Celebrate the Golden Era of Classic Marvel Storylines on December 1st

PARIS - Nov. 20, 2025 | MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, the arcade-style tag-team beat ‘em up celebrating the golden eras of classic MARVEL storylines and entertainment, will receive a physical release offering Standard and Deluxe Editions of the game for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and Xbox. Publisher Dotemu (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge) and Tribute Games (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Scott Pilgrim EX) announced the game’s physical editions will launch on March 13, 2026, following MARVEL Cosmic Invasion’s debut on Dec. 1, 2025 through digital storefronts on PC and consoles. (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2753970/MARVEL_Cosmic_Invasion/)

Team up with your preferred retailer to pre-order MARVEL Cosmic Invasion now (available for distribution worldwide outside of Asia).

MARVEL Cosmic Invasion’s Deluxe Edition includes:

• A physical copy of MARVEL Cosmic Invasion and special Deluxe Edition box
• A premium SteelBook case featuring a striking, hand-drawn illustration of the game’s playable roster and the menacing villain central to MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, Annihilus
• A 21.38 x 13.31" poster celebrating MARVEL Cosmic Invasion’s main cast
• 15 5.32 x 6.69" exclusive art cards, each spotlighting a starring fighter from MARVEL Cosmic Invasion and a snapshot of their incredible powers with holographic effects
• Sticker sheets spanning the game’s 15-fighter playable roster, allowing MARVEL Cosmic Invasion’s heroes to keep watch for Annihilus from any lookout points they’re adhered to

MARVEL Cosmic Invasion Physical Edition Pricing

Standard Edition

• $39.99 on PlayStation 5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch 
• $49.99 for Nintendo Switch 2 (Full Cartridge format)

Deluxe Edition

• $59.99 on PlayStation 5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch
• $69.99 for Nintendo Switch 2 (Full Cartridge format)

About MARVEL Cosmic Invasion

In MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, the immortal Super Villain Annihilus has launched an unprecedented attack across the galaxy, threatening all life as we know it. Fighters, both Earth-born and cosmic, must now join forces in a star-spanning adventure against the deadly Annihilation Wave. Choosing from a unique roster of characters, brawl through the streets of New York City all the way to the depths of the Negative Zone to foil Annihilus’ vow to spread death across the cosmos with the help of Thanos, M.O.D.O.K, Taskmaster and more devious allies.

Defend the cosmos with a 15-hero playable roster, fighting as Captain America, She-Hulk, Rocket Racoon, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Storm, Phyla-Vell, Venom, Nova, Black Panther, Beta Ray Bill, Cosmic Ghost Rider, Silver Surfer, Phoenix or Invincible Iron Man. MARVEL Cosmic Invasion gives players an incredible variety of skills and styles to mix and match as they traverse across the cosmos in a star-spanning adventure.

Choose and control your own team of two characters while tagging between them mid-fight with the innovative Cosmic Swap system, capitalizing on distinct superpowers and special attacks to create unique team-ups and dish out devastating damage. 

Unlock stellar powerups and rewards while experimenting with different duos and bash through a fantastic collection of locales and nemeses from the MARVEL universe. MARVEL Cosmic Invasion’s action includes a range of accessibility features, empowering the whole family to be Super Heroes (or Villains) and supports four player drop-in/drop-out local and online co-op with crossplay.

After setting the bar for arcade-inspired beat ‘em ups with the acclaimed, multimillion-selling smash hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Dotemu and Tribute Games modernize the timeless fun of brawlers with exciting tag-team fighting and a multi-era celebration of the most iconic comic book universe. MARVEL Cosmic Invasion embodies the spirit of classic MARVEL character designs and delivers thrilling action that’d look right at home in an arcade cabinet.

For the latest on MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, visit https://marvelcosmicinvasiongame.com/, wishlist the game on Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/2753970/Marvel_Cosmic_Invasion/ and follow @Dotemu and @TributeGames on X. 

About Dotemu

Dotemu is a French publisher and developer specializing in revitalizing legendary pop culture franchises across video games, TV and cinema by releasing original PC and console games that feel like a dream come true to play. Dotemu crafts entertainment with heart in collaboration with passionate creative partners for fans around the world, both through games that revitalize a beloved IP and titles set in original universes that modernize the classic fun of all-time favorites.

Dotemu has published and developed a number of global top-sellers including the award-winning games Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Streets of Rage 4, and NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound, as well as the new, innovative breakout hit IP Absolum. Dotemu's development and publishing work also supported the release of the acclaimed Metal Slug Tactics, Windjammers 1 and 2, Pharaoh: A New Era, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap and more.

Dotemu is currently working on MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes and unannounced projects planned for 2026 and beyond. dotemu.com

About Tribute Games

Tribute Games is a studio developing and publishing video games with a focus on pixel art and classic game design. The Montreal-based studio has been steadily creating entertaining, challenging and retro-inspired games since 2011 using modern game development processes and technology. Their catalogue includes: Wizorb, Mercenary Kings, Curses 'N Chaos, Ninja Senki DX, Flinthook, and Panzer Paladin. They are also the developers of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, published by Dotemu, in partnership with Nickelodeon.

About Marvel

MARVEL is one of the world’s most prominent entertainment brands, built on an unparalleled library of iconic characters and stories that have shaped pop culture for 85 years. The MARVEL brand spans entertainment, including film, television, publishing, licensing, games, live events, digital media, and more.

For more information visit http://marvel.com/. © 2025 MARVEL

Article by: Susan N.

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Mark Your Calendars as 'Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate' Pops April 17th!

Back in January 2025 an important announcement was released:

 
Dear Rocket Panda Games community and Phantom Breaker fans,

We have an important announcement from our game producer Masaki Sakari in regards to the launch of Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate.

    To all of our fans, supporters, and beloved Phantom Breaker community,

    The release date for Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate, originally scheduled for Thursday, February 13, 2025, has been postponed to Thursday, April 17, 2025.

    First and foremost, we want to extend our sincerest apologies to you—everyone eagerly awaiting the game’s release. While the single-player experience is nearly complete, we encountered unforeseen delays with the implementation and testing of the online modes. Enabling online cross-play multiplayer across all platforms (Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch) is an incredibly challenging feature, but we’re committed to our mission of letting our awesome fans play together at launch.

    The delay is entirely my responsibility as the producer. We kindly ask for your patience until the new release date of April 17.


    Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

    Sincerely,

    Masaki Sakari (Sakari P)

With the launch of PBBGU pushed back to April 17, 2025, we want to thank you for your patience and understanding while we work to and are committed to release the best game we can for our community.
 

Article by: Susan N.

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Experience a 3D Beat'em Up Game Like Never Before!

Montpellier, France – December 10, 2024 | Indie Developer Exalted Studio and independent publisher Dear Villagers are proud to announce that Big Helmet Heroes, the zany 3D beat'em up that combines charismatic heroes with unique powers, exhilarating action and beautifully detailed animations, is set to launch on consoles and PC in Q1 2025.

Playable solo or with a friend, whether outdoors or at home, the game offers 29 unique characters to discover and rescue across whimsical levels inspired by childhood fantasies (Knights, Pirates, Mummies, and even Metal Unicorns!), Big Helmet Heroes brings a fresh twist to the 3D beat'em up genre. The game's meticulous production features numerous characters, each with their own personality and superpowers, as you face off against Goblins using swords, axes, clubs, crossbows, electric fly swatters, and even laser guns!

Big Helmet Heroes offers an engaging yet accessible challenge for all audiences. Battle through waves of mischievous villains—including bosses—and, from time to time, even against your partner with an unfortunate push into a precipice! Exalted Studio has poured its heart into this chivalrous adventure to rescue the Princess (who may not be as helpless as she seems...).

The game has been showcased and playable at international events like Paris Games Week (France), Indie X (Portugal) or WePlay (China). For those who couldn’t attend them and are eager to try it out, a playable demo is available on Steam and Xbox Series. Get ready to dive into a fantastical adventure full of humor, action, and surprises!

KEY FEATURES

• 🎨Cutting-edge Animation: Immerse yourself in a game that pushes the boundaries of animation. Our state-of-the-art visuals breathe life into each hero and environment, making every battle spectacularly vivid.
• ⚔️Dynamic Combat Styles: Harness the power of 4 distinct combat styles. use your surroundings to your advantage by wielding whimsical and funny weapons.
• 🎮Co-op Gameplay: Experience the joy of cooperative gameplay in local co-op mode. Tackle enemies together, strategize your next moves, or just enjoy the chaos of battling side by side with your friend.
• 🏰Expansive, Imaginative Worlds: Explore levels that push the boundaries of creativity, each more surprising and visually stunning than the last. The vibrant backdrops and intricate designs set the stage for unforgettable adventures.
• 🔥 Unique Hero Powers: Unique Hero Powers: Each hero comes with their own special abilities that can demolish obstacles and enemies alike. These superpowers are not only unique but also visually explosive, adding an extra layer of excitement to your gameplay.

MEET OUR HEROES

The Warrior, skilled with both sword and shield balances attack and defence masterfully, a true asset on the battlefield. Strategic use of the shield complements the swordsmanship.

Meet the Brute, a formidable presence with a massive two-handed weapon. The slower pace is offset by powerful strikes that can decisively shift the course of the battle.

The Rogue, a master of stealth and speed, wields twin daggers to silently take down enemies. Rapid, stealthy attacks inflict a deadly force before the foes are even aware of the danger.

The Monk, in tune with nature, combines aerial agility with fluid movements. Wielding a deceivably simple staff to create a dance of destruction is as effective as it is beautiful.

Key Information and Links:

• Genre: Action-Aventure, Beat them all 
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch
• Website: https://bighelmetheroesgame.com

About Exalted Studio

Nestled in the sunny South of France, our cozy studio is home to a passionate team of creators. At Exalted Studio, we blend skill with imagination to craft games that delight and inspire players worldwide. We're not just a studio; we're a small crew of about a dozen people, a family that loves to laugh, dream, and create together. Join us on this playful journey to make the world a bit more fun, one game at a time!

About Dear Villagers

Based in the South of France, in sunny Montpellier, we are a boutique publishing label composed of a team of twenty people. Open-minded and versatile, Dear Villagers offers handcrafted marketing and production guidance. Our mission: We tell memorable stories through memorable games. We love pixels, but we believe in people.

Article by: Susan N.

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Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed Director's Cut - Switch Review

Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed Director's Cut by developer Acquire and publishers Marvelous, XSEED Games—Nintendo Switch review written by Richard with a copy provided by the publisher.

 
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

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Well now, here I sit again in front of my TV, screaming "GODAMNIT, GIVE ME YOUR PANTS" and "HELL YEAH, ALL THE PANTIES" making my neighbours question what the heck I'm doing. Spoiler, it's playing Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed Director's Cut. 

Akiba's Trip Undead and Undressed is an action strip-'em-up released in North America back in 2014. Now coming to a more up to date system with all the DLCs and some bonus content included in the form of the Director's Cut on Switch! Both handheld and console type playability allowed!

Akiba's Trip is the tale of a young man living in Akihabara, the electronics mecca of Japan. After deciding to take part in an extremely sketchy drug trial in exchange for limited edition anime figurines, the main character is kidnapped and turned into a sort of vampire thrall called a Synthester. Lucky for our MC, he gets saved by a girl who turns him into a familiar instead of a common thrall. So, what are you going to do now? Why, defeat the evil "not-a-vampires" that are plaguing Akihabara! And how are you going to do this? By stripping them and exposing them to that dastardly sunlight of course!

Alright, now I know what you're thinking: "what the heck is this game", and that's perfectly reasonable. But seriously, it's actually ridiculously fun. Pretty much what drives the game is you walking around Akihabara getting into fights with people where you need to beat them up enough for you to be able to remove your enemies clothes. Combat is a 3D action brawler type deal, where both you and your opponents can have three defensive equipment slots: Headgear, upper body, and lower body. Each piece has its own defensive value, and by reducing it to a certain point, you, or your enemies, can strip the clothes off. When someone is out of clothes, they are defeated and may drop their weapon or other accessories for you to equip.

Guess what? Any clothes you strip intact you get to keep! While you might be tearing a lot of clothes to begin with, the more you strip the better you get at stripping without tearing clothes. You can collect these to equip or sell as you need to. You can also unlock an upgrade function where you can get your little sister to enhance your gear by using other gear. Something to note is that every piece of equipment, whether it provides a defensive rating or not, updates your character appearance. You can also equip different methods of stripping people as well as walking styles.

Other than fighting off civilians and manmade vampires? Well, you'll be walking around Akihabara visiting shops to buy pants, or items, or weapons to beat people with, or you could be taking on sidequests in order to earn some money or perhaps clothing. You can also take a trip to the battle arena to test your mettle. Overall, the game is rather simplistic in its approach, which means it's a lot easier to get into the fun.

So, let's talk a bit about some more of the nitty gritty of the beat-'em-up style. As mentioned, there are three defensive clothings, and you can push a different button to attack each piece. The more hits you get within a time frame, you start building a combo which increases your damage rating. You also have a guard which will let you dodge attacks, and you can unleash counter attacks if you attack right after dodging. Now, if you happen to weaken multiple articles of clothing, you can chain strip. Essentially, whenever you strip an article of clothing, you can hit a button prompt to move onto the next clothing item as long as the durability is low enough. Not only do you get bonus exp for this, but if you get a high enough chain, you can even strip the opponent of their underwear! Muahahahaha! You do need to be careful however, as enemies tend to gang up on you, and you can be combo'd in a corner if you aren't careful.

As you are walking around Akihabara there is a lot to take in, from the various characters in weird or interesting outfits, the cosplayers, the stores and locations based on actual real world places, and even flyers that are actually from stores in real life! Well, as of 2013, but it's still cool to see it based so closely off a real place and real shops. There are colourful locales and LOTS of clothing items to...liberate the residents of. 

Good news though, you get a camera function that allows you to scan what people are carrying, letting you know if you've mastered the skill to assure getting their clothing, whether you have that clothing, or whether you have had it at some point so it got registered in the encyclopedia. Taking a picture in scan mode will also let you know if a dude is a Synthester or not. You can then talk to them to start a fight. Alternatively, you can shove people and hope they fight you instead of running away.

The graphic quality is... well, it originally also released on the Vita, so it's nothing too fancy, but you also have a ridiculous amount of control over a lot of game aspects under the Visual Editor. The soundtrack is also pretty good, although I wouldn't say it would win any rewards. Really, what you're here for is campy beat'em up fun, and Akiba's Trip offers that in droves. The game doesn't usually take itself seriously, and neither should you. 

There are a few issues, such as getting boxed in by random NPCs while walking, getting absolutely bodied by large groups of enemies, and if you aren't upgrading equipment, chances are some of the later fights are going to be down right nasty. There are certain mitigations to all this, such as the fact you push NPCs out of the way, a more conservative fighting style, and repeatable side-quests to build money for buying equipment and fusing, or the option to start a new game plus just by leaving Akihabara, but sometimes it can still feel a little rough. 

Now, I'd like to give an extra special mention to Akiba's Trip's New Game Plus feature. Yeah, I know, lots of games have these, what's so special about Akiba's Trip? Well, in addition to bringing over all your items and Encyclopedia entries, you can also freely select your character model, even from the random NPCs. A cool feature to be sure, but the most important? The ability to see what dialogue options are associated with what a character's true ending is. Seriously, this is a feature that more games need to include.

Overall, I have to say that Akiba's Trip Undead and Undressed Director's Cut is a really great title. Now available on more modern platforms, with additional story content and the DLC from the base game included, Akiba's Trip Undead and Undressed will strip the boredom right out of you.

Score: 9 / 10

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Bringing Tag Team Action to PC and Consoles This Summer is Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons

Walnut Creek, Calif. (May 3, 2023) - Modus Games and developer Secret Base roundhouse kick down the doors today in announcing Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, a co-operative beat ‘em up featuring tag team duos of fighters infused with roguelite elements to deliver classically informed, highly replayable Double Dragon-style brawls with a new edge. Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons will revitalize the iconic franchise when it hits PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 this Summer. 

Wishlist today: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1967260/Double_Dragon_Gaiden_Rise_Of_The_Dragons/



New York City in the year 199X: the city has been devastated by nuclear war. Its citizens fight for survival as riots, crime and chaos flood the streets. Criminal gangs terrorize what remains as they vie for dominance. Unwilling to endure these conditions any longer, young Billy and Jimmy Lee take it upon themselves to reclaim their city. 

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons gives players incredible, seamless tag team abilities and a multitude of strategies for devastating combos, defensive and offensive moves across the game’s 13 unique playable characters.  

Series icons Billy and Jimmy Lee are joined by Marian, returning as a fully realized, firearm-wielding ranged fighter, and newcomer Uncle Matin, a riot-shield-wielding powerhouse. Tag in and out as the classic Lee duo or switch it up with different characters. With two-player local co-op, the action quadruples as you and a friend clean up the mean streets. 

Endless playthrough possibilities are made a reality with the game’s dynamic mission select function - the order in which you choose your mission will affect the mission length, number of enemies, and overall difficulty.  Players choose between missions housed within city sectors, pursuing the leaders of four deadly gangs across unique stages packed with melee weapons, dangerously devoted members, and varied environments perfect for all-out fights. 

Cash is earned by using a Special KO on opponents, while health boosts are earned by performing Crowd Control moves, which are special KOs that knock out multiple enemies at once. Spend cash at the end of each stage to unlock powerful upgrades for your chosen characters or choose to save up your cash. Experiment with different duos, pursue alternate builds for your fighters through upgrades, and change the order in which they challenge the city’s sinister gang leaders.

Should a session end in defeat, players can convert any remaining cash into tokens usable to permanently unlock extra characters and bonuses in-between sessions, making every battle serve a purpose. But buying a Continue with that token to instead extend a promising round of gang-slugging action is worth considering, too...

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons recalls the series’ classic aesthetic with refreshed pixel art visuals, sporting updated-yet-faithful appearances for both returning heroes and villains and a stirring soundtrack which keeps players ready for the next fight. With unlockable bonuses, adjustable difficulty levels and optional permadeath and infinite modes, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is a robust revitalization of the series’ signature side scrolling action. Online co-op is planned as a post-launch update later this year.
 
To land hits on the latest updates for Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, visit DoubleDragonGaiden.com or follow @modusgames on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Discord.

About Modus Games

Modus Games is a global video game publisher focused on bringing the highest level of publishing services to the best developers around the world. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Modus leverages its expansive resources and global infrastructure to offer pain-free partnerships that disrupt traditional conventions and redefine the studio-publisher relationship. As one of the fastest growing publishers in the AA space, Modus has delivered notable titles such as Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince, Cris Tales, Super Animal Royale, and Soulstice. Modus Games is part of Maximum Entertainment. Visit Modus at www.modusgames.com.

About Secret Base

Founded in 2010, Secret Base specializes in reimagining classic styles of gameplay in new and exciting ways. Secret Base is best known for Streets of Red: Devil’s Dare Deluxe, an inventive horror-themed beat ‘em up recalling gaming’s greatest heroes in multiplayer, permadeath-aligned action. The studio is currently developing Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons. Visit Secret Base at https://www.secretbase.sg/.

Article by: Susan N.

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BROK the InvestiGator Review

BROK the InvestiGator by developer and publisher Cowcat Games—PC (Steam) review written by Susan N. with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

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I admit BROK the InvestiGator was not on my radar until a certain situation came to light. After that, I looked into the game and made the decision to grab it. I'm glad I did because it's an amazing title with only one downfall that bothered me. Here's the review!

Gameplay

BROK the InvestiGator is a cross between a puzzle game and a beat-em-up game. It has a lot of nuanced elements that make it a fabulous title. You can switch Brok between combat mode and regular story mode at will. Throughout the game, players are greeted with amusing dialogue, plenty of intrigue, combat, and a couple of little minigames. What's great about each of these elements is the fact that none of them overstay their welcome. But, in order to explain how those roll into a nice love letter to gamers from the 90s (a la old school TMNT - the seaweed one, not the fighting game one. Yes there were two games...). This will be broken down into four parts: story, character switching, investigation, and combat.

Story

The first thing to cover is the story of this game. You play Brok a private investigator who is down on his luck. He lives in the poor area aptly named the Slums with his son-in-law Graff. In this universe, there are only two classes of citizens: slummers and drummers. One of the obvious differences between the two classes - other than social standing - is that slummers live outside the dome where the area is dilapidated and polluted. The living conditions are awful enough that people need to take a daily toxout pill so they don't die from the pollution. It gives a rather poignant impression of what Earth could become... (More on this later)

Anyways, the overall story follows Brok for the most part. However, due to the character switching between Brok and Graff, story situations can change. Based on how Brok handles key situations with his son-in-law throughout his investigations, players can receive several different endings. Now, the story itself is well done in that each character is fleshed out incredibly well. In fact, it is a perfectly balanced game in terms of the investigations, the combat encounters, and the dialogue.

Character Switching

Throughout the game, players can switch between Brok and Graff as mentioned. I believe the reason for this is to show different character perspectives and how people are affected by actions. This method of storytelling is one of the points that makes it more effective than other narratives that focus on one character. Plus, if players are stuck on something, they can just switch characters for a change of pace. But, be careful! Switching to Graff will send you back to school at one point! I totally wanted to relive some of those anxiety-inducing moments. *Not*

Depending on how you act when you are Brok or Graff, it will affect the relationship between the two. Plus, those actions will change how successful you'll be in the end. It's quite interesting and brilliantly done.

Investigation

One of the first missions you take as Brok has an obvious solution, but that doesn't stop you from needing the evidence to solve it. This requires you to talk to people, find physical evidence, and confront the right suspect. Unlike other investigation games which focus heavily on information gathering, Brok adds variety in its puzzle solutions like confronting the Squealers or traversing timed mazes. There are even clues that can only be collected through brute force. At one point, Brok punches a wall to find a weight. Also, one fateful jump caused the floor to crack which decreased Brok's health. That said, no two puzzles are the same.

Depending on which part of the investigation you are on, you either need to hunt for additional information or you are conducting a final confrontation with your suspect. With the clues collected, players get to pair clues together to reach a logical solution. Most of those interrogations aren't timed with the exception of one. If Brok makes too many incorrect choices then he fails. Still, the investigation portion can be challenging at times but not impossible. If you find you're stuck, the game has collectible 'ads' which can be found on each screen. These act as an in-game hint system. In my opinion, it was a nice change.

Combat

For the combat in Brok the InvestiGator, I like that it is both not sophisticated and the difficulty wildly varies. Due to the style of the game, the combat doesn't need to be complicated to work well. I even like that on level up, players can choose to increase their health, damage, or special attack. In fact, there is a way to go through the game without getting into combat (aside from the introductory part). That said, the combat on the keyboard is awful. It is much better on a controller. Players can use a couple of combo attacks but it's definitely no esports-level of fighting game. In my opinion, take the combat with a grain of salt.

If I had any real criticism about the combat, it would be about one fight that takes place near the hacker's place. It could be a combination of skill level and the way this fight is initiated, but I failed several times. Maybe I am terrible at certain fights or game styles, but that one was brutal. Players can't even go back to power up some more. Be mindful of this.

Graphics and UI

The graphics style and UI design in Brok the InvestiGator are quite nice. It's done in such a way that it isn't difficult to tell what areas need focus. On the controller and keyboard, there is a way to see the interactable areas. This is helpful when a player is stuck. Clues sometimes hide in obvious places and the ads are sneaky ninjas. Brok reminds me of some old 90's games that I remember fondly, even with its art style, references, and wittiness.

With the UI, each ability and option is displayed obviously without taking up too much screen real estate. Not only are players about to change keybindings, but they can access their inventory, the hints system, and a list of combat buttons. In fact, because of the game design, there is no need to clutter the screen with windows and buttons. This is definitely a feature I enjoy about the game.

Voice Acting

Despite the fact that Cowcat Games is a small indie studio with only a couple of titles published under them, they have a stellar cast of voice actors. Among them are Bryan J. Olson, Michael Kovach, and Daisy Guevara. Each of the three voice actors has a good number of credits to their names. For example, Bryan J. Olson who voices Brok has worked on Endless Space 2, Paper Mario: The Origami King, and Mortal Shell. Michael Kovach is more likely known through Cris Tales than some of his other credits, but he has many beginning as early as 2014. Finally, Daisy Guevara who voices Shay has many credits such as Smite and Yugioh Rush Duel: Dawn of the Battle Royale. What's great is that each of these voice actors fit their characters impressively well. There wasn't a single voice that felt out of place.

Additional Thoughts

One thing I wanted to mention about Brok the InvestiGator is how well it mirrors several aspects of the real world. It tackles subjects like computer dominance, competence, and compassion. Right from the beginning of the game, players are faced with paying bills, saving a homeless person, and doing what they can to survive. The world is separated between the poor or disadvantaged people and the wealthy or educated ones. And it does so by showing what happens as a result of actions or inaction taken by the player. Each encounter will modify people's relationships with Brok, and while it's not at the level of Detroit Become Human with tons of possible endings, it still has several potential endings. I love how well the game brought forward real issues without going overboard. Because of this, and many other reasons, I have a high rating for the title.

Summary and Rating

After finishing the game at least once, I found that I absolutely enjoyed my experience with the game. It has an awesome art style, a good mixture of combat and investigation, and fantastic voice acting. Even though there was one particular fight that just *sucked* for me, it doesn't contribute to the one thing that bothered me about the game. And that one thing was the ending for two separate reasons. Unlike the rest of the game which has a sporadic spread of cutscenes, the ending section felt more like an info-dumping movie. Everything else was so good yet we were given a giant detailed dump that dropped my hype a notch. I wish this wasn't done because I hated it.

The second part about the ending had to do with the type of ending. Without being too specific about what happened, I get that Shay needed to have a justification to be part of the story but honestly, it could have been something else instead of *THAT*. I could prattle on about different things that could have explained what happened without resorting to that specific plot device. Besides, stories that fall back on it often lead to complications in sequel games. That said, I still loved the whole game.

Summary

Brok the InvestiGator is a wonderful point and click game with beat-em-up elements that I absolutely adore. Aside from some minor issues with combat and the ending sequence, this game is truly one of my favorites of 2022. In fact, this family friendly game kept me engaged throughout my whole playthrough enough to put it at the top. Brok is definitely a contender for game of the year and I give it a high 9 out of 10!

Score: 9 / 10

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge by developer Tribute Games and publisher Dotemu—Microsoft Xbox One review written by Nick with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes. 

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is the perfect throwback to those old arcade beam-‘em-up games that I used to throw quarters into over and over again. Everything from how it plays to how the title looks and sounds combines wonderfully with a handful of more modern tweaks that are more than welcome.

Also check out Pierre-Yves' Sony PlayStation 4 review!

To say that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge makes a great first impression is a bit of an understatement. The slightly remixed take on the familiar theme song (I was a big fan of the Turtles when I was younger, and watched the show and played pretty much any of the games I could get my hands on back in the day) as the characters made me nostalgic from the beginning. From there, you have typical workflow of picking your character with a bit of light narrative before pummeling dozens of baddies on your way to the ultimate showdown with Shredder.

Admittedly, saying that a game looks and sounds like it’s from roughly thirty years ago might not be seen as much of a compliment, but the TMNT games tended to have graphics and music that were better than most of their contemporaries. Also, the actual visual design choices just fit, even in this day and age. Sure, we’re talking pixilated characters, but the vibrant colors and familiar backdrops combined with the sound effects and music in a way that I simply appreciated. As someone who used to play these arcade machines for hours when I was younger, and then later invested in the generally inferior console ports, I enjoyed the throwback atmosphere.

That’s not to say everything is ripped from the 90’s. There is an arcade mode that certainly feels like a faster, more linear challenge, but there’s also a story mode that attempts to freshen things up a bit. Characters earn experience, giving them slightly better stats to work with while fending off hordes of Shredder’s henchmen. That gives you access to an overworld map where you unlock stages and can drive around, attempting and re-attempting them as you see fit. Each stage will have challenges baked in. Some are relatively easy (don’t use a super attack) while others can be far more challenging (don’t take damage all level). Oftentimes there’s hidden items or cameo characters baked in that you uncover by breaking something in the environment.

The environments are some of the best (and most frustrating) aspects of the game. Lots of creative visuals, tons of things to smash (and get smashed by) help to keep the gameplay fresher than a simple left-to-right walk and punch-fest. It helps that combat is as easy to pick up as the old games, focusing on things like rapid attacks, grabs, jumps, jumping attacks and super attacks – but sprinkled in some extra, more modern mechanics like flips, different kinds of throws and special attacks. It’s worth noting that while all of the playable characters (including the one you unlock after beating the story mode) function similarly.

Each character has different stats such as speed, damage and range – and their attacks sometimes work a bit differently too. There’s a notable difference in say, how Leonardo’s jumping spin attack hits things and Michelangelo’s jumping forward swing attack smacks the enemy. If you played Dotemu’s Streets of Rage 4, you have a pretty good idea what to expect here with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge.

This is meant to be a game that you play with others, as you can cram a half-dozen players in for maximum chaos. It’s pretty great, as there’s things you can do to interact with one another, such as revives and joint attacks, and you’re not just simply walking around and smacking enemies solo. It’s a small thing, but it lends itself nicely to the camaraderie that was such an important aspect of the source material.

Probably the biggest quibble that can be leveraged against Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is the amount of content. While the story mode is where I had the most fun, I dipped my toes in the arcade and survival modes. There is not a ton of replay value here. As I mentioned above, there’s a character that can be unlocked and for those who really dig the story mode, you can use and level up the various different characters and try to complete the challenges by revisiting stages you might not have gotten 100% on. However, like those old arcade games of the past, this is not a terribly long game to beat and there’s no variety in how it plays out or the rather lightweight narrative that comes with it.

There were a couple of quests that characters in the story mode can assign you once you find them, but they’re simply fetch quests where you gather X number of Y things and turn them in. As someone who smashed up the entire environment in every stage (with one exception where I missed a sort of sneaky breakable that I didn’t realize was a breakable), I found all of these quest items and hidden characters first try. There are difficulty levels that can be tweaked to make things more challenging, but it’s sort of that artificial harder where things just seem to hit harder and you seem to hit weaker.

Summary

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is a fantastic throwback brawler with a solid presentation, fun combat and handful of modern additions that provide at least a little more depth than your typical 90’s arcade cabinet. I do wish there was a little more meat on these bones, but the Heroes in a Half Shell are worth going on this nostalgic trip with.

Score: 8.5 / 10

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge Review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge by developer Tribute Games and publisher Dotemu—Sony PlayStation 4 review written by Pierre-Yves with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes. 

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Chances are that if you were an adult, teenager or a kid between the 80s to early 2000s, you know who our heroes in a half shell are. Having written a love letter to both fans and to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themselves, Tribute Games and Dotemu's Shredder's Revenge is a brilliant retro designed beat 'em up as our heroes run through New York city to foil the latest plans of the Shredder and his Foot Clan.

Starting off with an attack on Channel 6 News where Bebop takes the air as a news anchor, this is everything that I've been wanting from this series for a long time. Keeping with the arcade design of the older NES titles of TMNT 2: Arcade Game, TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project and SNES TMNT: Turtles in Time, it was clear that the developers knew what they were doing, and had a lot of fun doing so. Foot Clan soldiers answering telephones, texting in the hallways, typing away at workstations or whisking bowls in the studio kitchen before you walk in and it's time to brawl, the ridiculousness is enough to make you smile.

So it was moving into this first stage with my personal favorite nunchuk wielding orange bandana wearing Michaelangelo that I had but one hope. The hope that this fun and ridiculousness holds up throughout the adventure and that it doesn't just fall off after the first couple stages. Being a love letter? My hopes were fulfilled and even in solo play my next three hours would be amazing as I completed the adventure for the first time before diving right back in.

Before even getting into the gameplay, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge looks and feels just like a classic TMNT side scrolling brawler should. Various palette swapped Foot Clan soldiers to know what weapons they are using? Check. Mousers constantly biting at your shins? Check. Classic boss enemies like Bebop, Rocksteady, Baxter Stockman, Krang and others from the original series of games and even movie appearances of Tokka and Rahzar? Check, check, and check. It's all of these little details, the absurdity of the Foot Clan doing mundane tasks and the comedy of it all that raises the rest of the experience.

Starting off with the story mode, you'll be picking from one of six playable characters.

●     Leonardo, our fearless leader and dual katana wielder

●     Raphael, our grumpy dual sai wielder

●     Previously mentioned Michaelangelo, our goofball dual nunchaku wielder

●     Donatello, our bo staff wielder, and

●     New to the side scrolling beat 'em ups but also present, both Master Splinter and April O'Neil who can kick just as much Foot Clan butt as the rest of the Ninja Turtles

Each of these characters, whether tried and tested or new, have something to bring to the table essentially giving everyone an option that caters more to them. Split between three stats of Power, Speed and Range, each character has a strength and a weakness unless you use Leo who’s well rounded with two points of three points in each stat.

Once you, and up to five others, have selected a character, you’ll get to go through each stage one at a time, or even go back to complete previous stage challenges. These challenges range from not being hit, to not getting grabbed more than two or three times, not being hit by hazards such as rampaging dinosaurs or Foot Clan soldiers behind the wheel of a car as you move through a stage. The stages themselves contain a variety of elements where you’ll move through certain areas freely enough before being stopped to fight your way through a specific segment. Once you’ve gone all of the way through, you’ll fight a boss with some specific mechanic to watch out for.

The stages are short, sweet, and never over welcomed in their stay allowing for you to easily go back through as many times as needed, or as wanted, solo or with others. What’s special about the story mode though is that there are also some RPG-lite mechanics in which a chosen character can upgrade after accumulating a certain amount of points to have more health, more special attack bars or extra 1ups for the stage to prevent game overving. It’s neat and encourages the use of that character from start to finish instead of bouncing back and forth. Unless you want to test them all of course.

Whether you pick one character and stick with them or try them all out and wind up finding out that April O’Neil is MVP until credits, the combat system is an absolute pleasure. With everything unlocked for you from the beginning short of special attack variants that are unlocked on leveling up, it’s easy to get into the groove and the stage challenges will help you perfect the system. Forward attacks, dodging, combined dodging and lunging attacks, jumping, double jumping for a different attack, jumping and coming back down. All the beat ‘em up attacks that you would expect, and in some cases a bit more are there making it a true pleasure to play through as everything feels natural with only a few select buttons to do it which was impressive.

More impressively though, is that grapple attacks are done without buttons. Simply walking up and into an enemy will trigger an attack and from there, you can use left, right, up or down in order to perform a throwing move such as the classic Foot Clan soldier to the screen trick. Classic.

Finally in regards to story mode, another good reason to start here is that it allows you to take the adventure at your own pace, and once completed for the first time, you’ll unlock Casey Jones for a seventh playable character option. As a side to the Story Mode though is perhaps where some players will find themselves more challenged by taking on the Arcade Mode. Doing away with an overworld reminiscent of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles where you moved around nodes before moving into the action, Arcade Mode follows the classic “stage, complete, next” approach. Limited lives and no leveling up, it’ll be a challenge at times to make it all of the way through to the end of Stage 16 and the final boss fight.

More than just the mechanics though, and I know I’ve said it above, it’s the love that Tribute Games have shown on this project. Retro looking but smooth graphics for gameplay, the original TMNT voice actors from the late 80’s cartoon series that I grew up watching, and all of the tiny in stage elements and nods to the overarching series over the years including that wicked looking Super Shredder statue in a particular stage. Whether from the cartoon or the live action movies with an appearance from Tokka and Rahzar, there was so much TMNT nostalgia but wrapped in something new essentially creating a damned near perfect homage especially for fans of the series.

Summary

So some gushing at the experience aside, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is definitely a love letter to both fans of the series, fans of the classic NES / SNES titles, and the Ninja Turtles themselves. With multiple stages, modes, local or online coop with up to seven playable characters? There’s no reason NOT to dive into Tribute Games and Dotemu’s latest beat ‘em up.

Score: 9 / 10

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Mayhem Brawler - XB1 Review

Mayhem Brawler by developer and publisher Hero Concept—Microsoft Xbox One review written by Nick Herber with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

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Mayhem Brawler is a good but not great beam-‘em-up game that reminded me of Streets of Rage 4, just with a bit less polish. That’s certainly solid company to be in, even if it never quite reaches the same heights. Fans of the side scrolling brawling genre should enjoy their time with this one, but I doubt it will bring in new fans to the beat-‘em-up genre either.

The plot is set up by a rather sharp looking comic book style of presentation that pops up to progress the narrative as you play the game. It’s a nice aesthetic that carries over well to the game’s bright, colorful visuals. The inner city setting is a common one for these types of games (Final Fight, Double Dragon, the aforementioned Streets of Rage and more), and works well enough here, even if it feels a bit unoriginal. One nice twist is there is a bit of a supernatural element tossed in.

The plot revolves around picking one of three supernatural police officers that are part of a group named Stronghold. You have the three usual archetypes here: Dolphin is the large, lumbering heavy-hitter (my least favorite style). Star is the speedy female character with telekinetic ability and Trouble is a werewolf who lands in the middle stat-wise. While there’s plenty of standard-issue thugs here, the enemies have a supernatural vibe as well, which aligns nicely with the theme here. These characters tend to have relevant special attacks that make them a bit more challenging than the typical punching and kicking street thug in these games, and it definitely makes Mayhem Brawler more challenging than the average brawler.

In terms of the overall gameplay, it’s pretty standard stuff for the genre. You mostly kick and punch and kill guys to pick up weapons with a limited number of uses. I liked how the special attack had its own bar instead of draining your health, and there is a block button as well. For years there have been enemy types who can block – so it’s nice to finally return the favor. Unfortunately despite these little wrinkles, the gameplay itself just feels kind of stiff. Maybe it’s that weapons don’t get knocked out of hands on impacting enemies, but requiring you to best them first. Or just because the animations feel a little on the stiff side.

Adding to the difficulty is that from about mid-game on, it sure feels like every enemy has a string of combos they can unleash or grappling moves that render you helpless unless you break out your special attack and they largely negate the value of the block button. That’s probably the biggest knock on Mayhem Brawler. You spend most of your time fighting, and the actual combat just feels unpolished and very rough around the edges. It’s enjoyable enough, but it could have been better.

One of the key things to a good brawler is replay value, so while the actual combat left me a little frustrated, I could appreciate several other aspects of Mayhem Brawler. For one, there’s pretty solid enemy variety. The aforementioned supernatural characters do a great job of creating opportunities for new enemies. Instead of just color and name swaps of the same six basic enemies, there’s actually a pretty healthy variety to be had here.

Furthermore, I mentioned the comic book style narrative presentation. Aside from just looking and sounding really slick, there’s a faux twitter feed along the side that kept me interested in what was being said as the followers ‘react’ to events. Additionally, while a single playthrough is not terribly long, you get to make some choices during these between stage scenes. This not only impacts which level you play through, but the ending you get as well. All of these things as well as three distinctive main characters to choose from help Mayhem Brawler’s replay value than most games in the genre.

In terms of the overall presentation, Mayhem Brawer is a pretty sound entry. While the character animations are a bit on the stiff side, the environments look awesome. That same comic strip style for the narrative scenes actually caries over quite nicely to the core gameplay as well. The sound effects and music are decent. None of the songs from the soundtrack struck me as terribly memorable, but the tunes fit the action and visuals well enough.

Summary

Mayhem Brawler is a solid beat-‘em-up game that manages to do something few games in the genre do: make the narrative interesting. This is handled through a bevy of excellent comic book style panels and the ability to choose your own path to different endings. I do wish the combat was just a bit smoother, since that is what the core gameplay is all about, but the oodles of variety and fun supernatural theme make Mayhem Brawler fun despite its flaws.

Score: 7 / 10

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