Maldita Castilla, the latest release from the wonderful Locomalito, plays like Shinobi and looks like Ghosts'n Goblins. However you look at it, this retro-styled indie game echoes its old school inspirations superbly, and provides what many indie platforms as of late have been missing - variety.
After surviving a hellish fate in the first Nightmare Realm, Emily has grown into a thoughtful teenage girl. But her diary reveals an inner life plagued with visions of another realm, one filled with twisted towers and malefic beings. Those fears ring true when Emily receives a mysterious letter and is suddenly possessed by a spectre that causes her to draw a portal to another realm. Looks like this nightmare is far from over.
It's been a strangely amicable few years for green pigs: in 2012, we helped the previously-villainous Angry Birds antagonists build contraptions in Bad Piggies. Now in 2013, we're helping to rescue what I can only assume are their distant relatives (how many breeds of green pig can there be?) in Push the Box. Next you'll be telling me green eggs and ham are off the menu.
Alright, let's admit it; ERS Game Studios needs to slow down. The company's latest hidden object adventure, Spirits of Mystery: The Dark Minotaur, is a product—some might say a victim—of ERS's breakneck publishing pace, and as such feels sloppily designed, narratively muddled and distinctly recycled.
When you mix an adventure game with good old fashioned Dark Age lore, you've got a recipe for a captivating game. Break the Curse: The Crimson Gems lays on the story and atmosphere in heavy strokes, filling you with both fear and awe as you pursue a sorceress who has kidnapped a pair of local performers. And along the way, you'll find out just how good you are at mini-games!
Everyone has their demons. Just look at Henry's new fiancée Ann, in Lake House: Children of Silence. Ann's little brother, Tommy, disappeared many years ago when the two were just children. But now when Ann is captured by a mysterious assailant who wears Tommy's favorite metal mask, this incredible hidden object adventure shows just how easy it is for a person's past to come back and haunt them.
You often hear about fan projects being shut down with a carefully placed cease and desist notice from the company that they're aiming to mimic and praise. On the one hand, you can sort of understand - the big publisher simply wants to protect its property. On the other, it's a shame to see a fan's hard work and dedication to their gaming love go to waste.
The original Karateka was a beat-em-up released across several computers and video game consoles through the '80s. Its papa was video game designer Jordan Mechner, who would go on to create a game called Prince of Persia. Maybe you've heard of it. The '80s version of Karateka looks a little primitive, but the concept driving it is still classic. It's long been ripe for an overhaul, and nearly thirty years later, here we are.