Evan Norris's Reviews
Parasol Stars is a hidden gem in both the Bubble Bobble franchise and the PC Engine library. It boasts lovely graphics, high replay value, and a surprisingly deep scoring system. Its only drawbacks: a short running time, two-player multiplayer that can feel clumsy at times, and a nasty bug unique to this modern port. Once the patch is live, definitely consider picking this one up.
Despite a handful of unsightly assets, an underwhelming story, and a few difficulty spikes, the remaster of Monster Hunter Stories makes for an easy recommendation, for Monster Hunter fans or simply for anyone interested in approachable turn-based role-playing games who missed the original on 3DS.
Despite the lack of 2010's Rocket Knight, the Re-Sparked collection is a video game anthology worthy of the hero Sparkster. It pulls together three noteworthy fourth-gen action-platformers — one of them, Rocket Knight Adventures, among the best of its kind — makes them more accessible than ever before thanks to save states and rewind, and surrounds them with bonus features.
Its Campaign Mode is a letdown, and the lack of online multiplayer hurts its longevity, but NeoSprint is an overall okay arcade racer suitable for both solo play and game night with friends.
Banana Rumble doesn't unseat the original Super Monkey Ball or its sequel, but it gets closer than you'd think.
The driving is snappy and satisfying, the light simulation elements add a touch of strategy, and the Mode 7 experience goes a long way. A lack of backdrop variety is a bummer, as is the screen-hogging rear-view mirror, but the pros outnumber the cons in this spirited racing game.
The idea of an under-equipped cat roaming the underworld in search for her owner is a great one, but it never makes the transition from page to screen. Because everything is designed around the abilities of a simple house cat, stage designs are far too simple and boss battles are disappointingly monotonous.
It retains the spirit of the groundbreaking 1981 Apple II game and makes it more approachable, less exhausting, and far more glamorous than ever before. Sometimes it hews too closely to the original, resulting in tedious, taxing gameplay, but in general it delivers a dungeon-crawler worthy of the Wizardry name.
Judged only on the hybrid version, Aggro Crab's underwater adventure is a choppy, unsightly mess that veers briefly into unplayable territory in the Unfathom, potentially due to memory leaks. If you're a Souls-like addict, Another Crab's Treasure is worth checking out — as long as it's on a platform other than Switch.
Little Kitty, Big City obviously profits from its feline main character, but remove the cat and you're still left with a breezy, cozy game with a colorful cast of characters and a bunch of diverting side missions.
Thanks to HD visuals, co-op support, and some quality-of-life fixes, this new version is somewhat better than the Dreamcast game. Unfortunately, too much of that game's DNA is preserved here, leading to a middling experience.
Presenting El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron to a new audience and preserving it for future generations is a great thing, especially considering its cult status. Whether that audience will enjoy it is another matter entirely.
Ultimately, due to its short running time and unchanging gameplay, the anthology isn't worth purchasing. But it is worth experiencing, at least once. It's too weird, absurd, funny, and different to ignore, even if the games within don't stand on their own.
Ultimately, Wrath of the Mutants can't compete with Shredder's Revenge or the better Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games out there. Still, thanks to its smooth controls, shallow-but-satisfying brawling, and diverse settings, it's a competent beat-'em-up.
Lunar Lander Beyond is a fairly agreeable experience, with nice build variety and some intriguing nods to the rogue-like genre, but it feels only partially realized.
While repetitive enemy encounters and mundane micromanagement add a layer of tedium to the proceedings, they don't undermine everything amazing about the game: an interesting cast of characters; impossibly-deep tactical role-playing mechanics; a dizzying amount of engaging, rewarding content; and peerless artistic assets.
Despite some flaws, including a lackluster single-player adventure mode and 2D action-platforming that pales in comparison to space-bound combat, it's a fairly good multiplayer title ideal for parties. Consider picking this one up, particularly if you have a reliable group of friends nearby.
This sequel improves upon the original, which was already one of the top indie games in recent memory, by expanding upon its mythology, retaining and enhancing its fast-moving gameplay, introducing extraordinary new level designs, providing plenty of replay value, and wrapping everything in a stunning pixel art package.
Thanks to Riv Hester's diligence, Pepper Grinder succeeds mechanically, creatively, and visually. It could do with better unlockables and would certainly benefit from a longer running time, but overall it hits the right marks.
With inventive transformations, diverse levels, and charm to spare, it's one of the better platformers on a system defined by them. It's just a shame this modern release doesn't do more to contextualize, enhance, and celebrate it.