Ray’z Arcade Chronology Review 8/10 ☄️🚀 @PixelHunted

If I could wave a magic wand and grant myself video game skills I’d become a shmup expert. The first game I can ever remember playing is Hybris on the Amiga in 1988. I was sat on a cushion in the big computer chair, struggling to weave my spaceship between enemy bullets and take out the boss.

35 years later (...ugh) and, despite my best intentions, I haven’t substantially improved. I’ve often returned to dip my toe into the genre, figuring that critically acclaimed darlings like

Radiant Silvergun, Ikaruga, or Gradius V would finally give me the motivation to get gud.

I never did, but even though I’m crap at them I maintain an admiration for their purity, the focus they require to master, the complex interlocking systems and, perhaps most of all, for the gaming wizards that can one credit clear these bad boys.

Enter the Ray’z Arcade Chronology, which consists of best-in-class remastering studio M2’s ports of three classic Taito shmups, 1994’sRayForce, 1996’s RayStorm and 1998’s RayCrisis.

Stay Out of The House PS5 Review 8.5/10 “The home of sleaze, gore, madmen, slashers, and maniacs” 🔪🩸 @PuppetCombo #IndieGames #GameDev

Stay Out of the House is the new game from developer Puppet Combo, now I must admit that I’m not familiar with any of their work, although when I went on to their website it pretty much told me all I need to know, this is a quote from the website –

“PUPPET COMBO is the home of sleaze, gore, madmen, slashers, and maniacs.”

Stay Out of the House is split into four sections; the first act is named Night Shift, whereby you go to your character’s night shift at a gas station. Things start out pretty normally, you clean up, deal with customers etc. the store also has an arcade cabinet in the corner which you can play when the store is quiet - oddly enough the arcade game is about a killer chasing you, and you must collect things in order to escape. I really liked this introduction it was a nice build-up of suspense, and even though you can see what’s coming, it still made me jump.

Donuts ‘N’ Justice Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 "NARC NARC NARCin’ On A Miami Door" 🍩 @FobTi #GameDev #IndieGames

A few days ago, I had a rare spare evening on my hands and thought I would dip into a few of the Switch games that we at GF HQ have been sent, and just haven’t had time to get to, games that have been undeservedly kicked around for far too long in our ‘pending’ bucket.

Luckily, the codes still worked and so began my adventure into the Switch indie vortex, and thus it was a bloody fantastic evening.

The first game I dived into was Donuts ‘N’ Justice, a game that has always tickled my fancy – and, as I was very much in the mindset for some pacey arcade action, it was just the ticket.

A 2D run-and-gun game with pixel visuals and a thumping soundtrack, the way I would describe this one in a single sentence is, ‘NARC, if it was snappier, groovier, and better.’

Developer FobTi also made Gunman Tales, which I covered earlier in the year –  and whilst I didn’t get quite the same punch from Donuts ‘N’ Justice, this is still a very fun game to dip in ‘n out of – especially with a friend.

Brotato Ten Minute Taster PC Gameplay "Potato Rambo" 🥔 @blobfishdev #IndieGames #GameDev

Brotato is a top-down arena shooter rogue lite where you play a potato wielding up to 6 weapons at a time to fight off hordes of aliens. Choose from a variety of traits and items to create unique builds and survive until help arrives.

How Browser Games Have Changed Throughout The Years 🖱

Finding information. Keeping up with the news sites you follow. Forums and chatrooms. Online shopping. Web browsers have been used for almost everything you can do online, especially on PC and laptop, for a long time. However, as many a gamer is aware, they have also plagued a pretty pivotal role in how many of us have gamed, at one point or another. Here, we’re going to explore the history of browser games, as well as how they continue to survive, and are perhaps even thriving in new ways today.

Link - Pixabay License

Space Gladiators : Escape From Tartarus Ten minute Taster PC Gameplay 🥔 @blobfishdev #IndieGames #GameDev

Space Gladiators is a 2D hand-drawn rogue-lite platformer following a bunch of captives fighting their way out of a planet prison. Defeat hordes of aliens in the gladiatorial arenas and earn your freedom! Ever dreamt of being a space potato? Now’s your chance!

First Person Shooter: The Definitive FPS Documentary 📽 @FPSDOC @80shorrordoc

The FPS genre is one of the biggest in all of gaming, and has its roots back in the ‘70s, leading from that time of flares, massive tellies and everything being brown or cream – right up to the online competition-based military shooters that capture the imaginations of millions worldwide today.

It is a genre that has morphed through many permutations through the decades, and if one were to cover it, surely they’d need a pretty lengthy documentary – maybe even one that’s four-and-a-half hours long? Just like this one, in fact!

📔 Ben Dever Interview "Lone Wolf is the life’s work of my father - Joe Dever - and sits in a very particular place in gaming history right between the tabletop, and the computer." 📔 @Holmgard_Press @ARLoneWolf

Fantasy gaming pioneer Joe Dever’s epic gamebook series is back in paperback for the first time in over 30 years.

Originally published to huge acclaim and popularity in 1984, with over 12 million copies sold, Joe Dever’s classic Lone Wolf gamebook series have been fan favourites ever since but not widely available.

Author Joe Dever passed away from cancer in 2016. It was his final wish that his son, Ben, complete the remaining unfinished books in the series and bring all of the books back into print for a new audience.

I was lucky enough to get to share a few emails with Ben, talking about the rich history of Lone Wolf, as well as what the future holds for this incredible, long-lasting series.

Security and Privacy in Crypto Casinos: How Blockchain Technology Enhances Player Protection

Enhancing security and anonymity in cryptocurrency casinos is largely made possible by blockchain technology. Blockchain removes the need for mediators and centralised authority due to its decentralised and transparent nature, making it very hard to hack and manipulate.

A tamper-proof record of all activity is produced through the permanent and immutable recording of every transaction inside the blockchain. As a result, player money and transactions are safeguarded from criminal activity.

Additionally, while playing casino games like the best slots online, the integrity and privacy of player data are maintained using robust encryption provided by blockchain technology. Crypto casinos use blockchain technology to build a strong and secure infrastructure that gives players trust and maintains the safety of their transactions.

Brain Show PC Review 2/10 "Brain Show may eventually get better..." 🧠 #IndieGames #GameDev

Sony’sBuzz! trivia game series was a massive PlayStation hit in the 2000s. Its straight forwardness was key to its success, with the game faithfully replicating a TV quiz with the aid of the Buzz! Buzzer controller that lets you chime in to answer just as on a real-life game show.

Sadly the format didn’t last, presumably, because the internet is swimming with free trivia quizzes. These daysBuzz! games and peripherals are most commonly found clogging up the shelves of charity shops across the nation: casual players don’t need this plastic tat in their house and retro games fans are a little snooty about this powerfully mainstream mini-franchise.

It’s now been thirteen years since the last Buzz! game and the (aptly named) developer Simplicity Games thinks it’s time for a comeback. Enter Brain Show, which waits until the dead of night, grabs a shovel, heads to the graveyard, and tries to bring Buzz! back from the dead.

Amnesia: The Bunker Xbox Series X 7/10 “One Element Away From Being a Stone-Cold Classic” ⏱️@frictionalgames

Something Alanis Morissette might find ironic is - even though I’ve played every Amnesia game, I realised that I couldn’t remember a single thing about them, which isn’t because the games aren’t worth remembering, just my poor memory; so I set out and went through them all again to jog my ailing mind and I’m glad that I did as it really helped cement my opinion of this game in that I think it does so much so well, and one thing very poorly.

Fishing Vacation Review Nintendo Switch 8/10 "Some More Bite-sized horror has reeled me in!" 🎣🪱 @TeebowahGames #IndieGames #GameDev

After recently covering a couple of Puppet Combo games and assorted other budget horror titles, my horror trousers were very much still firmly attached to my legs. As I was pottering around through our list of games for coverage, Fishing Vacation stood out – an atmospheric horror with Game Boy visuals? Count me in.

A game that can be completed in under an hour – although it has multiple endings – Fishing Vacation begins with two old friends who haven’t seen each other for years driving up to a rural cabin on a fishing trip. When they arrive, the uncle that owns the cabin is nowhere to be found and everything is in disarray...oh, and the fridge is full of rotting fish-heads…

The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy Picture Disc Review | Record Label - 8-Bit is Enough 🥚💿 #Vinyl #VGMvinyl #Vinyl

The Dizzy series of games are among my earliest gaming memories, I inhaled them on my Amstrad CPC – and later – Commodore 64, not really understanding the difference between budget and full-price titles at the time, as far as I was concerned – the Dizzy series were the best games in my collection!

Along with the inventory-based puzzles, combined with platforming and memorable locations and sprites, the music – of course – was an integral part of the experience, giving bouncy life to the many screens traversed in your quest. Here, Matt Gray and Gavin Raeburn’s work on the NES is captured in picture disc form, and it makes a heck of a first impression!

Circuit Superstars Nintendo Switch Review 8.5 /10 "Leading The Pack" 🏎️ #IndieGames #GameDev @CircuitSUP

As someone who has grown up enjoying the best of top-down racers through the decades, the sheer quality and depth of Original Fire Games’ Circuit Superstars completely leave a lot of others in the dust when it comes to blending seemingly superficial gameplay with incredible depth, without feeling alienating in its design and accessibility.

Last Labyrinth – Lucidity Lost XSX Review 5/10 "A Puzzle Missing a Key Piece" 🧩 @AmataTokyo #IndieGames #GameDev

Originally released for VR platforms in 2019, Last Labyrinth – Lucidity Lost casts the player in the role of a mute, wheelchair-bound person that can only communicate by using a laser pointer attached to their head.

Assisting them through the labyrinth of deadly traps and tricks is a young girl who can be guided by the aforementioned laser pointer. Working together, both must solve puzzles and make their way through the labyrinth, in a bid to survive the deadly trials laid out before them.

Bitmap Books – PC Engine - The Box Art Collection Review 🕮 @bitmap_books

Having previously covered Bitmap Books’ Game Boy - The Box Art Collection, my expectations were pretty high for this collection of PC Engine art, as their releases tend to be of extremely high quality in terms of the physical products themselves, as well as the work that goes into the design, research, information, and editing. 

I have to spend a second just high-fiving the packaging that Bitmap Books use. As someone who gets vinyl in the post – a notoriously delicate product - there have been occasions when I’ve actually been nervous when opening parcels due to the condition in which they’ve turned up.

I’m not a snob, but the thought of a warped or bent record sends shivers up my spine! With Bitmap Books, though – this is never an issue, as the packaging is generous, tightly bound and could probably stop a close-range shotgun blast. Good.

A Little To The Left Ten Minute Taster PC Gameplay Video Part 1 ✂️ @MaxInfernoGames #IndieGames #GameDev

A Little to the Left is a cosy puzzle game that has you sort, stack, and organize household items into pleasing arrangements while you keep an eye out for a mischievous cat with an inclination for chaos. Check out this playful and intuitive puzzler with 75+ satisfying messes to tidy.

Brave Soldier: Invasion of Cyborgs XSX Review 6.5/10 "Cyborgs Schmyborgs" 🤖 @eastasiasoft #IndieGames #GameDev

Brave Soldier – Invasion of Cyborgs is a pretty direct run ‘n-gun shooter in a 16-bit style. The game sees – as you would assume from the title – cyborgs invade Earth, and (for some reason) only you can stop them.

Needlemouse Mania Vinyl Review "10 Adrenalin-Fuelled Dance Takes on Those Classic Tracks We’ve All Been Enjoying Since 1991"🦔 @FiragaRecords @RoB_KTA #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl #VGMVinyl

Having recently covered LOST:TREE’s Lo-fi Sonic album, and presently being in the throes of covering Sonic Origins Plus on Xbox, it’s clear that I’m Sonic-tastic at the moment, which is absolutely fine.

Here, London-based VGM remixer ROBKTA gives the Sonic back catalogue an invite to an after-show party, then a double vodka and Red Bull before pushing it out onto a bottom-lit dancefloor and letting it groove.

What follows is ten adrenaline-fuelled dance takes on those classic tracks we’ve all been enjoying since 1991. Good.

Fall Of Porcupine Nintendo Switch Ten-Minute Taster Gameplay "Pigeon Jumping Fun!" 🕊️ @CritRabbit @AssembleTeam #IndieGames #GameDev

Fall of Porcupine is a unique story adventure. The collision of work and daily life – an exciting reflection of an unhealthy healthcare system. Experience the exciting story of Finley and his friends in a lovingly illustrated world and uncover the darkest secrets of Porcupine and its residents.

Ascent Of Ashes PC Gameplay Ten Minute Taster Preview "Lost In The Woods" 🌳 #IndieGames #GameDev

Ascent Of Ashes is a colony sim set in a post-apocalyptic dystopia. Build and defend your base. Manage your survivors. Engage raiders, aliens, Remnant soldiers and other factions in real-time-with-pause combat. Or use stealth to outwit them. Explore the massive world. Survive at all costs!

How Crypto Casino VIP Experiences Stand Out From the Crowd

https://www.pexels.com/photo/dealer-holding-playing-cards-7594301/

Online betting has become a topic of international sensation in recent years, with the sector becoming increasingly popular amongst people of all ages. The booming popularity of crypto casinos has opened up opportunities for players to experience multiple levels of play, including luxurious VIP experiences. 

All your favourite operators will be investing in some form of VIP platform with exclusive play styles and benefits for those who are looking to play a little adventurously, so if you’re looking for a new take on classic crypto casino games, and more bang for your buck, investing in a VIP opportunity would be a wise move. 

Blade Assault XSX Review 7/10 "I Was Well On Board Even Before Picking Up The Controller" 🔪 @SuneatTeam #IndieGames #GameDev

Having seen the trailer video for Blade Assault, I was well on board even before picking up the controller. Blade Assault is a 2D hack-and-slash roguelike platformer that lets you tear through enemies at a rate of knots.