PixlBit

Cute but Deadly

After seeing the incredible success of Konami's shoot-'em-up Gradius, Sega sought to create an arcade game that could rival it. So in 1986, game designer Yoji Ishii (Flicky, Outrun, NiGHTS) came up with a concept that combined the whimsical sensibilities of Twinbee with a giddy samba-esque soundtrack to create Fantasy Zone. As a lighthearted take on side-scrolling shooters that later cemented the "cute-’em-up" subgenre.

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Kill the skies.

The wonder of some indie games that go for that retro aesthetic is they kind of live up to our brain’s memories of what those old games were like, without the warts we seldom remember.  Sort of like a period film, it might not be like how things really were, but while catering to our modern tastes, a finer piece of art is sculpted, one that has learned the mistakes of the past.  Luftrausers is a game forged out of what once was – not only with its 8-bit aesthetic, but also with its satirical Nazi artwork.  Both of these themes work for and against it, but overall what we have here is a great game that is a commentary not only on the past, but on the future. 

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Not sure if I'll be able to trust another tactical first-person shooter ever again.

Prepare to have your hopes dashed on the rocks of reality: this is nothing like Rainbow Six. There is nothing good, fun, or entertaining about it. It's not something you should try for any reason. It's so bad that it will take months of patches before it could be merely described as bad.

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It's hard to see the line when it's drawn in the shifting sand...

When the creative minds of game designers come up against the practical, business-focused minds of game publishers it can lead to endless frustration. This frustration is shared by the consumers, wanting a unique gaming experience but also needing that experience to be something that they can instantly click with. This frustration is the crux of my feelings for Spec Ops: The Line, a game that pushes narrative into some refreshingly interesting places, but stumbles with game mechanics that smack of publisher homogenization.

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You'd think after the 100th skeleton runs towards his death that they'd change up their strategy...

Painkiller is aggressive. Hordes of demonic forces stream forth from every conceivable point of entry, threatening to overwhelm with sheer numbers. Death metal pumps through the speakers, fueling the adrenaline-soaked battles. I cycle through my selection of wicked-looking weapons, choosing the right tool for the task at hand—blowing big holes into my enemies. I have to move around the battlefield quickly, lest I get pushed into a corner and annihilated. Painkiller is all about turning the dial to 11, and it does so with glee. I was bored by level 2.

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