…up the mine cart to reach a different path, for example. It is, however, buggy to almost an unforgivable level. I got stuck in geometry, had numerous other glitches, and even had to replay the last chapter three times due to a progression-halting bug. Still, I enjoyed it a lot.

…lengthy chapters (plus a bonus post-game "Return to Peru" for finding all artifacts, which I didn't, but unlocked via cheat code) are much more puzzle-filled than I expected. I got stuck at least a half-dozen times and had to look up hints. I never would have thought to back…

Mini-Review: Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine (N64 on Analogue 3D)

This globetrotting third person action adventure feels almost as epic now as it might have two and a half decades ago. What it lacks in polish, it (almost) makes up for in art and level design. Sixteen…

…played solo). It may not be what most gamers wanted or expected out of RE, but I had fun. Am I an RE6 apologist now? Maybe. Based on its reputation among fans, I shouldn’t have liked it, yet I did. It was like a summer blockbuster movie as a video game. There’s plenty to like.

…action with big set pieces, quick-time events and over-the-top scenarios. You can even roundhouse kick and tackle the infected for head-crushing takedowns. Plus, there are 4 different interconnected campaigns featuring 7 different characters (3 campaigns are co-op but can be…

Mini-Review: Resident Evil 6 (PS4 on PS5 Pro)

I’d always heard RE6 was more action than survival horror, but it always seemed like hyperbole. No. Aside from some early slower-paced sections and a brief stint of simple puzzles (mostly in Leon’s and Ada’s campaigns) it’s pure…

…powers and an RPG level-up system (plus the ability to buy stat points too), the challenge is more in gate/progression puzzles than in the combat. Bosses are no problem if you find their special weapon first and you're sufficiently healed and leveled up. This is an N64-era gem.

…very memorable. This is why I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed Gauntlet Legends. This one did click. As N64 games go, it holds up incredibly well with easy controls and an automatic camera. It never felt overwhelming or too unfair. In fact, with so many consumable items and…

Mini-Review: Gauntlet Legends (N64 on Analogue 3D)

I always liked the concept of Gauntlet, but it never clicked for me. The NES game seemed pointless and difficult. I played Gauntlet: Slayer Edition with my son on PS4 years ago, which we enjoyed, but it felt generic and wasn't…

Whoever you're quoting, I have blocked and can't see the quote. Probably for the best.

Modern games are great too, but there is so much to play over gaming’s decades-long history, that I’d be OK if the industry just stopped making new ones here. It’s a shame more people won’t play stuff from prior console generations, or don’t have the means to.

…not as hard as I feared. Replaying a whole level upon dying is a pain, but they can go fast. It was only a problem a couple times (a wizard boss, in particular). It's not an immersive sim, but it's an interesting middle phase between early mindless shooters and later FPS games.

…BlueRetro adapter and used a DualShock 4, so I could move the left-stick to the right and map c-buttons to the left stick. It works, but there's a little latency, so I struggled most with precise jumping (thankfully not often required). I had a blast with this game, and it's…

Mini-Review: John Romero's Daikatana (N64 on Analogue 3D)

In a slower-paced game like Shadowgate 64, having camera control on the left (and only) stick with movement on the right c-buttons worked fine for me. In a first-person shooter, though, I just couldn't. So, I bought the…

…physical disc - but not enough to get a full before-and-after feel. I think the biggest thing is just that I didn't follow the story. It feels like there's a lot more going on than what's shown - loose threads, vague plot points. It was short, too, but I did play on Easy mode.

…a little with the combat and movement, never feeling like I ever landed where I wanted to and sometimes clinging to walls I didn't intend, but this is the updated version, so I know that stuff was improved. I did try briefly on the launch version - a benefit of buying the…

Mini-Review: Hotel Barcelona - Under New Management (PS5 Pro)

This may be the only SWERY game that didn't click for me, but not because of the roguelike elements, which weren't egregious. You don't really lose progress, levels stay unlocked, and runs are short. I did struggle…

Its going to be amazing! 😂

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…standard platforming and shooting in the early parts, to a jump high, fly anywhere, kill everything power trip by the end. There's some gross-out humor along the lines of High on Life (mainly in live-action video ads). Scan stuff, capture beasts, decorate the base, and lots more systems.

…knocked a game off my 2025 Top-10 if I had played it sooner. It's a third-person action adventure with multiple planets to visit, lots of bizarre enemy creatures, and a story that follows up from the first game but can easily stand alone. Upgrades evolve the game from mostly…

Mini-Review: Revenge of the Savage Planet (PS5 Pro)

It took me almost a year to get around to this, even though I enjoyed the first game a lot. This seemed like a fun use of my four-day weekend, and my son had been insisting I play it for weeks. I'm glad I did. This might have…

…Chapter 2 where I had to start C2 over). It's unfortunate that nobody wants to *be* Gollum in a game and he comes across as accidentally comical, because he's a tragic character that's very fleshed-out and conflicted. The bugs though. They won't ever be fixed, because the developer was shut down.

…and polish. That's usually nonsense. I ended up liking this game, but for every one positive (Gollum's cut-scene animation, his bits of witty sarcasm, climbing and stealth that I enjoyed) there are two negatives (early-game dialogue that repeats at every checkpoint load, a game-breaking glitch in…

Mini-Review: The Lord of the Rings - Gollum (PS5 Pro)

A mini-review can't cover everything I want to say about Gollum. I wouldn't recommend the game or even say it's "good", but I don't subscribe to the popular notion that "bad" games are bad at their core and can't be fixed with more bug-fixing…

…a goal of collecting 30 fruits. They recover "health" by eating fruit, but lose all 6 and you have to start a new run. To finally beat it, I started exiting out when I lost a Yoshi. One successful run was enough for me, so there are tons of secrets and stages I won't ever see.

…didn't fully understand. What I was least prepared for, though, is that it's basically a roguelike. You pick your path through the game by choosing one of the unlocked stages per level, plus one of six Yoshis of varying colors and then proceed through the storybook stage with…

Mini-Review: Yoshi's Story (N64 on Analogue 3D)

I was not prepared for Yoshi's Story. It's bizarre. They sing (off-key) between levels. Some of the characters they encounter look like they belong in Rayman. There are 6 levels with 4 possible stages, unlocked by doing things I…

My Escape Room binge ends with VGGN Issue #39, out now. I've done enough thinking, so I'm gonna go play Lord of the Rings: Gollum. Also: some shake-ups at Xbox and a rant about physical game discs.

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…out, or quickly walk (on rails) to another part of the room. Stubbornly, I refused to use the built-in hint system except for two or three times in chapter 4, and I found it gave me just the right nudge. There's also an interesting story in this one that I don't want to spoil.