PixlBit

Games Beaten

-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (Game Boy via Cowabunga Collection on Switch)

The first two GB TMNT games were straightforward beat-'em-ups (with #2 being quite good) and Konami could have easily followed them up with another one. Radical Rescue, however, is an early Metroidvania (before that term was coined) and isn't bad, though not great either. The combat is simplistic but works well. Each of the turtles has a special ability used for exploration and the game includes a map with locations marked you need to get to but I wish it gave you much more detail. The bosses would have been frustrating without save states to let me practice them but overall it was a fun game, if more of a historical curiosity now.

-Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble (Switch)

I haven't played Monkey Ball since the two on the GameCube but this game was a good time. I got through the story (this game does not need a story) and there were some very tricky levels, though nothing as difficult as the late-game MB1+2 levels...but I haven't played the new levels after the credits and probably won't. I had my fill! Banana Rumble does include a spread of multiplayer minigames but none of them are as crazy or memorable as MB1+2 and they're more focused on online play over local, which is a shame. All that said, I enjoyed dipping my toe back into this series. Honestly, I am surprised it has been going this whole time!

-Lord Winklebottom Investigates (Switch)

This game caught my eye because it stars a giraffe and hippo, my sons' favorite animals. So we played it together! It's a point-and-click murder mystery adventure with a large variety of British accents on display and the dry humor to go with it. The puzzles could be obtuse at times but largely followed logically, though sometimes there were strict progression gates (can't pick up something till some other requirement is met). It wasn't terribly long but didn't need to be. If they ever make a sequel, I would be interested in playing it.

Games Bought

After the whirlwind acquisition months of December and January, February was very light. After reading about the game on KnightDriver's blog and seeing that it was on sale, I bought Doughlings: Arcade (Switch), a solid Breakout-style game. Other than that I snagged two of the month's PS+ games: High on Life (PS5), which I remember coming out and being liked but not much of what it's about, and Pac-Man World Re-Pac (PS5), a remake/remaster/whatever of a beloved Pac-Man platformer. I am curious what Cary thinks of this one...

Games Being Played

-Undertale (Vita)

I have managed to stay mostly spoiler-free on this game and am finally playing it. I have finished one run through the game—a "neutral" run, I think they call it—and while I think the set up and world are pretty interesting, I found the story underwhelming. I've started a pacifist run now and we'll see how I feel after that (I won't be killing any important characters this time, at least).

-Cat Quest III (Switch)

Playing this light action RPG with one of my kids (the one I played Cat Quest II with). The pirate theme is pretty cool, though I feel that getting a ship at the very beginning of the game has robbed it of a focused path through the game but it's still fun to play.

-Doughlings: Arcade (Switch)

This Breakout game has some serious '90s energy, if you ask me. Not sure what exactly it is but it's very '90s.

-Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak (Switch)

I think we have finished the base game story, so we are cleaning up some quests and upgrading armor and weapons before plunging into the Sunbreak content.

-Picross S Namco Legendary Edition (Switch)

I've slowed down on Picross lately but I did finish the second clips picture the other day.

-Destiny 2 (PS5)

The grind continues!