Steam] A fusion of good old-fashioned nostalgia and newness! PC Retro Style Games Part 2

Steam] A fusion of the good old days and the new! PC Retro Style Games Part 2

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Metroidvania-style 2D action "The Witch and the 66 Mushrooms

Petal Crash, a nostalgic Game Boy Color-style action-puzzle

Once you start playing, you can't stop playing mini-games "pureya

1. A witch's adventure story drawn with dots! Metroidvania-style 2D action "The Witch and the 66 Mushrooms

• The Witch and the 66 Mushrooms" (Gotcha Gotcha Games, KADOKAWA)
• Genre: Action
• Release: November 7, 2020
• Price: 660 yen (as of June 20, 2021)
• Copyright: (C) 2020 Gotcha Gotcha Games, Inc.

There are many attractive witch characters in the video game world, such as Bayonetta, a witch who also participates in "Super Smash Brothers," and Noveta from "Little Witch Noveta," aka "Lolidark Soul," which was featured in a previous Akiba Research Institute feature. The combination of a beautiful girl and magic is a combination of a beautiful girl and magic. The combination of a beautiful girl and magic is an ineffable attraction, and "The Witch and the 66 Mushrooms," which we will introduce hereafter, is a work in which such a witch appears.

The Witch and the 66 Mushrooms" is a side-scrolling 2D action game.
The game is characterized by beautifully drawn pop-style graphics with dots that will tickle the hearts of retro gamers, and the slightly dark atmosphere of the background music, which expresses the world in which witches appear, is also made with a retro game taste.

In fact, this game was developed using "Action Game Toolkit MV," software that allows players to create original games without programming or specialized knowledge, and a port to Switch has also been released.

The main character of the game is a young girl who has been captured by a wicked witch. In order to get back her brother's body, which was stolen by the witch, the girl takes a magic hat left by the witch and challenges the "Witch's Labyrinth." ...... is the synopsis of the game.

The story is a dark fantasy based on the Grimm's fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel," and when you start the game, this synopsis is told through detailed dot-picture animation. The high quality of the animation is worth a look.

This work falls into the so-called "Metroidvania" genre.
Metroidvania" is a term coined from "Metroid," which was mentioned at the beginning of this article, and "Castlevania (Castlevania)," which is also a milestone retro game. It refers to a 2D scrolling action game in which players explore a vast map to strengthen themselves and expand the range of their abilities and items they discover.

In this game, various obstacles, such as unbreakable walls and narrow passages, block the girl's way, but she is able to go to places she could not go by acquiring new items through her exploration. This system is very royal for a Metroidvania.

The basic actions the girl learns from the beginning are the "knife attack" and "jump.

The knife attack consists of throwing a short knife forward, a remote weapon that is rare for initial equipment in an action game. The jump is quite distinctive, as she can jump two steps by pressing the button again in mid-air. Since the main character is a witch, she summons a broomstick and jumps on it when she makes her second-step jump. This is not just a simple two-step jump, but a broomstick that matches the world view and the character, and when I first saw it, I couldn't help but say "Whoa! I was surprised when I saw it for the first time.

Incidentally, the broomstick's two-step jump is not just a two-step jump upward, but also includes a slight sideways movement, so it can be used like an aerial jump to jump to a slightly distant foothold. Although the jump behavior is a little peculiar, the number of buttons used is small, and in general I found the controls to be orthodox and easy to play for an action game.

The girl's only means of attack is throwing knives at first, but as she progresses through her adventures, she discovers various weapons such as swords and sickles, and learns new attack methods one after another.

The unique point of this work is that these new weapons also serve as "exploratory actions" that expand the range of the player's progress.

For example, the "sword" action, which summons a large sword and fires a powerful forward blow, can destroy rocks that would normally be unbreakable, while the "sickle" action, which summons a spinning sickle and attacks a wide area, can turn gears and activate devices.

Each time you acquire a new weapon, you can enjoy thinking, "Maybe this will allow me to pass through that place...".

While the light action and exploration are enjoyable, there is an element of challenge that adds even more fun to the game. One of them is the collection of "66 mushrooms," as the title implies. By acquiring mushrooms that grow throughout the vast map and showing them to certain characters, you will receive gems that can power up your weapons, so it is important to collect them for the sake of the game.

However, these mushrooms are small in size, so you may accidentally miss them, and they are peculiar in that they sometimes grow under rocks or in other places where you would normally not be able to find them.

The mushroom collection can be enjoyed as a light puzzle-solving element, but if you get stuck, you can check the mushroom list in the menu to see where the mushrooms you have not yet acquired are growing, with a picture hint.

Despite its simple design and compact volume, "The Witch and the 66 Mushrooms" offers a solid exploration element, light action with easy controls, and the challenge of collecting mushrooms. Between you and me, the hidden command that can be seen somewhere in the game allows you to easily restore all your lives at any time, so even those who are not good at action can rest assured. If you like Metroidvania or are looking for a quality action game that is quick and easy to play, please check it out.

2. Explosions and chain reactions are a nice touch! Petal Crash" is a nostalgic Game Boy Color-style action-puzzle

• Lost Ruins" (Friend & Fairy)
• Genre: Puzzle
• Release date: October 13, 2020
• Price: 1,010 yen (as of June 20, 2021)
• Copyright: (C) 2020 Friend & Fairy

Retro games such as "Tetris," "Puyopuyo," "Panel de Pon," and "Dr. Mario" have been highly addictive puzzle game classics. Puzzle games that can be played on portable game consoles such as the Game Boy are especially popular, and even now, I sometimes feel a sudden urge to play them.

Petal Crash" is a retro puzzle game reminiscent of such games.

Petal Crash" is a puzzle game in which the object is to erase six different types of blocks by smashing them together.

The first thing that catches the eye is the graphics. The carefully drawn dots and the unique light colors remind us of the "Game Boy Color," a title that established the golden age of handheld video game consoles. Even the background music and sound effects are Game Boy-style pico-pico sounds. Although the screenshots cannot do this justice, the quality of the game is sure to bring back memories for those of you from the Game Boy generation.

Let's begin by introducing the rules of this game. The game takes place on a chessboard-like field of 8 x 8 squares. The basic rule of the game is to move blocks of six different colors that appear on the board and eliminate them by hitting blocks of the same color against each other. Blocks randomly appear one after another as the game progresses, and the game is over when the board is filled with blocks.

The rules of "connect blocks of the same color to erase them" and "you lose when the board is filled with blocks" are standard for puzzle games. However, unlike falling puzzles such as "Tetris" or "Puyopuyo," this game is similar in style to "Sokoban," in which you move blocks up, down, left, and right on a field that looks down on you. However, you cannot move the blocks as you like, and once you move a block, it keeps moving in that direction until it hits a wall or another block, which is a unique system that may take some time to get used to.

Chaining" is one of the most appealing aspects of puzzle games, and this title also has a strong element of chaining. The key to this is the explosion that occurs when blocks of the same type collide. This explosion blasts the surrounding blocks in all directions, and when they hit blocks of the same type, another explosion occurs. By repeating this process, a large chain of explosions can be created.

The chain system in this title is visually pleasing and exhilarating, but in order for it to work properly, the player must predict the placement of the blocks one or two moves ahead. In games such as "Puyo Puyo" and "Panel de Pon," unexpected chains may occur while stacking or moving blocks, but in this title, calculation is essential to create chains, making it difficult for accidental chains to occur, and the difficulty level as a puzzle seems a bit high. However, the feeling you get when you successfully set a chain of puzzles is exceptional. You may be thinking to yourself, "I'm so smart! and you can't help but be enchanted by your own play.

One of the most notable features of this title is the variety of modes available. Starting with a story mode for one player with a demo of characters talking to each other, there is also a puzzle mode where you clear a puzzle by erasing blocks in a set number of moves, a puzzle editor where you can create and share your own puzzles, a score attack mode where you can erase blocks by yourself, and a battle mode where you can play against the CPU or a friend. The game is a huge volume that seems to be packed with all possible ways to play a puzzle game, including a versus mode where you can play against the CPU or your friends.

The versus mode, in particular, is compatible with Steam's "Remote Play Together" feature, which allows you to share the screen and play with a friend if one of you has the game. This allows you to casually enjoy battles with like-minded friends.

Petal Crash" is a fun game with a unique system that allows players to create explosions by smashing blocks together, and a Game Boy Color-like visual style that will stick in the minds of those who can stick with it. For those who enjoy puzzle games, this is one that I highly recommend giving a try.

3. 10-second mini-games and pachinko machine mess! Pureya" is a collection of mini-games that you can't stop playing once you start playing!

• Pureya" (Majorariatto)
• Genre: Action
• Release date: March 27, 2021
• Price: 590 yen (as of June 20, 2021)
• Copyright: (C) 2021 Majorariatto

The latest in the Made in Wario series, "Osuso Wario: Made in Wario" has been announced for the Switch. The exhilarating experience of clearing a series of small games that can be played in a few seconds is addictive, and "pureya," which we will introduce hereafter, is reminiscent of the Made in Wario series.

Pureya," with its nostalgic, coarse-dot graphics, offers more than 30 different mini-games.

The objective of the game is to play mini-games and collect as many marbles as possible for a girl who wants to play with a toy pachinko pad. What is hidden is that these marbles are an important item that holds the key to this work. Be that as it may, there was a pachinko game that was played with marbles. ...... I remember loving them as a child, and this author feels nostalgia for them.

The petit games in the Made in Wario series were characterized by their intuitive and simple controls, and the mini-games in this title are no less simple.

There is a shooting game in which the player must destroy an approaching meteorite, a jumping action game in which the player must climb a mountain by moving a bouncing goat left and right, an action game in which the player must move forward while avoiding obstacles by controlling a squid, and many other games with a wide variety of controls, all of which are designed to use only two buttons, "left" and "right," and are therefore very simple to play. However, all of them are designed to use only two buttons, "Left" and "Right".

There is no tutorial before starting the game, but don't worry, all mini-games are intuitive and "just try it and you'll understand". The high level of completion of the mini-games, where you naturally know what to do even without explanations, can be said to be a notable point of this title.

The greatest feature of this title is that the mini-game switches every 10 seconds, which is not suitable for playing for a long time because of its simplicity. However, the game automatically switches to another game after 10 seconds have elapsed.

The high tempo of the game is what makes the game so addictive, as you quickly switch your mind to the next game as the game switches. It is inevitable that you will lose track of when to stop and keep playing.

Another essential part of the game is the "marbles and slingshot.

In this title, after playing some mini-games, a mini-game of a pachinko table is inserted. This pachinko table is a special stage different from the other mini-games, which switch in 10 seconds.

Set the marbles you have collected in the previous mini-games on this pachinko stand, and if you can successfully place the balls into the hole on the stand several times, the slot will start spinning. The rewards from this slot will unlock new mini-games, dress-up skins, and music for viewing. This repetitive cycle of "mini-games" and "rewards" is the real thrill of the game, and you will find yourself playing endless rounds of the game in order to get new mini-games.

The system in which the difficulty of the mini-games changes during play is also a noteworthy point.
If you continue to play the game without making any mistakes, the game becomes progressively more difficult, with more obstacles and more complicated courses, with a performance similar to a car meter inserted.

If you make a mistake, the difficulty level will return to normal, but when you are able to keep the gameplay at the highest difficulty level, you will feel your brain juices flowing. You can enjoy the fun of feeling your skill improve and feel good, just like a retro game score attack.

The loop of simple, fast-paced mini-games and the gacha-like element of the pachinko machine creates a pleasant addiction in "pureya. If you are impressed by the graphics and game system, please try it out and get hooked on the swamp of collecting marbles.

Author：Nero Hyakkabe

Freelance writer who buys too many games. I currently have more than 300 games in my stack. Also a novelist. Author of "Goaken Unrated Edition" (Kodansha) and "My Mother's Lie" (in "Malicious Kwaidan") (Takeshobo).

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