retro - Mr. Dave Pizza

Matt and Jay, Retro Heroes of The Purple Stuff Podcast

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:January 10, 2025
Post category:PIZZAPOST

If you ever wondered what the backstory behind apple Slice soda or Real Ghostbusters Kenner Proton Packs were, you may have heard of Matt and Jay of The Purple Stuff Podcast. They also go by the internet pseudonyms of Dinosaur Dracula (Matt) and Sludge Central (Jay). Matt and Jay have been broadcasting The Purple Stuff Podcast everywhere you can download podcasts and on Patreon since 2015. They are what I would call experts of all things retro and use their platform to talk about anything and everything nostalgically remembered by the youth of the 1980s and '90s with a passion…

If You Like Starship Troopers and Anime, Check out Stories From Sol

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:September 27, 2022
Post category:DEMO REVIEWS GAME REVIEWS VISUAL NOVELS

Thank you to Space Colony Studios for reaching out to me about this upcoming interactive fiction demo for Stories From Sol: Part 1 Gun-Dog. I'm so excited to tell you all about this new demo. It has touches of retro nostalgia, with a sci-fi storylines, and the beginning of a really good series.

Rotund Zero is a Super Cheap Preview of the Rotund Franchise

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:May 12, 2022
Post category:GAME REVIEWS

Back with another Indie Game Collective showcase for Rotund Zero. It's a precision platformer with a Game Boy monochrome style that uses directional keys only to solve puzzle levels made of bouncing blocks. It's only $1.99 on Steam at the moment and encourages problem-solving in timed runs. You have 5 minutes to complete as many levels as possible, and there are 26 levels, 1 for every letter of the alphabet! You'll be on your toes to speedrun all of those levels, but the pressure is mild. Watch the YouTube video at the top of this article to see me run, a genuine but beginner, 5-minute run. I've been trying to cover more Game Boy-style retro games, so thank you to the developer and publisher Dahku for providing the key!

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.

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.

Dogurai – Heck Yeah, a Doggo Samurai!

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 25, 2022
Post category:GAME REVIEWS

Dogurai by HungryBear is a Game Boy-style indie Metroidvania. I know about it through, a couple of co-creators from Indie Game Collective. Thank you, Jaunty Adventures and Pursuing Pixels. Their taste is superb, as this turned out to be an exciting game. I've covered very few Game Boy titles here, aside from Lasagna Boy and... actually, that might be it. It's a great genre if you want to get into indies. In summary, the designs are aligned with the palette and rendering of old-school Game Boy games. This one in particular is a nice platformer/Metroidvania that takes you through some moderately challenging levels. There are ruffian henchmen, shielded hulks, and old-school SMB 3-style bosses. In my video, I had to jump around like more of a ninja to obliterate the first boss.

Hivemind 2: Stargrove Scramble is a Stylish & Satisfying New Indie

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:April 20, 2022
Post category:FREE GAME REVIEWS

Hivemind 2: Stargrove Scramble is a 2D pixel art platformer part of a 2021 Newgrounds dev jam with an “egg” theme by the dev group Team Bugulon. You play a little cloaked lizard, progressing through various spring-sunset-toned environments, collecting candies that in turn give you eggs that you can use to hurl at enemies and unblock paths. The music is a touch above fun, along with the sound effects, making the game have a polished SNES quality that is so adored in these kind of games. Stargrove Scramble is a generous product as far as free games on ItchIO go in my opinion. It holds a really nice balance of ease to play with rewarding character abilities. I also couldn’t help but notice the subtle hark back to Mario 2’s “Birdo” egg sound effects, which is a nostalgic touch. The controller support is a nice plus that I always look for too. I recommend checking it out if you play ItchIO games and want a pleasant free one that seems to be a cohesive one. You can also play Stargrove Scramble in your browser if you like!

Is Pizza Express the Predecessor to Good Pizza, Great Pizza?

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:January 28, 2022
Post category:GAME REVIEWS

My hunger for low-res grounded pixel games lately opened me up to a stellar sale on a game called Pizza Express. Pizza Express is an indie pixel-graphic pizzeria simulator about a fast-paced solo restaurant run by animal friends Gastone the cat and Lucky the rabbit--and also you. The game is fairly simple but incorporates playful dialogue and gameplay that is quirky in the best indie-adhering ways. It is very similar to the game Good Pizza, Great Pizza, but is older and definitely a bit more grassroots. I enjoyed it very much, so I've decided to bring this review of it together for your reference. Please enjoy.

The Ghostbusters are Back and Even Better in Their New (remastered) Game

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:November 18, 2021
Post category:GAME REVIEWS HALLOWEEN GAMES

Nobody asked for a Ghostbusters Video Game Remastered review in 2021, it's sure to be overshadowed by the mega Afterlife release coverage, but maybe, just maybe, you weren't sure who to call. So, that's where I spawn my digital specter presence and declare, "No, Mr. Parker, no I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts." I'm not sure if there's anybody on the planet who has never seen Ghostbusters, so to those who want to know more, let me indulge you in this review of an updated Switch version of a game that revived a great continuation of the Ghostbusters universe.

First Impressions of Phoenotopia Demo on Nintendo Switch

Post author:mrdavepizza
Post published:February 23, 2021
Post category:DEMO REVIEWS

Phoenotopia is more than a cozy pixel-art game about a hero with pink hair. There are some pretty deep theme but also pleasant gameplay. For a sample, a group in Phoenotopia known as the last councils decide the fate of humanity. This game has emotional and philosophical depth. But once again, it's buffered with some enjoyable run and jump platforming. In my playtest of the demo, I enjoyed the open world environment and sense of adventure. I also love that I can play on super easy difficulty levels or super difficult difficulty levels. Accessibility is a great thing to pair…