Platform game

BerserkBoy Games Every year, like clockwork, I end up playing one retro-style 2D game that gets its hooks in me. It’s not that I harbor a lot of nostalgia for the Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis; it’s just that indie developers have gotten very good at both replicating and modernizing the fun of old-school platformers. So far in the 2020s, I’ve had a blast with Cyber Shadow, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider, and now, Berserk Boy. The debut title from the aptly named BerserkBoy Games, the new retro release is a throwback…

Penny's Big Breakaway MSRP $30.00 “Penny's Big Breakaway isn't one of the genre's greats, but it's a very unique and fun 3D platformer.” Pros Unique control scheme works Clever yo-yo mechanics Encourages gameplay mastery Cons Unmemorable characters Bad boss fights…

Mario vs. Donkey Kong MSRP $50.00 “Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a fun, if unremarkable way to kill time while you wait for the Nintendo Switch 2.” Pros Faithfully remade Lots of new levels Excellent music Cons Puzzles get repetitive Challenge lacking Rigid…

Nintendo Whether you’ve just purchased the Nintendo Switch or you’ve owned the hybrid console since day one, you should always be on the lookout for video game deals that will expand your library with interesting titles. If you’re looking for a new game to play, Amazon is currently offering discounts for hundreds of Nintendo Switch games, with prices as low as $11. There’s no telling how much time is remaining on these bargains though, so while you should feel free to check out everything that’s on sale, you should…

Private Division Follow the talent, not the brand. In any creative industry, that’s good advice if you’re wondering why your favorite series has stagnated. In the case of Penny’s Big Breakaway, some of the talent behind 2017’s excellent Sonic Mania went on to form Evening Star, and that teams has now made a momentum-based 3D platformer based around a character with a yo-yo. If you love Sonic, it’s the kind of project you might like more than the hedgehog’s actual adventures. I’ve played through five of Penny’s Big…

Ubisoft So, you’ve unlocked a new ability in a Metroidvania. You know that it could help you get to a previously inaccessible area, but you don’t quite remember exactly where that area was on the game’s expansive map. It’s a common feeling when playing the genre and an issue that games have been trying to solve for years. That frustration is what inspired the creation of the Memory Shards system in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which provided a salve to this problem by enabling players to pin screenshots of…

Nintendo When it comes to Mario, Nintendo has remake fever. The publisher is currently on a hot streak as it revisits some of the series’ cult classics. We got a strong remake of Super Mario RPG last November and a new version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is on the way this year. In-between those beloved titles, we’re getting a full remake of Mario vs. Donkey Kong, a unique Game Boy Advance puzzle-platformer. It’s something of a 20th-anniversary edition considering the original launched in 2004. Ahead of…

Nintendo We’re in the middle of a Nintendo DS renaissance on Nintendo Switch, which is fitting as that classic handheld turns 20 in 2014. Coming off the excellent Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective re-release from last year, more DS classics are coming to Nintendo Switch this month. First, Another Code Recollection contains a full-on remake of the cult classic Another Code: Two Memories, and it’s out now. In a few days, on January 25, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney will remastered as part of a trilogy collection that also…

The Nintendo Switch has had a lot of success in the nearly six years since its release. The console-handheld hybrid has been on the market since 2017, and a slew of fantastic games from first- and third-party developers have launched over the course of the system’s life cycle. Recently, heavy hitters such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder have boosted the system’s appeal, while a healthy list of upcoming Switch games continues to drum up excitement.…

Ubisoft Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the first critical darling of 2024. In my own four-and-a-half star review, I call Ubisoft’s new game “a monumental achievement in approachable, seamless Metroidvania design.” I definitely recommend you pick that game up once it launches on January 18. And I think that it’s a fantastic fit for Nintendo Switch in particular. If you’ve already played through The Lost Crown’s demo several times and are wondering what else you can play to whet your appetite for Ubisoft’s latest,…