Recent reviews by ziggy_

Playtime: Short/Initial Impressions

I came across this 'lil action puzzler via Itch.io. Vibrant and fast-paced, SUPER Dungeon Muncher has you racing your hero at breakneck speeds away from a huge dungeon gobbling monster. While the big bad monster is chewing things up in real-time speed, your character is operates with turns; smaller monsters move in tandem to your actions, etc. Tap frantically, choose your path, collect coins, weapons, use the shop...tons of quick decisions to make!

+ Great pixel art
+ Clever idea
+ Different characters to unlock
+ Dungeons change a bit each playthrough

- Spiders and bridges
- Repetitious music (although you can turn off)

± Difficult
± Mixed feelings on the downward scroll

All in all, a cool idea but could be executed so much better. Sometimes captures a frantic flow and near death escapes. However, I died a lot so the frustration can ramp up pretty quick; especially with those pesky spiders. Seems like a pretty steep curve to really master as you have to interpret enemy movements very quickly!

Value: $$ (Good)
Purchased @ -25%

Score: 7.5

EDIT: Some really great updates rolling out from the dev addressing some of the complaints.
Great to see a swift and thoughtful response. Consider giving this game a shot!

While it may look kinda neat on the surface; a cute pixel art version of Breakout set in a fantasy world with spells, treasure, etc. the game has some serious issues and ultimately led to a frustrating experience.

1. The paddles controls are just OK, nothing amazing; hard to change direction...
2. The levels are all kind of the same, similar layouts; nothing really noteworthy builds as you 'progress'
3. Enemy projectiles can be blocked but then you go on a timer that prevents you from blocking more (you take damage); this leads to a 'trickle' effect where you're constantly needing health just to offset the projectile damage.
4. Most spells feel fairly inconsequential; the fireworks is random...not very useful for later in the round when the blocks are mostly broken.
5. Everything from character upgrades to the level design to the enemies to the spells...it all feels a bit underdeveloped.

Lastly, I just ended a session where I had these two priest enemies constantly healing the enemy healthbar back to the top. One would resurrect the other before I had time to kill them off. That combined with my ball ending up in a side to side bounce with such a small gradient that I was waiting minutes for it to come down back to the paddle. Meanwhile, they healed to full health, spawned more enemies. All the bricks were long gone, just me left in some psychotic pong game trying to hit the other side of the level while it gets healed back to full health....I dunno; left me pretty annoyed. So yeah...!

Neat idea, cool pixel art. Execution is not quite there. Save your dollars for something else.

Having the playtested the first 4 chapters, I can say that SCHiM is definitely a neat idea executed quite well.
You play a lil' shadow with googly eyes separated from it's 'delivery dude' owner (or something) and your goal is traversing the shadows around you to return to your rightful place.

Of course shadows themselves come in all shapes and sizes, they change and stretch with the movement of light. I appreciate how the art and design celebrates a familiar phenomenon and makes a fun mini-game out of it.

The controls are simple and I didn't find the 'hop from x to y' puzzling too difficult. My brain often figured out where I needed to go quite quickly but then I had to work out the controls and mouse/controller presses (tried both) to make sure the jump worked.

I think that's where the game is weakest. Not too bad, but I feel like the jumping mechanic and the moment of connection with the shadows to be lacking just that small 'something'.

The palettes and outlines change and there seems to be some consideration in the early options for changing some of this stuff so that's a great sign. You can even modify some of the mechanics to affect difficulty (one jump instead of two, etc.)

All in all, I liked the atmosphere, contrasting art design, concept, and music. The gameplay wasn't thrilling but as far as a more casual relaxing 'puzzler' that simply invites you to enjoy its world, I think SCHiM is worth checking out for sure.

A welcome and memorable addition to the TETRIS continuum!

At it's heart, TE:C is a familiar and modern interation of TETRIS completely touched and enrobed by rich sound design and visuals. I've enjoyed playing in both VR and on my monitor, although I don't use the VR as much anymore it's always fun to return to play journey mode with the particles, dolphins, windmills, and countless other things flying past you as you stack your way into the next wormhole to see what the next experience will be...

Then you have quite a few modes. If you're more familiar with TETRIS than you will recognise many like the 40 line sprint or score attack. It even has NTSC score attack with older rules. You can change many of the options are usually pair your preferred mode with the theme of your choice. There are even some secret bonus levels (although not so secret anymore) that celebrate some of the past versions of TETRIS; very fun!

If you like to stack against others, or even co-operated, you can hope online and play with other people. The matchmaking can be a little inconsistent at times but for the most part you get a stimulation experience playing against other real thinking minds...you might do better than you think! Weekends bring events that change the modes slightly and create collective goals to achieve as you play with others (both solo or multiplayer).

Unlock avatars, and earn ranks; the achievements are based on skills I would say and while some are easy to obtain, the rarer ones do rely on much practice so if you simply must 100% a game then this will have you practising quite a bit!

I liked the soundtrack, it pairs very well with the in-game visuals and had enough diversity to infuse the core journey with lots of smiles and surprises. I liked not knowing what was next and also took pleasure in seeing my speed or strategy payoff with neat 4 line clear effects or shifting the entire palette based on speed level.

One thing that would be cool to see in the future is a new mode that allows you to play journey but cooperatively somehow (maybe even competitively).

If you find out that you really enjoy TETRIS or are very competitive and into the mutiplayer; consider looking into other versions like TETR.IO, NullpoMino7, and the TETRIS Grand Master series! I don't love the TETRIS Company these days but I do hope to see a continuation of TETRIS and many new versions being made, new variants, new themes and GFX styles!

TETRIS is awesome! Thanks for reading!

While I haven't yet achieved 100% in Tiny Rogues, I have finally taken the throne.
I've experienced quite a bit of content; bosses, weapons, characters, cinder levels, secrets, etc. to write a bit about the game.

First off, Tiny Rogues is a very tight and polished 'retro' experience. It's got elements of The Binding of Isaac, Dark Souls, extreme bullet hell moments, many references to pop culture, and a great NES graphical style. I get the impression that this is a labor of love.

In around 30 hours of gameplay I have never once hit a bug or crash. The game starts up quickly, runs smoothly and includes plenty of options for visibility and gameplay tweaks. You can play with KBM or controller, interchanging flawlessly. Controller includes an auto-aim feature that can make the game a bit easier for some, and it's got some twin-stick behavior for certain weapons. I personally used mouse and keyboard for most of my playthroughs and had no problem absorbing the controls.

It's certainly fast paced. With numerous stats, traits, enchantments, potions, and other buffs interacting in complex ways the game can quickly oscillate between you feeling like a weapon of mass destruction to sheer moments of bullet hell terror as your brain desperately tries to process what is even happening room-by-room.

That being said, this game can become insanely difficult. With maximum 'cinder' levels (difficulty enhancers/modifiers) in conjunction with the deeper floors I found at times I literally couldn't even take in the amount of particles, colors, flashes, and bullets on the screen. While it can result in hilarious moments, I've definitely experienced some frustration feeling like I died deep into my run with little chance. Compared to an intense shmup this game seems a lot more random with often so many patterns overlapping you wonder where the heck you should've moved.

However, the many classes and the variety of runs do allow for quite a few hours of enjoyable gameplay. If you're set 100%'ing this game, I wouldn't expect to blast through it. With the Heaven and Hell update, there is even more to do, with added classes, floors, bosses, and more.

It's priced at 12$ in my region and I think that is great value for a great game. Difficult yes, but fun and full of great humor and style. I recommend checking out some videos (try to avoid spoilers) to see if the bullet hell aspect will be an enjoyable challenge for you or a hindrance.

Curious to see what RubyDev does next! Thanks for reading.

キュレーターページ

Stumbled across this one through a friend in the activity feed. Immediately captivated by the visuals and music!

These Gnorps are cute and funny to watch as they toil away trying to smash up the rock. Very simple concept (break rock, get shards, Gnorp paradise) but allows for many approaches in terms of what you build and what sequence.

It's quite active and engaging if you want, but press the 'screensaver' button at your leisure or even ALT-TAB to do some other things and your operations will still continue. Not usually a fan of IDLER games but this one has a nice balance I enjoy.

The music is great, ranging from nice songs to familiar chip-tuned classical pieces.

+ Great optimization (read the devs posts; great stuff)
+ Solid blend between idling and playing
+ Quirky and appreciated sense of humor (tooltips are funny!)
+ Original and unique world/idea
+ Good price for gameplay

In conclusion, you can't go wrong purchasing this game if it doesn't put you off through the GFX or idle elements; it's a great time diving in, learning the systems and sitting back to watch the Gnorps throw themselves into their singular purpose with abandon.

Seems like an active and friendly developer with a good community behind it. Looking forward to the "Gnorps In Space" expansion! Thanks for reading!

While not something I would usually go for, THE FINALS has left an impression.

I initially overlooked it as just another F2P that will die in a couple months (which it could) with silly cosmetics and an overall aesthetic that makes no sense. However, devoid of any good PvP shooters in life since COD2 and CS 1.6 (I'm trying to get into 2 ok) and occasional flirts with other COD games, and Battlefield, etc. I gave it a second look...

Something about the collasping casinos, explosions, coins everywhere, and the sheer destructive over the top tone of it as well as a bit of homage to Squid Games (a series I enjoyed) I thought -- eh, what the heck -- and started installing.

Now I'm glad I've had my brother and cousin to play with as being a party of 3 has shown me how fun the co-op, competitive experience can be. So, with some hours solo and some in party I do enjoy the tight team tactics a lot more than throwing my lot in with randoms and giving it a go; however there have been some fun surprises a long the way.

First, the game is pretty fast and I like that. Lots of opportunity for mobility in the form of jumps, dashes, grappling hooks, and pads that shoot you into the sky. There are ziplines and ladders everywhere. The maps are a parkour free for all and that adds a fun layer to things for sure.

But where it all comes alive is in the destructiveness around the game. With all that mobility and speed it's amazing how, despite some balancing issues, there can be so many creative and fun counters. Blow up buildings, re-engineering the battlefield to flavor close quarter combat or ranged flanks, building a nest of rubble perfect for your mines and grenades to funnel into and vaporise your foes in a shower of golden coins...

Anyways, I got lightly hooked and am having a lot of fun. You just play: there's a good pace to the rounds, it can get silly and explosive, or extremely sweaty and tactical, it all depends on your mode and mix of parties.

Physics are pretty awesome with lots of little surprises like mines colliding in mid air and sticking together, throwing knives whipping past you and burying themselves in the cashbox you're holding, cranes toppling, bridges disintegrating around you, and more to be discovered no doubt. Needless to say, it's achieved that easy to learn (kill, get money, win) but difficult to master (many, many 'mechanics' that can be utilised for success) learning curve.

I'll most likely never be some Diamond ranked master but the cool thing is, I don't mind at all. There's fun to be had!

We'll see how it goes, but I'm also appreciating that it's pretty simple in terms of: you play and unlock your gadgets and guns and the only microtransactions are the clothing and stuff that have no impact on gameplay; they keep it pretty clean and separated.

All in all, whatever happens with THE FINALS, it is fun and I hope developers interested in competitive and PvP style shooters can take the good stuff and learn from it and run with it and bring us some renewal in the genre.

Thanks for reading and hope you have an awesome day!
I love games!

"Uh, is the dash supposed to work like this?

I knew that after my first run in Rogue : Genesia where my dash, already a welcome mechanic to the 'genre', had evolved to the point of becoming an kind of warp drive capable of turning my screen into a blur of death, that I was going to enjoy this survivorslike experience.

Having given Rogue some substantial time over this last week I can say that, not only do I recommend it as a strongly polished top-quality game similar to Vampire Survivors (and the family), but there is really a lot more to it than meets the eye.

The game is based around two modes, a survival style mode -- fight the hordes, survive the time limit -- and a mode that gets you to travel a zone, from node to node, in roguelike fashion (think Slay the Spire) with many battles but also shops, and opportunities for random events.

Overall, each mode can hit that spot when depending on what you're feeling. Builds generally translate well between each mode but the interesting I've found is that depending on the mode, challenge, and character you choose the builds you might go for will change dramatically.

Definitely worth an addition to the collection, and with great controller support this one really lends itself to kicking back with a dash build and seeing how far I can go...

EDIT: Some pretty solid updates have made this title even more complex and enjoyable IMO. Thanks for reading!

Nope.

Don't be fooled by just the look of it. While the pixel art is definitely high quality, the game suffers from the simple palette. What is neat at first glance quickly becomes an eyesore and sure, aesthetic preferences aside, I found myself wondering if they put all that work into the art and design of the game at least add some more palettes or make it a few more colors...seriously.

Being able to play vertically or horizontally had very little effect on my game experience or enjoyment to be honest. I found myself playing mostly in the vertical layout. Music, controller support, the loose story and chapters were OK, definitely passable.

What really sucked was the game play itself. Now, I'm no S ranked super schmup pro but I found the difficulty level was pretty high but made almost 'higher' but annoying thing that happened through each session:

- SPD powerups? Get used to your ships handling only to have you hyper accelerate and veer into a nearby meteorite becaues you grabbed one by accident. Just make the ship one speed please...

- Weapons themselves are alright I guess, with some being vastly OP for a given chapter (that's the idea I guess?) but what's the point of levelling up your badass laser when 2 seconds before boss you are forced to go through a small corridor of debris and a grab the lvl 1 twin laser again....great, there goes that run.

- Enemies are OK but maybe it's because the level design feels crowded and cramped for what it's throwing at you, it's tough to focus on a play-style of dodging bullets or clearing the screens quickly.

Anyways, hate to be a downer but the game just doesn't feel good. Couple of tweaks would make it a lot better, simplify and use that space to add a little more finesse to the gunplay and handling. I'd pass on this one, no matter the price, unless you're a schmup collector and like the look or something...

A beautiful game and lovely story. The music is just wonderful.

My bird and I:
- Watched TV
- Ate ice cream
- Jumped in puddles
- Experienced a breezy journey
- Saw the sights
- Subverted the authorities
- Learned about life

Sometimes fleeting friendships are some of the best we've ever had. A lot of expression and emotion packed into this detailed pixel story. With little to no dialogue, a funny and melancholic tales unfolds, a boy and a bird, with solid work from Freebird Games.

Great prequel to Finding Paradise! Thank you for that!