Search found 29 matches for Arcade

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CounterAttack Ahoy!

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Developed by Relative Games and published by Novy PR, CounterAttack: Uprising for the Nintendo Switch is an endless shmup, with a ton of character and uniqueness, but is there enough on-offer to recommend this game? Oh boy! Do we think so and here's why:



The gameplay is superb with a massive selection of stages with branching paths as well as a ton of weapon and ship upgrades to collect! The variety of enemies and bosses is also extremely impressive in this shmup! The controls are very intuitive and responsive which is pivotal in a game in this genre. The difficulty can be brutal in the later stages, but starts off easy with a slow and steady increase in difficulty as you progress through your current playthrough.



The audiovisual-presentation in CounterAttack: Uprising is absolutely phenomenal with backgrounds and special effects so detailed you'd be forgiven in thinking that the game had a AAA budget rather than being from an indie developer! The ships and enemy models are also superb and look fantastic!

As for the audio, the sound effects feel straight out of an arcade which brought us quite a bit of nostalgia, and the music fits so well with a ton of variety in its tracks and was quite memorable as well!



Bottom-Line: With great gameplay with a ton of content, excellent controls, and a top-notch audiovisual-presentation, CounterAttack: Uprising is a highly enjoyable shmup for fans of the genre and with very few cons it's an easy pick-up even if you're not a fan of the genre! Overall we give CounterAttack: Uprising for the Nintendo Switch a nearly perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★½ 9.5/10

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#Review #NovyPR #RelativeGames #Switch #eShop #Shmup #Arcade

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An Impressive Milestone Has Splashed Onto Switch!

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Developed by TAITO & Hamster Corporation, and published by ININ Games, with public relations by PR Hound, Taito Milestones II is a fantastic collection of Taito arcade classics that were classics in their heyday! But do these titles and this collection as a whole still hold up as great games today? We think so and here's why:



Taito Milestones II has a wide-array of enjoyable arcade games from Taito's back-catalogue including hits such as New Zealand Story, Metal Black, and Darius II, which as a whole are a much better selection than what we saw in the previous Taito Milestones collection. The games are perfectly emulated and run just as they did back in the arcades, but are quite bare-bones with very little bonus features and content which is a shame, but certainly not a deal-breaker by any means.

The controls are quite responsive and easy to learn which is always a good thing while the menus and UI are easy to navigate and read. The games on offer should give players dozens of hours of gameplay value, more if you like going for the highest scores you can!



As for the audiovisual-presentation, everything looks crisp and are well-emulated with a great frame-rate and no artifacting or screen-tearing which obviously is what you'd hope for in a premium retro game compilation title like this. The menu sounds are great as are the the sound effects and music in most of the titles. We feel the audiovisual-presentation in Taito Milestones II deserves a nearly perfect grade as it's exceptional for sure!



Bottom-Line: With a great selection of classic arcade titles with superb gameplay and excellent emulation, responsive controls, and an overall amazing audiovisual-presentation, Taito Milestones II for the Nintendo Switch is a good arcade game compilation and as such we give the software a good level of recommendation to all fans of retro arcade games!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10

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#Review #TAITO #PRHound #Switch #Retail #Retro #Arcade #eShop

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Ray'z Your Hand'z In Excitement!

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Developed by TAITO and M2, published by ININ Games, and with public relations by PR Hound, Ray'z Arcade Chronology for the Nintendo Switch is a faithful port of three legendary TAITO arcade shmups that are among the best games in the genre as well as HD Remasters of two of the included games! Have these ports withstood the test of time, and how good are the two included HD Remasters? As always, continue reading our review to find out the answers to the all-important questions!



The overall UI presentation of the menus and in-game gadgets for the included games are clean and very informative which is a given if you know how TAITO arcade shmups operate, and we couldn't be more thrilled! The gameplay of all of the included games are faithful to their original arcade releases and still feel wonderful to play all of these decades later!

The games are quite action-oriented, but not bullet hell in nature, rather more in line with TAITO's other major Shmup series Darius, which we also reviewed the ININ collections for that series extremely favorably! The games also feature built-in achievements which is a nice touch for sure. The games also vary in length from about 30-45 minutes long to a whopping 3 hours in-length with multiple paths easily giving this collection 30+ hours of replay value for completionists!

The only downside to this collection is that it lacks bonus features such as artwork and other extras that other collections from ININ possessed, but it doesn't really negatively affect our opinions of the game all that much.



The games control amazingly well and feel as fluid as they did in the arcades way back when! As for the visuals? The games range from 2D to 3D, and look gorgeous with excellent enemy and ship designs, flashy and awe-invoking special effects, and gorgeous scrolling effects that have aged like fine-wine! The HD Remasters included really pop in HD with sharper image quality, and vastly improved backgrounds and special effects that look fantastic even by today's standards!

And lastly the games' soundtracks are as exceptional as they are varied and they fit the mood of what's going on on-screen extremely well. Overall the audiovisual-presentation is absolutely top-notch!



Bottom-Line: With flawless gameplay, excellent replay value, great controls, and a top-notch audiovisual-presentation, Ray'z Arcade Chronology for the Nintendo Switch is a must-have collection for any/all fans of the SHMUP genre and despite lacking some of the bonus features you'd expect from a collection of arcade classics such as this one, the games are so well-done that this one gripe just barely lowered our score of this otherwise perfect collection! As such we give Ray'z Arcade Chronology a nearly perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★¾ 9.75/10

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#Review #RayzArcadeChronology #TAITO #ININ #M2 #PRHound #Switch #Retail #eShop #PS4 #PS5 #PSN #Shmup #Arcade #Retro

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Rays The Waves!

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ININ Games and PR Hound have announced that the Ray Z Arcade Chronology collection will be releasing on the Nintendo eShop on June 30th! The collection features two HD remakes and the original trio of games in the series, RayForce, RayStorm, and RayCrisis. The game will retail for $50. What do you think of this upcoming collection of classic TAITO arcade titles? As always be sure to let us know in our comments section below!

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#News #RayZArcadeChronology #RayForce #RayStorm #RayCrissis #HD #Remake #Switch #eShop #Retail #Arcade #Shmup

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Shinobi Hero!

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Developed by City Connection, published by ININ Games, and with public relations by PR Hound, Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle + Hell is a fantastic arcade-platformer that is a true sequel in the long-running JaJaMaru series in every sense of the word, while staying true to the series roots. Is this enough to make the game a true masterpiece? We think so, but you'll need to continue reading the remainder of our review to find out why!



The gameplay in Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle + Hell for the Nintendo Switch is hectic action-packed goodness for players of all ages and is so much fun that we had trouble willing ourselves to put down our controllers! The game features a ton of stages and bonus stages on top of a whole lot of characters and other bonus goodies to unlock in the in-game store!

The controls in the game are simple and easy to use while the game's difficulty is challenging, but fair which is always a good thing. As for the replay value? With tons of unlockables as well as content the game will likely give players around 20+ hours of arcadey goodness which is a decent value for a game in this genre. There is also a +Hell mode featuring remixed stages that are far more difficult for added content and another 10+ hours worth of replayabilty!



As for the audiovisual-presentation in Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle +Hell? The graphics are simple yet gorgeous with an 8-bit art style that really pops in HD with flashy and breathtaking special effects that give the game a modern feel. The sound effects are well done, while the soundtrack not only fits the game flawlessly, but is quite memorable as well!



Bottom-Line: With amazing gameplay, excellent controls, a decent amount of content, and a top-notch audiovisual-presentation, Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle +Hell for the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic platforming arcade game that is well-worth the cost of admission! As such we give the game a great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★¼ 9.25/10

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#Review #NinjaJaJaMaruTheGreatYokaiBattlePlusHell #CityConnection #ININGames #PRHound #Switch #Retail #eShop #PS4 #PSN #Arcade #Platformer

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Steel Yourself For A Solid Adventure And Have A Blast!

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Developed by Mitchell Corporation and Ratalaika Games, published by ININ Games, and with public relations by PR Hound, Cannon Dancer: Osman is the unofficial sequel to Strider made by several members of the same crew when they parted ways with their parent company. The game is part platformer, part beat 'em up, and a solid good time, for sure. Does it live up to its official predecessor? We don't think so, but it's definitely a worthwhile experience in its own right! Continue reading the remainder of our review to find out why:



The gameplay in Cannon Dancer: Osman is top-notch with tight controls, excellently varied enemies and bosses, and fun stages that will have you wanting more, unfortunately the game is quite short, clocking in at under 2 hours in-length and the 5th stage has a rather frustrating difficulty spike which hurts the overall score of the game.

Also unlike previous ININ retro releases, Cannon Dancer: Osman is lacking in any meaningful bonus content, however the screen filters are still plentiful which is at least something, eh? As for the game's difficulty, it starts out SUPER easy for the first four stages, however it then rackets up to absurd levels of difficulty starting on stage five, which is rather unfortunate as it blemishes the game's otherwise superb gameplay.



As for the audiovisual-presentation, Cannon Dancer: Osman looks absolutely amazing, with super detailed 16-bit graphics that are not only detailed and vibrant, but hold-up remarkably well even by today's standards! The enemies and bosses in particular look fantastic with clearly a lot of attention being put into them by the developers and it really shows! The soundtrack is also top-notch and fits the mood of the game like a button. The sound effects are also quite good for a 1996 Arcade title which was a pleasant surprise for sure!



Bottom-Line: With fantastic gameplay, tight controls, and a flawless audiovisual-presentation Cannon Dancer: Osman for the Nintendo Switch had the possibility of being a perfect game, however the steep price tag without many bonus features, a sudden difficulty spike in stage 5, and a VERY short playtime hold this game back, but the game itself is so fantastic that the hit to its score was mostly mitigated, as such we give Cannon Dancer: Osman for the Nintendo Switch a great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #MitchellCorporation #ININGames #PRHound #Switch #Retail #eShop #PS4 #PSN #Action #Retro #Arcade #Strider

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Space Fish In 3-D!

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Developed by TAITO, published by ININ Games, and public relations by PR Hound, G-Darius HD for the PS4 is a 3-D Polygonal arcade space shoot em' up in the long-running Darius series and the first one that was in 3-D. The original arcade release back in the 90's was amazing and while the PSOne port wasn't quite as good, it was still quite an enjoyable experience. Does this HD remaster live up to the previous iterations of the game? We think so, and we'll tell you why, so continue reading our review to find out!



The gameplay in G-Darius HD, is jam-packed with a robust power-up system, dozens of types of enemies, branching level paths, and epic bosses and mid-bosses that are sure to provide a challenge to all players. The games' zones vary widely and add a ton of replayabilty to an already content rich game, which is always a good thing. The game also features alien ship capturing allowing players to capture enemies or even mid-bosses and add them as an ally!

The difficulty can be challenging, but is fair and as for the controls, they work exceptionally well. The game also features loads of cabinet settings, screen settings, and an assortment of widgets that can display various information regarding the game on-screen which is a nice touch!



The audiovisual presentation is fantastic with detailed environments, gorgeous 3-D enemies, and crazy special effects that are actually quite impressive for a game released back in the late-90's. The soundtrack is also extremely enjoyable and fits the game like a glove! The sound effects and other audio is just as pleasing to the ears as well!



Bottom-Line: With excellent gameplay with tons of replayabilty, great controls, and a top-notch audiovisual presentation, G-Darius HD for the PS4 is a superb remaster of one of the first 3-D scrolling shmups released in the arcades and the amount of customization adds to the replayabilty of the game! Overall we give G-Darius HD for PS4 a nearly perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★½ 9.5/10

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#Review #TAITO #M2 #PRHound #ININ #SHMUP #Arcade #PS4 #Retail #PSN #Switch #eShop

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The Final Wave!

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Developed by SideQuest Studios and published by EastAsiaSoft, Soldner-X 2 Final Prototype: Definitive Edition for the PS4 is the best edition of the game originally released way back in 2010 on PS3 and Vita. The game comes with all three DLC packs, as well as a full trophy list including a platinum trophy which the original lacked, an art gallery, and bonus stages that can be unlocked by collecting five hidden keys in the game's various stages! If this sounds good so far, continue reading our review, because this is just a tip in the iceberg in-terms of this game's awesomeness:



You are one of the best pilots left in an apocalyptic world and are the last line of defense between the enemy and human extinction as is common in the genre. Cliches aside, the gameplay in Soldner-X 2 Final Prototype Definitive Edition is super refined and feels like a cross between a bullet hell shmup and something more traditional such as Gradius. The enemies are varied and oftentimes drop power-up's that will help players out immensely while the combo system will allow you to score massive points. The bosses are where the real challenges lie, however as they will shower players with complex bullet patterns, lasers, and even hordes of enemies which will truly test players' mettle in the game!



The difficulty is very challenging, though more fair than most bullet hell games, with fairly small bullet hit boxes, and fair enemy movements. The controls are also very tight and responsive so expect to not get frustrated with the controls all that often which is always great for games in the genre! The audiovisual presentation is good. It won't wow with its dated modern graphics, but looks nice and the soundtrack on the other hand sound absolutely fantastic and fits the game to a tee!



Bottom-Line: With great challenging gameplay, excellent music, good graphics, and tight as well as intuitive controls, Soldner-X 2 Final Prototype: Definitive Edition for the PS4 is an amazing game that is well worth the cost of admission and we highly recommend the game to all fans of shmups and arcade games of the 90's and early 2000's. We give the game a great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #EastAsiaSoft #SideQuestStudios #PS4 #PSN #Switch #eShop #SHMUP #Arcade

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The King of Swing?

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Developed and published by Drowning Monkey Games, and public relations by PR Hound, Castle Kong is a homage to classic arcade games of the 80's and Donkey Kong Arcade in particular, but does it live up to the giant Kong of legend? Not quite, but it is still a worthwhile title to pick up and here's why:



The gameplay is quite simple, but somewhat entertaining and plays quite similarly to the old-school classic arcade game Donkey Kong. There are some tweaks and changes to the formula that make the game feel at least somewhat unique, but overall it's a pretty similar title. The controls are good and easy to learn and the game's difficulty is also well-balanced which is always a good thing.

The visual presentation in Castle Kong is pretty good looking and the soundtrack fits the game to a tee. The sound effects are also varied and work well with the soundtrack. Overall the audiovisual presentation is slightly above par.



Bottom-Line: With decent gameplay, great controls, and an above average audiovisual presentation, Castle Kong is a relatively enjoyable Donkey Kong arcade clone that feels right at home on the Switch and as such we give the game a decent level of recommendation.

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★★★★★★¾☆☆☆ 6.75/10

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#Review #CastleKong #DrowningMonkeyGames #PRHound #Arcade #Action #Platformer #Switch #eShop

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Invading Our Hearts Forever!

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Developed by TAITO Games, published by ININ Games, and public relations by PR Hound, Space Invaders: Forever is a handpicked collection of three superb games in the long-running TAITO shmup series, Space Invaders, but is it worth picking up in 2021? We think so and here's why:



The three games in the collection are quite varied and enjoyable with a multiplayer take on the original formula in Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE. It doesn't do a lot to reinvent the original Space Invader's gameplay outside of 4 player co-op and while a nice novelty it does grow tired fairly fast. Thankfully it is the weakest title in the collection, but it's still not bad for what it is and there is fun in short bursts, so it's still well worth booting up from the title select screen every now and then.

Arkanoid Vs. Space Invaders is a fantastic breakout and shoot 'em up hybrid of the two titular series and is a blast to play. This breakout clone has you reflect the invaders shots back to destroy them and each stage has a specific number of invaders to destroy to beat the level. Seems easy, right? Not quite as not only is there a time limit for each stage, but bricks and other obstacles will interfere with your ability to destroy the pesky invaders. A boss also appears every 15 stages and takes loads of hits to destroy and can often prove to be quite a challenge. Luckily the game is somewhat merciful as it offers power-up's, special attacks, and more that will be quite helpful in beating the game's more difficult stages. This game is definitely one you'll want to play most of the times you boot-up Space Invaders Forever as it is a fantastic and enjoyable title!

Space Invaders Extreme is a modern take on the original Space Invaders formula complete with power-up's, bonus stages, much more complex enemy waves and patterns, and a flashy new coat of paint which is absolute eye candy! The game is as addictive as it is fun and is easily the most enjoyable game in the collection and is well worth the price of the entire package even by itself!



The controls in the collection are silky smoth and quite intuitive and the menus are easy to navigate which is always a good thing. The lack of any sort of bonus content seen in previous ININ arcade collections is a bit of a letdown, but not a deal-breaker. As for the audiovisual presentation, the games are true to the originals, with zero emulation issues, the soundtracks are great, the visuals pop, especially in Arkanoid Vs and Extreme. The navigation menus are also glossy and are pleasant to the eyes!



Bottom-Line: With a great trio of excellent games filled with plenty of amazing gameplay, great controls, and a superb audiovisual presentation, Space Invaders Forever is a great game compilation that is sure to please the fans and as such we give the game a great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #TAITO #ININGames #PRHound #Arcade #PS4 #Retail #PSN #Switch #eShop

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An Absolute Blast!

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Developed by Studio Saizensen, published by ININ Games, and Public Relations by PR Hound, Umihara Kawase BaZooKa is an action-arcade game like no other! Is this a good thing, however? We think so, but you'll need to read the rest of our review to find out why!



The gameplay in Umihara Kawase BaZooKa is quite enjoyable with small platforming stages with unique enemies to annihilate. To win each stage, players must defeat wave after wave of enemies. Some enemies are simple and straightforward to defeat, while others can only be defeated through very specific methods which adds a layer of strategy to the otherwise simplistic arcade-platforming formula. Multiplayer plays a huge role in this title, with online leaderboards, multiplayer co-op, and even competitive battle modes, the game is truly a blast for upto four players!



The final level of each world has a boss to vanquish which is a cut-above the canon fodder that you face in the other stages and can prove quite challenging to beat. As for the game's length, it can be beaten in a single day, but the multiplayer adds countless hours of potential enjoyment to the game. The controls are a bit cumbersome at times, but after a while you start getting used to them, however this is definitely the low-point of the game though it's not something that should sway your decision to purchase the game unless you are really, debating whether or not to get the game and are leaning much more towards not getting the game.



The visuals in Umihara Kawase BaZooKa are quite vibrant and detailed and standout as being super cutesy, but in a way that still has that cool factor that older kids and adults can enjoy, much like the beloved Kirby series. The stages are detailed, the characters are cute and full of life, and even the enemies have a certain charm to them. The audio is great as well with all the sound effects you'd expect from an arcade game and an absolutely charming soundtrack that fits the mood of the game to a tee.



Bottom-Line: With great gameplay, an excellent audiovisual presentation, and superb multiplayer gameplay Umihara Kawase BaZooKa is a great game that has a lot of positive aspects that most fans of the genre will truly enjoy, however awkward controls do make the game take a hit in our overall score of the game, but despite this we still give the game a solid to good level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★¾☆☆ 7.75/10

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#Review #StudioSaizensen #ININGames #PRHound #PS4 #Retail #PSN #Switch #eShop #Arcade #Platformer

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Bubble Busting Fun Featuring Baron Von Blubba!

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Developed by Taito and ININ Games and published by PR Hound, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron Is Back is an expansion to the previously released, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends that adds a new mode with 50 additional stages to the base-game. What do we think about the new content? Continue reading our review to find out the answer to that question!



Bubble Bobble 4 Friends has frantic and highly enjoyable gameplay for 1 to 4 players where you must encase enemies in bubbles and then pop them to defeat said enemies much like in the arcade game back during the 80's. Bonus rounds are back and just as fun as ever, and there are tons of new power-ups to help you defeat your enemies. All in all, the game is a blast that faithfully recreates the nostalgic feel of the original Bubble Bobble. That said as good as the game is, the game is SUPER short and clocks in at less than half the length of the original "game-time not the number of stages" which is the main reason why this game isn't receiving a perfect score.

The entire Bubble Bobble classic arcade game is included in this title which we highly recommend playing! The difficulty is pretty easy and the controls are intuitive and easy to learn which is always a good thing in our opinions. As for the audio-visual presentation, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends has colorful and detailed retro themed graphics that feel like a perfect blend between retro charm and modern flare and it really stands out. And the soundtrack is bubbly and cheerful which fits the game perfectly!

The new tower arcade game featuring Baron Von Blubba, the indestructible bone whale is a nice addition that adds a great deal of extra content to the game. It's basically a challenge mode and is far more difficult than the standard levels in the game. This new mode can be accessed from the arcade machine in the world hub, but only in hard mode. This new mode is also free for those of you who previously purchased BB4F on Nintendo Switch!



Bottom-Line: With great gameplay, flawless controls, and an excellent audio-visual presentation, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends will have you hooked from the get-go, while the inclusion of the original 80's arcade game will keep you coming back for more! The only negative aspect of this game is that the new content is pretty short due to quicker movement and other adjustments and can be finished in a half an hour which does hurt the overall score of the game, however the additional content corrects most of the problems we had with the base-game so we give the game a great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #Taito #PRHound #BubbleBobble #Arcade #Platformer #Action #Switch #Retail #eShop #PS4 #PSN

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Invaders From The Depths of Space!

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PR Hound has struck once again with another surprise announcement and it's another big one! TAITO has teamed up with Strictly Limited Games once again to bring the Switch title, Space Invaders Invincible Space to the west in physical form. There will be three limited editions available exclusively from Strictly Limited Games' website here. Sadly there is no digital version planned at present, but we'll let you know if that changes!

Here's the info regarding the collection from PR Hound's press release:

"Space Invaders is a founding block of video game history that filled the arcades. It is said that the game made 100 Yen coins scarce and defined the visuals and mechanics in the first decade of video games."

"Until this day, Space Invaders remains highly successful in the gaming industry as well as it is highly prominent in pop culture."

"Now the most complete collection on cart ever, the Space Invaders Invincible Collection, is heading to the West. It combines all titles from the Japanese standard and special releases on one cartridge, including Space Invaders DX (1994), Space Cyclone (1980) and Lunar Rescue (1979) - the limited Western collection even has the console port of the game Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders on cartridge, a unique title which was only available as a download code in the Japanese version. The experts from Gotch Technology have ensured a perfect and accurate realisation on consoles."



"The following games are part of the Space Invader Invincible Collection:

● Space Invaders (1978, Arcade) – b/w

● Space Invaders (1978, Arcade) – colour

● Space Invaders Part II (1979, Arcade)

● Majestic Twelve: The Space Invaders Part IV (1990, Arcade)

● Super Space Invaders ’91 (1990, Arcade)

● Space Invaders Extreme (2018)

● Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE (2018)

● Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders (2017)

● Space Invaders DX (1994, Arcade)

● Space Cyclone (1980, Arcade)

● Lunar Rescue (1979, Arcade)"


"Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders (2017) is, for the first time ever, available on console. The game is a crossover of Arkanoid and Space Invaders and features gameplay elements from both games."

"To celebrate 40 years of Space Invaders, Square Enix and TAITO held an art installation and limited time event in Japan called “PLAY! Space Invaders”. For the event, TAITO, with Square Enix, created a huge version of the game “Space Invaders Gigamax” with a 7 meter  high by 15 meter wide screen. Now the game “Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE” will be available as part of the Invincible Collection."

"Space Invaders Invincible Collection Limited Edition



The Limited Edition for Nintendo Switch will contain all 11 games and will be available for 59,99€.


Space Invaders Invincible Collection Collector’s Edition

The limited Collector’s Edition for Nintendo Switch features:


● Soundtrack

● Arcade Book

● Sticker Sheet

● 4 Instruction Cards

● 6 Flyers

● Pin

● 4 Acrylic Art Cards

● Arcade PCB Box

● Collector’s box with magnetic latch"

"The Collector’s Edition will be available for €99.99.

Space Invaders Invincible Collection Ultra Edition



The limited Ultra Edition for Nintendo Switch features everything of the Collector’s Edition plus the ultimate Space Invaders Board Game and more special items. The Ultra Edition will be available for €149.99."



What do you think of this collection? Will you be getting it or would you rather waif to see if a digital release is announced at some point in the future? Be sure to let us know in our comments section below!

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#News #PRHound #StrictlyLimitedGames #TAITO #Collection #Shmup #Arcade #SpaceInvaders

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A Whopper of A Collection!

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Developed by M2, published by ININ, and localized by ININ, Darius Cozmic Collection Console is a collection of console versions of several of the flagship shoot 'em up's from the famous TAITO series Darius. Does the game hold up as a true masterpiece like the Arcade Collection of Darius that we recently reviewed? No, but it's still a good collection nonetheless and here's why:



This collection features several versions of a few different Darius console titles which have all of the great shmup action you'd expect from the series, only a bit shorter and more simplified than the arcade counterparts. You still must fight hordes of ships modelled after marine life, avoid hazards, collect power-up's for your ship, etc. As per usual the console titles in the series feature branching level progression with dozens of level possibilities, although the courses are a bit shorter and there are fewer of them when compared to the arcade versions. There are a couple of games that are console exclusive that make this collection worthwhile, but the lack of options compared to the arcade collection and the missing UI elements do make this collection the less exciting of the two, which is a shame because it could have been so much better.

The difficulty is ironically harder than the arcade collection due to the lack of being able to add infinite continues in the games, despite the games themselves actually being easier. The controls are quite easy to learn, but hard to master with a bit of a frame delay. It's nothing substantial or even bad, but it takes a bit of getting used to. Overall the gameplay and controls are solid in this collection!



The visuals in this collection won't wow anyone, but are quite good with great backgrounds, detailed character and enemy models, and great special effects for games of their time! The soundtrack is absolutely incredible and will have you humming for hours afterwards. The music not only fits the games well, but is extremely memorable! Overall the audio-visual presentation of this collection is great!



Bottom-Line: With solid gameplay and controls, and good graphics Darius Cozmic Collection Console will draw fans of the genre in and the amazing and memorable soundtrack will keep them hooked and coming back for more! We give Darius Cozmic Collection Console for the PS4 a good to great level of recommendation to all arcade aficionados and fans of shmups in general!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★½☆ 8.5/10

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#Review #M2 #PRHound #ININ #TAITO #PS4 #PSN #Switch #eShop #Shmup #Arcade #Console

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Battling The Aquatic Alien Menace!

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Developed by M2, published by ININ, and localized by ININ, Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade is a definitive collection of several of the flagship shoot 'em up's from the famous TAITO series Darius, but is it worth the price of admission? We think so and here's why:



The gameplay in this arcade collection is frantic high-octane borderline bullet-hell goodness that'll likely hook any fan of the shooter genre hook, line, and sinker! The included games are varied and there are several versions of each game aside from Gaiden that are from various regions or with updated gameplay. The gameplay is slightly different with each game, but the basic gist is you defeat hordes of enemies and avoid a myriad of obstacles and hazards and usually face a mid-boss sometime during each level and face a boss at the end. Defeating an entire wave of enemies usually results in a large sum of bonus points and sometimes leaves you a ship upgrade to boost your firepower, shield, speed, or grants you a powerful silver form with a massive boost in power!

Each game is divided into sectors and at the end of each level you can select one of two. This selection changes based on your previous decisions allowing for a playthrough typically around 6-8 of up to 26 possible courses depending on the game you're playing in the collection! The menu allows you to view online manuals of each game, change difficulty, starting lives, whether or not continues are available, and tons of HUD display options for the on-screen UI. Overall the game offers a considerable amount of customization for each game and is a much-appreciated aspect of the collection!



The difficulty of the games in this collection is tough-as-nails even on the easy difficulty setting, however the fact that you can add as many continues as you want going forward, it's pretty easy to beat the games, of course getting a competitively high score is another matter entirely. The controls are quite easy to pick up as expected from old-school arcade games, however the original Darius does have noticeably less responsive controls that take some time getting used to, but overall the collection is good in this regard.

As for the audio-visual presentation, the visuals aren't going to impress anyone in today's time, but the mechanical sea creatures that you fight in the games are quite unique and the aesthetics of the backgrounds are a step-above most games of that era. Darius Gaiden in particular looks absolutely amazing for an arcade game released in 1994. As for the audio side of things, the sound effects are of high quality and the soundtrack for each game is quite memorable and fits the games mood perfectly, overall the audio-visual presentation is nearly flawless in this collection.



Bottom-Line: With amazing gameplay, a flawless audio-visual presentation, and a myriad of options available for each game in this collection, any fan of the genre will take the bait and snatch up this collection and the controls work as they were meant to in the original arcade releases which will reel you potential buyers all the way in! We give Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade for the PS4 a great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #PRHound #M2 #ININ #TAITO #PS4 #PSN #Switch #eShop #Retail #Arcade #Darius #Collection

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In Console And Arcade Varieties!

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PR Hound has made yet another announcement and it's a good one as ININ Games and PR Hound are releasing two amazing shmup collections next week on PS4 and Switch in conjunction with TAITO Games! The two collections are Darius Cozmic Collection Console and Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade! Here's what PR Hound said in their press release:



“WARNING!”

"A Huge Collection of Classic Shoot-em-up Games is Approaching Fast!


The localised, digital, versions of one of the highest revered Shoot ‘Em Up game series in the history of video gaming are heading to the Nintendo eShop and PSN. The Darius Cozmic Collection Console and the Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade will be available on 16th June 2020.


Make it Simple, Make it Tough!


The Darius series pioneered horizontal Shoot 'Em Up games and was developed by the legendary TAITO Corporation. The first Darius game wowed arcade going fans when it was

released in 1986 with its dedicated dual-display cabinet, imaginative enemy designs and revolutionary sound design.


RoboFish!


The first Darius is set in a futuristic 2D world, where the player pilots a Silver Hawk craft alone, or with a second player, and shoots their way through enemy hordes, navigating tricky terrain and battling giant robotic sea creatures. Armed with missiles, bombs and a forcefield, which can be powered up along the way, the players must defeat the alien invaders through a series of branching ‘zones’ to be victorious.


Numerous sequels and ports followed over the years, setting new standards for Shoot 'Em Up excellence each time, from the outstanding soundtracks, to the unforgettable, aquatic-lifeform-themed boss design and the innovative branching paths at the end of each section


The Darius Cozmic Collection represents the classic 2D history of this iconic Shoot 'Em Up series. All games have been faithfully ported to modern consoles by M2 in Japan, so gamers can rest assured that these are absolutely high-quality ports with perfect performance - as one would expect from the retro game experts at M2."

The two collections and the pricing for each can be found below:



Console


Darius Cozmic Collection Console - Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4

This download collection includes 6 titles (9 versions) from the Darius home console series:

Darius II (Mega Drive, JP version)

SAGAIA (Genesis, US version)

SAGAIA (Master System, EU version)

Darius Twin (Super Famicom, JP version)

Darius Twin (Super NES, US version)

Darius Force (Super Famicom, JP version)

Super Nova (Super NES, US version)

Darius Alpha (PC Engine, JP version)

Darius Plus (PC Engine, JP version)


Price: 54.99€ / 44.99 GBP / 59.99 USD



Arcade


Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade - Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4

This download collection includes 4 titles (7 versions) from the Darius arcade series:

Darius (Arcade, original version)

Darius (Arcade, new version)

Darius (Arcade, extra version)

Darius II (Arcade, Dual Screen version)

SAGAIA (Arcade, ver.1)

SAGAIA (Arcade, ver.2)

Darius Gaiden (Arcade)


Price: 39.99€ / 34,99 GBP/ 44,99 USD



2D or Not 2D - Don’t Miss Out!



What do you think of these two collections of classic games? Will yo be downloading either of these two collections? Be sure to vote in our poll and leave us your comments below!

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#News #ININ #PRHound #TAITO #PS4 #Switch #PSN #eShop #Shmup #Collection #Arcade #Poll

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Rising From The Depths of Cancellation!

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Originally planned for the SEGA System 18 Arcade hardware way back in 1992 by Wonderboy developer Westone. It was later cancelled due to the popularity of fighters and 3D arcade games that were immensely popular in that time period, as a result SEGA lost confidence in the potential of the game becoming all that successful.

An interesting fact is that despite the fact that most of the audio-visual files weren't salvageable it will be an extremely faithful recreation of the original arcade game thanks to the fact that Strictly Limited Games and ININ games hiring most of the original team who worked on the ill-fated arcade game.



The game is scheduled to release in 2020 on current consoles so we suspect a Switch and PS4 version are quite likely. The game will receive both a digital and physical release so don't worry about the game being a collector's item as there will be a way for everyone to enjoy this amazing looking retro gem!

Anyways, be sure to leave us your thoughts in our comments section below!

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#News #Switch #eShop #PS4 #PSN #Arcade #Retro

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Bub And Bob Are Back With Friends!

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Developed by Taito and published by PR Hound, Bubble Bobble: 4 Friends is a delightful throwback of the classic 80's arcade game, but does this new release live up to the original? We think so and here's why:



Bubble Bobble 4 Friends has frantic and highly enjoyable gameplay for 1 to 4 players where you must encase enemies in bubbles and then pop them to defeat said enemies much like in the arcade game back during the 80's. Bonus rounds are back and just as fun as ever, and there are tons of new power-ups to help you defeat your enemies. All in all, the game is a blast that faithfully recreates the nostalgic feel of the original Bubble Bobble. That said as good as the game is, the game is SUPER short and clocks in at less than half the length of the original "game-time not the number of stages" which is the main reason why this game isn't receiving a perfect score.

The entire Bubble Bobble classic arcade game is included in this title which we highly recommend playing! The difficulty is pretty easy and the controls are intuitive and easy to learn which is always a good thing in our opinions. As for the audio-visual presentation, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends has colorful and detailed retro themed graphics that feel like a perfect blend between retro charm and modern flare and it really stands out. And the soundtrack is bubbly and cheerful which fits the game perfectly!



Bottom-Line: With great gameplay, flawless controls, and an excellent audio-visual presentation, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends will have you hooked from the get-go, while the inclusion of the original 80's arcade game will keep you coming back for more! The only negative aspect of this game is that the new content is pretty short due to quicker movement and other adjustments and can be finished in a half an hour which does hurt the overall score of the game, but even so we give the game a good level of recommendation!

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Score: 8/10

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#Review #Taito #PRHound #BubbleBobble #Arcade #Platformer #Action #Switch #Retail #eShop

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An Amazing Robot Shinobi Smackdown!

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Developed by Taito Games, a subsidiary of Square Enix and published by PR Hound, Taito's The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors is a remake of a classic Taito arcade-style beat 'em up released decades ago during the golden age of arcades! How does this game stack-up to the competition of that era? Really well actually, continue reading our review to find out why!



The gameplay can be extremely challenging at times, but at the heart of Taito's The Ninja Saviors - Return of the Warriors, it's a relatively simplistic beat 'em up. That said the various playable characters offer a very different experience with different range and combos which adds a layer of replayability to the game, but also ensures that there should be a character to fit every gamer's playstyle.

The controls in the game are pretty tight, but some combos can feel somewhat awkward to pull off which can be frustrating at times. There's a wide array of vastly different enemies and bosses which well test your mettle in the game. The normal enemies during stage one require little strategy, but by stage two things get quite a bit more challenging.



Every boss is a challenge however, even the stage one boss really presented a serious challenge to us and the game literally took us a month to beat! While extremely difficult the game always felt fair in its mechanics and if you learn the patterns of the enemies you could make slow, but steady progress in the game and eventually beat it. This difficulty was a breath of fresh air in an era where most games are far too easy, it was nice to actually earn our victory through hard work and determination!

The audio-visual presentation in the game is decidedly retro with authentic 90's style graphics with a ton of attention to detail with amazing character designs and superbly designed levels with multiple layered backgrounds. The soundtrack is also top-notch with a wide-variety of tracks that fit the game perfectly!



Bottom-Line: With excellent and challenging gameplay, good controls that can be a bit tricky at times, and a superb audio-visual presentation that will bring back memories of the old arcades of yore, Taito's The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors for the PS4 is a great game that's well worth a purchase if you're looking for a challenge or enjoy retro-style arcade games or beat 'em ups! We give Taito's The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors a good to great level of recommendation!  

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Score: ★★★★★★★★¾☆ 8.75/10

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#Review #TheNinjaSaviors #Taito #SquareEnix #PRHound #PS4 #PSN #Switch #eShop #BeatEmUp #Arcade #Retro

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Classic Arcade Goodness Making A Splash On PS4 and Switch!

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Developed by Digital Eclipse and published by NIS America, SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is a compilation of excellent retro arcade games from SNK's rich catalogue of software and there's a large variety of genres to be had so there's something for everyone in this collection of games. Is it worth its price though? We think so and here's why:



This collection of games is pretty impressive with fantastic emulation and amazing bonus content. You can choose the region of most games and some games you can even choose between a home console version and the original arcade version which is a nice touch. The games span several different genres so there is something for gamers of different tastes, however scrolling shmup's do dominate the lineup somewhat.

The games run as they should with little to no issues. The games also have a sharp image mode and even a full-screen mode and stretch mode if you want the original aspect ratio or don't like borders or arcade cabinet images on your TV screen while playing respectively. The gameplay options are somewhat limited, but are serviceable.



A cool feature of this compilation is that you can activate "watch mode" at the start to watch how the courses should be played and can jump in at any time which can help if you get stuck on a particular part of one of the games or to help you boost your scores by knowing how to do certain things in a particular way.

Back to the bonus content there's a plethora of cool info regarding  the included games in Museum Mode and tons of other juicy tidbits of awesomeness that you likely wouldn't expect to be included which is great for any arcade aficionado's!



The controls are pretty responsive and work as they are intended to which is nice as well. The audio-visual presentation is what it is and is more or less perfectly rendered from the source material. Sure there's a very rare visual or audio blip every now and then, but you'll likely not even notice these while playing and some of the games hold up quite well visually given their age. The soundtracks of many of the games range from good to great, but a few of the older titles do have rather limited chiptunes and can be somewhat grating, but overall it's a non-issue.



Bottom-Line: With a great selection of arcade game classics with tons of bonus content in the museum, excellent controls, and  near-perfect emulation including the audio-visual side of things, SNK 40th Anniversary Collection for the PS4 is a good title that is well worth purchasing if you're a fan of arcade gameplay and grew up with older games. On the downside these games are bite-sized compared to modern games and are mostly good for short-bursts of challenging fun. Overall we give the game a good level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10

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#Review #NISAmerica #DigitalEclipse #Arcade #Compilation #Platformer #Action #Shmup #RPG #PS4 #PSN #Retail #Switch #eShop

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A Workout With Blades!

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[image placeholder]

Developer: Chesstar Studios.
Publisher: Vive Studios.

All right let’s see how do I start? Well for one thing I had a blast with this game. The game is pretty simple as you've got your samurai theme game and what you do is basically stand on one spot and tiny little people (if you can call them that) are thrown at you and you have to cut them down with your sword before they hit you, you have 3 hearts which indicate your health, and your final score will be determined by the points you made and how many hearts you still had left as well as the amount of combo kills you do, now the game has many weapons. You have your basic sword, you got a shield, some boomerang, a lance that can shoot waves as you swing and other weapons and some armor ports to extend life or weaken hits on you, unfortunately I have only been able to test out 2 weapons out of the main sword and the shield cause in order to obtain them you have to buy them and to buy them you need to make money by getting good scores, which at the beginning I got horrible scores so by the time I finished all stages I only had enough money to buy 1 sword, there is an alternate way to get weapon but it’s up to chance the game has a gatcha system that you get 2 hammers a silver and a gold, the gold hammer has a chance for a weapon or armor pieces or mask while the silver has less of a chance.

You get them by also getting good scores or you can buy them with gold from the game as well. While you playing a stage you sometimes get power ups like a shield that protects you from one hit, a jar that returns a heart back to you,  a sword which basically makes your weapon reach farther and an arrow that shoots an enemy when it appears, there are also 4 other ability, you start with a blizzard that slows down time for a few seconds, then you get the arrow that is the same as the one I mentioned before but this one has 5 like totem thing that shoot arrows a couple of times, then you got the recovery one that recovers hp damage depending how many enemies you killed while its active, and the last one is thunder which as you can guess thunder or lightning shoots out of the sky and hits all enemies, now all except for the blizzards are limited to how many you can use, they will run out but you can get more from random drop after passing stage or by luck with the gatcha, the armor part are the same they are limited to how many times you can use them but these are only gotten by the gatcha.

[image placeholder]

Now the game its fun and its not to hard except for the bosses, each level has a boss and they have a lot of HP so you going to need to swing like a maniac to be able to get that health down fast before you probably die cause bosses sometimes attack from behind but that’s only the last 3 bosses of the game. And you have other enemies either being thrown at you or a shuriken been thrown at you which you deflect with you weapon whatever you may be using.

Also another way to get money is by doing achievements in the game but there are some achievements that don’t have a lot of info on them so I don’t get how to get them, but most likely you will unlock a lot of them on a normal playthrough.

I do have a slight complaint that when you do an achievement it is displayed beneath the hearts which you would have to look down to see but then you don’t see the enemies coming. I also feel like they should either lower sword buying requirement or give more money they give me so little and it’s hard to get a good score, least it was for me, not being physically fit might not have helped my cause either.

[image placeholder]

My final score for this game I give it a good to great level of recommendation.  Mostly due to the bosses having too much HP and it getting tiring swinging that much, and the money requirement being so high when they give so little, the abilities and armor being limited kind of sucks, but it’s not that bad, after all most of it depends on your skill. Now the motion controls for this game were flawless I did not have a problem with them whatsoever, I only had a little problem at beginning but that was my fault as I had not adjusted the camera.

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Score: ★★★★★★★★½☆ 8.5/10

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#Review #ChesstarStudios #ViveStudios #Arcade #PSVR #PSN

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Scantily Clad Girls Everywhere!

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Developed by SNK and published by NIS America, SNK Heroines is a fighting game for people who for a lack of better words like a full cast of female characters in their fighting games. So you know there will be oversexualized characters, however once you get into the meat of the game it is excellent at least in-terms of its gameplay mechanics, but is this enough to earn a passing grade from us? Keep reading to find out!



The story is mostly forgettable, but the characters are quite humorous and will constantly complain about things such as their bust size, or their outfits which is hilarious to be honest. The gameplay mechanics are actually quite accessible and easy to learn and the combo input is definitely fast-paced so expect battles to end rather swiftly rather than slow-paced technical fights.

Overall SNK Heroines feels like an old-school arcade fighter in every way which is nice for longtime fans of the genre. There are several modes, but nothing all that unusual for a fighting title



The controls are intuitive and easy to learn which is always a must in a fighting game. The visuals are nice, sure they won't blow you away, but are definitely detailed and at times quite pretty. The music is also quite solid and fits the game perfectly.

Bottom-Line:

With great gameplay and controls, and solid audio-visual presentation the game had potential to be extremely good, but a forgettable story and ridiculous amount of fan-service held this game back from its potential, regardless the game is still a solid choice for fans of old-school arcade-fighters and as such we give SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy a solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #NiSAmerica #NiSA #SNK #Fighter #Arcade #PS4 #Vita #Retail #PSN #Switch #eShop

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A Solid Yet Fruity Racer!

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Developed by 3 Clouds.it and published by PQube, All-Stars Fruit Racing is an ambitiously fruity racer that does fill a gap in the PS4's library of games as there aren't many arcade kart racers on the console, but is it worth purchasing? We think so and here's why:



All-Stars Fruit Racing takes a unique approach to the kart racing formula in many ways, but the game nails the core aspects of the genre perfectly with tight controls that are both responsive and easy to learn, good course design, challenging A.I., and of course a hearty power-up and item system.

What makes this game so unique is that each character has their own item sets that can be powered up or altered through the fruit mixture system. This system is actually quite hard to explain in any sort of detail without spoiling too much, however it is among the most enjoyable power-up system we've seen in an arcade racer!



Visually the game is a real treat as the courses are vibrant and lush and feature a lot of intricate details, the character and object models as well as the special effects are quite impressive and the soundtrack is exceptional to boot, there's really nothing short of perfection when it comes to the audio-visual presentation of All-Star Fruit Racing!

Bottom-Line:

With great gameplay, excellent controls, and a breathtaking audio-visual presentation, All-Star Fruit Racing for PS4 is a fantastic arcade racer that we highly recommend to all fans of the sub genre, and with such a unique and enjoyable power-up system we had to give this game a good level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10

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#3Clouds #PQube #AllStarFruitRacing #Arcade #Racer #PS4 #Retail

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Splashing Some Ink!

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Developed by Petite Games and published by Ratalaika Games, Inksplosion is a simplistic arcade-style shoot 'em up title that is tough as nails, but definitely quite sparse in-terms of content. Is the lack of content enough to ruin the experience of this retro shooter? Not necessarily and here's why:



The gameplay is pretty straightforward as Inksplosion is an arena-based shoot 'em up title with extremely retro mechanics, you have a few variety of enemies that fire various weapons and certain bullet patterns and there are a few level hazards here and there, but this game really goes back to the absolute basics. This is its greatest flaw as well as its greatest strength.

The overall amount of content is fairly lackluster and there isn't much variety in the level designs which repeat frequently. There are a few modes, but all of them are pretty basic. The one upside is that you can earn the platinum trophy in under a half an hour with enough luck and skill and the game is cross-buy with Vita and has different trophy lists between systems and regions!

The audio-visual presentation is very simplistic in nature and in all honesty the game looks quite sleek and the soundtrack fits the early to mid-70's arcade theme the developer was aiming for in Inksplosion!



Bottom-Line: With fun gameplay, responsive controls, and a superb yet simplistic audio-visual presentation, Inksplosion is a good way to kill a few minutes here and there, but its one fatal flaw is that it really doesn't have much in the way of content or replayability which hurts the game immensely, however we still think it's a decent little game and as such we give Inksplosion a decent level of recommendation.

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Score: ★★★★★★½☆☆☆ 6.5/10

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#Review #PetiteGames #RatalaikaGames #Arcade #ArenaShootEmUp #PS4 #Vita #PSTV #PSN #Switch #eShop

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For The Castle And Glory!

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Developed by Locomalito and published by Abylight, Cursed Castilla (Maldita Castilla EX) for Vita is a throwback title that possesses traits and elements of many of the 80's and 90's Arcade greats, such as Ghosts & Goblins, Super Indiana Jones, Rygar, and many more! Is the game worth it though?! We think it's one of the best throwback titles in recent years and here's why:



The gameplay in Cursed Castilla is superb to the max, the game is an action-platformer at its core and is not only a nostalgic trip down memory lane, but also provides superior gameplay to that of the titles the game is clearly inspired by! The game is also HARD, and we mean NES HARD! Expect to die alot before learning how to best tackle the game's many challenging stages!

The game has a ton of enemies and challenging bosses to tackle, there are plenty of power ups to be had, but the most interesting aspect of the game are the hazards. Some things that you wouldn't think dangerous are deadly, such as windmill blades in the background. There's even a stage where massive eggs roll by and you can kill them or dodge them, so you decide to dodge them and suddenly you find yourself surrounded by harpy enemies that hatch from those eggs! This clever stage design is just one example of many which really showcases the developer's talent!



Cursed Castilla is PSTV compatible which is fantastic news! The controls are also easy to learn, but can take awhile to master. The audio-visual presentation is absolutely amazing in a true to history representation of 80's Arcade titles! The chip-tunes are fantastic, the characters and levels look groovy, overall you won't find much better even from the likes of Shovel Knight, though obviously the art-direction is completely different.



Bottom-Line:

With fantastic and challenging gameplay, excellent controls, PSTV compatibility, and nostalgic audio-visual presentation, Cursed Castilla for Vita is one game that no Vita owner should miss out on and because of this, we give the game a nearly perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★½ 9.5/10

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#Review #Abylight #Locomalito #Vita #PSTV #3DS #CursedCastilla #MalditaCastillaEX #Arcade #Retro

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Pac-Man Madness Is Coming To A PS4 Near You!

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Hey there my PlayStation gamers, Bre here with another exciting update for you. This one hits close to the heart for me as it deals with one of my favorite games/game characters, none other than Pac-Man himself. Awhile back there was a game released called Pacman Championship it took the game of Pac-Man and upped it with headache inducing game play and bright lights to make an even more fun version for you and me to love.

Well they’re back and with a new version of our favorite fun loving game, called Pac-Man Championship 2 and it’s being released on the PlayStation 4! So for those of you lucky enough to own one, you have a new game to look out for in September. And If you don’t, no worries I’m sure that someday we can all have the chance to experience this game.

Source: Pushsquare.

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#Namco #Bandai #Pacman #PS4 #PSN #Arcade

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Fantastically Frantic Digging!

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Developed and published by Namco Games and originally released on the NES back in the early 1990's in North America and Europe, Dig Dug II is an excellent sequel to the widely popular Dig Dug arcade game that was released in the 1980's, though it was and still is very underrated by gamers despite possessing far more content than its predecessor. Dig Dug II has withstood the test of time and it is still a very good game in our opinions and here's why:

The gameplay in Dig Dug II is fairly simple, but extremely challenging. You are armed with a harpoon that can inflate enemies and pop them for a small number of points and a jackhammer that can make cracks in the island and sink sections of the island. Drowning enemies award players with a very large amount of points, especially if you drown a large number of them in one go! Sinking three sections of the islands causes a fruit, vegetable, beverage, or mushroom to show up which is worth anywhere from a small number of points to a rather sizeable number depending on the item.



The game possesses seventy-two stages which can take two to four hours to complete as well as an additional hard-mode that can be played after beating the first seventy-two stages and possesses smarter and slightly faster enemies! The game is rather strange in-terms of difficulty as the level of difficulty ramps-up until the sixty-fourth stage and then suddenly becomes easy during the final eight stages.

The controls are very simplistic, being an NES title, that's not surprising, however you'll need quick reflexes in order to save yourself in some of the more challenging stages. The Gamepad's Off-TV-Play feature is great for this kind of game and you never have to worry about losing your high-score or progress in the game thanks to the save-state feature so overall this game might actually be superior to its original NES release!



Visually the game has aged well, by NES standards anyways, with colorful characters and stages. One thing that really impressed us was the quality of the emulation in this title, there's no frame-rate dips or visual bugs such as "ghosting" or darker and muddier visuals that are prevalent in many other titles on the Virtual Console Service, which is an absolutely incredible feat on Bandai Namco's part!

The audio has a few issues such as very rarely skipping music notes and such, but isn't a major issue. The sound effects are standard arcade fare which isn't necessarily a bad thing and the music is very catchy and enjoyable. Perhaps not as memorable as Bubble Bobble's theme song, but both of Dig Dug II's songs are pretty catchy. The game over jingle is also very iconic in our opinions! Overall the audio-visual presentation in the game is superb with only a few minor issues!



Bottom-Line:

With solid gameplay, excellent controls, great new features courtesy of the Wii U Virtual Console service, and a superb audio-visual presentation that has very few emulation issues, Dig Dug II is a quality title that we highly recommend downloading especially for its price! So if you haven't downloaded the game yet, do yourself a favor and download it ASAP!

Price: $4.99

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Score: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10

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#Review #WiiU #VC #eShop #DigDugII #Namco #NES #Arcade

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Borderlining Spoiled...

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Developed and published by Nnooo Studios, Blast 'Em Bunnies is an arcade shooter that can be fun in short bursts, however a lack of content, wonky controls, and repetitive gameplay hold the title back from true greatness, however that doesn't mean that the game is a total lost cause, and here's why:

The gameplay in Blast 'Em Bunnies is straightforward, you must shoot the enemies who just so happen to be adorable bunny rabbits. The level of difficulty can range from easy to moderately difficult which is to be expected from a title of its nature, however the game has several major flaws which hurt the game's overall score...



The gameplay is very repetitive as there just isn't much variety to the game's one stage, "that's right one stage" if you want to play additional stages you must purchase the paid dlc packs. The lack of content really hurts the replay value of the game. The controls are also incredibly wonky and very sensitive which makes playing the game a serious chore.

The audio-visual presentation on the other hand is really nice with adorable enemies and a colorful and cheery stage design the game truly looks great, while the sound effects and music are also quite fun and cheery!



Bottom-Line:

With repetitive gameplay that can be fairly enjoyable for short periods of time and an excellent audio-visual presentation, Blast 'Em Bunnies had the potential to be a solid 3DS eShop title, however poor controls and an utter lack of content really hold this game back and negatively effect our opinion of Blast 'Em Bunnies. It can be fairly fun for short bursts so we give the game a poor recommendation rather than a bad level of recommendation.

Price: £2.99/$4.99

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Score: ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 4.5/10

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#Review #3DS #eShop #Shooter #Arcade #NnoooStudios

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Asteroids On Steroids!

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Developed and published by Form Up Studios N.e.o. or Near Earth Objects as the game is known as is a love letter to the classic arcade shooter genre and is clearly heavily inspired by the Atari classic Asteroids!

The game does a good job at keeping players entertained with many modes, including an Endless Mode to rack up some incredibly high scores, a classic Arcade Mode with a set number of stages, three lives, and limitless continues and lastly Yolo Mode "You Only Live Once" which is an unforgiving mode where players are only given one life and zero continues to beat the Arcade Mode!



There's not a huge selection of enemies, but the ones that are there are quite varied. The game also features spreadshot and barrier satellite power-ups which will prove to be very useful when the going gets tough!

The controls are fairly good, though it takes a while to get used to. The Off-TV-Play is also a nice feature that we're always glad to see in a game!

Visually the game looks incredible in a retro kind of way! Sure the graphics are minimalistic, however the special effects such as neon explosions, flashes, etc. look fantastic! The audio is quite a treat as well, with a fantastic sound-track and superbly retro sound effects you'll feel like you're in a 80's/90's arcade!



Bottom-Line:

With fantastic gameplay, tons of game modes, and an amazing audio-visual presentation N.e.o. is one fantastic arcade shooter for the Wii U eShop that you shouldn't pass up, and though the controls aren't easy to master, it doesn't ruin the experience in the slightest! Overall we give N.e.o. "Near Earth Objects" a great level of recommendation!

Price: $2.99

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Score: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8.5/10

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#WiiU #eShop #Arcade #Shooter #Retro

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