So, it’s a new week, and we have a fresh Humble Mobile Bundle, this time featuring games from Noodlecake Studios. As someone who is usually a fan of the games they generally publish I was a bit excited about this one. Did that excitement hold up? Is this another home run sure-thing bundle like the last one from Crescent Moon Games?
Author: Justin Nation
In this inaugural edition of my new Review Bites feature we’ll set the ground rules and get rolling with a load of mini reviews (complete with gameplay videos) to share some love, some hate, and some “Meh!” Well, and likely complaining some about “freemium” games…
Hey there Android fans, I’m a bit new in town. I’ve come to visit the mobile/tablet gaming space a couple of times and, for the most part, I get it. Thing is, with devices like my trusty Shield tablet getting into the market it is bringing in a slightly different kind of gamer, and I’m here to tell you we’re going to stage an intervention…
Were you on the lookout for a relatively cheap game that delivers twin-stick shooting action, zombies, and multiple weapons of destruction, all wrapped up in a package trimmed with silliness and some attitude? Then have I got a game for you.
While I normally write much longer format reviews Wave Wave is a game that you’ll either throw aside in frustration within the first few minutes (perhaps seconds for some) or you’ll be hopelessly hooked on it with a fierce passion. Much like Super Hexagon, Super Meat Boy, or other titles designed for the masochistic perfectionist gamers (like me) out there, Wave Wave is simple as can be to control and understand.
I’m a massive classic gaming fan and nerd, and my love of all things video games goes back to the very beginning. My connection to the arcade is so deep I actually worked with my father-in-law for 6 consecutive weekends to construct an arcade cabinet from plans that I then set up with multiple emulators, but the most important of them is absolutely MAME: the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator. To give you an idea of the extent of my love, my gaming handle going back almost a decade is MAMEiac. It’s in my blood. I love that classic arcade feel, and I understand the notion of playing a game for its own sake, or getting a high score; I don’t need a compelling story or modern trappings to find joy.
If you ever caught it in the arcades or on the Dreamcast the name Crazy Taxi should hold at least a somewhat special place in your heart. As a game built on adrenaline, a pretty solid and appropriate soundtrack, and an absolutely ridiculous implementation of physics, Crazy Taxi was probably the title I spent the most hours with on my Dreamcast in the day. Its classic arcade sensibilities pitting you against the clock and unpredictable challenges made it easy to get sucked in by, but very difficult to really master in any consistent way.
I won’t lie, Zombie Driver is a title I’ve had my eye on for quite some time. I’d seen it on Steam when it was released for PC and had always thought it would be great to add to my eventual backlog through a Steam sale or Humble Bundle. I was always a little worried that, as it can be with many games that push ZOMBIES these days, the game just wouldn’t deliver much more than some cheap thrills that would wear out much too quickly. Once I picked up my Shield tablet and saw it dirt cheap on Tegra Zone though, I knew I the time had come and, for the most part, it hasn’t disappointed at all.
Have you ever known someone who loves to have fun and dye their hair, but they lack the commitment or resources to do it well? They may briefly create a façade of being someone else but given a little time it all begins to slowly come apart? That’s probably the most polite thought I have about Table Top Racing Premium Edition, as you’ll find it in the Tegra Zone. While they may claim your investment has bought you an enhanced 1080p experience you can play on your TV plus awesome analog control with your Shield Controller I’m here to tell you that resolution and analog control aren’t going to make a barely gussied up cel phone game look or play any better.
Some background: As a life-long fan of video arcades since their beginnings I’m also a tremendous fan of pinball machines. It has only been in the last few years that video emulation of pinball has gotten close to matching the experience. In terms of commercial pinball video games there are two very different camps: On the one hand you have Pinball Arcade that places an emphasis on making reproductions of actual physical machines, on the other you have Zen Pinball that keeps the broad strokes of physical machines in mind but abuses the fact that there are no limitations to what they can do, making only original tables. While, on the whole, I will admit I’m more inclined to enjoy the best converted Pinball Arcade machines there are several Zen Pinball machines I’ve gotten some quality hours with. Rather than have my reviews for these tables go over the merits of the game engines themselves, we’ll assume that the people reading the reviews are familiar with the base games already and are only really interested in a review of just the table itself.