Deep Ones (Xbox One, 2018)

Deep Ones
Developed by BURP! Games
Published by Sometimes You
Released for Xbox One (4/11/2018)
Also on PC/PS4/Switch/Vita

Deep Ones was developed by BURP! Games, a developer that's hard to find much info on. From the little bit I could gather, I believe they are from Ukraine but everything else is a mystery. It really makes you curious what the process is for Sometimes You and where they dig up some of these obscure indie games to publish. Deep Ones was released for 5 platforms in April 2018, including PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, Vita and the Xbox One.

Deep Ones starts off showing your character, floating along in his submarine when it is suddenly destroyed by a giant octopus creature, leaving you to navigate the bottom of the ocean on foot. You'll pick up a harpoon quickly, which you'll need to defend yourself against the various dangers that await. The graphics in Deep Ones are composed of simple pixel-art that looks to pay homage to the ZX Spectrum and its limited color palette. Your character moves slow, but I suppose that's appropriate considering he's walking on the ocean floor.

There are over 20 levels you'll have to traverse and in the early levels you'll see enemies like turtles, blowfish and crabs, but later in the game it gets a bit crazier when the pirates show up. The pirates come in several varieties with some that fire rifles at you, some that attack with swords and big guys that attack when you get close. Every now and then, the game changes things up a bit to keep it interesting. One stage has you riding on the back of a giant seahorse escaping from a giant shark in pursuit while another a few later stages take away your harpoon and arm you with a sword. The stage design is extremely simplistic and a bit on the easy side, but the developer did a good job at least changing it up and keeping it from getting too monotonous. The campaign will last you around 3-4 hours and there are a few boss fights thrown in there for good measure.

It's easy to take one look at Deep Ones, notice publisher Sometimes You and just label it as more easy gamerscore garbage that the company has been known to pump out, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a fun little game here, well worth the $5 asking price. If you don't mind a 2D action-platformer with a slower, more methodical pace, give Deep Ones a look. While the graphic design is definitely an acquired taste, the gameplay is very basic and it's a bit easy, there's a lot of cool ideas and level variation that make this one worth a play.

Final Verdict: Deep Ones is a simple 2D action-platformer with a minimalist pixel-style where you play in scuba gear, slowly walking along with ground underwater. It's decent, but drags on a bit longer than it needs to.

Related Links:
Buy Deep Ones - Microsoft Store
Sometimes You - Official Site
Deep Ones - Metacritic
Deep Ones - GameFAQs
Deep Ones - True Achievements
Deep Ones Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements

Sigi: A Fart for Melusina (Xbox One, 2018)

Sigi: A Fart for Melusina
Developed/Published by pixel.lu
Released for Xbox One (9/7/2018)
Also on PC/PS4/Switch/Vita

Sigi: A Fart for Melusina is a very odd title for a game and for the duration of this review we'll just refer to it as Sigi. Sigi is yet another retro-inspired 2D action-platformer, something we have seen no shortage of in recent years. Does Sigi have what it takes to stand out from the large number of pixelized 2D games in recent years or is it yet another one that will be forgotten in due time?

Before we delve into the game itself, let's briefly go into the name Melusina featured in the title. If you're unaware of the legend of Melusine, like I was, then you may find this Wikipedia entry here of interest. Basically, Melusine is a mythical creature with the upper-body of a human female and the lower torso of a fish, not unlike a mermaid. There are various stories that change up the origins of the creature and at times the form of the creature changes completely. It's an interesting legend that I'd somehow never heard of, despite the fact it's been referenced in several video games over the years. Melusina in Sigi is portrayed as a mermaid, though you'll only see her in the intro and at the end of the game.

There's definitely some inspiration from the old arcade classic Ghosts 'n Goblins in Sigi, featuring an armor-bound knight slaying monsters in an effort to save a lady who was kidnapped. The enemy cast also shares a bit in common with the Capcom classic, with stuff like snakes, bats and zombies. You'll also be able to pick up and swap weapons similar to Arthur. The similarities mostly end there, as Sigi has a very different tone and feel from the old Capcom classic. Many stages take place in broad daylight, which definitely lightens the tone of the game. There's also quite a bit of humor in Sigi, further differentiating it from Ghosts 'n Goblins. I'll try to stop here with the Ghosts 'n Goblins comparisons, I just wanted to address this as that game was the first thing that came to mind when I saw Sigi.

Sigi features 20 stages with 4 of those being boss battles. The stage designs are much more forgiving than many of the brutal 2D games that inspired Sigi, though there are a few parts you will inevitably meet your demise at. It's hard to get too frustrated since when you die you spawn right back in on the same screen, so long as you have a spare life. You'll usually have some lives to spare in Sigi, since extra lives are quite plentiful. Each level will have coins scattered about and for every 100 of them you collet you'll rack up an extra man. There are also shields you can pick up, which will also grant you another life in addition to replenishing your health. Each non-boss stage also feature four letters that spell Sigi for you to collect and all but 1 stage have hidden caves for you to find as well. These hidden cave sections will typically yield coins, bonus lives and other goodies. There are also a few select stages with hidden items to find, though finding these doesn't do much but add to your overall completion percentage and unlock an achievement. At the end of each non-boss stage you'll find a hot dog stand, which replenishes your health and marks the end of each level.

Along the way you'll find weapon pick-ups. Sigi can only wield one weapon at a time, so you lose whatever you had previously upon grabbing a new one. There's a decent range of weaponry, with stuff like triple daggers, axes and throwing maces. Some are definitely better than others and I frequently found myself trying to hang on to the triple daggers as long as possible, as they were far more effective than the other weapons. The boss battles are rather easy since you spawn right back in when you die and you'll likely blow right through them. There are some strange designs for the bosses, with one of them being fast-food fries (Aqua Teen reference?) and the final boss sharing a striking resemblance to Hulk Hogan.

Sigi is an easy one to pick up and play thanks to responsive controls and simple level design. Everything works as it should and I didn't feel like I suffered too many cheap deaths. The presentation is executed well, with good-looking though basic sprite graphics and some solid chiptune music. While Sigi looks, plays and sounds above average, the biggest thing going against it would be its short length. Sigi is a very short game, with an achievement challenging the player to 100% all levels and complete the game within 30 minutes. While this may sound daunting at first, once you get the hang of the game this is actually a breeze.

You may be wondering why the game's subtitle is "A Fart for Melusina" right? Other than the obvious fact that the developers thought it was humorous, there's also a gag in the game where Sigi breaks wind when he encounters Melusina. It's stupid and silly, but helps set the tone for your adventure. Sigi also farts upon picking up food as well. Sigi: A Fart for Melusina is very brief, simple and easy to complete. Those aren't necessarily deal breakers though, and there is still some merit to checking this one out. The lax difficulty makes this a good starting point for those new to 2D platformers or those just looking for something that won't make them want to pull their hair out in frustration. The easy completion also makes this one ideal for achievement hunters. Due to the short length of time you'll invest in the game, you may want to wait for a sale on it though the $5 asking price for the game is fair.

Final Verdict: Sigi: A Fart for Melusina is a simple but enjoyable 2D action-platformer with a fun, silly tone that's very short in length and light on challenge, making it a good choice for beginners.

Related Links:
Buy Sigi - Microsoft Store
Melusine - Wikipedia
pixel.lu - Official Site
Sigi: A Fart for Melusina - GameFAQs

Strategy Guide/Walkthroughs:
Sigi Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Cave and Secret Item Guide - Xbox Achievements
Sigi: A Fart for Melusina - True Achievements

Mini Ninjas (Xbox 360, 2009)

Mini Ninjas
Developed by Io Interactive
Published by Eidos Interactive
Released for Xbox 360 (9/2009)
Also on DS/iOS/Mac/PC/PS3/Wii

Mini Ninjas is a kid-friendly stealth/action/platformer title from Io Interactive, a crew best known for the Hitman series of games. The game sports some cartoony graphics that have held up well since the game was released. This is a single-player only game, featuring a campaign that should keep you busy for around 10 hours.You'll assemble a small crew and will have the ability to switch your character at will in your journey to take down the evil samurai warlord.

The graphics in Mini Ninjas have a cartoon vibe to them, but they're not cel-shaded like most games that go for this look, giving it a nice distinct look. The environments are detailed and the characters are all designed well, though you will see the same enemies very frequently. Everything looks a bit cute but not so adorable that it hurts to look at. The boss battles are well done and each feels different from the last. The sound design works well and you'll always know when an enemy is nearby, although I'm sure some will be annoyed by the gibberish talk that spews forth from the enemies. The music fits the theme of the game well, though I'm sure you'll struggle to remember any of it once you've turned the game off.

Mini Ninjas features a beefy campaign that spans twenty-two levels, with several boss fights spread throughout. Levels tend to be quite large, allowing for some exploration, and the developers did a nice job making the levels seem even bigger than they really are. There's a decent variety here too, ranging from green forest areas, grassy plains and snow capped mountains. You're on a quest to take down the samurai warlord and restore balance to the land. Apparently they've been transforming animals into their minions to assemble an army. When you take down an enemy, an animal will appear in their place, helping to minimize the violence and keep an "E" for everyone rating. This is actually a pretty cool effect and definitely reminded me of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game.

As you work your way through the campaign you'll rescue additional ninjas and once you've found them all you'll be able to switch between five separate characters on the fly. Each character works better against certain enemies and to maximize efficiency you'll want to switch them up quite frequently. Once you get the archer who can fire an unlimited amount of arrows the game gets a bit easy, so if you wish to keep the challenge up you may want to minimize using that character. Other than the over-powered archer the characters are balanced pretty well and are fun to use.

Mini Ninjas boasts some unique features, one of them being the ability to possess animals. Larger animals like bears and hogs can be used to attack enemies. Also while in animal form collectibles will be marked in your proximity by purple clouds of smoke. You'll also find a fishing rod which you can use at certain water spots to catch some fish and stock sushi in your inventory. Some of the special abilities are more useful than others, with some like the sunlight power being very underutilized. The sunlight power is used to vanquish the ghosts, which if I recall correctly I only saw on two different levels throughout the entire game. Sunlight spell not included, most of the other spells are fun to mess with and you'll find many of them as you progress through the campaign.

While stealth is an aspect of the game and sneaking up on enemies will result in a one-hit kill, the majority of your enemy encounters will involve direct fighting. I had a tough time sneaking up and killing more than an enemy or two before being detected and having to fight everybody else. Later in the game you will get a camouflage spell that will help you sneak up on enemies, but it's still just as difficult to get successive stealth kills. Luckily the fighting in Mini Ninjas isn't too bad, since you'll be doing a lot of it. You have a standard and heavy attack, and when enemies block (which they frequently do) you'll have to use a heavy attack to stagger them and get some easy shots in. Depending on which ninja you're using you'll attack with a different weapon, including katana swords, spears and hammers. Within your inventory you'll be able to hold additional items to use in battle, such as bombs, caltrops and shurikens. Fighting is basic and works well for the most part, with the biggest problem being the "hatted samurai" that show up later in the game and have teleporting abilities. These guys caused me many problems until I figured out that I needed to use the bow & arrow to easily attack them. Other than these guys I didn't have much of an issue with the combat, just try to make sure you don't let the enemies gang up on you.

There is a fair share of platforming in Mini Ninjas and for the most part there's nothing too frustrating. I did run into a few spots where the camera would turn as I walked, causing me to walk right off the edge, but these sections are few and far between and didn't ruin the overall experience. Being a ninja, you have a wall jump that you'll have to utilize every now and then. Your character swims extremely slow, but luckily you can use your hat as a boat in order to traverse the water much quicker.

As with most modern games, there is a progression system in Mini Ninjas. Defeated enemies will drop little balls which will grant the player XP when picked up. As you level up you'll gain bonus perks such as more health and spirit. The spirit meter is depleted when doing special/magic attacks and sprinting. There are also quite few collectibles to seek out if you're the completionist type. There are 100 "Jizo statues" scattered throughout the campaign in addition to caged animals that can be freed (195 of these in total!). Some of the statues are hidden well and if you're not on the lookout for them can be easy to miss. The collectibles help provide a little replay value if you're the type who likes to get everything.

Mini Ninjas is a solid game and a bit more polished than your average "all-ages" game. I'm not sure how popular ninjas are with today's youth, but I know if I would've had this game in my youth I would've loved it. Even as a 30+ year-old I enjoyed having a run through the rather long campaign. If you find it cheap and have a love for anything ninja related, give Mini Ninjas a shot and you just might enjoy yourself. I was a bit surprised how enjoyable a family-friendly ninja game could be!

Final Verdict: Mini Ninjas is a fun, family-friendly action-platformer with a single-player campaign of decent length. Recommended for those who love some ninja action!

Purchase Links:
Buy Mini Ninjas (Digital) - Xbox Marketplace
Buy Mini Ninjas (Disc) - eBay

Related Links:
Mini Ninjas - Official Site
Io Interactive - Official Site
Mini Ninjas - Xbox Store
Mini Ninjas - GameFAQs
Mini Ninjas Achievement Guide - XboxAchievements.com

Trine 2 (XBLA, 2011)

Trine 2
Developed by Frozenbyte, Inc.
Published by Atlus
Released for XBLA (12/2011)
Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS3/WiiU
Backwards Compatible on Xbox One

Trine 2 is an interesting hybrid of puzzle/platformer/action that actually works quite well. Similar to The Lost Vikings (originally released for the Mega Drive/Sega Genesis in 1992), you have three characters at your disposal each with different abilities, and you'll have to use their abilities combined to overcome the various puzzles you'll encounter throughout. One of the characters uses magic to levitate objects, one can fire arrows and the other uses melee attacks with his sword. In single player mode, you can switch between the three characters on the fly, and the game also supports up to three players local or online. I wasn't able to find any players online in my time with the game but I could see how this would be a fun title with three players. The game controls like a 2D platformer, but features fully-rendered 3D environments. The graphics are quite beautiful, with lush details and vibrant colors all over the place. Controlling the characters is simple, the jumping is bit floaty but none of the platforming is demanding enough to make it much of a problem. The problem-solving aspect of the game is very well done, with multiple ways to get past many of the sections. The game features twenty levels and when coupled with the fact the game features co-op play makes Trine 2 a pretty sweet package, especially for those who like solving puzzles.

The original Trine was released for PC and PlayStation 3 in 2009, later being ported also to Mac & Linux operating systems and would later see a re-release titled Trine: Enchanted Edition, as well as Trine 3, neither of which would see a release to an X-Box system. Considering how many other platforms the original and third entries were released on, it's a bit odd that these weren't ported over to the Xbox One as I believe the sales would have easily exceeded whatever profits were gained from the Wii U release.

Final Verdict: Trine 2 is a fun 2.5D puzzle-platform-action game that features local or online co-op for up to three players. Recommended for those who enjoy a good puzzle to solve!

External Links:
Buy Trine 2 - Xbox Marketplace
Frozenbyte Inc - Official Website
Atlus - Official Website

X.S.E.E.D. (XBLIG, 2013)

X S.E.E.D.
Developed by Mikael Tillander
Released for XBLIG (9/2013)
Also on Ouya

X S.E.E.D. is a 2D action-platformer game developed by the author of some of my shmup favorites on XBLIG, so I made sure to go out of my way to check out the other titles he developed. In this game your only method of attack is dropping seeds on the ground and the plant that rises from that will do your fighting for you, which is a cool and rather unique gimmick. Defeated enemies will frequently drop new seeds and picking up duplicate seeds will boost their power. There seems to be a decent variety of plants, ranging from ones that act as barriers to others that will fire spread shots. The graphics are presented in chunky pixels which look above average but could have used a bit more detail. The jumping could have been refined a bit, but other than that the controls were more than sufficient. Similar to other games from this developer, the difficulty is high and there are no continues offered, meaning you'll have to get really good at the game to see the end. The trial version will let you play up until the first boss and overall I found X S.E.E.D. to be an intriguing little game. For a buck I'm going to have to snatch this one. It may take me a few years, but when I get around to playing through it I'll update the review.

Final Verdict: Fans of retro 2D action-platformers might get some enjoyment out of X S.E.E.D. The ability to plant attacking seeds is definitely an interesting one.

Related Links:
X S.E.E.D. - GameFAQs 
X S.E.E.D. Review - Indie Gamer Chick
Wide Pixel Games - Developer Site

Vintage Hero (XBLIG, 2013)

Vintage Hero
Developed by Frog The Door Games
Released for XBLIG (7/2013)
Also on PC

Vintage Hero is a 2D action-platformer heavily inspired by the 8-bit Mega Man games. It's a very competent clone too, right down to the blaster attached to the protagonist's hand and the inability to duck or fire in any direction other than straight ahead. The game is presented in pixel art, something of a cross between 8/16-bit and while some of the art is a bit goofy in the story panels, the in-game graphics are very well done. After you take in the story (or mash A relentlessly until it ends) which revolves around a custodian rising to the occasion to save the day, you are given four different stages to select from. You'll have time to progress a bit through the first level before the trial expires. I enjoyed my brief time with Vintage Hero and I'll likely have to go ahead and grab this one. Expect a fleshed out review if I ever get around to playing the full game!

Final Verdict: Vintage Hero is a solid 2D action-platformer that will appeal to fans of the classic NES Mega Man titles.

Related Links:
Vintage Hero - GameFAQs
Vintage Hero on PC - Steam
Frog the Door Games - Official Site

Amazing Princess Sarah (XBLIG, 2014)

Amazing Princess Sarah
Developed by Haruneko
Released for Xbox Live Indie Games (7/2014)
Also Released for PC/IOS/Xbox One

Today we'll take a quick look at an indie game called Amazing Princess Sarah. I decided to check out the trial for this game because I liked the pixel art in the screen shots. The huge boobs on the front don't hurt in grabbing one's attention at first, but to be honest that made me think initially this would just be another one of those cheap sleazy games you'll commonly see on the indie marketplace. You know what they say about judging books by their covers? Well that definitely applies here as right from the get-go you'll see that this title has a level of polish far beyond that of your average indie game.

Amazing Princess Sarah is a 2D action platformer. The controls are tight and precise, allowing you to navigate the platforms and dispose of your enemies with ease. You are also allowed to pick up many objects in the environment and throw them at enemies for big damage. Once an enemy has been put down you can pick them up and throw them as well! This is definitely a cool mechanic and has been well implemented. The game goes for that retro look, with a pixel graphic style reminiscent of 16-bit titles of the past. There is a lot of detail for so few pixels, so everything is easily identifiable and have quite a bit of charm as well. The zombies look like they came right out of Ghosts 'N Goblins! The music and sound design is of high-quality as well.

When XBLIG was still a thing, the game retailed for $4.99, which is a hefty price compared to your average $1 indie title. This would be the primary reason I never pulled the trigger on this one. I wasn't able to get past the first stage while playing the trial version, so while I did enjoy the level design I saw I'm not sure how well it will hold up throughout the title. It's also worth noting that this got a re-release on the Xbox One in 2016, this time with achievements! I snagged it on sale at some point so I'll inevitably get around to review the full game at some point.

Final Verdict: I got a bit of a 2D Castlevania/Ghosts 'n Goblins vibe from the trial, which in my book is definitely a good thing. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy then I'd say give it a try.

Related Links:
Amazing Princess Sarah - GameFAQs

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom (Xbox 360, 2010)

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom
Developed by Game Republic
Published by Namco Bandai Games
Released for Xbox 360 (11/23/2010)
Also on PS3

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is a single-player game, developed by Game Republic, in which you must work with a giant computer-controlled ally in order to navigate the various scenarios. You can definitely tell the game was made by Japanese developers, which in my book is a good thing as some variety is always welcome. The characters and story remind me of something you'd see in a Studio Ghibli film. The game appears kind of childish on the surface, with talking animals and some silly character animations, but the puzzles and combat will definitely be too complex for most kids under twelve I'd imagine.

Your sidekick, the Majin, is a big oaf who will constantly stumble around and his voice actor reminds me of the character Special Ed from the Crank Yankers television show. He can become a chore to deal with at times, sometimes falling behind when you're just trying to advance to the next area and he loves walking into sludge puddles even when there is a clear path around them, but overall as long as you have some patience he can be helpful and even enjoyable to have as a partner. You both start out rather weak and a big part of the game is powering up your characters to prepare for tougher battles.

The graphics are quite coloful and the game features a day & night cycle which doesn't really have any impact on the game-play outside of some collectibles that only show up at nighttime. You will need to gather all of those collectibles if you want the true ending, so be prepared to stand around at some points waiting for nightfall (the cycle takes around fifteen minutes). The controls are tad on the floaty side and precision platforming can be a struggle, but luckily the game never really throws anything too terrible at you in regards to that. The combat is interesting, as the majin is the only one with the power to actually vanquish the enemies, you'll have to work with him and coordinate attacks to take enemies down. It's a neat system and some of the tag-team finishers are quite satisfying to pull off.

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom plays much like a 3D Metroidvania, where there's one large map separated out into areas, with new sections locked until you've explored existing regions. Overall it's still mostly linear, but there will be lots of back-tracking once you've gained new abilities. Luckily there are four fast-travel rooms scattered about that can help ease the pain of constant back-tracking, but there still is a lot of it.

The enemy design is interesting as they are all consumed by "shadows" resembling black blobs with various strange appendages and masks attached. I definitely enjoyed pulverizing them with my Majin buddy. Once you've defeated the four guardians (bosses) in the game world, you are granted access to the final castle for the big showdown. The boss battles are all varied and fun, my favorite probably being the shadow worm creature where you had to ignite bombs and throw them down its throat.

Overall I definitely feel like Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom was overlooked when it came out and is still a relatively obscure title. It's not perfect by any means, but it definitely delivers some fun and can provide you with somewhere between 15-20 hours of CPU co-op game-play. If you see this one around for cheap it's worth a look.

Final Verdict: Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is an action/adventure game with an enjoyable single-player campaign. Make sure to bring some extra patience with you as your partner can be a bit dumb at times.

Purchase Links:
Buy Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom - eBay

Related Links:
Bandai Namco - Official Site
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom - Metacritic
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom - GameFAQs
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom - True Achievements