Review: Runa & the Chaikurú Legacy
Developer – Fanny Pack Studios Publisher – Fanny Pack Studios Platforms – PC (Reviewed) Review copy given by Publisher Runa & the Chaikurú Legacy is an utterly captivating indie game that’s steeped in artistry, providing a fresh and enthralling perspective on storytelling and gameplay in the gaming realm. Drawing its inspiration from the rich tapestry of South American folklore and culture, this title offers a one-of-a-kind and spellbinding journey. As I immersed myself in this game, I couldn’t help but be continually astounded by its meticulous attention to detail, great visuals, immersive storyline, and emotionally stirring soundtrack. The game’s visuals are an absolute revelation. Hand-painted landscapes and scenes burst forth with vibrant colors, intricate details, and an unmistakable authenticity that draws players deep into the enchanting world of Runa. The character design is equally remarkable, showcasing a diverse cast that mirrors the cultural richness of the game’s setting. Each in-game environment feels like a living masterpiece, turning exploration into a visually enchanting adventure. Gameplay in Runa & the Chaikurú Legacy offers a well-balanced mix of puzzle-solving, platforming, and exploration. As players guide Runa on her quest to uncover the secrets of her ancestry, they’ll encounter a variety of challenges that demand both wit and agility. The puzzles are thoughtfully designed, progressively challenging without becoming frustrating, and offer a rewarding sense of accomplishment when solved. The platforming elements are fluid and responsive, making movement a joy, and exploration is encouraged with hidden secrets and collectibles that enrich the experience. The heart of the game, however, lies in its narrative. Runa & the Chaikurú Legacy delivers an intricate and emotionally resonant story that unfolds gradually as players progress. The game skillfully weaves South American folklore into its plot, creating a world filled with ancient mysteries, magical creatures, and a sense of wonder. The character development is exceptional, and players will become deeply invested in Runa’s journey as she discovers her roots and confronts personal challenges. The game’s narrative is a testament to the power of storytelling in gaming, leaving a lasting impact. Enhancing the immersive experience is the game’s captivating soundtrack. The music not only harmonizes with the in-game ambiance but also takes it to new heights. Every composition is carefully crafted to elicit the feelings and atmospheres of various in-game moments. Whether it’s eerie melodies in enigmatic settings or uplifting tunes during victorious instances, the soundtrack deepens the emotional bond between players and the game’s characters and universe. Runa & the Chaikurú Legacy offers a well-paced experience that respects the player’s intelligence and curiosity. It encourages exploration and rewards it with hidden lore, collectibles, and additional context for the game’s world. The level design is commendable, offering a seamless blend of challenging puzzles and platforming sequences that keep players engaged. Furthermore, the game’s length is just right, providing enough content to fully immerse players in the world without overstaying its welcome. This makes it accessible to a wide range of players, whether they have a few hours to spare or a weekend to dive deep into the story. In conclusion, Runa & the Chaikurú Legacy is a masterfully crafted indie game that demonstrates the potential of storytelling and artistry in the gaming medium. Its stunning visuals, engaging gameplay, emotional narrative, and evocative soundtrack come together to create an unforgettable experience. Whether you’re a fan of puzzle-platformers, narrative-driven games, or simply appreciate beautiful art and folklore-inspired storytelling, this title deserves a spot in your gaming library. It’s a testament to the creativity and passion of indie developers and a journey you won’t want to miss.
Winner of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Xbox Series S & Controllers traded it all to GameStop
UPDATE: It’s very possible that Microsoft gave away multiples of these consoles and controllers. A winner on Twitter shared images of his Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Xbox Series S sharing he did not rip his controllers apart, but did say they are uncomfortable. Is this the part where I say that I never sold it and I don't plan to? Guess they made multiple of these things and had multiple winners. Also, I am NOT ripping off that fur. Yeah it's uncomfortable, but it's a memento. It's the novelty that counts. pic.twitter.com/zfihw1qFCm — Tony (@ExDweller) September 5, 2023 Original: In 2022 when Sonic the Hedgehog 2 came to theaters, Microsoft partnered up with Paramount Pictures to giveaway a one-of-a-kind Xbox Series S and Controllers themed after the popular movie. In June, Twitter user @mcnick01 shared that the winner of the sweepstakes traded the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Xbox Series S and the two furry controllers representing Sonic and Knuckles to a local GameStop. Not only did he trade these extremely rare items to a GameStop, but mcnick01 also claims the person “ripped the fur off the controllers because he said it was uncomfortable”. The guy that won this sweepstakes just traded it in at a GameStop… And he ripped the fur off the controllers because he said it was uncomfortable https://t.co/WuqwONlc2F pic.twitter.com/JdxD7Wd5w4 — nic (@mcnick01) June 30, 2023 Images of what the controllers look like now have not been shared, but someone might want to tell the person they missed out on a fortune. Occasionally Microsoft will partner with companies to promote a movie or game to giveaway a one-of-a-kind console or controller. Most recently they gave away the first-ever pizza-scented controller in partnership with TMNT: Mutant Mayhem. It’s unknown what the person received for this very rare trade-in to GameStop. The Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie came to theaters on April 8, 2022. Thanks to Liam Robertson for pointing this out.
Moving Out 2 – Taffy’s Treadmill Guide
Moving Out 2 is full of unique levels, especially in the Snackmore Dimension where there’s more than just moving out. One of the interesting and sometimes confusing levels is Taffy’s Treadmill where your goal is to deliver one item, but the truck is blocked by a pretzel stick wall. How do you get passed that wall? We are here to show you. When starting out on Taffy’s Treadmill you’ll notice a Red Lever sticking out against this pink wall. Pull that lever and a challenge will begin. Once you hop down on the conveyor belt it will start to move with items coming in the way. You’ll want to keep walking forward and get passed anything that comes. Toward the end, you’ll notice the conveyor belt going faster with larger items coming at you. Once you see a pile full of lollipops and other sweets with a flamingo attached, that’s when you reach the end and will stop the entire belt. The door will open so you can deliver the item and if you deliver the flamingo as well you’ll earn another star. Check out our guide to finding All Character Crates in Moving Out 2.
Plankton Joins Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Roster
GameMill Entertainment and Fair Play Labs announced that Plankton will be joining their upcoming fighting game, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. Ironically, the iconic SpongeBob SquarePants villain is the biggest fighter in the game since he is the pilot of the Mega Plankton mech suit. Mega Plankton is the biggest character in the game and is a little slow. One of his abilities is shooting sauce and throwing a net at enemies to combat them. You can view the Official Plankton Spotlight below: The other new fighter revealed for All-Star Brawl 2 was El Tigre from the popular 2007 Nickelodeon show, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera.
El Tigre joins Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Roster
GameMill Entertainment and Fair Play Labs announced a new fighter joining Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 this Fall. El Tigre is slashing his way onto the All-Star Brawl 2 roster from the 2007 Nickelodeon show – El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. A new reveal trailer for the character was revealed as you can see below: “El Tigre is a glass cannon rushdown character with some of the fastest attacks in the game! With excellent mobility, El Tigre can smother opponents with short range, combo-able attacks or approach from afar by extending his arms! If flashy combos and speed are your style, then harness the power of the Ancient Tiger Spirit with El Tigre in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2” El Tigre is yet another new character for the Nickelodeon fighting game as he’ll join new additions, Jimmy Neutron and Squidward. A release date has not been revealed for Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, but it’s coming Fall 2023 and pre-orders are available now. Source: NintendoLife
Review: Super Catboy
Developer – PixelPogo Publisher – Assemble Entertainment Platforms – PC (Reviewed) Review copy given by publisher Super Catboy from PixelPogo is a 90s 16-bit action-packed platformer that takes you on an adventure being a badass cat fighting against your worst enemies, dogs. Your main goal in this game is to eliminate Dr. Ungefug and Catboy must run, jump, dash, and fight his way through the snow-capped mountains to derelict factories to defeat him. You are joined by a crazy sidekick named Weapongirl who comes with you on this journey to destroy Catboy’s creator. Super Catboy’s gameplay resembles that of a typical platform game. To progress through levels, you must jump on enemies, navigate challenging platforms with spikes and other obstacles, and combat foes using your gun or Super Catboy claws for close-range attacks. The game has a dashing feature that allows players to quickly move between platforms or avoid enemy fire. During my experience, I found that the dash control works only when standing on platforms and not when midair. When fighting enemies besides the Dogs like Bats, the melee feature wouldn’t be as useful compared to the gun you are equipped with. For my playthrough, I used an Xbox wireless controller and at times the controls felt delayed when in a battle like if I wanted to melee an enemy that flew or like I’ve said with dashing. The art style for Super Catboy provides great nostalgia for those who are a fan of classic 90s platformers and the game has a lot of similarities to TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge. The art for this game peaks as you go further along in the levels where you’ll play missions on a motorcycle, mining cart, in a haunted mansion, and a lot more. Let’s discuss the sounds and music in Super Catboy. The music is exceptional for a 16-bit platformer produced by an indie studio. From the main menu to boss fights and level progression, the music is motivating and never becomes repetitive or boring. The only sound element I got frustrated at was when you are getting hurt on spikes or other obstacles in the game Catboy constantly meows which can make players rage if they’re having a tough experience at a part of the game. Super Catboy is not the easiest game in the world either. You’ll enter Boss Fights throughout the game that can provide a challenge and just fighting through some levels like the Haunted Mansion where you have to run through many obstacles can provide a large challenge to players not too experienced with platformers. There aren’t many checkpoints when it comes to this platformer so when your health bar runs out you’ll find yourself at the start of the level most of the time. You are equipped with 9 lives when you start a level and of course, you can find canned cat food throughout the game to heal yourself up. If you use up all nine of your lives, you will be taken to a Game Over screen. From there, you will proceed to a cutscene at home with your sidekick, Weapongirl. From there no matter where you were the game will start you from the start of that level. At the end of every level in Super Catboy you’ll be graded on completion such as how many collectible pieces have you found, coins collected, and other statistics. I like that this game has you focused on side objectives other than killing enemies and going to the finish line. You can collect all the coins and collectible pieces that will form a cat sculpture. I wish there were options for customization for your character as you play through the same costume in the game. But given the small development team we’ll cut them some slack for features not in the game, but that are usually in larger games. Overall, Super Catboy is a fun and engaging 90s 16-bit platformer that allows you to be the badass cat you’ve always wanted to be. At times the game can become repetitive making you want to take breaks in between, but for its price at $9.99 on Steam it’s worth the shot for anyone into 2D platformers.
NBA 2K24 – Houston Rockets Player Ratings
2K Games will release NBA 2K24 on September 8, 2023, for various platforms including PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series XlS, and PC. The publisher has released the player ratings for the new NBA 2K game, including those for the Houston Rockets of the Western Conference. Shooting Guard Jalen Green leads the Houston Rockets with a 83 Overall rating, followed by Fred VanVleet at 83. Houston Rockets lineup in NBA 2K24: Player Name Position Rating Jalen Green SG/SF 83 Fred VanVleet SG/PG 83 Alperen Sengun C/PF 83 Kevin Porter Jr. SG/PG 81 Jabari Smith Jr. PF 79 Tari Eason SF/PF 79 Dillon Brooks SF/SG 78 Jae’Sean Tate SF/PF 77 Amen Thompson PG/SG 76 Jeff Green PF 75 Frank Kaminsky PF/C 75 Jock Landale C/PF 74 Cam Whitmore SF/SG 74 Aaron Holiday SG/PG 73 Boban Marjanovic C 73 Willie Cauley-Stein C 73 D.J. Augustin PG 70 Trevor Hudgins PG 68 Darius Days PF/SF 67 Can Jalen Green lead the Houston Rockets to victory in NBA 2K24? If you haven’t already see how they match up against the Dallas Mavericks.
NBA 2K24 – Golden State Warriors Player Ratings
2K Games will release NBA 2K24 on September 8, 2023, for various platforms including PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series XlS, and PC. The publisher has released the player ratings for the new NBA 2K game, including those for the Golden State Warriors of the Western Conference. Point Guard Stephen Curry leads the Golden State Warriors with a 96 Overall rating, followed by Chris Paul at 87. Golden State Warriors lineup in NBA 2K24: Player Name Position Rating Stephen Curry PG/SG 96 Chris Paul PG 87 Klay Thompson SG/SF 85 Draymond Green PF/C 83 Andrew Wiggins SF/SG 82 Kevon Looney C 79 Jonathan Kuminga SF/PF 78 Gary Payton II SG/PG 77 JaMychal Green PF/C 77 Dario Saric C/PF 76 Andre Iguodala PF/SF 75 Cory Joseph PG/SG 74 Moses Moody SF/SG 73 Anthony Lamb SF/SG 73 Lester Quinones SG 67 The Golden State Warriors look as strong as they once were, but can they take down the Denver Nuggets in NBA 2K24?
NBA 2K24 – Detroit Pistons Player Ratings
2K Games will release NBA 2K24 on September 8, 2023, for various platforms including PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series XlS, and PC. The publisher has released the player ratings for the new NBA 2K game, including those for the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference. Point Guard Cade Cunningham leads the Detroit Pistons with an 84 Overall rating, followed by Bojan Bogdanovic at 82. Detroit Pistons lineup in NBA 2K24: Player Name Position Rating Cade Cunningham PG/SG 84 Bojan Bogdanovic PF/SF 82 Jaden Ivey PG/SG 80 James Wiseman C/PF 79 Jalen Duren PF/C 79 Monte Morris PG/SG 79 Marvin Bagley III PF/C 79 Isaiah Stewart C/PF 78 Hamidou Diallo SF/SG 77 Alec Burks SF/SG 77 Joe Harris SF/SG 76 Ausar Thompson SG/PG 76 Killian Hayes PG/SG 75 Isaiah Livers SG/PF 74 Rodney McGruder SG/PG 73 Jared Rhoden SG/SF 69 Buddy Boeheim SG 68 Will Cade Cunningham be enough to lead the Detroit Pistons to the playoffs in NBA 2K24? See how they match up against the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers.
NBA 2K24 – Dallas Mavericks Player Ratings
2K Games will release NBA 2K24 on September 8, 2023, for various platforms including PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series XlS, and PC. The publisher has released the player ratings for the new NBA 2K game, including those for the Dallas Mavericks of the Western Conference. Point Guard Luka Doncic leads the Dallas Mavericks with a 95 Overall rating, followed by Kyrie Irving at 90. Dallas Mavericks lineup in NBA 2K24: Player Name Position Rating Luka Doncic PG/SF 95 Kyrie Irving PG/SG 90 Christian Wood C/PF 82 Tim Hardaway Jr. SF/PG 78 Jaden Hardy SG 77 Seth Curry SG/PG 77 Dwight Powell C/PF 76 Grant Williams PF/SF 76 Derrick Jones Jr. SF/PF 76 Josh Green SF/SG 76 Richaun Holmes C 75 Maxi Kleber PF/C 75 Markieff Morris PF/C 74 Dante Exum PG/SG 71 McKinley Wright IV PG 68 A.J. Lawson SG 67 Can Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving lead the Dallas Mavericks the way to victory in NBA 2K24? See how they match up against the Denver Nuggets.
