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: The Atari VCS

he 1970’s were famous for a lot of things: the birth of whole entire music genres that ranged from Disco to Punk Rock, the Watergate scandal, and a certain living room pastime that would go on to change the entertainment medium forever—Video Games. It wasn’t long before these interactive television media programs made their way from the arcades to households across the country in the latter half of the Seventies, all thanks in part to a certain company that would help pioneer the blooming industry, Atari.

Years removed though, the Atari brand is seen as nothing more than a relic after its rise, and gradual fall—clinging on to nothing more than nostalgia for the remaining players who remember those early generations in their prime and get excited at the mention of the name. While the Atari line has enjoyed a second life in the aftermarket with a booming homebrew market and enthusiast media scene that’s fostered on by platforms like AtariAge and AtariMania, the company itself has gone mostly dormant through a series of mergers and extensions before quietly filing for bankruptcy in 2013.

Since then, the remnants of Atari, now named Atari SA have carried on with splintered releases of the remaining IPs in their possession like RollerCoaster Tycoon and Lunar Lander for the PC and mobile markets. The output was modest, as R&D worked on various projects while the company continued to earn royalties from its licensing deal with AtGames and their Flashback line of plug-in consoles. Sometime in 2017, however, a new management recruit by the name of Feargal Mac Conuladh was able to greenlight plans for a new Console-PC hybrid with an exclusive digital storefront codenamed the Atari Box. After years of sparse communication on the project and questionable crowdfunding campaigns to finish the production of the console, the Atari VCS has now officially launched to the public.

The question remains as to whether or not Atari can deliver on a product that can offer more than a fleeting sense of nostalgia that’s arguably just too dated to enjoy again. From my time spent with the machine, my answer isn’t as cut and dry as I would have ideally liked it to have been. I think the potential for the Atari VCS to deliver a different gaming experience is certainly there, especially when comparing it to contemporary upstarts that came before it like the Ouya and GameStick, who both originally promised something very similar and ultimately failed to live up to that promise. A number of shortcomings in the unit’s overall performance, however, unfortunately holds that potential, back and Atari’s subsequent management of the platform leave a sizable bit more to be desired. The VCS has too much running against it in the face of its low-end price point of $299.99 for just the base console without controllers, and the higher $399 asking price for the system and controller bundle—with the low-end being the same retail cost of a Nintendo Switch.

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QCF: Say No! More

t first glance of Say No! More, I immediately had memories of an arcade game I used to play at anime conventions called Cho Chabudai Gaeshi. It was a table-flipping game where you would pound on the table to charge up the attack in various settings such as a wedding and an office, before unleashing your attack and flipping the table for maximum destruction. I was happy to find out that Say No! More may be close to that goofy experience that I enjoyed years ago, with plenty of humor and no-stress gameplay. The game does not deliver on challenge or depth but presents an important message in what is described as a linguistic arcade comedy.

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QCF: Cyber Shadow

f there’s only one video game platform from the past that has to lead an everlasting brain trust spread throughout all walks of life, it’s the Nintendo Entertainment System. There are a bevy of other 8-bit machines that have their fans sure, but the NES has defined what people consider the 8-bit generation to be, establishing a style that still permeates a majority of the throwback indie titles that’s seen in the market today.

Drawing inspiration from the system’s aesthetics is one thing, but capturing the gameplay of that era is an entirely different beast, especially when it comes to channeling the essence of the challenge it’s famous for in an age of Save States and unlimited continues. Enter Mechanical Head Studio’s Cyber Shadow, a new title published by Yacht Club that chases the old ghosts of NES classics like Ninja Gaiden, Power Blade, Shatterhand, Shadow of the Ninja, and so much more—complete with a modern touch that aims to balance the scale of difficulty and fairness on the tightest of ropes.

There’s a lot to enjoy here for those who cut their teeth on the action genre during the days of the rectangular controller, but on that same token, arguably much of the beauty behind that generation is the “less is more” philosophy behind those games—something that Cyber Shadow is remiss to forget in its occasionally clumsy ambition.

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QCF: Yaga

lthough I have often heard the name of Baba Yaga in various media such as movies and television, I must admit I am not familiar at all about its origins or the impact that the Slavic folklore has had over time. Playing through the latest indie release from Versus Evil and developer Breadcrumbs Interactive shows just how much this tale is revered in culture and to storytellers across the world. I appreciate that Yaga presents an interesting hybrid of hack and slash, choose your own adventure and crafting all into a game that is only hindered by repetitive combat, clunky menus and an overabundance of mechanics. And even with that the game still allows the player to become enchanted with the storybook presentation and branching paths that are prime for replaying and finding all the possible outcomes.

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PPR 129

an, Daylight Savings time sure is weird—while everyone here at Press Pause radio can appreciate the gift of an extra hour being added during the weekend of all times, it’s still enough to make you queasy…

Still, it’s given us time to catch up on everything we’ve playing before the wave of next generation hardware hits us in a couple of weeks,  and even then, there’s no shortage of stuff to get through. This week we talk about Microsoft announcement of 100% Backwards compatibility of their older software libraries for the Xbox One and  Series X, Commuter Bicycles retailing for over thirteen-thousand dollars, Sony offering free hardware to retro-fit the PSVR headset onto the PlayStation 5, Hades,, Ginga Force, the Sony 1945MD, Way of the Warrior, The Yakuza Collection, Cyberpunk 2077 delays, the Colecovision Super Game Module, and so much more.

Unwrap whatever candy you’ve grabbed over the  holiday, as you plug in for a jam-packed episode of Press Pause Radio before heading into the GOTY season—also, if you haven’t already, be sure to vote this election however which way you can! Also, wear a fucking mask when you go outside—it help save your life, and the lives of those around you!

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

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QCF: Takeshi & Hiroshi

 know it may sound a bit silly, especially when you think about the importance of roles like Fire Fighters and Surgeons but, it can be argued that Video Game Developers are among some of the biggest heroes of modern society (this can honestly be said about all creatives, but stick with me, I’m going somewhere with this.)

The worlds they can weave, with designs that are teeming with a sense of wonder that bewilders and empower anyone looking for an experience to escape to; Game Developers offer an invaluable service, and for one aspiring designer-in-the-making, it’s the one gift he can give to an ailing little brother.

In a story where your passion can be someone’s entire world, enter Takeshi & Hiroshi; an interactive novel from Oink Games that’s packed with a lot of heart, a surprising amount of gameplay depth, and the regrettable snag of ending way too soon.

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QCF: Volta-X (Steam)

hen I first viewed Volta-X, I was drawn in by the art style; a blending of giant robot battles mashed together with Japanese monster movies and Saturday morning cartoons. But once I started playing the release from GungHo Online Entertainment America, I felt that the game was difficult to understand, and even harder to define. After my twenty plus hour initial playthrough of the game I can say that I still can’t quite define what it is, and unfortunately with a lack of community to battle and a UI that leaves plenty to desire, that may keep other players away from what could be a fantastic, albeit grindy RTS / RPG hybrid.

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