DeVuego

I cannot recommend Willy Jetman enough. It took me back to a simpler time in gaming. The difficulty was perfect, the sound design was genius, the gameplay was fun, and the controls were tight. Also, while I won’t spoil anything, the ending was, although a little… okay VERY silly, was absolutely wonderful and a perfect way to end the game. If you favour yourself a retro gamer like I do, you owe it to yourself to check out Willy Jetman!

As this is definitely a game you need to experience for yourself, I don’t want to write too much and spoil it. I’ll leave it at this: if you enjoy the Metal Gear games and movies such as Hot Shots and Naked Gun, you owe it to yourself to check out UnMetal. While the gameplay doesn’t really do anything to add to the genre, the brilliant dialogue and top-notch voice acting are worth the entire 10-ish hour experience.

Song of Horror is a great experience that packs in the nostalgia but doesn’t rely on it to carry it through. It has plenty of its own identity and ideas mixed in and despite a few annoyances along the way, I had a great, albeit terrifying time and this truly felt like I had once again stepped into the world of Survival Horror.

Path to Mnemosyne is a delight on the senses. Offering a world that is as creepy as it is imaginative. Great care has gone into making this puzzle game not only standout but hold your attention as you navigate the surreal dreamscape. While simplistic in nature, the puzzles require you to pay attention to your surroundings and use your senses to unlock your memories. The game’s length is a disappointment, but not enough of one to dissuade a pickup. This is an experience you won’t soon forget.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with King Lucas. The constant shifting of the castle and the addition of rooms is a nice little twist to the genre. I could see the game becoming a bit tedious after a while, but at a price of only $4.99/£4.49, the game is totally worth a play.

Deiland: Pocket Planet Edition is a vibrant dose of charming fun but for players more familiar with similar titles there is little here that will keep you invested for more than a few hours. That being said, Deiland’s more simple gameplay loop might be ideal for younger gamers or people looking to try the genre for the first time and chip away at its tasks in short sessions. For £17.99 and just 761MB of your memory card, you’ll be able to take this planet for a spin but we would suggest holding on for a sale.

Timothy vs The Aliens definitely has its charms. The film noir aesthetic is one that I’ve always had a love affair with and the slow jazz just makes it even better. The design of the aliens is pure wacky fun and splatting them across the ground is super satisfying. The floatiness of the controls makes platforming a chore and with the load times being somewhat lengthy, it can really test even the most seasoned gamer’s patience. With some polish, it could be a nice little throwback to a fun era in gaming.

While not bringing anything new to the genre Leopoldo Manquiseil does an admirable job creating the fun, fast-paced action expected in a platformer. While the story seems arbitrary the depth really comes through in its conclusion. That is when you realise that this is a story about one man, a real man, and his quest to save the industry he truly loves. There is no better way to have a story like that told than buy a creative team filled with people that love him to the same level.

1971 Project Helios is a decent shot at the turn-based strategy genre. Its length, for this type, does bring about concerns, but with what they’ve been thrown, unique motives and characters with a dash of management on the side. While it’s still evident that 1971 has a few things to patch up. Regardless, 1971 Project Helios plays it safe and might be something that could take away from its scary campaign.

Naught is a great idea and I really loved the stylish presentation, the sombre story and most of all, playing as a cat! I must be honest and say I found the control scheme was not to my taste and a lot of the time I found the controls frustrating which made the fun moments far and few between, granted that is just this players experience. For those who get on with the control scheme you will find a decent platformer puzzler here but one that’s best left to pick up in the sales.

When Destruction Derby came out, I, like many others, was blown away. It was a concept not exactly common with driving games, and the collision damage was terrific. That was decades ago, however. While Concept Destruction isn’t dated as such, it does lack a little in the gameplay department – which is a shame as the idea of driving a crushed cardboard vehicle on a Micro Machines-like terrain is a good one.

A homage to classic games such as Space Invaders and Galaga, Zeroptian Invasion is geared toward those who love spending time in their local arcade. The simple design and gameplay paired with a chiptune soundtrack make it feel like this game belongs in a cabinet instead of on the Switch. Although not exciting enough to play extensively, it’s always fun to try and get the high score and record your initials for everyone to see. Personally, I’d still spend my quarters on the classics over this release.

Like all good parodies, Zenith’s humour has been done in good taste. Like Naked Gun, Hot Shot’s and Scary Movie, there is respect and fondness for the source material in every gag and this alone is the star of the experience. Sadly with the gameplay hinting at so much but delivering little more than a button masher Zenith falls flat of it’s potential. If the combat and RPG elements were given as much attention as the writing then this could have been something truly special. If you are a bit RPG fan and want something a bit more lighthearted it’s worth picking up if you see it in a sale but for the full price, there are better options.

SlabWell: The Quest For Kaktun’s Alpaca lacks challenge with it’s stack of puzzles. With sometimes feeling too simple, it can still be fun to try out the next tile mechanic waiting on the next floor.

Theme Park Simulator doesn’t offer much but what is on offer is done pretty well albeit with limited control options, at least in this version. As a simulator experience, it missed the mark for me and felt like it should have been a VR experience more than anything else. Any experience could rarely be made more entertaining by including a song by Simply Red but I feel this title just needs something more to really be worth your time.