Mini-Review Archives - Tech-Gaming

Savant – Ascent REMIX mini-review

Robert Allen — Sat, 07 Oct 2023 22:45:12 +0000

Showing my enemies what a good beat is like. Savant – Ascent REMIX offers a curious twist on the twin-stick shooter. In keeping with the genre, you’ll use the right analog nub to aim bullets at enemies. But the left stick isn’t used for movement in a conventional way. Instead of an overhead standpoint, Ascent’s ...

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Quantum: Recharged mini-review

Robert Allen — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 00:03:08 +0000

A mild advancement on the 1982 arcade game. There’s a possibility you might not have played 1982’s Quantum. Although the vector graphics-based title was included in Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, the original cabinet had a limited release of fewer than 500 machines. Those lucky enough to play it found a recreation set in the ...

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Mr. Run and Jump mini-review

Robert Allen — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 21:13:23 +0000

Mr. Run and Jump and Dive and Swear and Throw the Controller Mr. Run and Jump is a title, the name of the game’s protagonist, but also a tidy synopsis of mechanics. Originally released in 2021 as an Atari 2600 title, developer John Mikula worked with Atari to provide a comprehensive modernization. No longer are ...

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Cramped Room of Death mini-review

Robert Allen — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 20:42:33 +0000

Making it through life with an oversized polearm. Following a night of voracious eating and drinking, armor-clad Lance fell into a deep sleep. While slumbering, a duplicitous army of skeletons stole his treasure and made off with most of his weapons. The sole remaining offensive device was a long spear, that was too cumbersome for ...

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Murtop mini-review

Robert Allen — Sun, 21 May 2023 03:53:19 +0000

Blasting gophers like Caddyshack’s Carl Spackler. 2009’s Retro Game Challenge cultivated a love for retro games that never actually existed. That title and its sequel, the Japan-only GameCenter CX: Arino no Chōsenjō 2, presented players with a collection of games that painstakingly simulated popular 8- and 16-bit genres. Years later, Donut Dodo would perform a ...

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Wall World mini-review

Robert Allen — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 00:13:23 +0000

Let’s get this out of the way: Wall World is a near-plagiaristic copy of Dome Keeper. Just like Bippinbits’ title, you drill your way into a planet, unearthing essential resources. As you quarry, you’ll discover telltale signs of adjacent mineral deposits. After excavating the materials within, you’ll vacuum up as much as you can carry, ...

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Have a Nice Death mini-review

Robert Allen — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 12:32:41 +0000

Feeling a bit like Death warmed over. Tired of doing all dirty work on his own, Death decides to sub-contract the tedious task of soul collection. The Sorrows take up the duty and end up enjoying killing so much that Death becomes overburdened by processing all the paperwork. In Magic Design Studios’ Have a Nice ...

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Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition mini-review

Robert Allen — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 00:24:33 +0000

Where the difference between the supernatural and the supermotivated is nearly indistinguishable Beneath the façade of professionalism, corporate workplaces can be remarkably eccentric. Certainly, that’s the case at the Sintracorp, which serves as a backdrop in developer Baroque Decay’s Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition. You play as Brian Pasternack, a good-natured but unexceptional recipient of an ...

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Atari Mania mini-review

Robert Allen — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 19:30:42 +0000

Wario, Where? The average life expectancy of a brand is about twenty years. Despite a succession of severe struggles, Atari remains intact a full half-century from its inception. To help commemorate this milestone, Montreal-based developer Illogika has crafted a collection of mini-games built around many of Atari’s celebrated properties.Regretfully,this isn’t the birthday gift that the ...

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Haiku, the Robot mini-review

Robert Allen — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 18:34:05 +0000

Haiku are short poems that adhere to a precise format. Artistry comes from being able to fluently express yourself in a restrained form. Similarly, Mister Morris Games’ Haiku, the Robot devotedly follows metroidvania formula, which extends a modest amount of mechanical innovation. Set in a post-apocalyptic setting where humanity has perished, artificial life still lingers. ...

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Scathe mini-review

Robert Allen — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 00:26:20 +0000

Scathe strives to provide the blistering action of yesteryear’s first-person shooters like Doom, Quake, and Hexen, while offering updated visuals. You assume the role of the game’s eponymous warrior, roused by a seemingly benevolent deity to help take out his malevolent twin. For better or worse, explosions of pulpy viscera are favored over exposition. While ...

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Circus Electrique mini-review

Robert Allen — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:55:54 +0000

2016’s Darkest Dungeon delivered a rousing interpretation of card-driven, turn-based combat. As with most breakout hits, the title inspired an array of indie developers to code their own deviations. From Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager, Iratus: Lord of the Dead, to Slay the Spire, each game replicated Red Hook Studios’ basic formula ...

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Kokoro Clover Season 1 mini-review

Robert Allen — Sun, 07 Aug 2022 18:18:10 +0000

Kokoro Clover’s conceit is undeniably clever: the game is presented like a serialized anime. Twelve episodes flaunt the traditional characteristics of Sunday morning animation. From recaps of previous shows, title cards, commercial breaks, eye catches, and even closing credits, the game offers a loving tribute to late twenty-century children’s television. Lead character Treffy attempts to ...

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Avenging Spirit mini-review

Robert Allen — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 01:15:33 +0000

The 1987 film The Hidden centered around an alien who could shift between human bodies. Once in control of a person, the alien went absolutely wild. From robbing banks, jumping into the body of a stripper, and stealing Ferraris, it was the kind of pulpy, R-rated film that’s unlikely to be made today. But seemingly, ...

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Long Live the Queen mini-review

Robert Allen — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 20:56:23 +0000

Long Live the Queen’s moment-to-moment decisions are as unexceptional as registering for next semester’s classes. But here, death lurks for the young monarch who didn’t find benefit in naval history or public speaking. Relish those fleeting moments of optimism, the game reminds us, since a single arbitrary event can end it all. Simulations are ...

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Wingspan European Expansion mini-review

Shane Nakamura — Tue, 24 May 2022 02:57:08 +0000

With a lot of new birds, including a solid selection of owls, the Wingspan European Expansion is quite a hoot. There aren’t any sweeping transformations, but a few additions inject a bit more strategy into every game. Normally, calling an expansion “more of the same” would be a subtle snub. But the digital adaptation of ...

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Mini Motorways mini-review

Robert Allen — Tue, 17 May 2022 21:05:31 +0000

Conceptually brilliant and aesthetically clean, Mini Motorways boils a city simulation down to the bare essentials of managing roadway traffic. Sure, it sounds a bit unexciting at first, but you’ll probably find yourself glued to your Switch, attempting to unsnarl suburban paths. Managing traffic is a thankless task in most city simulations. While you’re constructing ...

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Z-Warp mini-review

Robert Allen — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 01:01:30 +0000

Dodge, shoot, die, and curse- now repeat this cycles dozens of times. Like any respectable shmup, Z-Warp will submerge you in screens awash with projectiles. Learning to swim through it all can be gratifying. Panda Indie Studio games are the interactive equivalent of those energy shot drinks sold in gas stations and convience stores. Pocket-sized, ...

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Agent Intercept mini-review

Robert Allen — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 04:11:22 +0000

Tragically, there aren’t more games like Spy Hunter. Driving a transforming vehicle that’s packed with deadly weaponry is power fantasy. Agent Intercept offers a bit of that escapism, but is too short and plays it too safe, making for an undistinguished experience. If you owned a smartphone in the twenty-teens, there’s a strong chance you ...

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Breakout: Recharged mini-review

Robert Allen — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 14:33:45 +0000

The latest entry in the Atari Recharged series demonstrates continued obedience to formula. If you’re a appreciate the approach, it’s time to hit the bricks. Adamvision Studios follows a strict pattern when modernizing classic Atari titles. If you’ve followed the updates of Missile Command, Centipede, Asteroids, or Black Widow their methods are apparent. First, every ...

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