Pixel Art - Mr. Dave Pizza

Jack Move is High Energy Fun With Cyberpunk Thrills

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:August 20, 2023
Post category:GAME REVIEWS

I'd brushed the proximity of Jack Move several times this year. Seeing it here, seeing it there, probably even passing up a demo. When I just had to have the Tactics and RPG turn-based bundle from Humble Bundle this month, I got a chance to play it. Turns out Jack Move, the pixel graphic cyberpunk RPG, is a fantastic, well-paced and interesting adventure. Here are my first impressions of the game along with sentiments from the community. Let me just start by saying Jack Move stands tall amongst other turn-based combat games by being full of action yet having a…

Terraria – First Impressions of an Indie Survival Classic

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:August 16, 2023
Post category:GAME REVIEWS

Terraria is simply one of the most catchy niche games ever made, yet I hadn't ever played it until just recently. The gameplay is engaging and the pixel art graphic style is pretty satisfying. It has a simple premise that matches other survival craft games, like Minecraft, that being: build a fort, fight or hide, and survive--then just keep building and building and building. And though I only put effort into one aspect during my test run, that is building a room with doors, I can see the appeal of this flexible crafting game. I'll go over a few impressions…

Travellers Rest Has All I Want in an Innkeeping Sim

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:August 6, 2023
Post category:GAME REVIEWS

Grab your mop, bring your Stardew Valley membership card, and head into olden times with Travellers Rest. Yes, I literally just started this game, so I'll continue to update this as time goes on, but I'm already hooked. I do in fact still love that old classic Stardew Valley, a basic grounding point for this game. But I have also enjoyed the medieval theme of RPG's for a long time. The concept is about the same in some ways, especially visually, but self-reliance as a medieval innkeeper is the hook that brought me to Travellers Rest. I hope to share…

Revisiting: Black Skylands – an Amazing Accomplishment in Game Design

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:July 15, 2023
Post category:GAME REVIEWS

Black Skylands is an immersive fantasy skypunk RPG that takes place in the colorful airborne landscapes of another world. As an indie gamer, this is indeed one of the most optimistic projects I've looked at, and yet very promising indeed. Take the helm of a family airship and float between islands in the sky to claim your stake. This review was sponsored by a free copy, which I am really grateful for, so let's g

Starbound – Completing the First Planet Quickly For Beginners

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:May 11, 2022
Post category:GUIDES & MODS

In Starbound, you use Terraria-style mining mechanics to collect materials and progress through the galaxy. This game was released in 2016. It has had some resurgence thanks to a re-release of the game on the invaluable Xbox PC Game Pass platform. I figured since I didn't find immediate coverage of my own questions, new players may be wondering how to progress in this game. The game takes place in outer space. It has a plotline involving being stranded in space after a cataclysmic invasion destroys the planet. With some basic tools, you're left to fend for your own. With a damaged spaceship, you escape to the orbit of a wild alien planet. Now that everyone knows the background, let's get into how to make it past the first planet!

Galacticon Really Plays Like an Old Arcade Cabinet Style Game

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:May 5, 2022
Post category:GAME REVIEWS

Today, I'm taking a look at the soon-to-be-released, arcade-style title Galacticon from developer Radin Games. It's similar in style to 1980s arcade games like Defender, Joust, and Jetpac. You might be familiar with some of these from the book Ready Player One; and maybe the film, but I can't remember, although I know Joust featured prominently in the book. I sat down with the space-themed preview they provided and honestly got really into it. Initially, I wondered how much there'd be to say, but the game has many objectives. There's also an online leaderboard to compete with, so it is full of incentives to play. I'll give you a rundown of some features as well. And as usual, I've included my gameplay, as usual, with the YouTube video at the top. Let's get started.

Jaded – First Impressions of a Stylish New Platformer

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:May 4, 2022
Post category:DEMO REVIEWS

I love these platformer games that emerge from the woodwork every single day. Today, that game is Jaded by Shellsnore games, up on Steam. It's a standard platformer with directional keys, jump, attack, and a special mechanic which is a time warp. Although the time warp mechanic is more of a cacoon slingshot kinda thing, it works pretty well. I was able to bind my controller to the basic keys with no problem. Let me share a tad more here for you.

Peglin and its Pachinko Goblins

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:May 3, 2022
Post category:DEMO REVIEWS

Peglin is a great game where you complete levels by dropping a ball into a destructible pattern of mechanic activating orbs. You can activate critical strike boosts, or replenish the board. And, before I gloss over too quickly, the purpose of this strategy is to rack up points which can then be used to attack mob health points, in effect winning the level and moving on. I was lucky enough to find the demo on Steam, although the main game has been covered elsewhere. Anyway, I'll give you a brief rundown of Peglin.

BIOTA the Robot Action Monochrome Indie

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:May 1, 2022
Post category:DEMO REVIEWS

I'm going to try something new here. I have been known to review demos in the past, but they get kind of buried under other projects. I really want to dedicate time to as many as I'd like to. All things relevant, I made a post on Twitter about needing to play for Game Boy style indies. I got a great tip from cshPinecone of Indie Game Collective about the game BIOTA from "small bros." It's a shmup--aka shoot 'em up.

Recommendation: Ducksoup Dungeon

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 27, 2022
Post category:FREE GAME REVIEWS

Let's jump right into Ducksoup Dungeon. It's a free web browser playable rogue-lite on Itch.io by developer Richard Lems, also known as Blastmode Games. You might have heard of Lems' work on the game Mighty Goose. In the game I'm discussing here, Ducksoup Dungeon, you choose one of four heroes. It is playable in a web browser or can be downloaded. Starting with "Slashchicken," the first hero is a chicken. With amazing firepower at your side, you'll blast your way through and collect coins. Each play's collection can be used to unlock the other three heroes. Every level features hidden procedurally generated areas, meaning it can be a different layout every time you play. The levels, of which there seems to be an infinite number, are filled with containers destructible for coins, reached by eliminating various mobs.