3DOgaming

For a game I was looking forward to, I can only feel slight disappointment for Mario Strikers: battle League. The game is not a bad title, but viewing this from a single-player experience I did not enjoy the game nearly as much as I had hoped. With up to 8 players in the game playing, I'd have expected a bit more choices in characters, as Strikers only includes 10 playable characters. Graphically, the game looks nice and the animations are typical for first-party Nintendo titles - superb. For those looking for a multiplayer experience, couch or online, the game will be a much more enjoyable experience.

Pretty Girls Mahjong Solitaire by ZOO Corporation and eastasiasoft is a fun twist on the classic Chinese game of mahjong. For those unfamiliar with the game, essentially it essentially is a matching tile game where the goal is to clear the board (all the pieces). In doing so, anime-style ladies show their appreciation in a unique way. The game is similar in style to much of ZOO's other offerings, and if you are familiar with them, this game is in the same light. A fun game that is progressively more difficult, I found it enjoyable to play. The game is a cross-buy game, playable on the PlayStation 4, as well.

Red Colony is an interesting game for this genre, mixing over-the-top artwork and animation with a Resident Evil-like storyline. You play as Maria, a generously developed researcher trapped in the Red Colony's outbreak as she searches for her daughter. The gameplay is 2D based side-scrolling with some puzzle elements added. While not the longest game, the story can be completed under 5 hours, it is a nice Switch experience worth experiencing.

Red Colony 2, the sequel to the zombie-infested Red Colony, is a short er game (under 5 hours to playthrough) with an interesting B-horror movie storyline. Without divulging spoilers, this sequel to Red Colony continues where the first left off, with Nicole returning to Blue Colony only to find out her actions taken previously are now effecting the residents of Blue Colony. Through battling slow-moving zombies and new, even deadlier, enemies, this game is a nice improvement over the first entry. While not for everyone with over-the-top animations and distinct looks for the female characters, Red Colony 2 is definitely worth a shot. I would recommend playing the first title prior, as it directly leads into this game.

My initial thought when I saw Oniken on the PlayStation store was "It's Fist of the North Star!" One of my favorite anime/manga series, this game draws much from the series, starting with the protagonist looking very similar to Kenshiro and the name (the game title Oniken and the Fist protagonist Kenshiro) being very similar. While mildly disappointed that this was not directly related, I purchased the game anyways. Oniken is a throwback 8-bit styled action platformer. In keeping with the NES era of gaming style, Oniken is not an easy game and will require patience and practice to overcome the six stages. Your main character, Zeko, is equipped with a sword and grenades as he battles a post-apocalyptic future filled with a machine army. The controls do feel a bit off and I found the accuracy to be somewhat of a challenge. Overall, the graphics and the story are well done from the game developer, JoyMasher. It is worth the price, $9.99 regularly.

Maneater is quite simply a game where you get to be the shark and prey on sea life, humans, or whatever you come by. A fun game to play overall. For trophy hunters - yes, it is a separate trophy stack. Gory and violent, the game does not disappoint for fans of Jaws, Megalodon, or anyone who ever imagined how cool it would be to be a shark. Definitely worth checking out.

Hellbreachers is an action platformer, where you take your character (a Knight, Magician or Assassin) and work your way through 50 levels of gameplay. Each character has unique skills, and allow for various play styles. An easy Platinum trophy (under a hour), the gameplay leaves some to be desired. The game gets repetitive and is simple in styling. Each stage, the character can collect coins, open a chest or two, and kill (or avoid) enemies. Combat can be frustrating due to the hitbox size and lack of feedback when a strike lands, and once you achieve the combat-related trophies, its almost worth avoiding combat at all. Lastly, what is the point of the gold coins and the gems? Outside of gathering to get the trophies, there is no point to them, no shop to spend them, nor any reason to collect them.

A disappointing entry into the chess piece game field that QUByte has been developing. The game looks nice and appealing, and the game premise is not bad, however, QUByte shifted from their previous entries regarding movement of the pieces and the thumbstick. This is a terrible change. I wound up spending more time trying to find the right angle for movement than I did actually figuring out the places to move. Previously in games like Knights Retreat by QUByte, it was a simple process where the game only let you choose valid locations to move. This artificially lengthens the game for no reason and removes any joy that can be found. I have praised their previous entries as decent to better strategy games that I enjoyed, this one, I cannot recommend.

A funny, dark humorous, point-and-click kind of game. It is a game that some will enjoy immensely, but if dark humor isn't your style, you might not find the game as enjoyable. Set in a post-zombie apocalypse, the game is a few hours long, but for only $4.99, it is worth it.

A fun platformer, where you traverse varying levels to acquire tokens of love for various damsels. Sir Lovelot, our hero for this adventure, has to jump, swim, and attack his way through over 40 levels in search of his love. The level designs are creative, with hidden passages throughout. An enjoyable game to play for a few levels or a few hours. Well worth trying out!

Cave Bad by Panda Indie Studio and Eastasiasoft is an interesting mixture of Zelda and Bomberman. Graphically, the game reminds you instantly of entering the initial cave the first time you controlled Link, while adding the ability to run around and blow things up like Bomberman. In this adventure, Oratio the Dwarf, the protagonist going cave exploring, meets a slew of demons, ghosts, and boulders to hack, slash, and blowup in this top-down adventure game. The game offers a variety of level designs and goals necessary to complete the part of the level and a final boss per level which will take fast movement, wit, and some luck to vanquish. The game is pleasant graphically, taking cues from 8-bit NES games, and the controls are easy to grasp. With over 70% of players achieving a Platinum Trophy at time of writing, the game is fairly easy for trophy hunters. The game comes in at only $4.99 and is worth giving it a play. Regrettably, this title is not coming to PlayStation Vita in any form, a disappoint as it would fit nicely on the system.

Dungeons & Bombs is a pixel art grid-based puzzle game, where your character tries to complete each level, avoiding roving enemies with his cunning wit and supply of bombs. Each level is required to be completed in a set number of moves, creating more difficulty for your character. A simple platinum trophy to earn on paper (yet challenging due to the nature of the puzzle game), all you must do is complete 50 stages in the game. Gameplay-wise, there is a significant glitch to note. When placing a bomb with 4 moves left, once the counter reaches 0, you will be giving a few extra seconds to try and run and complete the level. The game is moderately fun, but becomes tedious.

Golf Zero by Ratalaika Games is an interesting twist on the game of golf. A progressively challenging title, Golf Zero is a fun, quirky game to play. Creativity is a must, requiring the player to jump, aim, and shoot one - or multiple - golf balls in hopes of knocking one into the hole. The controls take a bit of getting used to, as does the physics of the game.

A quick platinum trophy for trophy hunters, as it can be completed in under 30 minutes. The game is a basic 2D platformer, where you control a knight who wakes up inside a dungeon. The gameplay and controls are decent, but can be frustrating at times especially with wall jumps. The graphics are 16-bit styled and look fine for the styling. Overall, this title is good for trophy hunters, but a bit steep for the value with a price tag of $5.99.

The Language of Love is a straight forward Visual Novel with no options, choices, or interactions necessary. Understanding that visual novels are not for everyone, this game is an extreme in that category. The story follows Mitsuki, a student working to pass his university entrance exams next spring. During this journey to pass his exams, he befriends a single mother Himuro Kyouko and eventually enters into a relationship with her. The game, which does not fairly describe this title, can be completed within minutes if one does not wish to read the text, or can take several hours with over 80,000 words in this story.

Bugsnax by Young Horses is a cute and enjoyable adventure game. One of the early PlayStation 5 titles and the first PlayStation Plus free game, Bugsnax did not disappoint. While easy to overlook based upon the cutish art styling and unique game play, I cannot recommend this game enough. Bugsnax is a blast to play. With an interesting and ever-expanding story, great characters you meet along the way, Bugsnax is a hard game to put down. Graphically, the game is beautiful, lush and full of colors and life. The voice-acting is superb, with great dialogue. A game that can be enjoyed by all ages, Bugsnax does not have much violence, other than capturing those pesky bugs. In the end, Bugsnax was a great experience, one I recommend every player try out. Bunger!

Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition is an amazing experience, blending video games with art. A peaceful and relaxing game to play. While the lack of "action" due to the game lacking enemies, Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition relies on puzzles and strategy to entertain the player. The game is stunning visually, a great improvement on the standard edition of the game, and shows off nicely the added power in the PlayStation 5. The art design, soundtrack, and environment are top notch, working together to create an unforgettable experience. The game is a definite change of pace from most, and some will find the puzzles and style tedious or boring, however, those willing to undertake the task and sit back and enjoy the world created in Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition are in for a treat. One of the best games available on the PlayStation 5, and one of the most surprisingly pleasant titles I have experienced in awhile. Highly recommended.

An unexpected mix of humor, Breath of the Wild and Assassin's Creed, Immortals Fenyx Rising is an extremely enjoyable game by Ubisoft. Very much in the same gameplay of the ever-popular Assassin's Creed series, Ubi threw in a great twist on Greek mythology with an enjoyable banter between Zeus and Prometheus woven throughout the story. Full of side-zones to explore, the game can easily last 50+ hours. Overall, one of the best launch-period titles for the PlayStation 5.

As the publisher states, "A chess game without any chess." Knight's Retreat is built in the same vein as QUByte Interactive's Unlock the King series. Instead of freeing the king chess piece, Knight's Retreat requires the player to shift around chess pieces in order to clear a path for the knight to retreat. The pieces are able to move only in the same direction or ways the actual chess piece can, so some chess knowledge is beneficial. With 80 levels of progressively harder gameplay, Knight's Retreat offers hours of gameplay for the $3.99 price tag, with the Steam version coming in a little cheaper. If you enjoy puzzle games and are looking for a new game to experience, give Knight's Retreat a try.

As the publisher states, "A chess game without any chess." Knight's Retreat is built in the same vein as QUByte Interactive's Unlock the King series. Instead of freeing the king chess piece, Knight's Retreat requires the player to shift around chess pieces in order to clear a path for the knight to retreat. The pieces are able to move only in the same direction or ways the actual chess piece can, so some chess knowledge is beneficial. With 80 levels of progressively harder gameplay, Knight's Retreat offers hours of gameplay for the $3.99 price tag, with the Steam version coming in a little cheaper. If you enjoy puzzle games and are looking for a new game to experience, give Knight's Retreat a try.

An amazing FPS from the mid-1990's. The PC version of Killing Time defers greatly from the 3DO game - which is an absolute must-buy for the system. During a time when CGI and cut scenes were being introduced into games, Killing Time blends the technology perfectly, showcasing great cast of characters which bring the story to the player without making you sit through a 5 minute clip or anything obtrusive. Enjoy traversing the Isle of Matinicus as you delve into the world of Egyptology and discover the truth behind the disappearances, Tess Conway, and the Ancient Egyptian Water-Clock.

Spirit of the North is visually stunning. While the Switch version is a step down from the other console versions, it still looks great while playing. The game is very peaceful, yet retains some challenging elements. Devoid of true enemies, there is no hacking and slashing, or even biting, but that only enhances the charm of the game. Great environment and the soundtrack is perfect. Highly recommended.

Graphically the game looks nice and the controls work well for this top-down shooter. While the overall game is short in length, the game can be challenging while remaining fun to play. For the price of $0.19 at time of testing, this game is an easy recommendation to buy.

Tamiku is a simple retro-styled balloon popping game. You play an alien hat has traveled across the galaxy to find...balloons to pop. This little balloon-popper ruined birthday's for everyone in his home planet and now you will aid in destroying the joy of balloons on another planet. While fun to play, this game is extremely short. This game can be completed in 15 minutes, earning a quick Platinum trophy for your efforts. Simple controls and premise, for under $5 this game is not a bad deal. More levels, game length, and further variation in level design would have made a more enjoyable experience.

Having played the original, FLATLAND Vol. 1 several months ago, the prequel FLATLAND: PROLOGUE plays very similar. A fast-paced platformer, where you control a brick as you traverse unique level designs. Each level ranges from simple to insanely difficult, and you can expect to die, and die often. The game is not for the easily frustrated, as it involves much trial and error. As the publisher's description states, "Run, jump, die, learn, repeat." At only $1.99 on the PlayStation store and the Nintendo eShop, the game is priced very nicely and gives little reason to not try out this game. A cheaper entry than it's predecessor, at this price I recommend playing FLATLAND: PROLOGUE. It is a fun and exciting title that, while frustrating at times, is an overall enjoyable experience.