Tag: Steam

Slipstream is pretty awesome

DavidLeave a comment

Steam has plenty of games on it and it’s pretty easy to miss a new release in the shuffle. Especially ones sporting pixel art. So, when a cool game like Slipstream gets released, something needs to be said.

The obvious comparison is Sega’s Out Run and rightfully so. The sense of speed and drifting functions are nailed pretty well. The game comes with a handful of modes and tracks, all of which bring back a classic arcade racing style.

Presentation wise, the graphics highlight the 16-bit era and the controls are fluid and responsive with a gamepad. By far the best thing about Slipstream is its music. There are a ton of burning hot tracks that feel super awesome when you’re cruising, almost as if ansdor knew people would be listening to the soundtrack on a cool evening driving with top down in Miami Beach.

Don’t be shy, pick this up on Steam.

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Chrono Trigger surprisingly releases on Steam! But…

DavidLeave a comment

I would be saying hooray! …But, this may not be the exact release you want. So, how could you release Chrono Trigger and mess it up? Well, maybe it has some annoying load times like the US PlayStation release?

Let’s not start with the negatives out right, but the good things the Steam version does.

  • It’s out on the PC, for everybody!
  • Extra dungeons from the DS port (arguably the best version right now)
  • Gamepad support
  • Autosaves
  • Other Steam goodies like trading cards, if you’re into that

So no, the load times aren’t an issue. But probably the main gripe everyone is going to have is this:

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I mean, look at it! This is not the Chrono Trigger I remember. Sure, the interface is not my favorite, in fact I could probably deal with the new menus and be fine. However, two other things stand out. The font is ugly. It straight up does not fit the feel of the game. It’s huge, plain and out of place. Like the font itself is too modern looking for its own good.

Second is the graphics filter. You can tell the graphics are smoothed out in the Steam release, which initially isn’t a turn off, but the more I played it, the more it felt like I was looking at a blurry painting. The Steam release has some different colors, objects and a few other noticeable changes. For comparison, here’s a screenshot of what it should look like on the Super Nintendo.

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At the very least, we got Chrono Trigger, again. Not exactly in the best form, but at least we got it. And I can’t not recommend this game to someone who hasn’t played it or doesn’t have another medium to play it on.

Iconoclasts looks awesome

DavidLeave a comment

When I first saw the trailer for Iconoclasts I was immediately enthralled by the art style. Then the gameplay, then the music. So, by the end of the trailer I asked myself: “What is this game?”

Iconoclasts is a game by Joakim Sandberg (Konjak). It’s obviously a 2D action-platformer featuring various characters. But what else? The gameplay looks fast-paced with some cool looking puzzles and super stylized cinemas. I’m a big fan of the retro pixel art look and this game is hitting all the right notes with its graphics and gameplay.

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It’s worth mentioning that Sandberg has been working on this for a many years, since about 2009, basing the game on a project he created back in 2007 called Ivory Springs. So, it’s been a long road for him and the work looks like its been well manifested. This is the work of one man!

Iconoclasts will be available on January 23, 2018 for PlayStation 4, Vita and Steam.