Shadow Warrior Review

Shadow Warrior
Developed by: Flying Wild Hog
Published by: Devolver Digital
Date of Release: September 26, 2013
Price: $39.99

The year is 1997, it is the past. The badass machismo of Duke Nukem 3D that once ruled the FPS genre with an iron fist is starting to wear thin. The world needs a new hero, and that hero is Lo Wang. Formerly a ninja assassin for the great Zilla corporation, this grizzled and wise ass-kicker had been betrayed by his boss and left for dead. Embarking on a delightfully offensive campaign of bloody revenge, Lo Wang kicked Zilla's ass and chased him back under the rock he slithered out from under. Sadly, much time has passed without a new entry in what started out as a kick-asstastic series, and fans were left to wonder what would become as out hero. Thankfully Flying Wild Hog has come to the rescue, rebooting the series with a swift kick to the family jewels.



The new incarnation of Shadow Warrior starts with a much younger Lo Wang cruising down the road in a slick sportster, singing to the tune of Stan Bush's "The Touch" (many kudos for that!). He is on his way to purchase a rare and valuable sword for his boss, Orochi Zilla. Of course things are bound to go wrong, and our hero finds himself up to his Wang in trouble, kicking things off with a katana-based choreography of carnage that makes the Crazy 88 fight scene in Kill Bill look like a Saturday morning cartoon. And this is where we first meet the true star of this game, Lo Wang's trusty sword. Forget all the fancy firepower the game gives you, why use a gun when you can grab some laser-hardened steel and cut yourself some demon sashimi? The melee combat is so good that it has the unfortunate side effect of completely overshadowing the otherwise excellent gunplay.



Even with all the seemingly overwhelming attention that Flying Wild Hog put into the stunning gameplay mechanics, the rest of the experience does not suffer for it. The graphics are absolutely gorgeous, with near-infinite detail placed into the smallest details of each level. Sakura blossoms sway in the breeze, and koi splash merrily in their ponds, awaiting a shower of demon intestines on which to gorge themselves on. You can even leave bloody trails of footprints snaking through the levels, I definitely haven't seen that level of detail in years. The humor of the original game also has not been diminished over time, this new entry is just as full of snark and wit. Be sure to look for every fortune cookie you can find!



When you add it all together, Shadow Warrior is quite honestly a full product, even with the omission of multiplayer. The massive and rousing single player campaign quite makes up for it. With a multitude of ways to dispatch your demonic nemeses, be it by the blade, the bullet, or by mystic powers, things will never get dull as you carve a bloody swath through the hordes of enemies that await. As with their previous work, Hard Reset, Flying Wild Hog has crafted a fine masterpiece of gaming that utterly should not be missed. So go forth young grasshopper, and kick some ass!

Bunny Must Die! Review

Bunny Must Die! Chelsea and the 7 Devils (Steam)
Developed by: Platine Dispositif
Lovingly Localized by: Rockin' Android
Date of Release: September 26, 2013
Price: $9.99

The Year is 1999X. Thermomewclear power: a modern scientific marvel that allows free clean energy for all of bunnykind. This safe and renewable energy was the perfect solution, until the Thermomewclear Power Plant blew up and cursed poor Bunny with a pair cat ears. Still retaining her long lapine ears as well, she is vexed by the fact that no one can tell if she is a rabbit or a cat. She even went as far as to seek the aid of a wise old bunny, but unfortunately he was brutally murdered by a rampaging bull and has left Bunny stranded in the cave of the 7 devils. If you think sounds mightily effed up, you are probably right, but no matter. It is time for Bunny to set forth and kick some devilish ass!




Bunny Must Die! Chelsea and the 7 Devils is a classic example of the tried and true Metroidvania formula. It was created pretty much singlehandedly by Aeju Murasame of Platine Dispositif (aside from voicework), and like his other works the game can be punishingly hard at times. The original release was only in Japan, with 4:3 graphics and a midi-ish soundtrack. However this localization is the cat's meow, offering many enhancements over the original release, such as mew new widescreen graphics coded in by Murasame, a wild soundtrack arrangement by Woofle, and a fresh English translation by none other than the extraordinary Sara Leen!




When starting BMD the first thing you'll notice is the lush hand-drawn anime graphics. The next thing you'll notice is that you can't walk to the right. You must first walk to the left a few steps to collect "The Gears of The Past" to be able to turn around. This quirky bit of humor quite obviously pokes fun at the general mechanics of the Metroidvania genre (in the way that you often must collect many items to make any progress), and trust me when I say that a whole lot more will be lampooned before you finish the game. The game even pokes fun at you (and then throws a viciously hard boss fight your way) for sequence breaking. Yes, the large-foreheaded first boss lady will fly off the handle if you skip her. However if you Do manage to finish off her enraged form, you get an achievement.




Now despite the amusing jokes and cliches blown out of proportion, the gameplay in Bunny Must Die is no joke. You have your tried-and-true Metroidvania exploration and progression, with plenty of Castlevania-style combat. You also gain the ability to bend time to your will, and that opens a whole new dimension in gameplay and puzzle solving. I should note though that no matter how good you are at this sort of game, you WILL die often. Just go into this adventure knowing that fact and you will have a good time. The way we learn is by making mistakes, right? And sometimes being repeatedly run over by a turret-tank while it fires searing hot laser beams up your arse can be a learning experience too.




Rockin' Android has definitely gone all-out in the process of making Bunny Must Die a breakout title for the western world. They have go so far as to give the options to use the original graphical mode and soundtrack, despite the overhaul that is provided by default. This speaks volumes of their dedication to customer satisfaction, and to their preservation of the original product's values. Just as with the Gundemonium Collection, Rockin' Android has taken an already awesome property and further polished it to gleam like a diamond and stand out on it's own in a rough sea of indie games. They have even included the arranged soundtrack for your listening pleasure, just check the install folder.




Now when it comes to buying Bunny Must Die there are a few options. Desura, GamersGate, and Playism. However, there is also the matter of Steam. Bunny clawed her way through Greenlight hell to get released, and her long struggle has paid off with a grand new port that has cloud saving, leaderboards, and achievements! Head on over to Bunny Must Die! on Steam and get it while it's hot!




So to recap: Bunny Must Die! Chelsea and the 7 Devils offers frenetic platforming, Metroidvania-inspired exploration, kickass brutal bosses, a rocking re-arranged soundtrack, a superbly localized and hilarious story, a cute as heck main character, a super secret hidden character with a second playthrough, and tight controls that ensure that if you screw up, it's your own damn fault. What the heck are you waiting for? Bust out your favorite gamepad, buy the game, and kick some demonic patootie! Bunny's fate depends on YOU!