8 Bit Horse: Wii U

Showing posts with label Wii U. Show all posts

Battle Princess Madelyn / Battle Princess Madelyn Royal Edition

A game by Causal Bit Games for PC, Xbox One, PS4, Vita, Switch, and Wii U, originally released in 2018, with the Royal Edition released in 2020.

Battle Princess Madelyn is an open world action-adventure that takes its inspirations from Capcom’s Ghosts ‘n Goblins / Ghouls ‘n Ghosts series, placing the player in the role of an armored knight – with an exaggerated running animation – who has access to a variety of infinite-ammo projectiles, faces off against undead creatures and other such monstrosities in dark and spooky locales, and gets stripped of armor after taking damage and is reduced to fighting in just underwear. However, unlike the famous GnG series, this game stars a female protagonist, and instead of chasing after a damsel in distress, the brave knight is on a mission to avenge the death of her pet dog, Fritzy, who accompanies her in ghost form, while also saving the world from mortal peril.

Development of the game arose out of a conversation between the game’s creative director and his daughter, Madelyn. Christopher Obritsch was playing Ghouls ‘n Ghosts when his daughter asked if he could put her in the game so she could fight the famous “Green Head” boss at the end of the first level. Chris and his daughter are apparently big fans of the series, as Chris previously developed the GnG-inspired Insanity’s Blade and lists Ghouls ‘n Ghosts as his daughter’s favorite game to watch him play. Since Chris couldn’t insert her into that game, he offered to make her a game of her own where she could be a knight, to which she responded that only boys could be knights. In response, he asked what color the knight’s armor should be. His daughter requested pink armor… and so Battle Princess Madelyn was born.

2018, 2020, Causal Bit Games, Hound Picked Games, PC, PS4, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero / Shantae: Half-Genie Hero - Ultimate Edition

A game by WayForward for PC, PS4, PS5, Vita, Xbox One, Switch, Wii U, and Stadia, originally released in 2016, with the Ultimate Edition released in 2018.

The Shantae series got its start on the GameBoy Color in 2002, but it wasn’t until recently that the purple-haired half-genie really made her way into the spotlight. In her original adventure, she used her magical animal transformations and hair whip attack to defend Sequin Land from a nefarious pirate named Risky Boots. But it wouldn't be until 2010 that her story continued with Shantae: Risky's Revenge. In this adventure, Shantae was able to defeat her nemesis once more, but victory came at a price… Shantae lost her magical abilities and was transformed into a human.

In 2014’s Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, Shantae found that a new enemy was on the rise, and she formed an unlikely alliance with Risky Boots in order to save the land once again. Without her ability to transform into animals, Shantae instead uncovered Risky’s pirate gear, with each piece granting her new combat and environmental navigation abilities, allowing her to reach previously inaccessible areas in traditional metroidvania fashion.

As you may have guessed by the title of her latest adventure, Shantae regained her magical abilities (well, in the good ending anyway) and returned to her former half-genie self.

In Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, Shantae’s trademark hair whip attack and animal transformations make a return, but the visuals have undergone a significant makeover with a mixture of 2D and 3D elements, not unlike WayForward’s own DuckTales: Remastered. The series' trademark visuals are readily apparent in the new format, with vibrant colors, lots of detail, smooth animations, and loads of personality. (Ed note: Some screenshots were taken from the game’s Early Access Backer Build).

2016, 2018, PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Vita, WayForward, Wii U, Xbox One

RIVE

A game by Two Tribes for PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, and Switch, originally released in 2016.

Despite its capitalization, RIVE is not an acronym, but rather a term meaning to tear something apart violently… which is a fairly accurate description of the game’s action sequences, although sometimes it’s the player who’s doing the riving, and sometimes he’s the one getting rived.

RIVE is a sidescrolling twin-stick shooter starring the gruff and bearded Roughshot who uses his spider bot to run roughshod (see it) over heaps of robotic baddies spread across an otherwise abandoned starship. Roughshot sets down on the starship to scavenge for parts and quickly runs afoul of the ship’s sentient AI drone who makes it his personal mission to encumber the scavenger’s progress by any means, stacking the odds against him with turrets, kamikaze drones, flying energy blades, and loads of heavily armored assault bots.

Fortunately, the spider bot is well-equipped to deal with these challenges, as it can move and fire independently, spewing a steady stream of projectiles in any direction. A small array of special weapons is available as well, which may be purchased from a shop located in the Transporter Room – where the player returns after each mission – and these include a spray of heat-seeking missiles, a short-range shotgun blast, bouncing bombs, and an electroshocking orb. Players can also purchase armor upgrades and the ability to draw in currency from greater distances, which is represented by leftover nuts and bolts from destroyed enemies.

2016, Linux, Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Two Tribes, Wii U, Xbox One

Adventure Lamp

A game by Ryan Davis for PC, Mac, and Wii U, originally released in 2016.

Adventure Lamp is a puzzle platforming tale of a plucky archaeologist named Simon who has been dispatched on a mission to study an ancient temple. Unfortunately, just as Simon is setting out on his expedition, a cave in cuts him off from his equipment, leaving him with nothing but his trusty headlamp to see him through the mysterious structure, and possibly dashing his hopes of ever receiving a promotion.

Simon’s adventure takes him across five themed areas, from the ancient temple, to fungi-filled caves, across blustery mountaintops, and eventually into darker and more dangerous territory. There are more than 100 levels in all, although they are each meant to be completed in under 30 seconds (and some far less). Still, there is a good deal of variety with new challenges introduced every few levels.

2016, Mac, PC, Ryan Davis, Wii U

Slain / Slain: Back from Hell

A game by Wolf Brew Games for PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Vita, Xbox One, Switch, and Wii U, originally released in 2016.

Slain! is a dark gothic action platformer starring Bathoryn, a man on a quest to destroy the monsters that rule over a series of towers. Inspired by the likes of Ghosts ‘n Goblins and Shadow of the Beast, the game oozes with atmosphere (sometimes literally) with candle-lit corridors, rivers of blood, macabre statues, and twisted creatures from the darkest depths attacking from all sides... all accompanied by a heavy metal soundtrack.

Combat is slow and deliberate, with heavy overhand sword swings and a timing-based combo system. Simply mashing the ATTACK button as quickly as possible results in a series of short weak slashes that barely impact enemies and leave Bathoryn open to retaliatory strikes. Learning the proper timing allows Bathoryn to follow through with a 3-hit combo, stepping forward with each strike and pushing his enemies back.

2016, Digerati Distribution, Linux, Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Wolf Brew Games, Xbox One

Super Ubie Island Remix

A game by Notion Games for PC and Wii U, originally released in 2016.

Ubie is cruising through space when his ship is suddenly blown to bits, and the pieces fall down onto a place called Climate Island. Fortunately, Ubie has a red balloon that allows him to float gently to the ground while he watches the pieces of his ship scatter across the landscape. Ubie must venture out into the four themed lands of the island, retrieving pieces of his ship as he goes. Along the way, he must contend with the nefarious Dr. Terrestrial who uses his powers to mutate the island’s wildlife, turning them into gigantic boss creatures.

Super Ubie Island Remix is an updated and remixed version of the developer’s original browser-based title Super Ubie Land (originally planned to be titled Super Ubi Land prior to a discussion with Ubisoft). The new game features rebalanced levels, infinite lives, a number of new secrets, and a remixed soundtrack, although the original soundtrack is included as well.

2016, Black Shell Media, Notion Games, PC, Wii U

Jotun / Jotun: Valhalla Edition

A game by Thunder Lotus Games for PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and Wii U, originally released in 2015, with the Valhalla Edition released in 2016.

Jotun features a young woman named Thora – named after Thor – a Viking warrior who meets her end in a shipwreck, rather than in glorious combat as is celebrated in ancient Norse myth, and therefore she is unable to enter Valhalla. But after her death, she finds herself awakened in a green field wearing her armor and wielding her trusty axe. Nearby stands the great tree Yggdrasil, which connects the nine realms.

In this place, Thora is given a second chance to impress the gods by proving herself as a warrior, which she must to by defeating powerful jotun, giant Norse elementals that are summoned by activating runes. Inspired by Shadow of the Colossus, these creatures tower over her, and battles are long and tough. There are five jotun to be fought before opening the way to Thora’s final trial, and her story is told by the heroine in a thick Icelandic voice.

2015, Linux, Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Thunder Lotus Games, Wii U, Xbox One

The Swindle

A game by Size Five Games for PC, Mac, PS3, PS4, Vita, Xbox One, Switch, and Wii U, originally released in 2015.

The Swindle mixes steampunk and cyberpunk to create a world where the player faces off against clockwork robots and hacks computers to override security systems and steal loads of cash. The game takes place in an alternate London in the year 1849 where Scotland Yard are about to activate an artificial intelligence program called The Devil’s Basilisk, which will effectively put an end to thievery of any kind.

As a master thief, you must gather enough resources – through a series of burglaries – to eventually steal the AI itself and put an end to their plans. You have 100 days to implement your plan before the device is activated, and this countdown hangs over your head the entire game. If you can’t complete your mission by then, it’s curtains for you... lacy, gently wafting curtains.

2015, Curve Digital, Mac, PC, PS3, PS4, Size Five Games, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One

Olympia Rising

A game by Paleozoic for PC, Mac, and Wii U, originally released in 2015.

Olympia Rising is based in Greek mythology and stars a young warrior named Iola who lost her life and has been sent to the Underworld. Iola must battle her way up through the many levels of the Underworld, fighting mythical beings along the way – including Cerberus, Cyclops, and Hades himself – in order to make her escape and enter Olympus. In addition, Charon the Ferryman requires payment before he allows Iola to pass through each of the Underworld’s gates, blocking progress into the next level if his purse is not properly weighted.

Each of the themed regions of the Underworld is named for one of its rivers, with the player passing through Styx, Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, and Phlegethon. These areas are not themed based on their mythological origins, but rather consist of caves, forests, ice areas, and fire areas, per platforming standards. Many of these levels are open and may be freely explored, but often the player must race through vertically-oriented levels and flee a sea of rising acid that spells instant death when touched.

2015, Mac, Paleozoic, PC, Wii U

RymdResa

A game by Morgondag for PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, Wii U, and iOS, originally released in 2015.

RymdResa is a story of solitude. A lone astronaut pilots a spacecraft through the depths of limitless space following the destruction of his home world by a gigantic asteroid. But space is dangerous and unforgiving. Hurtling asteroids, floating debris, and enemy ships stand between you and the salvation of your people… and even the emptiness of space threatens your existence, as resources are scarce.

The astronaut’s only hope is to navigate to a handful of known coordinates, gather any resources he can find, and look for clues that might lead him to a new home world.

Throughout his multi-year journey, the astronaut occasionally pauses to ruminate over his situation and his very existence… often informing the player of the toll his journey has taken on him.

These ruminations are often poetic in nature, and in fact, much of the game centers around a somber poetry, whether it be from the narrator himself or from words floating in space.

This does a great deal to set the tone of the game – as does the player’s interactions with planets and derelict spacecraft – painting a very dour picture of the universe and the player’s place within it, which is further supported by a melancholy soundtrack.

The day you died.
Watched it explode.
Watched it burn.
Observed… the… explosion.
Observed… the… fire.
Thinking of you.

2015, iOS, Linux, Mac, Morgondag, PC, Wii U, Xbox One

Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition

A game by WayForward for PC and Wii U, originally released in 2012.

Mighty Switch Force got its start on the 3DS as a downloadable title showcasing the system’s stereoscopic 3D effects while providing a short fast-paced puzzle platforming adventure. It is the third entry in WayForward’s “Mighty” series, following Mighty Milky Way and Mighty Flip Champs. The game introduces police officer Patricia Wagon (a play on “paddy wagon”) as she attempts to round up five escaped female prisoners in each level, with a supplementary goal of completing each of the 16 levels under a specified par time. Completing each of these levels unlocks five tougher bonus levels (originally released as free DLC on the 3DS).

Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition (a.k.a. Mighty Switch Force HD) is a high definition re-release of the original game with redrawn HD graphics. In addition, the game offers an entirely new set of Hyper levels, remixing the original levels into a more challenging experience with tougher layouts and more difficult environmental puzzles.

The Hyper Drive Edition was originally released on Wii U where the system mimicked its portable counterpart’s dual screen display, showing a map on the game pad that helped the player locate the escaped convicts. Other versions of the game feature onscreen indicators when the player gets close to a convict, which operates in a functionally similar manner.

2012, PC, WayForward, Wii U

SturmFront - The Mutant War / SturmFront - The Mutant War: Übel Edition

A game by Andrade Games for PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U originally released in 2015, with the Übel Edition released in 2017.

SturmFront - The Mutant War is a top-down run-and-gun shooter where you take on the role of a SturmFront cyborg battle unit named Siegfried von Hammerstein in a war against mutants. Siegfried begins his mission in Stadt der Verdammnis (City of Damnation), left by a dropship that flies off into the foreground as the stage begins. From here, Siegfried must destroy every living thing that he sees.

SturmFront is inspired by classic top-down arcade shooters like Commando, Mercs, Outzone, and Shock Troopers. The game borrows from the conventions established in those titles and adds in a dash of bullet hell, something that was not common in the genre previously, but which has grown more popular thanks to the popularity of the run-and-gun’s nearest genre neighbor, the shmup.

2015, 2017, Andrade Games, PC, PS4, Sebastian de Andrade, Switch, Wii U, Xbox One

Adventures of Pip

A game by Tic Toc Games for PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, Switch, and iOS, originally released in 2015.

Adventures of Pip begins with a fairytale opening, telling of a strange kingdom that can fit in the palm of your hand. This kingdom is populated by pixel people… but in this land, a person's station in life is determined by his resolution, with low-rez citizens being relegated to simple lives, while the high-rez people are rich and powerful.

One day, a princess is born who holds the power to manifest pixels out of the Bitstream, but on her 16th birthday, the princess is kidnapped by the evil Queen DeRezzia so that she can harness this power for herself. In the process, DeRezzia kills the castle guard and transforms the formerly high-rez king and queen into single-pixel beings.

This is where Pip comes in. A boy born as a single pixel, no one thinks that he is capable of accomplishing much. At most, they think he might be able to go and find someone more qualified to help… someone of a higher resolution. But Pip soon discovers that he is the one who is meant to save the kingdom.

2015, iOS, Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Tic Toc Games, Wii U, Xbox One

High Strangeness

A game by Barnyard Intelligence Games and Crystal Labs for PC, Mac, Linux, and Wii U, originally released in 2015.

High Strangeness is an action adventure game starring a young man named Boyd whose normal day-to-day life is turned upside down when he inadvertently stumbles into a dimension-hopping journey to save the world from destruction by an unknown enemy.

As the game begins, Boyd is having a strange dream where he is standing in a glitchy area with a plain white background, and he finds himself transformed from his 16-bit self into an 8-bit version. While he sleeps, a mysterious robed figure wanders into his bedroom and then leaves, and Boyd’s cat – named Abydos – follows the shadowy intruder out of the room.

Boyd wakes up and grabs a flashlight, but he doesn’t use it to light the way; rather he equips it as a weapon. When Boyd leaves his bedroom, he finds Shadow Men all around his house, which he destroys with repeated blows from his trusty flashlight. The flashlight is actually the player’s primary weapon throughout his adventure, although several secondary abilities are also gained along the way.

2015, Barnyard Intelligence Games, Crystal Labs, Linux, Mac, Midnight City, PC, Wii U

Axiom Verge

A game by Thomas Happ Games for PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, Switch, Wii U, PS4, and Vita, originally released in 2015.

Axiom Verge is a metroidvania starring a scientist named Trace who is working in New Mexico in 2005. Following an explosion in his lab, Trace finds himself awakening in a strange alien world, with the disembodied voice of a mysterious stranger whispering in his ear. Trace is standing on a large egg-like machine that appears to have restored his life. The voice tells Trace that there is a gun in the next room and that he needs to pick it up.

There are two doors in the room, but the path to the right is blocked by a wall of red bubbles. Heading to the left reveals an open room with no enemies, allowing the player to experiment with the controls. Per the standards of the Metroid series, Trace quickly reaches a point in the room from which he cannot escape without picking up the weapon lying in front of him.

2015, Linux, Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Thomas Happ Games, Tom Happ, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One

Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus / Finding Teddy 2 / Finding Teddy 2: Definitive Edition

A game by Storybird Games for PC, Mac, Wii U, PS4, and Switch, originally released in 2015, with the Definitive Edition released in 2020.

Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus, also known as Finding Teddy 2, is an action-adventure title, whereas the original Finding Teddy was a point and click adventure. In the original game, a little girl has her favorite teddy bear stolen by a giant spider while she sleeps, and the hapless plushie is whisked away to another dimension. The girl springs into action and gives chase, passing through her wardrobe to find herself in a (non-Narnian) land of magic and strange creatures. She must speak to NPC’s, remember their words encoded as musical notes, and help them with quests in order to eventually retrieve her furry companion. Along the way, she befriends a black cat that looks very much like a traditional black kit-cat clock, as well as a fly wearing a top hat.

The sequel starts out similarly to the first game, with a little girl watching television in the comfort of her home, although her teddy is tucked away safely in the basement… except that when she gets close to him, he floats out of an open door and is once again taken away to another world. This time, however, the girl quests along with her teddy in the new world as he floats along in the air behind her, at least until he is stolen once more. While the new game eschews the point-and-click interface in favor of direct character control, many of its former point-and-click encumbrances remain, leading to a slow and meandering adventure where the player is regularly lost.

2015, LookAtMyGame, Mac, PC, Plug In Digital, PS4, Storybird Games, Switch, Wii U

Xeodrifter

A game by Renegade Kid for PC, PS4, Vita, Switch, Wii U, and 3DS, originally released in 2014.

Xeodrifter is a short action-adventure game that falls squarely into the metroidvania category, and its design is heavily influenced by that of Super Metroid. In the opening scene, a spaceship collides with an asteroid, sending it spinning out of control and damaging its warp core in the process. Fortunately, there are four planets nearby, and sensors indicate that they may possess the necessary materials to execute a repair.

The player is free to move to any of the planets in the vicinity by maneuvering the ship to the desired planet and pressing the DOCK button. At this point, the view transitions to the interior of the ship, which sees an astronaut standing at a control panel. To his left is a save station and a teleporter that allows him to transfer to the surface.

2014, 3DS, PC, PS4, Renegade Kid, Switch, Vita, Wii U

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse

A game by WayForward for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Wii U, and 3DS, originally released in 2014.

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse stars Shantae, a purple haired heroine with a storied past… Shantae got her start in a self-titled adventure on the Game Boy Color in 2002, but despite the critical praise it received, the game arrived late in the system’s lifespan and only saw moderate success. WayForward struggled for many years to bring Shantae back, with plans to deliver a retail sequel on the Game Boy Advance or Nintendo DS, but they were ultimately unable to find a publisher for these projects.

Finally, in 2010, WayForward released a downloadable sequel in the form of Shantae: Risky’s Revenge, which sees Shantae facing off against her nemesis, Risky Boots, after her defeat in the first game. However, defeating Risky a second time came at a price, as Shantae lost her magic and was changed from a half-genie into a human.

This new sequel picks up where the last game left off, with Shantae living her life as a human. However, a new evil is rising…

Long ago, the Pirate Master was defeated by the last of the world’s genies, but a new source of evil has been found, and the Pirate Master hopes to use it to rise once again. As it turns out, Risky Boots once served under the Pirate Master’s flag, and her crew are now being controlled by this new dark magic.

2014, 3DS, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, WayForward, Wii U

Elliot Quest

A game by Ansimuz Games for PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, Wii U, 3DS, and Ouya, originally released in 2014.

Elliot Quest stars a young man named Elliot who must travel across an expansive island filled with dangers and treasures in order to seek the help of the Guardians. After his wife Cara disappears, Elliot finds himself growing weaker and eventually decides to commit suicide by leaping off a cliff, only to learn that he is incapable of dying. As it turns out, a demon is consuming Elliot’s life force, and if he doesn’t put a stop to it, he will become a demon himself.

The world consists of a large overworld map dotted with villages, caves, and ruins, which appear in a variety of visual themes. The world map is navigated from an overhead perspective, while the landmark locations take the form of sidescrolling environments. Most of these consist of small areas to explore, but there are several large dungeons as well, and more than a dozen bosses to fight. In addition, enemies roam certain parts of the overworld, and touching one transports the player into a small enemy-filled area with exits on either side.

2014, 3DS, Ansimuz Games, Linux, Mac, OUYA, PC, Switch, Wii U

Life of Pixel / Super Life of Pixel

A game by Super Icon for PC, Mac, Wii U, Switch, PS4, Vita, and Playstation Mobile, originally released in 2013, with the Super version released in 2018.

Life of Pixel is a fairly straightforward platformer, but more than that, it is a history lesson. The game features more than a dozen real-world game systems – most of them from the 8-bit era – with levels built around the basic aesthetics of the games on those systems, and some themed after specific games. The available systems include the Atari 2600, Commodore 64, Amiga, Apple II, Game Boy, NES, SNES, Master System, and Mega Drive/Genesis systems, and given that the developer is based in London, there several UK-based home computer systems in the mix as well.

The game begins with a gallery of 10 systems, with three additional systems that must be unlocked. Selecting a system gives the player a brief history of the device, including the year that the system was introduced, its hardware specifications, and any notable attributes that set it apart from other systems of the day. Notable details include the colors transferring to other objects in ZX Spectrum games, ZX81 graphics being limited to the system’s built-in character set, Mode 7 scaling and rotation on the SNES, and the fact that games for many old systems had to be loaded (slowly) from cassette tapes.

Generally, these hardware specifications play directly into the design of the levels, most notably the color limitations of each system. However, for a game that establishes itself as a historical look at the classic systems of old, there are a number of inaccuracies. For instance, the history of the C64 states that games came on audio cassette tapes that took several minutes to load. While it is true that cassettes were a means by which to play C64 games, the system also had a built-in cartridge slot and the ability to add on a 5.25” floppy drive, with cartridges offering fast load times.

2013, 2018, Mac, PC, PS4, PSM, Super Icon, Switch, Vita, Wii U