Looking for something fun to play that won’t break the bank? We have a handful of suggestions below that’ll definitely get your retro gaming heart pumping.
NES Remix (Wii U): Powered by a myriad of classic games and aided by frenetic button-mashing and beat the clock gameplay, “NES Remix” is an old-school blast.
Although it’ll never wow you visually, the warm, cozy feeling these games induce is timeless. Through the game’s first few objectives, which range from killing off enemies in the original Mario Bros to using the hammer successfully in “Donkey Kong,” the game manages to hook its grips around your hands. Sure, they may not impress older gamers initially, once the difficulty ramps up, the ‘80s kid- and their father, won’t want to share the Wii U gamepad, with anyone.
Abyss Odyssey (PS4): With a combat and item system that’ll remind you of “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” and a multi-player mode that borrows from “Super Smash Bros,” “Abyss Odyssey: Extended Dream Edition” is a nifty title that is great for hours or in 15-minute bursts.
With multiple weapons, fun co-op and solid payoff for gamers that invest a ton of time in it, “Abyss Odyssey: Extended Dream Edition” is a unique side-scroller with enough redeemable qualities to ensure several hours of gameplay.
Year Walk (Wii U): If you thought there wasn’t a mature indie title on the Wii U, “Year Walk” may surprise you.
After playing through “Year Walk,” a myriad of thoughts will run through your head. Beautiful, intelligent, dizzying and even flat out confusing are a few of the easy quantifiers that’ll pop up. But in the end, it’s safe to say that the game is just weird. Like an M. Night Shyamalan flick weird. However, that doesn’t stop it from being a challenge-heavy, story-based adventure that has its moments
For those that get their kicks played weird, off-beat games and haven’t played it before, “Year Walk” is an unusually difficult title that features its share of jump scares and drama.
Tharsis (PS4): It’s almost impossible to classify the genre of Choice Provisions’ PS4 game Tharsis, but after a few playthroughs’ it won’t matter. You’ll be hooked. Regardless of its mediocre looks, the dice-based adventure is a hit thanks to a ton of decisions, insane difficulty and a story that allows you to connect with the characters.
The first time you play Tharsis, you’ll most likely scoff. It’s not a pretty game by any means. The cut-scenes are mere still drawings and the sound is average at best, but the gameplay, ah, the gameplay. Great in 15-minute bursts and even better for longer sessions, Tharsis is the type of game that would have worked just as well on the Nintendo Entertainment System as it does the PlayStation 4. You can even make the case that it should be on the Vita instead of its big brother. Regardless, it’s the type of game you’ll want to share with your friends, just because there aren’t any other games like it on the system.
Typoman (Wii U): Charming, yet dark, German developer Headup Games’ “Typoman” blends the puzzle and platforming genres into polished pulp of passion, forging the type of title that could work on any console, but thanks to the Wii U GamePad, is a perfect fit on Nintendo’s fledgling console.
Easy to describe, “Typoman” uses letters to forge its “Hero.” Literally, the character’s design is an H, E, R and O. Even the enemies and obstacles are made up on consonants and vowels. In order to advance through each level, gamers have to create words to activate and traverse the terrain, creating words like “on” and “off” in easy situations and much complex verbiage in later levels. The end result is a platformer that works, it’s got a bit of “Mario” and “Pitfall” in it, but thanks to the puzzle elements, has that something “extra” to make it stand out of the crowd.
