amphibious_ReViews

I'm cursed when it comes to arcade games. My experiences always follow the same cycle. I'll boot up the game, immediately appreciate the simple, yet intelligent, design that made it popular, lose a lot, become disenchanted, and decide to play something else instead. Ultimately, I'm just not very good at them, and I lack the patience to get good, so I move on. I thought that's how Centipede would go long before I realized I was cursed, so I never actually gave it a chance. I was right. However, I wasn't as right as I thought, and I actually surprised myself with how much fun I was having by blasting all of those darn bugs! It's pretty ambiguous what you actually play as in Centipede , and I never figured it out. What I do know, is that you can shoot projectiles that defeat enemies and break hazards. Based on that alone, I figured this would just be a clone of Space Invaders , shoot the enemies that move side-to-side while getting progressively lower, use shot-st

Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a delightful puzzle-based visual-novel-style game. Through the unique artistic style and the humorous dialogue, the developers were able to craft a cute little world chock-full of bite-sized puzzles which make up the core gameplay. However, as the eponymous professor's first adventure, it's still a little rough around the edges. The game's core structure is solid, but the tactics used to increase the playtime could definitely use some polishing. I'm still more than satisfied with the time I spent with the game, it's just unlikely that this is an entry in the series that I will be returning to. In the Curious Village , you take control of Professor Layton , and his apprentice, Luke. Your goal is to solve a variety of mysteries that arise during your time in St. Mystere, which you do by investigating the town, speaking with its residents, and solving puzzles. The town itself is interesting, but the real fun happens during

As it has always been exclusive to Japan, when I first picked up this game, I had no idea what to expect. After I started the story mode just for kicks, I realized that this was a full-fledged fighting game on the NES ! There are multiple fighters, unique movesets, destructive combos, and detailed backgrounds. None of this seemed like it belongs on the 8-bit machine, but some very clever programming made it not only possible, but also playable, and actually really enjoyable. I'm definitely not the only person impressed by this game though. It's clearly made some kind of impression in it's home country, as evidenced by Sukapon' s presence as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate . As I still can't read Japanese, the story was a little difficult to follow. Thankfully, it's not really that important. Playing as the cute-and-simple Sukapon , you have to take down other fighting robots one by one. Those robots are also playable outside of story mode if you j

As one of Nintendo 's first new IPs in a while, Splatoon was kind of a big deal, but as one of the only quality online multiplayer shooters on the WiiU , Splatoon was definitely a big deal. Touting a unique approach to multiplayer shooters where covering the ground in your team's color is more important than getting the most "kills," this game may not sound that appealing to the average Call of Duty addict. However, the combination of impressive controls, a unique (probably post-apocalyptic) world, and truly well-designed competitive modes makes this an absolute blast to play. Not to mention its phenomenal single-player campaign to top it all off. Making use of the gamepad's gyro controls to facilitate keyboard-and-mouse level precision, and screen to make the necessary glances at the map a breeze, Splatoon felt like one of the most intuitively designed shooters of its era. When playing online, your goal is simple - using your ink-based-weapon loadout of choice

As a free title, I was impressed at how much The Cave was able to feel like another Cube Escape game while still effectively following up the amazing premium title that preceded it. When I played Rusty Lake: Roots , I found it to be the best game in the series so far, and The Cave doesn't beat it out. However, for a title that will inherently have less content, it still managed to wow me! The Cave managed to connect the story from Roots to the world developed in the rest of the series, cementing the premium game as a must-play. This game made my investment feel even more valuable, as the plot really moved forward here, and I would have been confused beyond belief if I hadn't given in and spent the couple dollars. But even as a standalone, this is a fantastic title. I wouldn't recommend playing it without having played the games that came before, but its puzzles are some of the most cleverly designed in the whole franchise. They were all intuitive and fun, with a couple

  Because it has "3D" in the title, people often group Super Mario 3D Land with the likes of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy . However, the third dimension is really their only unifying factor, save for the plumber himself. I have found that this game falls more in line with the traditional 2d Mario adventures. The game is broken into levels, each with a time limit, three collectibles, and a flagpole at the end. The titular protagonist shrinks when he is hurt, and powers up with an array of plants and fungi. What makes Super Mario 3D Land stand out amongst its peers is its ability to take that traditional formula and freshen it up with aspects of Mario 's less linear adventures in a way that was never done before. The bite-sized levels that make up the bulk of Super Mario 3D Land feel right at home on the 3DS . Every level you play offers a new mechanic or an unexpected approach to something you thought you knew, which kept me hooked all the way through. This ba

  Google Chrome has hosted a simple pixel dinosaur game for years. Whenever you lose your internet connection, Chrome gives you a delightful little distraction while you wait to be productive again. Whirlybird appears to be Google 's follow-up to their dinosaur, providing a fun and simple time-waster with every install of Google Play Games . The monochromatic pixel graphics carry over here, with the exception of the propeller-beanie power-ups. This minor highlight adds an appreciated flare to the game without sacrificing the "feel" established in the Chrome original. As an obvious clone of the mobile gaming legend, Doodle Jump , Whirlybird behaves largely the same. You control a cute little Android as they try to jump higher and higher, with the game ending if it ever reaches the bottom of the screen (or gets spiked). As your Android bounces, you steer by tilting your phone in the direction that it should travel. Landing on a platform during its descent will usually c