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Classic Reviews


On 04/20/2020 at 08:20 AM by Cary Woodham

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I noticed that most of the games in this batch of reviews I’ve recently written over at GamerDad.com are based on classic games or have classic arcade game elements, so hence the title.  Anyway, please click on the links and read as many as you can, and maybe even post a ‘like’ or comment or two.  I’d appreciate it.  OK let’s begin!

Pac-Man Tamagotchi?!?

Two big game crazes, one from the 80s and one from the 90s, have come together in one weird combo!  Pac-Man Tamagotchi!  Yeah you heard that right.  Only because Pac-Man maker Namco and Tamagotchi creator Bandai have merged is this whole thing possible!  Of course you all know I’m a huge Pac-Man fan, but I also have an interest in the virtual pet key chain Tamagotchi, too.  So you know I had to get this!

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends (Switch)

I…freaking…love…Bubble Bobble.  I don’t really remember seeing it in arcades, but boy I sure rented the HECK out of the NES version.  Many years later, when my little brothers were old enough to play games, Bubble Bobble was one of the first games I introduced them to, and they loved it as well.  And the main spin-off game, Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move, is one of my top three favorite puzzle games of all time.  So I was super excited to find out about a new Bubble Bobble game for Nintendo Switch.  I have to say, though, that I have played better Bubble Bobble games than this.  It’s still fun, but could’ve been better.  I wish they would make a Bubble Bobble collection with a bunch of the old games and spin-offs on it!

Missile Command: Recharged (iPad)

Missile Command was one of Atari’s biggest arcade hits in the 80s, so to celebrate the game’s 40th anniversary, now you can play a new iteration on mobile devices (reviewed on iPad here).  This free-to-play version features updated neo-retro graphics, power-ups, and more modern features.  The graphics and music remind me of Pac-Man Championship Edition and there’s a neat AR mode that makes it look like there’s a Missile Command arcade machine right in front of you!

Snakeybus (PS4)

Snakeybus is a weird mix of Crazy Taxi and the classic game Snake.  Take control of an ever-moving bus and pick up and drop off passengers at bus stops.  The more people you pick up, the longer your bus gets.  Pretty soon you’ll see your own bus-snake following behind you!  If you stop moving for too long, or fall into a pit, it’s Game Over.  The game gets more challenging the longer your bus becomes.  Definitely a weird, ‘just for laughs’ kind of game.

Roundguard (PS4)

If you liked Peggle, and a lot of people did, you may want to check out Roundguard.  It’s a lot like the classic pachinko-styled game, just with more RPG elements in a fantasy setting.  The randomly generated levels and slow feel of progression kept me from getting very interested in this one, though.  And it could’ve stood to be a few dollars cheaper as well.

Reventure (iPad)

You are the hero Tim, out to save the princess, procure the legendary sword, and save the day in this retro inspired 2-D platformer adventure.  But what makes this one different is that there are more than 100 different endings, some of them being very unexpected!  Can you stumble upon and find all of them in Reventure?  I liked the retro graphics and humor, but the trial and error gameplay with some of the endings kept me from getting into it.  Seriously, one of the endings is that you trip over a rock in front of your house, and in another ending, you end up carrying too many items and they’re so heavy that your legs break!

Gigantosaurus: The Game (Switch)

Gigantosaurus is a computer animated TV show with a unique art style aimed at younger viewers.  It airs on Disney Junior in the US, but I’m not sure if it’s still on there anymore.  Anyway, the show is set in prehistoric times and four young dinosaurs live together and learn life lessons.  Along for the ride is their friend Gigantosaurus.  He’s a huge ferocious dinosaur that sometimes helps them out, but the dino friends will keep their distance and run away lest they get squashed or eaten.  I’m not completely clear how their relationship works.  Anyway, the video game is based on the TV show and is a 3-D platformer.  An asteroid plugs up a volcano and is causing earthquakes and trouble, and you play as one of the four dinosaur pals to save the day.  Unfortunately the game isn’t very good.  Which is a shame because I’m always eager to review games aimed at younger players, and I always hope those games will be fun for them.  But this one is not.

Chaos Code: New Sign of Catastrophe (Switch)

Turns out I actually already reviewed this game on PS4, but that was three years ago so I think I can be somewhat forgiven for that.  Whoops!  Anyway, this is a 2-D fighter.  The characters aren’t very memorable, but otherwise it’s fairly decent.

And that’s all for now!  Thanks for reading my reviews and posting ‘likes’ and comments!  I do appreciate it.  Later!  --Cary


 

Comments

goaztecs

04/20/2020 at 11:25 AM

Oh man the Tamagotchi's were a craze that I didn't get into and I'm surprised hasn't been adapted for mobile phones. The Pac Man game seems simple enough with the button to feed the little guy and the other to get him to do Pac Man things. I think kids will get into this especially if they like Pokemon because the concepts are similar. 

Cary Woodham

04/20/2020 at 08:48 PM

Oh but they have adapted Tamagotchi for mobile devices!  I even wrote about it:

http://www.gamerdad.com/blog/2018/05/04/my-tamagotchi-forever-ios-google-play/

The Pac-Man Tamagotchi is even more simplistic than the regular one, so I'm not sure if it would hold kids' interest for very long.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

04/20/2020 at 01:28 PM

One time when I was a kid, my friend slept over and we set upon beating Bubble Bobble. We played it all night, but couldn't beat the last boss. And I never played it again... Tongue Out

Cary Woodham

04/20/2020 at 08:50 PM

Oh man, Bubble Bobble is brutal.  So if you do manage to beat it, you get a bad ending and are told to beat it at a harder difficulty with a code.  If you beat the game at the harder difficulty, you'll get a better ending, but you are told that to get the best ending, you must beat the game on hard mode with TWO players!  

And thanks for reading!  By the way, Missile Command: Recharged is free to play, so if you have a mobile device, might as well!

KnightDriver

04/20/2020 at 10:08 PM

I need to play some Puzzle Bobble. Missile Command might be interesting. I'll check it out on Xbox. Roundguard is on my list to get when it gets cheap enough. Reventure has an interesting twist and I would try Gigantosaurus even though it isn't good because I like these 3D cartoony adventure games. 

Cary Woodham

04/21/2020 at 09:28 PM

So Missile Command: Recharged is a mobile only game, so don't go checking it out on Xbox because you won't find it.  It is a nice little mobile game, though.

I sitll can't recommend Gigantosaurus, though.  Maybe try Super Lucky's Tale on Xbox.  i reviewed the Switch version of that.

KnightDriver

04/21/2020 at 09:59 PM

Ah well. I might try the Space Invaders inspired Doughlings game once I'm finished with Doughlings Arcade. 

Cary Woodham

04/23/2020 at 10:06 PM

Have you ever tried Space Invaders Extreme?  Might want to check that out after Arkanoid DS.

KnightDriver

04/25/2020 at 10:06 AM

I'll put it on my list. 

Cary Woodham

04/26/2020 at 09:19 AM

The music isn't quite as cool as in Arkanoid DS (but it's not bad either), and it's a neat modern take on the classic game.

KnightDriver

05/05/2020 at 04:09 PM

I played some Galaga Legions the other day. Interesting modern take on it. 

Cary Woodham

05/06/2020 at 03:05 AM

Yeah it was interesting, but hard!  Still good, though.  But not as good at Pac-Man: CE.  Did you know that Namco was going to make a third game in this series based on their classic game Metro-Cross?  It was going to be called Aero-Cross.

KnightDriver

05/09/2020 at 09:53 PM

That's neat about Aero-Cross. 

I installed Namco Museum Virtual Arcade on Xbox One and what should appear but Pac-Man CE. So i'll play that sometime soon. 

Cary Woodham

05/10/2020 at 09:00 AM

That's one of my favorite Pac-games!

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