Meh

Neopets – Mega Mini Games Collection Review

Joshua Wyld
Reviews
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If you’re a millenial, like me, or have a thing for experiences and games that give a dose of nostalgia, like me, then you’re probably at least aware of the existence of Neopets as a brand. Founded in 1999, Neopets has served as a hub for kids and kids at heart to adopt, care for, feed, and adventure with colorful creatures. Primarily based online at the Neopets website, users have for years been able to play a plethora of minigames to earn points, get items on the site, and achieve high scores. Finally, after all that time, the Neopets - Mega Mini Games Collection - The Neopian Arcade Odyssey makes playing those games outside of the website, and even on the go through the Steamdeck system, possible. Overall, 26 classic, retro-inspired mini games were recreated within Unity for this collection. Was the foray beyond the walls of the Neopets website worth it after all these years? Unfortunately, I believe it’s only for the hardest of hardcore Neopets enthusiasts who want to earn Neopoints on the go, or those who don’t mind pushing through a way-too-buggy experience just to scratch that Neopets nostalgia itch.

Amazing

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire Review

Sean Phillips
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Whenever a game finally comes out after what feels like years of delays, the fear of it not living up to the hype it generated is warranted. While some games are able to live up to the hype and others take a bit before achieving said status, some just end up not being able to and either crash and burn or end up remaining as vaporware. Thankfully, that isn’t the case with Mouse: P.I. For Hire; a game originally announced back in 2024 and had multiple delays before finally being released this year. Does it live up to the hype? Heck yes! Will I be doing a lot of cheese puns in this review that may or may nacho cheese everyone? Yep and hopefully I don’t swiss any and they’ll be very gouda puns!

Amazing

GEX Trilogy Review – It’s Tail Time!

Sean Phillips
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The folks at Limited Run Games are back at it reviving our childhoods again! This time, the amazing folks brought back another forgotten icon from the 90’s in the form of the Gex Trilogy and unlike Bubsy? I actually grew up playing these games! Well, sans the first Gex as that was on the 3DO and I had no idea that even existed as a young one. No, my introduction to Gex was the entry he’s more well known for, Gex: Enter The Gecko, and it was one of those titles that I rented whenever I could from Blockbusters until I was able to buy it for myself, alongside Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko. For years afterwards, I always hoped to see a resurgence for Gex of some kind or even a remake of the series but, like a lot of titles, it seemed destined to be stuck in the past, forever labeled as a failed mascot game. But, thanks to Limited Run Games, Gex is back and I’m happy to say these games still hold up, sans a few issues I’ll touch on when we get to them.

Great

Cozy Sanctuary Review

Joshua Wyld
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We like cute things around here. So when we have the opportunity to start a community of precious animal cuties along the bottom of our screen, we take it. That’s what we got from Cozy Sanctuary, a new casual desktop idle “farm” management game that lets you keep a flock of furry friends happy along the edge of your taskbar with light farming, cleaning, and maintenance tasks to help you grow and populate your precious farm of animals.

Great

The Day I Became A Bird Review – Feathery Friendship

Joshua Wyld
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What’s it like to feel love for the first time? To become head over heels for another, and become enamored with the beauty they see in life, too? The Day I Became A Bird is a short, simplistic game based on a children’s book that explores these experiences. Ingrid Chabbert, the author of the book, and Guridi, the illustrator of said book, along with Passion Animation which crafted a short based on the book, along with Developer Hyper Luminal Games Ltd and Publisher Numskull Games help bring the story and its lightly emotional narrative to life within the game’s approximately 60-90 minute runtime. I knew going in that I would be in for an experience that wouldn’t have me relying on keen gameplay senses, but more on soaking up every ounce of comforting, goosebump-inducing adolescent reminiscing I could gather. When the game has you tearing up and smiling as you reach its precipice, you know it’s been worth it. 

Great

Pokémon Champions Review – A New Era of Battling

Brandon Billingsley
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Ever since its inception, Pokémon has continued to grow in popularity, eventually becoming a mainstream phenomenon. This growth has also resulted in players finding a variety of different ways to play: There are the challenge runners who impose rules and restrictions on themselves. Shiny hunters who have been blessed with the patience of saints as they constantly reset for starters and of course, the competitive battlers. Make no mistake, Champions is firmly aimed at making competitive battling more accessible than ever before. Players, both new and old, will find that there is plenty to like here while there are also a few head scratchers. It’s a brave new frontier trainers.

Amazing

ChainStaff Review – Beyond your imagination

Sean Phillips
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A Star Spore has crashed onto Earth, bringing with it creatures beyond our nightmares and slowly decimating the Earth and killing all life, including our protagonist, Sergeant Varlette. But, it seems Lady Luck had other plans as one of the aliens has decided to make your body it’s home and now, imbued with their powers (as well as the future knowledge that your head was up an alien’s butt), it’s up to you to use these gifts and fight back against the spore menace and save the world. I played many games that had crazy premises for alien invasion, but I don’t think I played any with a concept as wild and out there as ChainStaff, from developer Mommy’s Best Games (the same guys behind the seriously under-rated Serious Sam Double D XXL), and I mean that in a good way: This game is insane, wild, disgusting, beautiful, and I just couldn’t stop playing.

Good

Nova Antarctica Review

Joshua Wyld
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The Antarctic Circle is one not made for easily traveling through. It’s rough, intimidating, and bleakly mysterious. Nova Antarctica’s devs decided that’s exactly where we should challenge our players. So, I strapped on my weather-resistant suit and set off with nothing in my backpack but a hope and dream of reaching the South Pole. What followed was a challenging, frustrating, but ultimately rewarding experience that I’m only beginning to see the fruits of my labor from. Surprisingly, those fruits are pretty satisfying, even after all of the struggles. I originally started this game just after launch and didn’t get very far into the game, but then they put out a huge update a few months afterwards that transformed the playability of the game, and really allowed me to push further into the harsh lands they had set out before me.

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