Game Topz (gamtopz@gmail.com)

For the bulk of 2022, we endured what I called the era of Vampire Survivors -likes. The game that became a mega-sensation on PC in January of last year spawned all sorts of similar experiences on mobile. Some of them very good, some of them just so-so, but all of them very much cut from the same cloth as Vampire Survivors . Then in December, the real-deal Vampire Survivors launched on mobile and from that point on it seemed sort of pointless to bother with any of the VS -likes that came along. And at first blush you might think that about Brotato . “Oh, another one of THOSE" I can hear you mutter under your breath. Yes, they might look very similar and in some ways they are, but Brotato is very much its own thing distinct from Vampire Survivors , and it’s also very much worth your time if you enjoy roguelikes and completely over the top mayhem. Brotato is indeed a top-down shooter/melee survival game where you’re fighting against wave after wave of enemies that get increasing...

Let’s continue our dive into the amazing selection of Hamster’s Arcade Archives , shall we? When looking at arcade history, you can spot the moment where the publishers and arcade operators realized that you could bring in more coins if you had more than one player on a machine at the same time. Games are often more fun with a friend, and some of the very best arcade games were ones that were best enjoyed in multiplayer. This time we’re looking at cooperative multiplayer games, but if the demand is there I will bring out the competitive ones next time. These are just some of our favorites, and they’re presented in no particular order. Bubble Bobble ($7.99) Yes, I said “no particular order" just a few seconds ago, but let’s be real: this is probably the best. Taito’s single-screen action-platformer legend was a regular machine in arcades for years, and it’s easy to see why. Having two bubble-blowing dinos not only makes the game easier, it also adds a mild competitive element as...

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for March 31st, 2023. In today’s article, we first take a look at the surprisingly large number of new releases that hit the eShop today. The list doubled up from when I went to sleep last night, so that’s always fun. After that, we’ve got the usual lists of new and expiring sales to look at. You know, in case you still have any money left to burn after this wild week of eShop closures and all. Let’s get busy! New Releases Xiaomei and the Flame Dragon’s Fist ($14.99) This reminds me a lot of those single-plane brawlers that were all the rage before Renegade shook up the genre. You know, like Kung-Fu Master, Vigilante, Splatterhouse , and so on. Use your kung fu skills to save your sister from the Dark Dragon’s wicked influence, mostly by beating the crap out of everyone you see. You don’t often see games like this anymore, and it seems to have hit its mark with its homage. Formula Retro Racing: World Tour ($19.99) I...

Back in 2020 Nintendo in partnership with Velan Studios released Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit , a mixed reality racing game for Nintendo Switch. The basic concept is that the game came with a physical kart that was equipped with a camera, and you would control that kart and see what its camera sees via your Nintendo Switch. The game came with 4 special gates that the kart’s camera could recognize so you were able to place the gates around your house or wherever in order to create your own race courses. Being that you viewed all the action through the Switch’s screen, all sorts of stuff could be overlaid on the video being delivered from the kart’s camera, like other racers, special items, and more, blending a true Mario Kart experience with the real life world around you. Mario Kart Live was a pretty huge success, and now Velan has brought their patented RC mixed reality technology to another major partner in Mattel to produce Hot Wheels: Rift Rally , a similar mixed reality racing...

Webzen’s MU Archangel has released a massive content update that lets players wield the might of the Orb, adding a whole new layer of gameplay to the popular MMORPG. With its deep progression system, the new Orb content is bound to elevate your battle prowess across the vast fantasy world – and here’s everything you need to know. Equipping your Orbs Unlocked after reaching Master Level 500, the new Orb content can easily be accessed from the [Crown] > [Orb], which you can find in the bottom right corner of your screen. There are 6 slots available for equipping Orbs, with the first slot already unlocked for free. As for the extra slots, you’ll need to acquire specific Combat Points to unlock each one. There are Epic/Unique/Legendary grade Orbs, and each one can be pulled from the Orb Summon gacha. Once equipped, these Orbs can grant a variety of property and Eternity options, as well as Set Options. Tinkering around with the different combinations will offer you plenty of effects...

Titan Quest: Legendary Edition ($11.99) for iOS and Android by Handy Games has gotten its biggest discount yet since it released back in 2021 Titan Quest: Legendary Edition isn’t the first time Titan Quest has been on mobile. We’ve had a lot happen with the game. Read this if you’re curious. Since launch, Titan Quest: Legendary Edition has seen discounts and updates like bringing in controller support , pet and potion settings, cut-scene subtitles, and a lot more. Today, Titan Quest: Legendary Edition has gotten its biggest discount on both iOS and Android since launching. If you’ve been interesting in playing it on mobile, this is the version to get. Check out a screenshot from the mobile version below: Titan Quest: Legendary Edition is down to $11.99 for a limited time. While it does have two in app purchases for DLC, they are both free since Titan Quest: Legendary Edition has all DLC and content included in its asking price. It usually is $19.99 on mobile. You can now g...

The final Apple Arcade release of March 2023 is another App Store Great, Human Fall Flat+ () . Out of the recent App Store Greats, this is the biggest one since Dead Cells+ for sure. The puzzle platformer is a very popular game across every platform it is available on. You can get Human Fall Flat+ from 505 Games here on Apple Arcade. I’m interested to see if this version will be updated alongside the premium mobile release and the PC and console versions of Human Fall Flat+ . Watch the trailer for the original mobile release below: Alongside Human Fall Flat+ , a few notable games on the service have gotten updates. Crossy Road Castle 9.0 is out now bringing the Capybara, Crab, Pelican, and more in the Sandcastle Shores. Walaber’s JellyCar Worlds brings in world 8 (the final adventure world) with the turbo ability, a custom music playlist feature, Level Rush, Skull Rush, and more with today’s big 1.2.0 update. Game Freak’s Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On brings in a new horse Blo...

If there’s one thing you can say about Marvel Snap (Free) , it’s that it nails its fanservice completely. From a dead Bucky giving way to the Winter Soldier to Agatha Harkness playing your game for you (it was Agatha all along!), the interactions of cards and the environments are a lot fun for seasoned fans of the comics and movies. Is there such a thing as taking it too far, though? I tell you, Second Dinner is so good at this stuff that they seem to be doing comic-accurate things even when they don’t mean to. Kitty Pryde, also known as Shadow Cat, Sprite, and even Star-Lord for a few minutes, was created back in 1980 by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byne, and it quickly became apparent that she was something of a favorite of the creative team. As a point-of-view character into the world of the X-Men, Kitty had many stories revolve around her attempts to integrate into the wild world of Marvel’s merry mutants. Like a lot of creator favorites, she sometimes had a bit more lu...

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for March 30th, 2023. It’s Thursday today, and that means we have a whole lot of new releases to check out. More than twenty, actually. Get them out before the end of the fiscal quarter, I suppose. We’ve got summaries of all of them, plus the usual lists of new and expiring sales for you to mull over. Let’s get to it! New Releases Assault Suits Valken Declassified ($24.99) Those of you who had the Super NES back in the day and skimmed even a little past the biggest hits on the console probably remember a game called Cybernator from Konami. Well, that’s this game! Neat, hunh? While this may seem like a bit of a high price for a single 16-bit game, I can say two things in its defense. First, this is a really good 16-bit game. It’s not like Valis where it’s kind of so-so but charming. This is a genuine ripper of an action game. The second thing I’ll say is that this release is an M2 production, and it has done a full-b...