Review #21 - 2020

One run through and I was instantly hooked. This was a game I saw a streamer do often. They would include their chat members by making them NPCs that join your party as you journey your way to Canada, defeating hoards of zombies along the way. Scenarios are so varied, you never really know what will happen to you each run. You meet strange characters along the way, that can greatly effect the way your run will go. Are they to be trusted? Sometimes they are, other times, not so much. The game is silly, varied, and VERY fun. Combat gets insane and overwhelming at times, making you really consider how you want to go about the decisions you make regarding whether or not you should explore a town, or keep moving. Goodness, sometimes choosing to keep moving can ruin a run. I love how random this game can be. So yeah, definitely worth your time, and if you're a streamer, I HIGHLY recommend including your chat in your live runs by making characters based on them. Makes the game interactive for streams, and you can see if a chat member will either make your run, or break it. Makes for great post stream conversations with your community. Such a blast this game is.

Review #20 - 2020

https://winworldpc.com/product/multimedia-cats/10

Found this one at a Goodwill! This came out right at the start of the multimedia boom of the mid 90s, when software developers began to take advantage of the new optical drives that were allowing for, well, multimedia: audio, video, text, and interactive graphics. Some were shlocky attempts at making money, and some were like this one, designed with the purpose to educate, and nothing more.

"Multimedia Cats" is a resource for people interested in looking for a cat to take in as a pet, or as a way to learn about the animal, and their various breeds, relatives, and ancestors. It's extremely comprehensive, full of text and charts giving you deep details about things such as a breed's temperament level, how good they are with children, grooming difficulty, and more. It includes pictures of the breed, as well as videos showing the cats in action.

Not only can you learn about domestics, you can also learn about their wild relatives and ancestors, with the same amount of information and media, which is not only great for the curious adult, but great for kids as well. There's even a few quiz games to test your knowledge, and some easter eggs involving a silly little mouse fella.

It has been almost 30 years, so I'm sure at this point some of the information may be outdated, but at the time, this may have been a great resource for cat owners, or those interested in getting a cat. I believe they even had one of these for dogs as well! "Multimedia Cats" is a wholesome piece of software, that does the very thing it has set out to do: inform the buyer about cats, utilizing multimedia as a tool to enrich the minds of the user. It's practical, professional, and all sorts of wholesome.

Review #19 - 2020

https://varietyishope.itch.io/vinerealms

This is a game that may be lost on those who aren't familiar with the Vinesauce team, but to summarize it plainly, it's a game developed by members of the Vinesauce community as a means to hype up the community's annual charity stream benefiting PCRF (Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation). It is lovingly crafted, filled to the brim with references and memes surrounding not only the main team members of Vinesauce, but their mods and other iconic individuals within the community as well. It's essentially a collectathon, as you traverse various realms each themed around a particular set of streamers and their memes, and collect stickers and emotes. It's free, simple, and a delightful love letter to the Vinesauce community.

Review #18 - 2020

See the game in action!
https://youtu.be/4aB7FFIqtCE

Having been used to playing flash games that were primarily 2D back in the early 2000s, seeing this game on Miniclip absolutely blew me away. Not many 3D web games looked as polished as this one did, and with 8 great and challenging levels to play, it was an absolute favorite to return to. Think Monkey Ball, but with a little marble that you move across platforms to reach a goal.

I finally did something I always wanted to do as a child, and purchased the full license that was only $10, which gave you access to all 50 levels. FIFTY. I still haven't beaten this game, for it gets harder and harder, but that should say something about how wonderful this little game really is. I doubt many got to experience the full package, and I wish it was still on sale for those to buy. Now with flash dead and gone, I wish the game was at the very least playable. Thank goodness I still have that old file, but there is a chance you could be able to play this game even now...

Check this video's description!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5zZf7f6I_Q

If that doesn't work, at least the demo might!
https://web.archive.org/web/20040803075158/http://www.catalystpics.co.uk/games/rollondemo.zip

Review #17 - 2020

Taking a traditionally side scrolling action game and translating it into a cinematic FPS makes for one captivating experience. I didn't own an Xbox growing up, but I had a GameCube, and to me, this gave me the same chills and thrills I felt playing "Combat Evolved" at my friend's house.

Exploration built tension as you ventured through various alien landscapes. You'd be greeted by smaller enemies that aren't as daunting, but the more you traverse the land, the more terrifying and challenging the creatures became. There's a bit of a survival horror aspect in this game that made me take pause before turning a corner or opening a door. The atmospheric soundtrack certainly added to that feeling of dread and awe.

My favorite aspect of the game was how you discovered lore. You'd scan each and every little thing, from grass, to the creatures themselves, and you'd receive a TON of flavor text that I absolutely enjoyed reading through. It shaped my love for discovering lore in video games, and encouraged me to take in and appreciate every aspect of a game's design.

This is the best application of an FPS title on the GameCube I can think of. They utilized the GameCube controller well, and in terms of graphics, is one of the best looking GameCube titles as well. Given we've found a standard for how FPS games should be controlled, playing this one for the first time may be strange, but you'll quickly get used to it. The "Prime" trilogy is heavily slept on, and I think it's worth giving it a try. Hopefully they port the trilogy to the Switch very soon.

Review #16 - 2020

I started very late into this series with 2016's update to "New Leaf" on the Nintendo DS. I remember seeing this very first game in the store as a child, and for some reason my Dad never let me get this one. Maybe he knew I'd get extremely hooked on it, or maybe not. Regardless, I finally took a dive into playing this game for the first time, and my oh my, it's wild playing the first game of a series. You see a lot of features that are still around in more recent releases, and a few that never went forward. It's that wonderful "Animal Crossing" gameplay we know and love, and although nearly 20 years old, it doesn't feel like it's in its infancy stage here. Don't underestimate this first entry. It feels COMPLETELY realized, and it's FULL of things to do and look forward to!

Something I wasn't prepared for, was how harsh the villagers are in this one. Oh man, that was definitely jarring seeing a villager that's usually chill and kind in "New Leaf", to then be extremely snarky and standoffish in this one. Not really a bad thing, it's kinda funny, but I can see why they lightened up these little critters later on down the line.

This is where it all began, and it's still going strong, garnering more and more players with its latest entry, "New Horizons". This game may seem like a game that isn't fully realized since it's a first entry, but again, don't underestimate this one. You may find it has more than recent entries, and you may fall in love with this one more than you think.

2007

Review #15 - 2020

https://osu.ppy.sh/home

My first experience with a rhythm game involving circles was "Elite Beat Agents" on the Nintendo DS back in middle school. Use your touch screen and stylus to hit the circles to the beat of the song. A simple concept, that can get challenging really quick.

Then in high school, I discovered "osu!", and I instantly fell in love. User curated, "osu!" delivers that same experience of hitting circles to the beat, but with an even bigger challenge since using the mouse allows for faster hits. You can either go solo, or play along with up to 15 other players as a team, or competitively as you play to see who can get a higher score. I have great memories playing with a large group of friends as we shared beatmaps we loved and played them together. It was like a playlist that turned into a game. I've been getting back into it lately, and it's still as fun as it was a little over 10 years ago.

Review #14 - 2020

The collision of two major puzzle titles creatively meshed together not only in gameplay, but widly, in a story as well. It's one of those combinations that seems like a no brainer, and seeing it brought to life in a way that's wonderfully polished and delightfully fun makes this game a must have for your collection. Great as a solo game to scratch your Tetris or Puyo itch, as well as great if you want to add a story line to your puzzle playthrough. And as always, enthralling when played with friends! This is a quintessential Puyo and Tetris experience.

Bluejay's Choice Review #5 - 2020

One of the first video games I ever played as a child, and it still stands the test of time as one of the best 3D platformers out there. It has a total of 9 diverse and exciting lands to explore, each filled to the brim with collectibles to gather and progress with. It's colorful, playful, and full of character. Toss in Grant Kirkhope's knack for writing ear worms, and you'll find that "Banjo-Kazooie" is a fun, unforgettable game that's just as wonderful as it was when it dropped in 1998.

Review #13 - 2020

Totally surreal. "Hylics" is a turn based RPG that takes place in a world that seems to be made of clay or some other organic material. The characters and creatures are a cacophony of shapes and ideas. The music is strange and spacious, often dissonant, and sometimes quite groovy. I like to describe it as a more psychedelic "Earthbound", with Klasky Csupo looking designs that lean more on the side of deranged. I absolutely adore this game.

Review #12 - 2020

A battle royale for old men like me (I'm 28 lol). Simple and to the point. Land, get gun, shoot, easy. I'm not all that big on games like "Call of Duty", but having something I can pick up and play with my friends that's fast paced and intense (and free), is right up my alley. Such a great time, and even more enthralling when you pull off a win.

Review #11 - 2020

I enjoy the heck out of "Minecraft", but I often wished I had some sort of goal. Maybe a set of quests I could embark on. Something to do. My imagination isn't as big as it used to be, so playing "Minecraft" on my own time can be tough. "Portal Knights" remedies that for me. The replayability isn't very strong as "Minecraft", but it's a fun playthrough, especially with friends. It's a game that riffs off of the "Minecraft" formula, and gives it an action adventure twist. You start in a World 1 area, and progress to the other worlds by doing quests and finding resources in that world to unlock more portals to other worlds. There are bosses to fight, and secrets to find as you fight, mine, and travel your way across these realms. It's a wholesome little game, that's even greater with a 4 stack of friends. Also there are pets. Gloriously cute pets (I adventure with a duck).

1996

Review #10 - 2020

https://www.snoodworld.com/snood-game/snood/

The classic puzzler you found on many a PC back in the day, "Snood" is one of those experiences that once you start, it'll be hard to put it down. Its simple gameplay and design makes it accessible to players looking for a quick coffee break puzzler, and is great for players looking for a real challenge. It's always good to have a game you can pick up and play on a whim, and "Snood" is one of those that should be in your library of time passing titles, right there with "Minesweeper" and "Pocket Tanks".

Review #9 - 2020

Didn't really get super far due to emulation of this game not really being the best, but from what I can tell, it's a pretty good movie tie-in game, with a full story mode filled with side quests and mini games starring your favorite claymation duo, with Peter Sallis taking on his titular role (which is nice since some movie tie-ins end up hiring sound alikes).

Review #8 - 2020

My thoughts on this game are similar to how I feel about "Rainbow Six Siege". Great with friends, horrible by yourself. Players get salty if they're losing and dropout, and sometimes players will throw a game out of sheer boredom. Very obnoxious. The game itself is fun for a little while, but eventually the gameplay loop of turning on generators in order to get the door open gets old, and even with a terrifying killer coming after you, the adrenaline starts to wear off, and you start to get well, bored. It stinks because I love the idea of a game that brings all the most iconic killers from various film and game franchises all in one place. The "Silent Hill" collaboration was a great surprise, and got me interested in the game again for a bit, but at this point, it's something I play with friends whenever a rare invite comes my way, and that's about it.