Time for our regular roundup of the mostly (but not strictly) retro-interest games I’m aware of due for release in the upcoming month, and at the very least I hope you enjoy watching a few trailers and snippets of info where I have them! Actually, like last month, it’s a bit more than a few this time…
First out of the blocks next month is Triple Take, a high-speed precision 2D platformer with a horror vibe, out on PC via Steam on the 6th of October. As you complete a level it evolves into a more challenging version of itself, and then once again before you can move on through the five worlds stacked with bosses. Looking at the trailer it’s a bit too much red on black for my dodgy eyes but cool idea.
Next up is a Chuhou Joutai 3: Three Nights of Scarlet Abscess on Steam, a very stylised – almost minimal – retro-inspired shoot ‘em up out on the 7th October. I was lucky enough to have a go on a demo a while back, and it’s very welcoming, builds up the challenge at a nice pace and, most importantly, was loads of fun from the outset! There is a very long, very anime, and totally ridiculous back story, but I think all you need to know is that “pandemonium will break loose if you don’t unleash your rage” so don’t be put off by the visuals and definitely check it out, especially if another demo appears. And credit to the always entertaining Schmup STG Clips for the video – look them up on Twitter too to brighten up your feed!
Atari Mania arrives on Switch, PC and Atari VCS, which I’d forgotten even existed (if it actually does) on Thursday October the 13th, and seems to be WarioWare in an Atari skin! There are over 150 mini games mashing up bits and pieces from Atari’s fifty year history, with all your favourite old games and characters presented in a modern interpretation of an Atari 2600 style. Looks like it’s only going to cost about £20-ish too, so as a fanboy I might get in on a bit of this anniversary action!
Arkanoid – Eternal Battle is coming to everything on the 18th, and is a new spin on the classic 1986 block-breaker by Taito. And by “new spin” we obviously mean a Battle Royale mode, which is last-man standing for to 25 players, but there’s also local split-screen versus for up to 4 players and two single player modes. We reviewed no less than three of these things recently in the Taito Egret II Mini Paddle and Trackball Expansion Set, and I’ve still got a lot of play left to do over there, so not sure about another £35.99 on this right now, but glad to see Arkanoid is still going strong!
Also on the 18th, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed allows up to three players to take on the role of Ghostbuster in a kind of first-person shooter co-op multiplayer thing where they need to bust the fourth player who’s playing as a third-person perspective ghost. It’s got the likenesses and voices of Ernie Hudson and Dan Ackroyd, but even that’s not going to change the fact I don’t like these games unfortunately. It’s coming to PC, Xbox and PlayStation if you do though. Credit to IGN for the video too.
I’m still not entirely sure what this series is all about, but I do know that Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope doesn’t look likely to spark my interest enough to find out, especially at fifty quid! It does all look very polished though, as you’d expect of a Mario game, and if it is your thing I’m sure you’ll be thrilled to know it’s coming to Switch on the 20th. I’ll stick with the platforming ones though.
No Batman because apparently he’s dead, but we do have a spin-off in Gotham Knights, coming on October 21st and only to PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. You can play as Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood or Robin against some familiar baddies and the mysterious Court of Owls. This is big budget, big action, and looks a lot like the Arkham games that have gone before it, so no question I’m in… Unless the Batcycle turns out to be as bad as the Bat-ride in the last game!
Not sure that Bayonetta counts as remotely retro yet (though same applies for Batman), but this thing seems to have been so long in the making I reckon it might be! Bayonetta 3 is finally coming to Switch on October 28th, and sees the very lovely titular Umbra Witch back in her most over-the-top, hairy-magic scrap to date, taking her all over the world and beyond, no doubt, for some totally bonkers fighting action and a devilishly good time. And that all sounds like a far more exciting place to drop £50 than that Rabbids thing!
Resident Evil Re:Verse is the PvP multiplayer game that was originally supposed to launch alongside our 2021 game of the year Resident Evil Village but is now finally coming on October 28th. As I write I’ve no idea if it’s free DLC, paid DLC or standalone, or how it fits in with the Winters Expansion for last year’s game that’s also due the same day, as well as some kind of special edition package. It does just seem to be a 6v6 deathmatch mode with a choice of characters from the series though, so I’m probably out and will stick to the other DLC, which has a new story centred around the previous protagonist’s now-teenage daughter Rose, a third-person action mode where you can also play as Lady Dimitrescu, and a third-person view for the main game. Coming to Stadia as well as PC, Xbox and PlayStation too, would you believe? Well, assuming it hasn’t been shutdown by then…
Finally, I’ve had my eye on Gunvein since it was first announced late last year, and while there’s no specific drop date (or price) to share yet, as I write, it looks like it’s coming sometime in October for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC via Steam. Gunvein is an intense, dynamic bullet hell shoot ‘em up inspired by the classic arcade shooters from the likes of Cave, Taito and Raizing. It’s all about screen domination and rewards aggressive play, although it also sounds like its various modes will make it pretty accessible too. Assuming it does arrive as planned, this might be the one I’m looking forward to the most in October.
That’s the lot, but before we part ways until it’s nearly November, by coincidence I recently spotted this ad in the October 1989 issue of C&VG, which tells us that October is AD&D computer products month, so look out for the competition and free clue book voucher when you buy any of their nerd games… Which was Heroes of the Lance for Atari ST in my case! See you next time!
Retro Arcadia 