PixlBit

BOO! No tricks!  Just treats in the form 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 few ‘likes’ or comments if possible.  I’d appreciate it.  OK let’s begin!

Colors Live (Switch)

I always thought Nintendo’s Art Academy games were neat ideas.  Even though they were not completely realistic and couldn’t replicate the feel of actually drawing on paper, they taught a lot of art techniques and some of the games even showed you how to draw Pokémon and Disney characters!  With the touch screen usable in handheld mode, I’m kind of surprised Nintendo hasn’t made an Art Academy on the Switch yet.  So that’s why I was interested in reviewing Colors Live. It’s a paint and art program on the Switch with a unique twist: the physical version of this game comes with a special stylus that hooks into the headphone jack and uses sound to detect pressure sensitive hard and soft brush strokes!

World Flipper (Mobile)

I’ve always liked video pinball games, even when I was a kid.  One of the video pinball games I remember on the NES was Pinball Quest.  It stood out because it combined elements of pinball with an RPG fantasy quest game.  Granted the game was super frustrating but the idea was neat and I’m surprised game makers haven’t revisited that concept more.  But now they have with World Flipper, a free-to-play mobile game that combines both pinball and RPG elements.  It’s really fun and one of the better mobile games I’ve played in a long time.  Still playing it as of this writing actually!

Hoa (PS4)

Anytime I review a game with hand-drawn graphics, the press release almost always says it’s “Ghibli inspired,” even if it looks nothing at all like a Studio Ghibli cartoon.  However, Hoa is one game that definitely deserves that claim.  Everything from the visuals, music, and overall themes are absolutely “Ghibli-esque.”  In this very chill and relaxing 2-D puzzle platformer, you play as a forest fairy named Hoa.  Although to me she looks more like a walking hat.  Hoa has the power to bring back life to her land, which has been ravaged by machinery.  It’s a bit easy and short, and I got all the trophies for it and platinumed it, but it’s still a lot of fun.

Ravva and the Cyclops Curse (PS4)

There once was a powerful owl sorceress who could summon monsters at will.  But an evil cyclops turned her to stone.  Now the sorceress’ daughter Ravva must use her weaker summoning powers to save her.  Ravva and the Cyclops Curse is an 8-bit styled 2-D puzzle platformer, and reminds me of the games I would’ve rented back in the day.  I got all the trophies for this one, too, but not because it was easy, but because the game is a bit ‘broken.’

Reader Review: World’s End Club (Switch)

My brother Nathan loves games from NIS America, so he jumped at the chance to review this one.  Check out his review of World’s End Club for Switch!

GLO (PS4)

GLO is a minimalistic platformer where you are a square and must reach the exit depicted by an outline of a square.  But the gimmick here is that most of the screen is pitch black, and only the small area around your square is illuminated.  So you have to do a lot of blind jumps and careful maneuvering. 

Guts N Goals (PS4)

Compete in a retro pixel styled soccer match where you get to smack around the ball, and other players, with bats and other weapons.

Italy: Land of Wonders (Mobile)

You have just taken a job as a lighthouse keeper in Italy, but it turns out to be more than that.  You learn that you must collect sparks that keep Italy beautiful every night, with the help from some spirits of course.  Gather these sparks by playing a puzzle maze game while you learn facts about Italy’s geography, architecture, food, culture, and landmarks.  Not surprisingly, this game was actually published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, maybe to promote tourism or something?  At any rate, this game is free on mobile devices, but reviewed on iPad here.

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