Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia (PS5, NSW, XBS, PC) Review

It's a Marsupilami kind of Monday here at SuperPhillip Central. That's because it's time to check out the sequel to Marsupilami: Hoobadventure, a Donkey Kong Country-style game I really enjoyed. Check out that game's review from August 2024, if you'd like, HERE. 

Otherwise, sit back and enjoy this new review of that game's recently released sequel: Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia. HOOBA! 

Pure Palombian Platforming

My knowledge on Marsupilami is admittedly quite narrow and limited. Really, I only knew of the yellow, long-tailed character from the Disney-produced series of the 1990s and a little-known Sega Genesis game. However, Marsupilami goes way beyond that as a franchise, debuting in Belgian comics in 1952. Since then, the character's popularity mostly sticks and is situated in Europe, more specifically in France and Belgium where the character originated. That said, Marsupilami has taken quite a storm as a multimedia franchise, appearing in cartoons, movies, and yes, video games.

The latter I'm most familiar with, having played Marsupilami: Hoobadventure several years ago--a surprisingly enjoyable, highly competent and capable Donkey Kong Country-like platformer. Now, Ocellus Studio brings out a sequel: Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia, with a meatier adventure, three playable characters, and local co-op. 

Right from the get-go before the gameplay even occurs, Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia doesn't hide its Donkey Kong Country inspirations and influences all that well. Whether that's intentional or not is up in the air. Nevertheless, even its simple story is reminiscent of Donkey Kong Country Returns, where a strange and mystic melody begins playing within the jungles of Palombia, the home to our Marsupilami heroes Twister, Hope, and Punch. This melody puts all of the local wildlife into what essentially boils down to a trance making them all dance, which causes nothing but havoc all around the nearby islands. To put a stop to the melody and the one who started it, the Mummy Queen--villain of the first game--our trio of long-tailed protagonists have platforming adventures through four unique worlds ahead of them.

From there, the first level of the game, Palombia Skies, introduces players to the action. As I moved through the utterly gorgeous sunset-soaked skies of the jungle background and hear the boisterous flute main melody and tribal beats backing it, I was pretty impressed. The tutorial is limited to this level, showing button prompts for everything from jumping, rolling, ground pounding, wall jumping and climbing, grabbing and swinging, as well as a new mechanic debuting in Marsupilami 2, that of the different playable characters.

Our heroes' lengthy tails can grab onto latches, hooks, and swings, as well as smack down foes.

In the original Marsupilami from Ocellus Studio, Twister was the main playable character, and even in this sequel, he's learned some new tricks. More on those shortly. With a press of the top face button, you switch between characters on the fly, one of two different protagonists. Each level automatically chooses the two characters you play as, while the third is temporarily left out. This is because all levels are designed for specific members of the Marsupilami crew. Plus, I imagine it'd be mighty confusing to have to cycle between three different characters on the fly, or at least quite a bit clunky.

Regardless, each Marsupilami has their own special abilities. Twister, our yellow-furred friend from the first game has those previously mentioned new tricks. He can dive forward and twist in the air, gaining some invincibility frames in the process to pass through enemies, and can also spin his tail after to slowly descend to the ground and hover across chasms. 

Hope springs eternal. She also springs into action in this Rail Graveyard level!

Meanwhile, Hope has no power of flight (or hovering, as it were), but can instead double jump. She can spin in the air to slowly make her descent, as well as spin off the heads of the Zinger-like bat enemies in the game, that would otherwise harm her and any other of our heroes. Last but not least is the decidedly unwieldy Punch, who can wrap himself into a big ball and bounce about. Spikes and thorns are no danger when in this form. Controlling this bouncy ball of Marsupilami isn't the greatest aspect of the game, as there is quite the learning curve.

At any rate, with two Marsupilami able to be cycled between with the press of a button, it opens up the level design quite a bit. There is more complex design to be discovered in this sequel to Hoobadventure, and to be fair, Salsa Palombia's predecessor wasn't exactly weak in its levels. But here, in this sequel, there are a lot of fun ideas, challenging platforming here and there, and plenty of well-hidden secrets, too. One level you'll be avoiding the snapping jaws of carnivorous plants within the jungle, while another you'll be evading and sometimes even using traffic to your advantage to reach hard-to-reach areas in a beautiful city setting. 

Whatever level you find yourself in, you're due for a rather breezy challenge to start, but by the endgame, the platforming gets a little taxing. It's never so much that it seems like a giant difficulty jump either. Salsa Palombia does a great job in easing the player into its platforming challenges. 

And sure, running, rolling, and jumping through levels is simple enough. If you're going straight from start to finish, the levels might not trip you up too terribly much. With that said, you're not only cheating yourself out of the myriad secrets and collectibles to nab in levels, but you'll probably hit a roadblock, too. That is because each island's boss in Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia requires at least 40 Musical Notes to unlock. It's similar to Super Mario 3D Land or 3D World in how you needed to collect a certain amount of Star Coins or Green Stars respectively to open up levels, or else you'd be blocked from progressing until you gathered the required amount to continue. That's the case for Salsa Palombia as well.  

An example of one of the many Musical Notes to find and collect for our Marsupilami friends.

There are 13 Musical Notes available in each level of the game. Five of these are located within a given level themselves, two are rewarded from completing Donkey Kong Country-style bonus rooms within hidden portals in the levels, and up to three are earned at the end of a level depending on how much fruit you've collected. 

Now, no doubt if you were counting along, you noticed that all of this doesn't add up to 13--just 10 instead. The other three are earned in a separate mode of Marsupilami 2, which opens up after its corresponding level is beaten. It's also the mode that based off Marsupilami 2's subtitle: Salsa Mode.  

Salsa Mode replaces the time trials that were seen within Marsupilami: Hoobadventure. Though you still need to be pretty fast with your platforming and running through the levels nonetheless. This mode is all about collecting fruit as fast as possible to build energy in a meter. As the meter fills with fruit collected, you eventually gain a fruit multiplier: up to four times the amount of fruit grabbed. However, the multiplier ends if you take damage, if you haven't collect a fruit in a handful of seconds, or otherwise take too long. 

The final three Musical Notes of the level for Salsa Mode are earned by meeting certain fruit total thresholds, much like the normal mode's levels, but here, it's important to not take damage while also being fast. I found I could lose my combo/chain/multiplier/whatever at least once in a level and not fail to meet the point goal I needed to reach to earn all three Musical Notes. That said, one obnoxious flaw is that if you find yourself failing in the middle of a level, you simply can't restart from the pause menu. Instead, you have to back out to the world map, and re-enter the level to try anew. A frustrating oversight.

The presentation and polish are somehow even greater than the original Marsupilami with this Salsa Palombia sequel!

Apart from the standard levels and the extra levels that are unlocked by paying a fee of fruit, each of the four islands in Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia house dojo levels. These are like the bonus room portals of standard levels, but you have to complete three in a row successfully. These throw challenges at you such as collecting all the music notes in a room, smashing all jars, defeating all enemies, or simply surviving for a set amount of time. Needless to say, these dojo challenges can get quite difficult when you have to flawlessly pull off three in a row without taking damage or failing. 

Generally, though, Marsupilami 2 is a rather breezy game. The life system of the original Hoobadventure is gone, so you have the ability to plummet to your doom as much as you'd like. Checkpoints are generous as well, so you're seldom ever having to redo large portions of levels. Even the last level that unlocks upon beating the final boss is gracious enough to include checkpoints. 

Speaking of bosses, this is where Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia might turn off some players. They're not bad boss battles by any stretch of the imagination--you dodge attacks until you can lay waste to the boss's boombox. The fact of the matter is that the difficulty jump here is noticeable. While I didn't struggle facing the game's bosses myself, I can see that younger or more inexperienced platforming fans might find these fights frustrating. Fortunately, you can change the difficulty of the game, bestowing players with more hearts aka hits they can work with, if push comes to shove.

A boss battle awaits, and the challenge dial gets turned up a few levels!

Marsupilami 2 isn't too lengthy of an adventure. It's certainly longer than Hoobadventure's base game before that title saw a free expansion in the form of a dinosaur-themed world. That said, in order to 100% the game, it took me about eight hours. For me, that was a perfect length.

One aspect of Marsupilami 2 I briefly mentioned but didn't go into detail yet about was the local co-operative play. You and a friend, or family member, can indeed play the entire game together. Each player is assigned a character from a given level's game-selected pair, and before starting the level, you can swap the two characters between players. Thus, if you have Twister and your co-op partner would rather play as them rather than Hope, you can swap and switch characters before the level begins. 

The top face button doesn't change characters in co-op, instead it puts your current character into a New Super Mario Bros. Wii-like bubble--or in this case, an egg. This is good for those platforming sections of levels that admittedly don't work well and/or don't seem to be designed with co-op play in mind. 

This particular level is essentially all about sliding along these icy rails. Hooba!!!

In co-op, part of the Salsa Palombia experience is easier, while others parts are decidedly more difficult. For example, bonus rooms aren't failed when one player gets hit. Both players must take damage for the challenge to be failed. Conversely, in Salsa Mode, if one player takes damage or if one player is much slower than the other and is forced to "bubble" or enter an egg when they go off screen, the fruit multiplier immediately ends. On the matter of entering an egg, this actually can be abused. If you're about to lose all of your health, you can manually enter into egg form, pop out of it, and have a full set of hearts. Plus, if one player perishes in a level, they return immediately in an egg. Thus, all in all, the positives, I say, definitely outweigh the negatives, and co-op is an enjoyable addition to Ocellus Studio's Marsupilami series. 

Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia is every thing a sequel should be: It improves upon pretty much all aspects of the original--gameplay, level design, and presentation--adds more features and content, and is just an overall greater adventure. The three protagonists play uniquely to one another, each have their own special uses, short detours and paths through levels they can access, and all I would consider useful to play as. The local co-op could be better, and Salsa Mode especially desperately needs a quick retry option--but otherwise, Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia certainly got me into a very good groove.

[SPC Says: B+] 

This game was played via the PlayStation 5 version. Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia is also available on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series consoles, and PC.

Lou's Lagoon (NS2, PS5, XBS, PC) Review

With a new banner for the fall season proudly displayed on SuperPhillip Central's header, we also have a new review to read together on the site. It's a cozy game that is one part platforming and one part crafting. It's all Lou's Lagoon, and here is the SPC review.

 You win some, you "Lou-se" some.

Lou is a local hero at the ol' archipelago--a famous, fabled deliveryman loved by all, who helps supply the tropical seas with the materials and goods each island demands, needs, wants, requires, etc. When a sudden strong storm hits the archipelago, Lou goes missing upon going out to do a little investigating. His current whereabouts? Well, they're unknown! That'd be a problem indeed for the archipelago, but your character has a more personal stake in Lou's disappearance: he's your uncle! So in his absence, you tentatively take over his island, get help from his employees, and take the keys to his airplane to soar around the archipelago in search of him.

The beginning of Lou's Lagoon eases you into the most essential gameplay loops and formulas through some simple tutorials in the form of quests. It all starts with being handed an impressive and important tool known as the Swirler and being tasked with siphoning up materials with its electronic tendril-like vacuum arm in order to repair your plane. 

I'd carry more materials, but I currently don't have "mushroom" to do so.

Starting out, the Swirler lacks a powerful enough oomph to it. It can grab level one materials like driftwood and pebbles, for starters, but anything else will cause it to futilely attempt to suck stronger materials until it eventually overheats. The Swirler is helpful enough, and you earn other gadgets along the way to assist you on your adventure, such as fishing rod, an excavator to find hidden goodies underground, and even a Breath of the Wild-like glider. All of these can be upgraded with various materials in addition to in-game currency.

You'll find out relatively quickly that upgrading is not only helpful but pretty much a prerequisite to make progress in Lou's Lagoon. There are some roadblocks that get put in front of you which require certain tools requiring specific materials. Not all materials are found in the wild.

Your inventory may be limited, but at least pleasant views are in a surplus within Lou's Lagoon.

No, instead, they must be crafted. You have myriad means to craft in Lou's Lagoon. You have a refiner that takes scrap and other junk and transforms it into more useful materials. You have what essentially comes down to a loom which creates textile materials like silk and cotton. Then, there's the manufacturing station that makes components like processors and chips. 

All of these craft-able goods need you to earn their recipes through various skill trees of sorts. As you complete quests around the archipelago, you earn what amounts to points that unlock new recipes on these trees of recipes. The deeper you delve into each type of crafting stations' trees, the more complicated and costly the required material becomes. 

This doesn't just stop at the cost of materials or money. No, there's also a rather sizable time investment as well. Lou's Lagoon uses a crafting system that works in real time. It's not instant. If you insert materials into a given crafting station or machine, you're going to be waiting a fair amount of time for the machine to finish and cough up your bounty of desired materials. This can take upwards of minutes just to get one material--now to be fair, that's one of the higher rated materials in the game. Still, it's a long time to wait.

As the late and great Tom Petty once sang, "The waiting is the hardest part."

Sure, you can explore the islands of the archipelago or even wander around Lou's Island in the meanwhile to grab more materials for later, but that compounds things with another of the game's problems. Starting out, your inventory is limited to about ten different materials that you can hold at once. This can be upgraded through completing quests and finding upgrades in treasure chests, and you can also hold a modest amount of extra materials in your plane's cargo hold, or sell them to a shopkeeper to later repurchase. 

The point here is that you will find yourself quickly running out of space for materials and constantly juggling between what to carry and what to leave behind, especially when a fair number of quests require you to build something with materials, return to the quest giver with the correct materials, etc.

Like your character, your plane is yours to customize as well. Aye-aye! That's a sharp dresser!

Lou's Lagoon is, as stated, set on an archipelago, so you're not limited to the starting island. After all, what good is a plane if you can't FLY it!? You do get some time in the sky, mainly transporting yourself from one of the four main islands of the game that eventually open up to you. There are also materials and money that can be received by flying through balloons and specific crates in the sky, as well as time trials where you attempt to fly through a set amount of rings within a time limit, but for the most part, your plane is to travel from island to island. 

Times like this are when I wish Baloo was piloting this bad boy instead.

The islands themselves contain one major town apiece surrounded by what amounts to platforming playgrounds, covered in materials to nab, optional treasure chests to find, and uncharted areas to explore. Your character has no health bar and has no real dangers to worry about. Yes, there are pirates that don't take too kindly to your arrival in the archipelago and will attempt to attack you with a smack of their sack full of plundered booty, but this is but a daze. There's no fall damage, and the only actual danger is getting stuck in a buggy part of the environment with no way out. Fortunately, the pause menu houses an "I'm Stuck!" prompt specifically for these occasions, taking you back to the entrance of an area for the times this occurs.

Lou's Lagoon's four islands each have their own environments, challenges, and, of course, quests to complete.

Really, the need for an emergency teleport is the least of Lou's Lagoon's technical problems, at least when playing on the Nintendo Switch 2 version like I was. Truth be told, Lou's Lagoon is one of the most unpolished and uneven games of this cozy type I've played in a long time. There were glaring turn-offs like frame-rate issues where the FPS sunk to slideshow levels at rare but certainly noticeable times, and moments where the camera couldn't focus on the character you're speaking to, instead opting to awkwardly focus on the background. (This was a much more commonplace problem with the presentation.) Loading times also leave something to be desired, as well.

I think I see a shrine over ther--wait. Wrong game.

Still, Lou's Lagoon left me warmly wanting more rather than instead of leaving me out in the cold. Yes, its inventory and crafting systems should be updated if even a little bit to help with the grind, and polishing and debugging for the presentation and multiple technical issues are required for certain. Even with all of my gripes with the game, I deeply enjoyed the adventuring aspects, the platforming, the exploration, the massive amounts of customization, and much of the colorful cast of quirky characters. As it is now, Lou's Lagoon is a tough game to wholeheartedly recommend in its current shape when half of the experience is mired and betrayed by its design.

[SPC Says: C] 

A code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review. 

This game was played via the Nintendo Switch 2 version. Lou's Lagoon is also available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC.

Mega Man: Dual Override (Multi) Proto Man Reveal Trailer

It's no surprise to see Proto Man as the second playable character for Mega Man: Dual Override, but it was a bit of a surprise to see him revealed during today's Nintendo Direct. A welcomed surprise, of course! Dual protagonists, both with dual override abilities, making for an even more action-packed Mega Man game. Mega Man: Dual Override has a launch period of Spring 2027 currently.

Kirby and the World Beyond (NS2) Reveal Trailer

The final announcement during today's Nintendo Direct was that of a brand-new Kirby! Like Link and Mario Kart before him, Kirby is entering into a more open-world setting with Kirby and the World Beyond. Initially starting in familiar surroundings, we see Kirby slice through the background, revealing--well, the world beyond! Kirby and the World Beyond is set to embark uncharted lands in Spring 2027 on the Switch 2, as part of the Kirby franchise's 35th anniversary.

Metroid: Ravenous (NS2) Reveal Trailer

The next game in the Metroid series has been announced, as seen during this morning's Nintendo Direct. Metroid: Ravenous sees Samus Aran having an appetite for destruction (as well as survival, of course), as she's stuck on a dangerous, enemy-infested moon. What horrors and other dangers await her? One of the more exciting announcements from this Direct, we'll have to wait a little longer to satiate our own appetites for the game when Metroid: Ravenous releases on Nintendo Switch 2 on January 28th, 2027.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (NS2) Full Reveal Trailer

For me, it's been an excruciating wait, as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is my favorite game ever made. I know, such a rare opinion to be found, so waiting a handful of months for the full reveal of the remake was rather challenging. 

Now, the first gameplay look and full trailer revealed themselves during Nintendo's special The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct this morning, and goodness, does this game look and sound great to me. What do you think after seeing the trailer? Are you satisfied? 

Regardless, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is reborn on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5th, 2026.

Aggelos 2 (Multi) Review

A rare Saturday morning review to start your weekend on the correct foot--or perhaps, "the correct wing" would be more apropos to say! Our first review of September takes us to the angelic skies, to the demonic depths, and all lands in between with Aggelos 2.  

 An angelic Metroidvania with a little bit of a demonic side to it.

2018 saw the original Aggelos release, a Wonder Boy-inspired 8-bit style action-adventure game that I ended up enjoying. Now, almost a decade later we see the sequel arrive on all major platforms, upgraded with a 16-bit style, much more ambitious series of worlds to navigate, and the RPG systems eliminated. 

Aggelos 2 features the ability introduced early in the game to shift between Angel and Demon forms on the fly. Both have their own uses, as light attacks will deal more damage to dark-based foes, and conversely dark/demons attacks will deal more damage to light-based foes. Though it works the same against our hero as well, where if he takes damage from light attacks in Demon form, he'll lose more health. 

Our angel/demon hero has both melee and long-ranged offense available to him.

Regardless, both forms can launch magical beams from their sword for super helpful ranged combat, as well as get up, close, and personal with their sword for melee maneuvers. Both can also fly to the left and right for a temporary amount of time, and true Metroidvania fashion, this power of flight eventually allows both to fly around without being locked to the X-axis. 

Perhaps the greatest point of contention I have with the Angel and Demon forms in Aggelos 2 is how the right-most face button uses a magical vial. In Angel form, this magical vial heals for a set amount. However, in Demon form, this vial merely speeds up your character. Within particularly stressful and intense moments of action with Aggelos 2, chiefly boss battles, I found myself often wasting these potions in Demon form instead of healing myself. Needless to say, this resulted in many deaths when healing instead of speeding my character up would have sufficed and saved my attempt. When runbacks to bosses (i.e. the path and time it takes to head from the nearest save point to the boss you're aiming to take down) can be a bit lengthy a lot of the time, this can be mildly frustrating at best and utterly agonizing at worst. 

Demon form prefers to make his enemies get the "point".

The original Aggelos was a smaller endeavor, featuring a world that could be crossed and explored within minutes. So small, in fact, that a map wasn't even included for exploration. Aggelos 2, by comparison, is a much meatier game, for better or worse. Not only is there a massive light world to explore, but there is also a second map, a dark, demon world to navigate as well, entered through various portals scattered around the game world.

Fortunately, this time around, a map is included in Aggelos 2. However, that isn't without a series of issues. For one, it's difficult--if not flat out impossible--to tell where different environments and biomes are within the map. Everything on the map is the same color. Collectibles, of which there are many, in Aggelos 2 do not appear on the map when discovered or collected. Instead, the developer insists on putting beacons on the in-game map to note where important, notable discoveries and places to return to are located. This is its own ball of worms, as it's quite easy to forget what reason and why a beacon was placed, so you can return to where a beacon was placed only to remember, "Oh, wait. I still can't do this yet." Different icons for the beacons would alleviate this problem.

Use your energy to perform powerful sword and beam attacks. Just watch that energy meter!

It's not helped that there's not always the best signposting or generally logical leading or luring of the player towards where they should head to next in Aggelos 2. This is one aspect where Aggelos 2 utterly fails in its world and map design. Many times I found myself completely without a clue on what was required of me and where I should explore. I even did some unintentional sequence breaking by having enough hearts to brave entering lava-filled paths and coming out the other side with enough health to progress safely. Apparently, desperation breeds exploration, especially when you just want to make some semblance of progress and the aforementioned lack of helpful map markers don't assist in allowing you to do that.

The two-map world allows for fast travel within it, but you're limited to particular statues at the start of the game. It's not until about halfway through that you find a weighted button you can stand on, which opens up all statues--not just as certain type--to allow yourself to be teleported to on the fly.    

The aforementioned collectibles come in various forms in Aggelos 2. From heart and energy vessels that boost your maximum health and magic energy respectively, to wallet upgrades that boost the maximum amount of currency you can carry by 100 with each upgrade collected, Aggelos 2 is in no shortage of things to find and collect--which makes the previously mentioned map issues so vexing. 

In the early game, flight is limited, so you use a grappling hook to latch onto a scale walls.

The greatest collectible is that of golden eggs, of which there are 100 spread around the game's two maps. These offer different rewards upon returning to the shrine in the game's lone town, one reward for every ten eggs returned.  

No doubt the original Aggelos was a challenging game, all said and done. Aggelos 2 isn't necessarily an easier or harder game; it's just different in its difficulty. Aggelos 1 used an experience point and level system, where you could pretty much grind your way to be stronger. In Aggelos 2, this leveling system is gone. Instead, and in true Metroidvania fashion, through collecting upgrades as well as finding special statues and shrines that boost your attack and defense, you become stronger and more resilient. Aggelos 2 does have a mostly steady difficulty curve, but it does noticeably jump up the first time you enter into the demon world.  

Perhaps the largest challenge within Aggelos 2 other than overcoming confusion in navigating the world and knowing where to go next, is that of boss battles. These are all required in order to achieve the best ending in the game, and these require some serious skill to beat. Between the area of effect, occasional bullet hell patterns being launched at you (these can be negated by slicing your sword at the bullets with the correct matching Angel/light or Demon/dark form) and learning when to go on the offensive and when best to bob and weave to avoid the attacks, these battles usually aren't a "first try, GGs" affair. You'll be attempting them multiple times, and the previously discussed runbacks make for some added aggravation.

Bosses are large, in charge, and will generally take several attempts to overcome.

Aggelos 2 took me about 12 hours to achieve the good ending while finding all of the collectibles to be discovered across the game's two worlds. Needless to say, the latter part was no easy task. In this time, I did encounter several glitches, such as enemies clipping through walls and becoming stuck, my character being caught in a specific animation upon accidentally using my sword and beam special attacks at the same time, and other graphical issues. 

That said, Aggelos 2 is an impressive looking game all the same. The 16-bit visual style is full of color, detail in the environments and especially the beefy amount of monster types in the game, as well. Musically, the soundtrack offers catchy themes of a retro styling that one can't help bounce around in their heads, even after the game's been turned off. 

Aggelos 2 is all-in-all a solid Metroidvania that delivers lots of sweaty palm-inducing action, especially with its level of challenge and difficulty when it concerns its boss battles. Perhaps the greatest challenge, however, comes in a less than stellar way, with its confusing navigation due to a lackluster map system and quality of life features that are entirely absent. Aggelos 2 doesn't necessarily rise up to Heaven, but it also doesn't plummet into the depths of Hell, either.

[SPC Says: B-]

A code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review. 

This game was played via the Steam Deck and PC versions. Aggelos 2 is also available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles, and Xbox One.

Final Fantasy Resonance (Multi) Demo Trailer

Let's continue with some more Final Fantasy, shall we? A demo for Final Fantasy Resonance, the first Final Fantasy game sporting HD-2D graphics, is available today on all platforms. Play through the opening chapter of the game, and when the full release launches October 22nd, you can carry over your progress, much like with most Square Enix game demos as of late. 

Final Fantasy VII Revelation (Multi) Release Date Trailer

Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the final chapter of the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, now has a release date, as of this morning's PlayStation State of Play. The game launches on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, and Xbox Series consoles on April 8th, 2027. We got yet another extended look into the game, as well, during the presentation. 

Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush (Multi) Pre-Order Trailer

The rush of releases in September shows no sign of slowing down. Speaking of rushes, Milestone Team's Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush just recently saw a pre-order trailer rev and roar its way onto the scene. This open-world racer trailer focuses on the early benefits of pre-ordering, collecting more cars for your garage, and shows off some of the wild gameplay promised to players who dive into the game when it releases September 10th on all major current platforms.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword (Multi) "Creator's Voice"

Ahead of Onimusha: Way of the Sword's September 4th release, Nintendo and Capcom have joined forces to provide prospective players with a behind-the-scenes look and talk from the director, Satoru Nihei, with the next in line of Nintendo's Creator's Voice series of videos. While Nintendo's channel, of course, focuses on the Nintendo Switch 2 version, Onimusha: Way of the Sword arrives on all current generation platforms later this week.

Review Round-Up - June - August 2026

Summer at SPC meant enjoyably taking a look at a mysterious book and living our best fantasy lives.

We've had reviews here and there over the past few months at SuperPhillip Central, and what we have now is essentially a summer review recap for the blog with our June to August 2026 Review Round-Up! As one might expect with reviews across three months, we have a wide range of grades given out and an even greater amount of game variety to be found here. Let's get to it!

We started this chapter of reviews on SPC with none other than Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, offering one heck of an opener to this review period, receiving an A- grade. Creating a hefty contrast soon after was Mouse: P.I. For Hire, trading in Yoshi's colorful storybook worlds with a more monochrome, yet still cartoon-y look. It got a B-.

Perfect for the summer months, we then took an island vacation virtually with Kioku: Last Summer, which unfortunately proved to be plagued with bugs and softlocks, which only allowed me to give it a D+ in its current state. From calm summer fun to fast racing action, we revved our engines after with 4PGP, getting a C+ as it crossed the finish line. 

Speaking of finish lines, we weren't quite finished with racing, as we shred the surf on Sea-Doo jet skis courtesy of retro PlayStation 2 and Xbox game Splashdown, which rode and raced its way to a B- grade. After that we traded a Sea-Doo for a skateboard with a trio of Disney properties under the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 engine with Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure, another retro romp. This one got a B.

The months continued with a stretch of games in the B grade category, with our first Nintendo DS review in seemingly ages with Super Mario 64 DS (B), a fun cinematic platformer in the form of LIFTED (B-), and a charming and cute 3D platformer called Teeto (B-).

Rounding out this trio of summer months with some of our highest rated games this review period, we took some decidedly late looks at some truly terrific titles. One sated my thirst for Mega Man (at least until Dual Override arrives) via Gravity Circuit. Another took over 100 hours of my free time over the past year: Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (also SPC's 1,100th review). Both of these titles received hearty recommendations and A- grades.

Phew! Are you all still with me through that lengthy journey looking back at SPC's reviews from June to August? If so, please be sure to check out the SPC Review Archive, as that has each and every one of the site's now 1,100 reviews! 

Let's look forward to autumn ahead, at least in this hemisphere. In the meantime, here are some snippets and links to these past months' past reviews. 

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (NS2) - A-

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is very much a thumping good read--or rather, play. It presents so many unique ideas within each of its 50-60 creatures that it approaches Super Mario Galaxy-levels of "new stage, new concept". Such a feat is no small task, and it's certainly no small comparison either. Yoshi's latest absolutely floored me with its exponential amount of fresh ideas, stellar level design, myriad methods the game's systems interact with each other (in almost a "how does this game not break?!" kind of way), and how it constantly rewarded me for thinking outside of the box.

Mouse: P.I. For Hire (Multi) - B-

Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a ripper of a boomer shooter for sure. As a completionist, I hated having to use a guide to play through the game, as it really killed the pacing for me, but I can't argue against Jack Pepper's investigation being a thrilling and fun one. Case closed.

Kioku: Last Summer (PC) - D+ 

Kioku: Last Summer is a short experience, as stated, and unfortunately, it's one that I would have a hard time recommending in its current state. Perhaps once the bugs and glitches I experienced on a consistent basis are ironed out and some additional polish is included, this would be an easier recommendation for breezy and cozy summer game. As is, though, you'll suffer some frustrations that are ironically the complete antithesis of the cozy vibes the development team intended. That said, I still overall enjoyed my time on the island, but if I didn't have a review to write, I would have most certainly held off until next summer.

4PGP (PC, PS5, NS2, NSW) - C+

4PGP delivers racing thrills with a modest amount of frills. While so many racing games nowadays chase after realism and simulation in the feel to their controls, 3goo's 4PGP is unapologetic in how it harks back to the classic era of arcade racing games. The lack of online multiplayer and steep challenge may turn off some players, however. For everyone else, 4PGP speeds past the finish line in sublime style while adding some subtle substance here and there to make for a worthwhile racer.

Splashdown (PS2, XBX) - B-

Splashdown delivers fast and frenetic aquatic racing action, yes, but it also doesn't do much else. The amount of tracks and environments is immensely impressive, and the difficulty is tough but fair. Career mode essentially being the same for each racer means you'll race the same series of tracks against progressively more challenging opponents, which is about as repetitive as it sounds. Still, for a game you pick up on the used market for cheap nowadays, if you possess a PS2 or OG Xbox, Splashdown's small number of issues are a drop in the bucket compared the oceans of fun you can end up having with it.

Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure (PS2, GCN, XBX) - B

Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure is exactly what you'd expect from the cover--a super competent skateboarding game for the kid and tween market, and also those Disney adults who who can't get enough of Tony Hawk-style skateboarding gameplay. It's not anywhere near as complex as a THPS game--and that's to be expected for the audience it was trying to capture--but Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure manages to make for a marvelous skateboarding gaming experience that lands its tricks much more than it bails on them.

Super Mario 64 DS (DS) - B

Super Mario 64 DS doesn't long jump past the original Nintendo 64 game. It more takes some jumps to the side in improvements as well as complaints. Is Super Mario 64 DS the definitive version of Mario's first full foray and adventure into three-dimensions? That's a difficult question to determine the answer to, because it's totally conditional. From a content point of view, there's no question. From a control perspective, not so much. That's why I surmise that Super Mario 64 DS is more of a side-grade to the original Super Mario 64 than a total upgrade or downgrade. Either way, you'll be jumping for joy and the occasional--but not insurmountable--frustrations, too with this Nintendo DS launch title. 

LIFTED (PC) - B-

LIFTED is indeed a short adventure that some may balk at the $20 asking price, but I find there's plenty to like and even love about this charming cinematic journey that Ari and the Professor set on. Some checkpoint-ing quirks do annoy, and some camera angle issues do less than delight. However, in the end, the overall package is one that I am glad I had the opportunity to check out. I might even go back and complete the final six achievements that I'm missing, which is something I seldom have the motivation to do nowadays, so that certainly speaks to LIFTED's quality. 

Teeto (NS2, NS2, PS5, PC) - B-

Teeto shines in its simplicity, whether that's its platforming gameplay or its graphical style. Its transforming mechanic, used to solve environmental puzzles and perform platforming, lends itself naturally to the gameplay without feeling shoehorned in. Glitches and bugs aside that will no doubt be cleaned up as time and patches roll on, between the co-op, fun objectives, craftily hidden collectibles, and level of charm, Teeto was a game I enjoyed hitting 100% completion on. While it isn't a title that hits the same highs of Banjo-Kazooie, Spyro the Dragon, or any other 3D platforming titan Teeto might have inspiration from, it's a wonderful game all the same. 

Gravity Circuit (Multi) - A-

While Gravity Circuit isn't a perfect encapsulation of everything I love about Mega Man, the devs and designers clearly did their research, or at the very least grew up with Mega Man like I did and know what makes these classics so enduring and endearing. Gravity Circuit is a wonderfully paced, action-packed romp that doesn't outwear its welcome, delivers delightful run and jump gameplay, insanely smart level design, and plenty of platforming, boss battles, and other combat scenarios that will test every player's mettle.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (Multi) - A-

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a game that after such a long development time and arguable development hell, it shouldn't work as well as it does, and perhaps it's a miracle for that reason. Between its complementing gameplay systems that hardly ever clash against one another, the "play as you want and as the mood strikes" level of freedom you eventually get, utterly massive post-game, and stupendous visual style and presentation, Fantasy Life i is an easy game to get lost in and lose hundreds of hours to. I admittedly did and have no regrets either. Not when the game is such so lovingly crafted and well done as a whimsical adventure.

Whether you wanted Mega Man-likes or Super Mario 64-likes, SPC had you covered this summer!

1,100th Review! Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (Multi)

It's somewhat mind-blowing to me that SuperPhillip Central has reached this latest milestone: 1,100 reviews. I have no plans of stopping any time soon, at that! 

Our 1,100th review (not-so-coincidentally published at 11:00 a.m. Central time) is a game I've been meaning to cover, but it got lost in the shuffle, like so many games did when I was focused on other aspects of life. Speaking of Lives, this game has 12 of them, but after playing this game over 100 hours over the past year, I feel I have zero, ironically! 

That said, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a meaty game, and would have probably been runner-up for my Game of the Year for 2025 behind Donkey Kong Bananza. Does that spoil how much I enjoyed this particular game? Perhaps, but I hope you still enjoy this milestone review all the same. 

 A game that steals time, too. /complimentary

The original Fantasy Life released in 2012 on the Nintendo 3DS. As a game, it was a life sim that featured plenty of cozy elements, combat, and plenty of Lives to manage. The sequel had been in development for quite a while, even having to retool itself during development. When a game gets in "development hell", for lack of a better term, like Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time did, it's hard not to assume the absolute worst of the final product--or at least worry heavily about it.

Somehow, someway, the sequel released, and it's no wonder why the game took so long to come out of the oven. With three unique worlds, so many gameplay systems interacting with one another, and an overwhelming amount of things to do, it can feel like Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time would suffer from bloat or feature creep. Instead and again, somehow, someway, Fantasy Life i manages to mesh and gel all of these systems into one comprehensive and complete entity.

As the subtitle would suggest, Fantasy Life i's story is a time-traveling tale through the past and present. It's a humorous affair with plenty of chuckles and even laughs to be found, though it occasionally can get slightly serious as well. The latter moments are few and far in between, keeping the game's story light in tone overall.

Well, Ranoah, after playing this game for over 100 hours total with every achievement unlocked, 
I can confidently say that... no. No, I do not.

It's difficult to describe what Fantasy Life i's main draw is, because there is honestly so much to this particular sequel. There's, of course, the Life system, which essentially puts your character in the role of various jobs. These Lives come in the form of three categories: combat, gathering, and crafting. Each Life starts at level 1 and gain experience points to level up in various ways, and each time a Life levels up, they get points that can be spent on that Life's skill board. This grants them better proficiency and abilities to utilize their Life better. 

Obviously, combat-related Lives spend their time battling creatures and other enemies. Gathering-oriented Lives chop trees, reel in fish, and mine for ore, in the case of Woodcutter, Angler, and Miner Lives respectively. Finally, crafting Lives do all their magic at workbenches, using drops from the former two Life categories to create all kinds of goodies, whether that be equipment, furniture, food, etc. 

Find the sweet spot by circling around this ore, and strike to deal some serious damage!
Just be sure to mind your stamina meter "ore" you'll tucker out before you finish the job!

Each Life starts you off as but an apprentice, but as you complete specific tasks for each Life, you earn points that eventually grant you to higher ranks. These ranks give rewards to your Life, as well as introducing a higher tier of more challenging tasks to complete. For combat Lives, these require felling certain monsters. For gathering Lives, it's all about chopping down certain trees, catching certain fish, or mining specific ore and reaping the rewards from them. Crafting Lives require you to make specific recipes via time-based mini-games, and some need to meet a certain quality as well. 

Crafting takes the form of these mini-games, requiring taps and holds of buttons and 
occasional spins of the analog stick to make new equipment, furniture, food, and more.

In a way, all of the Lives are interconnected. You need combat and gathering Lives to get enough drops and materials to assist your crafting Lives to make the required recipes for new ranks, as well as to better equip your combat and gathering Lives. That's whether with new weapons and stronger tools, or armor in the case of combat Lives. 

That's why it's pretty ideal to essentially sign up for all Lives at the start of the game once the Life system opens up. To be fair, it's a pretty tedious process to start the process in 12 different Lives, and it can also be overwhelming to have SO many different tasks available at once. However, it also makes the world much more accessible and available to you, opening up a ton of places and activities to enjoy.

You always have something to do within Fantasy Life i, whether you follow along with the story or not!

That said, Lives are just one part of Fantasy Life i. Another piece of the game is that of an open-world land called Ginormosia, introduced relatively early in the game and not mentioned until close to the very end of the base game's story. Ginormosia is home to various regions, each with pop-up challenges to optionally complete, monsters to defeat, ore to mine, trees to chop down, fish to catch, and so forth. As you complete challenges and perform feats within the world, you gain points for that specific region. Once you reach certain point thresholds, you can speak to the talkative tower of that region to level it up, making the rewards and challenges of that particular region greater. 

Ginormosia is well, quite a bit ginormous with plenty of points of interests to find and visit.

Ginormosia also features inspirations from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, between its Korok-like Leafes hidden all around and with its shrines sprinkled and scattered all across the land. Inside these literal shrines are simple enough puzzles to solve and challenges to complete to unlock characters called Strangelings, which can be turned back into human form at your home base.

That includes these shrines that are scattered all about the land of Ginormosia.

This leads me to yet another part of Fantasy Life i: your home island. This can be outfitted with homes (including your own, which can be customized and fully furnished inside), farms, and other buildings for your Strangelings turned humans to live. The indoor and outdoor furniture and other knickknacks can be placed all around your island as well. This is another optional part of Fantasy Life i, but it is rather rewarding. It's essentially something out of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, so if you have any familiarity with that game, then you'll feel right at home (both figuratively and literally) with this part of Fantasy Life i. 

Also on your home island is that of Treasure Groves, which grant you access to Rogue-lite dungeons where your Lives are put to the ultimate test. Some floors require specific proficiency in a particular Lives to pass. Some floors are Harvesting ones, needing you to dig up all of the crops. Some are Fishing floors, requiring you to fish up all you can in search of a specific item. If you're not at a proper level with a given Life, you'll find these objectives next to impossible, especially as you go back in time further and further. Each Treasure Grove sapling you plant grows a completely different grove to explore, and seldom are two ever the same. However, both the challenges and the prizes for completing them make the Treasure Groves incredibly fun and rewarding to take on.

So much of Fantasy Life i can be immensely overwhelming when you lay everything out like I just did, especially as there is a TON of grinding is present--whether monsters, monster drops, leveling up Lives, etc. That won't be everyone's bag of Dosh. Fortunately, you're seldom ever really forced to do anything. Sure, you're encouraged to follow along with the story, which helps in advancing the plot and reaching new areas to access better materials and rewards, but truthfully, you're allowed to do what you want when you want. 

One of the combat Lives is that of a Magician, for magical ranged fighting!

Thus, if you want to dedicate time to customizing your house to your heart's desires, you can do that. Heck, you can even NOT customize your house to your heart's desires, and you can still enjoy the game fully. Whether it's leveling up your Lives, finding new materials help in crafting better gear, exploring and ranking up Ginormosia's dozen or so regions, tracking tasks to rank up your Lives, or engaging in one of the myriad other overall fun activities in Fantasy Life i, it's all up to you. There is certainly no shortage of things to do and accomplish in Fantasy Life i, and an aspect I really enjoyed is that while playing, while exploring each piece of the game, I was always making progress towards something. There's seldom downtime or the feeling that I was just spinning my wheels for no reason.

Perhaps the most impressive piece of Fantasy Life i is how you have multitudes of all of these contrasting systems, such massive gameplay systems that overlap, that you'd think a game this seemingly bloated just wouldn't work. The mind-blowing aspect of this to me is that it actually all does. Between the Lives, the open-world Ginormosia, the story, the exploration, the island and home customization, the various tasks, challenges, and quests to complete--it all works and it pretty much all complements each other well without feeling like the game is too big for its britches.

Speaking of being too big for its britches, this Napdragon is about due to take a dirt nap with our team fighting it!

It's not all well thought-out, as multiplayer somewhat seems like an afterthought in Fantasy Life i. You can have friends visit your islands, but there's not much interacting or activities to do together on said islands. While you can explore both the Past and all the unique places it entails, as well as enter Ginormosia with friends, you're limited in how long you can explore together. There's a strict time limit, and while you can remake a lobby and rejoin each other after time runs out, there's really no rhyme or reason to why this limitation is required. Treasure Groves, however, can be embarked with a full party of four friends or strangers, offering the full grove to be enjoyed.

Beyond the limited multiplayer options that aren't too impressive, what did impress me was the presentation of Fantasy Life i. The game is positively gorgeous, and moments where you stand at the top of a peak in Ginormosia, seeing the massive draw distance revealing pretty much the entirety of the continent for your viewing pleasure? Absolutely jaw-dropping. The character and creature models are delightful, as are the environments you embark in and explore. 

Bring along some CPU companions to aid or cheer you on in battle, as well as level up more quickly, too!

On the sound front, the voice acting is suitably charming, much like the rest of the game, though quips by CPU party members that can optionally join you while out and about can get extremely repetitive. After hearing a companion say, "I'm worried about you" for the tenth time in less than three minutes, I realized maybe this was less commentary on my character's well-being and more on the fact that I hadn't eaten in five hours because I was so enamored with the game. 

Musically, many of Nobuo Uematsu's magnificent compositions from the original Nintendo 3DS Fantasy Life make a return in the sequel, but there also brand-new themes and tracks to be heard as well.Either way, the soundtrack is comprised of a lot of lovely songs that seldom if ever get grating on the ears, unlike your companions' various quips.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a game that after such a long development time and arguable development hell, it shouldn't work as well as it does, and perhaps it's a miracle for that reason. Between its complementing gameplay systems that hardly ever clash against one another, the "play as you want and as the mood strikes" level of freedom you eventually get, utterly massive post-game, and stupendous visual style and presentation, Fantasy Life i is an easy game to get lost in and lose hundreds of hours to. I admittedly did and have no regrets either. Not when the game is such so lovingly crafted and well done as a whimsical adventure.

[SPC Says: A-]

This game was played via the Steam Deck, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 versions. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is also available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation (Multi) "The Planet's Crisis" Trailer

As promised, a new look at Final Fantasy VII Revelation was revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live, and this particular trailer for the final in the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy features the fabled Weapons, mega-sized monstrosities wreaking havoc on the planet. Final Fantasy VII Revelation is due for an early 2027 release on all current platforms.

LEGO Skylines (Multi) Announcement Trailer

Announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live, LEGO meets SimCity/Cities: Skylines with LEGO Skylines, a city-builder featuring the enduring LEGO brand. As a fan of the genre and LEGO games, it'll be nice to have a combo of building metropolises all the while enjoying the charm LEGO games possesses. LEGO Skylines is set to arrive on all current platforms. Wishlist now at the official website for the game.

Mega Man: Dual Override (Multi) Gameplay Trailer

Arriving fresh from Gamescom, Mega Man: Dual Override receives a new trailer, this time focusing on some gameplay. We see a look at an all-new Robot Master in the form of Twinkle Girl, our second ever female Robot Master in the series, and even spot an old haunt from Mega Man 8 and Mega Man & Bass thrown in, speaking of Robot Masters! Mega Man: Dual Override is playable on the Gamescom show floor and releases next year.

Gravity Circuit (Multi) Review

A new review for an older indie game is here on the site, and at this review's conclusion, we're officially one review away from SuperPhillip Central's 1,100th! A massive number of reviews on the site, for sure, and some might even be called "quality" at that! Your mileage will vary, of course! Regardless, let's take a look at a game that recently received a sequel announcement: Gravity Circuit. As a massive Mega Man fan, I'm kicking myself for not having played this sooner. Better late than never, though! 

Time to break some circuits

Gravity Circuit recently celebrated its third anniversary in July and an announcement of a sequel arriving next year. Of course, with a third anniversary celebration, I'm a little late to the party on covering the game. That said, as a rather large Mega Man fan and nerd, I felt I was lacking by not playing this game yet. In the end, Gravity Circuit is not just one of the best indie Mega Man-likes available, but it also manages to outdo many of the Blue Bomber's own entries.

After some time of peace and after having been defeated long ago, the Virus Army unexpectedly returns, laying siege to the planet in a bid for total world domination. The resistance known as the Guardian Corps have been weakened and spread too thin with no alternative than to call an old hero into the fold: Kai. This robot mercenary wields the fabled Gravity Circuit, giving him the power to take the fight to the Virus Army and hopefully vanquish them once and for all. 

Gravity Circuit's story is one that doesn't meander or mess around too much, but it does throw some surprises and twists here and there. Ideally, it'd be possible to fully skip all cutscenes, if only for the repeated plays the game encourages you to perform, but this isn't always possible. Still, what's here doesn't get in the way too often. The gameplay is the star of the show, and it makes a darn good first impression.

Said first impression puts players into the role of Kai in an opening city stage, sort of reminiscent of Mega Man X's opening highway stage. Here, the basics of Gravity Circuit are taught to the player. Whereas Mega Man X utilizes his X-Buster to shoot foes from far away, Kai prefers a more up, close, and personal approach. 

Eat robot foot, Virus Army!

Kai's Gravity Circuit gives him the ability to punch and kick foes into submission, turning their bodies gray. Upon this, Kai can pick up and chuck the robotic corpse of his opposition into other enemies and faraway objects. He also has a hookshot to utilize, allowing him to attack foes from afar with its much weaker, but somewhat safer penetrating point. Weakened enemies can be grabbed by the hookshot, and then, you guessed it, tossed to oblivion.

The hookshot isn't just a weapon; it's also a means for traversal. Whether to swing across otherwise impossible to cross chasms, lift himself up to higher areas, or allow him to perform some acrobatic maneuvers, Kai's hookshot is an invaluable tool to progress through levels and get through the game. This is alongside is standard dash and optional but super useful burst techniques.

Kai gets into the swing of things, and players will, too, for that matter, 
eventually moving through stages with surgeon-like precision!

These burst techniques give Kai an extra edge in combat. Through using up some energy from a gauge, Kai is able to perform special moves and abilities in turn. These can range from powerful, move-interrupting uppercuts to bosses, lengthy power beams that give Kai knockback upon using them, and even piledrivers, as if he were preparing for a WWE wrestling match against C.M. Punk. Either way, these bursts definitely even the odds, or if you're proficient enough a player, make things even more favorable for Kai in the war against the Virus Army.

After the initial stage is complete, Kai has access to the Guardian Corps base. It's the hub that features various NPCs, though at the beginning of the game it's awfully lonely inside. Like any traditional-style Mega Man game, eight stages become available to play in any order. Each houses a Robot Master--or rather, Circuit, that must be taken down, one that is causing havoc in its particular area of the world.

The Circuits' stages in the game give plenty of variety, offering different platforming obstacles, environmental hazards, and contextual challenges to overcome. From the junkyard's dripping purple goo, that slows Kai's movement down to a total stop if he gets covered in it, to the snowy mountain's propensity to freeze our protagonist in ice at a moment's notice due to its plethora of enemies and hazards, Gravity Circuit presents players plenty of trials and tribulations.

Each stage features unique hazards, such as the boilerworks's penchant for lava, fire, and lasers!

Fortunately, and also unlike its inspiration, Gravity Circuit does not punish players severely in its gameplay. Yes, the game is a challenge, for sure, but players won't be facing instant deaths upon slamming into a bed of spikes, falling into a bottomless pit, or getting crushed like a robotic pancake, either. Instead, Kai is placed back at the safest determined spot (i.e. one without enemies or hazards) in the stage to try the section again, simply with less health than he had previously to work with.

Checkpoints are little repair stations similar to Shovel Knight. There, players pay a fee of the energy chips earned through exploration and defeating foes, to recover Kai's health and energy immediately. Each time the station is used, the cost goes slightly up for the next visit, at least in the same level on the current run of that stage. The developers weren't overly generous with the checkpoints, but they weren't miserly with them either. Folks will have to fight through and endure some grueling and occasionally lengthy sections of stages to reach one checkpoint to another.

Stages themselves are linear in true Mega Man-style fashion, but they're also brimming with secrets and side paths. From health and energy upgrades, to innocent civilians needing to be rescued, there is a lot to find and collect within the initial eight Circuit stages. 

Some civilians are easily spotted but hard to reach. Others are equally hard to find and reach, 
requiring some proficient platforming and destroying certain walls to reach!

Saving civilians helps in not only making the Guardian Corps base feel less empty, but it also enables Kai and the player by extension to purchase new passive parts and chips that can be equipped to our protagonist. Three of these can be equipped at once, ranging from extra energy recovery and less health consumed by falling into hazards, to more accessible assists, like a double jump. 

Gravity Circuit isn't too lengthy of a game, which shouldn't surprise any fan of classic Mega Man style games, but that isn't to say the game isn't one players can't enjoy for a long time. My first playthrough took about five hours to complete, but then there is a New Game+ mode that transfers everything over from a player's previous playthrough. There's also Circuit Mode, which is like the standard story, but allows Kai to tap into his health to use burst techniques when his energy is empty. Then, throw in the just over 50 unique achievements to tackle (some requiring playthroughs without collecting health and energy upgrades or buying extra techniques or parts), boss rushes, and more, and this is a game that all in all took me about 12 hours to earn everything within.

On the subject of play control, Gravity Circuit mostly sticks its landing. The platforming is top-notch, and the impact of punching and kicking enemies into submission--it really gave me the feel of being a badass, powerful rock'em, sock'em robot. Badass and powerful, yes, but invincible and faultless, no. Sometimes I found that using the hookshot, especially on diagonals--something needed quite often to do to swing across gaps and such--was hard to successfully do. Many times I saw Kai helplessly fall into the pit because I couldn't get diagonal to register, either on the D-Pad or control stick, properly 100% of the time. As one can imagine, this was quite the frustration, especially on playthroughs without the double jump ability afforded to me. 

The Virus Army comes in all shapes and sizes, and Kai's foot is currently meeting 
the faces of each and every one of them.

Further, I found dashing and jumping in conjunction to be a bit inconsistent. Holding the back left trigger on the controller initiates Kai's dash, but when I started to dash, I couldn't always just at the same time. This, like the diagonals of the hookshot before it, led to more failures in platforming than I would have liked. Still, overall, Kai handles, controls, and plays otherwise well.

Gravity Circuit contains an 8-bit-inspired graphical style to it. The amount of pixelated details in the stages, environments, and backgrounds are truly something to behold. A lot can happen on screen at once, and unlike the NES inspiration that the game takes after, Gravity Circuit does not feature the same sprite flickering or flashing the plagued the original NES hardware for games of this type of that era. On the sound side, the music is incredibly catchy and feels like something out of Mega Man. No notes--besides the obvious and catchy musical ones. 

While Gravity Circuit isn't a perfect encapsulation of everything I love about Mega Man, the devs and designers clearly did their research, or at the very least grew up with Mega Man like I did and know what makes these classics so enduring and endearing. Gravity Circuit is a wonderfully paced, action-packed romp that doesn't outwear its welcome, delivers delightful run and jump gameplay, insanely smart level design, and plenty of platforming, boss battles, and other combat scenarios that will test every player's mettle. A superb effort all-around.

[SPC Says: A-] 

This game was played via the Steam Deck version. Gravity Circuit is also available on PC, Nintendo Switch, as well as the PlayStation 4 and 5.