A ’95 WINDOWS OF THE GAMING WORLD – LC Plays Back In 1995

I am a bit of a latecomer when it comes to gaming. Rather than cutting my teeth in the arcades and mini-byte home consoles in the early days, I discovered my passion with a second-hand grey PlayStation and a stack of pre-owned games. Hardly retro, however this was before it became the PSOne, so maybe PSemi-Retro.

*Disclaimer: not my actual collection

Because of this, I have a certain fondness for the pixelated 32-bit games, particularly if they are 3D with D-pad controls……ahhhhh, those simpler days and days and DAYS of eventually mastering movements while hitting the directional control just right!

So when the opportunity came up to play and review BACK IN 1995, I pressed ∆ o x □ and jumped at the chance.

The game is very reminiscent of early survival horror; tank-ish controls, unexpected enemies, limited resources, plus those pixelated graphics. As a recent convert to the Resident Evil series, this game was practically screaming at me.

Not so retro was my impression from the title screen, which is a lone beacon shining out from a tall structure. This had a definite Bioshock vibe to it which although I knew was not the gaming style in any way, it still left a pleasant feeling which carried through my entire playthrough of the game.

To give the game a true experience of the times, there is a ‘CRT Effect’ that can be turned on in the Options screen, which adds low-res fuzzy lines to the graphics, however I chose not to enable this feature as I needed to experience it with my vision as clear as possible. But it is a very cool feature which I may try on another playthrough. There was one other choice in Options, a language setting, but nothing more, reflective of a simpler time when you enjoyed a game just as it was presented.

We begin with the simple goal of getting to the aforementioned tower with the glowing beam, but as we’re not entirely aware of why and how we ended up here we would have to use our exploration skills and uncover the story with clues found.

As mentioned before, the character is moved with tank controls, very slow and somewhat frustrating to get used to, but that is part of the genius of this game, it forces you to rethink your strategy after you’ve perished yet another time, as the dangers are (thankfully!) in the same spots. There is no run option, just a slow, steady gait, but the enemies aren’t very fast either. I tended to die mostly from the sheer panic of encountering every new ‘WTF?’ creature.

Speaking of, I am still not sure what the enemies really are, the first ones looked to me like pickled walnuts, but with arms that would scrape at you until you succumbed to their nutty way of killing. The later enemies were just as bizarre, each new one being more deadly than the previous and requiring more powerful weaponry. Your first line of defense is a simple yet effective pipe wrench, however as the tougher enemies are also faster, that doesn’t really cut the mustard so either the pistol or shotgun would get you through – thank goodness for auto-aim!

Save points are not plentiful, but thoughtfully rendered blocky computers of the day. The stat menu is plainly set up, you can see your items and health very clearly. And just like the survival horror of the day, there are clues and items to be found and utilised, and this may require some backtracking, but this is the absolute charm about this game. It truly is a homage to that genre.

I played the PS4 version of the game, and I instantly got a Trophy for starting the story. Other trophies were very easy to come by and the end result was my very first Platinum on that platform.
If you are into old school 3D games of the mid 90s, this game is definitely for you. It isn’t very long, the graphics, movements, and build-up are true to the source of inspiration. And the ending, now that was a real surprise and I would recommend this game solely to see this.

Back In 1995 is available on Xbox One, PS4, PSVita, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Developed by one-man team Ichijo Takaaki at Throw The Warped Code Out. Console versions published by Ratalaika Games.

UNDER THERE……..UNDER WHERE? – LC Plays Pantsu Hunter: Back To The 90s

Would you play a game that opens up with a warning such as this?

You’re a gamer, of course you would!

Pantsu Hunter advises you to proceed with caution, however I felt it might have needed two types of warnings. One for the pending frustration you might encounter as you play. The second for the subject matter.

You see, the premise is all in the name, P-a-n-t-s-u Hunter. As in the Japanese term for ladies undergarments. Yes, this game is a virtual panty raid. After the initial shock over the subject matter, I proceeded to give the game a go as it is a point-and-click investigating style game, a genre I’ve recently discovered which I’ve found I really love.

The protagonist is Kenji, a university student who supports himself as a jack-of-all-trades who feels he is missing out as he wants to find the love of his life. He has decided that one can only find the true nature of a girl through her choice of panties. Thankfully these would not be the ones they are wearing, rather ones that they own and found in the places they live. And with his handyman skills, he has the opportunity to meet girls in their dwellings, and access their panties.

Background information is presented in a dialogue box style, as is the communication between characters,. There is voice acting for the girls, but not for Kenji. But that’s a minor point. When you look at each girl’s story chapters, you can see that there would be several endings available, including a True Ending. There are also a number of panties to collect, however as with the endings, not all are necessary to proceed to the next chapter. You will, however, need a set amount of panties to collect to end the chapter.

The game play is easy, just point and click looking for clues/panties. However, if you click the wrong item/area the game ends and you have to start the chapter again. This is where the warning comes into play. It may be frustrating, however you do open up the alternative endings mentioned before and you get to use your deduction skills to play it better next time around. Plus, with the slight comedic tone, it can be funny to see the different consequences to your actions.

The artwork is beautiful, as the title says, 90s style anime. There are some issues with the Japanese to English translations however this is a minor point, you know exactly how the script was meant to be read as so it really isn’t a problem.

One thing I found out when I streamed this, it works very well as an audience participation game online. There are several choices to make, and playing along with viewers was quite fun and engaging. Of course you don’t have to do this, however if you are a content creator, it’s ideal.

If you are a fan of Japanese anime, storybook style games, point-and-click, and slight humour, then this game is definitely for you. Have fun. Just don’t get your knickers in a twist about the less than politically correct subject matter.

Pantsu Hunter: Back to the 90s is available now on PS4, PSVita, PC, Mac, and Linux. Developed and published by Ascension Dreams, PlayStation version ported by Sometimes You

TRIGGER HAPPY – LC Plays Bouncy Bullets

When it comes to video games, there are certain kinds that I tend to be less than proficient at. One is platforming. The other is First Person Shooters. So why would I decide to have a go at Petite Games’ Bouncy Bullets? Why, it looked so cute and cheerful, full of colour, it looked like fun!

The game play is easy enough to understand and get stuck in with. There are on-screen instructions in the first few levels and even I got through them with little incident.

 

But of course, levels get slightly more difficult as you play, and then more difficult as new obstacles and challenges emerge. Sure, I can see and shoot at that enemy on the roof top, but didn’t expect for bullets to fly from a hidden place which I either have to experiment my aiming towards a totally blind spot, or chance getting across the level to get closer, all the while trying to dodge those bullets.

The gun itself is easy to shoot with. You will need to aim on some enemies, but the spray and pray works well as there is no reloading and the ammo is infinite. The bullets themselves are yellow and purple, and knowing which colour to shoot does become important in certain situations.

Levels repeat themselves after a while, however they will have added dangers this time, be it a table saw blade or two, some lasers, or an extra enemy. Being familiar is helpful, you know exactly where to go but can get caught out unexpectedly with the added elements.

Bouncy Bullets is relatively short in gaming terms, I was able to finish it after work one evening, albeit into the early morning hours. As every level has a timer, there is some replay value in trying to improve your score. There is also a Special Mode with different challenges as well as extra rewards per your gaming platform, you know, those Achievements and Trophies everyone loves.

Ah yes, those rewards. This game is mighty generous with them. I ended up with 9 out of 12 Xbox Achievements on that first playthrough, and at 90G each, that was quite a boost to my Gamerscore.

At about the 5 Dollar/Pound/Euro mark, Bouncy Bullets is a nice little investment of fun. Despite the frustration at times, it’s actually a pleasure to play. Not a bad game to jump into.

LC Plays First Hour of Bouncy Bullets

Bouncy Bullets out now on Xbox One, PS4, PSVita, and Nintendo Switch. Developed by Petite Games, published by Ratalaika Games.