Tag Archives: shoot em up

video game reviews

GoobnBalloonsDX Review: A Fun Arcade Adventure

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I was sent a free copy of GoobnBalloonsDX to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game.

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What is GoobnBalloonsDX?

GoobnBalloonsDX is a cute, hand-drawn arcade shoot ’em up game out now on Xbox, Switch, PlayStation, and PC via Steam, Epic Games, and itch.io.

Travel between worlds, fighting off against different foes, save your friends, and try to get the high score. Each level has unique challenges as players can brave the adventure alone or with friends and pop all the balloons that get in the way. Do you have what it takes to save the world and break the leaderboard in what promises to be a quirky good time?

Gameplay

Players must use their powers to pop balloons and complete different challenges. Players can either explore new worlds and challenges through the story mode, or load into arcade mode and try to claim their spot on the leaderboard. There are unlockable characters with unique ablilities that players can customize, unique boss fights, and a co-op mode.

Review

GoobnBalloonsDX is a cute and creative arcade game with a fun gameplay loop that earns the game’s price tag. There is a solid sound track to set the mood, a cute aesthetic to enjoy, and fun and simple mechanics to master. This is the perfect game to play if you’re looking for a goofy good time without much commitment, and it is an excellent game to play with your friends. Best of all, it makes for a fantastic Steam deck game.

If you’re looking for a fun arcade game, you’d be hard pressed to find better. This game is fun, inoffensive, and it provides enough of a challenge to keep things interesting without becoming work. I like that players can either choose to chase high scores, or sit back and relax as they pop bubbles and unlock accessories. Whatever you en up doing in GoobnBalloonsDX, you’re going to have a lot of fun.

You can pick up your copy of GoobnBalloonsDX on Xbox, Switch, PlayStation, and PC via Steam, Epic Games, and itch.io for only $9.99.

video game reviews

The Colorful Retro Side Scroller PopSlinger is a Solid Good Time

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I was sent PopSlinger for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!

What is PopSlinger

PopSlinger is a retro style shoot ’em up side scroller out now for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC. I got to play the Xbox version. You are a magical girl on a quest so save the world with your magic soda-pop powers. Fight your way through sinister invaders in a colorful and vibrant adventure. Do you have what it takes to get save the world and get the high score?

Gameplay

The game is a simple and colorful 2D shooter. You move through a mob-infested city and clear the world of its invaders. What gives the game its complexity is its combo system. The game rewards players for shooting four creatures of the same color by granting them temporary power-ups.
Players can get a shield, a double shot, or summon Gin to shoot at enemies randomly. Shooting eight of the same color grants players a heal, but healing comes with a point penalty.

Unless you’re trying to earn the highest scores and perfect rank, powerups are useless. Gin would often break my combo, and the other powerups didn’t affect the gameplay enough to be worth the trouble. I stopped chasing combos pretty early on, but I also got the worst scores in the game. You should play the game as intended.

Thoughts

I enjoyed PopSlinger a lot more than I thought I would. It has a loud colorful aesthetic, a fun quirky story, a fantastic soundtrack, a solid cast of voice actors, and a fun gameplay loop. 

I am a huge fan of the game’s colorful retro vibe. It is a clear nostalgic callback, and I am here for it. It has a cute and fun art style that makes it impossible to hate the game. The story isn’t filled with expansive lore, but it is fun and quirky. I loved the tone, and its cast of voice actors made listening to the cutscenes enjoyable. 

The gameplay loop is incredibly relaxing and fun. Despite how cute the game looks, there was enough of a challenge to keep me engaged. Enemies had a decent variety, and boss fights were creative and challenging. I definitely wasn’t good enough to keep the combos alive or get close to a high score, but I had a lot of fun playing through the chill side-scroller this game became. 

The game does get repetitive after a while, and trying for the combos can feel tedious after a while. This isn’t a game I could play until completion, but it is a game I’ll be returning to from time to time for its cozy change of pace and fun aesthetic. 

If you are a fan of retro arcade side scroller, PopSlinger is a solid title to add to your collection. It is a cute, fun, and relaxing time with options to make it more competitive. You can pick up your copy of PopSlinger for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC for $14.99.