Jamie O'Neill

Push Square

Jamie O'Neill·Apr 28, 2021

Critic70/100

Agreement—

There's replay value to be found in the Hard difficulty setting, or chasing 29 Trophies for a Platinum, as well as an unlockable New Game+ challenge. Yet, even the inclusion of an extra Infinite Mode highlights how the core gameplay becomes repetitive, plus the four main areas of Arcade Mode can be beaten in less than an hour. If the idea of exploring to save villagers reminds you fondly of Zombies Ate My Neighbors, or perhaps you remember isometric arcade brawlers like Dungeon Magic and Wizard Fire, then the nostalgia conjured up from Battle Axe mixing together two formidable old genres may still hack-and-slash its way into your heart.

Push Square

Jamie O'Neill·Feb 2, 2021

Critic70/100

Agreement—

With four games as a showcase of the exploratory level design of early 1990s European-style run-and-gun titles, Turrican Flashback's ex-Factor 5 games had an undeniable x-factor, and the first two Amiga Turrican releases are noteworthy as some of the best 16-bit computer games. Alongside the console bedazzlement of Super Turrican and Mega Turrican, there's plenty of platforming fun to be found, and the 2D visuals are well presented through varied display options. Yet, the gameplay becomes repetitive when bouncing between four titles, and Turrican Flashback feels incomplete as a collection representing the scope of the series. Still, retro gamers might not dwell on the modest number of games included, as soon as they hear Chris Huelsbeck's sublime soundtracks booming once again.

Push Square

Jamie O'Neill·Jan 2, 2020

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Blazing Chrome's success comes from taking inspiration from the best 16-bit run-and-gun games -- with everything from the detailed pixel art, to the fierce two-player action feeling like a glorious homage to Contra III: The Alien Wars.

Push Square

Jamie O'Neill·Sep 9, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

In a similar regard to Tengo Project's development of Wild Guns Reloaded, Tengo's game works well as a remake, because The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors retains the essence of a well-loved SNES beat-'em-up.

Push Square

Jamie O'Neill·May 20, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

The eight retro games in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection focus on the early traditional platforming era from 1987 to 1994, and quality is assured in the four main numerical entries in the series.

Push Square

Jamie O'Neill·Nov 5, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

With two brilliant retro games in one bundle, the gameplay in Castlevania Requiem is excellent.

Push Square

Jamie O'Neill·Sep 21, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

It's tempting to gorge on this collection of seven distinctive arcade games as an all-you-can-eat brawler buffet, but the genre's innate repetitiveness means it's most enjoyable to feast on one quality Capcom coin-op at a time. The Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle is a delightful history lesson in the technical pixel-artistry of CPS brawler design, starting in 1989 with Final Fight as a genuine classic, and then continuing through the 1990s with fondly remembered street fisticuff games and hack-and-slash fantasy titles. Over twenty years later, Capcom's style and craftsmanship showcased in the coin-ops previously unavailable on console -- Armored Warriors and Battle Circuit -- justifies a purchase of the Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle in its own right.