PixlBit

I noticed something about my latest list of games I’ve reviewed lately at GamerDad.com.  Two of them feature ninjas, so we’ll bookend them here.  Like always, please click on the links and read as many reviews as you can, and maybe even post a ‘like’ or comment or two.  I’d appreciate it.  And speaking of ninjas, tell me your favorite video game ninjas.  Mine would probably be the Ninjis from Mario games, I-Ninja from a forgotten Namco platformer from the GameCube era, Ebisumaru from Goemon, and Taki from Soul Calibur.  Not sure why I like Taki, though.  She’s just cool I guess.  Anyway, here are the reviews!

The Messenger (Switch)

This is a 2-D platformer featuring 8- and 16-bit styled graphics.  It’s very clear that Ninja Gaiden was the main inspiration for this game.  And this game is almost ‘Shovel Knight’ good.  I say almost because it has some problems that kept me from really enjoying it.  For one, the game is way too hard.  It’s not “Mega Man Hard,” but more like “Ninja Gaiden Hard.”  I can beat most Mega Man games, but not Ninja Gaiden!  I couldn’t get past this one boss who moves 3 times faster than you, and you must double jump using ever changing lantern to hit him, or you fall into fire.  Yeah, no thanks.  Plus the challenge relies too much on insta-death pits and spikes, which I feel is poor game design.  And I hear that at some point, you can switch between 8- and 16-bit levels and the game plays more like a Metroid title.  But I never saw that part and I played the game for a long time.  So yeah, pacing is bad, too.  It’s a shame because it could’ve been a great game otherwise.

Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe (PS4)

When I went to PAX last year, I met with Adult Swim Games and played this and really liked it.  When it came time to request a review copy of it for the Switch last year, they told me they ran out of codes.  I was a bit miffed by that because I felt that since I took the time to meet with them at PAX, I should be able to review the game when it came out.  But it all worked out in the end since I just got to review the Deluxe edition of it on PS4.  Anyway, Battle Chef Brigade is a unique mix of 2-D hack & slash fighting and match three puzzles, wrapped around an Iron Chef cooking theme in a fantasy world.  Unfortunately, while it sounds pretty cool at first, the game wasn’t as fun as I initially thought it would be.

Chiki Chiki Boxy Racers (Switch)

Now this game, I thought it would just be a very typical and mediocre top down racer.  Like a blocky Micro Machines or RC Pro-Am.  But I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would.  Mainly because the controls are so good and it’s a pretty fun and approachable racer.  It’s not perfect, but it is a heck of a lot better than I thought it would be!  By the way, does anyone know what “Chiki Chiki” means in Japanese?

Bloons Adventure Time TD (iPad)

I actually didn’t get a press release or anything about this game.  Instead, my brother told me about it, and since it was a pretty new game, I decided I’d review it!  In the 20 plus years I’ve been reviewing games, I think I’ve reviewed more Adventure Time games than any other licensed property!  And Bloons is a long-running series of balloon popping games on web browsers and mobile devices, and has spin-offs like Tower Defense and whatnot.  And this game is just a mixture of those. You’re just Adventure Time characters popping balloons before too many reach a destination.  I didn’t like the game as much because I’m not a big fan of Tower Defense games, and it didn’t have a lot of interactivity to it.

Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures (iPad)

Since most of the games I review feature things like spaceships and ninjas and race cars and more ‘boy’ things like that, any chance I get to review a game for girls, I’ll take it.  Plus the PR lady asked so nicely if I could review it.  “Aw shucks, I can’t say no to you.”  It’s basically a virtual dollhouse.  I have to admit, though, Barbie has one cool house!  Her stairs turn into a slide with a ball pit at the bottom, she’s got a pool on the third floor (plumbing must be a nightmare), and her kitchen even has a 3-D food printer replicator.  Dang, how far in the future does Barbie live?  This is some Star Trek stuff right here.

Neptunia & Friends (iPad)

A few years ago, I reviewed a couple of games in the Hyperdimension Neptunia series.  It’s a RPG series with lots of video game references and cute anime girls.  But they got to be too much for me so I stopped reviewing them.  But this is more of an app where your favorite Neptunia characters can talk to you and wake you up in their own way (my favorite is “Vert” if anyone cares).  Anyway, the app doesn’t really work very well, so I can’t imagine the paid content being any better.  Which video game character would you like to have wake you up? 

Lightfield: Hyper Edition (PS4)

This is a futuristic racer where you can fly anywhere, but you can go faster when you hug floors and walls like a magnet.  It’s a neat idea, but it’s rather confusing and the learning curve is pretty steep.  This is another game I originally played at PAX.

Ninjin: Clash of Carrots (PS4)

An evil mole has stolen all the carrots from a peaceful village, and now a ninja rabbit must get them back.  This game is like a cross between a 2-D brawler and a shooter, but it gets way too hard, too quickly.

And that’s all for now!  Thanks for reading my reviews and posting ‘Likes’ and comments on them.  Later!  --Cary