Like Paper Mario – but everyone is dead. Publisher Digerati recently announced that the new “paper RPG” The Outbound Ghost will be released on 21 September for Steam and other PC storefronts for $19.99. A digital console release for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbone, and SeXbox is expected later in 2022. Developed by Conradical Games, The Outbound Ghost is described
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Microids recently pulled back the curtain on New Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja by releasing the very first gameplay trailer. Originally developed by Data East, New Joe & Mac is a remastered version of the 1991 arcade game. This revamped release will include updated visuals, additional modes, and an extended story mode. Here’s the official breakdown of New Joe &
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Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since the creation of Italian sausage. It’s a truly great thing that the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: the Cowabunga Collection is now available from Konami, perhaps for me more so than anyone else on earth. It’s like a pang of guilt has been lifted from my shoulders after a decade of
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Publisher LocaGames recently announced that the genre-blending Future Mirror will be localized into English and released on Steam PC this November. Released in Japanese earlier this year, Future Mirror (Japanese title Mirai Kagami) was developed by indie developer Satsuki no Yume (皐月の夢). The game features elements of adventure, fantasy, and mystery, and boasts engaging characters, a gripping storyline, and “comical
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Over the weekend, homebrew game publisher Mega Cat Studios announced that an all-new retro-styled puzzle game Roniu’s Tale is now available for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Developed by Kunjee Studio, Roniu’s Tale is inspired by adventure/puzzlers of the 1980s such as Solomon’s Key and The Adventures of Lolo. Here’s the official breakdown of Roniu’s Tale from Mega Cat Studios:
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Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since the martians built the pyramids. Today, we’re going to look at Capcom’s very first game, a 2D, vertically scrolling, space shooter titled Vulgus released in 1984. Humanity is under attack! Maybe. Who knows? I wasn’t able to discern any plot from my time with Vulgus, but that was pretty much par for
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Publisher Hamster has announced that Super Volleyball is now available on Nintendo Switch and PS4 as part of the digital Arcade Archives series. Originally released in arcades by Video Systems in 1989, Super Volleyball is a multiplayer sports game that does not feature any fetching beach babes in bikinis. Instead, it recreates the indoor volleyball experience with an approachable arcade
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RedDeer.Games recently announced that their retro-inspired adventure game UnderDungeon is coming to Nintendo Switch, Xbox and Steam PC sometime in 2022. Aside from the minimalist visual aesthetics, RedDeer also promises that one of the main selling points of UnderDungeon is its “good humor.” Pfeh! We’ll be the judge of that, thanks! Here’s the official breakdown of UnderDungeon from RedDeer.Games, followed
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Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate! Today, we’re going to look at Thunder Cross, an a side-scrolling shoot ’em up (or simply “shooter,” as we called them back then) released in arcades by Konami in 1988. It’s important to note up front that I am looking specifically at the US
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RedDeer Games recently announced that a new classic arcade-style fighter will be coming soon to consoles and PC in the form of Maki: Paws of Fury. Players must take control of the titular Maki, a cute fox who just so happens to be a master of the Tsume no Ken fighting style. Here’s a brief breakdown of Maki: Paws of
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Atari has hit the ground running this year with revivals of classic franchises. The latest game to get the modern treatment is Yars: Recharged, the fourth game released under their “Recharged” banner. Co-developed by Adamvision Studios and SneakyBox, Yars: Recharged is a re-imagining of the great 1982 Atari 2600 game Yars’ Revenge by legendary creator Howard Scott Warshaw. This new
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Game publisher Henteko Doujin recently announced that new game Armored Lab Force VULVEHICLES is coming to Steam PC on 25 August. Almost certainly inspired by Blaster Master, Armored Lab Force VULVEHICLES injects some cheeky humor and high-octane bullet-hell mechanics into the side-scrolling, vehicle combat formula. Here’s the official breakdown of Armored Lab Force VULVEHICLES from Henteko Doujin, followed by a
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Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since the invention of the hurdy-gurdy. Today we’re going to take a look at Cyborg Hunter, one of the very few third party (sort of) games released for the SEGA Master System. Cyborg Season? Developed by SEGA and published in the United States by Activision in 1988, Cyborg Hunter
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Sunsoft recently revealed that that a revival of the 1985 Ikki arcade game is coming soon to Steam PC in the form of Ikki Unite. Ikki Unite is an all-new multiplayer game for up to 16 players. Like the first game, Ikki Unite centers around a peasant revolt against an abusive government. Your village’s rice harvest has been decimated by
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Sunsoft recently announced that Ufouria: The Saga is coming to consoles sometime in 2023. Originally released in 1991 for the Nintendo Famicom, Ufouria (aka Hebreke) never received a physical release in the United States (it was temporarily available as a Virtual Console title on the Wii U and 3DS). This new release is planned for the Xbone, Nintendo Switch, and
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When we posted our review of Ninja JaJaMaru-kun earlier this month for our 80s August event, we had no idea that we’d be seeing breaking news about this dormant franchise anytime soon. Well, it’s fair to say that we are pleasantly surprised, as ININ Games recently announced that three compilations of Jaleco’s classic Ninja JaJaMaru games will be coming to
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ININ Games recently announced that 2-D brawler Slaps and Beans 2 will be coming to consoles sometime in 2023. Developed by Buddy Productions and Trinity Team, Slaps and Beans 2 is the sequel to the irreverent first game starring Bud Spencer and Terence Hill. The game was successfully crowdfunded in 2021, and will feature an improved combat system and the
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Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since bacon. Today, we’re going to take a look at The 3-D Battles of Worldrunner (aka 3-D Worldrunner), a game published by Acclaim for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. Developed by Square before they started making good Final Fantasy games, then bad ones, then good ones
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ININ Games recently announced that 2D beat ‘em up Jitsu Squad is scheduled to release later this year for Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5 (in both digital and physical format). A digital-only release for Xbox is planned for a later date. Developed by Tanuki Creative Studio, Jitsu Squad is a fast-paced brawler featuring unique character designs, colorful graphics, and both
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Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since We’re marking this festive occasion with an all-new installment of Box Art Bombshells, where we reveal the completely fabricated super really-real events that inspired some of the wackiest and weirdest box art from gaming history. This time, we’re revealing the hidden truth behind Black Belt, the martial arts action game released on
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Surveillance: noun: close observation of a person or group, especially one under suspicion We live in a world where constant surveillance has been weaponized by overreaching technocratic dictatorships, projecting the right to privacy as a necessary sacrifice to ensure safety and security from both foreign and domestic threats. Observation devices are purchased at-will, sometimes worn on our wrists as status symbols, and other times installed in our homes
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What’s happened to Gex?! On Monday, QUByte Interactive announced that Chameneon will be released on 18 August for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbone and SeXbox. Developed by Burning Goat Studio, Chameneon is a 2D platformer/runner with a stylish aesthetic inspired by retro pixel art. Here’s the official breakdown of Chameneon from QUByte: Chameneon is a 2D platformer/runner game with an
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Behold, the power of mElOnS! Publisher XSEED Games recently released more details for its upcoming multiplatform title, Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories. Developed by independent studio Froach Club, Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories is a retro-inspired adventure featuring a visual aesthetic similar to a 1980s monochrome computer screen or a Nintendo Game Boy. The world of Melon Journey is populated by fruity
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Publisher Gravity Game Arise has announced that new puzzle title Arctictopia is now available on Steam PC. Developed by Taiwan-based indie developer Gamtropy, Arctictopia is a game intended to focus more on helping you chill out rather than intensely test your skillz. Here’s the official breakdown of Arctictopia from Gravity Game Arise: Arctictopia is a puzzle game set in the
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Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of everything 80s. Derp. Despite being primarily famous as a 90s console the SEGA Genesis (aka Mega Drive) was actually released in 1989, so the launch games and other early titles can still lay claim to being entertainment artifacts of the 80s. One such launch game is Thunder Force II. I know what
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Publisher Hamster has announced that vertical shooter Gun & Frontier is now available on Nintendo Switch and PS4 as part of the digital Arcade Archives series. Originally released in arcades by Taito in 1990, Gun & Frontier puts one or two players behind the stick of the Desperado, “earth’s latest fighter plane.” Your mission: strike and destroy the vicious cabal
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Gravity Interactive recently announced that their horror MMORPG Requiem Online is now open for pre-registration. The game is expected to go live on 25 August. Set in a bleak, nightmarish world teeming with monsters, Requiem Online is actually being “relaunched” following a number of improvements and other changes (which may not be improvements, depending on your point of view). Here’s
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Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since the chicken laid the first egg… or, wait… Today we’re going to look at Chack’ N Pop, an arcade puzzle platformer released by Taito in 1983. A horde of monsters has stolen all of Mr. and Mrs. Pac-Man Chack’n’s hearts, so now they don’t love each other, or something
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On Wednesday, indie game publisher Digerati announced plans to release the futuristic sci-fi puzzle-platformer Overloop on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbone, and SeXbox. Developed by Charge Games, Overloop is described as “a light-hearted adventure set in a dark future where big brain scientists create a cloning gun.” The game begins when this weapon is mass produced and made commercially
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Konichiwa! Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since the development of opposable thumbs. Today, we’re going to take a look at Ninja JaJaMaru-kun, an arcade style 2D action game developed by Jaleco and released for the Nintendo Famicom in 1985. Ninja JaJaMaru-kun stars the young hero JaJaMaru who must come to the rescue of Princess Sakura, who has
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