About Kirk Hiner

Space Invaders was never my cabinet of choice at full arcades, but I was happy to play it when there was nothing else (or at least nothing I was any good at). And this is why I appreciate Space Invaders Forever as much as I do. This particular collection, however, is not for everyone.
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BIT.TRIP FLUX was (is?) the final entry in the six game BIT.TRIP series, returning us to the start. Like BIT.TRIP BEAT, FLUX draws its inspiration from Pong, and It’s as engaging now as it was when it was originally released for Nintendo Wii in 2012.
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BIT.TRIP CORE is completely comfortable with what it is. Although it was originally released for the Nintendo Wii in 2009, the game’s nucleus could’ve existed on the Atari 2600 if rhythm games had been a thing back then. So, how does it play on the Nintendo Switch in 2020?
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I’m sure there’s a market out there for a bus driving sim. The world is a big place, after all, so it’s safe to assume there’s a market for everything. But if you’ve been eagerly refreshing the Nintendo eShop hoping to finally get the definitive game for city bus immersion, I’m afraid to say Bus Driver Simulator is not it.
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Commandos 2 – HD Remaster comes with a degree of visual polish, and it boasts of updates to the controls, user interface, and tutorial. Sadly, these don’t do much to make this game playable without the aid of a keyboard and mouse.
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Sam & Max Save the World—originally released by Telltale Games back in 2006—has received a fresh coat of paint and a few other upgrades. Is it enough to make adventure gamers want to join the Freelance Police nearly 15 years later? Let’s find out.
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Touhou Spell Bubble is the latest Touhou Project spinoff. As it’s my first game from the project, I’m not familiar with its characters or lore. Thankfully, I didn’t have to be to enjoy this frantic, music-based bubble popper.
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There are shmups, and there are bubble poppers, and ne’er the twain shall meet, right? Well, they have, thanks to Puny Human’s Galacide. Whether this mash-up works for you will depend largely upon what you love and hate about shoot ’em ups.
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There’s a solid mystery to be solved in Chicken Police – Paint it RED, and it’s backed up by over eight hours of fully-voiced dialogue. Combine that with the game’s unique visual presentation, and you’ve got a caper that’s certainly worth considering.
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Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin taught me some things. I learned about historical farming methods. I learned why people tend to sing while we work. Most importantly, however, I learned that some games are worth the wait, and that they still have the ability to surprise.
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If you learn nothing else from me, at least understand that you should never launch into the next phase of life with a camping trip amongst friends. As we see in Re:Turn – One Way Trip, you’re bound to end up with ghost trains, missing friends, deadly demons, and pixel graphics.
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If you didn’t play Pikmin 3 on the Wii U, it’s a must-play here. Pikmin 3 Deluxe is as cute, clever and challenging as any game available for the Switch. If you have already played it, however, there’s only one real reason to double-dip. Thankfully, it’s a pretty solid reason.
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Perfectly blending its humorous, touching story with challenging but accessible gameplay, Horace is easily one of the best puzzle/platformers available for the Nintendo Switch. You can certainly read this review, but heading straight to the eShop and buying it now will save you some time.
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Halloween may be a bit of a wash this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still have some scary fun. And a good way to do that will be with the release of Clea, a skill-based survival horror game that arrives on Nintendo Switch October 30th.
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At first glance, Kirby Fighters 2 appears rather unnecessary. I can’t imagine gamers have been in the middle of a Smash Bros. bout and thought, “You know what would make this better? Removing everyone except Kirby.” But do you know what? It works.
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Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a side-scrolling action game that’s complemented by a robust crafting/cooking/farming sim. I’ve been able to spend some time playing it ahead of its November 10th release, and here are my early impressions.
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There’s nothing immediately special about Alwa’s Legacy. As a throwback Metroidvania, it works. The graphics are good. The story’s okay. The action is fun. Everything’s fine. The longer you play the game, however, the more you realize it’s special.
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Vector graphics don’t lend themselves to all types of gameplay; arcade action is pretty much your only option. That makes these visuals a perfect fit for Ellipsis, but are they (and some puzzle elements) enough to keep this throwback interesting?
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