Valkyrie Saga – Review

Overview – developed and published by Public Void in collaboration with RAWRLAB Games, Valkyrie Saga is a retro styled 3D platformer, where players explore an ancient sky island that is in danger. As the divine Valkyrie Roll, travel the different areas of the island, fighting dangerous foes and soar through the sky to stop the coming cataclysm. This title is available for Steam and Nintendo Switch 2, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of the review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank RAWRLAB Games for providing the copy of Valkyrie Saga that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. Please note, I will be covering the core details of the game, preventing spoilers for some of the hidden details of the experience.

Story – Roll, a Valkyrie and divine warrior chosen by the Goddess for an important task, to prevent the floating island from falling to the earth. Given the tear of the Goddess, the player must reach the tower at the center of Piladia, preventing the cataclysm that may occur. During the quest, Roll will encounter corrupted lands, destroyed ruins and encounter powerful Seraphim. Can Roll reach the top of the tower, or will the island fall and the faith in the Goddess be lost.

Gameplay – Valkyrie Saga is an open 3D adventure, where the player must explore an island that is in a state of critical instability. As the Valkyrie Roll, players will be able to move around the sky island, being able to jump and glide through the air. The core objective of this adventure is to reach the top of the tower, where the Goddess tasked Roll with placing the Tear of the Goddess. But to achieve this goal, there are several tasks to complete.

At the start of the game, the player will only be able to run, jump and dash with their lance while on the ground in the introductory area. This allows players to get to grips with the general movement, basic combat skills and gliding/hovering abilities, learning how to handle the basic game controls. While in this area, players will be able to activate a special crystal, allowing Roll to collect a shard from it, adding it to her inventory.

These crystals are special as they will imbue Roll with energy, expanding her movement abilities. When equipped with crystals, players will be able to use that energy to move through the air more efficiently. This is possible through additional jumps and air dashes with the lance, which will embed itself into walls, allowing players to launch themselves upwards into the air. Each extra jump and dash use energy, which is refilled when the player touches the ground.

After leaving the start area, the entire map opens up and the player can roam the land. In the center of the map, there are the ruins and the tower, with smaller areas on the lower level of the island. While exploring the different locations, the player will be given tasks by the inhabitants of the land. These include collecting items, defeating specific targets and climbing to set points in a sub zone, with rewards for many of these tasks upon completion.

The rewards that players get will vary, with the main one being additional crystal shards, further enhancing Roll’s movement skills. Players will also be able to pick up life increases, which increase the number of hits that players can take before dying. This is alongside movement boosts that enhance ground and glide speed, letting players soar through the air at a higher speed. But these aren’t the only power-ups that players can pick up.  

While exploring the island, players will come across energy sources containing arcane power. When one of these is encountered, powerful magic spells will be unlocked for use during the adventure. There are several spells that can be found, including a fireball and wind that lifts Roll into the air. Each spell can be used once before they need to recharge, with an icon on screen that fills up to show the cooldown for the magical power.

There is a lot of opportunities for combat in this release, with cherubs, seraphim and even dragons that appear on the island. To battle these enemies, players can use spells or their trusty lance, which will require crystal energy for rapid usage of it. The attacks that the enemies will use vary, with melee and ranged attacks that can be used, which will keep players on their toes. If the player dies during combat, they will be sent to their last save point.

Throughout the game, players will discover special statues, which can be prayed at to restore lost health, save progress and select spells. Roll can also communicate with the Goddess through the statues, which may provide lore details and information about the task at hand. The statues can be used to fast travel, by using the restore feature to warp to the last statue or save point. Players can also freely pray to change their spells at any time.

The island has a map showing areas that can be explored, with the main locations being named. This can be useful for seeing all of the spots to check out, but it can be hard to use as there is a lack of marker for the player. There are also hidden points of interest, including dungeons and remote points that contain hidden additional power-ups and upgrades to collect. Some areas will be locked, needing to be unlocked by clearing other tasks first.

As the player explores the island and climbs higher, new platforming challenges will be added. These consist of moving platforms, floating objects and ledges on walls for players to recover crystal energy. As the adventure progresses, the challenge can fluctuate due to the non-linear nature of the game. The complexity of challenges will be affected by the number of crystals collected, the upgrades found and how players choose to approach the adventure.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – this adventure makes full use of the available inputs on the controller, with a comfortable layout for all of the key actions. This makes the game rather easy to pick up and play, but it does have some minor hiccups when in use. Due to the way that the camera and movement are controlled via the sticks, it can be difficult to use the face buttons while adjusting the camera, leading to dropped inputs. But this can be adjusted to rather easily.

Difficulty – Valkyrie Saga is a rather flexible game in terms of challenge, as the non-linear nature of the game will affect the way that players can approach it. Players will be able to make the game easier, or more difficult based on the number of crystal shards they have. This also applies to the upgrades, health increases and spells that the player collects. In general, this adventure is approachable and offers a good challenge for all players.

Presentation – from a visual perspective, the style for this game does a good job at emulating the look of classic PlayStation games. This is done well, with low poly models and scaling techniques, making it feel authentic while avoiding things like fog of war. The audio and music is pleasing, with compositions that add to the experience, giving the world presented additional depth. All of these elements come together well, creating something that feels familiar yet new.

Final Thoughts – with the prevelance of low poly games in modern times, there are a lot of misses, with relatively few hits. Thankfully, Valkyrie Saga is one of those rare hits in the scene, with an experience that I very much enjoyed. The story is relatively light on the surface, but has a lot of depth that is hidden within in-game lore. Then there is the gameplay, with offers a flexible and enjoyable platforming experience, with fluid and exciting movement.

There are a few hiccups with the game, as the map is hard to use, some tasks are a little cryptic and it is possible to get stuck while gliding across the ground, needing to go to save points. Thankfully, these issues don’t ruin the overall experience, but can be a frustration for players. I do think this is a well-made game, with just a few blemishes that manages to replicate the feel of the PSX era. I am happy to recommend this game, as it offers a lot of content for a small cost of entry.

In the end, I give Valkyrie Saga a final score of 4/5. This is a solid and enjoyable retro style platforming adventure, which attempts to emulate the style of classic 32-bit games and does it quite well, with challenging platforming, open-ended exploration and enjoyable combat. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch 2 version (HERE)

Link to Steam version (HERE)

Lost Gems – Saturn Bomberman (SEGA Saturn)

Hello and welcome to the latest entry in Lost Gems, the series where I discuss games that have been lost, forgotten or completely removed from distribution. This week, we are taking another trip through the explosive catalogue from Hudson Soft, with the major leap into 32-Bit for the Bomberman series. So let us take a look at Saturn Bomberman, the exclusive release for the SEGA Saturn from Hudson Soft released between 96/97.

Disclaimer: while the game discussed in this feature is no longer officially on sale, there are still ways to obtain it. This can be either through the secondary market, or via unofficial digital roms/rips. I do not condone or promote piracy, so there won’t be any links to roms or rips of the games being covered.

So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be starting with the general game experience, then give my personal thoughts on the titles. I have covered other games in the Bomberman series, which you can find linked (HERE).

About the game

Saturn Bomberman takes place on Bomber Planet, the world that Bomberman and his companions defend. In this adventure, the demon Crator has been unleashed by the super villain Mujoe (Mr. Meanie outside Japan), who has brainwashed it with a mind control device. To save the world Bomberman must recover the gems that once sealed Crator from the Hige Hige bandits. Once all of the gems have been collected, Crator can be defeated once again.

Just like the other games in the series, we have the Normal adventure game and battle game, but exclusive to this release, there is the Master Game. Starting with the Normal game, the loop follows the formula established in Bomberman 94’ and Super Bomberman 3. The objective is to destroy target beacons, which will open up the exit when all of them have been destroyed, with enemies wandering around each of the areas to hinder the player.

The enemies that appear in stages are related to the world they appear in, with some worlds having multiple themes to them. These include the clowns and pirates of Amusement world, sentient dolls in samurai world and living revolvers in Wild West world. There is a good variety of enemy types in this release, offering a fun challenge for players during the adventure. Just be aware they don’t need to be defeated to clear the stages.

Progression through the world will vary as the game progresses, with the first three worlds having only one boss battle, whereas the fourth and fifth worlds feature two boss battles. This keeps the game from getting repetitive during the fairly long run time. Included in this game is the map screen, which will allow players to return to previous stages, with the ability to play easier stages to build power-ups on the player and farming lives.

Speaking of power-ups, all of the established powers have returned to this game, with the bomb and flame increases, the kick boot, glove and remote bomb to name a few. But introduced to this release are the marble bombs, based on the marble shooter B-Daman toys, allowing players to shoot bombs that detonate on impact. If the player dies during a stage, some of the special power-ups will be lost when restarting, with all upgrades going away on a game over.

Introduced in this game are the Tirras, dinosaur like creatures that are hatched from eggs which Bomberman can ride. When they are hatched, they are shown as babies, being small and cute and growing when an egg icon is filled on screen. There are five different types of Tirra that can be encountered, each with unique skills. We have Pink that can jump, Purple uses sonar to locate items, Blue kicks bombs, Green runs in a line and Yellow roars to stun enemies.

The Tirra can be dismounted so players will be able to switch to different ones if eggs appear, allowing players to try different options depending on the stage. As this game supports co-op play, it also allows players to be able to both have a Tirra companion, but be warned it is possible to blow up a partner causing them to lose their dino. Using the Map mechanic, players can return to previous stages to easily power up their Tirra.

On the topic of Co-op play, this game has two player action, where the White and Black Bomberman work together through the adventure. Just like the other games, this can be a chaotic and frantic experience. If player loses a life, they will be able to rejoin the game immediately at the cost of a life. This is where the challenge can ramp up, as the players share a pool of lives with the partner player unable to rejoin if they run out.

If the player dies during single player, or both die in co-op play, the current stage will be reset. In the event that all lives are lost, players will be given the option to continue, save the game or go to the main menu. If the player chooses to go to the main menu, or soft resets the game, they will be able to resume from the stage they go to. However, when continuing from the main menu or loading a save, all power-ups will be lost.

Moving onto the Master Game, this is a unique single player tower climb mode. In the spirit of the original games, the player must clear a total of 20 stages, with the objective being to defeat all enemies. In this mode, players have a single life to get as far as possible, with death immediately ending the playthrough. However, players can collect additional “lives” which will protect them from the flames and enemies, but they are limited in their usage.

Much like the other modes, there are special items that can help the player like the kick boot and glove. But in this mode, they are limited to the stage they are collected, being removed from the player when the current floor is cleared. This adds an element of strategy to the proceedings, as each stage has a different approach that players must take. Don’t dawdle however, as there is a time limit and if it expires, the game ends immediately.

Every four stages, there is a boss that will appear, each with their own unique thematic elements, which are tied to the overall martial arts theme. This extends to the look of Bomberman in this mode, who wears an outfit that is reminiscent of Goku’s signature look from the Dragon Ball series. When the player is able to clear all of the stages, or if they die during the attempt, they will be sent to the results menu, getting a ranking based on their performance.

The last part of the main game to discuss is the Battle Game. This is the classic multiplayer mode where players battle it out in chaotic and explosive combat, with free for all and team battle modes. There are two types of battle game, with Match Play, where players will face off in single match sets, alongside the Series Play, offering a league based tournament play. After selecting the style of play, players will be able to set the battle options.

In the Battle options menu, players will be able to select the size of the battlefield, there are two options to select from, with normal and wide (discussed in detail further below). Then players set the mode, number of players and rules for play, including the number of wins needed, length of time and more. Once all of the rules and settings have been chosen, players will then select the characters that will enter the battle.

For this release, the White and Black Bomberman appear as the only series representatives, with the rest of the roster consisting of guests from other Hudson properties. These guest characters include the Hudson mascot Honey, Milon of Milon’s Secret Castle and Bonk from the platformer series that was on PC-Engine. Players can also unlock two secret bonus characters, obtained via a code entered on the main battle screen, expanding the playable roster to 12 characters.

After all characters have been selected for battle, players will be able to select from one of 8 stages if in normal play. These include the classic arena, alongside special gimmick stages, like the soccer stadium where goals will spawn flames when bombs are kicked into them. The diversity of the stages gives this release a lot of chaotic variety, as they each offer a unique experience for players to enjoy. Then we get to the special Wide Stage.

If the player selects the Wide Stage option from the battle menu, the maximum number of players will go from eight to ten. This game mode is known in fan circles as Hi-Ten Bomberman, as it was heavily based on the unreleased special tech demo, created by Hudson in partnership with NHK to promote widescreen TV technology. When playing Wide mode battles, the field is significantly larger, with the camera zoomed out which does have its downsides.

Due to the much larger size of the battlefield, the sprites are smaller than usual making visibility harder on smaller screens. This gimmick can be a lot of fun for groups, but does require a larger viewing space for players to get the most out of it. At the time of release, this was difficult as the average size of television screens was around 18 for smaller rooms and 21-25 for larger spaces. Thankfully with new displays it is easier to enjoy this mode.

In both Normal and Wide mode, the traditional power-ups and items will appear just like the standard game modes. But there are some special unique items that can be found in the Battle Game. These include the Skull, which will curse the player that picks it up and can pass it on to other players, with effects like reversing movement, power reduction and auto bomb dropping. There is also the Devil which will curse all players immediately.

The Tirra eggs also appear, with the ability to level them up by collecting more eggs. The companion will grow by one level for each additional egg collected, up to the maximum of level 3, with the power of the Tirra enhanced with each upgrade. Just like the main game mode, if the player takes damage when riding the Tirra, they will survive but at the cost of their friend. There is no way of selecting the type of Tirra, adding to the chaos of multiplayer.

If Mad Bomber is activated, players will be able to continue to attack other players after death, appearing on the edge of the screen in a special machine to throw bombs into the field. At the end of a match in both normal and wide mode, if it has been activated, players can activate Bomber Catcher, which is a crane game mini game that will give the winner a bonus item, ready for the next series of battles with a special item exclusive for Wide Mode.

Personal thoughts

As mentioned in my previous features covering the PC-Engine releases of Bomberman, I am a fan of the series, with Saturn Bomberman being my personal favourite. I have had a deep love for this game for almost 30 years, having been able to experience the game before it as officially released in my region via import. There is something very special about this game, with the general look of the sprite work, transitions and depth of content in the game.

I spent many years playing the game off and on, with most of my time being in the battle mode with family, being a staple of game time together. Although, we didn’t have a multi-tap so we would have to pass the controller around, with the winner of each set staying on. I didn’t manage to stay on often, but I always had a lot of fun playing the game with my dad. We also got to play through the Main game together, but I wasn’t very good at it when I was a kid.

I would come back to the game whenever that itch needed to be scratched, managing to beat the Normal game mode after many attempts. The Master game did take a longer time to beat, as I just didn’t have the skill to get through it as a kid, but since then I am able to clear the mode fairly consistently. The main reason I return to the game is for multiplayer, having introduced others like my wife to the chaos of the Wide bomber stage.

The game made the most of the Saturn hardware, using the full FMV capabilities for the intro and in game scenes, with fantastic anime style animation. Then there is the highly detailed sprite work, which has both background and foreground elements that work well, giving the stages even more life to them. The only issue is that some of the stage elements can obscure breakable blocks, enemies and even items that can appear.

As this is an exclusive title for the SEGA Saturn, it also managed to feature online gameplay through a system called Net Link the US and XBAND modem in Japan. This system allowed players to connect via phone lines, making it one of the earliest examples of online console gameplay. As the Net Link system was discontinued long ago, it is not possible to play the US version online now aside from via emulation. But it is still possible to connect via XBAND in Japan.

The game received a positive reception from critics and players, with the game maintaining a fan following that has continued to this day. The popularity of the game, as well as the relative rarity of it due to the unfortunate poor performance of the Saturn in the west, has led to the game having a high cost for international versions. However, the Japanese version which is often seen as the superior release, is more affordable on the secondary market.

Now there has been a resurgence of popularity with the classic Bomberman games, with Konami re-releasing the Super Nintendo games via the Super Bomberman Collection. This has been a relative success, meaning there is a demand for these games in the modern day. Sadly, I don’t think that there will be a modern port of Saturn Bomberman, although with the Zebra Engine from City Connection, if a deal can be made, it is a possibility.

If you have enjoyed this feature, then please stick around and see what else catches your eye. I cover a wide range of games in reviews, get special previews and put out regular features. I have Lost Gems, Retro Revival where I discuss re-releases and the occasional Gaming Oddities piece, where I cover weird and wacky titles. So stay a while and have a look around.

Incremental Retro Racing – Steam Review

Overview – developed and published by Baardmoeder, Incremental Retro Racing is an arcade style pixel racing game inspired by classics of the genre like Outrun. Earn stars by hitting top speeds and unlock additional vehicles, upgrades and modification options while hitting an endless number of tracks. This title is available exclusively for PC platforms with Steam and SteamOS support, with a link to the game at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Baardmoeder for providing the copy of Incremental Retro Racing that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. As there is no story for this release, I will be going directly into discussing the gameplay. I will also be referring to the game as the abbreviated name of IRR for the sake of brevity.

Gameplay – Incremental Retro Racing is a throwback racing game, where players must floor it along varied locations and multi lane highways. As the player makes their way along the long roads, there will be traffic on the road that players will need to avoid. The driving is rather simple, with the player moving left and right, taking breakneck turns and the ability to use a turbo boost. There will also be buildings that encroach on the track, adding to the obstacles.

While hitting top speed along the tracks, players will earn stars when passing set checkpoints adding them to the total for the stage. The star total will carry through between each stage. At the end of the stage and before the next one begins with a rolling start, the player will be able to access the unlock shop. Here players can spend stars to unlock upgrades, additional features and new vehicles, with costs increasing with each purchase made.

The upgrades that players can unlock include performance upgrades, improving speed, handling and adding more turbo uses for the track. Alongside the vehicle improvements, the player will also be able to unlock star bonuses, adding the ability to earn stars from hitting high speeds and overtaking cars. Players can also pick up star multipliers, which will cause the total for players to rapidly balloon, as additional color stars will be added.

Vehicles that players can add to their garage include the standard sports cars, classic muscle cars and general runabout vehicles. But there are also more unique vehicles that players can get, like a dump truck, oil tanker and even a motor cycle. The different motors that players can pick up have their own capabilities, offering varied stats for the players to select from. There are many vehicles to unlock, which can be seen on the road during stages.

The most interesting of the unlockables for this game are the stage editor settings, which let players modify the way that stages will look and play out. As players unlock new mods, settings will be added to the pause menu that players can freely adjust. The adjustments that can be made include changing the cosmetic looks of the stages, with colors of the roads and stage elements, alongside the number of lanes, turns and valleys in stages.

When making modifications to the stages, they are applied to the next stage, as each of the tracks is generated during the transition between stages. This track generation makes IRR endless, with no real ending to the game and a lack of achievements, being an unfortunate downside. In IRR, the only goal is to obtain all of the in game unlocks, which may be a downside for players as that is the only form of progression.

As this is a retro style game, there are several visual settings that can be modified in the main menu. To give the look of the game a more retro feel, players will be able to add different CRT effects to emulate the look of classic tube screens. Players can adjust the brightness, add glow and scanlines, as well as effects that will distort the look of the screen. These are a nice touch, but they don’t add anything to the experience of the game aside from aesthetics.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – IRR uses a very simple control scheme with only a few buttons that are used to play the game, with accelerate, brake and turbo needed for vehicle control. The handling of the vehicles when moving side to side are pretty reactive, but are impacted by the vehicle chosen. There is the ability to fully adjust the controls, remapping them on controller, keyboard and even steam deck, allowing players to use any controller they want.

Difficulty – there is no real difficulty to the game, as there is no significant failure state for this release, with only a timer that ticks down during play. As there is no ending, there is no real way to win or lose the game, so there is a real lack of difficulty with IRR. But that doesn’t mean there is a lack of challenge, as modifying the track can make things a little tricky. This is due to the density of traffic and the roadside elements that push into the track.

Presentation – IRR is a real throwback to the games that inspired it, with the Super Scaler style sprites that the game uses, showing dynamic roads and cars. This works well but has the capacity for some hiccups with sprites, and everything looks rather static and basic with no car animations. The sound is okay, with some decent music that is rather enjoyable, but there are issues with the effects as they can start to drone, especially the star sounds which get annoying.

Final Thoughts – I really like old super scaler racers like Outrun and Super Hang-On, where speed feels natural while burning down long stretches. So seeing this was coming out was pretty interesting to me. However, my experience with the game was a pretty mixed bag, with awkward collision detetction and driver behaviour. While I did enjoy the game loop, with the high speed and general arcade feel of the game, it does feel rather lacking in some areas.

There is a lot of content on offer, but due to the lack of a definitive ending, there is no true goal to work towards aside from unlocking all of the content. Due to this, the game fails to stick the landing as the endless nature of it can become repetitive quickly, potentially boring players after a while. The lack of achievements also adds to the potential tedium, as there is no way to measure progress. So I’m not sure I can recommend the game unless it really appeals to you.

In the end, I give Incremental Retro Racing a final score of 3/5. This title offers a rather fun arcade style throwback, with endless gameplay and a tremendous amount of unlockable content, but it is sadly let down by any lack of true progression or ending to the game. if you want to check this title out for yourself, you can find a link to the game at the bottom of the review.

Link to Steam version (HERE)

Disgaea Mayhem – Nintendo Switch 2 Review

Overview – developed by Nippon Ichi Software and published by NIS America, Disgaea Mayhem is an action RPG spin off in the Disgaea universe, allowing players to take control in battle. As the sword for hire N.A. enter the Netherworld of Super Duper, hired by the new Overlord Tichelle who has taken over from her late father. This title is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Steam, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of the review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank NIS America for providing the copy of Disgaea Mayhem that was used for this piece, via the Keymailer Service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting off with the story. please note that I will only be covering the core mechanics and experience of the base game. There is DLC content available, but I was not able to test it out for this review. I have covered other games in the Disgaea franchise which you can find (HERE).

Story – N.A., a battle-hardened mercenary has been summoned by Princess Tichelle, the Overlord of Super Duper, a Netherworld where demons vie for supremacy. She gives him a job, which leaves him shocked when learning the details. The princess’ now deceased father, the former Overlord created the Pristine Gleam Flan, which has been stolen by his former subjects who rebelled upon his death. Now she wants it returned, hiring the mercenary N.A. to get the job done.

Gameplay – Disgaea Mayhem is a significant departure from the traditional SRPG games, taking the action from the board to open fields. In this new adventure, the player will have full control of the protagonist, the hired hand N.A. as they go across the areas of the Netherworld causing chaos. The game is split into chapters, where the player must complete a set of stages to progress. Each stage will have hordes of enemies to annihilate in battle.

While on the battlefield, the player will be able to use a variety of attacks, with a light and heavy strike that can be mixed together in a combo. There is a lot of versatility to the attacks, mixing them together to deal maximum damage to the enemies in battle. Depending on the weapon that players select for battle, some attacks can be charged up to deal maximum damage. Each weapon also has special attacks tied to them, giving them even more options in combat.

During the stage, the special attacks will have a cooldown to them. This means that players will need to wait between these power attacks, adding a level of strategy to the deployment of special skills. Players will also be able to use different defensive skills, including a dodge, jump and guard to avoid the onslaught of the enemies. It is also possible to interrupt enemy attacks, using special skills before enemies attack to interrupt them to devastating effect.

In each of the stages, the player will need to complete several objectives, before reaching the boss of the area. The boss battles can be dangerous, with a significantly larger enemy that can deal massive damage to the player. These battles will have the player needing to wear down the boss, dealing enough damage to break their shield, stunning them for a moment. In this weakened state damage is amplified, making it the perfect time to unleash special attacks.

Some enemies will be able to hit the player with status ailments, like poison or paralysis which will leave them to additional damage. They can also knock the player down and prevent them from getting out of danger. If the player is not careful, they can be defeated in battle and fail the stage. To prevent this from happening, there are items that can be used, with health recovery, status cures and more with up to four different items that can be used.

If the player succeeds in clearing the stage, they will gain several rewards once the stage boss is defeated. The main reward that the player will receive is experience points, levelling up N.A. when milestones are met and increasing their strength. Players will also receive money in the form of HL, which can be used in the different facilities in the castle hub world. New equipment and items will also be awarded for the battles ahead in the Super Duper Netherworld.

Between the stages, the player will be able to roam the castle of Princess Tichelle, having access to several different facilities. While in the Hub, the player will be able to use the Rosen Queen Store, offering a range of weapons, equipment and items that can be purchased. As the player progresses through the story, there will be more powerful items that will be made available for battle, with discounts available for buying items.

As the player progresses through the game, there will be additional features that are added to Castle. Here is a quick breakdown of the main features that players will be able to unlock in the hub world;

  • Dark Assembly – by visiting the Dark Assembly, players can call a vote to pass bills for different effects. These include adding new features to the castle (discussed below), giving bonuses for the next stage and even Reincarnation, where players reset their Level with a bonus to the base stats. All Bills cost Mana earned from battles.
  • Buddy Base – a special base that is unlocked during play, where monsters can be recruited as battle Buddies. These support characters can turn into weapons through Magichange, allowing N.A. to harness special attacks and ultimate destructive skills. Only one partner can be assigned at a time, levelling up alongside the player.
  • Chara Worlder – Enter the dungeon inside N.A. with Battle Buddies accompanied by Princess Tichelle, who will guide them on a boardgame style world, where they will take on a challenge to unlock the hidden potential of N.A. by taking on battles and events.
  • Item Worlder – Here the player can enter items as N.A. while accompanied by their chosen Battle Buddy, players will battle through multiple waves where hordes of enemies appear. Each of the waves have a gatekeeper that needs to be taken down to move onto the next, with bonuses like enhanced power to select between waves.

Before the player delves into the action of each battle, they can prepare themselves for the chaos by adjusting their weapons and equipment. Like many other Disgaea game, players can change their gear freely in the Castle to adjust their stats and skills. Unlike other games in the series, the player is fully proficient with all weapon styles. These include melee weapons like the sword and Axe, and ranged weapons like the Gun and Bow.

Each of the weapons have their own unique positives and negatives, with some dealing with crowds well, whereas others being better at taking down foes one by one. Finding a weapon that fits the players chosen style of play, as well as the stage can make battles exciting as the hordes of enemies are annihilated. The weapons and gear can be enhanced through the Item World, making them even stronger for battles and levelling the player up.

There is a lot of replay value for Disgaea Mayhem, with the variety of content available in the base game. This is due to the player being able to play any unlocked mission, as well as having endless challenges with the Item and Chara Worlds. Being able to return to previous stages, alongside the infinite battles within Item World is a good way to accelerate EXP gain. This can be useful for players to prepare for the tougher stages later in the game.

This is not as long as other Disgaea titles, with many games lasting for up to 100 hours. However, there is a good depth of content present here, with enough for players to enjoy and return to. It is possible to adjust difficulty and make the game tougher, making enemies stronger to deal more damage. Players can also unlock a range of achievements and trophies, which is a nice touch adding additional challenges to try and achieve.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – Disgaea Mayhem has a very easy to pick up control system, with the main action inputs across the face buttons and character control with the thumbstick. This works well in battle, with snappy and responsive inputs in battle, especially when using the combo inputs for special skills and defensive moves. There is some awkwardness when using the camera, but it doesn’t sour the overall experience and action.

Difficulty – as this is an action RPG, there is a lower difficulty ceiling than the traditional Disgaea game, making it more approachable for players. It can become quite easy to over level the main character, which can make some parts of the game relatively easy. So to fix this, players can use the unlockable cheat shop to raise the difficulty, adding a level of control to the challenge. Players can also challenge themselves by entering areas under level, making stages tougher.

Presentation – from a graphical perspective, Disgaea Mayhem has the anime style that is the signature of the series. All character models are done well, with beautiful artworks for the character cut in portraits. The third person perspective gives this game a whole new dimension, as it is the first game to use this camera. Then we have the way the action flows on screen, with smooth animations for all attacks and the Magichange transformation skills.

The sound for the game is excellent, with the sound effects having a lot of weight and impact to them. Then we have the music overseen by Tenpei Sato, the long time composer for NIS behind the signature Disgaea sound, with an excellent mix of vibrant, exciting and heavy compositions. Last is dialogue, available in English and Japanese, with the EN voiceover featuring Blythe Melin (Digimon Ghost Game), Risa Mei (Phantom Brave the Lost Hero) and Kellen Goff (My Hero Academia).

Final Thoughts – I make no effort to hide that I am a pretty unabashed fan of Disgaea, having covered all of the releases for the Nintendo Switch. So when I first saw this mix of the Musou genre with signature Disgaea lunacy, I was immediately sold. The story is not as rich as a traditional entry, but the soul of Disgaea is present with the chaos of gameplay. There is a lot of content on offer, with the main story, Item/Chara worlds and some additional hidden content.

The combat is a lot of fun while being easy to pick up, making it accessible for people who have an interest in Disgaea, without needing to learn complex mechanics. Some people may find the game to be shallow on the surface, but there is a lot of depth with the endless replay value. My only negative for this is that was DLC released at the same time as the game. However, I am happy to recommend this game to fans of the series, Musou enjoyers and those looking to dip their toes in.

In the end, I give Disgaea Mayhem a final score of 5/5. This is another excellent entry in the Disgaea franchise, with satisfying combat, charming yet goofy characters that fit perfectly into the world, an excellent soundtrack and the signature chaos that the name is known for. if you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch 2 version (HERE)

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Link to PlayStation 5 version (HERE)

Link to Steam version (HERE)

Slime Girl Smoothies Encore! – Special Preview

Hello there and welcome to a special preview feature, where I will be discussing the upcoming special definitive enhanced release of an adult puzzler. So today I will be sharing a special sneak peek of Slime Girl Smoothies Encore!. This deluxxxe version of the game is special as it marks the four year anniversary of the original game, with all of the base game content, DLC and exclusive for this release, a special extra story and bonus content. Coming August 29th.

Disclaimer: before I get into the preview, I want to thank Shady Corner Games for allowing me to be involved with this project. This was in the form of bug testing, providing feedback and some collaborative input. My involvement with this project has not influenced the contents of this preview, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Mature Content Disclaimer: This special definitive release is intended for adult audiences, with the rating of Adults Only/R18. This is due to the inclusion of strong language, explicit sexual content and graphic nudity. All characters featured in this game are ages 18 and up. If this content offends you or you are under the age of 18, please check out some of the other posts on the site.

About the game

Slime Girl Smoothies Encore is the special definitive release of the adult puzzle game, taking place at Slimey’s Bar. This establishment is operated by the Slime Girl Berry, with her staff consisting of daughter Cherry, the shy Plum and the standoffish Mint. The player takes the role of a new hire, working a trial as floor manager. To get the job, the player will need to work with all of the girls, make it through each week and prove they have what it takes for the job.

The core gameplay loop for the game involves players mixing drinks, which is done by dropping fruits on a grid to get flavour points. The available fruits change with each turn, with different combinations of fruits providing different flavors for the drink. Each drink has six flavour scores, which need to be met to succeed and progress. If the player exceeds the maximum flavour, or runs out of turns the drink will fail, failing twice means a game over.

The base game features four different girls that players must work with, making their way through four shifts together. During the course of each shift, the player will get to know the girls and become closer to them. Once the main girls have been cleared, the player will be able to access the additional guest characters. These offer three extra story chapters for players to engage with, getting to know these special visitors to Slimey’s bar.

This content makes up the original release of the game, which completed the initial release of the game last year. This year to mark the four year anniversary, a brand new chapter of Slimey’s bar has begun. With Slime Girl Smoothies Encore, there is the brand new additional game chapter, called Oozy Origins, which unveils some backstory of the girls before they joined the bar. This features brand new dialogue, story and art of each girl.

Alongside the Oozy Origins chapter, a special bonus game mode has been added called Afterhours, offering an extra challenge for players to dive into. This is a tough new challenge, where players will take on a gauntlet of drinks with special reward images for beating this ultimate test of endurance. Not only is there the extra mode rewards, but there is additional art, gameplay and audio content that has been added, giving players even more to discover during play.

All of the music has been remastered with Altered Ego providing fresh mixes, with a brand new song by Pommchu. There is also brand new voice work from the original cast, with a new voice for the character Mint by independent voice actress Podgekinn. This recast is due to the previous VA No longer being part of the project, having been blacklisted from the industry due to misconduct. However, Podgekinn makes this role her own, adding a new dimension to the character.

Players will also be able to unlock a whole host of new achievements, adding an additional 28 unlockable trophies for those who want the bragging rights. This is alongside the brand new unlockable arts, bonuses and special challenge mode, giving the game more replay value than ever before. There is even behind the scenes content, showing the groundwork that was used to build the world of Slimey’s that players came to know.

Personal Thoughts

I have a lot of love for Slime Girl Smoothies, having spent the last 4 years playing and testing the game, getting to see the evolution of the game and each expansion take shape. This has been an interesting part of my life, as this is the most involved I have been with a game since I started bug testing. I also got to enjoy the console port of the game, even purchasing it as a physical release when it was released for the Nintendo Switch.

What started as a small game with four characters, established itself as a brand with Slime Girl Smoothies Encore being the peak of this first instalment. The quality of story that was established with the base game is expertly maintained, with the new content expanding the world that Shades built. The additional chapter gives characters an extra dimension, adding further depth to the core cast and fully rounding out their personalities.

Slime Girl Smoothies Encore is a celebration of the game that started as a quirky little puzzler, all about slime girl bartenders mixing drinks with their bodies. I have spent many hours playing this game as a tester, as well as in my own time for the fun of it, as it is a fantastic title by its own merit. The gameplay itself is something that is wholly unique, managing to make it more than just a generic smut game, with the adult content not being the focus for me.

The way that the narrative is written, the core cast and guests are portrayed and the way the overall package is presented, makes this quite possibly one of the best games in the adult only space. When I play this game, the nudity and adult content is secondary to me, as I truly enjoy the challenge and complexity that the puzzle system provides. This is another example of Shady Corner being more than just boobs and butts, offering solid gameplay that is consistently engaging.

There are talks of sequels and additional titles in the works, making Slime Girl Smoothies a franchise which excites me. I genuinely enjoy games that have adult materials in them, but I am tired of the rampant shovelware that is in the space, with games that are just sliding puzzles with A.I. generated slop. So the prospect of more games that have the same attention to detail, engaging gameplay and well written narratives is something of a ray of light in the dark.

Trailer can be found on youtube (HERE), but be aware it is Age Restricted for mature content.

I have covered the base PC release, DLC and Nintendo Switch Port over the past 4 years, which you can find (HERE). You can also find the page for Slime Girl Smoothies Encore on Steam (HERE), to be able to wish list it before release, as well as the original release (HERE) and console version (HERE). If you want to keep up with the goings on at Shady Corner, you can find them on X (HERE) and BlueSky (HERE), but content here is 18+ so viewer discretion is advised.

Denshattack! – Review

Overview – developed by Undercoders and published by Fireshrine games/Boltray Games, Denshattack! is a train action game set in a colorful Japanese dystopia. As Emi, take to the tracks on your special train as you ride the rails, performing tricks and hitting grinds to be the best in the underground sport of Denshattack!. This title is available for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox series and Steam, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank JF Games PR for providing the copies of Denshattack! that were used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. Please be aware, I will only be covering the core elements of the game, as there I don’t wish to spoil the excitement and surprises that this game holds for players. Please note, all images used are from the Nintendo Switch 2 version early in the game to prevent major spoilers.

Story – In the future, a climate crisis pushed many into domed cities across Japan. But on the outside, people survived and even thrived. Emi is a Ramen Delivery girl, driving her train to get her ramen to the people on the outside. During a delivery, she meets Fernando, a photographer who tells her about Denshattack. An underground sport where the best drivers compete to be the best, inspiring Emi to want to jump in an take on the top Denshattackers.

Gameplay – Denshattack! is an interesting hybrid of racing, platforming and extreme sports, where trains hit the rails at high speeds, drift around corners and perform gravity defying tricks. This adventure is spread across multiple chapters, where the player will travel across Japan, hitting locations like Kyushu Osaka and Hokkaido. While travelling across the country, Emi will encounter a colorful cast of characters, who make up the Denshattack scene.

On each of the courses, the player will blast down the tracks at high speeds, hitting big jumps and break neck turns. To conquer each of the stages, players will need to master several skills. These include the ability to drift around the corners, maintaining the momentum and getting a boost, rail transfer where players switch tracks in the air and rail grinding. But the most important skill to learn is how to hit the big tricks while in the air.

While soaring through the air, the player will be able to perform tricks is a manner similar to Skateboarding games. Each time the player takes off from the ground by a ramp or using the gravity jump skill, the player can use the right stick to spin and flip their train. There are numerous tricks that players can pull off, with star ratings related to the skill that is being used. Easy tricks are one star with the most challenging tricks having four stars tied to them.

The tricks and skills will start of simple, only having jumps to perform the flips and spins on them. But as the adventure progresses, courses will introduce new more challenging mechanics for tricks, like rails for grinding, wall ride areas to cross gaps and vert ramps to get big air. All of the elements mix together allowing for extended trick combos, with the ability to manual on two wheels, giving players the potential for massive score combos.  

As the player makes their way through the Denshattack circuit, a special heightened power will be unlocked called Yaoyorozudo. This allows Denshattack drivers to see a special rainbow track, allowing them to ride on the air itself. To activate this power, players must fill a rainbow bolt on the side of the screen, with combo tricks being the fastest way to fill it up. It will activate automatically, with alternate paths and secret routes that will open up to players.

There will also be hazards and obstacles on these tracks, as there will be the corners that must be drifted on, stop signs and environmental hazards that will get in the way. If the player fails to drift, they will crash their train and be returned to the track. This will also occur if the player hits any of the hazards, like stop signs and fallen rocks they will also crash out. It is also possible to go out of bounds by jumping while on corners or not switching rails.  

In each of the chapters, the player will need to take on a variety of challenges and objectives, with the most common being the standard stages. Here the player will need to reach the goal in as short a time as they can, while also performing tricks to get the maximum score possible. Alongside the standard stages, there will be challenge stages, including objective based stages and score stages, where players must reach a target score to clear it.

When a stage ends, the player will get a medal rating based on three different criteria. There is the score and time targets, with three levels to them split into bronze, silver and gold. Then we have the Dares, which are special stage challenges including performing selected tricks, reaching combos and collecting special spray paint/film items on the track. The final medal awarded will be based on the average of all three end stage criteria.   

At set points during each of the chapters, players will encounter boss stages where they must engage in battles against the leader of the region. These battles stages can get chaotic, with each of the bosses having a unique mechanic tied to them, including giant mecha magical girls and a worm like chain of trains. To clear the boss, the player must survive dangerous hazards, dodge deadly attacks and stay on the track to take down the imposing rivals in battle.

Between stages, the player can access the garage where they can alter the look of their train, with colors, patterns and graffiti art that can be applied. From the start of the game, there are limited options for cosmetics, with a few options to select. However, throughout the adventure players will find castles on the overworld map, where they can access the shops. Here players can buy new cosmetics, as well as accessing the train market later in the game.

The overworld map itself is rather large, connecting all of the stages together across Japan. The player will see different details that are tied to the area they are in, with elements including the Domed Cities, Moai style statues and even a Ferris Wheel. Players can also find special printing shops, where they will be able to produce special Denshattack Fanzines. These give details on the region the player is in, showing character arts, action shots and more.

There is a lot of replay value with this release, where players will be able to return to previous stages to replay them to improve scores. This can be very useful as many of the stages will have no crash challenges, where the player must make their way to the end of the stage without crashing their train. These are the toughest challenges when first playing a stage, as it can take a few attempts to get used to layouts and be able to ride the rails flawlessly.

Last to discuss is the bonus and secret content to discover. There is a special optional seasonal skin pack, offering four different looks based on the seasons of the year, for a relatively low cost. Then we have the special collaboration packs, which feature art and some voices of popular internet personalities, including Ironmouse, Limealicious and RT Game. These are activated by entering special codes in the custom shop.

The codes for these special collaboration unlocks have appeared during streams, but can also be found scattered across the internet. Having these special codes included in the game are a great bonus, blending the different elements of internet culture with the Japanese inspirations. All of these bonuses are optional, but are a great addition and provide even more depth to the content on offer for players.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – There is a rather well balanced control system for this release. The control for the train moving left and right is uses the left thumbstick, with the right being used to perform different tricks, similar to games like SKATE. For the drifting and jumping the player uses the triggers, which can cause some hiccups by pressing the wrong button during tense sections. However, all of the inputs are rather easy to pick up and play.

Difficulty – In general Denshattack! has a rather gradual difficulty curve, with the occasional difficulty spike during boss battles. Thankfully, there is no real punishment for failure in stages, as you can keep replaying the stage to clear it. During my time playing the game, there were no real struggles to get through a stage, but some of the challenges can be rather tricky. But with enough patience, it is possible to get the maximum ranks.

Presentation – visually, this game is just dripping in the style of its inspirations, with a cel-shaded and vibrant graphical presentation. The different Japanese aesthetics all meld together, with Gyaru and delinquent cultures, alongside anime themes like Mechs working well together. Then we have the artwork for characters that have been inspired by classic anime, with each theme being distinctly unique. Everything just pops with color, which adds to the experience.

The sound is also very good, with music from Tee Lopes, Ryo Nagamatsu, Sean Bialo and more. These different styles offer a robust variety of sounds, with electro funk, sampled vocal big beat, heavy rock and even classic Japanese instrumentation. This makes it feel familiar, yet fresh. For the voice lines, there is English and Japanese options, with the English cast featuring the talents of Rhianon Moushall (Honkai: Star Rail), Dev Joshi (Arknights) and Tei Sussex (The Witcher).

Performance – I was able to test Denshattack! on both Steam Deck and Lenovo Legion GO S (Steam OS version), alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 and standard PC release. Using the Handheld PC systems, there were no issues in terms of resolution, with no stutters or skipping at the default game settings. Sound comes through clean, without distortion or problems at max volume. The fan speed fluctuates to match the demands of the game, but doesn’t become and annoyance.

Inputs are responsive, with no issues in terms of delay or lag in play. The screen clarity and depth of color is good on both systems, but better on the Lenovo Legion GO S compared to the Steam Deck, which may be due to the bigger screen. Text Visibility is good at default size, but relatively small which is a downside to the portable nature of the systems. Loading times didn’t feel log or drawn out, and cutscenes played with no issues.  

The handheld PC versions play as well as it does on a nicely Spec’d PC. Speaking of the PC, the game plays well, with a wide variety of adjustable settings and modifications that can be made. The game is very well optimised and performs well on a range of hardware. This is proven by how smooth and clean the Nintendo Switch 2 version works, as it offers a stable and engaging experience, both on the big screen and via a handheld format.

Final Thoughts – I am a big fan of the extreme sports genre, as well as the experimental games from Japan that would go off the rails (pun intended). So when Denshattack! was announced, I was very excited, as it evoked the feel of games like Jet Set Radio and early Tony Hawk. I enjoyed every second of this chaotic adventure, with the exciting tricks and set pieces of different tracks being a highlight. There is just so much fun to have with this game.

All of the different elements come together to create something wholly unique, which is a rarity when it comes to the current gaming landscape. Denshattack! is challenging and a lot of fun to play, with a tremendous amount of replay value, and all that is missing is some form of global ranking, but the community will take care of that. I am happy to recommend this release to everyone, as I feel it must be experienced to feel that thrill that has mostly been lost in modern days.

In the end, I give Denshattack! a final score of 5/5. This is a chaotic, frantic and thrilling mash up of extreme sports, Japanese culture and a banging soundtrack, with a fantastic amount of depth to the content and a charm that persists throughout. If you want to check this release out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch 2 version (HERE)

Link to Steam version (HERE)

Link to PlayStation 5 version (HERE)

Link to XBOX Series version (HERE)

70’s-style Robot Anime Geppy-X – Steam Review

Overview – Originally developed by Aroma, with porting by Implicit Conversions and published by Bliss Brain, 70’s-style Robot Anime Geppy-X is a revival of the cult classic blending shooting and anime together. Play through the episodes of the fictional anime Geppy-X in challenging shooting action, with fully remastered hand drawn animation and audio. This title is for PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Steam, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank PR Hound for providing the copy of 70’s-style Robot Anime Geppy-X that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I will be referring to the game by the shortened name of Geppy-X for the sake of Brevity.

Story – it’s the year 197X, with the earth being suddenly attacked by an alien force called the Cosmic Demon Empire. This invading force commands an army of beast-like robots known as the Space Beasts. During the invasion, a top secret Space Robot Laboratory located in the far east scrambles to action, having prepared for a situation like this. They deploy the newly developed transforming combination robot Geppy-X, helmed by three ace pilots.

Gameplay – Geppy-X is an experimental title that mixes the concepts of an episodic anime series, with side scrolling shooting. Each of the episodes plays out in a manner similar to a traditional anime series, using the familiar format that is employed with shows of the time. Each stage will start with an introductory text and full vocal opening, then the first part of the “episode” plays before the action begins and the player enters the shooting.

During the shooting sections of the game, the player will control the Geppy-X mecha which is able to transform into three different forms. The initial form is dependent on the story with a preferred transformation, but it can freely changed during play. As the player challenges the main stages, they play out in classic horizontal shooting style, with enemies attacking the robot from the front and sometimes from behind.

To fight off the Cosmic Demon Empire, players will be able to use two basic attacks, with a main and sub weapon, which will change depending on the chosen form of the mech. The main attacks consist of a spread blaster, multi-beam lasers and power fist punches, with the sub weapons including powerful air slashes, bombs and missiles. If the attack button is held down, a super powered charge attack can be used, but be careful as it can be interrupted.

While traversing the different areas of a stage, the player will be able to turn and face the opposite direction to attack. This can be very useful as there will be enemies that appear behind the player, as well as players getting ahead of them to avoid attacks. If the player does take damage from an enemy, they will lose armor energy, reducing the defensive power that they have from varying amounts. If all of the energy is lost, the mech will be shot down.

Throughout the game, as the player shoots down the enemies or takes damage from enemies, the X Power bar will fill up on screen. If this bar is completely filled up, the player will be able to unleash a powerful ultimate attack. Each of the different forms of the Geppy-X robot has a unique special attack, which will fill the screen and wipe out all smaller enemies. In the event that the player is shot down, the player will lose all of their accumulated X Power.

By wiping out the enemy forces, there will be item drops that will support the player during battle. The main ones are the Main and Sub weapon upgrades, which will make the attacks more powerful as they level up. There will also be recovery items, which will restore the armor that has been lost in battle, as well as support items to pick up. When a support capsule is picked up, another mech will join the battle to aid the player for a limited time.

In some stages there will be Heat Signature warnings, which will herald the coming of a large powerful foe. These enemies are huge multi-phase combatants, where the player must damage several parts of the craft to bring them down. Players can also encounter named enemies, which are designated as more powerful than standard enemies. These are few and far between and often saved for key parts of specific episodes.

At the midway point of the stage, there will be a mid-boss that will appear to battle the player, being hailed by warning and occasionally a cutscene. The battles can be tense with the mecha beasts unleashing a hail of bullets, filling the screen with deadly projectiles. When the mid-boss is defeated by the player, there will be special attack animation that plays, showing off the finishing blow against the enemy. After this a classic style Eye Catch insert will appear.

After the Eye Catch, special mock commercials will play out, including advertisments for mechandise, food products and even parody film trailers. These can be a good way to ease the tension after a challenging mid boss battle. Once the commercial break is over, a second Eye Catch will appear and the second half of the Episode will begin. The action follows the same formula of the first part, where the player must battle the enemies to reach the end boss.

When the player reaches the end of the stage, they will be confronted by the main boss, with the same Giant Beast warning as the mid boss enemies. After the warning a cutscene will play to show off the full might of the boss that is appearing to battle the player. Just like the mid-boss battles, players will need to carefully avoid the attacks that the bosses use. These are often more chaotic with increasingly dense bullet patterns filling the screen.

Some of the bosses will have multiple forms, which will change after defeating them for the first time. There will also be bosses with multiple health bars, more deadly attacks and really pushing the player to their limits. If the player is able to defeat the boss, a special scene plays out showing the robot destroying the beast. After this the end of the episode plays out, with the effects of the battle, the ending theme and a preview of the next episode.

Between episodes, the player will be prompted to save the game to continue. This can be very useful as there are limited credits for the game, meaning if the player gets stuck during a battle and gets a game over, they can continue. Once all of the Episodes are completed, the player will get an ending before being taken to the score screen and the rankings. But there is more to the game that is hiding below the surface, just waiting to be discovered.

Geppy-X is more than just a single set of episodes, as there is a hidden secret that will alter the way the story progresses. Depending on the choice made during a key part of the game, the player will get put on a different route. There are three routes that players can experience, each offering a unique set of scenes and a unique ending. This expands the game significantly, as it will completely change interactions and events during the game.

Alongside the alternate routes and special endings, there are additional extras that players can unlock. The first is the Beast Guide, which is a compendium of all the enemies that have been encountered during the game. Then there are the extra stages, which are unique and special bonus game modes for players to challenge the game. These include the Boss Rush, called the Movie, which has the player battle all the bosses one after another.

Then there are the alternate stories, where the player will pilot a different robot for a special run through the game. But the most interesting of these alternate modes is the Star Geppys, which is a parody of American adaptations of Anime. This has all the names of characters changed, their personalities and the locations of the stages. Tokyo is changed to New York, Keiyo is switched to Detroit and all the characters speak in exaggerated English at points.

Since this is an HD remaster, all of the original crunched audio and video has been fully redone, with brand new transfers of the animations. There is also additional quality of life enhancements, with official translations of the game, a full manual and adjustable CRT filter settings to adjust the appearance of the game. Players can also use a rewind feature, allowing mistakes to be corrected, as well as quick save/load to stop and jump back in freely.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – as Geppy-X is a console shooter the game makes full use of the inputs, with all buttons on the controller being used. The face buttons controlled the main action buttons, with the main and sub shots, the special attack and ability to turn. On the shoulders, players can switch their form of the robot craft, as well as use turbo fire during stages. There is also the option for Keyboard support, but it is recommended to play with a controller.

Difficulty – there is a rather well balanced difficulty curve for Geppy-X, with the action gradually escalating during play. The action of the game starts off easy and starts to ramp up, with the bosses being the toughest of enemies as they can verge on bullet hell at times. But this doesn’t mean the difficulty is punishing, as the player can get through the game with the limited credits. For those who may struggle, using the quick save/load and rewind can be a great help.

Presentation – from a visual perspective, Geppy-X is stunning, with restored animation from original master tapes and original compressed video options. This adds to the experience, with the cutscenes blending with the action sequences very well. Then we get into the gameplay itself, which flows perfectly with the use of rendered models and sprites. All of these look great against the stage backgrounds, with all of it coming together in a cohesive way.

Next is the sound, which is absolutely fantastic throughout the game, with clean and crisp audio that is balanced very well. The music that is used adds to the grandeur of the action on screen, with an exciting opening, melancholic ending and stage music with a lot of energy behind it. There is also extensive voice work, which features voice actors from across Anime, including Akira Kamiya, the voice of Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star.

Final Thoughts – I am a fan of old school anime, side scrolling shooters and games that go in a different direction, so Geppy-X really appeals to me. There is this unique and magical charm about the game, with the animated scenes and mock commercials really making it feel unique. The gameplay also has a lot of depth to it too, with the transforming robot gimmick, as well as the variety of weapon styles adding a lot of replay value to the action.

This release really feels like you are playing the episodes of an anime, with all of the elements coming together in a satisfying manner. The story of each episode is done well, the comedy doesn’t overstay its welcome and the alternate routes making worth going back to. All of this is wrapped in a challenging and satisfying horizontal shooter. For those who are fans of mecha anime, horizontal shooters or unusual games from the past, this is definitely for you.

In the end, I give 70’s-style Robot Anime Geppy-X a final score of 5/5. This is one of the most unique shooters I have played in a long time, with the episode gimmick and usage of the classic anime format, gameplay that is challenging and fun and a ton of bonus content that will keep you coming back for more. if you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.

Link to Steam version (HERE)

Link to PlayStation version (HERE)

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Love Chemistry – Sibella’s Formula – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – developed by Male Doll and published by Eastasiasoft, Love Chemistry – Sibella’s Formula is a side scrolling platformer where an unhinged scientist goes on a chaotic adventure. As Sibella, traverse a variety of locations and use the syringe shooter, blasting robots, man eating plants and people wandering around to subdue them. This title is available on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, with a link to each version at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Eastasiasoft for providing the copy of Love Chemistry – Sibella’s Formula that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. Please note, I will be referring to the game with the shortened name of Love Chemistry, this is for the sake of brevity.

Story – the mad scientist Sibella has finally completed her formula, a special mixture that will drive people crazy. After completing her work on this experimental formula, she decides to set out and test it to see the effects it has. Loading up her shooting bracelet with syringes full of her formula, she sets out on a mission to get the results she is looking for. She starts her quest out at the university she works at, ready to unleash chaos upon the staff and students.

Gameplay – Love Chemistry is a side scrolling action platformer, with run and gun style action, in a manner similar to that of Mega Man. The player controls Sibella, the mad scientist and guides her through the perilous locations, including the University she works at. Each of the stages are rather large, with sections that are linked together via checkpoints. As the player makes their way through the zones, they will encounter various dangers.

The most common of these threats are the robotic foes, including flying bots, snail-like proximity mines and blaster turrets. These foes will bet scattered throughout each of the zones, starting off rather easy but becoming more challenging the further the player gets. Then there are the biological enemies, with humans including the university attendees and police, alongside monsters like man-eating plants and lizard people.

To fight off all the enemies, the player can use their Syringe bracelet to shoot enemies. The player can make three shots at once when rapid firing, with a brief delay between shots. While making shots, they can pass through the level, hitting enemies behind walls and ledges, letting players be cautious. When shooting the robots, when enough damage is dealt, the robot will explode but be careful as some of them will leave traps behind.

When battling the biological creatures, dealing enough damage to them will cause them to fall in love and incapacitate them. As an enemy is in the love state, the player will be able to interact with them, causing a brief animation to play. For the humans, Sibella will hug or kiss them during the animation, whereas the creatures will react as if they have become Sibella’s pets. The first time each of these animation plays, they will be added to the gallery.

If the player takes damage, they can recover health by collecting green life capsules from enemies. The enemies are not the only threat to the player, as there will be environmental hazards that will instantly kill Sibella. These consist of spikes and thorns, which will be scattered throughout the stages, often with tight platforming and ladder climbs tied to them. In the event that the player dies, they will be sent back to the last checkpoint reached.

At set points in each of the large levels, the player will encounter a boss, which will battle Sibella in an enclosed arena. Each of the boss battles have their own special attacks, including a boss that will rain down blasts on the player and one that has attacks that trail the ground. These battles can be tense and challenging, but if the player is able to defeat them, they will be awarded with a new weapon they can use based on the special attack.

There are four additional weapons that can be collected, which can be toggles between at any time after they have been unlocked. However, using them comes at a cost, as each of the weapon upgrades has an energy bar, which depletes when used. The amount of energy needed for an attack varies, making it important to use weapons responsibly. To refill the energy, players must pick up pink capsules which can be dropped by enemies.

If the player runs out of lives, they will be sent back to the main menu with the option to continue. When continuing play, the player will be sent to the start of the stage they died on, losing all of the progress for the current stage. The player has a limited number of lives, which carries over between stages but they are not reset when continuing, keeping the same number as when that stage started. Thankfully, there are plenty of lives in the stages to pick up.

The game does feel rather short, only taking a few hours to clear, but there is plenty of challenge on offer. There is a lot of tough platforming, with tight small ledges that players must go between, as well as enemies that will make it tougher. There is also an auto scrolling section, which is pretty tough with the player being chased in a tight tunnel section. The game does have some replay value, with two difficulty settings to select from.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – there is an easy to pick up and use input system for this release, with traditional run and gun/platforming controls. The player can use the thumbstick or d-pad to move, with the face buttons to jump and shoot. The shoulder buttons control the weapon switching, making it easy to swap attacks on the fly during the stages. All of the input for this release are responsive, with no issues in terms or lag or delay during play.

Difficulty – there are two difficulty settings for Love Chemistry, with the option for Normal Mode and Hard Mode which is selected when starting a new game. In the Normal Mode, the player will start the game with 6 lives, as well as more frequent checkpoints during the stages of the game. When playing the Hard Mode, there are fewer lives for players and the checkpoints appear less frequently, increasing the challenge significantly for the game.

Presentation – Love Chemistry has a rather pleasant look to it, with decently sized sprites that make it easy to see the character and enemies. There is a good use of color for this release also, having some vibrant environments, while having relatively simple details to prevent them from feeling cluttered. The sound is decent, with some good music and effects that work well for the release, rounding out the whole experience quite well.

Final Thoughts – I do enjoy the side scrolling action genre, with games like Mega Man, Metal Slug and others being games that I return to often. So Love Chemistry appealed to my interests and it was a lot of fun to play, with an enjoyable gameplay loop. It is a rather limited game experience, with a few hours of gameplay, what the game offers is worth the entry fee. It has a level of silliness to it, with the smoochy animations adding to the fun.

It does feel like the developer was going for something a little more lewd, as it has elements that would be seen in an adult game. But this doesn’t hinder the experience, as it gives it a silly comedic feel. The game isn’t perfect however, as some enemy placements can feel unfair, the enemies respawn constantly and when continuing, lives can be scarce. But overall, I can recommend this as it is a rather decent game that won’t break the bank for players.

In the end, I give Love Chemistry – Sibella’s Formula, a final score of 4/5. This is a challenging and rather well made run and gun platformer, offering a lot of silly fun, tricky boss battles and plenty of gameplay content in a budget friendly package. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Link to PlayStation version (HERE)

Lost Gems – Lemmings 3D (Various)

Hello and welcome to the latest installment of Lost Gems, the series where I cover classic games that have been lost, abandoned or simply forgotten. This is a special milestone feature as it is my 500th post, and I will be covering the sequel to Lemmings that took the puzzles from 2D to 3D. So this week let’s take a look at Lemmings 3D, developed by Clockwork Games and published by Psygnosis across PC, PlayStation and SEGA Saturn between 95/96.

Disclaimer: while the games discussed in this feature are no longer officially on sale, there are still ways to obtain it. This can be either through the secondary market, or via unofficial digital roms/rips. I do not condone or promote piracy, so there won’t be any links to roms or rips of the games being covered.

So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be starting with the general game experience, then give my personal thoughts on the title. I previously covered the first Lemmings game, which you can find linked (HERE).

About the game

Lemmings 3D is the evolution of the puzzle series, where the player must guide the green haired “lemmings” to the exit of the stage. While the original game featured a side on screen, where the little creatures would move left and right in a side scrolling nature. This version of the game evolves to full 3D environments, with cameras that allow the player to move in 360 degrees, using full 3D polygons instead of the traditional flat sprites.

The core of the gameplay remains the same as the original 2D game, where the core objective is to rescue as many of the Lemmings as possible. In each of the stages, the target number will be shown in the top corner of the screen, replacing the percentages of previous releases. In each of the stages, the player will have obstacles that they need to overcome, with pitfalls and slippery blocks and trampolines, replacing the traps of the first game.

During a stage, if the player loses too many of the Lemmings, the player may use the Bomb to nuke the level and try again. By doing this, the level can be restarted quickly to get back into the action and try again. To complete the stage and guide the lemmings to safety, the player will need to assign skills to specific Lemmings. Each of the stages have a set number of skills tied to them, with the management of these skills being important to success.

In this version of the game, all of the skills from the first game carry over, with the climbers, floaters, diggers and bashers to name a few. Then there is the unique skill added for the 3D levels, which is the Turner, where the selected Lemming will stop and guide the others to change directions. When using this skill, the Lemming will stop at the edge of a “block” diverting the lemmings either left or right based on the choice of the player.

As this game uses a 3D perspective, there is a slightly awkward camera system, as the player must manually move the camera. To be able to see the different areas of the stage, the player will need to move the camera around, which can be clunky and awkward. But thankfully, there are four camera perspectives for the stages which will allow for quick changes. It does take a little time to get used to, but once everything clicks it becomes easier.

Included in this game is the Virtual Lemming option, which will follow a selected lemming taking their perspective. Which can be useful for some areas that have areas that are obscured from view. After a stage ends, an instant replay option is available which will duplicate the player inputs, taken from the previous attempt. This allows players to see their mistakes, where they can improve their skills, or to just watch back an exciting level clear.

Just like the previous game I covered, the four difficulty levels of Fun, Tricky, Taxing and Mayhem return, with 20 stages in each of them for players to challenge. However, in this release there is the practice difficulty option, which allows players to learn how to play the game in this new perspective. It will teach the player how to use the different skills, the new mechanics, the 3D camera controls and general skills for play.

The password system from the original game is included, where cleared stages will give passwords so players get to continue from where they left off. There is also the option for players to be able to save their progress, using the memory card system so they can come back after turning the system off. When using passwords or the memory card, players will be able to return to previously cleared levels, so they can improve progress or clear time.

The visuals are pretty clear and vibrant in this release, with lots of color and chunky polygonal models. The frame rate is also solid, with no issues in terms of performance or lag during play, alongside well done cutscenes. The sound is nice and clean, with CD quality audio and music that works very well. However, there is an unfortunate issue with the audio, as the voice clips will play repeatedly, becoming loud and possibly annoying for players.

There is something unusual about this title, as there is a Jelly Belly Candy partnership within the PlayStation and PC versions of the game. This is an unusual inclusion, but it does add some nostalgia to the release and a real blast from the past, where these types of collaborations were commonplace. It does make it an interesting piece of game history, like the Chupa Chups inclusion in Zool and the UK Penguin biscuit bars in James Pond 2.

Personal Thoughts

Having been a fan of the original Lemmings as a kid and having it on the Mega Drive and Game Gear, I had an attachment to the series from the start. So when Lemmings jumped into the world of 3D, I was super excited being able to play a sample of the game via a Demo for consoles. I would spend hours playing the demos, trying my best to figure it out, but I never really had much luck. Sadly, the demo was my main exposure to the game for the longest time.

I had seen gameplay videos and got to play it with friends over the years, but didn’t own my own copy of the game. Luckily for me, that did change a few years ago. I received the PlayStation version of 3D Lemmings as a gift from someone close to me, which allowed me to be able to finally experience the game. Being able to sit down and play this game was an interesting thing, as I had lost all of my experience from the time I played the demos.

It was awkward to get used to during the start of play, but the more I played it, the more everything just clicked and it became more fun. The charm of the original game carries over, with the transition to 3D being as smooth as it could be for the time. Each of the models, animations and scenes look good for an early 3D console game. it still has that quirky and wacky humor, which doesn’t overstay its welcome, with silly images between stages.

All of the stages are done quite well, with varied environments and vibrant colors. The puzzles feel more difficult in the way that more planning is needed, which is must different to the 2D games. Unlike the original, it is not possible to just sketch out the levels, so it becomes more of a trial and error game. It is a relief that the instant replay option is present, as it can allow players to see where they went wrong, so they can try to fix mistakes.

There are some minor hiccups with the game, like the way that the sound bites can become a little annoying. Also the controls can be a little weird to adapt to, as the face buttons and d-pad control the camera, with the shoulders being used to activate skills and the side bar. But these issues can be overcome with enough time and patience, alongside the ability to adjust the controls and customise them in the settings. The janky hiccups do add to the charm of play.

After being gifted the game, I was able to drop onto a copy of the Windows version of the game, which is a little more polished. But I still enjoy playing the PlayStation version, as it is the one that means more to me than the PC version. It is also why I chose it to be the subject of this special milestone feature. It is rough around the edges, but it is a lot of fun to play, with the collaboration with Jelly Belly candy making it one of those unique oddities.

3D Lemmings is one of those games that is abundant in its availability online, with copies of the game being easily accessible on the secondary market. The prices have stayed rather low over the years, with the different versions of the games being rather cheap. The SEGA Saturn version of the game will be more expensive, as it wasn’t released in the US, but it isn’t as expensive as some titles that weren’t put out in North American territories.

I have a lot of love for this game and while it may not be the most refined, it is one of those unique pieces of game history that I feel should be experienced. Sadly, I don’t think that it will be, as SONY owns the rights to the series and have done nothing with the series, aside from a piss poor phone game. It will also be unlikely that it gets re-released without significant changes, due to the licensing of Jelly Belly product placements in the game.

If you have enjoyed this feature, then please stick around and see what else catches your eye. I cover a wide range of games in reviews, get special previews and put out regular features. I have Lost Gems, Retro Revival where I discuss re-releases and the occasional Gaming Oddities piece, where I cover weird and wacky titles. So stay a while and have a look around.

Retro Revival – NSO NES: Rygar (Nintendo Switch)

Hello and welcome to the latest entry of Retro Revival, where I cover games that have been given a second chance at life. In this series I cover HD remasters, emulated ports and compilations either in part or as a whole. This week we will be taking a look at an expanded port of an arcade classic, developed by Tecmo. So let us take a look at RYGAR for the NES/Famicom, released in 1987, and revived via the Nintendo Classics NES/Famicom library.

Disclaimer: This title is available via the Nintendo Online Subscription service, which I have paid for out of my own pocket. The opinions expressed within about this release are my own, with no sponsorship of the content within this feature. As this is part of a subscription, there will be no links to the software, unlike other features in this series. The game is included as part of the library on both tiers of the NSO membership.

So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be discussing the general gameplay experience for the game, alongside my personal thoughts on the release.

About the game

In the land of Argool, the five Indora Gods kept the peace and the land was a paradise. However, the evil Ligar lay siege to the land and conquered it, taking over the land and corrupting the once sacred land. The land became a kingdom of evil, taking away the door to peace that the Indora had put in place. As the corruption spread, the people of Argool prayed for a saviour, with their wishes reaching the spirit of Rygar, reviving the legendary hero to do battle with Ligar.

The original version of Rygar is a straight forward side scrolling platform action game, where the player battles enemies, crosses hazards and fights bosses. However, this version of the game has been enhanced significantly, turning it from a straightforward arcade game to a full adventure. This game utilises a mostly non-linear progression system, where the player can explore a large interconnected world, with side scrolling and top down segments.

When the player is in the side-scrolling portions of the game, they control Rygar moving from left to right, being able to jump and attack. While exploring these areas, the player must cross dangerous gaps, fight monsters and avoid hazards. These areas are not just straight forward environments, as there will be transition areas within the different zones. To move between the zones, players will be able to climb ropes, going up and down between the screens.

While exploring these points the player will need to be careful, as there will be enemies that appear throughout the zones, attacking the hero. They will attack the player from the above and on the ground. To fight the enemies, the player must use the Diskarmor, a yo-yo like attack with limited range that goes in front of Rygar. To attack the low enemies, the player can crouch to strike. It is also possible to stun some enemies by jumping on them, stunning them for a moment.

Then we have the top-down/dungeon segements, which function in a vastly different way to the side-scrolling zones. Within these areas, the player will be able to move in all four directions, jump and attack in the direction they are facing. These give the game a feeling similar to that of an action RPG, like the Legend of Zelda with enemies constantly spawning in. The first open zone that the player finds acts like a hub, connecting the player to other areas.

Inside the open top-down zones and side scrolling segments, there will be doors placed in different points. There are two types of door that players can use, with the first being boundary doors, which will let the player transfer to the next area. Then there are the safe rooms, which will contain the Wisemen, who give the player hints on how to progress. Some will also offer players the ability to heal up, offering a potion that fills up all lost health.

At different points around the world, the player will encounter deadly boss monsters that the player must defeat to progress. By slaying these monsters, Rygar will be able to meet the Fighting Gods of Indora, who will provide items that are used to open up new areas. These include the grappling hook, which allows players to climb to new areas, the crossbow to create rope crossings and the wind pulley to travel across the ropes.

With each new item that the player adds to the hero’s arsenal, the area that can be explored expands and some previously unreachable points open up. This adds an element of back tracking to the open exploration of the game, with players needing to go back and forth between the areas. The challenge increases with each of the new areas that are added, with deadly monsters and powerful boss monsters and challenging platforming.

Defeating the monsters will provide the player with experience in the form of Tone, which will increase the power that the hero will deal to enemies. Then there are the Lasting points, which will increase total health the hero will have, starting with three hits and increasing to a maximum of twelve. The amount of experience that the player will earn varies, giving the player different amounts of experience with each monster kill in battle.

It is also possible for monsters to drop potions, which will restore a point of health each time they are picked up, as well as Mind points which are stones with stars on them. By collecting the Mind stones, the player will be able to use special powered upgrades. These points can be used to increase attack power and range of attack, a burst like attack to damage all on screen enemies and even recover lost health. Each power uses different amounts of Mind to use.

As Rygar doesn’t have a battery save feature built into the original game, the adventure needs to be cleared in a single playthrough. The game also lacks a password system, meaning that it is not possible to resume the game when stopping play. Luckily, the game features infinite continues, so if the player dies from falling off screen, being defeated by enemies or dropping into a pitfall, they can jump right back into play.

Since this game is available through the Nintendo Classics, NES Online library, players can use a few quality of life features. The first is the inclusion of Save/Load states, which solves the issue of needing to beat the game in a single sitting. Then we have the Rewind feature, which lets players take the game back a little bit if a mistake is made. These can be rather handy for players who may struggle with the challenge of the adventure.

Personal Thoughts

I like the Rygar franchise a lot, having played the original arcade and the rebooted adventures that launched on PS2 and Wii. I however did not get very far with the NES port of the game, often getting stuck or lost for the most part, due to the open ended nature of the adventure. I tried several times over the years, picking it up and getting as far as I could before failing and having to stop. But this was through bootleg carts and janky emulators.

I did get to see the game through to the end recently though, as I played it as a group when visiting family overseas, working together to make it to the end. After seeing the end of the game, I was also able to play it myself from start to finish, finally crossing it off my list of games I had yet to beat. There is a lot of fun to have with this release, as it mixes platforming, top down action and arcade quality gameplay to create something entirely fresh for the time.

It is one of the harder games in the NES library, as enemies can obliterate the player health bar and punishment for death is being sent back to the last door. The frustrating thing about how easy it is to die, is that with each continue, the player only has three hit points and all mind points are lost. However, the player gets to keep experience and levelling progress, which takes away some of the sting of death. Luckily, there are recovery safe rooms in areas.

Once everything falls into place, the action flows very well, offering players a fun and exciting adventure. I admit I am not the best at this game, and I die a lot from falling into the death plane, getting ruined by bosses and yet, I just keep coming back to the game. I even spend time grinding away to level up early, get mind points and even then the first boss just ruins me. That is what makes finally beating the game so satisfying.

As this is part of the NSO library, there are the quality of life improvements as mentioned further above. But there is also the inclusion of a filter, allowing players to give the game a feel of a classic CRT display. Having this as an optional extra is a nice addition, as it gives players a chance to get a feel for how the game would look on an original screen. It also feels good to play on a big screen, as well as in a handheld format when playing on the go.

This is a tough game, which was common for Tecmo at the time, as they made games like Ninja Gaiden and Bomb Jack, which were known for their high challenge. I have a lot of love for early Tecmo, especially Rygar as it was a very interesting and unique game, which blended action and RPG gameplay. I do hope that it gets a wider release, with the Console Archives series releasing Ninja Gaiden II and III, so there is some hope for it.

If you have enjoyed this feature, then take a look at the other content available and see what catches your eye. There are reviews, sometimes news and features that cover a variety of games. There is the lost gems series, special Gaming Oddities and more coming in the future. So stick around for a while and check out the other content.