RYAN JOHNSON
Neon Inferno (Switch) Review
Neon Inferno is from an alternate dimension where pixel side scrollers are king, and polygons fell to the wayside. This game shows off the rose-tinted glasses you wish most sidescrollers had, offering modern lighting and dynamic effects, complex battle systems, and the old school shoot-em-up action you know and love.
R-Type Final 3 Evolved (PlayStation 5) Review
R-Type Final 3 Evolved is an exciting sidescrolling SHMUP title, but it is quesitonable as to whether this PS5 exclusive is worthy of a full sequel name or should have stayed an expansion. Fans of the genre need look no further for quality gameplay, but just make sure you know what you are buying into.
Samurai Riot: Definitive Edition (Switch) Review
Samurai Riot offers classic brawler gameplay with a unique choice mechanism. Major events happen, and you have the choice to branch the storyline in one of eight directions. It is a welcome return to classic “couch co-op” fun.
2076: Midway Multiverse (Oculus Quest 2) Review
Many retro game revivals have happened over the course of the last few years. The best ones are able to make you feel as if you are playing through those original rose-colored glasses. You didn’t go back to the beginning, you went back to how you REMEMBER the beginning to be. Companies like Dotemu have done a great job with recent releases like Streets of Rage 4, Windjammers, and the upcoming Ninja Turtles hack and slash, Shredder’s Revenge. By incorporating a slick polish and drawing style, the old pixel based games feel fresh and new. Ivanovich Games is doing the same with classic shooter games by injecting a heavy dose of VR and all it’s benefits through 1976: Back to Midway and now it’s sequel: 2076: Midway Multiverse.
Rigid Force Redux (PS4) Review
Rigid Force Redux is a from-the-ground-up optimization of the PC game Rigid Force Alpha for console systems. Crafted by a developer who truly loves classic sidescrolling “shmups”, the game comes into it’s own with it’s unique firing mechanics allowing you to aim in all directions with increasing firepower to take down the alien horde.