Recently remastered and released for free on Steam, Knytt Classic dusts off the classic freeware indie game by Nifflas, Knytt, for modern systems. When Knytt originally released, I downloaded it and tried to play, but the keyboard-only controls proved to be a huge impediment to my immersion. But when I saw that Chasm developer, Bit Kid, updated the title, complete with updated graphics, modern gamepad controls, and achievements, I knew I had to give it another go. Twenty years later, Knytt stands the test of time and shines in its new format.
I ripped through a lot of stuff this week, being impatient to get through it all, the slightest annoyance sending me to the next game in my collection. But, I had a lot of good experiences anyway. I'll break these 360 games into two categories, physical and digital only (or, Xbox Live Arcade as it used to be called).
I finally pulled myself away from Army of Ruin and got through all my Atari games. I packed them all up and will be digging into NES next week.
When the Nintendo Switch 2 released earlier this year, one of the launch games was the download only Welcome Tour. It was set up like a museum, and you controlled a little person as they walked around a giant Switch 2 and its accessories. You could play mini-games, try tech demos, and take quizzes on facts about the new console. To me, it sounded like a lot of silly, quirky fun. And I love games that have museums in them, whether it be Namco Museums or Animal Crossing. There was only one problem. They charged you for it. It really should’ve come with the system, and that’s what it’s going to be known for from here on out. I really wanted to boycott it and not buy it to support that kind of behavior. But here’s the thing. I only believe in boycotting if it doesn’t hurt yourself. And the game still sounded interesting enough to me that I didn’t want to miss out on it. Life is too short to miss out on what you think is fun. So I got it. It was only ten bucks anyway, and I can spend more money than that on fast food! So I figured I’d take you all on a tour of the Welcome Tour!
I found a few more NES era games in the hack 'n' slash genre and I'll retell what I've played so far in the Genesis/SNES era.
I’ve cooked you all up a feast of game reviews I’ve recently written over at GamerDad.com! Please click on the links and read as many as you can, and maybe post a ‘like’ or comment or two while you’re there! I’d appreciate it. OK after this feast you all should have nice fat and full bellies! Bon appetit!
The 3DS was released this year. Minecraft came out of beta. The highest rated games were Batman: Arkham City, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Portal 2. Here's a list of what I put the most time into that year followed by stuff I played later and then a wish list.
I watched some Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and MSG SEED on youtube. I only found a few episodes dubbed into English, most are with subtitles, which I like to avoid. It's a neat show. I'm constantly reminded of US IPs like Halo and Pacific Rim while watching it. GUNDAM just basically means the neural interface with a robotic battle suit, like with Master Chief and Cortana or the piltos and Jaegers of Pacific Rim. Seems this show, just like the hair styles, like their robots all spikey. Fun stuff, and complex. The stories in MSGW are deep in polical intrigue, Earth vs. Rebels, not unlike the colonial uprisings in the Halo universe. I enjoyed it in between lots of gaming that happened during Labor Day weekend as outlined below.
OK everyone, time to get buff with an exercise regiment of reading my recent game reviews over at GamerDad.com. Please read as many as you can and maybe even post a ‘like’ or comment or two. I’d appreciate it. And if you do, you’ll be super buff in no time! OK let’s begin!
Around this time of year, I like to make a list of my best games SO FAR, because usually the AAA titles are released later in the year during the holiday season, and the titles that came out earlier tend to be forgotten. So here’s when those games get their due. Keep in mind that this is my list only and no other outside opinions contributed. And if a game isn’t on this list, it either just didn’t appeal to me as much or I haven’t had a chance to play it yet. Ok with that out of the way, let’s begin!
Sneaking in like a ninja, here are some game reviews I’ve recently written at GamerDad.com! Please click on the links and read as many as you can, and maybe even post a ‘like’ or comment or two. I’d appreciate it. OK let’s begin!
Konami recently came out with a collection of their licensed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games they released back in the late 80s and early 90s, during the first round of the Turtles’ heyday. Since a lot of people grew up with and enjoyed these titles, this collection is a pretty big deal. Especially since for a long time, it would’ve been hard to get the rights to all these games again! But I guess since Nickelodeon has all the rights to TMNT stuff now, maybe that part was easier to do? Anyway, of course I got this collection so grab a slice of pizza and let’s take a look at the games on here as well as my personal history with each title.
“And now, the most anticipated epic adventure of the year will never come to a theater near you. Final Fantasy VII.” And so began my interest in RPGs. That commercial blew my 12-year-old mind back in 1997. Besides the impressive animations shown (which we would later learn were only cut-scenes), I was intrigued at seeing that we somehow jumped from Final Fantasy III on the Super NES to now VII on the PlayStation. “What manner of sorcery is this?”, I wondered.
Welcome to Spocco Square! It’s a big sporting facility where you’ll play all the Nintendo Switch Sports! Seems like a neat place to visit, if you like playing sports I suppose, but it ain’t no Wuhu Island! It kind of reminds me of those touristy sporting goods stores that have been popping up around near where I live lately, like Scheel’s. Anyway, come with me on a tour as we take a look at all the games you can play in this game.
Out of this World (aka Another World) was initially developed and released for the Amiga and Atari ST personal computers by French game designer Eric Chahi in 1991. The game was later ported to the Super Nintendo, among other home consoles. Out of this World garnered much praise for its intriguing visual style and storytelling ability. In most games from this era, text or dialogue was usually the vehicle used to drive the story forward. But this one did it differently. Instead, the ever-changing situations, dangers, and victories all worked together to tell the story without a word.
By 1990, Sega was enjoying newfound success with their new 16-bit Genesis system. It quickly became a competent competitor to the NES with popular titles like Golden Axe, Phantasy Star II, and Revenge of Shinobi. But despite the rising success of the Genesis, the platform didn’t have a brand character that could rival Super Mario. Tasked with creating such a mascot, character designer Naoto Oshima came up with Sonic- a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog. Sonic the Hedgehog was released on June 23, 1991- two full months ahead of the Super Nintendo’s debut in America. It was a big summer for Sega, and today marks the 30th anniversary of the moment that made them an icon in the home console gaming space.
There is nary a soul out there who hasn’t seen or heard of Snoopy- that lovable beagle in the Peanuts comic dating back to the 1950s. Having existed across various forms of media, it was only a matter of time before Snoopy and friends would end up on a Nintendo system or two. Such was the case in 1990 when Kemco released Snoopy’s Magic Show on the Game Boy. A few years later, one of my sister’s school friends let my brother borrow this game, which I eventually played and completed. Returning to this game as an adult, I have no idea how kid me finished it without a broken spirit.
Games of the Decade: Expansion Pass #17/Blog a Day #14
Games of the Decade: Expansion Pass #29/Blog a Day #2
Left my job early in the year, took some time off, then started community college that summer. It was a rough summer but I got into a routine at least, if not into gainful employment. That fall I started part-time at a local library while schooling. It's my favorite place on earth. Here are some of my favorite media from that year.