Inside of a room with infant twin ghosts, there’s a “Monsters” poster on the wall. That’s paying homage to Universal’s Monsters, those ’30s ad ’40s era horror classics with their evocative atmosphere. That atmosphere is part of Luigi’s Mansion. Even the set-up, with Luigi invited to a Transylvanian-like mansion, that’s cloaked in familiar moonlight and… Continue reading Luigi’s Mansion (3DS)
Martial arts is about the journey; it’s not about punching or breaking blocks, rather the dedication to reach that point. So too then is this reset of Soul Calbur lore, retracing the odds to recapture a sword made of pure evil. It’s both historically fantastical and richly colorful, so fluid in combat as to look… Continue reading Soul Calibur VI (PS4)
The best robot adversary in Mega Man 11 is a small welder bot. He seems genuinely innocent, passing back and forth, heating pieces of metal as programmed. His eyes droop in indifference. Clearly, he’s tired of all of this, the scientific back-and-forth between two lab coat-wearing rivals, Dr. Light and Dr. Wily. Imagine being around… Continue reading Mega Man 11 (PS4)
At the festival race starting line, LED boards flash rainbow colors, bright enough to reflect off the vehicles as their engines hum in excitement. It’s gorgeous. Finish the race and massive, 30-foot tall LED boards sprout up, likewise splashing colors in a kaleidoscopic celebration of cars. It’s prideful, the best of what Forza Horizon is… Continue reading Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox One)
There’s underappreciated versatility to the beat-em-up genre. That’s apparent in this seven game compilation. While each game deals in walking to the right, punching or hacking throes of recycled enemies, the themes and energy are distinctive to each. There’s the great Final Fight, a story of rising through poverty to confront those who use their… Continue reading Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle (Switch)
The limitations of the 8-bit NES – the console Haunted ’86 was designed for – add to its creeps. A tight, restrictive color palette locks Haunted ’86 to using extensive black. That means ledges and background objects appear to just peek out, their edges highlighted. It’s mood where so few games of this ilk even… Continue reading Halloween: Haunted ’86 (Xbox One)
SNK Heroines hyper-sexualizes characters that in many cases, were already sexualized. It finds the skimpiest costumes, most revealing dresses, and barely-there bikinis to ensure skin exposure. It’s parody though. SNK Heroines is about a literal male gaze. A creepy, shadowy fetishist male figure, Kukri, brings these women together. He watches them from a high-tech camera… Continue reading SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy (Switch)
