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Nintendo Switch Review – Super Chrome: Bullet Purgatory

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A low musical drone welcomes you to a black filled background with a lone spaceship, WAVE 1 appears and enemies swoop down firing off pixelated projectiles. Welcome to Super Chrome: Bullet Purgatory, a new space style shooter from Stumphead Games.

From the get go, Super Chrome: Bullet Purgatory evokes waves of nostalgia, bringing to mind memories of arcade classics like Galaga, Galaxian and Gorf. Feeling like it would be more suited to play on an upright cab than on a PC, Super Chrome: Bullet Purgatory is an extremely pure arcade space shooter. Early waves can be deceptive, luring you into a false sense of security. Underestimating the deadly efficiency of the enemies you encounter can be deadly as the screen is quickly filled with colourful projectiles. Unlike the classic arcade shooters it resembles, each wave is randomised meaning enemies and bosses will vary from playthrough to playthrough. While this may seem unfair to those chasing high scores, it certainly makes each playthrough uniquely enjoyably.There is a really nice clean aesthetic to Super Chrome: Bullet Purgatory; visuals are crisp and the colours are vivid, this makes enemies and projectiles really pop off the black background. 

Apart from the normal snappy and responsive controls you expect from a game like Super Chrome: Bullet Purgatory, there are some nice additions like special weapons and a warp function. There is a meter for each special weapon and enemies will randomly drop small recharges for them. The specials include a charge shot, auto firing drones that orbit your ship and a shot that splits on impact to home in on nearby enemies. The warp function is the real stand out addition though, it acts as a dodge and will shift you across the screen, allowing you to move through projectiles a short distance without being hit. This can be a real lifesaver, especially with bosses that fill the screen with waves of particles. As you progress through the waves, your ship will also get slightly more powerful standard weapons.

Fans of classic shooters, high score driven gameplay and a nice challenge need look no further than Super Chrome: Bullet Purgatory. It is a fun and frantic space shooter that definitely deserves your attention.

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Super Chrome: Bullet Purgatory [Nintendo Switch] was kindly provided by Pixel River PR for this review.

 

 

exA-Arcadia – The New Arcade Kit System

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They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Eric Chung, President and CEO of exA-Arcadia (EXA) has declared in his recent interview with Shmup’Em-All that their new arcade conversion kit system, exA-Arcadia, will be this generations’ NEOGEO. With a pedigree of SNK’s NEOGEO MVS arcade system, exA-Arcadia has some big shoes to fill. Eric’s statement does indeed seem bold, but he is confident that their innovative kit system will revolutionise and revitalise arcade gaming for developers and operators alike, giving them an easy to use system (to develop games) at a cost effective price point.

The exA-Arcadia System with four game cartridges as shown at JAEPO 2019
source: eXa-Arcadia via Twitter

So what does exA-Arcadia bring to the table for the operator? As already stated, this is an arcade conversion kit system, just like the NEOGEO MVS was back in the 90s, so its main aim for operators is to provide modern arcade content at a budget friendly price. This is all achieved by its clever hardware design, based on a secure Windows PC platform, which is more powerful than the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X consoles, which can hold up to four games (delivered in cartridge format about the size of the old CPS3 cartridges). The best part is that exA-Arcadia is JAMMA and JVS (JAMMA Video Standard) compatible, allowing it to be used inside almost any existing operable arcade cabinets. It is also compatible with both 16:9 LCD and traditional 4:3 CRT monitors. exA-Arcadia claims that their vertically oriented games can be played in horizontal mode, so operators don’t need more vertically oriented monitors in all of their cabinets to play EXA format games.

exA-Arcadia stand with sample games at JAEPO 2019
source: exA-Arcadia via Twitter

The attraction of exA-Arcadia is realised even further (for operators), as once the system is purchased, it is fully owned by the operator, meaning that there is no requirement for internet connectivity to access gaming content, nor is there a need to share revenue with the manufacturer or distributor – more money left in the pocket of the operator. For operators that want to offer their customers an online experience, exA-Arcadia has a feature that integrates with streaming services like Twitch. Together with a smartphone app and card system, the exA-Arcadia’s feature set can provide operators a deeper insight into their customer interactions, which helps in building loyalty and decision making on what is popular, ensuring that customers keep coming back.

With its Windows PC based architecture, the EXA system is open to both traditional (big name) developers as well as the smaller independent ones. The initial release of ten games that were showcased at California Extreme (CAX) and Stunfest in late 2018, clearly shows that the current focus is on shoot’em up (shmups) games, however there are currently fifty games in the development pipeline that represent a variety of gaming genres, like fighting, sports, classic retro style platformers and four player games to balance out the EXA line-up.

Visitors enjoying the exA-Arcadia offerings at CAX 2018

exA-Arcadia presence at California Extreme (CAX 2018)
source: Tanoshimasu via Twitter

Eric Chung is confident that their exA-Arcadia platform can overcome stiff competition from systems provided by the giants in the industry, namely Sega’s ALL.NET and Taito’s NESiCAxLive. Eric claims that exA-Arcadia’s attraction is its lower entry cost (prices have yet to be confirmed as at writing of this article) and the fact that they will not force revenue sharing on coin drops. The overall cost will most likely be even lower than the others (Sega and Taito) as there is no equipment required, like network routers and servers, and no monthly fee to access the manufacturer’s network.

There is no doubt that exA-Arcadia has captured the attention of the amusement industry and developers alike. We will definitely be keeping a close eye on developments, as the potential of what it promises will surely result in shaking things up in the industry.

Aka To Blue Type-R at Stunfest
source: Shmup’Em-All via Twitter

*This feature first appeared in the February 2019 issue of the NAMOA ‘The Collector’ trade magazine.

 

Nintendo Switch Review: Assault Android Cactus+

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Blasting its way to the Nintendo Switch is Assault Android Cactus+, an arena based, multiplayer twin stick shooter with loads of charm and projectiles.

The player starts off Assault Android Cactus+ as the bumbling but well-meaning “Cactus,” a member of the Interplanetary Police Department, as she crashes into a rogue freighter ship known as the “Genki Star”. Throughout the course of the 25 Level campaign, more androids with various weapon types and personalities are unlocked for you to try. Interactions between each android and Boss AI are unique which really help flesh out the android’s personas. The Switch version of Assault Android Cactus+ is brimming with extra features. Apart from the story campaign there is also a Boss Rush, infinite, daily challenge and a Campaign plus mode that gives players a new challenge within the original story. Also included, there are features such as “EX Mode” options that can change game play elements and director commentary.

There is a very basic look to Assault Android Cactus+ that fits its busy play style very well. Enemies are easy to identify and colour coded to denote their threat levels. Arena design gets more complex and dynamic as you progress through the campaign and adds an extra depth to how each level should be approached. At certain points through the game it can feel like a “Bullet Hell” style shooter and with all that action going on at once the frame rate is nice and steady, even in handheld mode.

Thankfully controls in Assault Android Cactus+ are super tight and responsive, making it easy to flick back and forth between enemies. Different androids have varying combinations of weapons for you to try out, from spread shots and lasers as basic weapons to flamethrowers and missile launchers for secondaries. Certain levels will feel easier with specific character’s weapons but the game keeps track of the highest completion rank on the current stage with each android. Getting hit too many times will cause you to die and lose your secondary weapon charge but not actually fail the current stage, which only occurs when your battery depletes. Apart from standard controls with two sticks, there is also a Joy-Con mode which auto aims to the nearest enemy. This is obviously not the best way to play but is a nice addition that lets you show off the game to others without the need to carry around multiple controllers.

Shooting for high scores is loads of fun but if you are after some more in depth progression outside of those then this may not be for you. Fans of twin stick shooters will enjoy Assault Android Cactus+, especially with the help of some friends.

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Assault Android Cactus+ [Nintendo Switch] was kindly provided by Stride PR for this review.

 

 

Ape Out – Nintendo Switch Review

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Busting its way onto the Switch is Ape Out, a seriously stylish smash ‘em up that gives a new meaning to the term “Ape Escape.”

Ape Out is a top down perspective game with a very deliberate feel to the way it was made. You control a gorilla that must break its way out of a cage and through various scenarios to your freedom. A relative army of humans stand between you and the open jungle. At first glance Ape Out is a game that seems like a rampaging primate power fantasy of breaking ones shackles and escaping. Hidden within its simple art style and jazzy tunes there is an underlying sadness to this tale that is all too real but is never preachy. Every play through is randomly generated and upon every death the world changes so you never know what to expect around the next corner.

Every scenario in Ape Out is presented like a record, with a different colour palette and soundtrack to match. The art style uses basic contrasting colours and is very minimalistic and striking. Enemies are white silhouettes against drab coloured floors and walls that splash with bold crimson upon taking one of them down. Through all of this the soundtrack plays a pivotal role in creating atmosphere. As you burst through glass and guards the soundtrack is always present with an experimental jazz feel. Upon killing an enemy there will be a cymbal crash and an increase in tempo momentarily, upon taking out several guards the soundtrack really reaches full strength. Alternatively, sneaking around will have you hearing the steady beat of a high hat that beautifully builds tension.

Gameplay mechanics are kept deliberately simple, boiling down to simply “push or pull” style controls. You can grab a guard and use him as a shield or throw him at another guard, wall or even through a window. There are also multiple scenarios that offer different mechanics based on the location that they are set in, from a science lab to a sky scraper. Every Run is timed and at the end the amount of deaths are given. There is also a “Harder” mode for those that like the extra challenge and an Arcade mode that gives you a score based on time and kills.

Ape Out is a beautifully designed little game with lots of care put into it. Although it may feel a little short, it is definitely worth your time. You’d be bananas not to try it!

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Ape Out [Nintendo Switch] was kindly provided by POWER UP PR for this review.

 

 

Action Comics Annual #1: The Game?

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

I’ve read a great deal of Superman comics in my lifetime. One of my favourites is 1987’s Action Comics Annual . To me, it’s one of the most entertaining and enthralling comics I own. The comic, written by one of my favourite comic book writers, John Byrne, should be made into a Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment game.

It’s a four-word pitch: Superman, Batman and vampires.

The comic is oddly titled “Skeeter,” but “Cry Vampire” is on the cover. It’s not really clear, but “Cry Vampire” sounds a lot better than “Skeeter.”

The story takes place in Fayerville, South Carolina; a town near swamp land. Batman finds himself in the town because he’s been working three days straight investigating a series of Gotham City murders that leads him to Fayerville. He calls Clark Kent at the Daily Planet for some assistance. When Superman arrives in Fayerville, he realises that vampires are to blame for several grisly deaths. Batman tries to help a young, blond haired girl named Skeeter (the annual’s title). He quickly realises she is the vampire that has been terrifying the town.

What makes the comic truly gripping is that Superman is helpless to the supernatural when he fights Skeeter. She injures him by raking her claws across the S on his chest. Superman is rarely vulnerable to anything on Earth. I won’t tell you the ending, but Batman comes through in the clutch.

The game could be a third-person perspective, action-adventure game which focuses on Batman and Superman’s combat abilities in the swamps and around the town. Superman could take hoards of vampires out with his heat vision. In Annual , the Man of Steel doesn’t fly very much and he’s mostly grounded throughout the story. Batman could use his punching ability and various gadgets to take down blood suckers. Two-person play could get interesting. They could also complete side missions away from the main story.

I’ve really enjoyed the “Batman: The Telltale Series” for PS4. Action Comics Annual could be a perfect adaptation for that series of video games.

The 65-inch Nintendo Switch TV

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It is no secret that we are huge fans of the Nintendo Switch. It seems that there are even bigger fans of Nintendo’s hybrid console, just like Suprman9!

Suprman9 has taken their love of the Switch to a level that we reckon is really really cool – turning their bland 65-inch TV into a giant Nintendo Switch, complete with coloured Joy-Con side panels. The Switch TV is the centrepiece of Suprman9’s game room, conveniently named, Nerdvana!

Check out the photos below and then head here to check out the entire build process. Got to hand it to Suprman9, they are definitely super Nintendo fans with some gnarly DIY skills.

[story source: technabob]

OlliOlli Switch Stance – Nintendo Switch Review

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Kickflipping their way onto the Nintendo Switch is OlliOlli and OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood in the new collection OlliOlli Switch Stance.

Much like the multitude of skateboarding games that have come before it, OlliOlli Switch Stance is all about racking up multipliers and high scores. Unlike its predecessors though, OlliOlli Switch Stance is a 2D side-on skateboarding game with a very simplified art style. Each run has a mix of 5 specific point, or objective- based challenges to be completed. To proceed the player only has to make it to the end of the run without bailing. Along with the standard levels there is a “Daily Grind” mode in both games and other additional challenges including multiplayer in OlliOlli 2.

Both games in OlliOlli Switch Stance have similar yet different visual styles. OlliOlli has a pixel art style with levels that span a multitude of urban environments. Whereas OlliOlli 2 has an updated yet equally clean 2D style that takes place on and around movie sets. The very simplistic art style works in favour of the quick gameplay, most notably in OlliOlli 2 where jumps and grinds stand out. The soundtrack in OlliOlli Switch Stance is very much the opposite, being purposefully subdued yet still catchy and suits the games perfectly.

The controls are what will really set this series apart from other skateboarding games that most players are familiar with. Everything from jumps to flips to grinds are all accomplished using the left analogue stick. By holding, rotating and finally releasing the stick, players can carry out a multitude of tricks to build up their score. What really makes the game technical is the timing required when carrying out every action, including landing. Starting up OlliOlli Switch Stance, the player is warned that “OlliOlli is a super-fast game” and this is no understatement. Pulling off a lengthy series of chained tricks can all be rendered moot by the act of a “Sloppy” landing. Retrying stages over and
over is almost a necessity but snappy menus and instant restarts mean there is no waiting between rounds and you can get straight into the action.

OlliOlli Switch Stance plants itself perfectly on the Nintendo Switch, whether you want to knock out a quick run or chase high scores. The technical and precise nature of these controls may be a little off putting to some but others will find it incredibly enjoyable and rewarding.

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: OlliOlli Switch Stance [Nintendo Switch] was kindly provided by POWER UP PR for this review.

 

 

VR Review: Singularity 5

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Review By Alexisms

Let’s start from the beginning, Singularity 5 is a virtual reality (VR) wave shooter for Oculus, Vive and Windows Mixed Reality. Using motion controls, I donned my Oculus to immerse myself in all things Singularity 5!

The year is 2050, you are tasked with stopping an AI uprising in Paris through five levels of quickly escalating difficulty. The game opens within an open lift travelling towards the surface. You start with a couple of very stylish pistols which give you a tiny glimpse of the graphic extravaganza to come. You first face some fairly simple static robot enemies which throw grenades which need to be battered away before they explode. They also create these shards of red veined rocks which again you must smash or will explode.

Once the surface is reached, the graphics of the city are mind-blowingly fantastic – with a kind of techno Gothic vibe. Sometimes in VR games the backgrounds can be quite muddy and indistinct but here they are very clear and beautiful using well contrasting colours of white, gold and black along with occasional neon. Of course, visuals doth not just make a game, so the music and sound effects are just as impressive and add to the whole atmosphere.

In normal mode, the difficulty soon ramps up and by level three I had to reduce it to (the recently introduced) easy mode but even then I was unable to get to level four and five. It should be noted that you can select the later levels from the menu so you won’t be left just playing half a game.

The enemies are pretty much all robots. These range from the static type lobbing grenades to robots on rolling wheels that speed directly towards you before exploding. The really hard ones are the larger robots that fire a laser straight at your head so you will have to physically move out of the way (which is so damn cool). You’ll be doing this whilst facing other robots, batting away grenades and smashing rock shards. The frenetic pace to stay alive in the game feels like a high pressure cooker – one little slip and you’re dead!

To help in your quest you have the aforementioned twin pistols. You later obtain grenade guns and machine guns. Thankfully, all these guns have infinite ammo, but do need to be constantly reloaded. You can also throw grenades but I could never get them to do anything but roll weakly towards the enemies.

In conclusion, if you love wave shooters you could do a lot worse than Singularity 5. But be warned, you’ll be sternly challenged. It may only have five levels, but if you’re a high score addict there’s plenty of scope for replayability with multiple kills increasing your combo meter. Go and grab your VR headset and check out Singularity 5.

image source: Singularity 5

Disclosure: Singularity 5 VR  was kindly provided by PR Hound for this review.

JUMPGRID: The Bullet Hell Hyper-Pac-Man

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Whoa, this new Ian MacLarty developed white-knuckle dodge’em-up is straight outta Melbourne!

You may be asking, what exactly is this game? Well, let us tell you, at its essence, JUMPGRID is a bullet hell hyper-Pac-Man. The player must survive an ever-moving cosmic obstacle course by deftly teleporting between nodes on the “jump-grid”. Clear all nodes to open a wormhole to the next level. Success requires only a few seconds of precision finger ballet, but touch any of the pulsing hazards and the level instantly resets, ready for you to try again, and again, and again… This is a game about honing your muscle memory until you learn to dance with your fingers!

Features
  • Skin-of-your-teeth gameplay with easy to learn controls
  • Over 100 uniquely challenging levels
  • An original pulse-pounding electronica soundtrack
  • Flaunt your skill and find fame on the speedrun leaderboards
  • Adjustable game speed

Jumpgrid will be hitting PC/Steam, Mac and Itch.io on February 12 for US$4.99 / £3.99 / €3.99 / A$7.50.

image source: Ian MacLarty

 

Japan Amusement Expo: JAEPO 2019 Highlights

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We have always wanted to attend an amusement (trade) expo, and it doesn’t get any bigger than the Japan Amusement Expo (JAEPO), which was held over the last weekend.

The heavy hitters of the industry were all there showcasing their latest games and machines (Sega, Taito, Konami, Capcom, Bandai Namco), hoping to attract distributors and operators alike. Oh yeah, Taito’s ‘Mega Rage Darius’ throwback section was a nice touch and proved quite popular!

image source: megarage_mizo

Here are some highlights and new machines that caught our eye from JAEPO 2019. Obviously Space Invaders and anything pinball related caught our eye.

Taito stand

Taito’s Densha De Go (train simulator) – Standard and Kids versions

Taito – Space Invaders Gigamax (10P Space Invaders with a display that fits on a side of a building)

Taito / Raw Thrills – Halo: Fireteam Raven

Street Fighter V Type Arcade (Capcom @ Taito’s stand)

Taito – Space Invaders Pinball Jam

Arcade1Up Japan – Space Invaders 40th Anniversary

Konami – stand

Konami – Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) 20th Anniversary Edition

Bandai Namco Technica – Pac-Man Panic Pinball

Bandai Namco Technica – Super Panic Ball (pinball)

Bandai Namco Technica – unique tool display from a Jersey Jack Pinball cabinet

exA-Arcadia – the NEOGEO MVS of our time!

Arcade Buttons galore!

image sources: Arcade Heroes, Taito Zuntata on Twitter, Taito, Arcade1Up Japan, BemaniStyle, exA-Arcadia & BK2000