NilkadNaquada
2018
An absolutely exceptional platformer on every level. Gorgeous pixel art, a stellar soundtrack, and a highly empathetic and impactful story about the struggle to grow and improve oneself in the face of mental illness which is expertly woven into the gameplay. I cannot recommend this game enough.
A mechanical step up from its predecessor, but the campaign is a bit noticeably unfinished in places and the writing is a lot less interesting than it was in the first two games (or Deadlocked)
Exactly what it says on the tin. Ignore partygoers, acquire pupper. Decently fun for as long as it lasts, but very repetitive and fairly shallow. It lives up to its promise but doesn't exceed it.
2016
There's clearly some degree of effort put into this, the assets are appealing and the idea of mixing different elements to get different types of magical projectiles is fun in theory, but the game doesn't seem finished.
2020
Neat concept but I think the equipment items are a little TOO complex for messing with them to really be fun
Fun concept but in practice I just don't find it that fun to play, in particular the rooms feel really samey
When the game is working it can be pretty fun, but it's pretty light on content (despite containing a whopping SIX story campaigns; content is largely recycled between them, sometimes with some tweaks) and it clearly didn't get enough development time because a lot of the time it doesn't work. A lot of the writing is also pretty half-baked, particularly at the end when it tries to pull out some power of friendship stuff which doesn't really tie into any other aspect of the plot and doesn't feel remotely earned. The highlights in terms of writing come from Amy and Gamma's campaigns, which relate to each other in some meaningful ways but are pretty disconnected from everything else. Overall, while I can see why this game was so revered when it came out on the Dreamcast, I think it would've been far better served by having a little more time to really polish up a smaller number of gameplay styles and maybe tighten up the script a bit, because what we have here is extremely janky and unfocused. (Note: Review based on the steam release, with mods applied to restore the Dreamcast textures and lighting as well as fixing some miscellaneous input issues and such.)
Aside from a charming aesthetic and writing style, I can't find much to recommend in this game. Boiling down a series of complex political decisions into a simple "yes" or "no" often makes it feel hollow, and the game seems to take certain aspects of modern economic propaganda at face value, most notably how spending and taxation work. There are high points as well, most notably a refreshing amount of honesty about how much money the american government wastes on completely needless military spending, but by the time I finished the round I was left struggling to figure out what the point of it all was.
2017
Pretty neat little abstract puzzle game, one which teaches its mechanics to you in a very intuitive way without an explicit "tutorial." I dropped off pretty quickly because I just don't really have the patience for these sorts of things, but if you're into the genre I'd recommend checking it out.
2020
I'm sure it's fine if you're into the original a bunch but the weird physics are a bit too much to push through in a context where one slipup will end your run
Why
1997
Just a really fantastic arcade shmup
2014
Resident Evil is a masterwork in atmosphere, while giving the player more than enough to chew on in terms of inventory management and pathing around a complex mansion full of puzzles and traps. Just a great time all around.
A somewhat compelling concept for a meta commentary which quickly devolves into yet another first person surreal narrative game where the narrator tells you to do what you're told and comments that you have no legitimate agency when you start ignoring his directions. The light switch gags are funny, but the interactivity is all pretty janky and the writing, quite tired. In the end the best I can say about this game is that it takes place in a really cool liminal space.
2020
A neat twist on solitaire in a striking and memorable visual style. Seeking to remedy the problem of unwinnable games in solitaire, Radical Solitaire gives you the option to "get rad," trading one of your draw cards for one of the face-down cards on the field by playing a Breakout minigame where you repeatedly knock the ball into the card to shuffle through the deck until you get what you want. This minigame is also surprisingly juiced up with lots of cool explosive effects and the ability to completely fill the screen with balls. While this change is nothing if not inspired, it still leaves a little to be desired as, while the game cannot be truly unbeatable, it can become very tedious as you try repeatedly to get that one card you need to make progress. Worth a look, but even more so worth another stab with a little more development.