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Sit DOWN Sunday Comic Book News Livestream – 26 September 2021 Edition

Posted on September 27, 2021 by The Splintering Staff Leave a comment

On the latest installment of Sit DOWN Sunday (hosted on Patrick Thomas Parnell’s YouTube channel Riot Press Productions), The Splintering founder Blake Worrell and fellow Splintering contributor George Travlos got another chance to discuss recent comic book news. This week, we were joined by aspiring comic book creator Dionysios. We discussed Parnell’s Sleepy Hollow campaign, Marvel’s future X-Men plans, Dionysios’s

The Silhouette Takes Center Stage in Zaid Comics’ “The Lost Pages 2”

Posted on September 24, 2021 by Blake Worrell One comment

On Friday, Zaid Comics launched a crowdfunding campaign for The Lost Pages 2: The Silhouette, a 76-page follow-up to the first book that was successfully crowdfunded in 2020. The project is already fully funded, having raised more than $4 thousand at the time of this writing. After polling readers on their favorite character from the first issue, The Lost Pages

Retro Gaming Retrospective: “M.U.S.H.A.” (SEGA Genesis)

Posted on September 24, 2021 by R One comment

Nintendo recently announced that SEGA Genesis games are coming to the Nintendo Switch via a Switch Online “Expansion Pack”, so I thought the time was right to highlight one of the most prized games included with this additional subscription service: M.U.S.H.A. This write-up is a bit more in-depth than a standard “review,” so I’m winging it with the whole “retrospective”

“Blade of Darkness” HD Re-Release Coming to PC in October

Posted on September 24, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

Publisher SNEG and recently announced that an HD re-release of Blade of Darkness is coming to Steam and GOG on 7 October. Originally developed by Rebel Act Studios in 2001 and published by Codemasters, this HD port is being ported by Fire Falcom and General Arcade. Blade of Darkness is a fantasy action adventure game featuring hearty helpings of violence

Alterna Comics Launches First Quarterly Pre-Order Campaign on Indiegogo

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

On Wednesday, Alterna Comics launched its inaugural pre-order crowdfunding campaign for their fall lineup of books. The campaign is already fully funded, having raised nearly $7 thousand at the time of this writing. These campaigns are intended to replace the company’s old pre-order system on the Alterna website, making each quarter a kind of celebratory event and giving customers a

Celebrate Autumn with Patrick Thomas Parnell’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” on Indiegogo

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Blake Worrell 5 comments

To mark the first day of the Fall season, independent comic book creator Patrick Thomas Parnell launched a crowdfunding campaign for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, an abridged and illustrated version of the 1819 classic by Washington Irving.* The project is already fully funded, having raised more than $4 thousand at the time of this writing. While not a traditional

More “Cotton” Games Confirmed for Western Release to Celebrate 30th Anniversary

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Blake Worrell One comment

To celebrate 30 years (!) of the Cotton franchise, ININ Games recently announced that Cotton 100%, Panorama Cotton, and Cotton Guardian Force Saturn Tribute will be getting western releases soon. Specific platforms and a release date have not yet been confirmed. However, at least Nintendo Switch and PS4 are extremely likely, and the games will have to be released before

Crowdfunding Campaign for Indie Comics Magazine “ROK!T” Launches on Indiegogo

Posted on September 21, 2021 by The Splintering Staff Leave a comment

On Monday, publishing veteran Steve Dye launched a crowdfunding campaign for ROK!T, a new physical magazine that focuses on the biggest names and news on the ComicsGate* side of independent comics. Wait a second… Yeah, we’re doing a write-up on what is technically a competing platform. We’ll be sure to keep this super objective.** Trust me! Dye conceived ROK!T as

Genre-Bending RPG “The Good Life” Coming to PC, Consoles in October

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

Indie game publisher Playism recently announced that the genre-bending title The Good Life is scheduled to release on 15 October via Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbone, and Steam PC. Co-developed by Japanese studios White Owls and Grounding Inc., The Good Life blends elements of adventure, RPGs, and life simulator. The game boasts the unique style of White Owls’ Hidetaka “SWERY” Suehiro

Timur Azisov’s Fantasy Book “Axilon: The Legend of Artifacts – Prologue” Comes to Life on PC

Posted on September 20, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

Over the weekend, AzDimension released Axilon: The Legend of Artifacts – Prologue on Steam. The game is an action RPG based on the fantasy book of the the same name by Azerbaijani writer Timur Azisov. This “Prologue” is intended as the first chapter of a larger adventure, and it features three environments: a forest, caves, and a snow-covered valley. You

Sit DOWN Sunday Comic Book News Livestream – 19 September 2021 Edition

Posted on September 20, 2021 by The Splintering Staff Leave a comment

On the latest installment of Sit DOWN Sunday (hosted on Patrick Thomas Parnell’s YouTube channel Riot Press Productions), The Splintering founder Blake Worrell got another chance to discuss recent comic book news. (Our fellow Splintering contributor George Travlos rightly decided that spending time with family was more important than comics YouTube this week). This week, we were joined by independent

Jaleco’s Arcade Puzzler “Soldam” Joins the Arcade Archives on Switch, PS4

Posted on September 17, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

Game publisher Hamster has announced that Soldam, the matching puzzle game, is now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch as part of the digital Arcade Archives series. Originally released in arcades by Jaleco in 1992, Soldam was later ported to the Japanese Game Boy in Japan and an updated version was released for PS4 and Nintendo Switch as Soldam: Drop,

“Metal Slug 1st & 2nd Mission Double Pack” Now on Nintendo Switch

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

On Thursday, SNK officially released the Metal Slug 1st & 2nd Mission Double Pack for Nintendo Switch via the Switch eShop. Priced at $14.99, the Metal Slug 1st & 2nd Mission Double Pack includes both Neogeo Pocket Color versions of Metal Slug 1st Mission and Metal Slug 2nd Mission. If you aren’t familiar with the classic run-and-gun arcade series, here’s

Eric Canete’s “Arc Athena” Now Live on Indiegogo

Posted on September 16, 2021 by Blake Worrell One comment

On Wednesday, comic book creator Eric Canete launched a crowdfunding campaign for Arc Athena Book One, an all new, hardcover graphic novel intended as the first part in a six-issue miniseries. The project is already fully funded, having raised roughly $18 thousand at the time of this writing. Written and illustrated by Canete (TRON Uprising) and featuring colors by Giuliano

Throwback Platformer “Steel Assault” Coming Soon to Switch, PC

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Blake Worrell One comment

On Wednesday, publisher Tribute Games released a new teaser trailer for Steel Assault, which is scheduled to release on 28 September for Nintendo Switch and Steam PC. Developed by Zenovia Interactive, Steel Assault is a retro-inspired 2D platformer featuring throwback challenge and a 16-bit aesthetic. Here’s the official breakdown of Steel Assault from Tribute, followed by the latest trailer: Punch,

“Cruis’n Blast” Now Available on Nintendo Switch

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

On Tuesday, Raw Thrills officially released the arcade racer Cruis’n Blast on Nintendo Switch. Cruis’n Blast is the first Cruis’n game to land on home consoles for over a decade. The series is known for high speed racing and wild track and vehicle designs. Here’s the official breakdown of Cruis’n Blast from Raw Thrills, followed by the launch trailer: The

New Take’s Oddly-Titled “Grandpa” Comic is About God Fighting Satan (Crowdfunding Spotlight)

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Blake Worrell One comment

New Take Media recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for Grandpa issue 1, a new 44-page fantasy comic book project with a bizarre title. With a name like Grandpa, you might expect something like Rambo: Last Blood or Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino, but you’d be wrong, sucka. Created by Damion Daponte and Sterling Vanderhoof, Grandpa is actually about the longstanding battle

Bullet Hell Shooter “Razion EX” Coming to Switch eShop Next Week

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

On Friday, independent game developer NGDEV announced that their horizontal-scrolling bullet hell shooter Razion EX will be released on the Nintendo Switch eShop on 16 September. The game has been available for a few months in physical format via NGDEV’s website, but this is Razion EX’s first wide release in a digital format. First released for the Neo Geo in

Kill Them With Fire! “Pop Flamer” Now on PS4, Switch

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

Game publisher Hamster has announced that Pop Flamer, the single-screen 2D action arcade game, is now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch as part of the digital Arcade Archives series. Originally released in arcades by Jaleco in 1982 and later ported to the SEGA SG-1000 in 1983, Pop Flamer has never received an official release in western regions until now.

Stephan Velez’s Dark Fantasy Horror Comic “The VeilWalker” Now on Indiegogo

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Blake Worrell One comment

On Wednesday, independent comic book creator Stephan Velez launched a crowdfunding campaign for The VeilWalker #1, an all-new, 21-page dark fantasy comic book. Written by Velez and featuring illustrations by Sajad Shah and colors by Leonardo Paciarotti, The VeilWalker is described as a blend of action, mystery, thriller, and horror. Here’s the official pitch taken from The VeilWalker’s Indiegogo campaign

“Hamster Maze” Coming to Consoles, PC in 2022

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

New Polish development team We Dig Games recently announced that their first game will be Hamster Maze, coming in 2022 for SeXbox, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch and Steam PC. Inspired by online videos of hamster maze creation, Hamster Maze blends casual arcade gameplay with Tamagotchi elements. Players rear and train their pet hamsters in preparation for competition with

The KAYAS Saga Continues in “A Story of Blood & Stone” Issue 2

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

On Tuesday, independent comic book creator Ryan Cardinal launched a crowdfunding campaign for KAYAS: A Story of Blood & Stone issue 2, the 32-page follow-up to the first KAYAS book that was successfully crowdfunded in 2019. Written and illustrated by Cardinal, KAYAS is a manga-inspired fantasy adventure intended for young adult readers (ages 13 and up). Here’s the official plot

“Inglorious Rex” Indiegogo Campaign Raises a Monstrous $150k in First Weekend

Posted on September 7, 2021 by Blake Worrell 6 comments

Over the weekend, veteran comic book creative team Shane Davis and Yanzi Lin launched a crowdfunding campaign for Inglorious Rex Volume One, an all-new, 48-page, action/sci-fi graphic novel. The project is already a remarkable success, having raised more than $150 thousand in its first few days. Co-written by Davis and Lin (Starlight Cats) and featuring pencils by Davis, inks by

The Clock is Ticking to Back 80s-Inspired Horror Comic “Midnight Highway”

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

Comic book creator Michael Tener recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for Midnight Highway issues 1 and 2, a new comic designed for fans of 80s horror and sci-fi. Co-created and co-written by Tener and Alex Maday and featuring illustrations by Alexander Malyshev and colors by Hedwin Zaldivar, Midnight Highway is described as Alice in Wonderland meets The Twilight Zone. Here’s

WWII Shoot-Em Up “USAAF Mustang” Now Available for PS4, Switch via the Arcade Archives

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

Game publisher Hamster has announced that USAAF Mustang, 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 as Fire Mustang in 1991, USAAF Mustang has never received an official release in

Will Andy Smith’s 1stMAN Become King of the World? (Interview)

Posted on September 1, 2021 by The Splintering Staff 7 comments

Professional-turned-independent comic book creator Andy Smith recently launched his fourth Indiegogo campaign, this time for 1stMAN 2: Learning Curve, the sequel to the first 1stMAN (derp) book successfully crowdfunded earlier this year. We were fortunate enough to get a chance to discuss his 1stMAN 2 campaign, which is available to support here. As always, the answers below are represented as closely to

Box Art Bombshells: “Congo Bongo” (Colecovision, 80s August Special)

Posted on August 31, 2021 by R 2 comments

Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since Istanbul was still Constantinople! We’re marking this festive occasion by introducing an all-new feature here at The Splintering: 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. We’re kicking off

Story Trailer for “Naser: Son of Man” Shown at Gamescom

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

At Gamescom 2021, developer Enlightened Robot Entertainment released a new story trailer for Naser: Son of Man, the steampunk-inspired 2D run-and-gun game coming soon to PC, Xbox One, SeXbox, PS4, and PS5. You can check out the new Naser: Son of Man story trailer below, followed by a breakdown of the game via Niche Gamer: Story In the year 1875,

Retro Review: “Karate Champ” (NES, 80s August Special)

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Blake Worrell Leave a comment

Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since the first belly dance! Today we’re going to take a look at Karate Champ, a one-on-one martial arts fighting game released by Data East on the Nintendo NES. So how does one of the earliest fighting games hold out? Based on the 1984 arcade game by

Who Should Play Samus Aran in a “Metroid” Film? (80s August Special)

Posted on August 30, 2021 by R One comment

Welcome back to 80s August, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of the greatest decade since the discovery of the Pythagorean Theorem! Though certainly not the first female video game character, Samus Aran from 1986’s Metroid is still considered by many to be the First Lady of gaming. It should therefore come as no surprise that the topic of a Metroid film keeps