If you’re a fan of old games, I have good news: this week is all about the nostalgia. Top of the pile we’ve got STRAFE, a procedurally generated, very 90’s looking shooter. And right next to that channelling the spirit of one of the best arcade games of the same era is NBA Playgrounds, which pretty much everyone and their dog swears is just a new NBA Jam.
Sounds alright to me. But let’s see what else will be hitting shelves physical and digital this week.
Lethal League (PS4, XBO)
What is it? Super intense couch co-op multiplayer that can best be described as modern Pong ramped up to the heavens.
Should you care? Lethal League is technically a fighting game about hitting the ball into your opponent. Great for party nights.
Elliot Quest (PC, PS4, XBO, 3DS)
What is it? A pixel-art adventure/RPG about exploring an island and its dungeons to discover an ancient demon.
Should you care? It’s getting re-released on Steam this week, after having originally launched a couple of years ago. The game’s been rewritten in C++, which is nice. Other than that, it’s a cool looking platformer. Would be a good fit for the 3DS, come to think of it.
Syberia 3 (PS4, XBO)
What is it? The latest adventure in the oldschool series hits retail shelves this week.
Should you care? Lot of complaints from PC users about the interface, which is a real shame. The last thing you want to be fighting in an adventure is the controls and UI. (And the voiceovers don’t sound that crash hot, either.)
Puyo Puyo Tetris (Switch)
What is it? The maniacal mashup between Puyo Puyo and Tetris finally lands on the Switch in Australia.
Should you care? It’s really good, but also pretty overpriced here. If you only have one person to play with, sticking with the demo for a while might not be a bad option.
Dreamfall Chapters (PS4, XBO)
What is it? The journey that began with April Ryan continues with Zoe Castillo, this time on consoles.
Should you care? Been a long time coming. You’ll want to be a fan of the series; there’s a lot of mechanics and running around that will frustrate people who aren’t fans of point-and-click adventures, or the series.
Minecraft (Switch)
What is it? Have a guess.
Should you care? If you’re a parent and never want to see your Switch again, sure.
Valhalla Hills Definitive Edition (PS4, XBO)
What is it? A game about managing a viking village, predominately the AI of the vikings.
Should you care? Something people who love the Anno series or Settlers should consider. Don’t like either of those franchises? Steer clear, you’ll get too frustrated.
The King of Fighters ’95 (PS4)
What is it? The classic NEOGEO fighter gets a PS4 re-release.
Should you care? It’s a great fighter. But maybe not if you don’t have someone to play with.
LocoRoco Remastered (PS4)
What is it? I … a platformer?
Should you care? I have no frame of context to explain this.
BUTCHER (PS4, XBO)
What is it? A grim pixel-art 2D shooter. Think DOOM, or if your memory goes back that far, Abuse.
Should you care? The more I watch it, the more the game really does remind me of Abuse. It’s out on PC already, but worth checking out on any platform.
Polybius (PSVR)
What is it? The latest game from the bloke behind Tempest 2000 and Space Giraffe, if that rings any bells.
Should you care? It’s a 3D shooter, put simply. Watch some gameplay first.
Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland (PS4)
What is it? Harvest Moon returns, by way of a PS4 re-release.
Should you care? But Stardew Valley is so good…
Human: Fall Flat (PS4, XBO)
What is it? A physics puzzle game about helping Bob escape his surreal dreams, by way of falling.
Should you care? At the very least, it’s a fun game to watch. Might be worth pulling out for a games party night to see how people tackle the weird levels.
Last Stitch Goodnight (PS4)
What is it? A 2D platformer staring an office worker who has been kidnapped by a doctor.
Should you care? I like the idea of a platformer in an office, but don’t know if this is it.
Moonshot Galaxy (PSVR, Rift, Vive)
What is it? It’s a puzzler mixed with golf. Think Fuzzy’s Miniature Space Golf, ramped up substantially.
Should you care? It looks like the most appealing spin on VR golf of late.
NBA Playgrounds (PC, PS4, XBO, Switch)
What is it? It’s basically NBA Jam.
Should you care? It’s basically NBA Jam.
STRAFE (PC, PS4, XBO)
What is it? A procedurally generated shooter styled like the 90’s, with hordes and hordes of enemies and lots of gibs.
Should you care? Bit worried about how much oomph the guns have in this, but should be fun nonetheless.
So that’s the main games to take note of this week. Did I miss anything good? And are you hitting the nostalgia train this week, still riding Mario Kart, or waiting for the bigger releases next week?
Comments
24 responses to “This Week In Games: Strafing Like The 90’s”
Oh man, all the strafing in Goldeneye because it was quicker than normal walking. Something you had to learn to unlock the awesome cheats.
You had me at Abuse, what a great game that was. Would love to see how Butcher plays without a mouse though.
Any word on how much Minecraft will be for the Nintendo Switch, here in Australia?
It’s being sold as $29.99 USD (about $40 AUD), but no actual AUD pricings have been confirmed. EB Games still has it listed as a $99.95 place holder price for pre-order.
Nothing confirmed, although you can pick it up easily enough by making a Nintendo US account if it doesn’t pop up in the AU store.
Polybius sounds like a bad omen. Especially as a VR release.
Isn’t that the legendary arcade game that drove people to suicide and may not have actually existed?
The one and only.
Or none and only I guess.
Does NBA Playgrounds have the same commentary guy as NBA Jam? Because without it, it just won’t be the same 🙁
iS IT THE SHOES?!
BOOM SHAKALAKA!
HE’S ON FIRE!
I’M THE BUS DRIVER AND I’M TAKING YOU TO SCHOOL!
He’ heating up…
I thought NBA playgrounds came out in June sometime. Been waiting for it so pumped if is this week.
Also out this week:
– The Caligula Effect (Vita)
– Birthdays: The Beginning (PS4/PC)
– Puyo Puyo Tetris (PS4) (Physical only)
I wonder how much Strafe has changed since last time people got to play it.
RE: NBA Playgrounds and to a lesser extent, Switch Minecraft:
I’m interested in both in a big way, but hopefully I can get some info on both games as standalone experiences, they only exist in the shadows of their previous incarnations only as much as the person writing about them wants them to.
What I’m saying is I hope someone that was too young for NBA Jam gets to say what they think about Playgrounds.
Minecraft Switch better have touch controls, but of course it won’t. Minecraft iOS Edition is actually a great way to do tablet/touchscreen FPS, I wouldn’t even have to use the joy-cons.
I still regularly bust out the wii version of nba jam at parties, with arcade sticks for the proper experience. It will be a miracle if playgrounds gets near that.
And i just picked up minecraft on the gear vr and it’s great! I havent touched that game in several years, but it translates so well.
OK what sort of arcade sticks though? I’m eyeing off the Wii version of NBA Jam as it so happens.
You can find some retail wii/u sticks, like the hori tekken stick, but christ they’re expensive with shipping here!
I own a hori RAP and a TE2 for my ps4, but all of my wii sticks are custom built. They cost waaay less (less than half the price), and are built better than any available wiimote stick.
I have a DIY guide for making it on shoryuken: http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/211828/the-ikea-stick-project-an-easy-to-build-affordable-case-which-looks-and-feels-good
I’m also waiting for delivery of a laser cut kit which assembles toolessly yet is strong enough to stand on, if thats more your bag.
Man I got a great deal on the TvC stick for Wii years ago, from zavvi or something I think? Back when they were still doing free shipping. Think I got a pair of them for only $50, great stuff. Then hardly ended up using the damn things 😛
Which reminds me my friend got one too, and it stopped working a while ago. He’s wanted me to take a look at it for probably a good year or two by now, still haven’t gotten around to it >_>
LocoRoco was kind of a physics based puzzle platformer for PSP. You tilt the screen left/right to move the game world, which in turn moves your blob thing through the levels. Very cool, weird and cute.
I have both 1&2 for my PSP.
Will have to check out this remaster that I didn’t even know about.
I throughly enjoyed LocoRoco, but I don’t know if it’s something I’d want to play on a home console, would of rathered a vita release
I can’t find NBA Playgrounds on the PS4 online store or on the websites for EB Games/JB Hi-Fi here in Australia… anyone know why?
You should start seeing listings from Tuesday/Wednesday. It actually popped up by accident on PS4 as a free download a few days ago, but that was a beta version of the game for online testing only.
Lethal League is the truth. Ranks up there with Mario Kart and Overcooked for easy to pick up party games.