December 14, 2024

58. Night of the living bread

Dough not miss this episode of New Game Old Flame where we blast through Astro Ninja Man DX on the NES and solve crimes with Inspector Waffles: Early Days for the Gameboy Color (yes, there’s a detective cat). But as always, it’s not just about games! We chat about teaching kids to game with Peggle, the bliss of Loop Hero’s endless loops, and the joy (and pain) of making sourdough bread. Retro gaming and home-baked goodness—what more could you want?

0:00:00 1:51:22
  • Inspector Waffles: Early days
    |
    9.99 USD
    | Get it here

    Set in a cartoonish feline world, this prequel adventure follows a young detective who still lives with his mom and tackles his very first case—a stolen video game. Built in GB Studio, it resembles an RPG on Gameboy color with top-down movement, cartoon visuals, and character interactions reminiscent of old Pokémon titles before shifting to static, point-and-click style investigation screens. Compared to the main Inspector Waffles game, it feels more intuitive, echoing Ace Attorney on Nintendo DS in its approach to solving cases through clues and multiple-choice quizzes rather than court battles. Moderate difficulty occasionally arises when puzzle-solving requires revisiting previous areas and recalling hidden details. Cat puns and humorous references sit alongside darker themes of murder, drug use (catnip), and addiction, lending a deeper tone than expected from its charming exterior. The developer mentions that unlocking the mysterious sixth case demands a thorough re-investigation, ensuring players return with fresh insights and newly discovered items from earlier chapters to finally access every hidden secret.

  • Astro Ninja Man DX
    NES
    |
    31.00 GBP
    | Get it here

    A neon-soaked vertical shooter unleashed on NES hardware, it pairs slick, responsive controls with relentless waves of geometric enemies and vibrant backgrounds that feel like a frantic digital rave. Developed by Ricky and published by Columbus Circle, Astro Ninja Man DX has you at the bottom of the screen, allowing only horizontal movement as you fire continuously and gather shadow clones that multiply your shot output but restrict your available space to dodge. Large bosses, ranging from giant skulls to looming planets, greet you with ominous warnings before unleashing bullet-hell chaos that tests even the quickest reflexes. Despite the intense action, slowdown rarely mars the gameplay, and there’s almost no sprite flicker, an impressive technical feat on Famicom-compatible hardware. One-hit deaths mean memorizing enemy patterns and strategic use of a charged energy blast that also clears incoming projectiles. Although only a handful of stages are included, it encourages repeated attempts, high score chasing, and intense focus.