Over a year ago, I reviewed Hoard for the PS3 and decided it was awesome. I recently picked it up on Steam for $2 and some change with the DLC, and it’s actually an even better experience. Unfortunately, there still isn’t a lot of people playing it online, but this game was made to be played up close on a PC. Sitting on a couch looking up at a TV just doesn’t do it justice. The graphics on the PS3 version are worse, and the DLC is unavailable. The reason I feel like recommending this version now is that, by playing up close, I can see the detail I need to find a new love for HOARD mode. You have to survive as long as possible on a map by yourself while the game throws as much as possible at you. It starts out a little slow but easily becomes overwhelming far before the gold medal time. With the DLC’s refreshing desert and snow terrains and extra maps, Hoard feels like a new game.  It’s perfect for 10-15 minutes at a time when I need a study break. The menus are still incredibly clunky, and the game isn’t perfect, but as I said before, I have a crush on Hoard.

Confrontation sounded like the type of game I would like. It’s an action RPG that lets you control all of the characters. None of that turn-based stuff I despise. I started playing it, and it reminded me so much of some of the Orc Campaign from Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos that I decided to play that instead. I eventually got back to Confrontation but became bored, as you basically right-click on everything. The game is incredibly linear; no exploring at all. Also, when you’re done with a fight, just stand there for a second and you’ll heal. This eliminated any motivation for me to actually try. I thought the graphics were mediocre and couldn’t help but compare them to WC III again. I ended up playing WC III more, because it’s a much better game. Unfortunately for Confrontation, WC III is also 10+ years old and doesn’t look that bad. I got stuck in the game for about 25 minutes and decided to finally give up. I hadn’t enjoyed anything thus far, and the main protagonist’s voice is so rough, it makes Kratos sound as smooth as Barry White. Point is, Diablo 3 will be out soon. Get that instead.

In many ways, Coloropus feels like a throwback to the edgier point-and-click adventure games popularized by Sierra.  The music, artwork, and presentation fill me with blissful, nostalgic memories of the Gobliiins series.  Unfortunately, Coloropus takes another page from Sierra’s design book, throwing in deadly hazards, tedious back-tracking, and a precise order of operations that can actually break the game if not adhered to correctly.  I’d almost be willing to forgive these issues if it weren’t for the horrible controls.  I could never get the octopus to swim just right, and several times I was certain I was losing my mind while trying to delicately maneuver objects into narrow targets.  It’s unfortunate that these few problems are so terrible, because Coloropus is actually a very pretty and thoughtful game.  There are some clever ideas involving color mixing, and I love the good versus evil system that either sends you to hell or heaven when you die.  But as charming as the game is, and as much as I want to like it, I can’t bring myself to recommend it.

Cave Story is a delightful throwback to old-school, action-adventure games.  Everything from the massive network of caves to explore down to the graphics and sound are reminiscent of Metroid.  Cave Story Plus tightens up the graphics and pumps up the sound for a premium package that will set you back a few bucks.  The original Cave Story is free, so there is no question that you should try this game.  It’s a solid adventure game that will satisfy your retro sweet tooth.  I could do without half the boss battles, and dying can be really devastating if you aren’t careful about saving, but overall Cave Story is a very pleasant experience.  The only debate, then, should be whether or not the enhanced edition is worth the extra dough.  I do prefer the upgraded visuals, and the new music is fantastic, but the experience is ultimately the same.  Do yourself a favor and try the freeware version, then decide if you want to buy it.  Or just buy it.  Either way, give Cave Story a shot.

Two words to describe this game: ninja rabbits. So this is a fighting game. There is a very extensive tutorial that walks you through all of the different fighting moves, dozens of which include both offensive and defensive weapons, jumping, and flipping. These moves aren’t easy to master, though, and are even harder to remember once you get into the game. I was pretty confused by the time I got into the first level, and it wasn’t easy to kill my first opponent without button mashing. Each stage allows you to hunt down other ninja rabbits for revenge… or because you’re pissed or something. It’s pretty exciting. There is no HUD, so you have to watch you character’s posture to know if you’re about to die. But Lugaru HD is dated, and it shows (it was originally released in 2005). The steep learning curve, bland textures, and overall emptiness of the levels make it difficult to hold my interest. If you are looking for a violent anthropomorphic ninja rabbit game, I think Lugaru HD is still the best one around, but it’s hard to recommend for $10.

And Yet It Moves is a game that bothers me. It started with the title seeming to reflect an offensive level of snobbishness. To me, it says, “If you don’t understand why the game’s title is the second half of a sentence, then you are a simpleton.” Not one to judge a game by a stupid title, I dove into the papery world with high hopes. At first, I really thought I liked the paper graphics, kind of like doodles on paper from high school. Turns out, it is actually annoying to look at, because every damn thing in a level looks exactly the same. This is a minimalist game when it comes to controls, so much so that you’ll get stuck in stupid places. The kind of stuck that takes too long to solve and then makes you feel stupid when you do. You have to get to the exit of a level by flipping the world 90 degrees at a time. There are frequent checkpoints, which is good, since it is so easy to die. The sound effects are, again, ridiculously minimalist and become irritating quickly. Forgetting all of that, there is still one thing missing from And Yet It Moves entirely, which more or less kills the game. That thing is fun.