95. Chasm - Switch (7hrs 44mins)

Basic but interesting randomly generated Metroidvania that leans heavily into its 'vania side.  It's not a rogue, although it is possible to play it on mortal mode (in which case I guess it is), but each quest will be different as new save files generate new seeds.  It's a neat trick on paper, as my playthrough felt pretty robust, but it's also a bit pointless for such a long game.  I'm sure there are some players who will see the end and decide they'd like nothing more than more of the same but slightly different, but with so many other games demanding attention the procgen schtick falls a wee bit flat.  If it built you a 2.5hr Metroidvania with these mechanics, sure, I can see the appeal of multiple adventures, but as it stands the dangling carrot just feels like...more carrot after an ample helping of carrot.  

Thanks to a recent patch there's an arcade mode now, which sounds interesting as it randomises on the fly if you leave a room, but after spending so long on the main quest I doubt I'll try it.  Fundamentally this is a solid and enjoyable Symphony of the Night clone, presented in strong a 16-bit style.  The platform hack 'n slash stuff is fairly basic - which I expect is what you'll be wanting if the gif appeals, the rhythm of the combat feels good and the simplistic enemy patterns work well.  Plus the zones are knitted together pretty well in terms of backtracking/exploration with new abilities. It's a good game, but also a curious one.  [7]    

I fancied Eastward but I've read a handful of reviews, including this one, and it's been relegated to the sales watch zone.

It's a big thing for me too, hate games that outstay their welcome.

102. The Mighty Goose - Xbox Series S (<2hrs)

What the fuck even is this?  It's such a bizarre game.  It's clearly gunning for the description 'Metal Slug clone' but it's absolutely all over the place.  Anyone with Game Pass who for whatever reason doesn't fancy actually playing it after this review should download it (450mb) and check out a) the walking animation and b) the disgustingly flimsy jump.  Focusing on the walking animation for a sec: it's pure Poundland.  There are less frames involved than you'd expect from an 8-bit Badnik.  Dynamite Dux had more going on, I just checked.  It's ridiculous!  The rest of it looks like a half decent run 'n gun in a chunky GBA style, but that character, wow.

The shooting itself is quite fun and the levels are agreeably short with mostly reasonable boss fights at the end.  You gradually unlock perks you can assign (a limited number at a time) and companions with various uses, but the whole thing is such a pushover there didn't seem much need to experiment.  The screen is often too cluttered to demand any sort of finesse, and with four hits before your goose is literally cooked and seemingly random full health drops from defeated foes muddling through wasn't much of a problem.  Even the bosses that attempted to put up a fight fell after one or two attempts thanks to the poorly balanced item drops - at once point there were five full health regens on screen, which remain in place until they're collected, negating all challenge.  I only bothered to use the machine gun drop guy, who was the second unlock in the game iirc, and it's obvious at a glance which perks will prove useful.  

It's not terrible, it's just weird.  There are worse modern shooters around - I know this because I've played some - but it's pure passes the time Game Pass fodder.  In old money it's not even one to rent, unless the game you wanted was missing from the drawers. [5]

One last moan.  It has a roll move, which of course offers a split second of invulnerability, but you can't roll through tunnels from a standing start.  There are two or three tunnels in the game that you have to roll through, but you have to duck first.  Even though the roll animation is identical.

96. SturmFront: The Alien War Übel Edition - Switch (1hr)

Ultra basic twin stick shooter with big Amiga meets Neo Geo energy.  It's an absolute hoot, although objectively speaking it's not very good.  I nabbed it for £4.49, which is half price, but it's got no business being over three quid really.  I blame the fact that Xbox Live was down.  It's very devil horns metal, with a power chords chug-a-chug soundtrack, throaty sampled speech for pick-ups and long-hair-til-I-die dev photos during the credits.   It's also kinda wonky as the bullet hell thing gets a bit silly towards the end considering how immobile your character is, but it scores big on the dumb fun scale.  Think Mercs meets Alien Storm (aesthetically at least - feel free to replace with Syndrome) and you're most of the way there. The button layout screen says it all really - even with sixteen buttons available the complete list of inputs is move, flamethrower and shoot.  I just about scraped through on normal difficulty and enjoyed myself but I'll never play it again.  Loses a point for the absolutely ridiculous lack of co-op.  Heads deserve a wobbling whether they're banging or not. [4]

I was out.

44. Death's Door [8]
It probably doesn't help that I played this in three chunks over a period of months, but in the end I don't think it was quite as brilliant as I thought early on. It doesn't really push beyond its initial quality into anything truly original or extraordinary. That's understandable for a game made by such a small studio, though, and it's still a real achievement that they've got the fundamentals so spot on. The level design is pleasingly intricate, combat is tight, and it's immaculately presented and full of character.

97. Flynn: Son of Crimson - Xbox Series S (7hrs)

Outstanding 2D action game that recently swaggered onto my radar like a Vince McMahon gif.  I spotted it in the coming soon section of the Eshop and banged it straight on my wishlist, hoping it lived up to the promise of trailer but assuming it wouldn't.  A fortnight later it was confirmed for Game Pass for day one, and I was in like someone who wasn't out (who happened to be called Flynn).  I've hammered it since Friday - setting an old telly up in the bedroom to play, as my loft room is out of action - and can confirm that it's one of the very best examples of the ultra specific new game done in the old way wave.  I even hunted down all of the secrets and maxed out the mercilessly simplistic ability tree, which is something I almost literally never bother to do.  There's not an ounce of fat on it, as they say, and it's more than content with being a clever little platformer that adds neat variations/twists from stage to stage.  It's not a 'vania per se, but you will revisit certain areas once abilities are unlocked.  There's very little exploration required for main quest; think Quackshot rather than Hollow Knight.  Numerous stages have hidden exits though, easily identifiable from the SMB3 style map screen, and there's a decent amount of off-piste adventuring to do.  While I'm referencing old games, this has at least some of the following patches sewn onto its sleeves: the Wonderboy sequels, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Donkey Kong Country, Astro Boy: Omega Factor and MS Asterix.  I could break it down and explain how, but that's less fun than spunking out a list of old games and ploughing straight into the next sentence.  As a warning of sorts though (or a temptation, depending on taste), it doesn't just look to the past for inspiration, the whole experience is firmly rooted in The Olden Days.  You can't backtrack within the levels and must progress if you wish to return.  Checkpointing can be harsh.  There are forced scrolling stages.  It has swimming sections, ice stages, forest stages and mines to visit.  You can't run and there's no double jump, so it's a steady-as-you-go jumpmans rather than the pinging and flinging free-flow of something like Ori.  Most importantly, for what it is it feels absolutely spot on.

It also has good fight system with a stun meter and invincibility dodge.  Enemy types are reused ad infinitum, but that goes with the territory.  Combat isn't necessarily as deep as it first appears, and mostly boils down to getting a few hits in before picking your spot to roll behind an opponent to avoid an attack, but it is flexible and fluid - it won't let you down in the occasional wave based segments.  It's good fun, with a decent rhythm, and miles better than most of the retro titles it draws from.  See gif below for confirmation.  The cutscene panels are laughably poor but the standard stage graphics are divine.  Music is a'ight too, with a smattering of highs, a few middling efforts and very few actual duds.  

An irrefutable [9] for me, but it's like my Weird Science game so most players could take a point off.  I mentioned this elsewhere but it really feels like an ultimate form Gameboy Advance game.  Game of the year so far, a stunningly executed vision.   YMMV but Monkey, Nina, Eric and possibly NickMD should take a little look. 

Yes, if you pay to unlock it.

I’ll have a bit of that at some point.

I'm not keen on the Crash games but I've got my eye on no.4 for when the price is right, read some good things.

I remember sulking that (the then import only) Mario 64 was clearly better than NiGHTS but being pretty chuffed when I played Crash on my mate's Playstation because it wasn't even in the running.  Wooden spoon in the console mascot match up of '96.

Haha

We went from SNES to Saturn so there was a fair bit of backtracking from me in high school.  Forget that Zelda bullshit.  Just wait til Burning Rangers comes out.

Imagine how much Balan Wonderworld would've appealed as an import only Saturn game in 1998.

Bedrudingly agree with the hacking, it's not great. Humour/script was ignorable for me, some of it was okay.

I reckon you've dragged the B&B Metacritic average down to a [7].

[9]