New Release: Cannon Dancer - Osman

An enhanced edition of a bombastic arcade actioner, from Mitchell Corporation and ININ Games

New Release: Hazard Saviour

An open world platformer inspired by Crazy Taxi, from Sinclair Strange

New Release: Ginsha

An open world action-adventure that takes place across multiple planets, from PolarityFlow

New Release: Haunted Lands: Burial Grounds

A tough and bloody DOS-style shooter, from Alexey Goryachev

New Release: Curse of the Sea Rats

An open world action-adventure featuring 2D animation and 3D environments, from Petoons Studio

June 30, 2016

New Blip: Radio the Universe

Radio the Universe, from developer 6e6e6e, is an isometric action adventure offering a large open environment with interconnected areas, secrets, and shortcuts. In this melancholy industrial world, the player must contend with deadly traps and combat mechanized monstrosities, but he can get a leg up on enemies by upgrading his weapons and abilities. Mobile players can dash, dodge, and jump to avoid enemy projectiles and traps, and use these skills to advance on enemies during lulls in their attacks, and they can absorb some damage by using a shield with the proper timing. The tone of the game is further set by hand-drawn interstitial cutscenes, and as the developer warns: "Players who die in-game die in real life."

The game is under development for PC is planned for release toward the end of the year.




To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

June 28, 2016

News: Maldita Castilla EX Coming to Xbox One

In 2012, Locomalito released Maldita Castilla for free on PC, and now the developer is revisiting the game with Maldita Castilla EX, an enhanced version of the original game, which is headed for Xbox One and additional platforms yet to be announced. The original game is excellent and still available via the developer's website, and it's a must play for fans of the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series.

The EX version of the game will feature two new levels, as well as new enemies and bosses, plus an illustrated bestiary that unlocks as you defeat enemies. In addition, the developer is rebalancing the levels and improving some of the game's finer details like the camera and some enemy sprites, and the game will feature remastered audio and additional music tracks not included in the original release.

There's a short teaser below, but be sure to check out our coverage for full details about the original release and a look at Locomalito's entire catalogue of games.




June 26, 2016

Target Acquired: Porter

Porter, from kass, is a game that may have slipped under your radar, but fortunately it registered as a blip on ours. This is a bite-sized precision platformer offering 20 short levels and an unlockable Hard Mode, and you can beat the whole game in about an hour (Hard Mode included), provided you still have a quart or two of high-octane moxie tucked deep down inside you somewhere. The game offers a few genre staples - missiles, lasers, crumbling blocks, spike traps, etc. - and some nice handcrafted levels for you to fling your hero at, and the best part (well, not the best part) is that it's a pay-what-you-want title ($1.00 suggested). So, you can hop in, run for your life, and hop back out with little to no investment, and it won't call you names like Super Meat Boy did.

You can grab the game now on Itch.io for PC and Mac, or download the iOS version on the App Store (it's called Jump Porter over there) if tapping is more your thing. For more details, check our coverage here.

No trailer this time because there's literally no video evidence that this game exists. Here's a pretty screenshot though, all greenscale and fuzzy just like the monochromatic CRT gods intended:


June 24, 2016

Arrival Delayed: Kraut Buster

NG:DEV.TEAM - the developers behind GunLord and NEO XYX - announced last year that they would be releasing Kraut Buster to the Neo Geo MVS and AES in 2016. Unfortunately, they will be missing that date, but it's only because the scale of the game has increased significantly since its announcement. Players will still be able to hop in for some quick arcade-style shooty shooty, but they can also opt to engage in a longer campaign. New difficulty modes impact enemy numbers and behaviors, allowing skilled players to truly test their mettle. The game is now planned for Q2 2017, although that date is not set in stone.

Kraut Buster pays homage to all things Metal Slug, and the player can take on the role of John "Küken" Mallone or Jack "Handsome" Rowdy, or work together with a friend in 2P co-op. Gunners are able to toss grenades and blast baddies, bosses, and minibosses with 8-way directional fire as they work their way through a detailed 60fps pixel world. Where Kraut Buster changes things up is in its mask system... grabbing a mask changes your character's basic abilities and weapons. For instance, grabbing the chicken mask allows the player to slow his falling speed, the Tengu mask gives him a super high jump and lets him move more quickly, and the hockey mask replaces the player's default melee knife with a long machete. Players can also find little yellow chicks that will fly behind them offering support by laying down additional fire.




To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

June 23, 2016

News: Shovel Knight's New Specter Knight Campaign

In 2014, Yacht Club Games released Shovel Knight, a delightfully retro action platformer starring a knight wielding a shovel as a weapon. In 2015, the developers released a free expansion entitled Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows, offering a brand new campaign starring Plague Knight, a character with an entirely different set of moves that completely altered the way in which the game was played.

This year, the developer is working on a new campaign set to star Specter Knight, another of the original game's bosses. Instead of a shovel or potions, Specter Knight wields a scythe that he uses to slice through baddies with more speed than his former counterparts. He can also hop into the air and perform a downward slash or an upward slash, allowing him to jump and then continue to rise upward with his following strike. Lastly, Specter Knight is able to run directly up vertical surfaces for a limited time, allowing players to reach new areas, provided they don't run out of steam and fall back down.

There is currently no official release date for the Specter Knight campaign, but it will be free to anyone who owns the original game, which is available for practically every modern platform, including PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, PS3, Vita, XB1, Wii U, and 3DS.

June 21, 2016

New Blip: Mable & The Wood

Mable & The Wood, from Triple Vision Games, is an explorative action game stars a girl named Mable who lives in a world that is being drained of its color due to the overuse of magic. Mable is able to change forms, shapeshifting into the shapes of the bosses she kills, as she fights to save the world... but her very powers are also aiding in its destruction. Transformations include a flying fairy, a creepy grapple-spinning spider, and a stone form that allows you to petrify your foes. The player is able to select from multiple areas, but the journey grows more perilous as the destruction of the world continues. Music for the game was composed by Music for the game was composed by Fat Bard, who was also the composer behind CrashLands and Blitz Breaker.

The game is coming to PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam and Itch.io, with a planned release of February 2017. In the meantime, you can try an early demo via the game's Itch.io page.




To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

June 19, 2016

Target Acquired: 1917 - The Alien Invasion

1917 - The Alien Invasion is the latest from Andrade Games, the developers behind SturmFront - The Mutant War. This is an alien-blasting shmup taking place in an alternate World War I. After aliens invade Earth, Axis and Allied powers unite, and a German scientist outfits a triplane with alien technology to turn the tide of the invasion, eventually fighting her way back to the alien home world. In this score-based shooter, players are challenged to rack up a huge combo, and this combo may be locked by collecting keys, and unlocked to further increase the counter, allowing for maximum scoring opportunities. Along the way, the player encounters upgrades for his wide and heavy weapons, as well as bombs and single-use shields to help him stay alive across five increasingly difficult levels.

The game is now available for PC via Steam and Itch.io. Check our coverage here.



June 16, 2016

New Blip: Battle Princess Madelyn

Battle Princess Madelyn is from Causal Bit Games, the developers behind the dark and gritty Insanity's Blade, a game inspired by late 80's arcade games like Black Tiger and Ghouls 'n Ghosts. The game got its start as the developer's daughter enjoyed watching her dad play the first level of Ghouls ‘n Ghosts over and over so she could watch him fight what she called "Green Head", the first level boss. And, while her dad couldn't exactly put her into GnG, he could make her the star of her own GnG-style game, and so Battle Princess Madelyn was born.

The game begins as Maddi's village comes under attack, and an evil wizard kidnaps her family and kills her dog. Despite being a kid, she puts on some armor and heads out to to kill the wizard, tossing projectiles like King Arthur before her (with a very similar animation). Accompanied by the ghost of her dead pooch, she cuts a swath through the undead and other monstrous creatures, with the ghost dog firing projectiles behind her, which change depending on what armor she's wearing. The player plays through a variety of dark and atmospheric environments, facing off against huge bosses along the way, until he eventually reaches the end... and is sent back to the start of the game in GnG tradition.

The developer has not yet announced which platforms the game will be available on, but he is planning to output to consoles and handhelds first, with a PC version following, although there is no announced release date for any of the versions. In the meantime, check out the extensive prototype game trailer below.




To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

June 12, 2016

Target Acquired: The Way

The Way, from PlayWay, is inspired by 2D puzzle platformers like Another World, Heart of Darkness, and Flashback, and it shows in the game’s art style, which features thin characters dwarfed by large detailed backgrounds, and colorful environments that mix the organic with the industrial, and detailed animations. The game begins with a man who has lost someone he loves, and he wants to find a way to bring her back. His journey leads him to an alien planet filled with hostile lifeforms – many of which kill you instantly, as in the games that inspired it – and mysterious artifacts that allow him to teleport and deflect enemy laser blasts. The player must explore the environment, solve puzzles, and survive long enough to find a way to bring back his lost love.

The game is currently available for PC, Mac, and Linux on Steam, Humble Store, and GOG. Check our coverage here.




June 9, 2016

New Blip: Moonman

Moonman (game site) is a strange game starring a moonman on a quest to bring light to his world by collecting moon fragments in a procedurally-generated action adventure. His world is surrounded by many moons, and these fragments may be found by exploring caves and tombs, or by killing creatures who have eaten them. The moonman hacks and slashes his way through a number of enemies, equips weapons and armor, and uses items to construct buildings. Adding to the game's odd humor are a number of helmets that cover the mooman's smiling green face with traditional medieval armor, as well as others in the shapes of animal heads, including a cat and a pig. New weapons and armor may be purchased from merchants or forged by blacksmiths, and the moonman is able to find lots of items in the world that can be used and traded, and he can chop down trees and dig for treasure through the fully-destructible world.

The game is coming to PC initially, with Mac and Linux versions to follow, in 2016.




To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

June 7, 2016

New Blip: Featherpunk Prime

Featherpunk Prime from Super Hatch Games is a twin-stick platformer starring an acrobatic robot flamingo on a mission to ascend a tower and take down an arms manufacturer known as the Cybirdroid Corporation. The seemingly ungainly creature is able to wall slide, rail grind, and air dash his way through environments while dodging bullets and laying down heavy fire against enemies and bosses. Weaponry includes bullet-spewing miniguns, precision crossbows, deployable turrets, and energy swords, among others, and the player is able to upgrade his firepower by grabbing loot from downed enemies. The player can also gain additional support from F-Droid, a flying support bot that follows you around and lays down additional firepower.

Featherpunk Prime will be released on PC in August.




To find more promising 2D games currently under development, be sure to check out our Master List.

June 5, 2016

Target Acquired: Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan

Most role playing games take place in vaguely European locales, but Central African developer Kiro'o Games is creating a tale based on African fantasy. Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan stars a prince who is betrayed by his brother-in-law on the day of his coronation. The would-be king and his bride are exiled in the coup d'etat, and left to wander the land. Using ancient arts called Aurionics, the pair are able to use the powers of their ancestors to achieve great strength, allowing them to take down enemies and bosses as they seek to regain their thrones. As players travel across six continents, they will interact with people of different ethnicities, discover the struggles of their day-to-day lives, and even recruit allies to fight alongside them as support characters.

The game is available now for PC via Steam and may be released for PS4 and Xbox One at a later date. Check our coverage here.




June 4, 2016

News: Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Bound for Retail

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, from WayForward, was originally expected sometime last year following a successful Kickstarter campaign, but development continues. But those who are eagerly anticipating the game have something to look forward to (WayForward to, heh)... The PS4, Vita, and Wii U versions of the game will also be released in a physical format, courtesy of publisher XSEED Games, which will retail for $29.99. As a bonus, a 20-song soundtrack entitled "Risky Beats" will be included along with the game in CD format.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is the first game in the series that is not originating on a handheld. The game follows the original Shantae on Game Boy Color, Shantae: Risky's Revenge, and Shantae and the Pirate's Curse. The newest release will retain the core mechanics of those previous, with Shantae whipping her hair to kill enemies, exploring colorful platforming worlds, and doing the occasional bit of belly dancing. Shantae will use magical transformations to explore the land and even return to previous areas to access new paths, metroidvania style. Like the studio's own DuckTales Remastered this game features 2D characters and enemies with 3D objects and environments. Check our full preview here.

In addition to the physical releases, the game is also planned to hit PS3, PS4, and Vita via PSN, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via XBLA, Wii U via eShop, PC via Steam, along with physical releases for PS4, Vita, and Wii U in September.




June 1, 2016

News: RymdResa Comes to Linux with a Celebratory Sale

RymdResa, from developer Morgondag, has just arrived on Linux via Steam. To celebrate, the developers have knocked 60% off the price until June 6, which applies to the PC and Mac versions as well. For a full rundown of the game, check our coverage here, or read on for the short version:

RymdResa is a procedurally-generated space adventure where solitude plays a key role. After his planet is destroyed by a huge asteroid impact, an astronaut sets out across the galaxy to track down clues that might lead the remaining survivors to a new home world. But resources are scarce, and dangers are plenty, with the ship's fuel and shields drawing from the same set of resources, and no weapons to speak of, any interaction may be your last. The first one-third of the game is a roguelike, so failing to save humanity means that you must start your journey again, although some resources do carry over into future sessions. And the longer you stay in space, the more skilled the astronaut becomes... but he is terribly lonely.