“Whatcha Playin’, Pixels?” – July 2023
14 min read
A monthly roundup of games enjoyed by the writers of The Pixels
July has been a sensational month here at The Pixels. After a year’s hiatus, Mage Cast has been reborn as Mage Cast X! Criterion X joins Red as co-host of this most excellent podcast. Expect more fascinating conversations about games and the myriad ways they make us all think in the future.
On top of that, we have an analysis of Castlevania II, a rare book review of the making of Goldeneye 007, and a review of The Last Worker. To top things off, we’ve welcomed two new writers into the fold! Check their entries as well as updates from our other writers below!
Unsurprisingly this has been a month full to the brim with Final Fantasy XVI and I have loved every second I’ve spent with it. I’m just approaching the last chapter on my first playthrough and if I didn’t have tons of other games to play then I would be tempted to instantly begin a second run. As it stands, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed trying to beat all the sidequests before heading to the conclusion. I feel like this is going to be a serious Game Of The Year contender when December rolls around.
I’ve also enjoyed a bit of Manic Mechanics on the Switch. It’s a lovely little couch-co-op game in much the same vein as Overcooked but with a focus on cars rather than cookery. If you’re in the mood for something light-hearted to play, and you can’t wait until next month for Moving Out 2, then there’s a lot to enjoy here. Especially when you get to the UFO levels – they’re awesome fun!
This past month I’ve been quite busy with games, I’ll start off with McPixel 3. This is a 2D mini-game point-and-click adventure, that’s a lot of words! It’s sort of like WarioWare in a way with small and humorous situations that you need to work your way out of. I went into it with no expectations and I was satisfied with the game as a whole. If you are looking for something that will make you laugh or grin while also having some obscure puzzles, this is a game I would recommend.
Another game I played this month was Call of Juarez: Gunslinger on the PlayStation 3. This is a Western first-person arcade shooter. I would compare it to score-based FPS games like Bulletstorm where getting headshots, combos, and slo-mo kills give you more points. It has an interesting presentation, smooth gameplay, and some funny dialogue. I haven’t played the other games in the series but this one certainly got my attention. I’d even ‘gander to call it a hidden gem.
Finally for today I want to talk about the game Pikmin 4. Has someone talked about it yet? I haven’t played a Pikmin game since the original on the GameCube and I have to say that it is pulling me back into the series. Of course, I was much younger when Pikmin came out and I may not have understood what was going on. Now I can confidently say that Pikmin 4 is my jam and has made me interested in revisiting the other games in the series. Nintendo has made it super easy to do so by adding remasters of 1, 2, & 3 on the Switch. Pikmin 4 is everything you know (and possibly love) about Pikmin with a lot of new stuff added on top. As a member of the Rescue Corps, it’s your mission to track down all the lost people on the planet, including Olimar. You still manage your troop of Pikmin to do various tasks but now you have a dog-like companion named Oatchi to help out. You can ride him like a horse, command him to charge into things and move stuff easier than normal Pikmin. They’ve also introduced more dungeons, the ability to walk around at night, and a mode that pits you against a mysterious creature to collect the most treasure. So far, Pikmin 4 has been the go-to game when I’m playing solo and I’m enjoying every bit of it so far.
After finishing my first playthrough of Final Fantasy XVI on stream, my video game time has been dominated by…more FFXVI. I’ve been enjoying the game so thoroughly that it’s all I want to play, and Final Fantasy Mode has been great fun! Aside from that, I still jam games of Magic: the Gathering Arena almost daily, and that’s a nice (occasional) change of pace.
Family vacations leave scattered bits and pieces of free time, but I managed to squeeze in gaming here and there. Magic the Gathering: Arena has seen a recent release of the Lord of the Rings crossover set, so many a Hobbit has been facing off against dragons, goblins, and elves. The set involves a ‘The Ring Tempts You’ mechanic that sees the influence of the cursed artifact grow in power. And impact your ring bearing-creature accordingly. The forces of Mordor are just as imposing as they were in the films, as multiple cards amass armies of Orcs with increasing stats. Our heroes have their work cut out for them. There are also nine individual pieces of artwork for the Nazgul, which has made them quite sought after (and thus pricey) in the cardboard world of paper Magic.
Dialing the Delorean back to 1986, Ninja Kid has also been a frequent visitor to my NES. And unsurprisingly for an early NES game, it’s tough as nails. Based on the supernatural manga series GeGeGe no Kitaro – Yōkai Daimakyō, this game sees your pint-sized shinobi square off against a legion of monsters. Many of your enemies hail from Japanese mythology, such as oni and angry kami. But the developers sprinkled in the likes of vampires and Frankenstein’s Monster, too. Stages are randomly dispersed upon each startup, making how you progress through the game slightly different each time. The variance mainly comes down to what order and frequency you encounter each stage type. Poison Marsh sees you collecting wayward spirits while dodging enemies. Guerrilla War and Dog Fight involves slaying a set number of baddies before they can do the same to you. Finally, Inferno tasks you to light a series of candles via a tiny fire wisp that follows you around. Each objective is simple enough in concept, but your character’s slippery controls and habit of building momentum means face-planting into an enemy is far easier than it should be. Copious power-ups help, but their ammo is limited. Ninja Kid is a fun, if frustrating, experience that works well in fifteen-minute increments.
In stark contrast to last month’s seven, this month I largely spent my time with two games. The first was Trails of Cold Steel III, in my ongoing venture through the series as a whole. And while I’ve enjoyed my time with said series, CS3 felt like a bit of a dip – the plot dragged a good long while before it really picked up my interest. That’s not entirely unusual for a Trails game, in that they can spend a long time spinning their wheels before the Overarching Plot kicks in, but in other entries, it more than makes up for it with the smaller arcs building up to said larger plot being just as interesting. I wasn’t as invested in those smaller arcs with CS3, though, and I’m not sure I can put my finger on just why. Nevertheless, the gameplay itself was as enjoyable as it ever is, with some additions to the series formula that was a good time to experiment with. We’ll see if CS4 takes it back to an upward swing – CS3 still managed to stick a banger of an ending, so hopefully, it’ll carry that momentum into CS4 when I get to it.
As for the second, I was inspired by the announcement of the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney trilogy coming to Switch to replay something in the series, and I settled on The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. I hesitate to call it a “more serious” or “darker” or “heavier” take on the series, as it’s still full of the silly, wacky hijinks one might expect from an Ace Attorney game, but there’s something about it that makes it feel more… fully rounded, I suppose? Characters feel less cartoonish in their personalities, and their storylines and arcs feel more nuanced and honest – it’s a different take on the general vibe of the series, but I think I love it all the more for it. The first time I played it I thought it might place itself as my personal favorite of the series, though I wasn’t sure how much of it was just from the novelty. Now, after a couple of years and a fresh replay, I think I can say that yes, it’s definitely become my favorite of the bunch!
The long-anticipated Gravity Circuit was finally released after a few years of being in Kickstarter development, and it didn’t disappoint in the slightest. It’s a wonderfully designed indie that’s inspired by Mega Man X and Zero. Aside from finishing that, I finally decided to start an incredibly exciting journey with The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC. Only 11 more games in this vast series and I’ll be caught up!
-ItsATM
This month, my time has pretty much been dedicated to checking out the ‘Tales Of’ games. Sure, I’ve played a load of FFXVI but it also inspired me to look at some other titles (aside from just a load of other Final Fantasy games, which I’ve been tempted to revisit). A lot of people talked about what a ‘real’ action RPG is. So, since no one else I’ve been talking to seemed willing to give the numerous other JRPG titles that were released recently any attention, I decided to do it. It’s really been an interesting experience since the Tales games have a lot of what people are saying is ‘missing’ from mainline Final Fantasy titles. I enjoy both, but it’s true!
Aside from that, I’ve played through Star Ocean: The Divine Force, Final Fantasy: Stranger of Paradise, Persona 4 Golden, and I’m currently running through the original Crystalis on NES for a project of mine. I don’t think I’ve played this many games since I’ve been a teenager!
-Kei-Nova
My whatchas for the summer have been three: not four; not two (five is right out), but three: the original Wild Arms, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Persona 5: Royal. The time has been very chopped up as a result, and I’m nowhere near completing any sort of playthrough, but all three have been worthwhile experiences. Why these three? The new release of a Zelda game is something I’ve been looking forward to for years. Plus, we really wanted the fanny pack that came with the pre-order. Our three-year-old is great at pointing out mushrooms and telling us where to go next. The others are RPGs, not really suitable for couch co-op like that, but they give me something to do when I’m up at all hours with little brother, who’s three months. Wild Arms is one of those lesser-known gems of a transitional era in games, beautifully orchestrated in music and storyline alike, which I’ve been wanting to replay for a long time. Persona is a series I’ve been meaning to get around to dipping into, and finally, a good friend gave me a push into the deep end by sending me Royal for an early birthday present. It feels like a manga comic book come to hallucinatory life.
It’s my birthday month! I share a birthday with Metal Gear and Octopath Traveller – the latter of which I chatted about with Red about in what used to be Mage Cast. I wasn’t playing those games, unfortunately. However, I was playing a couple of games on stream for my birthday – Sonic 2 for the Game Gear, Zelda II and Super Metroid. In fact, I’ll be playing those three games in August in support of Stand Up To Cancer’s annual summer fundraising campaign, so it was a good time to practice and get the rust out.
Speaking of Zelda II, I finally snagged a physical copy of the game for my collection! The cart looks a bit rough, but it still plays flawlessly! I really want to score an original NES or even an upgrade like the Analogue NT so that I can play this and the other NES games in my small collection. My clone console is alright, but it could be better.
Off-stream, I’ve been playing a lot of Tears of the Kingdom. I’m at the endgame now – mapped out The Depths, fought some of the tougher monsters like Lynels and Gleeloks, and I’m now hunting down the rest of the shrines. I’ll be frank, there’s something about the ambience of the game that feels soothing and comforting enough that it lulls me to sleep. Not saying that the game is boring or that there’s not a lot to do (there are SO many sidequests) but this, Breath of the Wild and Stardew Valley were some of the most relaxing games I’ve played in recent memory. In this hyperactive and action-obsessed world that we live in, it’s important to have games that allow you to slow down and take in your surroundings.
Another title I’ve been playing this month is Final Fantasy, the OG for the NES via the NES Classic. That’s another cart I want to add to my collection. I’ve never played through the whole game before – the original, to clarify. About a year ago, I started a playthrough, but I quit and moved on after trying to grind gold for a Silver Sword in Elfland. I decided to stick with it this time around and I now get why this game got so much praise back in the day. Heck, I can argue that it reignited my love for the series. I’m stoked now to jump into the Pixel Remasters to see what’s changed and what hasn’t.
Surprisingly, I haven’t really put that much time in with either Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or Final Fantasy XVI this month. Instead, I’ve been playing a whole bunch of smaller titles in the little free time I’ve had. One of these smaller games is called Lunistice, a really fun 3D platformer inspired by PS1-era mascot games. The gameplay is very fast and fluid as you run, jump, and spin your character through the colorful worlds. I was very impressed with how good it felt to fly through the levels at such a fast pace, I sometimes felt like a speed runner.
Another game I beat recently is Kuru Kuru Kururin, a GBA title that’s included with Nintendo’s online service. This one’s a bit harder to explain… you’re essentially a “helicopter” that’s perpetually spinning slowly and your task is to guide it around tight mazes to reach the end. If you touch any walls or obstacles you take damage and eventually break. It’s really difficult to explain but it’s essentially a game that requires well-timed and precise movements through twisty corridors.
The last game I want to mention is Rhythm Heaven Megamix for the Nintendo 3DS. I’ve been playing this game in short bits for the past 2 months and I’m surprised it has taken me this long to finish it, there’s quite a lot of content here. It includes many songs from the past 3 entries as well as some new ones making it possibly the best in the series. My favorite thing about these rhythm games is that you’re able to play them with your eyes closed; only using the sound cues to play. Sometimes doing so will help you do better since they do try to throw in visual distractions. Even after finishing the story mode, there’s a challenge mode and even more songs to unlock from the shop. It’s a pretty comprehensive collection and has become one of my favorite 3DS games.
Rogue Legacy 2, LEGO Lord of the Rings and LEGO The Hobbit, Front Mission: 1st Remake, and We Love Katamari Re-Roll + Royal Reverie are in the bag, signed, sealed, delivered, and finished. This is the first time in a while I’ve been juggling so many games with Tears of the Kingdom still on my list, some leftover SNES RPGs still on my mind, and a playthrough of Final Fantasy IV coming to my streams soon. I swear, every summer I feel like I’m drowning in video games and I cry out for help, but instead of somebody throwing me a life raft, they just throw me a trailer for a new must-have that just shadow dropped!
Good problem to have in my line of work. Job security lol!
Well, this was quite a month. While I didn’t indulge much in the Steam Summer Sale due to finally taking the plunge on a Steam Deck, I did find one guilty pleasure bundle I couldn’t say no to: 17 small, indie, cat-themed puzzle games for $10.
Games beaten for July count: 18.
To be fair, I still have two of those bundle games to beat, and one I got bored by, so only 14 of those are bundles. Two of the others were small freebies. One was also about cats. Look, I like cats, okay?
Anyway, top game from this bundle: Roll the Cat, an adorable sokoban puzzle game about moving cats to their beds so you can sleep in peace. I’m usually not very good at situational puzzles like these, but I had a blast with it with a good mix of easy and challenging puzzles even late in the game. Other games finished this month that aren’t cat-themed are The Big Con, an interesting 90s-style game about going on a teenage crime spree to save your family’s video store, and Haiku: The Robot, a pixel-art metroidvania that I generally enjoyed until the final boss. But then, that’s how a lot of games tend to go when you hit the final boss, I find.
Favorite game of the month that I’m still working on: Dave the Diver. This game, man. There is SO MUCH to this game. And I’m having a blast breaking into my Steam Deck with it. Also trying out Halls of Torment, a Vampire Survivors-like with a classic Diablo-style look. If you enjoyed VS, definitely give it a look.
That wraps up what we’ve been up to in July. What have you been playing recently? What did you finish? And what’s next on your backlog? Let us know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you all again next month!
Ryan Cheddi – our friendly, neighbourhood caffeine addict – is a man of many talents: an engineer, a gaming historian, a fiction writer and a streamer. He is also a self-avowed Sonic the Hedgehog fan. You can check out his cool beans at his site – Games with Coffee – or find him on Twitter as @GameswCoffee, and Instagram as @games_with_coffee. He streams on Twitch, also as GamesWithCoffee.
