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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Game publisher CFK recently announced that 2D action game Smilemo is scheduled for release for Steam PC on 20 May. Developed by REXECHO, Smilemo is a side-scrolling platformer where players take control of the last surviving emoji struggling to survive a brutal computer virus. Here is the official breakdown of Smilemo from CFK: Smilemo is an action game set in
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Publisher Flynn’s Arcade recently announced that the retro-inspired space shooter Galacticon is coming to the Nintendo Switch and Steam PC on 22 May. Developed by Radin Games, Galacticon aims to recapture the spirit of 80s arcade classics like Defender with some additional mechanics and updated visual flare. Plus this time, the humans are the bad guys, which I think makes
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Yes. That Ed Gein. Late last week, independent comic book creator Lucifer Storm launched a crowdfunding campaign for Ed Gein: Demon Hunter Issue Two, a 28-page, black and white, supernatural horror book starring the infamous 20th Century serial killer. Written by Storm (Lady Satan, Jericho) and featuring black and white illustrations by Kristian Rossi (Rad Rose, Trespasser), Ed Gein: Demon
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On the latest installment of Sit DOWN Sunday (hosted on Patrick Thomas Parnell’s YouTube channel Riot Press Productions), veteran comic book creator Arvid Nelson, The Splintering’s own George Travlos, and The Splintering founder Blake Worrell got another chance to discuss recent comic book news. This week, we discussed the most recent milestone for Patrick’s Johnny Phantasm Extreme ‘93 campaign, the
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Today we remember Neal Adams
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We love our themed events ‘round here (like our Festival of Dread, 80s August & Jolly Jinglings). But one of our longest running events is Monochrome May, a celebration of black and white games, comics, movies, and all things chiaroscuro. It’s also when some people never stop complaining about how “monochrome” doesn’t technically mean “black and white.” All I have
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On Friday, two-person developer LogLogGames officially released BITGUN on Steam PC. Truth be told, the two devs at LogLogGames are a married couple (d’awww!) who have grown closer thanks to their love… of shooting pixelated zombies in the face! That’s because BITGUN is a retro-inspired overhead shooter with plenty of blood and zombie heads to blow straight to Sheol. Here’s
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On Friday, publisher RedDeer.Games announced that retro-inspired shoot ‘em up P.3 is now available on Nintendo Switch. The first game by solo developer DevJgame, P.3 is a vertical space shooter with rogue-like gameplay and a slick throwback aesthetic reminiscent of classic arcade games. Players must blast into deep space and save the galaxy from – wait for it – aliens.
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On Thursday, publisher KEMCO released Legend of Ixtona for the PS4 and PS5 (and it does feature cross-buy). Originally released for mobile platforms, Legend of Ixtona is already available on Xbox and Nintendo Switch. Legend of Ixtona is a turn-based strategy RPG presented with an isometric viewpoint. Here’s the official breakdown of Legend of Ixtona from KEMCO: Ixtona emerges from
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On Wednesday, publisher Chorus Worldwide announced that visual novel Mothmen 1966 is planned to release on 14 July for PS4, PS5, Xbone, SeXbox, Nintendo Switch, and Steam PC. Developed by LCB Game Studio, Mothmen 1966 is intended as the first in a series of visual novels inspired by “mid-20th century pulp fiction and ‘80s home computer graphics.” Here’s the official
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Publisher CFK recently announced that Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony, a 2D action game based on Touhou Project and Frontier Aja is coming Nintendo Switch and Steam PC on 28 July. Co-developed by Frontier Aja and CFK, Koumajou Remilia: Scarlet Symphony is unabashedly inspired by the later Castlevania games, particularly Symphony of the Night. Here’s the official breakdown of Koumajou Remilia:
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On Monday, the crowdfunding campaign for Perfect 10 issue 3 closed successfully, raising more than $15 thousand from more than 250 backers. That’s roughly $2,500 more than Perfect 10 issue 2 raised during its initial funding period (which we reviewed here). Perfect 10 creator Dave Brink marked the occasion with a celebratory closeout livestream on comic book commentator Leroi’s YouTube
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The Kickstarter campaign for John McGuire’s In Our Dreams Awake issue 1 (here) is now in its final days of funding.* The book is a blend of multiple genres and art styles, all tied together by the broader themes of love and questioning reality. The story of In Our Dreams Awake follows Jason Byron, a man who falls asleep in
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On Monday, publisher Ratalaika Games announced that co-op action puzzler game Dandy & Randy DX will be released for PS4, PS5, Xbone, SeXbox, Nintendo Switch and Steam PC on 29 April. Created by Brazilian developer Asterstic Game Studio, Dandy & Randy DX features throwback design and mechanics similar to classic era games and is also inspired by a true story
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Everything is better with grappling hooks. On Monday, publisher QUByte Interactive announced that the new 2D platformer Raven’s Hike will be available on the PS4, PS5, Xbone, SeXbox and Nintendo Switch on 28 April. Developed by Wired Dream Studio, Raven’s Hike features a retro-inspired pixel art aesthetic and requires players to progress through a set of puzzle-filled stages using only
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On Sunday, independent comic book creator Edwin Acevedo launched a crowdfunding campaign for The Ace Volume 2, a sci-fi adventure that picks up where the first volume of The Ace left off, where the young hero is targeted by the beautiful-but-dangerous Angelyke. Written by Acevedo, the main story features illustrations by Ibai Canales (Iron Sights, The Abductables) and colors by
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On the latest installment of Sit DOWN Sunday (hosted on Patrick Thomas Parnell’s YouTube channel Riot Press Productions), veteran comic book creator Arvid Nelson and The Splintering founder Blake Worrell got another chance to discuss recent comic book news. Plus, The Splintering’s own George Travlos is back from assignment, and joined us for the show. This week, we discussed the
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Newsletter Signup Available for Groken Volume 2
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Paradox Interactive recently announced that Shadowrun Trilogy will launch on 21 June 2022 for Nintendo Switch, Xbone, SeXbox, PS4, and PS5, and preorders are now available on all platforms. The Shadowrun Trilogy is a remastered release of the three fantasy-cyberpunk RPGs in the Shadowrun Returns series (so no, not the original). These include: Shadowrun Returns Shadowrun: Dragonfall – Director’s Cut
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On Thursday, publisher Freedom Games officially launched action/RPG Anuchard for Nintendo Switch, SeXbox, Xbone, and Windows PC. Developed by stellarNull, Anuchard is described as a “civilization restoration action RPG” where players descend into monster-infested dungeons to restore the captured souls of a small village. The retro-inspired visual aesthetic is intended to be reminiscent of 90s-era PlayStation games. Here’s the official
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ININ Games recently announced that Cotton Fantasy will be released for Nintendo Switch and PS4 on 20 May, and is now available for preorder. Released this past December in Japan under the title Cotton Rock ‘n’ Roll, this Cotton Fantasy is intended to represent a full rebirth of the Cotton series. This certainly makes sense, as Fantasy the first new
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