For one, even having played it for a while, I still can’t decide whether I like it or not.

Disney Speedstorm In A Nutshell

You might think that a glance at Speedstorm tells you everything you need to know. Disney characters tearing around tracks inspired by the company’s most popular franchises and throwing weapons at each other. Mario Kart without the Mario, and with Monster’s Inc characters, right?

Well, not exactly. The game is a peculiar Frankenstein kind of title that tosses in mechanics from various other racing games.

If you thought Mario Kart was a way to ruin friendships, Disney Speedstorm is a way to forge enemies. The game is surprisingly aggressive. You pick your racer and vehicle before dropping into a track with various other players (or possibly bots). From there, you can simply outspeed your opponent, utilize shortcuts and alternate routes, or you can play dirty.

The game has a ramming system, which lets you aggressively slam into your opponents and run them off the road. It also has some pretty fiendish weapons. The one that temporarily reverses your controls is especially mean.

Different characters bring different skills to the table, as well as having stats that favour certain play styles. There are a few that are currently wildly ahead of the rest of the cast, a certain green, one-eyed monster immediately springs to mind.

The setup is fun, though it does feel a little let down by the handling of the cars. They tend to feel slow, even when traveling at speed, and feel a bit like trying to drive a slippery tank round the course. It’s not awful but it did leave me pining for something like KartRider: Drift where I always felt very in control of what I was driving.

Awesome And Creative Environments

While the car handling itself didn’t really wow me in Disney Speedstorm, the tracks really pulled out all the stops, and I can’t do the review without taking a bit of time to gush about them.

The Speedstorm tracks are varied, creative, and just have a sense of chaotic fun to them that makes up for the lackluster car handling. They’re unsurprisingly themed after Disney and Pixar properties, but the creators haven’t let this fact make them lazy.

One that stood out in particular for me was a track based around classic cartoons, which catapults you through a cinema screen into a black and white wonderland, then promptly hits you with a train. Tracks are dotted with hazards, shortcuts, boost plates, and rails to grind on, which means getting to learn the track gives you a massive advantage going forward.

Unfortunately, it’s advantages that might be one of the more controversial aspects of the game.

The Shadow Of Pay To Win

Of course, everything else aside, there’s one big concern that looms over Speedstorm that’s impossible to ignore. The pay-to-win question.

Disney Speedstorm is set to be free-to-play on its release, but obviously, any game needs to make its money. At this point in early access, you can purchase more costly editions of the game in order to unlock more characters, and get extra in-game currency to play with.

The characters all have different stats and places in the meta, and the currency can be used to upgrade your racers and generally improve your performance. Herein lies the trap of pay-to-win.

You can earn the stuff you need to upgrade your characters by playing without spending, and you can get hold of the characters too, if you’re willing to get on the grind, but you can get there a lot faster by parting with cash for premium boxes and racer shards.

Certainly, this might be enough to put many people off it entirely, though as the game is in early access it’ll be interesting to see if Gameloft can manage the power creep and prevent people from just buying their way to the top racers, while also stopping new players hitting an immediate wall.

Is It Worth Playing?

It’s hard to either condemn or get on the hype train for Disney Speedstorm. The game has some real creativity in areas that make me really want to like it, but it’s hard to overlook its flaws.

There’s definitely some fun to be had, and with multiplayer this might be exactly the game you need to really despise the rest of your friend group for an evening. It’s really down to how you feel about its quirks. Full release is see to be free-to-play, so there’s no reason not to give it a go when that rolls round.

If it’s of interest to you, you can check the game out now on Steam Early Access.

If you want to see some other games we’ve been playing lately,  also check out our review on Mail Time.

The post Disney Speedstorm Review – An Odd Duck, And We’re Not Talking About Donald appeared first on Gamezebo.

So how do you improve on perfection like that? Well including the game’s bulkier sequel is a good start. 

This Switch remake of the first two Game Boy Advance titles doesn’t do anything too crazy with the formula, but when it works so well any excessive tweaking would have been foolhardy.

Based around grid-based maps where you have to move around various battle units – tanks, missiles, troops, aircraft, ships – you defeating your foe by either destroying all their forces or capturing their bases. 

Different units can move certain distances, some are more effective against others – and so on. CO Powers also give you little advantages once a power meter is filled too, such as increased firing range and the ability to heal units.

Although both titles have dinky visuals and anime styled characters the gameplay mechanics underneath are rock solid – movement of your units is incredibly simple, but the way they can be used in combination is often breathtaking. 

The amount of scenarios created by just a few units and various types of terrain is masterful, and the way it’s presented mean that even casual players can enjoy the experience – helped no end by the addition of an actual ‘casual’ difficulty mode, which wasn’t present in the originals. 

The sequel throws around time limits and other gimmicks, but is still fun enough to satisfy – just not quite in the same pure way as the original. 

So the core mechanics remain unchanged, so wisely the main differences in this Switch version are additions in the form of new modes – such as a Challenge Campaign – and numerous extras you can unlock via an in-game shop.

As you’d expect there are multiplayer modes too, and you can play up with up to three other people locally – but only one on one online for some reason. There’s no matchmaking either, which is puzzling and possibly the only real issue we ran into with the game.

Ultimately this is an improved version of an already almost perfect strategy game, and its bulkier sequel isn’t bad either. We recommend you sign up forthwith.

The post Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp [Switch] Review – What Is It Good For appeared first on Gamezebo.

For those unaware, Mail Time is a charming game set in the peaceful Grumblewood Grove. You meet a variety of animals as you deliver their mail and complete their requests, explore a relaxing environment while collecting mushroom samples, and use your glider to scope out new areas.

Storybook Magic

I can’t talk about Mail Time without mentioning the overall art direction. It’s a visually stunning game that takes a lot of inspiration from the beloved aesthetic of “cottagecore”. This definitely caught my attention, as I absolutely love cozy games!

The character models look like they were ripped right out of a storybook, and the portraits are equally charming. I personally really like how the portraits change during a conversation to display emotions – it’s a brilliant touch.

The character customisation is limited, but I appreciate the fact that you can change the colour of your outfit, select a hairstyle, and choose a specific bag style. There’s a certain mission in the game that provides you with brand-new mushroom hats – I of course matched my lilac outfit with a lilac mushroom! I love this feature, as it does add an extra layer of customisation.

I’m also a big fan of the fact that the text during dialogue scenes is large. This is a neat little addition that makes it easier for those with vision impairments. Games should always strive towards adding more accessibility options!

Foraging Fun or Frustration?

Mail Time certainly scratches the itch of wanting to explore a forest on a foraging adventure, with mushroom-gathering quests, and more. I quickly noticed that my character would take a little rest here and there if I was away from the keyboard for a short while – it’s pretty adorable.

Mail Time has an abundance of quests to work through, meaning you’ve always got something to do when wandering around. However, this is when my first negative point comes in – the game lacks a map.

I’m assuming the decision to not add a map was to encourage extensive exploration, which some of you may enjoy. But, it started to feel quite tedious when I couldn’t find certain characters. Personally, I’m not a fan of having to investigate every inch of an area when seeking out an item or NPC.

Anyway, I must stress that this shouldn’t put you off the game. It’s a minor inconvenience that doesn’t break the game – after all, I’m just pretty bad with directions.

However, one thing that may put you off is the length, which runs at a meagre 2-4 hours. In retrospect, the price tag may be a little high for a game that can hardly fill an afternoon.

Traversal Triumphs

It’s clear from the offset that the main point of the game is to explore the environment as you deliver mail – so, let’s take a deeper look at the traversal mechanics.

The glider is a useful tool to use when trying to scan the surrounding area for NPCs and mushroom samples. It was a little tricky to get up to higher points sometimes, but the bouncy mushrooms can lend a hand.

You can view your quests in your journal, which can be helpful when trying to keep track of who you need to visit. In spite of this, I found it a little confusing at times – especially when I couldn’t find the characters that I needed to talk to.

Again, maybe I don’t have the patience to endlessly walk around in search of one character, but it took a while for me to find some of them. I found myself walking past the same characters countless times, though this did give me the opportunity to start further quests at times.

My Final Thoughts on Mail Time

In conclusion, it’s obvious that a lot of love went into Mail Time. The art style, music, and character dialogue are all highly polished. I can easily recommend this game to you if you love cosy games – and if you’re a fan of the cottagecore aesthetic.

However, it is a bit short for its price tag. Anyway, long walks through the forest may be your thing. Why not give it a try?

The post Mail Time [PC] Review – Cottagecore Cuteness appeared first on Gamezebo.

I must admit, I’m a bit conflicted on this one. On the outside, it looks like a shiny new, adorable Sanrio game. But once I actually started to play it, I found myself equally frustrated and bored. I can’t quite decide if this is supposed to be a children’s game or if its target audience is for all ages.

Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Parade is a rhythm-based game that features a range of characters from the beloved Sanrio franchise. Walk to the rhythm, avoid obstacles, and utilise special abilities. Progress through the game to unlock additional characters and songs! For information on the game, visit the Google Play page.

Expectations Versus Reality

I’m either bad at the game, or it’s unreasonably hard even when playing the easy levels. If this game was made with the intention of marketing it to children, I very much doubt that they would manage to understand the gameplay mechanics. I’m not trying to undermine children’s intellect, but the controls in general and the beat-matching feel very off at times.

I’ve been playing rhythm games for quite some time now, so I’ve seen a lot of different styles within the genre. On one hand, you’ve got the classic Rhythm Paradise on handheld consoles, Project Sekai on mobile, and the ever-popular Osu.

I didn’t launch Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Parade expecting it to be strong competition against these titles, but I was hoping for something at least a little substantial. However, it’s not all negative, maybe the game just isn’t for me, but there’s just something about this game that doesn’t scratch that satisfying feeling that you get from receiving a perfect score on a rhythm game.

Dance to the Beat… or Not

A big part of rhythm games is the music, obviously. So, when a rhythm game features pretty bland and generic music, it can be hard to get into the groove – literally. The music in Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Paradise is lackluster at best, and I assume won’t be most people’s cup of tea.

Rhythm games thrive off of intense soundtracks such as off-the-wall electronic beats or harmonious vocals. The music in this game sounds like something you’d hear on the Disney Channel – but at least Hannah Montana’s music was good.

Cute Characters Can Only Go So Far

There’s also a form of character building, with the option to level up specific characters. This, in turn, increases their stats, and you can even customise a character with a new outfit or headpiece when you have the right amount of coins.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I do love Sanrio as a whole, always have, and always will. So the opportunity to customise my favourite characters from the franchise does appeal to me. Sadly, there are not that many options available.

There is some sense of game progression in a way, with the ability to unlock new characters when you reach certain milestones. Each character has their own special moves for the dancefloor and can be used to help you during a level. I also quite like that the game does offer you the chance to choose between Normal Mode and Auto-Dance Mode, though the latter seems a bit pointless considering the fact that it takes all of the rhythm out of a rhythm game.

Roguelike Rhythm Game?

The game itself has plenty of levels to play through, but it can be tedious when you get taken back to the start of the map when you fail a level. Tying in with what I mentioned about the music before, the songs do get pretty grating when you have to listen to them multiple times when restarting a run – it almost feels like a roguelike with rhythm elements.

One of the things I enjoy the most in rhythm games is the ability to choose which songs I want to play through, you don’t exactly get much of a choice in Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Parade.

Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Parade Review – Conclusion

In short, I really wanted to enjoy this game. In my opinion, the game is definitely perfect for children, as I don’t think they’d be as negatively inclined as I am in regard to the soundtrack. Though the difficulty does tend to spike at times, so I’m not too sure how a child could complete an entire run, even on the “easier level”.

I adore Sanrio, and on paper, a Sanrio rhythm game that features popular characters sounds great – it’s just a shame that the music doesn’t.

For more information about the game, visit the official Google Play page or the App Store – please keep in mind that the game is only available for Netflix customers!

The post Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Parade [Switch] Review – Reckless Rhythm appeared first on Gamezebo.

This is the most premium chair Boulies offers, and that was plain to us from the moment we opened the box. We loved the Ninja Pro, which blew us away at that price point. The Elite Max is yet another step up.

Boulies Elite Max Review

Just like last time, we’re going to break this review down into a number of different sections. That way, you can skip to the bit you’re most concerned with.

Design

Once again, setup was pretty simple, with the instructions being quite easy to follow and pretty much all tools required included in the box. There were a few translation errors in the leaflet itself, but it’s nothing that you can’t overcome.

Much like the Ninja Pro, what we appreciate most about the Boulies range is how low profile they are. They’re like gamer chairs designed for people with self-respect, and blend nicely into any environment.

The materials themselves are also a joy to behold – and touch. We opted for the fake leather option, and were really impressed by how leather-like it felt. At no point did it look, or feel, cheap and after weeks of testing there’s no signs of wear.

Visually, it’s a nice-looking chair too. The only minor complaint we have is that the optional straps keeping the pillows in place (again, these are optional) do look a bit ridiculous from behind, but if you’re against a wall you’ll never notice.

Otherwise, it’s all positive. It’s a plain black chair made of solid materials, and some stylish white stitching.

Comfort

This is where the chair really excels though, as it’s a joy to sit in even for hours at a time. This is impressive when you consider how much the chair encourages you to sit in an ergonomic manner. Similar chairs have always resulted in us feeling like we’re sat in an unnatural position.

The pillows help, of course. There’s one for your lower back, and another for your neck. When sitting back, you just feel very well supported and kind of lose yourself in the chair.

It’s just a deeply comfortable chair that’s perfect for gaming and working – and a huge part of that is down to the feature-set.

Features

Much like the Ninja Pro, you can also adjust the chair to your heart’s desire, with the armrest, height, tilt tension, and more being tweakable at any moment. The controls are nice and clicky too, and you never feel like you’re going to break the chair.

But our favourite part of all Boulies chairs is that ability to tilt it right back into an almost lying position – much like a business class seat on a flight. It’s great when you want to play games on your PC with a controller, and you don’t even miss the sofa.

We do have a couple of complaints though, the biggest of which is the height adjustment – it’s way too low even at it’s highest setting. So much so that one of our two desks weren’t even compatible with the chair, as it was a little too high off the ground.

So, be wary when purchasing this chair if you have a reasonably high desk – it may well not be compatible.

Our second complaint is the rocking feature. This was nice on the Ninja Pro, but on the Elite Max the chair is simply too heavy to rock it. It requires a fair bit of effort to get it moving, so feels a bit like an unnecessary addition.

Boulies Elite Max Review – Conclusion

Much like the Ninja Pro, we’re really impressed by the Elite Max. It’s an incredibly comfortable chair built with high quality materials. Its feature-set is also a huge tick, as it will appeal to gamers of all different needs.

It’s also very ergonomic without feeling like it. You never feel like you’re sat in an uncomfortable or awkward position.

Our only real criticism is that it sits far too low to the ground, even when at its highest adjustment, so is incompatible with certain desks. The rocking functionality is also pointless, given how heavy the chair is.

But, if you’re in the market for a huge, comfortable gaming chair, you really can’t complain at this price.

The post Boulies Elite Max Review – So Long, Bad Back appeared first on Gamezebo.

The biggest challenge in this one is understanding why it was made in the first place – or who it’s even for. You’d expect a prequel to funnel its new audience into the greater series, but which parent is going to let their child pick up Bayonetta?

Against all odds, then, Bayonetta Origins is an utterly fascinating experience. It’s as difficult to put down as it is emotionally-affecting, featuring pitch perfect pacing. Just as you’re getting bored of combat, you reach a platforming section or puzzle.

What Even Is Bayonetta Origins?

It’s a direct prequel to the Bayonetta games, which are, themselves, sort of spiritual successors to the Devil May Cry franchise. Traditionally, you play as an Umbran Witch, battling hordes of angelic enemies by mastering a challenging combat system full of combos, dodges, and finishing moves.

That’s not Bayonetta Origins at all. You play as the teenage Cereza – Bayonetta before she was Bayonetta – who’s learning to become a witch for the first time.

During her training, she gets lost in a creepy forest, and befriends a demon she unwittingly summoned into her teddy, Cheshire. This kicks off an unlikely partnership, as both need to utilise their individual powers to survive, and escape, the forest.

How Does it Play?

It plays like a combination of Brothers, Zelda (well, Okami), and a traditional Platinum game. You control Cereza with the left joystick and trigger, and Cheshire with the right. Each has strengths – Cereza’s magic, Cheshire’s combat ability – that come in handy in different circumstances.

Using these, you battle enemies, solve puzzles, and navigate the environment. As you can expect, your abilities grow over time, and at a decent pace that keeps the experience feeling fresh even as you approach the triumphant conclusion.

Each aspect is relatively simplistic in practice, and you could argue that Bayonetta Origins is way too easy. Well, aside from trying to control Cereza and Cheshire at the same time, that is. That’s about as comfortable as rubbishing your stomach and patting your head. However, it is pleasingly representative of their (Cheshire’s) reluctance to work together.

Really, Bayonetta Origins is too easy, but it’s also targeted at a younger audience. Unlike a Kirby game, which is typically quite one note, Bayonetta Origins ends up feeling more like the sum of its parts though, and you don’t really care that it’s easy. You’re too busy having fun.

What About That Art Style?

It helps that it’s absolutely stunning, of course, looking like a children’s book come to life. In fact, the world is almost drawn in as you explore it, with the colours and shapes only appearing the closer you get to an object.

But it’s not overly simplistic as you’d expect from an art style like this. The world is fully 3D, and the character animations are just as expressive as you’d see in the mainline Bayonetta series.

Whether its Cheshire’s vicious attack animations or Cereza’s spells, delivered in the form of dance, Bayonetta Origins just feels bursting to life. The user of colour to provide weight to every action particularly pops on that OLED screen, too.

Should I Get It?

Bayonetta Origins may be marketed at children, but it’s an extraordinary adventure. Whether it’s the action-packed combat, mind-bending puzzles, or genuinely heart-warming story, there’s something here for everyone.

Sure, it might be a tad on the easy side, but that’s really not to the game’s detriment. It’s more of a stop-and-smell-the-roses adventure that serves as a nice break from a game like Elden Ring, or, dare we say it, actual Bayonetta.

The post Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon [Switch] Review – A Big Surprise appeared first on Gamezebo.

Dust & Neon is undoubtably a fun take on the roguelite/shooter genre though, with its quick shooting, stylish/frantic reload mechanic and a host of different weapons to buy and upgrades to get through.

As a roguelite each death comes with consequences – guns gathered on missions are lost along with any currency or items you have picked up. If you die you are sent back to the hub area where you are reminded how many times you’ve died or in this game’s words “cloned”.

You can then restock your guns and start the mission over again. Your character upgrades, and level progressions and guns purchased in the hub area are all kept after death. This means a nice balance is struck that takes away some of the frustration inflicted by many other roguelikes.  

At the core of any twin stick shooter is, er, the shooting of course we’re pleased to say this is where the game excels.

With responsive controls, tight aiming and a meaty feel to the weapons you quickly get into the swing of things. In terms of weapons, you will always start off with at least your trusty pistol, but other guns can be found lying around in missions fairly quickly.

Guns can also be purchased in the hub area, so if you can survive long enough to save up some cash your favourite weapons become available even after you die.

Something unique to Dust & Neon is the reload mechanic, and in short it’s fantastic. When your gun runs out of ammo a slick and quick stylish animation of your equipped gun fills part of your screen asking you to reload each bullet, wild west style.

At first this may seem pretty simple but during hectic boss battles or harder levels this element adds an extra twist into the gameplay loop – requiring more thought and planning of your immediate surroundings as you’re swamped with more and more enemies. 

Another positive are the graphics, with a clean and crisp art style – the framerate stays very stable as well, docked and undocked. We do wish there was a bit more variety and life to worlds though, as they can often feel a little empty and lifeless. 

With a game like this the fun is in the combat, but we did find missions to be on the repetitive side – especially early on, making us wish there was a little more variety throughout. The bosses are very fun and offer a good challenge, but they’re a brief respite from the generally repetitive nature of levels unfortunately.

Dust & Neon is still a fun, stylish, and tidy little roguelite. It can get a bit repetitive, but overall we had fun with it – and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to those looking for a new twin stick shooter.

The post Dust & Neon [Switch] Review – Wild West Hero appeared first on Gamezebo.

This is the fourth entry in the Dadish universe, but the fundamental ‘plot’ is the same. You play as a father who’s trying to round up his errant children, but you also happen to be a radish. Hence the portmanteau ‘Dadish.’

To rescue these young vegetables you have to complete linear 2D stages filled with various obstacles and enemies – with most of these foes fast food related.

This is a little different to the previous three titles – as those were all pretty standard linear 2D platformers that saw you progress through roughly 50-60 stages and a range of bosses at the end of each world.

The appeal of the Dadish games has always been their simplicity, with crisp visuals pairing perfectly with the responsive controls. Dadish can’t attack, but he can double jump – and this mechanic is used in a range of massively satisfying ways.

This simplicity is followed in the set up for Daily Dadish too. You get just one level a day to complete, and that’s it. There’s a star up for grabs each day if you complete it quickly enough, and these can be used to unlock new playable characters.

The stages vary in terms of location – all taken from previous entries in the series – and are usually very short. If you don’t die they’re often over in around 30 seconds.

Thing is, you will die – as there are some brutal challenges served up at times, and one hit is all it takes for Danish to go to the great vegetable patch in the sky. The difficulty is purely random though, so some days have been much, much harder than others.

Fortunately the quality of stages is largely up to par compared to previous Dadish games, perhaps a little lower due to the random nature of the locations. 

What is a little disappointing is that there are few attempts to take advantage of specific days, events, or celebrations.

On Valentine’s Day we were expecting a stage flooded with the lovestruck cupcakes that chase you for instance – but none were to be seen.

The amusing dialogue at the end of every stage between Dadish and his rescued child rarely reflects any special events either. 

It’s odd as the effort put into creating 366 levels (the leap year day has not been forgotten, we’re told) has clearly been gargantuan for indie developer Thomas K. Young – so not to go a small step further in this regard is a little surprising.

Ultimately Daily Dadish is a must buy for long-term fans though, and offers some enjoyable if hardly revolutionary platforming fun – in very small daily doses.

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