2021 has been an incredible year for the PlayStation 2 modding scene. The PS2 may be over twenty years old now, but the community around it is still quite strong. Earlier this year, MechaCon was dumped in full. This allowed […]
Developer: Monolith Productions, Nightdive StudiosPublisher: Nightdive StudiosPlatform: PC – GOG, Steam I first tried to play Blood years ago but failed due to extreme inability on my part. The game seemed way too tough to even survive the first level! […]
Director: Greydon ClarkWriter: Dana Olsen, Michael Spound I didn’t know quite what to expect from Wacko. Horror comedies are all over the place these days, but they were still a fairly new concept in the 80s. And like many 80s […]
Director: Michael Anderson Writers: Edward Abraham, Valerie Abraham I was recently introduced to Vinegar Syndrome. These purveyors of obscure genre films quickly caught my attention due to the fact that they released many films I wanted – and many I didn’t know […]
Director: Anthony Hickox Writer: Clive Barker, Peter Atkins Year: 1992 The original Hellraiser left quite an impression on me. Not only was it creepy, but it had a powerful visual aesthetic that stands up today. Years ago I watched the sequel and didn’t […]
Developer: OSP Enr.
Publisher: OSP Enr.
Platform: PC – Direct
Construction Bob Escapes from Hell is a game that grabbed my attention purely because of the name. How could you not want to play something with a title like this? Jumping right in, I found that the game was not entirely what I expected, but an interesting shareware title from the time period.
Basically, it offers three arcade-like stages which repeat over a series of levels. Levels themselves increase the difficulty each time, meaning that getting all the way to ten is tough. Getting past the thirty stages included with a purchase seems outright impossible.
The first stage is like a vertical Frogger. Mine carts run across a series of tracks above Bob and he must jump safely past them to exit at the top of the screen. Hitting mine carts does not kill Bob, but instead makes him fall down to the lower platform. The lowest one is just a steady stream of lava – and that kills you. Second is a side-scrolling stage where you ride a mine cart across broken tracks. Jump the cart over these gaps or rocks to survive. Finally is a sequence of walking across a bridge without letting (what appears to be) water droplets hit Bob.
After that, the whole thing repeats again just with faster objects and trickier platforms. As you only get three lives to start, it can be tough to progress far. A save/load feature lets you return to the start of a new level at any time. Finally, and most interestingly, a 360 gamepad totally works to control Bob, if you so choose.
Playing Construction Bob Escapes from Hell is an incredibly simple experience. This game is more of an odd footnote of shareware history than a worthwhile waste of time.
1 out of 5 alpacas
About our rating system
Developer: Cobra Mobile
Publisher: Chillingo
Platform: Mobile – iOS, Windows Phone PC – Steam
Have you been looking for a simple, yet fun new platformer to futz around with? There are a great many titles to choose from, but Storm in a Teacup is one great option to consider. Arriving two years ago for various mobile platforms and in 2012 on PC, the game didn’t take the game by storm. But perhaps it should have considering how much more fun it is than the infamous Angry Birds (and others).
The setup is a little weird. You play as a dude named Storm who sits in a teacup because, why not? Of course, this isn’t an everyday teacup. Instead it is magical which means the thing can move and levitate. You use the teacup to platform through fifty levels. There are definitely physics puzzle elements as you try to discern how to best jump and dodge dangerous objects.
Visually, it looks pretty. The world is colorful, bright, and cartoony. Disregarding Storm’s completely average experience (white, blonde guy) the world is fairly creative. While passing through a stage, there are also multiple goals to attain. First, you can try to grab all the collectibles. A sticker can also always be found on a level. You just need to figure out how to find or grab them.
Storm in a Teacup controls well despite being made with touch screens in mind. I played through with a Xbox 360 gamepad and it functioned perfectly. The trouble comes simply from tough positioning of objects on stages. You’ll likely die a lot running into spinning saw blades and the like before learning the floaty jumps work.
There are a great many physics/puzzle platformers out there and Storm in a Teacup is one that happens to be worth your time. You’ll get a good deal of gameplay from it at a budget price!
3 1/2 out of 5 alpacas
The contest has concluded! Congratulations TKtheKnight and jasoncheong11!
Hello and welcome to our latest contest on Pixel Pacas! Did you check out our Zigfrak review? If it made you want to jump into the cockpit and get playing, well, you’re probably not alone! The fast-paced space RPG is pretty darn awesome. Thanks to Entheogen Studios LLC, we’ve got two codes to give away!
Here are your options for entering our giveaway.
Option One:
1. Follow our Twitter account – @PixelPacas
2. After you’ve followed us, post the official contest tweet: As a new space pilot in Zigfrak I promise to shoot and/or loot everything in sight. Pick me, @PixelPacas ! wp.me/p3taEI-sg
Option Two:
1. Comment on this post with why you’re excited to play Zigfrak.
Note that you are allowed to do both options! This will grant you two entries into the giveaway instead of one. If you do both, make sure you tell us your Twitter handle in the blog comment so the entries get paired up.
Our Zigfrak giveaway ends on Sunday – January 19th at 10 AM PST. Good luck!
If you’d like to stay in the loop about our contests and content our Twitter is always kept up to date. But if you don’t use Twitter, we also have a Steam Group that is updated whenever a new giveaway goes live.
Developer: Holoville Games
Publisher: Holoville Games
Platform: PC – Direct
Some video games make you tense, while others make help players unwind. The question is, is it possible to relax right in the middle of a fast, challenging experience? If you think so, then Goscurry is definitely for you. The game is certainly a bit odd, but also an incredibly cool experience. Just make sure you can relax before giving it a shot.
Goscurry is a sort of rhythmic racing game. Players take control of a small craft and fly above polygonal cities and landscapes via incredibly narrow pathways. These air streets build only a few meters in front of you, so you’re never sure if they will keep extending forward or have tons of turns. Turns aren’t as bad as you might think though, as they only go left or right at 90 degree angles. Of course, cruising down the futuristic one-lane highway reveals other tricks…
Simply making precise turns isn’t all there is! Once out of the tutorial mode, you’ll quickly encounter obstacles in the form of walls and gaps. Short walls and gaps can both be jumped over, while walls in the center of a road need to be dodged. It can be hard to get the timing for these down, at least it was for me. Harder modes even change the orientation of the camera, making the once “easy” task of driving around winding paths incredibly difficult again. This is one hard game.
Unfortunately, there’s not too much to encounter while playing at the moment. There are a handful of difficulties, vehicles, and cities to fly over but it doesn’t feel like Goscurry is quite there yet. All the same, I have had a heck of a time playing it. It’s definitely one of those games that gets you in “the zone”. Once there, it’s possible to rack up higher scores than ever before and beat out (most) everyone on the leaderboard. Secondly, the music is phenomenal and you can purchase the soundtrack for a few dollars more.
Some won’t feel that this isn’t a very feature-filled game and they’d be right. If you need your games packed with content then go elsewhere for now. However, if you’ve ever had a taste for arcade games, experimental rhythm titles, or simply love zoning out with a game then Goscurry is perfect for your needs! Every time I want to put Goscurry down I can’t help thinking “just one more try” and getting sucked in again.
4 out of 5 alpacas
Review code provided
About our rating system
Developer: Harvester Games
Publisher: Screen 7
Platform: PC – Desura, Direct, FireFlower Games, GOG*, Phoenix Store, Steam
Adventure games have been one of my favorite genres for a long time. Although some call them archaic, I find them innately enjoyable. There’s something to inhabiting worlds that are usually very fleshed out, often humorous, and full of puzzles. Somehow, I managed to avoid playing The Cat Lady for an entire year. Now that I have, I feel the need to make sure anyone else who has ignored it plays the game immediately. Be warned that the main focus is on depression and suicide, so it could easily distress or trigger some players.
The story centers around a woman named Susan Ashworth. She lives alone in an apartment and likes it that way. For a long time, she has suffered from depression and the only joy she still gets out of life is the stray cats who come whenever she plays the piano. As the game begins, she has finally mustered up the courage to commit suicide. From there, things get strange as it quickly becomes apparent that even death won’t stop the suffering.
Susan is a novel protagonist and I immediately grew attached to her. Although I have never experienced depression myself, I do know others who have and her character and condition were treated with respect. This is something you rarely see in games (and oftentimes, any other media). Her journey is unusual, dark, and disturbing but also empowering. Other characters are also well-written in their creepiness, annoyance, or friendliness. Although the events depicted become quite unreal, Susan is still a very grounded character.
Unlike most adventure games, The Cat Lady dodges a point and click interface. Instead, you move through 2D screens using the arrow keys. Picking up and using items also is handled in this manner. I felt this was very convenient because you always know what items to interact with and how that might work. Overall, the game is fairly simple puzzlewise which keeps it open to both gamers and non-gamers. This is a huge deal considering that the story is one that I think many people would benefit from experiencing.
Atmosphere is one of the strongest elements aside from story, and this game provides an incredible one. The art is unlike anything else out there, with usage of drawing, collage, pixel art, and seemingly painting and CG art. Although this sounds like it could spell disaster, the end result is stunning. Some say the game is ugly, but if it is that only enhances the off-kilter mood. Much of the world is black and white with only touches of color at times. It really sets the scene for Susan’s mood and the dire situations she encounters.
Then there’s the audio which is nearly perfect. Musically, there are a great deal of tracks that immerse you further into the experience. There were only a couple times when I felt the music was out of place. Voice acting is also impressive, and much more so than some more “commercial” adventure games. Susan gets by far the best voice actress, but other characters are also well-acted. Only two (of many) characters sounded a bit silly to me. It’s quite an impressive effort, overall.
I do not think The Cat Lady is perfect, but it proved to be an experience that resonated with me. It brings depression to the forefront and discusses it honestly. Because of that, it’s hard to not get pulled into the world and need to see it through to the end. At times, it was hard to play (because of how it affected my mood) but incredibly worth it. If you have any interest in the subject matter or adventure games, The Cat Lady is simply a must-play game.
4 1/2 out of 5 alpacas
Review code provided
About our rating system – *Affiliate Link
Developer: Origin Systems
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform: Consoles – 3DO, PlayStation, Sega CD, SNES, PC – Amiga, Amiga CD32, DOS, GOG*
Wing Commander is a series that flourished in the 90s and helped bring about a whole new style for space sims to come. The first Wing Commander, released in 1990, was a revelation. The pixel graphics were crisp, the action was incredible, and the dynamic soundtrack kept excitement going. Over 20 years later, the game is still impressive.
You begin as the newest member on the TCS Tiger’s Claw. The crew of pilots are tasked with stopping the alien race Kilrathi’s plans of domination. Over the course of a dozen or so missions, you’ll have to fight against them time and time again. The meat of Wing Commander is dogfights, so you’d best be prepared.
The game is pretty tough. Battles are displayed from the cockpit, meaning less than half the screen actually shows what’s going on in space. However, the cockpit has multiple readouts that are necessary for skillful play. You can fly in any direction, speed up and break, launch targeted missiles, and order your partner about. If you can’t shoot down the enemy then they’ll take you down. You always have a partner during missions but they can die too, or save your hide. Whether you win or lose partners, the game continues. This is perhaps the strangest and most “modern” feature.
Shooting is difficult in part because of imperfect mouse control but also because of having to judge where bullets will land. After enough fights you get the hang of it, but sometimes it doesn’t seem correct. At least an audible cue sounds when a bullet collides with an enemy ship’s exterior.
The biggest letdown when playing Wing Commander is that there’s very little story to dig into. Although characters have been set up, they hardly bring anything noteworthy to the table. Instead, the focus is 90% on missions and battles. As entertaining as these are, the game is simply too short. Those who buy the GOG release gain access to the expansion packs The Secret Missions and The Secret Missions 2: Crusade which add more playtime via new missions.
Considering its age, Wing Commander is still an excellent introduction to the series. It offers an incredible amount of replay value (missions change based on your performance) and excellent fight sequences. Just don’t jump into the cockpit expecting a deep storyline. It seems that is only implemented later in the series.
3 out of 5 alpacas
Review code provided
About our rating system – *Affiliate Link
Developer: Arachnid Games
Publisher: Arachnid Games
Platform: Mobile – iOS PC – Desura, Direct, Steam
Do you remember the days when you would be too bored in class to pay attention? Instead, you’d doodle away on a sheet of paper. Maybe you still do! Ballpoint Universe – Infinite is a game that transports those kinds of doodles into their own world. But instead of just being within the margins, the entire game is comprised of ballpoint drawings! They’re much better than anything I ever drew in class, too.
It’s mightily impressive. But what is the actual game like? Even that is a bit hard to pin down at first. As a cute, but measly little doodle, you wander around a hub world talking to other doodles. They will offer up tasks and it’s your goal to complete them. However, each mission boils down to basically the same thing – a shoot ’em up level. Sidescrolling shooter segments are what the game is all about.
Once in shooter land, the ship can be customized via ink. Ink is gathered by destroying enemies as well as bestowed upon you by fulfilled mission-givers. In any case, it’s possible to level up weapons and shields or buy entirely new ones to level. There are a great deal of items to choose from and some work better in specific circumstances. It’s always possible to change them out before a mission to give your ship the greatest advantage. Beyond the missions, there is also an infinite mode which works sort of like a boss rush mode.
Shooters are often great fun, and Ballpoint Universe – Infinite certainly has its heart in the right place. With creatively designed creatures, excellent music, and a ton of ship customization it seems that there’s no way the game could fail. Unfortunately, the shooting itself isn’t that engaging. Instead of feeling exciting, it somehow turns into a chore. At the very least, the ship control via mouse is very responsive. Currently there’s no controller support.
It’s a shame that the main focus of the game isn’t more engaging! By all accounts it should be but for some reason I just wasn’t feeling it. With every other aspect of the game being so stand out though it’s hard to discount this one. Considering the super cheap price, feel free to take a chance on Ballpoint Universe – Infinite. If you’re still unsure, check out the demo!
3 out of 5 alpacas
Review code provided
About our rating system
The contest has concluded! Congratulations to Nate K!
Hello and welcome to our latest contest on Pixel Pacas! Did you read our review of SteamWorld Dig and feel the urge to dig, dig, dig? Many players fell in love with it on 3DS, and now PC gamers are getting their shot. Like most of us, you probably already drained your wallet after the massive Steam Holiday We’re here to help! Thanks to Image & Form, we have one copy of SteamWorld Dig to give out!
Here are your options for entering our giveaway.
Option One:
1. Follow our Twitter account – @PixelPacas
2. After you’ve followed us, post the official contest tweet: What better way to spend some time than by mining and exploring in SteamWorld Dig? Pick me, @PixelPacas !
Option Two:
1. Comment on this post with why you’re excited to play SteamWorld Dig.
Note that you are allowed to do both options! This will grant you two entries into the giveaway instead of one. If you do both, make sure you tell us your Twitter handle in the blog comment so the entries get paired up.
Our SteamWorld Dig giveaway ends on Sunday – January 12th at 10 AM PST. Good luck!
If you’d like to stay in the loop about our contests and content our Twitter is always kept up to date. But if you don’t use Twitter, we also have a Steam Group that is updated whenever a new giveaway goes live.
With video games being my number one past-time, I’m almost always playing one. Often, they’re for review, but sometimes they’re just for fun. Shocking, right? Of course, this year also saw an exciting new friendship with GOG which has allowed me to begin chipping away at their excellent catalog. So really, even though we just passed through 2013 there were many great experiences I had with games from years back. This post will honor some of the favorite games I played this year that came out prior to 2013. They deserve as much attention as 2013-specific releases!
The 11th Hour (1995)
Okay, I’ll admit, The 11th Hour is much more of a media showcase from the early 90s than a quantifiably good game. But I love it all the same. Why? It’s simple – the story is completely ridiculous and acted like a B movie. In fact, it practically is a film with some 45 minutes of FMV. Poking at tough puzzles is annoying, as are the repeated ones from The 7th Guest, but wow the acting is goofy enough to make it all worth it. Definitely play through to the three endings. All of them are awful, but at least two are out of this world.
Cook, Serve, Delicious! (2012)
Games that have to do with food always manage to attract me. I’m not a gourmand by any stretch of the imagination, but something about them is totally appealing! Cook, Serve, Delicious! is exactly the kind of food game I love. You assume the role of a chef, cooking a wide variety of meals in a frenzied kitchen. But the game even goes further than that, allowing you to choose the menu, stock your kitchen, and more.
Escape Goat (2011)
Puzzle platformers are extremely hit or miss. With such a massive amount of them cluttering up gaming libraries everywhere, it can be hard to hone in on the “good” ones. Escape Goat isn’t just good, it’s phenomenal. Playing as an oddly colored goat, you must platform through increasingly difficult rooms. How can you make it? That’s where the puzzles come in, as you often must use the aid of a mouse to make it out alive. It’s tons of fun that has even warranted an upcoming sequel!
Long Live the Queen (2012)
Have you ever wanted the title of Queen (or King)? Well, sorry to say, but it’s not all it seems cracked up to be in Long Live the Queen. Here, you play as a princess preparing to assume the throne. Prepare her by studying various topics, ranging from court manners to naval war strategies. The fun/frustration comes in when events occur which test her fortitude. If you’ve skewed her in the wrong topics, then oops, the princess is dead! This is one title that takes a lot of work to beat but is very much worth playing because of the fun you’ll have working toward victory.
Nancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet Hand (2002)
Here’s a series that most gamers have completely ignored over the years. Heck, so did I! Granted, I never had any deep love for the Nancy Drew books (or mysteries at all) but it was with great luck that I played Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill on a whim. It led me to realize this was an excellent point and click adventure series! In Nancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet Hand, you visit a museum at the time that everything goes completely wrong. Learning about Mayan culture, taking real notes for clues, and seeing how the mystery unfolds is entertaining. If you ever see any Nancy Drew games in a bargain bin, do yourself a favor and pick them up!
Spelunky (2009)
I am someone who tends to find video games from a great variety of genres difficult. In fact, my only area of expertise is rhythm/music games. Spelunky is hard – not just for me – but for everyone who plays. As a cute little spelunker, you must traverse caves, forests, and more. Survival is dependent on careful management of resources and skillful killing of enemies. Oh, and sometimes luck. This platformer is incredibly tough, but a ton of fun to spend hours with.
Theme Park (1994)
When I was younger, my friends all talked about Roller Coaster Tycoon as the perfect game. I never had it. Instead, I enjoyed Sim Theme Park. Little did I know however that it was a sequel to Theme Park. Visiting it for the first time after all these years proved a tough, but highly entertaining experience. The park plot is simply enormous and there are tons of things to research and build. With adorable graphics that really sell the kitsch theme park vibe (burger stands being giant burgers, hello!), it’s hard to dislike this one.
VVVVVV (2010)
In the last generation, we saw a trend toward increasingly cruel and difficult platformers. Super Meat Boy is perhaps the most well known of this subgenre and deservedly so. However, VVVVVV is another worthwhile (and frankly more accessible) version of these game types. The player bounds around through stages to find their friends scattered throughout stages. Along the way, the platforming gets quite creative – and frustrating! Still, I was able to beat it which proves this is not one of those “impossible” games.
Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi (1991)
Oh my goodness. Who knew a space-focused action game over twenty years old would still be so compelling? Wing Commander II is an exciting sci-fi tale about a disgraced pilot and an alien race bent on galactic domination. It might not win any awards for creativity, but darn if it isn’t an incredibly fun (if tough) trip. The game beefed up storyline and character personalities over the original but retained that super cool cockpit view for action sequences. Blasting away at the enemy is as stressful as it is exciting, even with “retro” graphics.
Wizorb (2011)
Arcade games are loved because they were mostly bringing very simple concepts with so-called “addictive” gameplay to players. The block-breaking game Arkanoid (and its may copies) are some of my favorites out there. Wizorb takes the concept of block-breaking but does even more with it. Now, the world is a retro-styled RPG where you can buy items and power-ups for your ball/paddle. Suddenly, there are enemies mulling about the game screen, tweaking the classic formula. Everything also happens to have a gorgeous pixel art style about it. These simple twists add a new layer of fun to what was already a good concept and I adore Wizorb for it!
Developer: Housemarque
Publisher: Beatshapers
Platform: Mobile – iOS PSN – Vita
What the heck are furmins? Apparently, they’re weirdly adorable orb-shaped creatures that require your aid to get back to their nests. In the game, aptly titled Furmins, you do this by solving physics-based puzzles. It starts out easy, but gets tough pretty quick!
Every stage of the game requires the player to do at least one thing to help the furmins reach their goal. Levels are small (each fits squarely on the Vita screen) and may have interactive elements. For example, you might be required to activate a bumper when a furmin lands on it to shoot them into the air, arcing toward the goal. Other times, you’re required to use bounce plates and such to get them going in the right direction.
The concepts behind Furmins are very easy to understand so anyone should be able to start playing. However, their continued enjoyment may very well waver depending on their puzzle aptitude. Despite being a well-rounded player, I found some of the puzzles quite challenging. If this is the case for me, then what of those who enjoy easier physics games such as Angry Birds? That game has seen success by being immediately playable in short bursts. Here, you might be stuck messing with a plank to try and get the right bounce arc for a while. It lacks the “ease of play” spark.
Why is this an issue? Simply because those who don’t consider themselves fan of casual games will likely skip over Furmins. Of course, if they played they would find out that it offers a true challenge… but how many players really test out a game before discounting it entirely? In this age, the practice is slim.
At times, it feels that the game is too skewed toward difficulty. Each level grants up to three stars depending on whether you save all the furmins, get all the candy collectibles, and beat the par time. The first two are not too tough, but times are completely unforgiving. It really seems you would have to arrange the stage in the exact way they did to attain most of them. Why worry about stars? They’re needed to unlock later stage sets, as well as all bonus sets.
All in all, it seems Furmins is in an odd place. It presents itself as what many consider a casual game but offers real challenge to players. Touch screen and rear touch pad implementation is fair, although it is probably best to turn off the latter due to unintended triggering. If you’re looking for a quick play game on Vita that offers more challenge then most, Furmins might be right up your alley.
3 out of 5 alpacas
Review code provided
About our rating system
January 17th, 2014 
