QCF: Trials of the Blood Dragon

ou know what made David Sandberg’s Kung Fury so endearing and enjoyable? It genuinely convinced you to feel good about romanticizing the nostalgia of the 80’s and the pop culture of that generation, making so easy for the audience to buy into the love letter that it was creating.

With a runtime of just 31 minutes, the direction of its presentation and callbacks within its theatrics exuded a sense of authenticity; it just knew when to slap you in the face with something neon and low-res, and when to subtly drop a synthesized interlude to the scene from the soundtrack…

Kung Fury is the finest example of how to glamorize the culture and style of that era, and the closest video game equivalent to that success would be FarCry 3: Blood Dragon—the design and tone of that game managed to hit upon those same principles, and successfully conveyed 80’s sentimentality as well as a result.

So I’m sad to say that I’m a little surprised, and gravely disappointed that Trials of The Blood Dragon didn’t follow suit, and almost delivers a reverse effect. It constantly vomits out nostalgic imagery and noise from the era it panders to without any specific rhyme or reason other than to be as obnoxious with its aesthetic as it possibly can.

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QCF: Kirby Planet Robobot

ne of the more endearing qualities to Nintendo’s fuchsia-hued star warrior is his ability to reinvent himself in a way that’s fresh while maintaining a sense of familiarity that retains the franchise’s charm and appeal. Granted, a lot of the more innovative titles in the Kirby series are the unorthodox offshoots that focus around a certain gimmick, and het spherical hero’s platform ventures generally tend to play it safe, and expand off of what the Big N knows to already work

Kirby’s latest exploit on the 3DS however is an exception to that trend, and is easily the smoothest blend of old and new that I’ve taken in yet. Planet Robobot (trying saying that five times fast) throws the pink copy-cat into a mobile mech-suit, resulting in a twist that may just be just be the one of the most captivating directions that his side-scrolling affairs have taken in years.

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QCF: Unravel

n the modern day of gaming, it isn’t uncommon for new piece of software to be so visually striking for someone upon first glance; the realistic detail that’s produced out of present hardware has delivered some of the sweetest eye candy that our peepers could’ve ever dreamed of glancing upon.

And despite the impressive strides towards such graphical verity, this new age of technical prowess can deliver a great deal of wonder to worlds born out of fantasy, and the whimsical sights that illustrate reality beyond that of our real lives.

Coldwood Interactive’s Unravel is an incredible example of that very sentiment, transporting us into the role of a sentient doll made of wool named Yarny, and his adorable misadventures he leads from the diminutive perspective of enchanted toy living in a human world.

Graphics aren’t everything of course, it’s just not too often that that captivating aesthetic can lend so much to what’s otherwise a familiar, yet solid platforming formula—and the result is a memorably heart-warming one.

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Bullet Heaven HD, Episode 151 - Soreyuke! Burunyanman Portable

he PSP has a ton of neat shooters! But, just like other systems at the end of thier lifecycles - with the NEC PCFX being a great example - seemingly innocent looking games can be insane smutfests! Soreyuke! Burunyanman Portable is definitely just about there, being derived form a really naughty PC H -game and toned down for the PSP... but how does it stack up?

Bullet Heaven EX, Episode 30 - Shooting Love 20XX: Minus Zero

In Episode 131 of Bullet Heaven HD, we took a look at Shooting Love 200X, a compilation of 4 Triangle Service games. Degica Games is leading the charge with 4 waves of Shooting love goodness, now rebranded as Shooting Love 20XX. Next up: The minimalist Minus Zero! How does it stack up?   

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Bullet Heaven EX, Episode 29 - Shooting Love 20XX: Shmups Skill Test

In Episode 131 of Bullet Heaven HD, we took a look at Shooting Love 200X, a compilation of 4 Triangle Service games. Degica Games is leading the charge with 4 waves of Shooting love goodness, now rebranded as Shooting Love 20XX. First up: The Shmups Skill Test. How does it stack up?   

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Crate Dae! Surprise [#002] - Secret Special Double Score!!

i hi! We're back with another Crate Dae! Surprise and a winner for our Blind Bag Miku giveaway!!

This time we're taking a look at Mega Man backpack hanger blind bags from Just Toys International! What will we get??  

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NEW SERIES! Import Heaven [#001] - Fantasic Pinball: Kyuutenkai

n this pilot episode of Import Heaven, we take a look at Fantasic Pinball Kyuutenkai, a video pinball game from none other than... Tecno Soft?! How does this unlikely title stack up?  

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