Geek Culture Reviews

Rob reviews Witch Rise on PlayStation 5… It seems like every week indie powerhouse Ratalaika Games brings a new indie title to console store fronts. Where January seems to be a quiet month for AAA titles, it is the perfect time to sample some indie delights. With price points that don’t necessarily break those post-Christmas bank balances, it’s no big loss if the title in question is a done-in-one to never return.  Witch Rise is one of those titles.  Don’t get me wrong, Witch Rise does have some charming features to it, but it’s one that’s probably only going to be played for those of us who like those illusive platinum trophies. Coming in with a playtime that can be done in a little under 90 minutes with 12 simple unmissable trophies, Witch Rise is one that’ll be done and dusted pretty quick.  Taking inspiration from the likes of  DOOM , Witch Rise is a colourful pixel art romp through a strange world featuring four unique biomes. As you progress through this wor...

Rob reviews Voyage on PlayStation 5... If video games can be called a piece of art, Voyage is certainly that. This 2D co-op adventure offers a deep cinematic adventure, without the use of conversation and dialogue to tell its story. Instead, its thoughts and feelings are portrayed across a canvas of gorgeous scenery that's populated with plenty of weird and wonderful sights.  Developed by Venturous and published by Ratalaika Games,   Voyage  casts you as two survivors stuck in a distant world. Across its eight chapters, you'll guide these beings on their quest to solve a planet-wide mystery, and ultimately find their way home. Intended to be an intimate co-op experience, Voyage can also be experienced by a solo player. Yet, regardless of how you play - it's an experience that will stay with you long after the credits roll. I can't say any more without heading into major spoiler territory. But trust me, you'll benefit from heading into Voyage completely b...

Rob reviews TEN - Ten Rooms, Ten Seconds on Xbox Series X... Under normal circumstances, ten seconds isn't a lot of time. However when you're trapped in a room with various degrees of death heading your way - ten seconds can last a lifetime.  TEN -Ten Rooms, Ten Seconds is the latest game to be released from the indie publisher, Ratalaika Games . Tasked with venturing through an unnamed facility, players have to survive for ten seconds within ten rooms of increasing difficulty. To put it into context, I had an easier time playing through Dark Souls 3 as the deprived class... As the title suggests, this is a game all about survival. Each floor is made up of ten rooms, each room has its built-in death trap which simply asks you to survive for ten seconds. With each floor completed, the challenge gets harder. As such you'll have to rely on your platforming skills, and patience, and have a bit of luck to succeed.  To aid you on the journey, the playabl...

Rob reviews Remote Life on PlayStation 5... Remote Life   is a curious hybrid between side-scrolling arcade action and a twin-stick shooter. Inspired by the challenging games of the old, one-man developer; Next Game Level has teamed up with indie games publisher Ratalaika Games to bring Remote Life to the PlayStation 4 (PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility).  Tasked with infiltrating a vast alien hive ship, players will guide lone pilot John Leone as he attempts to destroy the vast vessel from the inside. As the story progresses John will uncover the secrets to the alien's invasion, as well as discover the means to stop them from destroying Earth. With a high-tech spaceship as his only backup, John is reliant on a dexterous player to help make it out in one piece... Upon first loading up Remote Life you'll be greeted with some incredible scenery. Everything has an H.R. Giger-inspired biomechanical feel, which not only builds an interesting atmosphere - it also...

Rob reviews Flat Kingdom: Paper's Cut Edition on Nintendo Switch... Originally released on PC back in 2016, Flat Kingdom: Paper's Cut Edition is the title's foray onto home consoles. Developed by Fat Panda Games and published by the good folks over at Ratalaika Games , Flat Kingdom: Paper's Cut Edition tasks you with saving a 2D world from a 3D threat. Does Flat Kingdom: Paper's Cut Edition origami its way to success? Or does it leave you with a nasty paper cut? Come with me as I find out.  Flat Kingdom sees you cast into the boots of Flat; a 2D doodle-like creature who has the power to change his shape. Flat is tasked by King Square to rescue the Kingdom's princess and recover an important missing jewel. However, this task isn't simple as the Flat Kingdom is currently under attack by some menacing 3D enemies. As such Flat will have to master his geometric changing powers to rescue the princess, recover the missing magical jewel, and defeat th...

Rob reviews Moto Roader MC on Nintendo Switch... Originally released on the TurboGrafx-CD back in 1992, Moto Roader MC never made its way to Western markets. Thankfully this is about to change as Ratalaika Games has carried the game over to the Nintendo Switch. And what better time too, as Moto Roader MC is also commemorating its 30th anniversary!  Moto Roader MC is an arcade racer that's played via a top-down perspective. Throughout the game, players will race against the AI across numerous circuits while utilising various projectiles to their advantage. It's a madcap racer that's certainly a trip into gaming's past but is it worth playing in 2022?  To be fair, Moto Roader MC still has a lot going for it. Its presentation still holds up to modern standards and the single-player experience - whilst lacking substance - is relatively entertaining. The real value here is during multiplayer races. Supporting up to four players, Moto Roader MC is a w...

Rob reviews Gynoug on Nintendo Switch... The Nintendo Switch is becoming a hotbed for the ports of old arcade titles and retro classics. Leading this charge is indie developer Ratalaika Games, who are no strangers to porting often niche titles to the Nintendo console.  This time around we're diving into SEGA Mega Drive territory with the 1991 scrolling shmup - Gynoug ( aka Wings of Wor). The plot of Gynoug is your typical good vs. evil which was/is very typical of early 90's titles. The demons of Iccus, led by a being known as the 'Destroyer' are invading the Heavens. As the angel Wor, you are tasked with driving back the Invaders by finding and defeating the Destroyer. And that's it.  Much like other 16-bit titles the game doesn't give much - if any - exposition through its gameplay. Often you would have needed to read the titles instruction booklet, or relied on a title scrawl to get some sense of the plot. With this version of Gynoug,  it remains ...

Rob reviews Cotton 100% on Nintendo Switch... Ratalaika Games are back with yet another port of Cotton . This time we're heading back to 1994 with Cotton 100%. While it's great to see these titles finally get a Western release, having them all show up within a short amount of time is a bit Cotton -overload. Readers of the blog will already know that I've previously reviewed both Cotton Reboot!, and Panorama Cotton . So how does this version hold up? And is too much Cotton a bad thing?  Previously released on the SNES, Cotton 100% is the second title within the franchise and is a follow up to Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams. Developed by Success , Cotton 100% followed the same formula of delivering a charming chibi-style shmup with aspects of traditional bullet hell.  Ratalaika Games have taken over development for this re-release, and while it mainly stays true to the original there are a few minor tweaks. These come in the form of both the traditional SNES relea...

Rob reviews Panorama Cotton on Nintendo Switch... They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Video games have often copied one another - and they still do so today. Look how many games can attribute their success to another and the list is endless.  Take Panorama Cotton for example. Developed in 1994 by Success for the Sega Mega Drive, Panorama Cotton take a radical departure from previous gameplay and mimics that seen in Sega's own Space Harrier . However, in doing so it loses the charm that made Cotton what it was.  Flash forward to 2021 and Ratalaika Games have brought Panorama Cotton back from its slumber. Was it worth it? Well no. It certainly hasn't aged well and playing it through a modern console shows this. Even the added extras of being able to rewind gameplay, or the modified version of the original doesn't change Panorama Cotton from being mediocre.  The only real takeaway is that it's hard to imagine the Mega Drive's...

Rob reviews Gleylancer on Nintendo Switch... If there's one thing that the Switch isn't short of its console ports of arcade hits. Normally these either come as a complete remaster, with flashy visuals and all the mod cons. Or they're just a barebones port of the original that's asking for a premium price. I like to think that I'm a bit of a shmup aficionado and through my 35-years on planet Earth I've played more than my fair share of both types. However, when it comes to Gleylancer I'm a complete novice.  Originally released in 1992 on the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) this 16-bit shooter never made its way to Western shores, and only saw a limited release in Japan and South Korea. Even when the title made its way onto the Wii (as part of the Virtual Console) it still only saw an Eastern audience. Now jump to 2021 and Ratalaika Games have brought the original Gleylancer to modern consoles. So 27-years after its debut this much-celebrated shmup fin...

Rob reviews Within The Blade on Nintendo Switch... Much like Zombies, Ninjas have been a video game staple for a good few years now. With titles ranging from Shinobi to  Tenchu , these mysterious assassins have been fairly well covered. Whether it be tales of revenge or the more exotic of saving the world from demons Ninjas have been there and have gotten the t-shirt. Yet aside from the recently released Ninja Gaiden Trilogy the humble Ninja has stuck to the shadows.  Thankfully this is about to change as Ametist Studios leaps from the shadows accompanied by Within The Blade . Originally released as  Pixel Shinobi: Nine Demons of Mamoru on PC the title is now known Within The Blade charts the games first port to consoles. However aside from the name change, everything else has remained largely the same.  Within The Blade is a 2-D side-scrolling stealth action-platformer that's all presented under a pixel artwork banner. The game sees us play as veteran...