Well, we are through October and now review submissions have slowed again to their former pace. EmP tells me it's my turn to judge, so here we go!
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Golden Axe (Genesis) by overdrive
This review suffers from dull subject matter, which meant it wasn't a lot of fun to read even though it was well written. Aside from your tendency to rely on sentence fragments a bit more than I liked, I would say it was written more cleanly than any of its competition during this one-week period. You included a few witty remarks, particularly in the section devoted to luring enemies into pits, and I definitely get a feel for how the game plays. I recall trying it myself in one retro compilation or another and quickly moving onto the next game. Golden Axe isn't really the sort of game that inspires interest in a world that has given us so many more options...
Case #9 (PC) by JoeTheDestroyer
This game sounds more like an escape room title than a horror title, based on your review. I really liked this line: "Imagine a slasher where the killer chases after the cast with a feather duster." It sounds like my kind of thriller, to be perfectly honest, but the jump scares don't really seem up my alley. Based on what you wrote, I have a hard time figuring out who the target audience might have been. It sounds like the developers had some okay ideas, but got bored before they could spend the energy to execute them properly. I think I can live with knowing I'll never get to play it.
Third Place: Dadish (Switch) by mariner
There were a few minor errors throughout your review (a comma with spaces on both sides and "beyone" when you meant "beyond," to cite two examples out of several), but it was for the most part a smooth read that broke down a non-essential game while keeping my interest with authoritative but approachable style. I liked it. At the end, I'm not sure the "big fish in a small pond" thing makes sense, as your review up to that point has made it sound like a small fish in a big pond. Ultimately, you've made this game sound like a nice use for $2 and an hour or two of my time, so if I wind up playing it at some point (and I might), I'll have you to blame!
Runner Up: Kathy Rain: Director's Cut (PC) by EmP
I liked this review, aside from a minor couple of grammatical errors or thereabouts, but this sentence thoroughly confused me: "This is highlighted by the fact that, though heavily discounted for original owners, it’s still a necessary purchase." Do you have to buy the original game in order to get the new one as an expansion? That's what it kind of sounds like. The whole little segment around that point could use further refinement. Such nitpicks aside, this is a strong review that does a good job of selling the game without breaking out a ton of spoilers. You've definitely made it sound like a neat game. Sadly, I have the original but (of course) not the newer version you just reviewed. Which sounds like the one I should play, if I ever get to Kathy at all. Woe is me!
Review of the Week: Bubble Ghost (Game Boy) by dagoss
You have made me want to track down a cartridge and play Bubble Ghost, so good job there! It sounds like a delightful little way to pass the time, and your write-up was very good with only a few minor grammatical errors... which do seem to be a bit of a theme this week, so you're hardly alone on that front. I especially liked your specific references to previous versions of the game, and the way you showed that this version is superior despite the hardware's limitations. I can't imagine I'll ever read another Buggle Ghost review written in the last 10 or 15 years that feels more like it was produced with an audience of me in mind. Great stuff!
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This was a really close week, and placement swapped about in my head for a few times before I finally settled on what you see in this post. I loved the variety of games covered and the platforms considered. Thank you, all who contributed to make this another difficult week to judge!
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Golden Axe (Genesis) by overdrive
This review suffers from dull subject matter, which meant it wasn't a lot of fun to read even though it was well written. Aside from your tendency to rely on sentence fragments a bit more than I liked, I would say it was written more cleanly than any of its competition during this one-week period. You included a few witty remarks, particularly in the section devoted to luring enemies into pits, and I definitely get a feel for how the game plays. I recall trying it myself in one retro compilation or another and quickly moving onto the next game. Golden Axe isn't really the sort of game that inspires interest in a world that has given us so many more options...
Case #9 (PC) by JoeTheDestroyer
This game sounds more like an escape room title than a horror title, based on your review. I really liked this line: "Imagine a slasher where the killer chases after the cast with a feather duster." It sounds like my kind of thriller, to be perfectly honest, but the jump scares don't really seem up my alley. Based on what you wrote, I have a hard time figuring out who the target audience might have been. It sounds like the developers had some okay ideas, but got bored before they could spend the energy to execute them properly. I think I can live with knowing I'll never get to play it.
Third Place: Dadish (Switch) by mariner
There were a few minor errors throughout your review (a comma with spaces on both sides and "beyone" when you meant "beyond," to cite two examples out of several), but it was for the most part a smooth read that broke down a non-essential game while keeping my interest with authoritative but approachable style. I liked it. At the end, I'm not sure the "big fish in a small pond" thing makes sense, as your review up to that point has made it sound like a small fish in a big pond. Ultimately, you've made this game sound like a nice use for $2 and an hour or two of my time, so if I wind up playing it at some point (and I might), I'll have you to blame!
Runner Up: Kathy Rain: Director's Cut (PC) by EmP
I liked this review, aside from a minor couple of grammatical errors or thereabouts, but this sentence thoroughly confused me: "This is highlighted by the fact that, though heavily discounted for original owners, it’s still a necessary purchase." Do you have to buy the original game in order to get the new one as an expansion? That's what it kind of sounds like. The whole little segment around that point could use further refinement. Such nitpicks aside, this is a strong review that does a good job of selling the game without breaking out a ton of spoilers. You've definitely made it sound like a neat game. Sadly, I have the original but (of course) not the newer version you just reviewed. Which sounds like the one I should play, if I ever get to Kathy at all. Woe is me!
Review of the Week: Bubble Ghost (Game Boy) by dagoss
You have made me want to track down a cartridge and play Bubble Ghost, so good job there! It sounds like a delightful little way to pass the time, and your write-up was very good with only a few minor grammatical errors... which do seem to be a bit of a theme this week, so you're hardly alone on that front. I especially liked your specific references to previous versions of the game, and the way you showed that this version is superior despite the hardware's limitations. I can't imagine I'll ever read another Buggle Ghost review written in the last 10 or 15 years that feels more like it was produced with an audience of me in mind. Great stuff!
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This was a really close week, and placement swapped about in my head for a few times before I finally settled on what you see in this post. I loved the variety of games covered and the platforms considered. Thank you, all who contributed to make this another difficult week to judge!
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality
"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world
"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world
