the gameplay grows stale. As good of a match-four game, as this is, my attention span can only handle so much matching. This is going to be a game you come back to when you want something different, but still want a challenge. Unless you are someone that likes to collect achievements, or good at these kinds of games, I don’t see people finishing this game in one go.
The game’s difficulty is going to be the main barrier to entry. While I didn’t have an issue with the difficulty, I can see how the frustration it generates can kill its enjoyment. Some levels are annoying, and others feel slow because of their mechanics. As frustrated as I got with this game, I still found myself going back for more. The key to enjoying this game is taking breaks.
So is this game worth it? for $10 it is. The game is easy to get into, challenging enough to keep you invested, and the art is super cute. It is sad watching the clones die, but you quickly get desensitized. This is a great game to buy if you are in the market for a game that isn’t a huge investment. There isn’t a complicated story you need to remember or difficult mechanics to memorize. You can return to this game after long breaks and remember where you left off, and why you put it down in the first place. Dr. Fetus’ Mean Meat Machine is a frustrating simple game you will enjoy if you are the cool kind of masochist.
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I was sent Nocturnal as a review code. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I will keep my review honest.
Nocturnal is a unique Metroidvania game with an interesting mechanic and a beautiful art style. You play as a soldier who returns after years at war to find his home afflicted by an evil darkness. As you investigate the cause, you will face off against the monsters that now inhabit the island, dodge deadly traps, and fight citizens afflicted by the darkness. Will your flame be strong enough to rid the land of this darkness, or will you fall victim to its inescapable allure?
What makes this game unique is its light and dark mechanic. You have learned to wield the flame as your own. Use it to light your way through the shadow, fight shadow monsters, solve puzzles, and even heal yourself. But beware, your flame isn’t permanent. If you don’t tend to your flame, it will go out. Stay in the dark too long, and the shadows will consume you.
Like any other Metroidvania game, you have to memorize enemy locations, attack patterns, and trap locations. What makes Nocturnal unique is that you also have to memorize fire sources. Your flame is on a timer. The only way to recharge it is by hitting lit torches. Torches are scattered throughout the levels, but not all of them are permanent. Some traps and monsters will snuff out your flame, leaving you helpless. I loved this mechanic because of how creative it is implemented, and how intense it makes certain moments of the game.
There is a story to this game, but you won’t need charts to keep it straight. I enjoyed the flavor it adds to the world, but I enjoyed the gameplay more. Even though I am bad at this game, I had a lot of fun with this game. The art is beautiful, the music is fantastic, and the puzzles were creative. The combat can feel a little repetitive at times, but I didn’t find it to be an issue. If you are a fan of the genre, Nocturnal needs to be in your library. If you have never played a game in this genre, this is a great place to start. If you are a veteran of the genre, there is a harder difficulty, permadeath, and some nifty speed run features you might want to check out.
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Nocturnal is a beautiful-looking metroidvania-type game that definitely has gotten my attention. I don’t normally play games in this genre, but when I saw the gameplay, I had to reach out and get myself a copy to review. It has a simple yet beautiful art style that I enjoy and an interesting fire and shadow mechanic that promises to make this a unique experience.
Ardeshir has returned to his home Island Nahran, only to find it afflicted by a mysterious shadowy mist. Use fire he can wield to solve puzzles, fight enemies, and light your way through the darkness. Can you find the cause and heal your home of this strange affliction?
This game seems perfect for those who enjoy the genre. It has a permadeath mode for those who need the extra challenge, and some nifty speed run features like faster transitions, skippable cutscenes, and a pausable timer if that’s more your speed. For everyone else, the gameplay just looks fun.
You can get Nocturnal on PlayStation, Switch, Xbox, and Steam. The game is $19.99 for consoles, and $16.99 for PC. The game doesn’t seem to have been launched on PS5 in NA yet, but I’ve added the European link just in case. There is a 10% discount for the Switch and Steam version if you buy them before June 14th. I’ve already gotten my review copy and will be posting my review sometime next week. Until then, thank you for reading!
