Forgot password?  |  Register  |    
User Name:     Password:    
#shmup

Xevious Review Rewind

A Game Changer

Every time I play Xevious on one of Namco’s "museum" compilations, I can’t help but reminisce about the time when I first discovered the game in 1992 on the Atari 7800 (a system which also familiarized me with other Namco classics outside of Pac-Man). Back then, our family couldn’t afford the Super NES or Sega Genesis. So, in a move of what I think was out of pity, a friend of ours gave us her 7800 with a huge bag full of games. While rummaging through the cartridges, I came across the little oddity known as Xevious. It was probably the first game I had heard of that started with an “X”, and the name intrigued me. I quickly fell in love with the unique enemy designs and mysterious land structures peppered throughout the game.

Read more »

10 Comments
Leave Your Comment »

Velocity 2X Review

All warped out.

Velocity 2X, by all measures, is a well made game. It has a pretty extensive amount of content including 50 core levels with a healthy number of objectives to achieve in each, a set of unlockable puzzle-based bonus levels, and the Switch version even includes the DLC out-of-the-box. But even after completing the whole game, I never really felt satisfied with it. While there’s a lot of content, each level feels similar to the last and this lack of diversity eventually wore me down. By the time the credits rolled, I was relieved to be done with it.

Read more »

0 Comments
Leave Your Comment »

Azure Reflections Review

Danmaku Rush!

At a point, Bullet Hell games felt like they were generally exclusive to Japan and rarely made an appearance in western markets. These days, both consoles and the PC are flush with them, which I can appreciate. I’m by no means great at them, but I find them engaging and they hit that same nerve that other intensely challenging games in other genres do that makes me want to get better at them. Azure Reflections is of the Touhou variety (though an unofficial entry in the Project) and puts its own unique spin on the genre. Though incredibly challenging, it offers players a helping hand with its accessory system, as well as a variety of difficulty settings to make it more accessible to a wider audience.

Read more »

3 Comments
Leave Your Comment »

Sora - Gameplay Trailer

Read more »

0 Comments
Leave Your Comment »

Luftrausers Review

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. 

Read more »

10 Comments
Leave Your Comment »

Resogun Review

The PS4 has its Geometry Wars.

Any game where you fly a spaceship and blast aliens has my interest. Factor in the added tension of rescuing humans, though, and I’m pretty much guaranteed to hate it. I’ve tried to play Defender and its ilk for decades, but could never “get it.” From the mind boggling button layout of the original Defender arcade machine to every reimagining and sequel that followed, the execution just didn’t hit me right until Resogun tweaked it all just enough to enable the concept to achieve its full potential.

Read more »

1 Comment
Leave Your Comment »

Kokuga Review

A unique take on the shoot-‘em-up genre with mixed results.

Kokuga isn’t your typical shoot-‘em-up. Despite being developed by Ikaruga alums, it takes a unique approach to the genre that encourages a more defensive playstyle and completely turns the conventions for power-ups on its ear. Though an interesting divergence, the changes made aren’t necessarily for the better.

Read more »

4 Comments
Leave Your Comment »

XBLA Title "Sine Mora" Being Ported to Vita

One of the best XBLA titles this year will soon go portable.

Sine Mora was one of the unexpected surprises earlier this year when it was released on the Xbox Live Arcade. It was a shoot-em-up with great presentation and a distinctive feel. Developer Grasshopper Manufacture and Publisher Digital Reality have decided to share the love and will bring the highly rated title to the PlayStation Vita via the PlayStation Network.

Read more »

0 Comments
Leave Your Comment »

Paul's Shooting Adventure 2 Review

Somebody made a boom-boom and is selling it on DSi Ware.

In Paul’s Shooting Adventure 2, there are large bees that throw dog piles at you. Yes, the kind of dog piles you are thinking of: poop. It’s an appropriate weapon for a game that could double as lawn fertilizer.

Read more »

0 Comments
Leave Your Comment »

Sine Mora Review

Grasshopper and Digital Reality deliver a one-of-a-kind shoot-'em-up.

Sine Mora is a fascinating specimen, which should be no surprise to anyone familiar with Grasshopper Manufacture's other work. Once again, the team behind No More Heroes and Shadows of the Damned has delivered an experience that shakes up the established norms of a genre and provides a crazy, convoluted story that will have most players scratching their heads. This horizontal scrolling, bullet hell shoot-'em-up introduces a unique upgrade, special move, and timing system that drives the boss-intensive quest. While Sine Mora suffers from a few minor issues, its ingenuity and originality make it one of the best titles in the genre.

Read more »

4 Comments
Leave Your Comment »
Posts 1 - 10   1   2  »

Top Stories

Support

Twitter

Facebook