Leonardo Faria's Reviews
Had Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants been released in, say, 2021, I would have definitely complained about it, but I would have also said there was no better option for us fans out there. In a post Cowabunga Collection and Shredder’s Revenge world, however, this game feels almost like a joke. I don’t know who this game is for. By being so dull, so lifeless, so devoid of joy and excitement, Wrath of the Mutants actually stands out like a sore thumb.
It’s far from being a bad game, mind you. There’s quite a bit to like about it, such as its Half-Life-esque presentation and expansive levels. With that being said, it’s not as over-the-top, and as a result, entertaining, as its predecessor, which featured better combat sections and more replayability. It does scratch a very specific itch. If you want to play something that vaguely resembles the original Half-Life in scope and gameplay, I think that Phantom Fury can satiate said niche.
Bear in mind that I appreciate the attempts at spicing up a Cretaceous-era gameplay loop with elements like the stress meter and a (forgettable, but still extant) story, but all in all, Lunar Lander Beyond is best enjoyed, and then forgotten, in 15 to 20 minute bursts. There was nothing about it that irritated me, but rarely did the game wow me, very rarely did it impress me. It’s a very honest attempt at reviving another Atari IP without the need of turning it into yet another Recharged title, but there’s just so much that you could do to update something that was already quite limited in scope even back in the 80s.
I’m not going to say that The Epyx Collection: Handheld is an easy recommendation, but it’s a fantastic opportunity for retro gaming enthusiasts to experience a few hidden gems which had previously only been available on a very obscure, but very underrated portable system. You may think this collection is a waste of time because nobody (aside from me and half a dozen other weirdos) owned a Lynx back in the day, but games like Gates of Zendocon and Blue Lightning are still amazing, more than 35 years later.
I may have enjoyed the shallow, but ever amusing combat sections featured in this collection, but I had to endure utterly boring VN sequences in order to reach the next one. There was also not a lot of substance in terms of lasting appeal and amount of content, despite the “Collection” name in its title. The ridiculousness of the premise doesn’t entirely make up for the technical shortcomings or the boring plotlines, but it’s still amusing in shorter bursts.
Corn Kidz 64 may have its fair share of issues, but it clicked with me. The visuals, the exact kind of instrumentation you’d expect from an 12MB cartridge, the nonsensical emphasis on collecting everything on sight… it’s all there. Add in some charming animations and some shockingly great level design, and what you have here is basically a staple for all future indie developers to look upon when deciding to make a N64-inspired retro platformer.
The problem with Hebereke Enjoy Edition is that it’s a single ROM, with no regards for localization whatsoever. It is a good game, and worth checking out if you loved Ufouria: The Saga 2. But Sunsoft and City Connection could (and should) have done a lot more to entice fans of the franchise and appeal to newcomers. With so many games in the series available in other platforms, an entire retro collection could have been created instead of this barebones pseudo-remaster of a single Famicom title.
Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom is a truly bonkers collectathon with some wacky ideas and excellent level design. There is a lot to do, a lot of places to explore, tons of gears to collect, and dozens of references and pop culture nods to unearth. It is an excessive game in terms of its presentation; it can be too much at times. It’s loud, it’s abrasive, and it’s (adorably) juvenile. But that’s also what makes it so charming, in my opinion. It might be ridiculous at times, but it wears that crown of stupidity with gusto.
I’m not taking its fascinating and heartwarming development history into account when I say that I liked Saviorless and recommend it… if you’re into this specific kind of slow-paced, artsy platformer.
Let me be clear that I laud Saber Interactive for doing the impossible and managing to make a game like Kingdom Come: Deliverance run on the Switch in the first place. Sadly, just because they could, it doesn’t mean they should have done so. This game is not a good fit for the platform, be it for its excessive emphasis on immersion and realism, or the sheer amount of setbacks and limitations which had to be taken in order to make it run (poorly) on the console in the first place.
Expeditions: A Mudrunner Game feels less like a mere logistics simulator, and more like a truck version of Death Stranding that feels more exciting to play than Death Stranding itself.
From its overly sensitive controls to its questionable design choices, Krimson managed to irritate me throughout my entire gameplay. Not even its metal soundtrack, which should have been a slam dunk to my ears, managed to make this utterly irritating experience stand out in a positive way. It’s almost as if it was intentionally crafted to annoy me in every conceivable way. I simply cannot recommend it. Even if you like loud, abrasive and challenging games, there are better options elsewhere. This is just unnecessary sensory overload for the sake of it.
Welcome to ParadiZe‘s premise sounded a lot cooler on paper than in practice. The sheer limitations on the zombie taming aspect made the game feel like a mere Diablo-ish clone, at best, with the only difference that you and your friends have four more brainded AI allies to help you out on your raids. It’s serviceable with friends, and really boring if you decide to play it by yourself. All in all, it’s not inherently bad, but far from good either. I’ve played better zombie games, and worse zombie games.
I tried not to compare South Park: Snow Day to The Stick of Truth and The Fractured But Whole, but considering it is still a sequel of sorts, it’s hard not to feel massively disappointed with this game. We went from gorgeous and hilarious RPGs to a bland, boring, uneventful action roguelike with baffling graphical design choices, underwhelming controls, and an overall gameplay loop you have experienced dozens of times before. The sense of humor alone is not worth the admission ticket.
I was really impressed with how good Felix the Cat on NES is, and it’s now one of my favorite hidden gems on that system. It’s still a lot of money being asked for one excellent ROM, its Japanese counterpart, and a Game Boy port that’s basically a novelty item. I’d say that, if you have some cashback credits in your eShop account, Felix the Cat is really fun and worth your time. If not, maybe wait for a discount.
MLB The Show 24 might be, in theory, more of the same if you’ve been playing all previous iterations of the game, but the handful of inclusions in this particular version were enough to justify its existence. Its Storylines mode impressed the hell out of me, not only with how detailed it managed to tell Derek Jeter’s career, but with how it managed to educate (and educate at the same time) someone not into the sport with all the importance behind the Negro Leagues. Add in the good presentation and excellent gameplay, and what you have here is more of the same, but also more of the GOOD same.
Contra: Operation Galuga is not a long or groundbreaking title, but after the poor reception generated by its predecessor, a simple return to form for the franchise was the ideal way to go. It retains the gameplay loop, challenge and adrenaline from old school Contra, with a series of gameplay, accessibility, replayability, and quality of life improvements.
So what you have here is a friendly reminder of why Battlefront was one of the coolest gaming sub-franchises of the mid-2000s. Aspyr didn’t exactly do a lot to remaster these games in this collection, but at the very least, they didn’t compromise them. The very few additions (bigger player count, online multiplayer, and a vast improvement on the Hero Assault variety) are still very welcome.
I can’t help but feel like the BlazBlue branding in Entropy Effect feels tacked on, almost like a last minute addition to ensure some extra sales, but as a game, it’s actually a pretty good roguelike. It looks good enough, and its combat and powerup systems are really solid. Even though I didn’t care at all about its plot, I got hooked on its gameplay loop. At the end of the day, that’s what really matters. It might be BlazBlue in name only, but this little roguelike is a welcome surprise regardless.
I cannot stress how disappointed I was with The Inquisitor. It’s all due to how much I wanted to love it. Its setting and premise are downright amazing. I loved Königstein and the mysteries haunting it. I wanted to know what would happen next in this crapsack world. Sadly, that required playing the actual game, which ended up being janky, messy, and full of questionable design choices.