8 Bit Horse: Xbox One

Showing posts with label Xbox One. Show all posts

Cuphead

A game by Studio MDHR for PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, originally released in 2017.

Cuphead is a run and gun actioner with a focus on boss battles, which takes place on the mysterious Inkwell islands. The game features 1P or 2P cooperative play and stars brothers Cuphead and Mugman. While on a hot streak in the Devil’s casino, Cuphead agrees to bet their souls against all the money in the casino… and they lose. To save their own souls, the pair agree to collect the Devil’s debts by defeating each of his debtors in combat. These multi-phase arena battles make up the bulk of the game as the brothers fight their way through a series of dastardly ne'er-do-wells before facing the Devil himself.

The game's visuals are inspired by the golden age of animated film, with hand drawn animations, striking character designs, and surprising enemy transformations, all set against watercolor backgrounds and a jazzy soundtrack. There are some direct nods to the early works of several major animation studios, and the game captures the overall feel of 1930’s animated shorts with traditional “rubber hose” animations for the characters, and a darker style of humor than later kid-friendly cartoons. The lead characters are inspired by a 1936 Japanese propaganda film where a knockoff Mickey Mouse attacks Japan, but his attack is thwarted by a number of characters, including one who has a teacup for a head.

2017, Mac, PC, PS4, Studio MDHR, Switch, Xbox One

GRIS

A game by Nomada Studio for PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, iOS, and Android, originally released in 2018.

GRIS is an adventure game featuring light platforming and puzzle elements. The game stars the eponymous Gris, a young woman who must overcome pain and grief as her peaceful world suddenly crumbles around her. The game’s wordless story is told mostly through symbolism and begins with Gris waking up in the cracked palm of a giant statue of a woman… one of many such damaged statues she encounters on her journey, many appearing in poses of lament. She begins to sing but quickly becomes unable to find her voice. She slumps to the ground and the statue cracks into pieces, sending her tumbling into the world below.

Once on solid ground, Gris can only move slowly to the left or right, and performing any action causes her to drop to her knees, after which she pulls herself slowly to her feet. The ground beneath her is represented by a thin pencil line, and everything has been drained of color. Gris wears a long grey dress that flows around her as she moves (and makes her visible even when the camera pulls back), and her blue hair stands out as the only bit of color in the world around her.

2018, Android, Devolver Digital, iOS, Mac, Nomada Studio, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

Cannon Dancer - Osman

A game by Mitchell Corporation and ININ Games for Arcade, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S, originally released in the arcade in 1996, with the enhanced version released in 2023.

Cannon Dancer - Osman is an enhanced version of the 1996 arcade game Osman, which was known in Japan as Cannon-Dancer (キャノンダンサー). While the original arcade game was fairly obscure, it was mostly known for its similarities to Strider, which released in arcades several years before. Both games feature melee combat, lots of angled platforms, and an agile hero who can climb walls and walk hand-over-hand across ceilings. These similarities can be traced to Kouichi Yotsui, who worked on Strider and was the designer on Osman.

The game takes place in a futuristic Middle Eastern setting filled with neon lights, expansive cityscapes, and gigantic mechanized constructions. You take on the role of a Cannon Dancer known as Kirin (he was named Osman in the game of that name), a martial arts master and member of a mercenary group called Teki. He is summoned by the director of the world government to battle the forces of Abdullah the Slaver, an evil sorceress bent on world domination… or so it seems.

1996, 2023, Arcade, Heritage, ININ Games, Mitchell Corporation, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

Curse of the Sea Rats

A game by Petoons Studio for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S, originally released in 2023.

Curse of the Sea Rats is an open world action-adventure that takes place in the year 1777. A British navy vessel is returning home from the Caribbean with a brig full of pirates who have been charged with treason. But along the way, the ship runs into some unusual trouble… One of the captured pirates is a witch named Flora Burn, and she uses a magical amulet to transform everyone on the ship into rats (including herself). The ship runs aground along the coast of Ireland, and most of the pirates escape with the witch, kidnapping the admiral’s son in the process.

Four prisoners are left behind, and they strike a deal with the admiral (who is confusingly named Blacksmith) to rescue his son and bring the witch back – dead or alive – in exchange for their freedom. They also hope to find a means of breaking the witch’s curse… although the ship's transmogrified crew generally seem to be taking their transformations in stride. The player may select one of these four playable characters, or select multiple characters for 1P-4P local co-op.

2023, PC, Petoons Studio, PQube, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

UnderDungeon

A game by Josyan for PC, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S, originally released in 2023.

UnderDungeon is a dungeon-crawling action adventure featuring chunky 1-bit visuals. You take on the role of Kimuto, who just started working as a delivery driver in the town of Kutopia… which turns out to be a much more difficult job than you might imagine. Kimuto finds himself fighting monsters that have overrun the town, traversing dangerous dungeons, hunting for secrets, and overcoming minigame challenges.

As the game begins, Kimuto is having a dream where he – the hero of the day – draws his sword to slay a menacing dragon… but he is soon awakened by the sound of his alarm clock. He hits the snooze button a couple of times, only to realize that he’s going to be late for his job interview if he doesn’t get moving. Fortunately, he manages to get to the office, where he is hired and given a rune that lets him summon a magic sword to defend himself against monsters while making his deliveries.

2023, Josyan, PC, RedDeer.Games, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

A game by Moon Studios for PC, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S, originally released in 2020.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the follow-up to Ori and the Blind Forest, and the game once again stars Ori, a forest spirit who lives with his adoptive mother, Naru, and a long-legged forest creature named Gumo. In the first game, Ori faced off against a giant owl named Kuro during his quest to restore the Spirit Tree and return balance to the world. The game ended with Kuro giving her life in an attempt to save her last remaining child, who sat newly hatched within the branches of the Spirit Tree. With her final sacrifice, the Spirit Tree was saved, as was her now-orphaned hatchling.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps picks up where the last game left off, with Ori, Naru, and Gumo working together as a family to care for the young owl, whom they name Ku. A partially interactive prologue – played out mostly in pantomime – shows the seasons passing as the family attempts to raise Ku into adulthood… but Ku has a damaged wing that prevents her from being able to fly on her own.

2020, Microsoft, Moon Studios, PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

Jitsu Squad

A game by Tanuki Creative Studio for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, and Arcade, originally released in 2022.

Jitsu Squad is a belt-scrolling beat ‘em up featuring bright and colorful HD art, four playable animal characters, and a focus on chaotic 1P-4P local co-op against large numbers of enemies. You’re on a mission to save the galaxy from an evil sorcerer named Origami, who has summoned hordes of ancient warriors to track down the Kusanagi Stone. Legend has it that this stone contains the soul of a demon who will grant incredible powers to whomever awakens him. Another sorcerer, named Ramen, manages to summon four warrior to thwart Origami’s plans… and these four warriors make up the Jitsu Squad.

Your fight rages across eight planets – each with a different theme – where you face skeleton warriors, demons, cavemen, and all sorts of colorful creatures. Structurally, the game is similar to most genre entries, offering waves of enemies throughout each stage, followed by a boss encounter. What sets this game apart is its audacious presentation, zany character designs, and the sheer number of enemies it throws at you at once… and a focus on dazzling super attacks and transformations that fill the screen with flourishes and effects as baddies go flying.

2022, Arcade, ININ Games, PC, PS4, PS5, Tanuki Creative Studio, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

The Knight Witch

A game by Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S, originally released in 2022.

The Knight Witch is a metroidvania with shmup-style combat, twin stick controls, and card-based spellcasting. You take on the role of a woman named Rayne, but she’s not actually the star of the story… at least not at first. The game centers around a quartet of heroes known as the Knight Witches, who gain their power and magical abilities through the faith that people have in them. The Knight Witches lead a rebellion against Emperor Erebus, who has led the empire to ruin by exploiting the land, leaving a broken and polluted world in his wake.

In a playable flashback, you control the most powerful Knight Witch, Robyn, who bears the nickname of The Angel of Destruction. Supported by her sistren, she makes her way to the emperor, and the battle ends in a tremendous explosion, creating a giant crater that reveals a series of ancient tunnels. With the war at an end, survivors from both sides of the conflict relocate to a long-forgotten underground city known as Dungeonidas. The city runs on technology that the people don’t understand, but it provides them a safe haven, with breathable air, electricity, and enough food to feed those who remain.

2022, PC, PS4, PS5, Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team, Switch, Team 17, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

Unichrome: A 1-Bit Unicorn Adventure

A game by Super8bitRafa for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S, originally released in 2022.

Unichrome: A 1-Bit Unicorn Adventure is a lo-fi shooter-platformer starring a plucky little rainbow unicorn with a bunch of big guns. You take on the role of this unicorn, named Itchi, as she awakens within some kind of specimen tank after having been in stasis for a thousand years. She soon discovers that six other animals have also awakened from stasis, led by a unicorn named Century. Century enters the Color Core and steals several color-coded gems, which she hands out to her similarly-hued minions.

With each of these gems stolen, the world is drained of color, but as Itchi visits each area, she sees that there is one extra color mixed into the world around her, as represented by the animals and their gems. She must face off against each animal to retrieve these gems – which act as the game’s boss encounters – and then take the fight to the power-mad Century to restore color to the world.

2022, PC, PS4, PS5, Super8bitRafa, Switch, Ternox Games, The Street Level Hero, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

Chenso Club

A game by Pixadome for PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S, originally released in 2022.

Chenso Club is a roguelike actioner featuring arena-based melee combat. The game stars five super-powered heroines as they work together (sometimes reluctantly) to thwart an alien invasion, with each heroine bearing different movement and combat abilities. The game is extremely colorful and offers over-the-top enthusiastic violence with cutesy characters and enemies, as inspired by 90’s animated series like The Powerpuff Girls. While the premise and presentation are couched in silliness, there are occasionally some serious themes at play, and the Chenso Club won’t let anything stand in their way.

When the game begins, a girl named Blue is seen floating in a cylindrical tank as government agents – complete with MIB-style suits and sunglasses – attempt to activate her to defend against the sudden invasion of UFO’s. They aren’t successful at first, but then one of the aliens is accidentally teleported into the tank of liquid and drowns. When it dies, its life force passes into Blue and awakens her, imbuing her with some kind of power.

2022, Aurora Punks, Curve Games, PC, Pixadome, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

ScourgeBringer

A game by Flying Oak Games and E-Studio for PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S, originally released in 2020.

ScourgeBringer is a hardcore roguelike actioner set in a dark an unforgiving world. Long ago, a gigantic object appeared in the skies, laying waste to cities and civilizations as it travelled across the planet. The people came to call this object the ScourgeBringer. The few remaining survivors have become nomads to stay out of the path of destruction, while other brave souls have ventured inside… never to return. You take on the role of Khyra, a powerful warrior with flaming white hair. She enters the ScourgeBringer to fight her way through, and learn what the people did to deserve this endless reign of destruction.

On a first attempt, players enter a tutorial that explains the basic controls, and then they are dropped into the fray… room after room filled with deadly enemies and traps. Per genre conventions, level layouts are randomized, so every run is somewhat different. However, each themed area contains a specific set of enemies and hazards, so players will know what to expect in any given room. And of course, death returns the player to the start of the game to try again, but there are several persistent upgrades to be unlocked along the way (more on those in a bit).

2020, Dear Villagers, E-Studio, Flying Oak Games, Linux, Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

Remote Life

A game by Next Game Level for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S, originally released in 2019.

Remote Life is a horizontal shmup with independent movement and aiming, blending auto-scrolling shooter action with twin-stick combat. The game takes place in the year 2324, and Earth is under threat from a gigantic alien hive that is slowly approaching the planet. A distant space station has already been consumed by the alien menace, and in two months’ time, the hive will be on Earth’s doorstep. After a failed attempt to teleport into the hive itself, another ship is teleported just outside it. You take on the role of pilot John Leone as he fights his way through dark densely-packed corridors full of moving machinery, alien pests, and grotesque boss creatures.

The game is presented using 3D pre-rendered sprites, giving it a unique visual style… it’s like Donkey Kong Country, except instead of exploring a bright and colorful jungle full of playful enemies, you’re enduring the ongoing punishment of H.R. Giger’s wet dream while surrounded by creatures that look like they could devour your soul, while an intense soundtrack pushes you ever forward. Unfortunately, all of the dialogue is spewed out by a text-to-speech reader, so the narrative experience is wholly devoid of weight or emotion.

2019, Next Game Level, PC, PS4, PS5, Ratalaika Games, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

Moo Lander

A game by The Sixth Hammer for PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, originally released in 2022.

Moo Lander is an action-adventure centered around the trope of flying saucers abducting cows. You play as a guy named Lander (apparently) who has crash landed on planet rich in bovine resources, which is great because your entire civilization – and your spacecraft – all run on this delicious creamy substance (white gold, if you will). Unfortunately, you lost most of your important ship components in the crash, so part of your mission centers around finding them while battling your way through hostile environments and occasionally using non-lethal weapons to defeat cow bosses and beam them back home. The game also offers local 4P with survival and deathmatch modes.

Your ship can fly freely in any direction, and you can aim in any direction as well, although you start the game with no weapons or defenses. Early on, you lure exploding plants to blast stones and cause them to roll and break through objects and level hazards. Soon, you acquire a milk shield that you can aim to defend yourself from projectiles... and deflect them into enemies and hazards. Later you acquire a projectile weapon and a sword, as well as some non-lethal bombs for taking out cows.

2022, PC, PS4, Switch, The Sixth Hammer, Xbox One

Source of Madness

A game by Carry Castle for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S, originally released in 2022.

Source of Madness is a roguelike actioner set in a dark Lovecraftian world overrun with unfathomable creatures. You take on the role of an Acolyte – one of many – who must leave the Tower of Knowledge and set out across the hellish landscape, venturing across the Loam Lands, climbing the Tower of Madness, and entering the citadel of the moon… among other similarly foreboding locales. Each time an Acolyte falls, a new recruit is called forth to make another attempt. Each new Acolyte has slightly varying stats, and as the player makes progress, new Acolyte classes become available, each with different specialties and upgrade trees.

The world is procedurally generated and consists of some handcrafted elements that appear in different configurations, with each area introducing new themes and level elements. Even the game’s textures are AI-generated, giving the game a rough-hewn appearance that fits with the theme of humanity hanging on the brink of destruction. Villages are filled with broken ruins and partially-toppled buildings, caves are dark places where it’s sometimes difficult to discern between jutting stones and lurking monsters, and the outside world is a mixture of overgrown forests, rocky outcroppings, and the carcasses of long dead creatures of seemingly impossible scale.

Carry Castle, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Thunderful Publishing, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX

A game by Jankenteam for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, originally released in 2021.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is a remake of the original Alex Kidd in Miracle World, which was first released on the Sega Master System in 1986. The game is a platformer starring the eponymous Alex Kidd, a boy with monkey-like features, as he explores Miracle World and battles enemies. The popularity of the original game led to numerous sequels, with Alex Kidd taking his adventures into new worlds, across different genres, and even into crossover territory with Alex Kidd in Shinobi World. Until the release of Sonic the Hedgehog, Alex Kidd was Sega’s most recognizable and popular character, acting as something of a mascot for the company.

Even though he is just a boy, Alex is an expert in the martial art known as shellcore, which has made him powerful enough to smash rocks with his fists. One day, Alex learns that the city of Radaxian is in danger, and so he descends from his home and training grounds on Mount Eternal to rescue the son of the Radaxian ruler, as well as the son’s fiancée. To do this, Alex must face off against the minions of Janken the Great, each of whom has a hand for a head that is holding the gesture of a fist (rock), open hand (paper), or two fingers extended (scissors). And yes, boss battles are won by playing games of rock-paper-scissors, which is known in Japan as Janken.

2021, Jankenteam, Merge Games, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S

Mighty Goose

A game by Blastmode for PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, PS5, PS4, and Xbox One, originally released in 2021.

Mighty Goose is a run-and-gun shooter that takes its inspirations from classic arcade games, especially the Metal Slug series, and it's playable via 1P or 2P co-op. You take on the role of the eponymous Mighty Goose, one of the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunters, as he embarks on a mission to defeat the maniacal conqueror known as the Void King. Mighty Goose pilots a giant goose-shaped ship as he travels between planets and installations, all the while accompanied by his radio operator, Chonk, who fills him in on mission intel.

But Chonk isn’t your only support… throughout the game, you encounter various anthropomorphized animals in need of rescue – some of whom are hidden – but once you get them back to your ship, you can call on any one of them to accompany you on your next mission. Each animal companion has different capabilities and will attack enemies with melee weapons or projectiles, and some have secondary support skills, such as a pig named Weaponmaster Vark who occasionally drops machine gun ammo so you can rain hell on your enemies.

2021, Active Gaming Media, Blastmode, Linux, Mac, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One

Speed Limit

A game by Gamechuck for PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, originally released in 2021.

Speed Limit is an all-action-all-the-time arcade-style experience that seamlessly crosses multiple genres from one level to the next with no breaks in between. It is a love letter to over-the-top action games and the halcyon days of the arcade where players intermingled and experienced multiple gameplay types at the drop of a quarter… only here, all of those genres are packed into a single experience.

The game is comprised of several action vignettes across 11 short levels, with gameplay changing every two levels. It starts out as an on-foot sidescrolling shooter before transitioning into an overhead driving game that swaps between horizontal and vertical perspectives, and then into a faux-3D over-the-shoulder motorcycle driving game, after which it transitions into an isometric helicopter shooter, and then to an into-the-screen jet fighter sequence, before reaching a finale that ties the whole thing together.

2021, Chorus Worldwide Games, Gamechuck, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One

Morbid: The Seven Acolytes

A game by Still Running for PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, originally released in 2020.

Morbid: The Seven Acolytes is an isometric action-adventure set in the world of Mornia. You take on the role of the last surviving Striver of Dibrom, and it is your mission to locate and defeat the creatures known as the Seven Acolytes, which have become possessed by evil beings, giving them almost godlike power. With this power, they have crushed mankind underfoot and left them barely clinging to life. Those that remain eke out pitiful lives surrounded by grotesque monstrosities that threaten their lives, slowly killing them off, driving them insane, or leaving them to wallow in misery as they drink themselves into oblivion.

The game leans heavily into its aesthetic, offering overgrown gardens and forests, dank caverns, and small patches of humanity set in a world that is filled with Lovecraftian creatures and evidence of arcane blood rituals and human sacrifice. As you wander the landscape, you discover long-abandoned towns overrun by carrion, boarded up structures with faint lights coming from within, and the bodies of fallen warriors lying here and there. The experience is accompanied by an orchestral soundtrack that underscores a feeling of danger and dread.

2020, Merge Games, PC, PS4, Still Running, Switch, Xbox One

Blasphemous

A game by The Game Kitchen for PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, originally released in 2019.

Blasphemous is a brutal melee-based action-platformer with light metroidvania elements, set in an open world filled with nasty creatures and tormented souls. As it says on the tin, the game employs no small amount of blasphemy in its narrative and visuals, opening with a nun pounding her chest with the base of a small statue as she calls out to claim the Grievous Miracle and begs for punishment. Then she rubs her thumb over the statue’s penis, clicking it to reveal a gigantic sword, which she rams into her chest, apparently summoning forth a being known as The Penitent One.

The player takes on the role of The Penitent One, whose first act is to withdraw the thorny blade from the chest of the dead nun, who has now turned to stone. The Grievous Miracle – rendered by a righteous yet pitiless deity whose will is unknowable – spread throughout the land, manifesting the pain of every soul into reality, which was a blessing for some, but a vile punishment for most. Many creatures encountered in the game are burdened by heavy objects that they are cursed to carry as they forever wander, and some NPC’s and bosses are undergoing continuous torture as well.

2019, Linux, Mac, PC, PS4, Switch, Team 17, The Game Kitchen, Xbox One

20XX

A game by Batterystaple Games for PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, originally released in 2017.

20XX is a roguelike action-platformer heavily inspired by the Mega Man X and Mega Man Zero series. The game takes place in the ever-popular year of 20XX, and you take on the role of either Nina or Ace – or both in 2P co-op – as they fight their way through platforming challenges, mechanical enemies, and robot masters on a mission to save the human race. The game simultaneously acts as an homage and a parody of the classic Mega Man series with many of the series staples in place, but with the operation run by a pair of somewhat inept mad scientists.

The opening cutscene shows a building in the foreground as the camera pans quickly upward, mimicking the famous opening cutscene in Mega Man 2. At the top of the building is Nina, standing in her blue armor with her helmet off as she stares out over the city. Suddenly, the city is rocked by explosions. Nina runs to her companion, Ace, who is in communication with scientists that have seemingly unleashed some terrible robot upon the city, and that’s your cue to get moving.

2017, Batterystaple Games, Fire Hose Games, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One