QCF: Elsie

t’s often said that necessity is the mother of invention, and in the case of the dispiriting limbo that Capcom has planted the Blue Bomber in, the iconic robot’s absence has encouraged multiple studios and visionaries to step up and deliver an experience not all too dissimilar to that of the Mega Man effect. With the rare exception of 2018’s Mega Man 11, the super fighting robot has been mainly relegated to nostalgia collections or vanity cameos, and the weight of his “pew-pew” gameplay has been carried on by a variety of indie developments or community efforts.

This new influx of games, however, has also encouraged studios to do more than a superficial spin on the trademark Run’nGun formula, with select titles really showing off the timeless potential of Mega Man-inspired side-scrolling action. One of which is Elsie, an independently developed adventure starring a larger-than-life, mascot-pilled android made by Knight Shift Games and published by Playtonic's new publishing branch, “Playtonic Friends.” As the fourth game to be supported by Playtonic’s offshoot publication label, Elsie offers many familiar dynamics that more resemble the feel of the Mega Man X series than its 8-bit counterpart, only with a Rougelike twist on the setup. While this territory isn’t exactly uncharted with 20XX and 30XX making waves in the subgenre, Elsie sinks its teeth more into the character-driven spectacle its inspiration is famous for, with a side of frenetic bullet action that blends into something like Mega Man X meets SuperGiant Games’ Hades.

I say this with my whole chest and every heavy breath huffed in—words really can’t serve justice to what Knight Shift Games has done with those mechanics—I genuinely believe that Elsie breathes a whole new sense of life into some admittedly fatigued concepts by delivering an immaculate sense of game feel and presentation that I haven’t experienced in years.

Click to read more ...

PPR 153

ife has been pretty hectic for all of us, and even when we have in some time to play some games in between the bustle and hustle of day-to-day life, it’s been a little harder to find time in the day to talk about what we’ve been playing amongst ourselves…

So for that, we’re really sorry about the delay with this week’s episode, but hey, we’re pretty excited to say it was a real doozy to chat it up for the show because we brought a good friend to record with us!

This week’s episode of Press Pause Radio, we asked Game journo luminary and current editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Mollie L. Patterson to join the cast of Ed, George, and Sean for another edition of What’s-in-Your-Console and a bit of news impressions on the side!

In Episode 153 of Press Pause Radio, the gang discusses Nintendo Alarmo, Taito Arcade Kits, PlayStation 5 Pro, Eliminate Down, Elsie, Metaphor: ReFantazio, UFO 50, Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland, Tutankham, El Viento, Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Magic: The Gathering, Actraiser, UN Squadron, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the state of the United States Healthcare system, and a whole lot more!

So mail in your ballots, gear up for winter flood of holiday releases, and get ready to jot down your game-of-the-year candidates because the Golden Zonkies are coming up super soon!

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

Click to read more ...