Search found 14 matches for RatalaikaGames

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No Other Game Like It!

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Developed by Analgesic Productions and published by Ratalaika Games, with public relations by PR Hound, Sephonie is one of, if not THE most unique game we've reviewed this year "or any other year" and doesn't really fully conform to any particular established game genre, that said is this game GoTY material, well...no, but it's a solid game and well-worth a purchase so continue reading our review to find out why!



The game is simple enough, you take on the role of three scientists to study a certain phenomenon through platforming and puzzle solving and it all comes together in a great culmination of unique gameplay mechanics. The only real qualm we had was sometimes the platforming was a tad frustrating, but nothing that hampered our enjoyment of the game.

The puzzles are well made "especially the boss battle puzzles" which can be mind-bending and thoroughly challenging! The controls are mostly good, but the platforming felt a bit stiff in spots, but overall the controls are decent to solid!



The game is fairly short clocking in at 6-8 hours and there's very little replay value, which is unfortunate, but the gameplay was so unique that we still went through the game again and enjoyed it just as much.

As for the visuals, they are pretty decent with nice 3D characters and environments, it won't knock your socks off, but still works well enough. The soundtrack was pretty good if a bit unmemorable, but overall was quite enjoyable.



Bottom-Line: With unique and enjoyable gameplay, decent controls, and a good, but unmemorable soundtrack, Sephonie for the Nintendo Switch is a unique and fresh experience that we enjoyed, but it was somewhat unpolished in our opinions. Overall, however, we thought the game was a solid experience overall and as such we give the game a solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★¼☆☆ 7.25/10

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#Review #AnalgesicProductions #RatalaikaGames #PRHound #Sephonie #Switch #eShop #Experimental #Indie #Platformer #Puzzler

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Kuroi Solidbasa!

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Developed by Blackwing Gaming, published by Ratalaika Games, with public relations by PR Hound, Kuroi Tsubasa is a visual novel that is as cheery as it is dark and adult-oriented, but does it hold up to the greats in the genre? Probably not for most fans of the genre, but it's still a solid experience nonetheless! Continue reading the remainder of our review to find out why!



The story of the game is heartwarming and funny, however there are moments that are surprisingly dark and super mature as well, though that might be expected from an M-Rated visual novel, but it's a solid and entertaining romp that won't be the best thing you'll see in the genre, but will keep you interested from start to finish. The game itself is fairly short clocking in at between 15-20 hours in-length so it'll be easy to finish in under a week.



As for the visual side of things, the game is super vibrant and colorful with solid character designs and detailed backgrounds. The audio presentation is another beast entirely with a fantastic soundtrack, great voice acting, and solid sound effects. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of our time with this intriguing take on the magical girl genre!



Bottom-Line: With a solid story, and a fantastic audiovisual-presentation, Kuroi Tsubasa is definitely a worthwhile experience and though its a tad on the short side, we think the game has enough meat to warrant a positive reception, and as such we give Kuroi Tsubasa for the Nintendo Switch a solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #Mini #BlackwingGaming #RatalaikaGames #PRHound #VN #Anime #Switch #eShop #PS4 #PSN

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Go! Go! Epic Voyager Girl!

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Developed by Ohsat Games, published by Ratalaika Games, and public relations by PR Hound, Go! Go! Pogogirl is a fresh take of the 2-D platformer that pays homage to classic SEGA platformers like Sonic The Hedgehog, but does the game live up to the series that inspired its existence? We think so, but you'll have to continue reading the remainder of our review to find out why!



The gameplay is straightforward enough having you trek through each of the four seasons across twenty stages with a fun boss battle at the end of each season. The courses have unique hazards and enemies in each season and there's a boss at the end of every season. The game is pretty short clocking in at 2-3 hours in length, but at five bucks, it's not a bad deal for the price.

The controls are decent enough, with no real issues to speak of which is good, of course. The game is also fairly easy, but still exceptionally satisfying to play which being satisfying is obviously a VERY important trait for a game to possess and possessing it, this game does in spades!



The audiovisual-presentation of Go! Go! Pogo Girl is top-notch with detailed character and ememies, as well as a vibrant and colorful palette that looks extremely pleasing to the eyes. And as for the soundtrack? It's catchy and fits the mood of the game to a tee, really the game has no real weak spots and is all-around a great budget platformer!



Bottom-Line: With amazing gameplay, good controls, and a top-notch audiovisual-presentation, Go! Go! Pogogirl is a great platformer through-and-through with no real weak points. As such we give the game a great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #OhsatGames #RatalaikaGames #PRHound #Switch #eShop #PS4 #PSN #Platformer

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Best Lootboxes Ever?

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Developed by Conradical Games, published by Ratalaika Games, and public relations by PR Hound, Lootbox Lyfe+ for the Nintendo Switch is a precision platformer that hits a lot of good notes, but falls short of true greatness. That said we thoroughly enjoyed the game, so continue reading our review to find out why!



The gameplay in Lootbox Lyfe+ is straightforward precision platforming with heavy emphasis on the platforming aspect of the game rather than the enemies. The platforming can be quite tight at times and can test your skills, especially later on in the game, but plentiful skills can be found to help you out and make traversing the maps easier which is definitely helpful to say the least. It's certainly fun, but could have been so much more if it had a bit more meat to it.

The difficulty of the game isn't on-par with the likes of Celeste or Hollow Knight, but it's still plenty challenging in its own right. As for the controls? They are intuitive and easy to learn which is extremely important in any precision platformer and is most definitely appreciated. The game is quite short, which is a bit of a letdown, clocking in at 3-10 hours in length depending on your skill-level.



As for the audiovisual presentation of the game, it looks and sounds great with authentic retro sound effects, catchy and fitting tunes, a great pixel art. The game looks and sounds like a refreshing blast from the past and hits all of the right notes on the audiovisual side of things!



Bottom-Line: With good gameplay, intuitive controls, and an excellent audiovisual-presentation, Lootbox Lyfe+ for the Nintendo Switch is an enjoyable romp for sure, but the relative lack of content does hold the game back a bit. Regardless we enjoyed our time with the game and therefore we give Lootbox Lyfe + a good level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★¼☆ 8.25/10

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#Review #LootboxLyfePlus #ConradicalGames #RatalaikaGames #PRHound #Switch #eShop #PS4 #PSN #MetroidVania #PrecisionPlatformer

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KA-POW!

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Developed by Ninja Rabbit Studio, published by Ratalaika Games, and public relations by PR Hound, Panda Punch is a fun if not uninspiring platformer for the Nintendo Switch that caught our eyes with its interesting Red Panda protagonist. Is the game worthy of checking out? We think so, but you'll need to read the rest of our review to find out why!



The gameplay in Punda Punch is pretty good, with fun platforming and basic Metroidvania elements such as collectible power-ups to progress to previously inaccessible areas and find some cleverly hidden secrets. There isn't much variety of enemies and the gameplay formula stays WAY too safe which means there isn't a lot of uniqueness which holds the game back quite a bit.

The game is also fairly short at around 5 hours in length and the difficulty is also a bit unbalanced ranging from easy to super challenging at times, which again holds the game back a bit. On the upside the controls are easy to learn and feel quite nice in-terms of the button mapping.



As for the audiovisual-presentation the game is great! The characters, enemies, and backgrounds are cheery, vibrant, and highly detailed and the game's UI looks exceptional as well! The soundtrack sounds great and really sets the mood for the game's amazing presentation! Overall the audiovisual-presentation is by far the game's strongest point and definitely earns the game an additional point or two to its score.



Bottom-Line: With good gameplay marred by unoriginality, great controls, and a superb audiovisual-presentation, Panda Punch is certainly worth checking out at its price, but fails to live up to its potential. Overall we give Panda Punch for the Nintendo Switch a decent level of recommendation.

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Score: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10

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#Review #NinjaRabbitStudio #RatalaikaGames #PRHound #Switch #eShop #PS4 #PSN #Metroidvania #Platformer #Gaming

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Intrepid Fun!

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Developed by Senile Team Studio, published by Ratalaika Games, and public relations by PR Hound, Intrepid Izzy is an interesting Metroidvania title that plays it safe by sticking to a very tried and true formula for the genre. Does this mean the game feels too stale? We didn't think so, and here's why we believe Intrepid Izzy is a solid and worthwhile game to add to your Switch games library:



The gameplay formula is quite straightforward, you must explore, obtain power-up's, face bosses, all the stuff you expect from a Metroidvania with great level and enemy designs, minecart sections, and in-general fantastic game design at its core. The game is good for what it is, however there is a crux to all of this, as the game doesn't add or do anything special to separate itself from the tens of thousands of other Metroidvanias out there which is a shame since the gameplay is otherwise flawless.

The game itself is fairly short and can be beaten in 2-4 hours which was a bit of a letdown, but the controls were intuitive and felt great in action. The game is also REALLY easy and while enjoyable rarely provided much of a challenge which definitely hurts its overall score.



The audiovisual-presentation in Intrepid Izzy is great with gorgeous characters, backgrounds, and enemies, great special effects, and music that fits the game perfectly! Overall Intrepid Izzy's audiovisual-presentation is one of the game's strongest points!



Bottom-Line: With great gameplay, flawless controls, and superb audiovisual-presentation, Intrepid Izzy is a great game at its core, however its short length, and lack of uniqueness and challenge hold this game back by quite a bit. Overall, however we give Intrepid Izzy a solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #IntrepidIzzy #PRHound #SenileTeamStudio #RatalaikaGames #Switch #eShop #PS4 #PSN

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Find The Blade Within Yourself!

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Developed by Ametist, published by Ametist and Ratalaika Games, and public relations by PR Hound, Within The Blade is a 2-D action-platformer that is heavily inspired by games such as Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi, and other ninja platformers from the 80's and 90's. But does Within The Blade live up to the standards set by those aforementioned titles? We think so and here's why:



The gameplay is quite challenging and plays a lot like Ninja Gaiden for the NES or Shinobi for the SEGA Genesis, with a heavy emphasis on action with challenging platforming thrown in for good measure. The game is relatively short, clocking in at around an hour or two in length, but you'll thoroughly enjoy every minute of it if you're a fan of the action-platformer genre! Also the controls are tight and very responsive as expected from an action oriented game.



As for the audiovisual presentation, Within The Blade does a good job emulating the visual style of retro games, though if you're a western gamer, you'll notice much more blood than you saw in any NES or SNES game. This might break the retro immersion for some, but still looks great. The soundtrack sounds great as well with retro vibes that fit the game like a well-worn glove!



Bottom-Line: With great gameplay, excellent controls, and a enjoyably retro audiovisual presentation, Within The Blade is a great platformer that we highly recommend adding to your PS4 or Switch's library of games and there's really nothing negative to report as such, we give the game a good to great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★¾☆ 8.75/10

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#Review #Ametist #RatalaikaGames #PRHound #PS4 #PSN #Switch #eShop #Action #Platformer #Retro #Ninja

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It's A Small Kingdom After All.

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Developed by Ratalaika Games and Spoonbox Studio, and published by EastAsiaSoft, Kingdom of Arcadia is a bite-sized Metroidvania that has a cool premise, but is there more to this title than just that? Continue reading our review to find out!



Kingdom of Arcadia's gameplay is simple and straightforward for better or worse and ends up coming across a bit more of a standard platformer with a few Metroidvania mechanics at times. There are very few upgrades other that stat boosts for your equipment which makes the game start feeling repetitive rather quickly. The game is also super short with five worlds separated into small little sections. The game can easily be beaten in an hour or two and while challenging at times doesn't make up for its relative lack of content. The controls while easy to learn feel a bit off at times though we're pretty sure it has more to do with the game's physics rather than its actual controller responsiveness.

The audiovisual presentation is super simple with unimpressive level backgrounds and a sheer lack of music, with maybe two or three tracks in the entire game which only makes the repetitiveness of the game even more noticeable.



Bottom-Line: With solid gameplay that is a bit basic and repetitive at times, short playtime, and a lackluster audiovisual presentation, Kingdom of Arcadia is a solid game that is missing the polish and content it needs to live up to its potential, however at $5.99 the game is good for what you pay for and is better than most games at its price point and as such we give the game a decent level of recommendation.

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Score: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10

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#Review #RatalaikaGames #SpoonboxStudio #EastAsiaSoft #PS4 #PSN #Switch #eShop #Metroidvania

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A Turret Full O' Fun!

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Developed by Factor 5 and Ratalaika Games, published by ININ Games, and public relations by PR Hound, Turrican Flashback Collection is a great compilation of four highly enjoyable games in the Turrican franchise with loads of visual options and other bonuses that truly make this a worthwhile collection, but how good is it overall? Continue reading to find out!



Turrican Flashback Collection includes Turrican, Turrican 2: The Final Fight, Super Turrican, if and Mega Turrican and each game has some pretty amazing visual options, including several scanlines filters and color filters which is absolute eye-candy, but aside from that the package lacks any real bonus features, but is an overall pretty nice compilation. The gameplay feels something like a cross between Megaman and Contra, but leans more heavily towards being like Contra, the key difference being that this series is quite a bit easier in-terms of difficulty. The power-up system is quite robust, the platforming is challenging, and the bosses require careful strategy to defeat!

The controls are also quite intuitive and easy to learn while the navigation menu in this collection is streamlined and a cinch to navigate. The audiovisual presentation is superb and faithly recreates the retro feel of these games! The visuals are spot-on with little in the way of undesired visual flaws, and the audio sounds just as it did in the original releases of the games in this compilation!



Bottom-Line: With great gameplay that's as enjoyable as it is challenging, excellent controls, and a superb audiovisual presentation that is sure to please, we thoroughly enjoyed every minute that we played of this fantastic compilation and as such we give Turrican Flashback Collection for the PS4 a great level of recommendation to all fans of the action-platformer genre of games!

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★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #Turrican #ININGames #Factor5 #RatalaikaGames #PRHound #PS4 #Retail #PSN #Switch #eShop #Action #Platformer

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STAY or LIVE With The Consequences of LEAVING!

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developed by Appnormals Team and published by PQube & Ratalaika Games, STAY is a horror visual novel with retro graphics that has you STAY in contact with an unfortunate person who has no clue where he is and how he can escape. This is a rather interesting plot and that alone is worth checking this title out, but there's much more to this game than that. Continue reading our review to learn more!



The story in STAY is pretty wild, an unfortunate man wakes up to unfamiliar surroundings with little more than his computer and the clothes on his back. In this dark place not all is as it seems and it's dangerous to attempt to escape without assistance. Luckily he has you! As the only person in his chatroom you must guide him to safety and stave off insanity from setting in by communication and giving him advice. You'll want to play the game frequently until finished as the game's time will progress without you so things can get pretty dicey if you take a long break between sessions.

The game also features a huge number of extremely difficult puzzles, which we admittedly had to rely on a guide to solve some of the more challenging ones. STAY features multiple endings which adds to the replayability of the game. The game can be exceptionally difficult at times, but is quite short clocking in at under 10 hours in length. The controls are intuitive and easy to learn which is always a good thing and best of all STAY is PSTV compatible!



STAY has a fantastic yet very retro art direction with great details, the menues are streamlined and look amazing as well. The soundtrack is pretty solid as well and fits the mood of the game quite nicely!

Bottom-Line:

With a great and unique story, solid gameplay, flawless controls, amazing visuals, and a fitting soundtrack, STAY is a great game worth checking out, but the puzzles in the game feel extremely unfair and difficult at times which really hampers the accessibility of the game, but overall we give STAY for the PS4 and PSTV a solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #STAY #PQube #RatalaikaGames #VN #Retro #PS4 #PSN #Vita #PSTV

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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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Roguelike Funlike!

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Developed and published by Ratalaika Games, Devious Dungeon is an action-platformer with some roguelike elements that had a lot of potential, but does the game live up to that potential? Not really, but it's still a fairly solid game and here's why:



Devious Dungeon's gameplay formula is relatively simple, find a key to the next floor of each stage and exit all while trying to survive, every few floors will have a rest area with a shop and a healer to heal your health for a nominal fee. Once you've progressed a bit you will take on the area's boss which is much more challenging than any normal enemy in the game and will require at least a bit of strategy to defeat.

The floors have a bit of random generation, however the number of layouts are pretty limited so expect some repetition. The difficulty level is somewhat easy and the game's platinum trophy is a cinch to earn and can even be earned twice courtesy of the Vita version which is included via crossbuy making this a perfect game to farm gold, silver, and platinum trophies for your Sony Rewards account!



The controls in Devious Dungeon are easy to learn and almost as easy to master. You'll hear no complaints from us in this regard. The audio-visual presentation is also quite solid with decent retro-style graphics and a soundtrack that is solid albeit fairly forgettable.



Bottom-line:

With solid gameplay, intuitive controls, and a decent audio-visual presentation, Devious Dungeon is a decent budget title that most people should get a fair bit of enjoyment out of, however the game fails to live up to its potential which is a shame as the game could have been fantastic if only it had a bit more depth to it. Regardless we give Devious Dungeon a decent to solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★½☆☆☆ 6.5/10

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#Review #RatalaikaGames #Platformer #Roguelike #PS4 #Vita #PSTV

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Clobberin' Buliz!

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Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition for Nintendo Switch was developed and published by Ratalaika Games. The game is obviously heavily inspired by Gameboy/NES era beat 'em ups and brawlers, but is it a heavy-hitter like the games of the genre from that era or is it a featherweight unworthy of your attention? We feel that it's a solid game that falls a bit short of the greats of yesteryear, however we still liked the game and here's why!



The story in the game is silly to say the least, but does seem to take some inspiration from the 80's martial arts flick Karate Kid and it's all lighthearted fun. Don't expect a story-heavy experience though as gameplay takes center stage and it's quite fun actually. Basically you must fight your way through a bunch of stages filled with bullies with your limited fighting moves and certain weapons and objects that can be obtained from enemies or picked up and thrown at them to cause major damage.



Exclusive to the Arena version of the game is Arena Mode where you fight in a fixed area of various stages while progressively bigger hordes of bullies appear to attempt to overwhelm you. This can be a fun little distraction, but is ultimately little more than that.



Overall Squareboy Vs Bullies: Arena Edition is a very solid game, but it's got it's share of problems. First off, the game is very short in length and can be beaten 100% within an hour or two, which is shorter than we had hoped. The gameplay can also get somewhat repetitive, but thankfully the co-op mode makes up for this. To be honest the co-op was personally the highlight of the game for us and added alot of enjoyment value that would otherwise be missing "We're looking at you Vita version".

Secondly, the game is also extremely easy and posed very little challenge which is a definite miss because challenging gameplay is a must in the scrolling brawler / beat 'em up sub-genre.



Back to the positives, Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition has flawless easy to learn controls that will allow players of any skill level to play well which is a definite plus, especially for retro-inspired games such as this one!

The audio-visual presentation is also fantastic with authentic 16-bit graphics that are quite detailed and the unique art style of the squaretastic characters. Everything comes together perfectly on a visual standpoint. And while not quite as good as the visuals, the soundtrack was enjoyable and fits the game well.



Bottom-Line:

With solid gameplay , flawless controls, and a fantastic audio-visual presentation, Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition for the Switch is a fairly enjoyable worthwhile experience that fans of the beat 'em up genre should enjoy, however the game is a cakewalk to beat and short to boot so it may not be for everyone. The local co-op added alot to the game which makes this the definitive version of the game. Overall we enjoyed the game and feel that it's a fairly solid experience and as such we give the game a solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #RatalaikaGames #Switch #Vita #PSTV #Brawler #SquareboyVsBulliesArenaEdition

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Clobberin' Buliz!

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Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition for Vita/PSTV was developed and published by Ratalaika Games. The game is obviously heavily inspired by Gameboy/NES era beat 'em ups and brawlers, but is it a heavy-hitter like the games of the genre from that era or is it a featherweight unworthy of your attention? We feel that it's a solid game that falls a bit short of the greats of yesteryear, however we still liked the game and here's why!



The story in the game is silly to say the least, but does seem to take some inspiration from the 80's martial arts flick Karate Kid and it's all lighthearted fun. Don't expect a story-heavy experience though as gameplay takes center stage and it's quite fun actually. Basically you must fight your way through a bunch of stages filled with bullies with your limited fighting moves and certain weapons and objects that can be obtained from enemies or picked up and thrown at them to cause major damage.

Exclusive to the Arena version of the game is Arena Mode where you fight in a fixed area of various stages while progressively bigger hordes of bullies appear to attempt to overwhelm you. This can be a fun little distraction, but is ultimately little more than that.



Overall Squareboy Vs Bullies: Arena Edition is a very solid game, but it's got it's share of problems. First off, the game is very short in length and can be beaten 100% "Platinum Trophy included" within an hour or two, which is shorter than we had hoped. The gameplay can also get repetitive very fast. After beating the game we didn't feel the need to play again, though the Switch version was a little different with its co-op which we'll explain in a bit further detail in our review of the Nintendo Switch version of the game!

Secondly, the game is also extremely easy and posed very little challenge which is a definite miss because challenging gameplay is a must in the scrolling brawler / beat 'em up sub-genre.



Back to the positives, Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition has flawless easy to learn controls that will allow players of any skill level to play well which is a definite plus, especially for retro-inspired games such as this one!

The audio-visual presentation is also fantastic with authentic 16-bit graphics that are quite detailed and the unique art style of the squaretastic characters. Everything comes together perfectly on a visual standpoint. And while not quite as good as the visuals, the soundtrack was enjoyable and fits the game well.



Bottom-Line:

With solid gameplay , flawless controls, and a fantastic audio-visual presentation, Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition for the Vita/PSTV is a fairly enjoyable worthwhile experience that fans of the beat 'em up genre should enjoy, however the game is a cakewalk to beat and short to boot so it may not be for everyone. Regardless we enjoyed the game despite its flaws and feel that it's a diamond in the rough so to speak and as such we give the game a decent level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★¾☆☆☆ 6.75/10

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#Review #RatalaikaGames #Vita #PSTV #Switch #Brawler #SquareboyVsBulliesArenaEdition

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