PixlBit

Wake up early and pour a bowl of your favorite sugary cereal as we look at more games I’ve recently reviewed at GamerDad.com.  A lot of the games on this batch were Saturday Morning cartoons at one point, or at least look like they could be.  But then, most games I review are probably like that.  Anyway, 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 now it’s back to the show!

Garfield Lasagna Party (PS4)

Many of you regular readers may know I was a child of the 80s and enjoyed many things as a kid from that time.  You probably know I was really into Pac-Man (still am), as well as other franchises like Star Wars, Transformers, Ghostbusters, etc.  One other thing I was really into back then was Garfield.  Back then, most people read newspapers and the comics strips therein were very popular with kids and adults.  I think those comic strips are one of the things I miss most about print newspapers (that and me getting paid to write for them).  I read the comics, bought all the books, watched the Garfield TV specials and Saturday morning cartoons, and even ate the fruit snacks and Garfield ravioli.  Yes, Garfield was very popular back then.  So I was really excited to review Garfield Lasagna Party, a board game title with mini-games similar to Mario Party.

Smurfs Kart (Switch)

In the distant past, long before streaming services and 24-hour cartoon channels, there was a thing called Saturday Morning Cartoons.  Kids back then, me included, looked forward to this time because it was one of the only times TV was made just for kids.  And as a child of the 80s, one of the most popular of these cartoons I remember was The Smurfs.  Originally a European comic strip, The Smurfs gained popularity in the US from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon.  I was never a super big fan of it, but I watched it anyway because, one, kids will watch pretty much anything.  And two, it came on right before the Pac-Man cartoon.  In recent years, The Smurfs have had a bit of a resurgence with a handful of computer animated movies and specials, and a new series on Nickelodeon.  Last year we even got a Smurfs 3-D platformer which I reviewed.  And this year we get a kart racer.  I actually remember playing a Smurfs kart racer on the original PlayStation and it was one of the worst games I ever played.  Let’s hope this one is better.

New Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja (PS4)

Data East is no longer around, but back in the day, they were a pretty major player in the arcade and game console scene.  Some of their games include Burgertime, Karnov, Bad Dudes, and many more.  Another one of their more popular titles was Joe and Mac: Caveman Ninja.  It was a pretty standard 2-D platformer, but the bright colors, huge dino bosses, and cartoony animated sprites really stood out at the time.  The arcade game got ported to many of the 8- and 16-bit consoles at the time, each one a different take on the series.  Later they would make a spinoff on the SNES called Congo’s Caper, and then a true sequel with Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics, which had more adventure elements.  After that there was another arcade game called Joe & Mac Returns, but I never saw it.  It was a single screen action game like Bubble Bobble, and played like Tumble Pop, another Data East game.  And now there’s New Joe & Mac: Cavemen Ninja, a remake of the original classic arcade game with hand drawn visuals and other extras.  Those nasty Neanderthals have kidnapped all the cavewomen in the village, and it’s up to Joe & Mac to save them! 

Until the Last Plane (PS4)

There are plenty of classic 2-D shooters set in World War II, like 1942, 1943, and the Strikers series.  But they all focus on the action and heroics of the pilots.  But what about the people behind the scenes?  Mechanics who repair the planes, the folks who order more ammo and supplies, etc.?  Well now you can see their side of things with Until the Last Plane.  Manage your own air field and send out pilots on missions, repair downed planes, and order more parts, fuel, and ammo in this simulation game.

Bot Gaiden (PS4)

A clan of ninja robots gets their strength from Power Skulls, but when evil robots steal them, it’s up to two ninja robots to take them back!  Bot Gaiden is 2-D action platformer that’s like a cross between NES Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man X.  But you must beat the stages as quickly as possible because the longer you take, the stronger the boss gets while holding the Power Skull! 

Kukoos: Lost Pets (Switch)

On a distant planet covered in water, one solitary island exists, and it has magical doors that can whisk you away to different worlds.  Also on this island live the Kukoos.  They’re square shaped, monkey…critter…people…things.  I don’t know what they are, but they live happily with each other and their beloved yet weird pets.  In fact, every year they have a Pet Day competition, and this year a mysterious company is selling special collars that’ll make the pets obey your every command and enhance their powers.  But when a giant robot frog takes control of all the pets, it’s up to you to save them in this fixed camera 3-D platformer. 

AAA Clock 2 (Switch)

Tell time on your Switch with the sequel to AAA Clock!  Oh yeah, and you can play a 2-D platformer run and gun game on it, too.  That’s like McDonald’s advertising you can get ketchup packets there, but then you can also get burgers and fries if you want.

Crystal Goddess (Switch)

An evil purple haired vixen has stolen four crystals, and now a goddess guardian must set off to get them back in this 2-D platformer.  Use the crystals’ powers to progress in this side scroller for Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.

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