2. Pengo (Atari 2600)
3. Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)
4. Knights of Xentar (PC)
5. Hoshi o Sagashite... (Mark III)
6. Dead Zone (Famicom Disk System)
7. Samurai Sword (Famicom Disk System)
8. High School! Kimengumi (Mark III)
9. Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom (NES)
10. Sindbad Mystery (SG-1000)
11. Steins;Gate (Vita)
12. Champion Boxing (SG-1000)
13. Squidlit (Switch eShop)
14. Skyblazer (SNES)
15. Tokyo Dark: Remembrance (Switch eShop)
16. Bubble Bobble (Famicom Disk System)
17. Steins;Gate Elite (Switch)
18. Johnny Turbo's Arcade: Joe and Mac Returns (Switch eShop)
19. Johnny Turbo's Arcade: Express Raider (Switch eShop)
20. Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Genesis)
21. Sword of Vermilion (Genesis)
22. Steins;Gate: My Darling's Embrace (Switch eShop)
23. Oink! (Atari 2600)
Steins;Gate: My Darling's Embrace
Well, two things here were inevitable: 1) the fact that this game came to exist and 2) the fact that I played it. For the uninitiated, Steins;Gate is an absolutely phenomenal visual novel. Originally released in 2009 in Japan, it slowly but surely made its way to the West via a series of ports. The game showcased intriguing time travel mechanics, an endearing and hilarious cast of misfit wannabe-scientists, and an empathetic and relatable protagonist. Steins;Gate: My Darling's Embrace is not in fact a true "sequel" to Steins;Gate (that would be Steins;Gate 0), though it is the first of several spin-offs. Those who are dead set on experiencing the series in order (by release date, not the insane in-game chronology!) should hit this one up after playing the original.
As the title hints at, My Darling's Embrace is a dating sim set in the Steins;Gate universe. It's an intriguing idea. The original Steins;Gate was almost a dating sim: every route and subsequent ending expanded on the relationship between the "mad scientist" Okabe Rintaro and one of his female companions. But the relationships in the original game weren't exactly deeply romantic (for the most part), they were more like cutesy little crushes. As for My Darling's Embrace, expect more of the same! Mercifully, the developers did not delve into anything hot and heavy: there are no "h-scenes" and the relationships play out in an exaggerated and comedic fashion, which is completely consistent with the characters' personalities and attitudes. The possible situations Okabe finds himself in are all pretty amusing. In one he's almost literally "attached at the hip" with his pal Kurisu due to an experiment gone wrong. In another he decides join a band as bassist despite having no discernible skill, talent, or aptitude (this one cut me deep). In yet another he tries to prevent a relationship between two individuals; as a time-traveler he's aware the consequences.
Mechanically and aesthetically, My Darling's Embrace is basically identical to the original Steins;Gate, which is a good thing. The art is, once again, gorgeous, and there are plenty of new stills to unlock. The music is lovely -- this time around the "fun" pieces are used more often, and the new tunes (like the great opening track) are a welcome addition. Navigation is of course managed via Okabe's cell phone, as strategically replying to emails and sending messages to the past determines the progression of the storyline. The "common route" (the game's mandatory opening sequence) is around four hours; following that the player will be locked into a specific character route based on choices made. Some players may be disappointed to find out that this one doesn't "flow" in the same way most dating sims do. In other words, Okabe doesn't end up with a specific girl by "showing favor" towards her: the world of Steins;Gate is much more chaotic and unpredictable. Locking into each route does admittedly feel rather arbitrary. And while the game assists the player by keeping a log of sent and received emails, a walkthrough is almost certainly required to view all possible outcomes.
My Darling's Embrace is a lot like Muv-Luv photonflowers* (but better). It's a love letter to fans of the original, folks who couldn't get enough of these zany characters and their time-bending science exploits. Any fan of the original Steins;Gate will surely enjoy this "darling" set of fluffier side stories. As for those who didn't care for Steins;Gate... well I'm not sure those folks exist.
Oink!
There really aren't enough retro games about pigs. While Japanese arcades gamers were treated to the likes of Pooyan and Butasan, American Atari owners had the opportunity to take Activision's Oink! out for a spin. This one's based on "The Three Little Pigs" fable, with one "B. B. Wolf" assuming the role of villain.
Oink! is an action game with a simple premise. In a single-player game, the player takes on the role of three pigs (in succession), who must defend their straw, stick, and brick residences from the huffing and puffing of the wolf. In each stage, the player's pig occupies the top in-house area of the screen, while the wolf is outside at the bottom. The wolf's periodic blowing (represented by a diagonal line) chips away at the house walls. To stay alive, the pigs must grab new building materials from a the vertical row under each house's roof, filling in gaps left by the wolf's assault. When a row of materials is depleted, a new one instantly appears. Controls are very fluid, pixel-perfect precision isn't required to either grab or drop materials successfully -- as the manual states, being in the vicinity is sufficient enough. There are two primary difficulties, which determine whether a pig can drop materials into a hole from afar or whether he must venture closer to the danger zone.
The wolf's breath apparently has a secondary function. Should he create a large enough gap in a house wall, the wolf can "suck in" a pig, which results in the loss of a life. Progression through the game is a bit strange, as one must lose a life to continue to the next stage. Thus, Oink! hard-locks after stage three and the game is over. Now, Oink! does demand a bit of strategy: the player must learn to fill holes quickly whilst taking the shortest routes possible, and it's essential to focus on plugging big gaps rather than diverting attention to spread-out smaller holes. That said, this is one of the easier Activision games. 25,000 points is necessary to earn the "Oinkers" badge -- I hit 27,000 on my first serious attempt.
To mix things up, there's a multiplayer option where two players alternate control of the pigs. Additionally, there's an amusing battle mode where one player takes on the role of the wolf! Graphically, the game looks quite detailed, especially in regards to the pig and wolf sprites, though as one would expect the houses are differentiated by color alone. The sound design is pleasing enough, featuring a persistent rhythmic beat via the dropping of materials. Overall, this may not be one of Activision's elite, but it's a cheery slice of good fun.