September2019
Review Bubsy: Paws On Fire! - How Many Lives Does This Bobcat Have?
Paws for loading
"Bubsy's back!" While that phrase might strike fear into your very soul, there must be a fair amount of readers with at least a residue of affection for the orange bobcat. Bubsy the Bobcat hails from the age of mascot platformers that has come back into vogue with the current wave of '90s nostalgia, and he somehow remains in the...
May2018
Run, run, as fast as you can
Unless you’ve had experience of the BIT.TRIP games previously, you’d be forgiven for thinking Runner3 is a platform game; Commander Video and his pink lady friend counterpart both jump, kick and slide their way through obstacle-laden courses. So on the surface it looks that way and through a certain pick up in...
January2018
Review Space Dave (Switch eShop)
"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that"
Some games take inspiration from those of yesteryear, weaving in classic elements or perhaps adorning a retro aesthetic to show its love for what came before. Then there are games that want to be part of a bygone era, and do such a convincing job you half expect to see them glowing, blinking and blooping...
January2017
As simple as black and white
The Shift series has been around since 2008, when the first Shift title debuted as a Flash game. Four mainline games have released since then, with the first two receiving iOS ports as well. Shift DX collects all the levels from the first two games and introduces 100 more to the 3DS; we consider whether this is a treat...
June2016
Review Dragon Fantasy: The Black Tome of Ice (3DS eShop)
Enter the dragon
Just like its predecessor, Dragon Fantasy: The Black Tome of Ice saw a dual release on both the 3DS and Wii U eShops. If you'd like a more thorough discussion of why we loved this classic-style JRPG, you can read more about it through here. For the purposes of this review we'll focus on what separates the 3DS version from the Wii U...
Review Dragon Fantasy: The Black Tome of Ice (Wii U eShop)
Here be dragons
Last year's Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria was a thorough, if unsurprising, callback to the early days of JRPGs. Rather than try to buck tradition and innovate, it instead opted to embrace all the well-trodden tropes that made the genre so popular. Its sequel, Dragon Fantasy: The Black Tome of Ice, is very much the same in...
February2016
Review Shütshimi (Wii U eShop)
You'll be hooked
Choice Provisions has established a reputation for putting out some high quality, but weird games such as the BIT.TRIP Saga and Woah Dave!. Shütshimi is the latest title to be published by the studio, and while there are some issues with shallow gameplay, the retro-inspired strangeness of the whole affair makes for an entertaining...
August2015
Review Woah Dave! (Wii U eShop)
Woah indeed
Many of the titles released today feel the need to tell a story or develop characters throughout an intricate campaign. Woah Dave! is not one of these games. It is a frantic, arcade-inspired platformer with a dizzying amount of obstacles and a focus on high scores. Players may start out confused, but once they get the hang of the...
Review Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria (3DS eShop)
No longer a fantasy
As some of you are likely aware, Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria has been made available on the 3DS eShop in addition to the Wii U eShop. If you'd like a more in-depth analysis of why we love this excellent JRPG, you can find all the details here. So, how does Dragon Fantasy play on the 3DS? Extremely well, easily...
Review Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria (Wii U eShop)
A good, old fashioned JRPG
Take a look at just about any digital storefront and you'll see that many Indies are focusing on creating JRPGs that harken back to the classics of the 8-bit or 16-bit eras. While it's nice to see how a new generation of developers have been inspired by the games they played as kids, the problem is that many of these...
October2014
Working for pennies
Woah Dave is all about classic arcade action. Taking control of a blocky little guy named Dave Lonuts (who happens to bear a striking resemblance to Bert from Sesame Street), players will do their best to exterminate aliens and collect the change left behind in their wake. There are two modes to choose from, and once you’ve...
March2013
Review BIT.TRIP Presents: Runner 2 Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (Wii U eShop)
A bolt of bliss
There's a really strong sense of liberation to BIT.TRIP Presents: RUNNER2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, made more pronounced if you’ve hung with any of the six WiiWare entries of the series. In no small part is it because of all the running and jumping, which does metaphorically speak strongest to our sense of freedom —...
September2011
BIT.TRIP for your trip
It's impossible to deny just how successful Gaijin Games has been at capturing the old-school flavor of video games from our past and their ability to mould those sensibilities with modern technology. Their BIT.TRIP series has spawned some of the most popular downloads available on WiiWare and is now making a go at retail...
Review BIT.TRIP COMPLETE (Wii)
Aptly titled
The BIT.TRIP titles have been wildly popular on WiiWare, but despite being able to purchase the games individually, fans of the series have been clamoring for a Wii compilation disc release since the series was completed. With the release of BIT.TRIP COMPLETE, fans not only get the collection they've wanted, but also a wealth of brand...
February2011
Review BIT.TRIP FLUX (WiiWare)
FLUXing good
With the BIT.TRIP series, Gaijin Games has somehow been able to take gamers back to the early days of video gaming while at the same time combining this nostalgic experience with a whole host of challenging and engaging gameplay elements. BIT.TRIP FLUX marks the sixth and final release of the series, and while it might look like little...
December2010
Meet Commander Video's less-confident little brother
There's a reason Gaijin Games, as young as it is as a developer, already has a strong and devoted following, having taken addictively throbbing beats and married them to some of the most intense gameplay we've ever seen. It takes periodic trips to a sunnier, much simpler era of gaming, and...
October2010
Review BIT.TRIP FATE (WiiWare)
You can't fight fate
If we've learned anything from the BIT.TRIP series, it's that you don't need a lot of flashy visuals or complicated mechanics to make a great game. The unique combination of old school arcade elements blended together with a host of musical rhythm overtones have given the series a look and feel all its own and made the titles...
May2010
Review BIT.TRIP RUNNER (WiiWare)
Running down a dream
The BIT.TRIP series is one of the shining stars of Nintendo's WiiWare service. The simplicity of the game mechanics would work well on the 30-year-old 8-bit consoles to which they pay homage, but it's the intelligence of design and music-rhythm aspect that makes them so addictive. BIT.TRIP RUNNER is the latest entry in the...
November2009
Review BIT.TRIP VOID (WiiWare)
Don't avoid the VOID
The third release (of six) in Gaijin Games' BIT.TRIP series has quite a bit in common with its predecessors. And that is a good thing. Even better, though, is just how much VOID manages to stand apart from its popular older brothers. Rather than striving to recapture their specific glories, VOID charts territory of its own. And...
July2009
Review Bit.Trip Core (WiiWare)
Gaijin Games are back with the second game in the BIT.TRIP saga
The original BIT.TRIP BEAT took the old-school play control of Pong and created a unique and more modern spin on it. It was a bit like the original Pong games, but with far more charm and visual flair. Now Gaijin Games has taken that successful formula and bumped it up a level to give...
March2009
Review BIT.TRIP BEAT (WiiWare)
Feel the beat!
It seems nowadays if you want to revive a classic videogame idea, you only need add in some pulsing musical beats and some flashy background visuals in order to do so. The creators of Lumines managed to revive the stale "falling blocks" puzzler of the 80's with this formula, so what's to stop someone from doing the same...
