Retro Review: “Alleyway” (Nintendo Game Boy, Monochrome May Special)
Alleyway was probably just fine for 80s and 90s kids looking for a simple game to play with their new Game Boy. But is it worth a pick up today?
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Retro-Inspired Horror Game “Janitor Bleeds” Coming to Xbox on 1 June
Bonus Stage Publishing recently confirmed that retro-inspired horror game Janitor Bleeds is coming to Xbox platforms on Wednesday, 1 June. Developed by Korpus, Janitor Bleeds has been available via Steam PC since early April. Players explore a moody old arcade, drawn to a mysterious game, all the while horrors are lurking behind you… Here’s the official breakdown of Janitor Bleeds
Read morePointless Unboxing: “Blood Realm: Wrath of Kings” (Alterna Comics)
Welcome to another Pointless Unboxing, our series of unboxing videos that are so utterly insignificant that they inevitably go unwatched by all. Today we’re unboxing our Indiegogo-exclusive copies of Blood Realm: Wrath of Kings and Wirehead by my eternal nemesis… Robert Geronimo!!!. Without further ado, straight to the video! Thanks for watching today. We appreciate all feedback – positive, constructive,
Read more“Jim Power: The Lost Dimension” Coming to Modern and Retro Consoles
QUByte and PIKO Interactive recently revealed that “cult classic” Jim Power: The Lost Dimension is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, and the Super Nintendo, SEGA Genesis, and original NES. Originally released in 1993 under the title Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3D, the game is a sci-fi side-scroller with a unique parallax scrolling effect and a punishing level of
Read moreTaito’s “FLIPULL” Joins the Arcade Archives on Nintendo Switch and PS4
Game publisher Hamster has announced that arcade puzzler game FLIPULL is now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch as part of the digital Arcade Archives series. Originally released in arcades by Taito in 1989, FLIPULL (aka Plotting) received multiple home releases including the Nintendo Game Boy, NES, Commodore 64, and others. FLIPULL is an “easy to learn, hard to master”
Read moreComic Review: “A High School Girl in the Crusades” (Monochrome May Special)
Welcome back to Monochrome May, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of all things spectrum impaired. Today we’re going to look at A High School Girl in the Crusades, a 22-page comic that was successfully crowdfunded earlier in 2022. Written by Jon Del Arroz (Deus Vult) and featuring artwork by Dachul Akamoto, A High School Girl in the Crusades is a comedic adventure intended to parody the Isekai
Read moreSilent Movie Review: “The Man with the Twisted Lip” (Monochrome May Special)
Welcome back to Monochrome May, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of all things weiß und schwartz. Today we’re going to do another Silent Movie Review, this time looking at one of the early Sherlock Holmes serials. Based on the short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Man with the Twisted Lip is a silent film directed by Maurice Elvey. It was created in 1921 as the eighth of the Stoll
Read morePeter Simeti’s “King Cryptid” Sighted on Indiegogo
On Wednesday, independent comic book creator and Alterna Comics founder Peter Simeti launched a crowdfunding campaign for the first four issues of King Cryptid,* an all-new ongoing sci-fi series. Featuring the work of multiple creators, King Cryptid is planned to be a 100+ issue series with 4-5 issues every year for, well, the next twenty years, I guess. Here’s the
Read more“Clint Stoker’s Dracula” Sinks Its Teeth Into Your Pocketbook on Indiegogo
On Wednesday, independent comic book creator (and really-real descendent of Bram Stoker) Clint Stoker launched a crowdfunding campaign for Dracula, a 56-page, black & white, hardcover(!) graphic novel. In addition to already being fully funded, all of the story, art, lettering and prepress are 100% complete, so there should be fewer hangups getting Dracula into the backers’ clutches. Written by
Read moreJohn Hervey Launches Combo Campaign for “Magna: the Last Pantheon” and “The Posse”
On Tuesday, independent comic book creator John Hervey launched a combo crowdfunding campaign for both volume 2 of Magna: the Last Pantheon and the debut volume of The Posse: Fugitives. Here’s the official breakdown of the projects from the Magna and The Posse Indiegogo campaign page: The same creator/writer who brought you: BLACK TIGER and MAGNA, is introducing readers to
Read moreOpen-World Adventure “2021: Moon Escape” Coming to Nintendo Switch and Original Game Boy
Retro publisher Incube8 Games and indie developer Mike Yamato recently announced that 2021: Moon Escape is coming soon to Nintendo Switch eShop. The game is an open-world adventure featuring minimalist retro aesthetics and a fully developed sci-fi story. Here’s the official breakdown of 2021: Moon Escape from Incube8 Games: Set in a galaxy devastated by an unprecedented war, you will
Read moreThrowback Sci-Fi Graphic Novel “Overmind” Now on Kickstarter
On Tuesday, independent author and comic book creator Jon Del Arroz launched a crowdfunding campaign for Overmind, a girthy, 66-page sci-fi graphic novel. The project is already fully funded, having raised more than $10 thousand at the time of this writing. Written by Del Arroz (Deus Vult, A High School Girl in the Crusades) and featuring illustrations by Ms. Krimson,
Read moreReview: “Cotton Fantasy” (PS4, Nintendo Switch)
I can remember seeing the original Cotton in game magazines back in the early 90’s, and thinking how it looked like a game that I would probably enjoy. My favorite games were typically shooters (shoot ’em ups, in modern terms), and I thought the premise of a witch flying around and shooting on her broom sounded like a fun idea.
Read moreDemo for Retro-Inspired Platformer “Timothy and the Tower of Mu” Now on Steam
Publisher PLAYISM recently announced that Timothy and the Tower of Mu will be coming to Steam PC on 9 August. Developed by Kibou Entertainment, Timothy and the Tower of Mu is the winner the Pixel Game Maker MV (PGMMV) Game Development Challenge in 2020. The Tower of Mu is the second episode from Kibou’s Timothy series (so… 2nd Timothy?) and
Read morePointless Unboxing: “The Girl with the Mega Fists” (Monochrome May Special)
Welcome back to Monochrome May, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of all things color deficient. Today we’re unboxing our Indiegogo-exclusive copy of The Girl with the Mega Fists by Tyler Carpenter. Without further ado, straight to the video! Thanks for watching today. We appreciate all feedback – positive, constructive, or colorful. Thanks for reading! You can check out more of our Monochrome
Read moreTeeter on the Edge of Sanity in Michael Siegenthaler’s “SKITS: ORIGIN”
On Monday, launched a crowdfunding campaign for SKITS: ORIGIN Book 0, a girthy 100-page follow-up (sorta) to SKITS: THE SON Book 1, which was successfully crowdfunded in 2020 and fulfilled in 2021. The ORIGIN project is already fully funded, having raised nearly $2 thousand at the time of this writing. Created, written and illustrated by Michael Siegenthaler, SKITS tells a
Read moreMemories in Green: Playing the NES With a 1990s CRT Screen (Monochrome May Special)
Welcome back to Monochrome May, The Splintering’s month-long celebration of all things chromatically-challenged. In the early 90s, my parents acquired our family’s first computer. We picked it up second-hand, so it’s fair to say that it was not state-of-the-art, even by the standards of the time. But what is most important for the purpose of this story, is that it came
Read moreCrowdfunding Review: “Groken” (Mitografia)
Groken was on my radar for a long time before the campaign launched. Kenneth Rocafort (Superman, The Ultimates, Red Hood and the Outlaws) is no stranger to comics. His prior work with the “Big Two” had given him a fan base that eagerly awaited his independent launch. I was one that was counting down the arrival of January 29, 2021,
Read moreRichard C. Meyer Launches “Iron Sights 3” & “Impossible Stars 2” Combo Crowdfunding Campaign
On Sunday, independent comic book creator and Splatto Comics founder Richard C. Meyer launched a crowdfunding campaign for both Iron Sights 3 and Impossible Stars 2. Iron Sights is an over-the-top, gritty crime series, while Impossible Stars is a sci-fi tale set in Earth’s distant future. Here’s the official breakdown of the campaign from the Iron Sights 3 and Impossible
Read moreCard-Battling Adventure “Guild of Dungeoneering Ultimate Edition” Now on Nintendo Switch
Indie game developer Gambrinous has officially launched Guild of Dungeoneering Ultimate Edition the Nintendo Switch eShop. Guild of Dungeoneering is a card-battling, fantasy dungeon crawler, while this Ultimate Edition is described as a “major remaster of the original game”, boasting new quests, monsters, classes, weapons and loot. Plus, all of the DLC is bundled together in this Nintendo Switch version.
Read moreJoe M. Sonntag’s “Reaper Destroyer” Reaps Massive Cash on Indiegogo
He reaps and destroys! Or maybe he destroys reapers! Either way, he’s well financed. Comic creator Joe M. Sonntag recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for Reaper Destroyer issue 1, a 32+ page, supernatural adventure comic book. The project funded in minutes, and the campaign has raised more than $30 thousand at the time of this writing. Here’s the creative team
Read moreData East’s “Trio the Punch” Now on Nintendo Switch and PS4 via the Arcade Archives
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
Read moreOrwellian Themes Abound in “Phonopolis”; Coming Soon to Steam
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
Read moreBullet-Hell Shooter “Rolling Gunner + Over Power” Now Available on PS4
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
Read moreReview: “The DeaDBeat” (Alterna Comics, Monochrome May Special)
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
Read moreRetro-Inspired 3D Platformer “Lunistice” Coming this Fall to Nintendo Switch and PC
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
Read moreNew “Kao the Kangaroo” Trailer
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,
Read more“Ninja JaJaMaru: The Great Yokai Battle + Hell” Now on Steam PC
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
Read moreHaunted House Sim “Horror Tycoon” Announced for Steam PC
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
Read moreComic Review: “Decimators” (Ibai Canales, Monochrome May Special)
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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