QCF: Within The Blade

fter first loading up Within The Blade on my Switch I was not sure what I was getting myself into. The title formally known on PC as Pixel Shinobi from indie developer Ametist Studio has a reputation for being a difficult but deep stealth action platformer with RPG elements since its initial release in 2019. My initial playing brought back some memories of playing fast paced indie platformers such as Super Meat Boy and Shovel Knight, with a Souls style combat and timing all wrapped in a ninja world and story. Now with time and experience to better form an opinion, I can say this game is hard, but fun to play and even with some lack of polish dulling its blade does not take away the overall feel and accomplishments it provides.

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QCF: Battle Princess Madelyn (PC)

et’s begin with the obvious point right out of the gate, this game looks like Ghosts ‘n Goblins. Actually no, that’s wrong. I know I will get corrected by retro gamers far more knowledgeable of the genre so I already did an internet search and discovered that its aesthetic is more like Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. I never played those games, mostly because of the reputation the titles have earned as some of the most difficult games ever made. Fortunately, Battle Princess Madelyn allows fans both old and new to experience action platforming with superior gameplay and a challenging Arcade mode. Sadly, these attempts are muddled and obscured with a literal lack of direction, and a vague Story mode that seems like more of an afterthought than a priority.

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QCF: Life Goes On

ired of survival horror, first person shooters, and basically every other video game forcing you to stay alive in order to play? Life Goes On takes the conventional gaming strategy of trying to survive as long as possible and turns it around - to beat the levels, you have to kill your character several times, and use their corpses as stepping stones to get to the prize. Morbid? Yes. A metaphor for capitalist society—possibly…but aside from being an interactive existential social commentary on our pointless lives, it can also refreshing and fun.

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QCF: New Super Mario Bros. U

Nintendo has always had a special charm that’s undeniably inherent in each of their releases, even if some of them are starting to show their age. The “New” within the title of Nintendo’s resurgence effort to bring Mario back into the side-scrolling platformer spotlight has been looked at with some skepticism, argued to some extent even that it’s hardly “new” to begin with. With the Wii U out of the gates, we’re treated to the breakout Mario launch title; New Super Mario Bros. U, and while the “New” argument still holds some weight, this latest installment manages to defy any jaded expectations.

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QCF: Awesomenauts

What the heck is a MOBA? Well, apparently it stands for "Multiplayer Online Battle Arena". I learned something today, because it just so happens to be exactly what Awesomenauts is.

Developed by Romino Games and published by DTP on XBLA and PSN, Awesomenauts is basically an 80's-Cartoon-themed, side-scrolling, run-and-gun-styled online demolition match. Sounds... well, awesome, right? Woah there, just settle in for a bit. We'll get to how awesome this game is in a second. As for anyone looking for an in-depth single player campaign with an involved story? You need not apply. The extent of your single player experience will literally be practice stages versus bots in preparation for actual online play and for the most part, the experience is identical.

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tagged Awesomenauts, MOBA, Online, PS3, PSN, Side Scrolling, XBLA, Xbox Live | in QCF Reviews