Players begin in a snowy ski resort, tasked with solving a mystery surrounding skier disappearances. The game opens as an RPG, encouraging exploration of a dozen unique locations, including a ski shop, staff cabins, and off-path snowfields. Progress is tied to talking to characters, uncovering hidden objects, and piecing together clues to advance. A strict 60-minute timer adds urgency, though repeat playthroughs reveal enough time to complete tasks comfortably.
Skiing mechanics are introduced through three events: downhill, slalom, and trick-based courses. Players must navigate treacherous slopes filled with obstacles like trees, rocks, and other skiers. Inertia-based physics provide realism but demand precision, as falling costs time and resets progress. Completing skiing challenges unlocks act two, where the game transitions into platforming. Set in a sprawling underground labyrinth, players unlock abilities like double jumps, wall slides, and air dashes to traverse increasingly challenging terrain. Enemies such as bats, blobs, and skeletons pose threats, while environmental hazards like spike pits and lava increase tension.
The platforming requires precision but is complicated by momentum-based controls, often leading to missed jumps or unnecessary damage. Act three promises high-speed skiing while escaping an avalanche, merging action with the narrative’s climax. The diverse gameplay mixes genres into a demanding but rewarding experience.
Dead Tomb is an NES game developed by CollectorVision Games, known for titles like Sydney Hunter. The game aspires to emulate classic point-and-click adventures, drawing inspiration from LucasArts classics and the obscure Canadian game Temporal Inc., originally available on the Videoway system—a 1990s interactive cable TV platform in Quebec.
In the game, you play as a character from the year 3017 sent back in time by the Videoway Corporation to investigate the Ice Age. Due to technical issues, you become stranded in an ancient pyramid and must find a giant diamond to repair your spaceship and return home. The interface mimics point-and-click mechanics, allowing interaction with objects using a variety of verbs accessed through the NES controller.
However, the execution falls short. The game lacks helpful feedback and clues, making progress unintuitive and often frustrating. Interactions frequently result in generic responses like “Try something else“, offering little guidance. Some actions can lead to instant death without warning, though the game does allow immediate retries. The abundance of verbs feels unnecessary when many yield no meaningful outcome.
Visually, the graphics resemble early RPGs more than LucasArts titles, and while the music is pleasant, it doesn’t always fit the setting. Dead Tomb might appeal to collectors or those nostalgic for Temporal Inc., but it may disappoint fans of classic point-and-click adventures expecting depth and engaging storytelling.
Kudzu is a top-down adventure game developed by Pie for Breakfast Studios and published by Mega Cat Studios, designed for the original Game Boy. Drawing inspiration from classics like The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, the game puts you in the role of Max, a gardener whose mentor has mysteriously disappeared while investigating fields overrun by the invasive Kudzu plant.
The game boasts charming pixel art and an engaging storyline about a world overtaken by Kudzu. Players use gardening tools like a machete to navigate through the overgrown fields and combat infected creatures. The music is notable; however, the game lacks sound effects during actions like attacking or interacting with objects, which feels disjointed. Combat mechanics are unrefined, with issues in hit detection and instances where players can become stun-locked by enemies. Additionally, pausing the game resets enemy positions, leading to potential exploits.
Despite its strong design elements and atmosphere, Kudzu is hindered by technical issues, including glitches and game-breaking bugs that can impede progress. The game was funded via Kickstarter and seems to have been rushed to meet release deadlines. The developer is aware of these problems and is working on updates. Given the current state, it is advisable to wait for a patched version before purchasing, especially if considering the physical cartridge edition.