PixlBit

Lately I’ve been watching a series on Netflix that I’ve really gotten into.  It’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.  And it’s REALLY GOOD!  I’m a big Jim Henson fan and a lot of his works were a huge part of my childhood.  TV shows such as Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and The Muppet Show, for instance.  And movies like the original The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.  Heck, the very first Muppet Movie was the first movie I remember seeing in a theater.  The new Dark Crystal series feels like something I would’ve watched as a kid, and I don’t want to make too many assumptions, but I feel like Jim Henson would be happy with it.  So I highly recommend you watch it if you have Netflix.  It makes me really want to play the upcoming video game that I saw at PAX, even though I don’t like tactics strategy games.  Can you guess my favorite character from the new series?  I’ve given you a couple of easy clues, so you should be able to figure it out.

Also I’ve got another batch of game reviews I’ve recently written over at GamerDad.com.  Please click on the links and read as many as you can, and maybe post a ‘like’ or comment or two.  I’d appreciate it.  OK let’s begin!

Newt One (PS4)

This is a really fun 3-D platformer where everything is black and white at first, but when you touch anything, it changes to color.  So you must color the whole world in this fashion, like a 3-D coloring book.  The more you color, the more music plays in the background, so that’s kind of neat, too.  It’s a very non-violent game with no enemies either, so it’s pretty relaxing.  It also reminds me of 3-D platformers on the N64 and PSOne, so it’s a bit nostalgic, too.  So yeah, pretty fun little game.  I liked it anyway.

Super Kirby Clash (Switch)

A few weeks ago, Nintendo surprised everyone with a new free-to-start online Switch game, and it was a Kirby title as well!  Kirby is one of my number one favorite Nintendo franchises, so of course I’m going to download it and review it!  Super Kirby Clash is an enhanced version of Team Kirby Clash, which was originally a mini-game found in one of the 3DS Kirby titles, and later got a separate Deluxe version you could download on the 3DS eShop.  If you combined Kirby boss battles with RPG aspects, this is basically what you get.  For some reason, it also makes me think of Kirby meets Monster Hunter.  Unfortunately the free-to-play stuff gets in the way and really bogs the game down, so I lost interest pretty quickly.  If Nintendo would’ve ditched the nickel and diming and just charged a little bit for the whole game, I might’ve bought it.  It’s a shame they used Kirby, my favorite Nintendo character, to do shenanigans like this.

While True: Learn () (iPad)

I never pass up the chance to review educational games.  I’ve always had an interest in them, and it baffles me why some companies shy away from calling their games educational.  I’ve reviewed everything from games that introduce preschoolers to early concepts as well as ones that teach math skills to elementary school students.  But it’s clear the way of the future is with computers, and if you want a way to make it big, it’s important to get a head start in programming and coding.  So that’s why I’m pleased to see a game like While True: Learn ().  Yes that’s the title.  It teaches logic skills used in programming and coding in a visual way.  Unfortunately it was really hard to wrap my head around, but it may just be me.  I don’t think my mind is built for programming.  I’d rather play games, not make them.  Plus the text was too small.  Check out the screenshot I posted in my review and you can see what I mean.  I still say the best educational game that teaches programming skill is still WarioWare D.I.Y.

Whipseey and the Lost Atlas (Switch)

This is a 2-D platformer starring a little pink blob (not Kirby) who attacks enemies with a whip thing on his head.  The graphics remind me of later NES titles like Kirby’s Adventure and the ‘never-released-in-the-US’ Mr. Gimmick.  Unfortunately the game is way too hard and the hit detection is terrible.

Petoons Party (PS4)

It’s a Mario Party clone with some colorful yet generic characters.  But aside from the lack of originality and low variety of mini-games, there’s really nothing wrong with the game.  I wouldn’t recommended it to anyone here, but it might entertain a group of young kids for a while.

Heave Ho (Switch)

In this game, you control a critter who is just a head with two arms sticking out.  You move these guys in a 2-D area, and use the L and R sticks to wave their arms.  When their hands are near a platform, you can hold down the L or R shoulder buttons to make them grab on to it.  Then you can swing around to nearby platforms, or even launch them and use their trajectory to reach faraway ones.  In a way it kind of reminds me of DK: King of Swing and Jungle Climber.  You must help these creatures reach a bowl-shaped goal to pass the level.  It may make for a good party game, as up to four can play at the same time, but it was just WAY to hard for me to be patient with it.

Space Cows (Switch)

And last is this twin stick shooter where you are a farmer rescuing your cow from evil alien space Mootants.  Lots of bovine humor and fart jokes.  The bad controls make the game needlessly too hard, too.

And that’s all for now!  Thanks for reading my reviews and posting ‘likes’ and comments.  I do appreciate it.  And don’t forget to watch the Netflix Dark Crystal series and guess my favorite character, too!  Later!  --Cary