Saturday, October 27, 2018

Cuphead Review (MAC)

Cuphead (MAC)
Developed By: Studio MDHR
Published By: Microsoft Game Studios
Date of Release: October 19, 2018
Price: $19.99


Take a deep breath. Calm your nerves. Perhaps put on some relaxing music, and drink some tea. You're going to need all the stress relief you can get if you play to play this madcap adventure from Studio MDHR. Looking like it was ripped straight from the 1930s animation scene, Cuphead is here, and you'd better hide the fine china and get ready to grab the bull by the horns. A seemingly typical run-and-gun 2D action platformer at first glance, Cuphead is definitely nothing of the sort.



Taking cues from some of the most difficult games ever made, *COUGHDARKSOULSCOUGH*, Cuphead is an experience that is all about learning enemy patterns and figuring out how to exploit them. While the game may seem impossible at first, you'll eventually find a way to take down any foe that stands in your way. Just expect a lot of cursing and controller-tossing. Thankfully the awesome production values keep the game interesting, which is a godsend when you have to replay so many sections until you get them right. Persevere and you will be rewarded for your patience. I never felt like I was being overtly punished by the game, there are no cheap deaths here.



The visuals are definitely the star of the show, looking like a 1930s production of Mickey Mouse or Betty Boop. EVERYTHING is hand animated, and convincing film grain and dust pervade every scene. It gives the impression that the game is an old animated serial being shown at a vintage cinema. It has an amazing amount of charm, and the incredible score adds to it. The music is full of rich swinging big band numbers, and dynamically changes to suit the scene. It's clear that the lengthy devopment time was well spent, as Cuphead is an amazingly well tuned bit of old-school (in more ways than one!) gaming. This may just be the best platforming experience that the Mac platform has ever seen. My recommendation is that you take a gamble at this table.

Monday, October 22, 2018

Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams: Owltimate Edition (Nintendo Switch)

Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams: Owltimate Edition
Developed By: Black Forest Games
Published By: THQ Nordic
Date of Release: September 25, 2018
Price: $29.99


In 1987, a small German studio known as Time Warp Productions released a platform game called The Great Giana Sisters for the Commodore 64 computer. Due to similarities to Super Mario bros for the NES, they eventually decided to stop selling it under pressure from Nintendo. How ironic is it then that the series is making a triumphant return, but on a Nintendo console. Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams: Owltimate edition (the director's cut of the 2012 smash hit sequel to the original game) has launched on the Nintendo Switch, and it pretty much is the definitive port of this game.



The gameplay mechanics are pretty much the same as any standard platformer, you can run, jump, collect gems, and jump on your enemies. However Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams has quite a literal twist to it, you can change from regular Giana to Punk Giana, and the whole world twists from creepy to cute, with a shift in musical styles to boot. Regular Giana's world has a creepy look to it with a classical-styled soundtrack, and Punk Giana has a cutesy world, with a hard-rocking soundtrack courtesy of SID-metal masters Machinae Supremacy.



Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams had looked amazing and controlled well on every platform it's been released on thus far, and the Nintendo Switch port is no exception. Whether you play docked or handheld the game looks crisp and stays at a rock-solid 60fps, though it seems to be slightly lower resolution in handheld. All the co0ntent from previous releases are there, from the full original campaign, the Rise of The Owlverlord expansion,as well as the Halloween and Christmas specials. Whether you go for the physical or digital release, the Switch version is definitely the full package.