Sudocats (Xbox One, 2023)

Sudocats

Developed by Devcats Games

Published by Silesia Games

Released for Xbox One|Series (5/9/2023)

Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS4/PS5/Switch

INTRO

Sudocats marks the first release on an Xbox platform from the cat-centric developer Devcats Games. Putting a feline spin on the classic puzzle game sudoku, the game aims to offer a simple, quick experience for that niche audience of those that love both cats and Sudoku puzzles. Published by Silesia Games, let's take a look at Sudocats and see what it holds in store for us...

PRESENTATION/GRAPHICS

Sudocats features a colorful, basic menu screen that reminds me of something from the Nintendo Wii/DS days of gaming. The visuals aren't going to blow anybody away, but the cat drawings are cute and have enough charm that the graphic style works well for what the game is trying to accomplish. The audio is sparse, featuring some relaxing piano music that might just lull you into sleep mode if you play too long. All in all, Sudocats sports some basic sound and visuals but for a puzzle game they work just fine.

Project Starship (Xbox One, 2020)

Project Starship
Developed by Panda Indie Studio
Published by Eastasiasoft Limited
Released for Xbox One (2/11/2020)
Also on PC/PS4/PS5/Switch

Preface

Project Starship is a throwback shmup of the vertical-scrolling variety. This is the first release brought to an Xbox platform by Panda Indie Studio, which as far as I can tell is now going by Arabong Dev and consists of a single developer named Matteo. Project Starship originally released for PC back in 2015, but saw a revival for home consoles in 2020 thanks to publisher Eastasiasoft. As a huge fan of shmups in general, I was excited to see what this one has to offer...

 
Graphics/Presentation

The graphics in Project Starship are presented with 2D sprites with bright colors and bold outlines that are surprisingly large for a game of this variety, which works in this instance since your hitbox is only the cockpit of your ship. The pixel-art looks good for the most part, though the art on the character select screen looks more pixelated than the rest of the game. The levels in Project Starship are randomized, making each play a bit unpredictable but the background details look nice and fit in with the player/enemy sprites nicely.