Author Archives: Blake Worrell

Cave Arcade Shoot ‘Em Up “Espgaluda II” Coming to Nintendo Switch in September

Publisher Live Wire recently announced that arcade shoot ‘em up Espgaluda II is scheduled to release for Switch on 9 September via the Nintendo eShop. Developed by Cave, Espgaluda II was originally released in Japanese arcades in November 2005. It has since been ported multiple times, including to pre-smartphone mobile phones in 2006, and later to Xbox 360, iOS and

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Rob Muerto’s “Tales from the Classroom: The K.Thulhu Files” Now on Indiegogo (Crowdfunding Spotlight)

Independent comic book creator Rob Muerto recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for Tales from the Classroom: The K.Thulhu Files, an anthological follow-up to the original Tales from the Classroom that was originally funded in 2019. (I really just wanted to use anthological in a sentence) Weighing in at 50+ pages, The K.Thulhu Files includes three self-contained stories designed to be

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Review: “Spelunker HD Deluxe” (PS4, 80s August Special)

Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since tigers had sabers for teeth! Today, we’re going to dig deep into Spelunker HD Deluxe for Nintendo Switch and PS4,* a modern reimagining of the 1983 Spelunker game by Timothy G. Martin… sort of. Why “sort of”? Because Spelunker HD Deluxe actually takes more inspiration from

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Taito’s Martial Arts Action Game “Kurikenton” Joins the Arcade Archives on PS4, Switch

Game publisher Hamster has announced that Kurikenton, the side-scrolling, martial arts action arcade game, is now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch as part of the digital Arcade Archives series. Originally released in arcades by Taito in 1988, Kurikenton (or sometimes “Kuri Kinton”) eventually saw a home release as part of the Taito Legends 2 compilation for PS2 and Xbox.

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Superhero Spies Clash in “Agent Solo: City Under Siege” (Crowdfunding Spotlight)

Independent comic book creator Raymond Leonard recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for the third issue of Agent Solo: City Under Siege. The campaign is already fully funded, so now all that Leonard has to worry about is stretch goals and fulfillment. Illustrated by Leonard and written by Arthur Bellfield, Agent Solo looks to combine the intrigue of international espionage with

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Card Battling Murder Mystery “The Magister” Coming in September

Publisher Digerati recently confirmed that card battler game The Magister will release for both Nintendo Switch and Steam PC on 2 September and Xbox One on 3 September. Developed by Nerdook, The Magister features a randomly-generated murder-mystery set in a remote village. Gamers play as a Magister who is responsible for enforcing the law across the empire, and you must

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Tiamat Games’ Roguelite RPG “Maritime Calling” Coming to Steam in September

Indie game developer Tiamat Games (great name) recently announced that their RPG adventure Maritime Calling is scheduled to launch on 28 September via Steam Early Access. Set on the high seas, Maritime Calling blends “roguelite” elements with crew-management tasks of FTL: Faster Than Light. Players will take the helm of their own ship to oversee crew wellbeing, survive deadly oceanic

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Issue 2 of Sci-Fi Anthology “Speed of Light” Now on Indiegogo (Crowdfunding Spotlight)

Evoluzione Publishing recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for the second issue of Speed of Light, a 72-page sci-fi comic anthology magazine featuring stories from multiple creators and black and white artwork. Here’s the brief pitch taken from the Speed of Light Indiegogo campaign page: Speed of Light is a brand new bi monthly sci-fi anthology. Each issue will have nine,

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Retro-Inspired Platformer “Bat Boy” Headed for PC, Consoles

During the 2021 BitSummit Indie Game Showcase, X PLUS Games officially announced that retro-inspired platformer Bat Boy is in the works (on deck?) for Steam PC, PS5, SeXbox, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Co-developed by X PLUS and Sonzai Games, Bat Boy features a sentai sports-hero named Ryosuke (the Bat Boy) who must battle other sports-themed enemies in a world

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Forrest Publishing’s Western Comic “The Devil from Talonflats” Now on Indiegogo

Over the weekend, Forrest Publishing launched a crowdfunding campaign for The Devil from Talonflats, an all-new 50-plus page graphic novel. Written by Richard Embree (The Last Good-Bye) and illustrated by Mark Savona (Haunted Canada), The Devil from Talonflats is described as a “gritty western” intended for both old and new fans of the genre. Here’s the brief synopsis of The

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Sleepy Creepy Studio’s “The Revenge of Sophia Red” Coming to Steam this Fall

Sleepy Creepy Studio has announced that their psychedelic horror game The Revenge of Sophia Red is scheduled to release on 22 September via Steam. The very first project from Sleepy Creepy, The Revenge of Sophia Red is a first-person puzzle/adventure about the life of author Sophia Red. Here’s the official breakdown of The Revenge of Sophia Red from Sleepy Creepy:

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Japanese Horror Game Series “Tsugunohi” Coming to Steam 13 August

Playism has announced that Japanese horror series Tsugunohi is coming to Steam on 13 August. Developed by ImCyan, Tsugunohi was originally released in 2012 via Freem! and other free game websites. This new collection will include all seven original episodes, with episodes 1-3 being aesthetically remastered. The Steam release will also include two bonus episodes: The Ethereal Railroad Crossing and

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Orthodox JRPG “Alphadia Genesis 2” Now Available on PS4, PS5

KEMCO has announced that Alphadia Genesis 2 is now available on the PS4 and PS5 as of today (that’s Friday, 6 August, to be precise). Beginning its life several years ago on iOS, Alphadia Genesis 2 is described as an “orthodox JRPG” that now features adjustable encounter rates, smartphone integration, and cross-buy between the PS5 and PS4 versions. Here’s the

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Repent! Mário Vasconcelos’ “The Sin Killer- Revelation” is now on Indiegogo (Crowdfunding Spotlight)

In July, aspiring comic book creator Mário Vasconcelos launched a crowdfunding campaign for The Sin Killer- Revelation, a 32-page, supernatural horror graphic novel. Written and illustrated by Vasconcelos, The Sin Killer is his first full comic book project (he previously contributed a short story to Indie Volt Revolt). The book itself appears to combine elements of war, religion, and necromancy

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“Bio-Ship Paladin” Now Available on PS4, Switch via Hamster’s Arcade Archives

Game publisher Hamster has announced that Bio-Ship Paladin, the 2D horizontal scrolling shoot-em-up arcade game, is now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch as part of the digital Arcade Archives series. Originally released in arcades by UPL in 1990 and ported to the SEGA Mega Drive in 1991, Bio-Ship Paladin has never received an official release in western regions until

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Ciderverse Entertainment’s “The Colossals” Now on Indiegogo

Earlier this week, Ciderverse Entertainment launched a crowdfunding campaign for The Colossals, an all-new, 64-page graphic novel. The project is already fully funded, so nothing should stand in the way of printing and fulfilling the book. But what is The Colossals all about? Created and written by Thomas Burpee and featuring illustrations by Leandro Panganiban and colors by Daniel Grimaldi,

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Digital Skateboarding Toy “The Ramp” Now on Steam PC

On Tuesday, game developer and Grizzly Games co-founder Paul Schnepf (aka Hyperparadise) released a new independent skateboarding game The Ramp on PC via Steam. Described as a “digital skateboarding toy”, The Ramp is designed more for chill than challenge. Here’s the official breakdown of The Ramp from Schnepf: Chill out, do tricks, and look damn cool. In The Ramp, players

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Throwback Review: “Airboy” Issues 1-5 (Eclipse Comics, 80s August Special)

Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since the baking of the first blackberry cobbler! Today, we’re reviewing the first five-issue story arc of Eclipse Comics’ Airboy, which was a revival of the original Golden Age Airboy series published by Hillman Comics in the 40s and 50s. The first Eclipse Comics issue landed in

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Wave 1 of ALL CAPS Comics’ CyberFrog Action Figure Line Fully Funded on Indiegogo

Overnight, the crowdfunding campaign for ALL CAPS Comics’ first wave of Cyberfrog action figures met its lofty funding goal of $400 thousand. Having crossed the $400k threshold, the road is now open to unlocking bonus stretch goals including more weapons, extra interchangeable hands, and possibly a pack-in comic. CyberFrog creator and ALL CAPS Comics founder Ethan Van Sciver celebrated the

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Review: “The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED]” (Nintendo Switch, 80s August Special)

Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since the evolutionary development of the imposable thumb! Since The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED] just recently made its way to the PS4, what better time to re-post our review of the Nintendo Switch version of the game, which released last year? Retro revivals are a dime a dozen,

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Retro-Inspired Puzzler “Dumpy & Bumpy” Coming to Consoles

Publisher Screenwave Media has announced that their throwback multiplayer puzzle game Dumpy & Bumpy is will be receiving console ports, though specific platforms and release dates have yet to be confirmed. The game was released via Steam PC in May. Developed by Programancer, Dumpy & Bumpy is a puzzle adventure with pixel art graphics and 80 stages to take on

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Alterna Comics Founder Peter Simeti Unveils New Ongoing Series: “King Cryptid”

During a recent art auction held on his personal YouTube channel, independent comic book creator and Alterna Comics founder Peter Simeti unveiled plans for his upcoming sci-fi adventure series King Cryptid, including a reveal of the titular character himself. Inspired by Native American myths and folklore, King Cryptid is set in a world where fantastical creatures exist (i.e. Bigfoot, chupacabra,

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Jon Malin’s “Godlike” Hits $100k on Day One

Over the weekend, veteran comic book creator Jon Malin launched a crowdfunding campaign for Godlike, his first new IP since the launch of Graveyard Shift in 2018. The Godlike campaign is already off to a very good start, having raised more than $100k in it’s first 24 hours. Written and illustrated by Malin (Jawbreakers: Lost Souls) and featuring colors by

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Historical Horror Comic “Jack the Ripper: Vampire Hunter” Fully Funded in Opening Hours

On Friday, independent comic book creator Mandy Summers launched a crowdfunding campaign for Jack the Ripper: Vampire Hunter, a 48-page horror graphic novel loosely based on actual events. The project is already fully funded, having raised nearly $5 thousand at the time of this writing. Not too shabby for the first few hours. Written by Summers (Super Dead, Pirate Queen)

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Hamster Adds “NOVA2001” to the Arcade Archives on Switch, PS4

Game publisher Hamster has announced that NOVA2001, the lesser-known shoot-em-up arcade game, is now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch as part of the digital Arcade Archives series. Originally released by UPL in 1983, NOVA2001 is the predecessor to Ark Area. In NOVA2001, players control a space fighter that can shoot in all directions (similar to Asteroids or Sinistar). Your

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Alien Pixel Studios’ 2D Puzzle Platformer “Unbound: Worlds Apart” Now on Switch, PC

As of today (that’s right now), Alien Pixel Studios’ portal-hopping, puzzle platformer Unbound: Worlds Apart is now available on Nintendo Switch and PC (via Steam). Described as a dark fairy tale, Unbound is set in a fantasy world with gameplay featuring Metroidvania (nonlinear 2D adventure) elements. Players harness the world-altering portals to defeat monsters, solve puzzles and save reality from

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2D Tower Defense Game “BarricadeZ” Gets New Gameplay Trailer

On Tuesday, developer FlyPenguin released a new gameplay trailer for BarricadeZ, their 2D tower defense survival game that is available now via Steam Early Access. This latest trailer features the game’s basic mechanics and a few of the more advanced features of the game, including how to set up trap hallways and “Autocrafting” (if a game insists on including crafting,

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Giant Mechs and Guns Abound in Global Frequency Studios’ “Mavrics: Origins”

Late last week, Global Frequency Studios launched a crowdfunding campaign for Mavrics: Origins Vol. One, a 60-page graphic novel intended for fans of Battletech, Gundam, and Armored Core (what – no Iron Soldier love?). At the time of this writing, the campaign is already fully funded, so now all that’s left to worry about is stretch goals and fulfillment. Written

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Dark Fantasy Adventure Awaits in Panteon Studios’ “Disturbing Forest”, Coming Soon to Switch, Steam

Publisher Ultimate Games has announced that Disturbing Forest – a genre-blending puzzle/adventure/survival game set in a fantasy world – will be coming to Steam PC in Q4 of 2021 with a Nintendo Switch release to follow in 2022. Disturbing Forest is the debut game by Panteon Studio, an independent development studio in Poland. According to Mateusz Kuliś, one of Panteon’s

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Conquest Comics’ “Wonder Island: Hero of Brightwater” Now on Indiegogo (Crowdfunding Spotlight)

Earlier this month, independent comic book creator and Conquest Comics founder Liam Gray launched a crowdfunding campaign for Wonder Island: Hero of Brightwater, a 72-page graphic novel that includes the first three chapters of the Wonder Island saga. Intended for audiences of all ages, Wonder Island is a vibrant fantasy tale that looks to be inspired by multiple adventure video

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