Dan Boise

“Griffin is a fun little shmup. Decent and limited diversity of weaponry, challenging bosses and overall well designed levels. It’s also a rare case of where a game from 1990s still holds up pretty in 2025.”

“Irem Collection Volume 3 is just another partial collection of games that I feel should be released as a bigger package; more games for a slightly higher price or let players pick and choose what they want to buy.”

“Heaven Dust is a great homage to early Resident Evil games and solid enough to stand on its own. Plenty of puzzles, exploring, shooting zombies and even three endings for players to enjoy.”

“Submersed 2 The Hive definitely gets an A for effort, but F for execution. I forced myself to play this; I *really* wanted to enjoy it, but how the character moves made it impossible and mostly frustrating as some sequences require precise movement.”

“The Lost Cube is a fun, addicitive and fairly challenging platformer that plays perfectly in short bursts. Each level makes you think as to how you can get through it; although the game’s pacing feels a bit unbalanced in terms of level complexity, it won’t dether the overall experience.”

“Sir Lovelot reminds me of a bit of Super Meat Boy, but easier and less hair pulling challenging. It’s a fun addictive little platformer that will have players go “one just more level” until they reach the end.”

“Next of Kin is an enjoyable, albeit short, gaming experiences that touches on some tough subjects. While it does feel a tad predictable, the soothing score adds a layer of dread of what’s about to happen. The lack of hand holding is fine, but can feel tedious at times as you try to figure out which item you need to investigate. If you’re looking for something short to juggle between longer AAA experiences, Next of Kin is an enjoyable experience that might make you think.”

“Blazing Strike is a highly enjoyable and surprisingly decent fighter jam packed with content to keep fans entertained for some time; only once you’ve adapted to the slower movement. Also releasing this so close to Capcom Fighting Collection 2 won’t do this game any favors. Thanks to its slow movement, it’s a great entry point for those looking to dip their toes in the genre; while hardcore fans of the genre might find the lack of speed boring.”

“Clearly inspired by the Half-Life series, Kvark is a great FPS with a perfect old school feel; fairly balanced, interesting story, creepy ambiance. There’s also a decent variety of weapons to pick up and have fun with. It is also surprisingly lenghty and there’s quite a bit of areas to explore. However it does become a bit annoying constantly seeing the same enemies over and over; and the trailway section kinda slows the game down a bit. If you’re looking something substantial that feels different than common FPS, Kvark is a must-play; whether you’re an old veteran FPS player or tempted to dive into the genre.”

“Stratogun is an overall enjoyable, highly challenging shmup experience with a minimalist approach. There’s a decent variety of perks and weaponry with RPG lite mechanics making this game a bit addictive. However, the limited usage of perks and constant weapon overheating takes a fair challenge and turns it into cheap hits/deaths. Fans of the genre will revel in this unique challenge, whereas newcomers of the genre should look into a different shmup.”

“Combining objectives based missions and arena shooter mechanic makes Sker Ritual stand out from most shooters. Each map is unique and fun to explore, and it can easily be enjoyed solo or with friends. While the game won’t fully help you complete objective and you might have to be required to grind for points, it doesn’t deter from the overall experience. If you’re looking for a tense shooter with a unique twist, Sker Ritual is a must play.”

“Post Trauma is a great, enjoyable, albeit short survival horror game. The environments, settings and characters all do their part to offer an unnerving experience. The fixed camera is a welcome addition and throwback to classic gaming. Despite its flaws; lack of map, backtracking, questionable voiceover and sometimes clunky movement, Post Trauma is a fun and creepy experience. I strongly recommend playing this little gem, whether you’re a long time fan of the genre or looking to dip your toes.”

“I was actually looking forward to Pocket Bravery. I remember pre-ordering it like over two years ago when it was announced. But oh boy, the final result is highly disappointing. While the quantity of content is through the roof and is surprisingly as more diverse (if not more than) Street Fighter VI, the gameplay and feel of the game feels off and semi-responsive; complemented by cheap A.I.. Considering the price tag of this and high quality fighters available on Xbox, it’s hard to recommend Pocket Bravery.”

“There’s something with The Last Hero: Journey to the Unknown, but unfortunately it falls short as a whole. The game offers a waves of enemies instead of traditional go from A to B type of level design, which is a nice change, boss fights are fun, albeit very easy and there’s a handful of enjoyable special attacks to purchase and use. But the questionable level design, questionable hit detection and restrained to using a short range sword does break a bit of the fun. The game is ideal for younger players in your family, but they might need some help for a few levels. If you can tolerate the shortcomings, it’s a nice, short adventure. Otherwise, there’s a myriad of better platformers available.”

“Breakout Beyond is another version of a great puzzle game from early age of gaming. Easy to pick up and play, great use of power ups and focus mode to help through some of the harder levels. However, it’s greatest feature is also its greatest downfall; lack of gameplay variety and replay value. If you’re looking for something different to keep you busy, Breakout Beyond is a great way to spend some time and money.”

“Shadow of the Orient is a by the book 2D action platformer; kill enemies, find treasures, save prisoners; albeit in slightly bigger levels. But that’s not a bad thing; easy to pick up and play, and plenty to find scattered throughout each area. But combat feels unbalanced and annoying due to flying enemies or insanely rapid enemy reaction. But if you move around the various enemies or conserve your sub-weapons, it makes it more enjoyable.”

“If you’re looking for a proverbial nostalgia shot in the arm, Accolade Sports Collection is a great way to go. All five games’ gameplay mechanics hold up surprisingly well by today’s standards. Sure, there are a few events that in both Olympic games that require a bit of adapting, but other than that, this is an addictive collection. Sure, I wish there would’ve been a bit more variety, but whether it be solo or with friends, this guarantees a few hours of fun. Highly recommended.”

“For a remaster of a 30+ year old game, the developer did a surprisingly good job with X-Out: Resurfaced. The controls and overall gameplay is solid and holds up pretty well. Being able to customize one of the four submarines to tailor your playstyle is a nice twist. But it doesn’t make it any easier. Lack of continues and extra lives (unless you have enough to buy additional(s) subs) makes for a frustrating and repetitive experience as dying boots you back to the main menu. If you’re looking for a hard as nail shmup experience, this is one of the best. If you’re looking to dip your toes in the genre, this ain’t it.”

“Cycle Chaster H-5 is one of the most enjoyable, easy to pick up and fairly challenging shmup I’ve had the chance to play in quite sometime. It’s simple and there’s nothing to complicated; you have all weapons at your disposal from the get-go, controls are solid and it has a distinct unique style. While this is a great shmup for those looking to dip their toes in the often overly challenging genre, it might be a too easy for those looking for something more substantial to chew on. Definitely worth your time.”

“Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is a great mix of action, platforming and exploration. Each level almost feel like a mini-Metroidvania like game where players are encouraged to explore every inch of every level to find all gems, treasures and collect as many (if not all) fruits. But Luna’s twin-stick shooting mechanic takes a while to get used to in a 2D environments and the “forced” exploration can feel like a chore. However, if you can get past these quirks, you’ll discover an addictive little gem and one of the best games of the last 12 months. Highly recommended.”