Game publisher Hamster has announced that side-scrolling action game Trio the Punch is now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch as part of the digital Arcade Archives series. Originally released in arcades by Data East in 1990, this Arcade Archives release is the first home console port of Trio the Punch (aka Trio the Punch: Never Forget Me…). The game
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Amanita Design has announced that their new adventure game Phonopolis is coming soon to Steam PC (and perhaps some other unconfirmed platforms). Phonopolis creates an unabashedly Orwellian world with themes of government overreach, societal control, and censorship. The game also features a unique visual style, combining 3D environments with traditional hand painting, all inspired by the avant-garde art movements of
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Publishers ININ Games and Mebius recently released 2D bullet-hell shoot ‘em up Rolling Gunner + Over Power for the PS4. Directed by ex-Cave developer Daisuke Koizumi (Deathsmiles 2, Dondonpachi), Rolling Gunner has been available on Nintendo Switch since 2019, but this PS4 release includes the Over Power DLC which is bundled into the overall package. If you’re a physical game
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Welcome back to Monochrome May, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of all things color deficient. Speaking of deficient, today we’re going to take a look at The DeaDBeat, a 112-page graphic novel by Jeremy Massey and published by Alterna Comics in YEAR. The story was originally published as four mini comics, but the Alterna edition collects the entire tale in a handy
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DECK13 recently announced that the upcoming 3D platformer Lunistice is scheduled to release on 2 September for PC and Nintendo Switch. Developed by A Grumpy Fox, Lunistice is inspired by the 32-bit platformers of the 1990s like those in the SEGA Saturn and the original Playstation. Here’s the official breakdown of Lunistice from DECK13, followed by a trailer showcasing some
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Tate Multimedia recently released a new trailer for Kao the Kangaroo, the retro revival platformer set to launch on 27 May for PS5, PS4, SeXbox, Xbone, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. This new trailer showcases the game’s supporting cast, including Kao’s mentor and sparring partner Walt, his mother – the “Iron Lady” – Marlene,
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On Thursday, City Connection released Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle + Hell on PC via Steam. The game is a 2D action platformer based on JALECO’s classic 80s game, Ninja JaJaMaru-kun, but The Great Yokai Battle + Hell features more than 20 playable characters, including both yokai (spirits) and ninja families, and can be played by one or two
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Publisher Gameparic recently revealed Horror Tycoon, a simulation title with a Halloween-themed hook. Developed by Smidge Games, Horror Tycoon gives players the chance to create the ultimate haunted house attraction. Will you knock your clientele dead, or will you at least have them screaming for more? Here’s the official breakdown of Horror Tycoon from Gameparic: You definitely must have visited
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Welcome back to Monochrome May, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of black and white entertainment. No, not that kind…. Written and illustrated by Ibai Canales (Iron Sights, The Abductables), Decimators is a cautionary science fiction tale set in a politically correct, dystopian future. The age of nanotechnology is upon us, and humanity has overstepped its bounds. Upon recognizing that the nanobots now living in
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Independent game developer 88 Polygons recently released a free demo for their upcoming title Super Trunko Go which is coming soon to Steam PC. Super Trunko Go is a twin-stick shooter in a 3D sci-fi world and starring a bipedal, possibly cybernetic elephant named Trunko. If Mega Man X and Flame Mammoth had a baby together (ew), it would look
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Publisher Fireshine Games has announced that their 2D adventure title Silt is coming to Nintendo Switch in June 2022, right alongside the previously announced Steam PC version. Developed by Spiral Circus, Silt is an atmospheric puzzler set in a black and white, underwater world. Here’s the official breakdown of Silt from Fireshine Games: Silt is a surreal underwater puzzle-adventure game.
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Independent comic book creator J.C. Vaughn launched a crowdfunding campaign for Al Capone: Vampire issue 1, a 32+ page horror/crime comic. The project is already fully funded, having so far raised more than $2500 between both Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Written and created by Vaughn and featuring illustrations by Brendon and Brian Fraim, Al Capone: Vampire resurrects the infamous Chicago mob
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Earlier this week, the crowdfunding campaign for “biographic novel” Charlie’s London : From Walworth to Wartime went live on Indiegogo. The project is already fully funded, having raised nearly $15 thousand at the time of this writing. Written by the nigh-anonymous “Charlie” and featuring illustrations by Micky Arts, the Charlie’s London series recounts the tales of film legend Charlie Chaplin
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On Tuesday, Total Mayhem Games released their co-op puzzle adventure We Were Here Forever for PC. A console release for PlayStation and Xbox platforms is planned for a later, but undisclosed date. Once again set in the treacherous realm of Castle Rock, We Were Here Forever is the fourth game in the We Were Here series. Here’s the official breakdown
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Star Cross Comics recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for issue 2 of The Relentless Tin Soldier, a 28-page book part of an ongoing series. The project is already fully funded, having raised nearly $2 thousand at the time of this writing. Written by Nicolas Greer and featuring illustrations by Alessandro Ventura and colors by Eduardo Garcia, The Relentless Tin Soldier
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Over the weekend, independent comic book creator S. Sanchez (yep- just “S”) launched a crowdfunding campaign for Black Rhapsody part 1, a 35+ page, black-and-white, manga-sized comic book. Written and created by Sanchez and featuring illustrations by Jan Apple, Black Rhapsody is a fantasy adventure that blends the drama of the music recording industry and Lovecraftian themes. Here’s the official
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Over the weekend, Charles Games announced that their narrative adventure Attentat 1942 is scheduled to release for Nintendo Switch on 12 May. The game has been available on Steam PC since 2017. Set in World War II Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic/Czechia (it’s hard to keep up for old guys like me), Attentat 1942 puts players in the grip of terror from Nazi
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On Friday, comic book legend George Pérez passed away following complications from stage 3 pancreatic cancer. He was 67. Over his career, George Pérez contributed to a number of beloved characters and remarkable storylines, including The Avengers, Wonder Woman, Crisis on Infinite Earths, The New Teen Titans, and Infinity Gauntlet. Below is the announcement of his passing from social media:
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We at The Splintering love it when people get into the Monochrome May spirit, so we were especially happy to see game publisher Raw Fury and developer OTA IMON Studio join in on the festivities by announcing the release date for Wolfstride on Nintendo Switch. It’s 10 May. Originally announced in 2020, Wolfstride has been available for PC (via Steam
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Indie publisher Ratalaika Games has announced that 2D space shooter Remote Life is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbone, SeXbox and Nintendo Switch on 27 May. Created by one-man developer Next Game Level, Remote Life is a horizontal shoot ‘em up inspired by the retro arcade shooters of the 80s and 90s. Instead of using pixel art, however, the environments are
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Welcome back to Monochrome May, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of colorless creativity. Despite the frustration in doing so, I like to review anthology books from time to time, as they don’t seem to get the same level of attention as single-story graphic novels. But why is it so frustrating? Not only do anthologies typically include works by multiple creative teams, but they
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Game publisher Hamster has announced that 2D vertical shoot ‘em up Fighting Hawk is now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch as part of the digital Arcade Archives series. Originally released in arcades by Taito in 1988, this Arcade Archives release is the first home console port of Fighting Hawk outside of Japan. Fighting Hawk is a 2D, vertically scrolling
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On Thursday, publisher RedDeer.Games announced that the futuristic racing/visual novel hybrid is coming to Nintendo Switch tomorrow, 6 May. Developed by Dev9k, Nirvana is inspired by scifi anime of the 1980s. It is actually a new version of Nirvana: Pilot Yume, but this console edition is “tailored to the preferences of players who love the retro vibes and deep stories
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Welcome back to Monochrome May, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of all things ashen and old. And we do mean old, because today we’re going to take a look at the silent film Gypsy Blood, a lighthearted tragedy (if such a thing can exist) based on the opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch and released in the US in 1921 (1918
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On Wednesday, publisher Daedalic Entertainment released Wildcat Gun Machine for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC (via Steam, Epic, GOG). Developed by Australian developer Chunkybox Games, Wildcat Gun Machine is described as a “bullet hell dungeon crawler” with a story and enemy designs inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft. It is also my understanding that there are guns, too.
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Publisher Big Sugar recently announced that procedural open-world RPG Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy is set to release on 27 May for PC (Steam, Epic & GOG), with Xbone and SeXbox releases planned for a later date. Developed by Amsterdam-based Ludomotion, Unexplored 2 has been in Early Access for a year, but is now ready for a full 1.0 release.
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A review of the crowdfunded campaign “The Cryptidnals” by 656 Comics.
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German developer Toitan recently announced that their first game REPULSOR is set to arrive on Steam PC on 19 May. Inspired by retro arcade games, REPULSOR is a 360-degree shoot ’em up featuring a color-switching gameplay mechanic similar to Ikaruga (sort of). Here’s the official breakdown of REPULSOR from Toitan: Mankind is on the brink of extinction, the sun fades
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Smells like fish, flies like chicken? On Tuesday, Khud0 announced that physics-based puzzler Blow & Fly is now available for Steam PC. In Blow & Fly, players assume the role of a blowfish out of water, who must use his air-puffing ability to return to aquatic safety. Here’s the official breakdown of Blow & Fly from Khud0: Blow & Fly
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Publisher KEMCO recently announced that RPG Infinite Links for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbone, SeXbox, and Steam PC on 12 May. Developed by Exe Create, Infinite Links is a fantasy RPG with a skill system built around collecting talismans. Here is the official breakdown of Infinite Links from KEMCO: Talismans are magical items that contain great power, even with some
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