Twinworld Game Reviews

Stuttgart, Germany – 8 September 2022 – ININ Games is happy to announce that Cannon Dancer by Mitchell Corp. is coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 (PS4), PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox for the first time ever, with a planned release in Q1 2023. Originally only released for arcade machines in Japan and North America, ININ Games unearthed the game and will bring it to consoles as a digital download version for the first time ever – with a brand-new translation, additional features, and more.

After being released during the 90s fighting-game hype Cannon Dancer, also known as “Osman” in the US, slowly began to fade out of arcades due to the small number of units. Over the years, the title became a video game legend, with fans around the globe interested in getting their hands on it. Almost 30 years later, ININ Games has teamed up with two key members of the original development team to finally bring the game to modern home consoles: the game designer Kouichi Yotsui (also known as “Isuke” and famous for his work on “Strider”) and the artist Takashi Kogure (better known as “Utata Kiyoshi”).

Cannon Dancer will also be part of the ININ Games line-up at Tokyo Game Show 2022 and there will even be a meet-and-greet opportunity with Yotsui-san and Kogure-san on Saturday the 17th of September at the ININ booth in Hall 2 D6.

Limited Editions

For all fans and collectors looking for a physical copy, Strictly Limited Games is preparing limited boxed editions with additional collectible items that cannot be found anywhere else. A regular Limited Edition (physical copy + game manual) and a Collector’s Edition with many additional items will be available for Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PS5. Pre-orders will kick off on Sunday, September 18th, at 12 AM CEST (midnight), only at strictlylimitedgames.com.

The Collector’s Edition will include the following:

• Cannon Dancer Game + Game Manual
• High-quality Collector’s Edition Box
• Artbook (B5)
• Soundtrack in Jewel Case
• Tenugui (Japanese-style towel)
• Arcade Coin
• Acrylic Diorama
• Reversible Poster (A2)
• Arcade Instruction Flyer (A5)
• Calendar & Photo Frame (metal) with 2023 Calendar
• Postcards
• Marquee Sticker

About Cannon Dancer:

Cannon Dancer is an Action Jump & Run set in a dystopian late 21st century, in which the world is under the control of a single federal government. One day, a new threat known as “Abdullah the Slaver” – an evil sorceress who wants to take control of the world – appears, causing widespread terror and panic. This fear incites the abandonment of all economic activity and corruption in the government, which now undermines the foundations of society itself. Judicial Affairs Director, Jack Layzon, fears the worst and summons a lone assassin.

The player controls a Cannon Dancer called Kirin; a top-class agent in a mercenary unit known as “Teki”, and a highly skilled martial arts fighter. As he travels, he has to face not only Abdullah the Slaver and the government forces but also the other members of the Teki, who want him dead for personal reasons.

Features:

• Ported on modern consoles for the first time in history
• Classic retro games mechanics, praised for their speed and agility
• A total of six stages set in different, exotic locations
• Three different types of power-ups
• Tons of bosses and enemies
• Variety of wondrous retro scenarios and graphics with bright and even psychedelic colors, related to the final bosses of each stage
• Rewind feature
• Save and Load feature

Source: PR Email

September 2nd 2022 – Indie publisher Ratalaika Games, joins together with RedBlack Spade, to announce the up and coming release of Catmaze – a metroidvania that’s inspired by Slavic mythology.

Out on the 9th of September for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch, priced at $9.99 / €9.99, secrets, magic and bounding around some enchanting settings are only a few of the compelling challenges on offer.

Variety is the spice of Catmaze

Creatures from Slavic myths cautiously keep their secrets in the magical forests and dense thickets that have become home to geese, kikimora, anchutkas, mermaids and many more mysterious forms. Now is your chance to unveil secrets where hidden paths will become visible and the road between worlds will be intertwined as you set forth…

Go Forth – Be Brave

The player assumes the role of Alesta, a teenage witch who finds her life turned upside down after a rather hapless experience. Wanting to bring her mother back from the world of the dead, Alesta soon enlists the help of cats that form the link between the world of the living and the dead, also known as Yavi and Navi. Alesta is a character with a strong spirit, but sadly not strong muscles, adding to the fact she does not attack monsters herself – others do it for her. All together there are 12 types of creatures in the game: some hit slowly and hard, some are weak and quick and others can poison enemies or freeze them.

Growing, Expanding Moving on

Throughout the game, you’ll explore the world that consists of caves, forest and villages to help her accomplish what initially was thought impossible. As you progress you will gather upgrades and new abilities that let you access previously inaccessible areas. Additional short sections of game mechanics give variety to enhance the experience – ride a wolf or fly on a broomstick, this is much more fun than solely moving all the way on our two legs!

As you advance through the Slavic villages facing some of the craziest, weirdest and spookiest confrontational encounters, ghosts, mean mermaids, bad mushrooms and more!. you must be prepared for the customary end of level big bad loathsome boss confrontations, who are devious and have some clever tactics. Fear not, it’s not called Catmaze for nothing, for some cute pussies, hedgehogs, and even birds will assist you!

Features and Facts

• Use Spells
• New Enhancements for Killing
• High Replay Ability
• Inventive Map to assist
• Hidden Rooms
• Save Feature
• Side Quests
• Platforming and action feast
• Top soundtrack
• Story branching
• Endearing Story and Cast

Catmaze is a pixel perfect mixture of fun and challenges to moving and jumping on mushrooms, and to deep and thought provoking puzzles within a huge play area.

Source: PR Email

Paris, September 1^st, 2022 – DON’T NOD and PortaPlay are excited to announce the launch of their brand-new narrative RPG-lite game, Gerda: A Flame in Winter today.

Gerda: A Flame in Winter is available on Nintendo Switch and Steam with a launch discount of 10% for the first week to complement the release.

Set during the German occupation of Denmark in World War II, players walk the path of Gerda Larsen, a nurse who must come to terms with the fact that she can no longer continue living her life as before. She is forced to act on the changes war brings to her front door.

Gerda is not a typical hero, and this is not a typical war game. This fateful story begins not on the front lines, but in the small village of Tinglev where Gerda was born and raised. The good-natured nurse has no weapons to wield and no army to speak of, relying instead on herself and her knowledge of the village and its people to try and save her husband, arrested by the Gestapo.

Gerda: A Flame in Winter is a meaningful narrative game inspired by real life events and real civilians who tried to stand up to oppression in any way they could during the German occupation of Denmark. Players will be challenged with moral dilemmas as Gerda attempts to navigate a much more complicated world, now full of dangerous situations and difficult choices, while trying to remain true to herself.

How far would you go to protect your loved ones?

Oskar Guilbert, CEO of DON’T NOD, says:

“We are honored to have helped PortaPlay bring this crucial story to life today. I’m very happy that Gerda: A Flame in Winter is the very first published game of ours that has been developed externally. This creation is very much aligned with our vision, and we feel that it has that special ‘DON’T NOD DNA’.“

Hans Von Knut Skovfoged, CEO and Creative Director at PortaPlay, shares:

“We are beyond excited to finally put Gerda: A Flame in Winter into everybody’s hands today and we can’t wait to hear what players think about the game. This title is very important to us, so we really hope they like it. It is inspired by true stories of those civilians who tried their best to face some of the struggles during World War II, including my own grandmother, member of the Resistance at the time. We are thankful to DON’T NOD for believing in Gerda and supporting us on this journey to tell this intimate story.”

Gerda: A Flame in Winter is available now, at 10% off, on Nintendo Switch and Steam.

Source: PR Email

Welcome to Car Mechanic Pinball – repair and pimp up cars for your clients! The more money you earn by flipping cars, the more you can invest back in your workshop to improve it. All of that nicely packed as an old school arcade pinball game with a voxel look and feel!

Car Mechanic Pinball features include:

• Fast paced arcade gameplay,
• Easy to grasp pinball basics with workshop management mechanics,
• Earn money to improve your workshop for car upgrades,
• Tons of cars to flip,
• Hit the mechanics to fix cars,
• Visit chassis, wheels, body, engine workshops and upgrade relevant car elements,
• Fuel up and drift around!

Car Mechanic Pinball Releases September 23rd 2022 on Nintendo Switch for $4.99/€4.99.

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, Germany – 1 September 2022 – Strictly Limited Games, in partnership with Skygoblin and BlitWorks SL, announce that The Journey Down Trilogy will get an exclusive release with Limited Edition and Special Limited Edition for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 (PS4). Pre-orders for the fantastic point-and-click adventures with an Afro-Caribbean vibe will start on Sunday, September 4th, at 12 AM CEST (midnight), only at strictlylimitedgames.com.

In The Journey Down you accompany Bwana and his friends Kito and Lina on their adventure through the mysterious Underlands. Enigmatic puzzles await the trio as they find more and more secrets that foreshadow an unstoppable evil of great power. During your adventure, the game will adapt to your way of playing, giving you the choice between different mysteries to pursue. While getting steadily closer to the truth, the challenges of the Underlands will get more and more demanding, with everything somehow being connected to the disappearance of Bwanas and Kito’s father, Captain Kaonandodo. The art style blends hand-drawn 2D art with 3D elements and is accompanied by an amazing jazz-heavy score influenced by the Caribbean and African backgrounds of the characters.

Features:

• Point-and-Click gameplay with a great sense of humour inspired by the classics
• Get to know a diverse cast of characters with vastly different personalities, all voiced by outstanding voice talent who breathe life into each one of them
• Explore a variety of locations from sprawling cities to deserts, market towns, ancient ruins and desolate islands among others
• Marvel at the unique art style, blending beautiful hand-drawn 2D art with 3D elements
• A Jazz-heavy soundtrack, with Caribbean and African influences that sets the mood perfectly

Due to its special and fresh setting, as well as the striking character designs inspired by real masks crafted by indigenous African artisans, Strictly Limited Games felt that the Journey Down Trilogy deserves to get a physical legacy.

The Journey Down Trilogy Limited Edition is limited to 2,000 copies for Nintendo Switch and 999 for PS4, at a price of 39.99€, including a colourful game manual.

The Special Limited Edition is limited to 999 copies for Nintendo Switch and 500 for PS4, for 59.99€, including lots of additional collectibles:

• Game for Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4
• Special Limited Edition Box
• Colorful Game Manual
• Wooden Pearl Necklace featuring Bwana’s mask
• Art and Riddle Booklet
• The Great Asili Tree Map
• 3 Disc Soundtrack
• Fish-curry recipe card

Check out all of the available editions and get ready for the pre-order start at the Strictly Limited Games Store.

Source: PR Email

Paris – August 30, 2022 – Microids is delighted to unveil the first gameplay for New Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja with a flamboyant trailer! Pack your bags for the stone age and join our heroes this November 2022 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

When “Rock & Roll” was just rock and “fast food” a dinner running away from you, two cavemen named Joe & Mac were living quiet lives in their peaceful village. Peaceful until a bunch of Neanderthal primates ransack the village and kidnap all the women!

It’s time for our cavemen to go head to head against dangerous dinosaurs and other carnivorous plants to free their beloved wives! Don’t be fooled by these entirely reworked graphics, New Joe & Mac promises to be brutal and completely crazy!

Developed by Mr. Nutz Studio (Toki, Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All!) this new iteration of the cult arcade classic will invite players to discover a trustful remake and enriched with an Arcade Mode, offering a remaster of the original game, as well as a longer version of the story mode called Extended. Just like the original game developed for arcade play in the 90’s, New Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja will offer a local two player co-op mode. Additionally, the game will also contain a training mode, a boss rush mode and even a speedrun mode!

New Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja will offer an incredibly fun and complete arcade experience!

Discover the content of the New Joe & Mac: Caveman ninja T-Rex Edition:

• The game New Joe & Mac : Caveman Ninja
• 2 sticker sheets
• One trading card
• A 3D keychain

New Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja will launch in retail this November 2022 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, as well as digitally on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Source: PR Email

Dive into NIS history with Prinny Presents NIS Classics Vol. 3!

Join Prier on her demon-hunting journey in La Pucelle: Ragnarok, and  accompany Cornet on her quest to win the prince’s heart in Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure!

You won’t want to miss these classic SRPG adventures! Visit the official website for more information.

Be sure to snag your Limited Edition while supplies last. Less than 5% remain!

Prinny Presents NIS Classics Vol. 3: La Pucelle: Ragnarok / Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure is available now for Nintendo Switch, or pick up these two classic titles individually on Steam.

Source: PR Email

Gothenburg, Sweden – August 26th, 2022 – Thunderful and Digital Kingdom are excited to announce that their anticipated dodge’em up, Swordship, will be ducking and weaving onto PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC in December 2022. Swordship was just revealed in IGN’s Awesome Indies showcase along with a new release window trailer for the thrilling action title, offering players a look at Swordship’s innovative dodge-based gameplay style which flips the switch on traditional arcade shooters.

Swordship is a nail-biting and intense dodging game where placement and precision are everything. As you speed through a post-apocalyptic flooded Earth pursued by hostile forces, you must duck and weave your way between hordes of enemies and their attacks, misleading them into taking each other out with slick and skilful movement.

Swordship is set in an unforgiving post-apocalyptic world where the consequences of global warming have forced the vast majority of humanity to take refuge in three gigantic underwater cities. The megacities exchange millions of containers loaded with goods every day while those on the outside scrape what they can together in order to survive. You play as one of the small number of inhabitants prepared to steal those precious containers to deliver vital supplies to those that have been banished to the outside.

Players are given the freedom of choice in selecting from a number of different Swordship variants, each coming with its own unique active power, offering the opportunity to experiment with a variety of approaches to overcome challenging and dangerous levels. Players can further experiment with their play style by choosing between risking it all and banking stolen containers for massive score boosts or, playing it safe for passive upgrades and extra ships that will fit your own unique style.

Having a streamlined and ultra-fast boat stripped of bulky and heavy weapons is a vital asset for a smuggler trying to get their stolen goods from one place to another as quickly as possible, but leaves you vulnerable to attack. That’s why only the most skilled pilots can hope to survive. Using your movement speed, turning the attacks of enemies against them and mastering the different weather conditions offered by procedurally generated levels is the only way to make it out alive.

“Swordship is a game that requires the player to bet on his skills: the only difference between the top of the rankings and a ‘game over’ is too much confidence,” said Game Designer Sandro Dall’Aglio. “We’re so excited for you all to try Swordship out when it launches on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC this December and can’t wait to hear your feedback.”

Source: PR Email

26th August, 2022 – Indie publisher Ratalaika Games, together with SoftColors, look forward to gamers checking out this beautiful story driven visual novel that garnered plenty of attention on its PC release a little while back.

Today sees the console release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch ($19.99/€19.99).

Aquadine is a beautiful kinetic visual novel where most of the crafted story is straightforward yet totally immersive. Players will initially learn more about Aquadine’s characters and culture, giving everyone a chance to see which characters they may like to follow in a casual environment before the story gets more serious.

Source: PR Email

Stuttgart, Germany – 25 August 2022 – ININ Games is happy to announce that they will bring Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! to Western fans in 2023. The newest entry in TAITO’s universally-beloved series was just unveiled in Japan, in time for the birthday of Bub (26 August) – the cute green bubble dragon star of the series. Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! is coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch and will be the first game to feature a story mode playable with up to four players.

In the story mode, players tackle stages on Rainbow Islands, the setting for the new game. Each puzzle section is complimented by a story intermission featuring the bubble dragon protagonists, showcasing their unique personalities more than ever before. To clear each stage, players need to remove bubbles by connecting three or more of the same color – either on their own or with the help of fun and entertaining items and gimmicks. Additionally, for the first time in series history, fans will be able to enjoy story mode with a total of up to four players. So grab your controller and join your friends on an adventure through Rainbow Islands!

Story

The story of Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! brings Bub, Bob, Peb, and Pab to Rainbow Island, where Miniroon, a mysterious character similar to Bub lives. One day, Miniroon suddenly starts to emit a large number of bubbles, covering the whole island and causing problems for its residents. Time for our four friendly bubble dragons to step in and help Miniroon, whose bubble-blowing is bad news for the island!

About Puzzle Bobble

Puzzle Bobble (a.k.a. Bust-A-Move) is an action-puzzle game where the brothers Bub and Bob, who have been transformed into bubble dragons by a wizard’s spell, go on a bubble-bursting adventure. The classic gameplay formula is simple but addictive: using various items and gimmicks, connect three or more bubbles of the same colour to remove them from the field and progress. A spin off from the 1986 arcade hit Bubble Bobble, Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move has seen over 20 series titles across countless platforms since its 1994 debut. As the sole owner of Bubble Bobble and Puzzle Bobble’s worldwide IP including copyrights and trademarks, TAITO will continue to expand both properties going forward.

Additional information about Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! will be announced at a later date.

Source: PR Email