Cannon Dancer - Osman Switch Review

Cannon Dancer - Osman

Developed By: Mitchell Corporation

Ported/Published By: ININ Games

Date of Release: April 13, 2023 

Price: $29.99

Cannon Dancer - Osman is a thrilling platformer/shooter game that has been recently released on Nintendo Switch, and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by it. The game is a remastered version of the classic arcade game, and it has been adapted perfectly for the Switch. Made by former Capcom developers, it's an absolutely smashing spiritual successor to the Strider series that improves on those games in every way. Players take control of Kirin, a badass hero armed with powerful martial arts, and they have to navigate through various levels filled with enemies and obstacles that will stop at nothing to take him down.

The first thing that caught my attention when I started playing was how well the game's retro aesthetic has been preserved through emulation. The pixelated graphics and the chiptune soundtrack immediately took me back to the 90s arcade era which this title hails from. The visuals are crisp and vibrant, and they complement the game's high-octane action and fast-paced gameplay perfectly.

Speaking of gameplay, Cannon Dancer - Osman is an absolute blast to play. The game's controls are simple and intuitive, but there is enough depth to the gameplay to keep things interesting. That said the levels themselves are pretty decent, if a bit linear, with a decent boss at the end of each one. In my opinion the game is a wee bit pricy for what you get, but this really is the first time it's been available for the home market so it's worth checking out if you can stomach the asking fee.

Panda Punch Nintendo Switch Review

Panda Punch
Developed By: Cardboard Keep
Published By: Plug-In Digital
Date of Release: December 16, 2022
Price: $4.99

Panda Punch is a 2D side-scrolling platformer developed by the indie game studio, Cardboard Keep. It follows the story of a young panda named Dandan who lives in a peaceful village with his friends. One day, an evil force threatens to destroy their village, and Dandan sets out on a journey to stop the villain and save his home. Along the way, he faces numerous challenges and enemies, which he must defeat using his martial arts skills.

The gameplay of Panda Punch is straightforward, with players controlling Dandan as he runs, jumps, and fights his way through various levels. The controls are responsive and easy to master, making it accessible for players of all ages and skill levels. The game also has a good variety of enemies and obstacles to keep the gameplay engaging. One of the game's standout features is its charming and colorful graphics. The game has a hand-drawn art style that looks fantastic on the Nintendo Switch's screen. The game's music and sound effects are also well-done and add to the overall fun and light-hearted atmosphere of the game.

Panda Punch is a relatively short affair with only 30 levels, however it is well-designed and entertaining from start to finish. It also has some replayability, as players can collect hidden coins and unlock new outfits for Dandan. The game also has a local multiplayer mode, allowing two players to play together on the same screen. Overall, Panda Punch is a fun and charming platformer that's perfect for anyone looking for a light-hearted and enjoyable game to play on the Switch. Its simple gameplay, beautiful graphics, and appealing characters make it a must-try for fans of the genre

 Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection (Switch)

Developed By: Bliss Brain

Published By: ININ Games

Date of Release: January 26, 2023

Price: $49.99

Well here we are, once again with Wonder Boy on the Switch. ININ games is up to their usual shenanigans, after claiming that their massive Anniversary Collection for Wonder Boy would be a limited retail only affair, they have gone and released it digitally after all the fans bought the subpar digital edition that lacked most of the content. It's the same situation as their Turrican collections. it's pretty much a lazy cash grab as usual.

Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection on the Nintendo Switch contains the most iconic entries in the series. The original Wonder Boy is a platforming title which will of course feel familiar to anyone who has played Adventure Island, as it is pretty much the same game. Wonder Boy in Monster Land was the second game, and it's very much an action RPG rather than a straight up platformer (it also has some of the most horrifying boxart on the Master System). The third title, Wonder Boy in Monster World, is actually the fifth title and is a metroidvania-lite action RPG. as for the fourth title in this collection? Monster World IV is the only game in this collection that doesn't star the titular Wonder boy, and instead stars a newcomer Asha. it's a full on metroidvania and arguably the best title in this collection. The other games are great too, but anyway.

There is definitely a lot of gameplay here in this set, and unfortunately you don't get much more than that. Each game is well emulated, however some of the graphics settings are a bit odd, with the last two games in the set having forced bilinear filtering with the CRT emulation that muddles the image. All that's really on offer here is a barebones gallery that has boxart and manuals and not much else. At least digital customers finally get the best games in the series, but this could have been the case from the beginning. Which raises the question: why are digital fans getting screwed here?

 Why bother releasing the first gimped digital collection to begin with other than to screw people over with a cash grab, forcing them to buy the full collection later on tog et the rest of the games with no upgrade path for suckers loyal fans who purchased the first release? It would have made more sense to have just one collection with all the games available at the beginning, but as ININ has proven in the past they are ALL about forcing people to double dip to line their pockets. So buy this if you REALLY want the extra games, but otherwise just flip ININ the bird and download an emulator. I know that I for one won't trust any of their claims of "physical exclusives" ever again.

Chained Echoes Switch Review

Chained Echoes (Switch)

Developed By: Matthias Linda

Published By: Deck 13

Date of Release: December 8, 2022

Price: $24.99

It's been a very long time since I played a good pixel-art JRPG that didn't just turn out to be a shovelware RPGMaker game. There are so many games on the market with sloppy writing, terrible production values, and stolen assets just slapped together haphazardly and shoved onto a storefront to make a quick buck. That is thankfully NOT what Chained Echoes is. Chained echoes is a one-man effort from German developer Matthias Linda, who drew inspiration from all the games he grew up playing, and his passion shows in every facet of the game. 

From the lushly detailed pixel art backdrops that make up the sprawling overworld and dank dungeons and the finely crafted sprites used for the characters, badass mechas, and enemies the visuals have a decidedly SNES-era flair to them. The majestic soundtrack also invokes fond memories of Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, and the like, with brilliant nostalgic flourishes that really hit home. The production values by far exceed the typical indie offering and feel like something that would have come out on a chunky grey cartridge at retail back in the day for sure.

Chained Echoes also does not hold back with the story, taking nearly 30 hours to get through without showing any hint of getting stale along the way. The turn-based tag-team tactical battle system is also well done, and eases players into the strategic nature of the game quite well, and while brutal at times it doesn't punish newcomers if they fail, offering a chance to retry if the party is wiped. All in all Chained Echoes is like a time machine taking you back to the glory days of the SNES, before JRPGs became so mired down in AAA movie studio type production values. At it's price I'd recommend it to any JRPG fan out there.

DOOM Retrospective

The year was 1993. It was a frigid Canadian December day, you may even say it was as cold as hell.

I was 9 years old, and a pint-size PC gaming fanatic. My first taste of computer gaming had come from the likes of edutainment titles such as Cross Country Canada and The Oregon Trail, as well as some of the Arthur titles which I had played in the classroom. That soon changed when my parents purchased out first home computer, a slightly used but not abused 486, and that opened my eyes to the bold new world of shareware. Through the portal of these magical floppies passed around by my friends I had hopped and bopped my way through the exotic alien worlds of Commander Keen, fought the Nazi scum throughout the moldering corridors of Wolfenstein 3D, and I was totally excited for whatever would come next. Luckily I would not have to wait long.

My friend Ryan called me over to his place, he had just downloaded the newest shareware, something that would "totally blow my effing head off". He bragged about how he had tied up the phone line all night just to download it (he had a 14.4 baud modem, still better than nothing), and then had played all the way through it in the early hours of that morning. He had a damn fine system, a 486 66mhz with 8mb of ram and a sound blaster 16, and a MASSIVE 17" monitor. (It was doubly as good as my own rig, a 486 33mhz with 4mb of ram, no sound card, and a measly 14" monitor.) Ryan told me to have a seat, and simply type in "doom". So that's what I did.

As I typed in the command to launch the game, and the scrolling startup text crawled up the screen, I could feel my heart pounding in anticipation of what could possibly be as amazing as Ryan was hyping it up to be. And then I heard it, the low droning of the title screen theme, and I stood in awe of the color and detail of the green-clad space marine surrounded by hideous, otherworldly foes drenched in the red of the landscape surrounding them. I didn't know it at the time, but this would be the first step on a lifelong adventure through space, hell on earth, and beyond. I chose Knee Deep in the Dead, and my difficulty, and then the screen melted away.

So there I was, in a blue-carpeted landing bay (Oh my gawd, there were floors and ceilings! And different heights too! The walls are at different angles!), the most epic synthesized metal that the Yamaha YMF262 could possibly muster pumping out of the speakers. My hands trembled as I tested the keyboard controls, pleased to find that they responded exactly like they did in Wolfenstein 3D. I took a look around the room, in awe of the colorful and detailed environment visible through the hangar windows. I then walked up to a barrel full of bubbling green goo and did the first thing that came to mind: I started shooting at it.

One messy death and respawn later I was off again, exploring the nooks and crannies of the starting room, finding my way up the stairs to the suit of fancy suit of green armor sitting on a pedestal(no undead grunts yet, I had chosen "I'm Too Young To Die" like a wuss). I then came back down the stairs, and proceeded through the first door I found (ignoring the deadly barrel this time), and came face to face with the first of the game's zombified ex-marines. After exchanging fire and dispatching him, and his compatriot around the corner, I came out into a room with a narrow walkway surrounded by glowing green sludge. It was at that point that I took a fireball to the face, and met my second untimely end.

Another respawn at the beginning of the level, I was starting to realize that anything and everything could kill me. I set out again, confident that I could win this time. I sprinted through, taking out my assailants with ease, and this time dodged the fireballs and nailed the spiny creep on the ledge. Feeling cocky and proud, and avoiding the green goo pooled at the sides of the walkway, I strode through the door into the next room and found myself face to face with another of the spiny bastards. Panicking, I fired blindly at it, setting off another explosive barrel which reduced said spiny and myself into a fine red mist. 

Yet another respawn.

With an enraged roar, and a hearty laugh from Ryan, I set off again through the gauntlet. I managed to rip and tear every demonic freak that crossed my path a fancy new asshole, and even find a pump-action shotgun behind the first spiny's platform in the process. Finding my stride at last I continued my rampage through the next six levels, through nuclear plants, refineries and command centers, until I reached the ominous sounding Phobos Anomoly. I had learned to use explosive barrels to my advantage, and so I had no problem shredding the four butt-ugly gorilla-like pink demons near the entrance. Felling confident I took the elevator upstairs, straight into the lair of the two ugliest freaks I had ever seen, the Barons of Hell.

My first encounter with the barons went as expected, with my head immediately finding a new home up my arse. The second time went slightly better, I actually lasted 10 seconds or so that time! After 20 or so attempts I finally became good enough at strafing between their fireballs while delivering a salvo of rocket fire to take them out. As their still-warm corpses hit the floor the walls started rumbling, lowering slowly to the ground to reveal a vast outdoor arena. I braced myself, expecting to be overtaken by an onslaught of new foes, but they never came. I curiously explored the area, and found a teleporter platform at the end.

As I stepped through the teleporter, everything went black. I heard my space marine being torn limb from limb by invisible attackers, grunting in pain as what was left of his health drained, finally falling to his unseen foes. Then the screen melted once again, the ending text scrolling slowly out. It told me of my marine's fate, and of the battles that lie ahead if I was so bold as to face the challenge. I would have to order the full game to continue the experience. That would cost money. My young mind reeled, trying to work out how we would pay for it. 

I came to a decision.

Eyes wide, I turned to Ryan.

"We're gonna have to shovel a HELL of a lot of snow, man!"

Review: Lunistice (Switch)

Lunistice

Developed by: A Grumpy Fox

Published by: Deck 13

Date of Release: November 10, 2022

Price: $4.99

It's not too often that a game comes along out of nowhere that just sweeps me away in a whirlwind of nostalgic feelings. I've been playing such a glut of retro-styled games lately that the gimmick is starting to lose its charm and I feel like I've fallen into a rut. However, when it comes to Lunistice on the Nintendo Switch, things are completely different. Not only does it really look and feel like a classic PSX era release, but it also does such an amazing job of representing that mid-90s time period that it was able to snap me right out of my retro nostalgia doldrum.

At its core Lunistice is a tried-and-true 3D platformer with enemies to stomp, tricky jumps to make, and plenty of collectables to grab. The candy-colored aesthetic with its beautiful retrowave sunsets and chunky low-poly art evokes fond memories of mascot games for the good old PlayStation, and the super-adorable protagonist, Hana the Tanuki, would have seemed perfectly at home on the classic console. She controls like a dream too, perfectly responding to player inputs with no perceptible lag to speak of. 

The graphical presentation of Lunistice is utterly peak PlayStation in all its glory, with pixelated textures and dithered transparencies, sprinkled with chunky pixels galore. Despite all the busy action on screen and the massive draw distance, the framerate is a buttery smooth 60fps. The audio and music are also crisp and clean, perfectly resembling the best of what the 32-bit days had to offer. In my humble opinion A Grumpy Fox should be proud of what they've accomplished here, and I hope to see more of their work in the future. This game is an utter steal at $4.99, and I'd recommend it to literally anyone with a Switch. Go buy it already!

Review: Chasm: The Rift

Chasm: The Rift
Ported by: General Arcade

Published by: SNEG

Date of Release: October 10, 2022

Price: $19.99

In the year 1996 id software released their blockbuster first person shooter known simply as Quake. Building on the success of Doom it featured gorgeous 3D environments and an epic CD soundtrack. It very much redefined what a first-person shooter could be and set the stage for the future of the genre. In 1997, a Ukrainian studio known as Action Forms released their take on the 3D FPS, Chasm: The Rift. it wasn't quite as successful as Quake; however, it became a cult classic over the years to come, and commands quite an expensive resell price due to scarcity. But now in 2022 General Arcade has brought Chasm kicking and screaming into the modern world!

At first glance, Chasm: The Rift could be mistaken as being a sequel to Quake, despite using a far more basic engine, and more simplistic game style. The graphics look the part, though a fair bit more colorful than Quakes murky browns, and the models have a similar style and chunkiness that one would expect from id's classic. However, Chasm is a beast of its own, and in some ways has a fair bit more environmental detail than Quake did, with quaint medieval villages and high-tech bases galore. The wind farm in the first level certainly comes to mind. On top of that you get voiced mission briefings to set up the story, which is a lot more than Quake did to introduce it's lore.

Chasm definitely satisfies with its level layouts, ambient soundtrack, excellent animations, badass weaponry, varied bestiary, and tough bosses. It's definitely a good game to play if you're into game from the era, and an amazing example of what might have been had id software been located in Ukraine. General Arcade has done an excellent job porting it to modern systems with all the conveniences one would expect, with the exception of multiplayer. The original game also comes packed into Dosbox, with a CD image you could burn and play on period correct hardware as well. It's a well fleshed-out package that any boomer shooter fan should consider adding to their collection.