🎶💿 Games Freezer Interviews: BlipBlop VGM On Wax 🎶💿 @blipblopwax #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl

Continuing my deep dive into the world of video game vinyl, I recently contacted Frederik at Blip Blop to get a fuller understanding of what they do over at www.blipblop.net 

📀🐸💿Games Freezer Interviews : Stumpy Frog Records 💿🐸📀 @stumpyfrogrecs #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl

Tying in nicely with my recent articles on video game vinyl as well as our interview with Harvester Games’ mastermind Rem Michalski, this interview with Stumpy Frog Records came about as I happened across them on Twitter due to them promoting The Cat Lady vinyl soundtrack.

That soundtrack very quickly came to be a favourite and I had a really great experience as a customer with Stumpy Frog to the point that I wanted to learn more about them, hence this interview.

Whilst they only have a couple of releases under their belt, there’s a lot of gold bubbling in preparation and I can absolutely vouch for their quality, customer service and professionalism.

🔋 Venom Twin Docking Station (XSX/S & One) & Venom USB Hub for Xbox Series X/S/One | Rating: Ice Cool [GF Recommended Purchase] 🔋 @VenomGamingUK #XboxSeriesX

A sleek and well-designed docking station that does its job well at a fair price, the Venom Twin Docking Station is a GF recommended purchase for your controller charging needs.

🤡 Strangeland | Ten minute Taster | PC | "Scary Times In A Strange Land" 😱 @WWSGames #IndieGames #GameDev

In Strangeland you wake in a surreal carnival, where a woman cries out to you before leaping to her death. 

Who was she? And who are you? 

The denizens and devices of Strangeland answer with riddles, puzzles, and warnings of a Dark Thing lurking at the park’s peak. 

A new adventure from the creators of Primordia.

⚔️🏰 Legend Of Keepers | PC | Ten minute Taster | Gameplay | "Heroes Scaring Simulator" ⚔️🏰 @studio_goblinz #IndieGames #GameDev

Legend of Keepers is the perfect mix between Dungeon Defender and Roguelite. 

You have been hired as a dungeon manager by the Dungeons Company. 

Your job is simple: protect their dungeons!

🏰 SIEGE SURVIVAL: GLORIA VICTIS | PC | GAMEPLAY | TUTORIAL 🏰 @SiegeSurvival #IndieGames #GameDev

"A medieval city under siege and a handful of civilians are all that keep the walls from falling. Mixing survival strategy and resource management, build your camp, craft supplies, and scavenge the occupied city to supply the last troops holding back the invaders."

💻 Best of 2021: Top 6 Browser Games 💻

“Another blog on games and how they are the perfect panacea for our boredom.”

“Yes, you are right but don’t bounce off. This blog is different. I promise! Give me 10 more seconds, and I’ll tell you how this blog isn’t like your usual gaming blogs.”

🩸 Outbreak: Endless Nightmares | Review | 2/10 | “I was completely on board with this game...until I played it.” 🩸 #IndieGames #GameDev

I always like to start my reviews by explaining my relationship to the game, genre or franchise etc. and I feel in this review it’s especially important as I am very specifically the target audience.

It is a game trying to capture the aesthetics, gameplay and vibe of the late ‘90s horror games. I love those games - Resident Evil 2,4 and Silent Hill 2 are in my top 10 games of all time so I was completely on board with this game.... until I played it.

🎩 Lunch With Professor Layton 🎩 #NintendoDs #RetroGaming

A few years ago my daughter had reached the age to get her first console and after doing my research I felt that at the age of 5 a 2DS would be perfect, and it was. We played a lot of Animal Crossing New Leaf together and totally enjoyed our time with the 2DS but then everything changed in 2017 when I got my Nintendo Switch. It was at that point that my kids wanted to play my Switch way more than the 2DS and the poor old 2DS was resigned to its fate to live on a shelf next to the DSi.

Meanwhile, I fast forward to 2021 when for some reason I got the hankering to play a Professor Layton game as I had never got round to playing Professor Layton before and it has been a franchise that I have admired from afar.

🚗🚗🚗 Total Arcade Racing | Nintendo Switch | Review | 7/10 | "Total Arcade Racing Takes its Cues from The Retro Racing Classics" 🚗🚗🚗 @CasualGames_nu #GameDev #IndieGames

Ivan 'Ironman' Stewart's Super Off-Road had one of the clunkiest names of any game I've ever played, but it was great back in my Amiga days. 

Super Sprint too. Total Arcade Racing takes its cues from both of these classics and does a good job in bringing the multiplayer pain to the Switch.

🕹️ Mega Man the Wily Wars Available for Pre-Order for Genesis/Mega Drive! 🕹️ #RetroGaming #MegaMan

This looks awesome from Strictly Limited games!

Retro game fans can look forward to a really special collection coming from CAPCOM.

Mega Man: The Wily Wars combines three awesome titles to play: Mega Man, Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3 for Genesis/Mega Drive.

The Collector’s Editions featuring some very special and carefully selected items will be available for pre-order for one month - from May 21st, 4pm (CEST) to June 21st at the Strictly Limited Games Partner Store.

💿 Video Game Vinyl Fantasies | #1 | Britt Recommends 💿

Having got into vinyl around ten years ago upon inheriting my late grandfather’s record player, it was only upon the release of Streets of Rage 2 via Data Discs (in 2017-ish?) that I began dipping into picking up video game soundtracks with any regularity.

At first, it was just the Data Discs releases that intrigued me; Outrun, Golden Axe, Sonic Mania, Shinobi etc. but I soon got hips deep into the scene and began learning of some really cool labels that were releasing some serious gold.

In this article, I thought I’d shine a light on the labels and releases that really stand out for me and will include links in each section. Whilst this list isn’t exhaustive, it does pretty much sum up the records that are entrenched in my mind at the moment.

Maybe the next article would be the soundtracks I’d dearly love to be released in vinyl form, who knows?

For now, enjoy and please, let me know if there are any that I’ve missed!

🎞️📽️ Mortal Kombat Movie Review (2021) 🎞️📽️ #MortalKombatMovie #MortalKombat

The Mortal Kombat franchise is quite the behemoth, a string of games and spin-off titles since the early ‘90s that number over well over a dozen followed by two movies, an animated series and more recently, a collection of short online episodes.

As a more casual fan of the franchise – I like the original game, ‘95 movie and enjoyed a tickle at the most recent game – I was intrigued as to the approach this film would take, especially with the more visceral, over-the-top, recent entries in the videogame series. 

It turns out that this particular incarnation of Mortal Kombat has some really golden moments in terms of fight sequences and nods to its gaming roots but tries to cram too much into its running time and ends up rushing through sequences and dancing between characters in a bid to keep all the razor-edged plates spinning.

🐙 The Sinking City (enhanced) | Review | Xbox Series X | 8.5/10 (Ice Cool) | "The Best Lovecraft-Inspired Game Yet?" 🐙 @Frogwares #GameDev #IndieGames

Released to relatively positive reviews back in 2019, Frogwares’ The Sinking City wasn’t exactly a technical marvel, with most of the negativity focusing on the lengthy loading times and visual issues such as screen-tearing and an unreliable frame rate.

I fully intended to play the game upon its original release but it somehow slipped through the cracks and so I had no preconceptions of the title going into this review. I’m pleased to say that this enhanced version of The Sinking City really does seem to solve all the technical problems that it seems people had with the 2019 release and to me, stands up as one of – if not THE - best games based on Lovecraft’s works.

🕵️🔪🩸 Hitman 3 | PS5 | Review | 9/10 | "A Fitting End To The World of Assassination Trilogy" 🕵️🔪🩸 @Hitman @IOInteractive

The Hitman series is one that I've played and loved for about 15 years and the 2006 entry Hitman: Blood Money specifically is one of my favourite games of all time.

The series has always been about the creative kills; drop a piano on an unsuspecting criminal, poison the mob boss’ morning gin, dress up as a clown and beat a villain to death with a frying pan at his child's birthday party etc.

It’s a series about creativity, of how cunning or sadistic can you be? My strategy would always be - try to plan something clever. Fail. Panic, ending up with bursting into a room, shooting the target and then hiding in the nearest bin. 

📼 Tape Recovery Simulator 96K 📼 @cawigames #IndieGames #GameDev #RetroGaming

Tape Recovery Simulator 96K is a game focusing on recovering data off of reluctant old tapes.

During the 80's and early '90s, the audio analogue tape was one of the main storage mediums with a capacity of 600 Kb stored as actual sound. 

It wasn't very reliable, to begin with, since tapes and tape recorders varied greatly in quality and compatibility. 

If not stored properly, tapes have a tendency to degrade over time, especially if left near strong magnetic/electric fields (like cathode monitors/TVs, speakers, children, power sources, power plants, EMP bombs, any kind of star, ...). 

Sometimes, some of the data can still be recovered even after decades of mistreatment.

Tape Recovery Simulator 96K builds new game mechanics around old data recovery tricks. 

Caffeine Withdrawal Games’ philosophy is “games you haven’t played before” and TRS 96K is the perfect example of it.

🐈 Rem Michalski - Harvester Games Interview 🐈

I’ve had the opportunity to interview some very cool people for Games Freezer in the past and the man behind Harvester Games – Rem Michalski – has been on my radar for a while. Having inhaled his games; Downfall, The Cat Lady and Lorelai (collectively known as ‘The Devil Came Though Here’ trilogy), I was casually checking up on possible release dates for his next project, Burnhouse Lane, when I stumbled across a limited vinyl release of The Cat Lady soundtrack through Stumpy Frog records.

After purchasing the album as quickly as physics would allow, my mind drifted back over Harvester Games’ output and it freshly dawned on me that they are good. REALLY good.

It’s always awesome to find out that the people behind adored creations are good folk and this was very much the case here, Rem is a cool guy that makes extremely memorable, high-quality games that everyone should play, quite frankly.

💥 Star Renegades | Nintendo Switch | Ten Minute Taster | Gameplay | "The Stars Are The (break) Limit!" 💥🚀 @starrenegades #GameDev #IndieGames

 

A service robot named J5T-1N has arrived in your dimension to warn of impending doom from an overwhelming force known as the Imperium.

Fight for survival across a procedurally generated and emergent mission-based campaign through a reactive, tactical turn-based battle system that emphasizes interrupts and counters. Standing in your way is an Intelligent Adversary system with enemy officers that evolve and move up in the ranks.

As your band of heroes fall in the fight against invading Imperium and hope is all but lost, J5T-1N must be sent to the next dimension with everything you’ve learned to give the next group of heroes a chance to prevail. Each dimension and each playthrough is unique, challenging, and never the same.

🔗https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Star-Renegades-1877763.html#Overview🔗

💣 Warpips | PC | Ten Minute Taster | Gameplay | Tutorial | "Pixel Pummelling Action!" 💣 @WarpipsGame #IndieGames #GameDev

 

Warpips is the ultimate quick to learn but amazingly deep tug-of-war strategy game. Deploy the right composition of soldiers, tanks, helicopters and planes in this tight, streamlined strategy-focused war game. Compose the best army, research the right tech; overwhelm your enemy!

👎 Ploid | NES | Review | 4/10 | "It’s not very good " 👎 @PixelHunted @NapeGames #Nes #IndieGames #GameDev

If you have a spare $400 you can buy a painting made by an elephant. With a brush clutched in its trunk, the elephant makes a couple of marks on a page which the gallery names things like “Banana Surprise” or “My Feather Boa”. It seems like a good racket and apparently, the elephants have fun.

But how do you evaluate an elephant’s painting? 

Can you compare it with a human artist, or is the fact that an elephant has painted something worthy of praise in and of itself?

This is the conundrum presented by Nape Games’ Ploid, a new NES game that runs on original hardware. 

Do I hold it next to other 2021 releases, review it as if it’d come out in 1988, or simply marvel that it exists at all?

👍🚗💨 Hitchhiker | Review | XBOX SERIES X | 6.5/10 | "A Slightly Surreal Trip With Some Bumps in The Road" @MadAboutPandas 👍🚗💨 @Hitchhiker_Game #IndieGames #GameDev

Hitchhiker is a great premise; you are a mysterious passenger trying to piece together your past through surreal journeys with a mix of drivers. The enclosed space meaning that puzzles must be inventive to be interesting and the idea of working out your history and motives from rolling conversations that come from possibly unreliable narrators is a solid start.

Unfortunately, Hitchhiker unravels slightly around the halfway mark, meaning that the last ninety minutes or so don’t stand up to the initial intrigue that propels the game forwards.

🔫 Narrative FPS Puzzler Claire De Lune Has 3 New Gameplay Trailers 🔫 @TacticStudios #IndieGames #GameDev

Announced in 2015, narrative FPS puzzler Claire de Lune has received not one, but three new Gameplay trailers!

With gameplay totalling more than 20 minutes, players get a glimpse at what Claire de Lune has to offer on its very own proprietary engine.

🏘️ Before We Leave | PC | Ten Minute Taster | "Those Pesky Elevators!" 🏘️ @BalancingMonkey #GameDev #IndieGames

 

Before We Leave is a non-violent city building game set in a cosy corner of the universe. Nurture your Peeps and their surroundings while rebuilding and rediscovering civilisation. Settle new lands and planets while avoiding hungry Space Whales.

💥 XIII Remastered | Review | PS5 | 3/10 | "A Very Unlucky Number" 💥

XIII was a game I had never played but it has always been on my radar. It’s a game I that I could see a screenshot of and instantly identify but never dipped my toes in, so when I saw it recently on sale, I thought - after 18 years, let’s finally give it a try and I picked up the remastered version.

Well, I was hoping for an action-packed, highly stylistic thrill ride… That is not what I got. This remastered version just feels soulless. It has a real emptiness and everything about it feels hollow. 

🏔️ Insurmountable | PC | Gameplay | Ten minute Taster | "Beware The Herb Goats!" 🏔️ @Insurmountgame #GameDev #IndieGames

Insurmountable sees you confront various terrains as a lonely mountaineer and endure the countless dangers of climbing!

Many tough decisions await you in a risky environment.

Make your way up and down the mountain, overcoming insurmountable heights!

🤖 Orbital Bullet | PC | Gameplay | Ten minute Taster | "Run Circles Round Those Robots!" 🤖 @SmokeStab #GameDev #IndieGames

 

Orbital Bullet is a fast-paced 360° action-platformer with rogue-lite elements, where all actions take place in a circular pattern.

Fight your way through a variety of procedural planets and use body modifications, crafting and heavy weaponry. Kill. Die. Modify.

🎲 Ashwalkers: A Survival Journey | PC | Ten Minute Taster | "A Mysterious Point & Click Adventure" 🎲 @DearVillagers #IndieGames #GameDev

Ashwalkers is a survival journey through a harsh world without rules or judgement. 

Only your choices matter in the face of moral dilemmas. 

Manage your party, food & equipment in this non-linear narrative survival sim with 34 possible endings.

🤖 Terminator: Resistance Enhanced | PS5 | Review | 7/10 | "Saviour of humanity or just another game to be terminated?" 🤖 @Reef_Games #GameDev #IndieGames

I really love the Terminator franchise and by that I mean I really love the first two films, the rest of the franchise consists of a lot of lows but those first two films are such highs. This game sums up the franchise well, as it has great highs and low lows.

⚔️ Interplay Rereleases Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance On Consoles - "Play the original classic on your favourite current-gen systems" ⚔️

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🐺 Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood | PC | Review | 7/10 | "All This Began To Add Up Into A Good Time"🐺 @DevespressoG @PixelHunted #IndieGames #GameDev

When I get to hell they’re going to be playing electro-swing. If you haven’t had the pleasure, this is a music genre that dropped right out of the devil’s arsehole: an unholy jazz-era pastiche of big beats and brass primarily enjoyed by twats with overly groomed moustaches, waistcoats and top hats. I would rather have needles jammed into my spine.

Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood opens with electro-swing. Its heroine is the lead singer in a band called *sigh* Foxtrot Bop (they all have terrible names like this) and we meet them on their way to their make or break gig. This is, to say the least, not a promising beginning. My tolerance levels for this garbage are measured in seconds rather than hours and I strongly considered tapping out right then and there.

Then a tornado whisks Scarlet Hood off to an Oz-like fantasy land and, save for a few unpleasant tootly moments on the repetitive soundtrack, the awful electro-swing band plot is abandoned. 

📘 Bitmap Books – Game Boy: The Box Art Collection | Book Review By Britt | "an extremely tasty tome" 📘 @bitmap_books #RetroGaming #GameBoy

I’ve heard nothing but good things about Bitmap Books’ prior releases and so was keen to get hips deep in this, their most recent project. The book definitely lived up to the weighty expectations and really feels of a high quality throughout its almost 400-page heft.

🐗 Cryofall | 29.04.21 | 1.0 Release| PC | Ten Minute Taster | "Beware The MIGHTY Boar!" 🐗 @AtomicTorch #GameDev #IndieGames

 

From the Stone Age to the Future: Build your Sci-Fi-Colony with hundreds of players in CryoFall.

🪔 The Official Release Date for Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is May 28th 2021 🪔 #IndieGames #GameDev

The official release for Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World for the Western retail release for both physical and digital Nintendo Switch and PS4 versions will be on May 28th 2021 for North America, Europe and Australia!

The retail editions for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 will be available for €39.99 / $39.99 / £34.99 and include the original Monster World IV exclusively.

🖌️ Tools Up | Nintendo Switch | Ten Minute Taster | "Don't Cry Over Spilt Paint" 🖌️ @AllinGamesPub #IndieGames #GameDev

In Tools Up home renovation has never been so much fun! It is hard, messy work. But you don’t have to work alone in this crazy couch co-op! Join up to three friends, sit down (or not) and start a wild renovation party!

https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Tools-Up--1689878.html#Overview

🔎 The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark | Nintendo Switch | Review | 8/10 | "More Top-Notch, Spooky, Point n Click Shenanigans" 🔎 @spookydoorway #GameDev #IndieGames

I reviewed the original Darkside Detective back in 2017 (https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2017/10/review-darkside-detective-welcome-to.html) and found it a really fun and funny experience. 

This sequel continues in very much the same vein, if you were a fan of the original, this is a smooth and high-quality continuation but the way in which the story begins and progresses, you’d need to be aware of the events of the first game to really understand what’s going on and get full enjoyment out of the experience.

🚀 Doc Cosmos : The Saga Begins | Ten Minute Taster | "The Doc Rocks!" 🚀 @BitmapSoft #IndieGames #GameDev #GameBoy

 

Doc Cosmos for your #gameboy Colour is available to preorder now!

https://doccosmos.com