by Jason Parker (Ragachak)
Good morning, Internet! June is here, and the summer is well and truly upon us. We have a kind of light news load this morning, but we aren’t entirely without releases, so don’t worry about that. For example, next week (June 7th), a Retro Shoot ’em Up, ‘Iro Hero’ will be coming to the Switch, which merges the old pixel style of the arcade classics with more modern gameplay mechanics. Set in the year 2306, a century after humans learned to harness their energy to produce electricity. However, foul enterprises have turned humans into little more than batteries, ala The Matrix. Following the death of our hero’s mother, a teen named Iro learns that he may save all of mankind after all. It features 9 levels, 10 types of enemies, and 10 final bosses, much like the games of old with their insane boss rushes. It looks like it’s going to be incredibly fun! I love games like this.
Next week will also feature a game that nobody ever thought would happen – the Shaq Fu sequel, Shaq Fu – A Legend Reborn. The original fighter was critically panned for an absolute mountain of reasons, but Shaq Fu – A Legend Reborn looks like a wild, fun side-scrolling beat ’em up. Launching on June 5th, it promises to settle the score with the original game, with Shaq himself battling through the hordes of Hell and Hollywood alike, dropping sick combos, and battling outlandish celebrity bosses. He also wields cool weapons like katana, shuriken and baseball bats, as well as channeling Shaq’s alter egos: Big Daddy O and Big Diesel in unforgettable battles. I was leery, but I have to say that I’m onboard the hype train now. Let’s see what Shaq brings to the fight this time.
Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition (May 29th): The Harvest Moon franchise from Natsume is really a wonderful thing. It’s so strange to be so enthralled by a game where you’re basically doing chores and finding love, but here it is. I absolutely loathe outdoor work, especially in the hot sun, but in Harvest Moon, it just feels rewarding and worth it. Your goal is to come to this new town, help rebuild it, fix their lighthouse, and find friendship and love. Come on, that’s wonderful. The same stuff you remember is here, growing crops, tending livestock, gathering up materials for repairs, it’s all here. Help save this town in Harvest Moon! (39.99)
West of Loathing (May 31st): I. Absolutely. Love. West of Loathing. I reviewed it not too long ago and was a huge fan of Kingdom of Loathing on top of that. It’s a vast open wild western world, with ridiculous stick figures, crazy characters and classes, skills, clever wordplay and gags around literally every corner (I checked), and it’s a delightful take on the RPG franchise. Taking nothing seriously and pulling no punches, it’s amazing fun whether you’re a Snake Oiler, Beanmancer, or Cowpuncher. All of your choices (probably) matter, and it has an absolute wealth of replay value, from side quests, trying new things, making new decisions, and discovering dark bean magics. Plus it’s only 11 meat (or whatever currency you use. Why you wouldn’t use “Meat” I dunno). (11.00)
Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Edition (May 29th): Are you kidding me? Do I even have to say why this is incredible? I posted about it earlier in the week but it bears repeating: Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection has 12 arcade-perfect iterations of the best of the franchise. Plus, SF3: Third Strike, SF Alpha 3, Super SF II Turbo, and SF 2: Hyper Fighting all have online functionality. Do you have a favorite Street Fighter game from your youth? It’s here, exactly as you remember it from the arcade, plus the online compatible games also have training modes and other useful quality-of-life additions to help you get ready for the big fight feel you’ll experience online. If that’s not worth picking up, I frankly can’t imagine what would. (39.99)
