Niko Lähteenmäki

“Despite its difficulty, Sektori is pretty much a perfect arcade-style twin-stick shooter and has fully earned its score. Even after hours of gameplay, I still don’t feel particularly skilled, but that is by no means the game’s fault – quite the opposite. I’m aware that I’m only at the beginning of my journey and nowhere near satisfied yet, and I intend to continue my “studies” with the game so that I can climb as high as possible on the global rankings. Sektori is a modern work of art that justifies every one of its gameplay design choices with style and craftsmanship. Instead of mocking the player, it rewards improvement fairly as skill grows.”

“Almost as charming and whimsical as the first Tombi!, but that's not enough when controls are this frustrating. The 3D graphics haven't aged that well either, and the soundtrack is a bit of a let down compared to the first game. If your nostalgia is strong with this one, you might get some enjoyment from Tombi! 2, since it is rather faithful to the original release.”

“Tombi! Special Edition makes up for its shortcomings with its distinctive charm and cheerful vibe so effectively that the occasional ’90s jank hardly bothered me at all. Yes, at times you really have to rack your brains about where to go next and some of the tasks are downright esoteric, but the overall experience is still quite refreshing. As a platformer, Tombi! is fun and childlike in a good way.”

“What kind of experience is the new Just Dance from the perspective of a dance newbie? Well, first of all, everything is cheerful, lively, and colorful – which isn’t necessarily my cup of tea, but you get used to it. On the other hand, everything runs smoothly (at least on Switch 2), and the experience has been pleasant enough that I definitely plan to keep sweating it out on the "home dance floor". What bothers me more however, is the lack of imagination, especially regarding the game modes. It all feels a bit too safe for my taste, even though there’s so much potential to do more.”

“Earthion is an amazing shoot 'em up, that by no means revolutionizes the world, and those who are already lukewarm toward the genre may not find a new favorite here either. But it’s impossible not to appreciate how everything that Ancient and Bitwave have done radiates love and passion for the genre as well as for the Sega’s old hardware. Since the final product is simply a thoroughly well-designed and polished game with awesome soundtrack by Yuzo Koshiro, why not reward it with five stars?”

“Despite its minor flaws, Stratogun is a minimalist, enjoyable, and visually striking arcade shooter that pushes players to their limits but rewards effort generously. It’s not the easiest game difficulty-wise, but thanks to its well-designed gameplay loop, frustration never really got the chance to set in.”

“X-Out: Resurfaced comes close to hitting the mark but doesn't quite make it. It stays true to its era and is overall a solid shooter, offering a refreshing experience that stands out both in gameplay and audiovisual presentation. However, its punishing difficulty level inevitably pushes less experienced players away, making it hard to recommend without reservations — except to fans of the original game and the most dedicated bullet-dodgers. That said, if you're feeling lucky and looking for new challenges in the realm of 2D shooters, feel free to add an extra star to the score. Once you master X-Out’s intricacies, it rewards you handsomely. Now, we can only hope that its sequel also makes its way to modern platforms for everyone to experience!”

“I thought for a long time on how to rate this release. From a preservation perspective, Glover is an interesting case indeed, but as a remaster, it barely deserves two stars. However: when the game works and the level design shines (rarely), it does have some fun moments and quirky ideas. The music is also quite catchy in many places, so it's not a completely hopeless case. Nevertheless, Glover would've needed a lot more work to make it more appealing and relevant for younger generations.”

“Gimmick! 2 is an awesome sequel to it’s NES predecessor, that has great controls, nice but fair challenge and music from the maestro David Wise himself.”

“This remaster of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is just as great and crazy as two last seasons. Neat puzzles, dry and well written humour and quirky characters: We can only hope that these guys come back someday.”

“Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is an excellent time capsule of the early 1980s, a period when creativity thrived wildly — partly due to hardware limitations — and video game development was still in its infancy. The documentary does a great job of shedding light on the life and mindset of the eccentric yet endearing Minter, who has become a true cult figure. At the same time, it serves as an inspiring example of how far passion and belief in one’s vision can take you.”

“Ufouria: The Saga 2 is charming, cheerful, and relaxing platformer that treads familiar paths from the main menu to the credits. Its moderate difficulty makes it suitable for younger players as well. It doesn’t require long-term dedication, as you can complete the game with leisurely exploration in about 3–4 hours. For my taste, the adventure was even a bit too laid-back, as despite its retro vibes and old-school charm, death didn’t claim me very often during the journey.”

“Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion is an interesting time capsule from the year 2000 — an era when the internet wasn't accessed from anywhere (at least in Finland), when all the computers in the world were NOT crashing thanks to Y2K, when The Matrix was shaking up audiences and when the first Half-Life was still a hot topic among gamers. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the third Turok doesn’t look pale at all as a modernized version compared to today's “boomer shooters.” Instead, it held my attention with a convincing grip. If the genre interests you and you’re not bothered by brutality and excessive bloodshed, this is easy to recommend to both fans and newcomers alike.”

“Gimmick! Special Edition can be summed up in one letter and two words: a cultural achievement. Despite its difficulty, it remains as a unique and memorable classic. As a remaster, it offers only minimal updates and improvements, but on the other hand, I’m very pleased that the graphics, physics, and especially the music have been left untouched. This long-overlooked platforming rarity has truly earned its place in the modern spotlight.”

“Despite its flaws, Local News with Cliff Rockslide is worth experiencing purely for its unique theme and clever writing. While playing, you can also tell that the studio clearly had fun working on the project. It certainly doesn’t come with a steep price tag either, which makes it even easier to push the purchase button.”

“The difficulty in Atari Mania often feels downright unfair, making retries more frustrating than fun. Mediocre instructions, unclear hitboxes, input lag issues, and occasionally odd control mechanics ruin the experience far too often. There are some good microgames — plenty, in fact — but progress is halted far too frequently for all the wrong reasons. This is a true shame: Atari Mania has a fun and interesting concept, and I really wanted to like it more.”

“Despite being quite bad as a remaster, Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition is not a completely hopeless case, as it is still a stylish adventure that makes great use of its source material and will surely entertain those returning for another playthrough. However, it deserves a much better framework, as many mechanics have inevitably aged over the past 25 years, and the new technical issues certainly don’t make the experience any easier for point-and-click enthusiasts. Therefore, dear friends, I highly recommend buying the bug-free GOG release on PC. Or, at least wait for an update fix.”