Game-related ramblings.

Tag: Keeping Score Page 1 of 3

Rainbow In The Dark: Hi-Fi Rush

This is Rainbow In The Dark, a series about games that actually contain colors. This particular entry is also an honorary member of the Keeping Score series, about games and their soundtracks. As always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Hi-Fi Rush surprised everyone, as it was both announced and released on January 25, 2023. Uncharacteristically, I actually played it not long after; usually I’m several years late at least. It’s something of a departure for Japanese developers Tango Gameworks, who are primarily known for horror games: The Evil Within and its sequel, as well as the spooky action-adventure Ghostwire: Tokyo last year. As is typical for the horror genre, those games are pretty gloomy and drab color-wise, although Ghostwire: Tokyo does spice things up with some neon lighting on occasion. Still, it’s nothing like Hi-Fi Rush, which came out of nowhere with a bright, vibrant manga comic art look. A jolt of color for those of us playing our games in the dark.

Scratching That Itch: SYSCRUSHER

This is the one hundred fifty-third entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. This particular entry is also part of the Keeping Score series about games and their soundtracks. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Our one hundred fifty-third random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality has just landed in a sleek hovership, brandishing a high-tech pistol. It’s SYSCRUSHER, by DirigoGames, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

Sci-fi first person shooter. The system is corrupt, a human touch is needed

I’ve just clicked on the checkbox that says “I am human”, so we’re ready to go.

Scratching That Itch: Hotel Paradise

This is the one hundred fiftieth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. This particular entry is also part of the Keeping Score series about games and their soundtracks. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Our one hundred fiftieth random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality is offering us respite… I think. It’s Hotel Paradise, by KaiClavier, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

Come and stay awhile!

I will come and stay awhile, for you, reader.

Backlog Roulette: Bezier

This is Backlog Roulette, a series in which I randomly pick an unplayed game from my backlog and play it. This particular entry is also part of the Keeping Score series about games and their soundtracks. As always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

In a surprise move, as soon as I’d finished playing (and writing about) The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, which I had selected at random from my huge backlog of games, I decided to pick another random game from my backlog and play it. Maybe Backlog Roulette is actually becoming a real series? This time, the digital dice picked Bezier, credited to Philip Bak and NiineGames, although google suggests it was basically a Philip Bak solo production. I had no recollection of acquiring Bezier, nor any idea what it was. I suspect I got it as part of a Humble Bundle, because while my terrifyingly organized spreadsheet of games I own indicated that I had Bezier on Steam (it’s also available from itch.io), it also said I had the soundtrack from Humble. So it was probably a Steam key plus digital soundtrack combo. Curious, I installed Bezier and gave it a spin.

Scratching That Itch: Super Slime Arena

This is the one hundred thirty-eighth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. This particular entry is also part of the Keeping Score series about games and their soundtracks. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Our next random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality is positively gelatinous. It’s Super Slime Arena, by JellyTeam, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

Slimy 16-bit style, party-fighting game using any controller in 2-50+ multipla…

You have probably guessed that the truncated word is “multiplayer”, which poses a bit of a problem for me trying to play it for this series.

Scratching That Itch: Tallowmere

This is the one hundred twenty-fourth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. This particular post is also an honorary entry in the Keeping Score series about games and their soundtracks. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Another random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality has arrived, a large axe held high above its head. But wait… has it done this before? It’s Tallowmere, by Chris McFarland, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

Raise your shield.

Very well, Chris McFarland, if you insist.

Getting Even More Extreme With EXTREME MEATPUNKS FOREVER: BOUND BY ASH

This post is part of Keeping Score, a series about games and their soundtracks. As always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

About five months ago, I wrote about the first season of episodic game Extreme Meatpunks Forever (which should be in all caps, but I’m too lazy to do that), subtitled Powered By Blood, as part of the Scratching That Itch series. Spoiler alert: it’s fantastic. I wanted to play the second season, Bound By Ash, while the first was still relatively fresh in my mind, so I grabbed it from itch.io and fired it up. Like the first season, Bound By Ash comes in six episodes, picking up where our misfit band of fascist-killing “gay disaster” meat mech pilots left off. And it’s even better than the first season.

Scratching That Itch: Greg The Clumsy Ghost

This is the one hundred seventeenth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. This particular post is also an honorary entry in the Keeping Score series about games and their soundtracks. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

Another random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality has appeared, smelling of freshly cut grass. It’s Greg the Clumsy Ghost, by indiegesindel, and its tagline in the bundle reads:

A small puzzle-like lawn mowing adventure

When there’s too much grass growing on your lawn, who you gonna call?

Scratching That Itch: RISK SYSTEM

This is the one hundred fifteenth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. This particular post is also an honorary entry in the Keeping Score series about games and their soundtracks. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

A new random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality is on an approach vector, absorbing energy by flying really close to the blog’s defense systems. It’s RISK SYSTEM, by RISK SYSTEM (AKA Newt Industries), and its tagline in the bundle reads:

High speed kinetic action. Danger is the best offense!

“The best offense” is my middle name.

Scratching That Itch: EXTREME MEATPUNKS FOREVER

This is the ninety-ninth entry in the Scratching That Itch series, wherein I randomly select and write about one of the 1741 games and game-related things included in the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The Bundle raised $8,149,829.66 split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and Community Bail Fund, but don’t worry if you missed it. There are plenty of ways you can help support the vital cause of racial justice; try here for a start. This particular entry is also an honorary member of the Keeping Score series, about games and their soundtracks. Lastly, as always, you may click on images to view larger versions.

It’s time to get extreme with our next random selection from the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. The random numbers have picked EXTREME MEATPUNKS FOREVER, by Heather Flowers. Its tagline in the bundle reads:

Gay disaster mech pilots killing fascists

It was bound to happen eventually. Extreme Meatpunks Forever (I cannot bring myself to continue using all caps for its name, even though it earns them) is one of the better known games in the bundle, and one which I personally have been meaning to check out for a while, having read a lot of good things. From those, I learned that not only is it about gay disaster mech pilots killing fascists, but also those mechs are made out of meat.

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