Twinworld Game Reviews

Lausanne, Switzerland, May 17th, 2023 – Indie developer Sunnyside Games in partnership with Dear Villagers are happy to reveal that their flame-wielding platformer Nocturnal is coming to Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms on June 7th for $19.99, and PC for for $16.99. Nocturnal is an action exploration odyssey that will task players with repelling a nefarious mist as it enshrouds an ancient isle. Use your fire to uncover what secrets lay hidden beneath the fog!

After a difficult journey across a troubled sea, Ardeshir, a soldier of the Enduring Flame, returns to his home island of Nahran. Engulfed in a shadowy mist, Ardeshir must rely on fire to extinguish the sinister forces that have overtaken his native land. Flame has many uses here. It can ward off the Mist, ignite the scenery, turn on machinery, and be used to burn beings of dark magic impervious to conventional weaponry. But be forewarned: one cannot breathe in the Mist, so you’ll have to use your wits as you intuit new ways to keep it at bay.

Grow more powerful by offering collected ashes to the flame. Gain powers that help you expand your lifeforce, hold your breath longer, or sacrifice ashes in hopes of gaining new powers along the way.

Nocturnal encourages challengers to brave its beautiful ruins with a host of optional trials. Those seeking the glory of a true challenge can enable a host of speedrunning features, like faster transitions, skippable cutscenes, and a pausable timer. Only the fiercest warriors will try their hand Permadeath Mode, where you only have one life to undertake the entire journey.

“Reception to Nocturnal from Steam Next Fest and PAX East was super positive, so we’re thrilled that people can finally play the full game,” said Sunnyside Games co-founder Gabriel Sonderegger. “We wanted Nocturnal to effortlessly flow between fast, frenetic action and hair-raising tension, with your constantly depleting host of light sources. It’s a thrilling balancing act that we think platforming fans will really get a kick out of.”

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, Germany – May 16, 2023 – One more week until the latest entry in TAITO’s Puzzle Bobble / Bust-A-Move series makes its debut: Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! releases on the 23rd of May, digitally and physically for Nintendo Switch!

For nostalgic fans of this timeless franchise, ININ Games decided to make the original SNES version of Puzzle Bobble (Japanese) and Bust-A-Move (US) available separately for download at launch, at the price of Euro 7,99 so that even those who purchased the retail edition have the chance to relive these endless gems.

As a solo quest or with your friends, jump into the latest title of the Puzzle Bobble series and restore peace to Rainbow Islands, which has been invaded (..literally) by bubbles!

In this new adventure, you will also be able to play one vs. one online battles against players from all over the world. Ratings and classes will go up or down depending on the results of your wins and losses, so improve your skills and aim for a higher class!

Already know who you want to pop those bubbles with? No problem! Using the “Password Matching” function, you’ll also be able to play online with your friends– as long as they, too, have set up the password!

Please note – Online play requires a (paid) subscription to “Nintendo Switch Online.”

Bubbly Features:

• For the first time in the series, up to four players can play together in Story Mode!
• Enjoy a scenario where you can feel the character’s individuality and their view of the world in a title that is more voluminous than the previous ones in the series!
• You can compete with players worldwide for high scores in online rankings!
• Local battles feature 2vs2 team battles for the first time in the series!
• Test your skills in 1vs1 online battles against players from around the world!
• You can even play online against friends far away from you with the “Password Matching” function!
• Includes “PUZZLE BOBBLE VS SPACE INVADERS,” a collaborative mini-game to commemorate the 45th anniversary of SPACE INVADERS!

Source: PR Email

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is coming to Nintendo Switch™, PS4™, and PC on September 19, 2023!

Dive into adventure and join young Nayuta as he realizes his dream of exploring beyond the horizon of his island home. After a fateful encounter with a fairy-like creature named Noi, he and his friend Cygna find themselves whisked away on an adventure through multiple worlds…what does the future hold for Nayuta? Watch the Story Trailer to find out!

Source: PR Email

12 MAY, 2023 – The fluffy-tailed, laid-back gardening sim Bunhouse will launch on Nintendo Switch later this month, publisher Digerati is happy to announce. Switch players will be able to start having fun with their buns from 18th May. It’ll be priced $19.99 and be available with a 20% launch discount. Bunhouse is also coming to PlayStation and Xbox later this year (exact date TBC).

Created by developer Reky Studios and originally released on Steam, where it currently has a 93% positive user rating, Bunhouse offers stress-free gardening fun for a chilled and rewarding experience. Can be enjoyed solo or in couch co-op for up to four players.

About the game

Bunhouse is a cute, simple, bunny-filled game focused on growing plants and managing a greenhouse with fellow buns. Take care of your leafy plant buddies by balancing the amount of water and light they get. Play with friends and upgrade your greenhouse for wholesome, relaxing fun.

Sometimes life is hectic. Sometimes we just need to take a breather and relax in a happy little world filled with bunnies. This is the core vision of Bunhouse – a game you can play solo or with up to four friends to relax and be happy. There is nothing to kill, no one to be better than, no quests or debt to pay off, just some plants that need watering and a greenhouse full of possibility.

Key Features

• Grow and sell plants
• Take care of your plants
• Order new decorations for your garden and greenhouse
• Upgrade your greenhouse
• Couch co-op with up to four friends

Source: PR Email

Thursday 11th May, 2023: Indie publisher Ratalaika Games and Shinyuden  are excited to announce the forthcoming release of Cyber Citizen Shockman, an iconic title previously released on PC Engine in Japan but never before released in the West. Due for release and launching on  PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One,  Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch on May 19  2023, this retro arcade action platformer starring two characters (boy and girl), with a number of improvements, captures the excitement and appeal that made it a genre favourite.

‘Cyber Citizen Shockman marks the beginning of the release of the entire Shockman’s titles that will be  presented  to retro game fans over the year for the first time which will be available for home consoles (except Shockman 2), which is the only one that was ever officially released’.

The Backdrop Story

Cyber Citizen Shockman is the story of two Japanese school kids named Tasuke and Kyapiko, who are in fact androids built by a mad scientist known only as Doc, who built Tasuke and Kyapiko with the ability to morph into armoured superheroes known as Shockman. Their plight is to battle the evil forces of Dark Skull.  Doc’s first attempt at a cybernetic organism who went rogue and established a gang of goons called the Skull Force. The Skull Force is trying to take over the city and have captured civilians in various locations. As Shockman, you must take back the city, one building at a time, rescue the hostages, and defeat Dark Skull and his gang.

The premise of  what Cyber Citizen Shockman offers is a fairly straightforward, hack and slash experience as you fight through 18 stages, collecting rewards – healing, gold, etc. before you face the obligatory boss in the guise of a mecca or three headed dragon. As you progress, more powerful rewards and upgrades will be presented to you and a challenging experience with fluid movement and precise actions is well presented!

FEATURES/FACTS

• Action platformer starring 2 characters (boy and girl), 18 exciting platforming stages with multiple routes to explore
• A plethora of upgrades to unlock
• Added image gallery from hand-made scans
• Rewind/FF functions
• Brand new english translation, plus old JP Original
• Complete EN and JP user interface!
• Save states
• CRT Filter
• Suu Urabe, famous mangaka, created the character design and the main illustrations of the game

Shockingly coming soon for the first time in the West!

Source: PR Email

Trapped in a perilous dungeon, survival is your only option!

Play the Monster Menu Demo today and create a team of custom fighters to see if you have what it takes to make it through the dungeon alive. Fight monsters, gather ingredients, and scavenge for resources used to make life-saving meals. But beware, not all ingredients make delicious food!

Prepare for your dungeon-crawling adventures by preordering the Limited Edition today! Then, watch the Demo Trailer for a first-hand look at life within the labyrinth.

Monster Menu: The Scavenger’s Cookbook is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PS5 on May 23, 2023!

Paris, May 10th, 2023 – Publisher Microids and Microids Studio Lyon are thrilled to announce the video game Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express, a modernized and revisited version of the Agatha Christie’s classic.

Set in 2023, this video game will bring the classic tale to life in a way that will surprise even the most dedicated fans. With brand-new elements added to the original story, players will experience the mystery and suspense like never before and rediscover one of the most famous cases of Hercule Poirot.

Murder on the Orient Express will be released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC in Q4 2023.

About Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express:

On board the Orient Express, the legendary detective Hercule Poirot tries to solve the murder that has taken place on the prestigious train while surrounded by a cast of intriguing characters with their own secrets and motives. Solving the mystery won’t be easy and through numerous twists and turns, players will have to use their little grey cells as well as detective skills to unravel the truth and bring it to light.

Whether you are a fan of the iconic book or movies, a lover of murder mysteries, or just looking for a thrilling adventure, this new proposal has something for everyone.

Game features:

• Faithful, but augmented: The game is a faithful but augmented adaptation of the original story, with a new character named Joanna Locke added to the mix. With her, you can regularly exit the train environment during playable flashbacks.
• Embody the legendary detective Hercule Poirot: Enter into Hercule Poirot’s head to discover mind maps and make deductions, adding an extra layer of depth to the gameplay. And don’t forget the many puzzles with object manipulations that are scattered throughout each chapter.
• A rich adventure with strong twists: Get ready for major plot twists that will keep you hooked until the very end. Murder On the Express is renowned for having one of the best plot twists in literary history, and this game is no exception. But this time, set in 2023, you will lead your investigation in a whole new light.
• A brilliant detective and mystery game: As you play, you will take on the roles of Poirot and Joanna, solve puzzles and make deductions to uncover the truth behind the murder. In a 3rd person view, you will inspect the sets and talk to all the protagonists, searching for clues and confronting the suspects.
• Fully voiced: Fully dubbed in English, German and French.

Source: PR Email

Paris, May 9th , 2023 – Microids is very pleased to announce the highly anticipated sequel to The Sisters: Party of the Year with the video game The Sisters 2: Road to Fame. Go on an adventure, alone or with friends, in this new open-world Party Game, and enjoy a brand original story inspired by the bubbly and colorful universe of the successful comic series “The Sisters”, where creative ideas come as fast as silly ones! Complete mini games, take on a variety of quests in complete freedom, and become the next superstar of the networks!

The Sisters 2: Road to Fame will be available during fall 2023 in digital edition on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC/MAC.

About The Sisters 2 – Road to Fame

Double the trouble, double the fun, our Sisters are back to cause twice the chaos!

The story begins when you and your favorite sister are gifted a tablet to reward your good grades. Your sister immediately creates an account on a trendy social network, not only to share her adventures with her best friends, but also for something else… As your beloved yet mischievous sister, she wants to surpass the fame of your own account to become the new popular influencer in town!

Our favorite Sisters will have to compete in a frenzied race for followers!

Features:

• Explore the town with its new places and upgraded designs, meet the inhabitants and take up all the challenges of the 24 super-influencers in town in the Adventure Mode!
• 24 crazy new mini-games to beat the scores: Toma-throw, Laser game, Blop-blop diving, Crazy cooking…
• Enjoy the 4 multiplayers modes to challenge your friends and you family.
• Collect all the gift cards by completing all the missions, unlock stylish items and custom your Sister to become the fanciest!
• Replay the game endlessly as Marine or Wendy and try to unlock the secret ending…

The Sisters 2: Road to Fame will be available in fall 2023 in digital edition on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC/MAC.

Source: PR Email

May 4th, 2023 – Console gamers can now make their attempt to escape the planet Tartarus in Blobfish’s cosmic roguelite, Space Gladiators, launching today on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, & Xbox One!

Ported in cooperation with Seaven Studio, Space Gladiators sits in the same potato universe as Blobfish’s massively successful top-down shooter Brotato and maintains that formula of being one tuber against a hostile randomized world. You’ll need to crawl your way out of the hole and fight for glory against all manner of bizarre mutants and alien creatures, armed with a vast array of weapons, items, & pets. Extremely tight & fluid controls make bounding through combat encounters and platforming challenges a joy, assuming you can keep up with the action as you do your best to please a voracious alien audience.

If you’re ready to prove your worth then Space Gladiators is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch for $14.99 USD, and is of course still available on Steam as well.

About Space Gladiators

Fight your way out of a planet prison in this 2D hand-drawn roguelite platformer!

You’ve been captured and sent to entertain aliens as a gladiator in a faraway planet called Tartarus. You will have to advance through randomly generated biomes with deadly traps and monsters blocking your path. Choose your opponents in the arenas, beat them for items and coins and you might be able to earn your freedom!

Features:

• Tight and fluid controls that allow you to dodge and fight enemies without taking hits – the only ceiling is your own skillset!
• Hundreds of hand-crafted rooms that are randomly picked to make every new run feel unique.
• 50+ enemies and 10 bosses to beat with different movesets and attack patterns.
• 300+ items including pets, weapons and trinkets that unlock new abilities for your characters. Pop your heart out to heal yourself, throw meatballs or fire a laser gun.
• 8 unique characters that fit different playstyles, including a potato and an alien worm in underpants.
• Customize your runs by choosing harder paths if you’re feeling confident or easier ones if you’re on the brink of death. High risk, high reward.

Source: PR Email

Darmstadt, Germany, May 3rd, 2023 – rokaplay, in partnership with FIRECHICK, is proud to announce that its 16-bit top-down level editing sandbox Super Dungeon Maker is out today on the Nintendo Switch eShop and Steam for $19.99 / €19.99. Inspired by The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Mario Maker, Super Dungeon Maker lets players try their hand at crafting their own love letter to SNES era classics.

Build your very own dungeon in just a few steps! The easy to navigate dungeon creator allows players to make exciting stages in mere minutes, whether they’re using a mouse & keyboard or Joy-cons. Choose how many levels, items, enemies, traps, switches, and hidden objects you want and create your very own pixel art-style dungeons of varying themes and difficulties. Then give them a spin as you tackle the fruits of your creativity!

Once you’re satisfied with your dungeons, share them with your friends, family and community with cross-platform level sharing! Unleash your creative streak as a dungeon creator and place as many foes, floors and secret paths as you like. Make the journey more difficult for your friends with countless traps and hidden spikes.

Having been on Steam Early Access since February 2022, Super Dungeon Maker has already amassed over 3,000 brilliant, varied stages from its passionate and talented community. Don’t know where to start? Try out the built-in dungeons for inspiration. These are only a sample of what’s on offer, as Super Dungeon Maker’s toolkit means the possibilities are endless!

“First off, we wanted to offer a big thank you to all our players who created levels across the Early Access period that have really shown off the possibilities within the game as well as the creativity of our community,” said Linda Treffler, Co-Director and Artist at FIRECHICK. “Super Dungeon Maker is for all fans of retro gaming who dreamed of being able to create their own 16-bit adventures. We can’t wait to see what you all come up with!”

“Super Dungeon Maker is a masterful premise that’s pregnant with possibility,” said Adrian Kaiser, Head of Communication at rokaplay. “It’s so easy to use, and the player community has been so creative already that before you know it your head will be swimming with inspiration!”

Super Dungeon Maker seeks to be more than just a game, but also an educational tool. That’s why the developers have chosen to make its dungeon editor 100 per cent free for academic purposes. The easy to use level creator has already been used in several universities across Europe and North America to teach students the ins and outs of level design. Educators who work at a university can contact [email protected] for more information.

Source: PR Email