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Huh! Sounds like solid, satisfying gameplay. I haven't played an action game like this for awhile (metroidvanias aren't usually my thing), so you've definitely got me thinking. It doesn't hurt that it sounds like there's ample opportunity to overlevel yourself and actively work to make the game easier that way... I appreciate an easy mode ^_^'
A fun ride full of collecting junk.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/70857/rusty-rabbit-switch-review
Side-scroller Rusty Rabbit surprised me. I hadn’t heard of this game before reviewing it, nor was I familiar with the work of the anime writer Gen Urobuchi who wrote the story, but it made a strong first impression that carried through all the way to the end. The story kept me interested, but the exploration and action of the gameplay was just as important to keeping me going, and together they added up to one of the better games I’ve played in a while.
Set in a post-apocalyptic future where humans are gone and rabbits have become sentient, the world of Rusty Rabbit is very well-developed. You play as Stamp, a grizzled old rabbit who explores the ruins of Smokestack Mountain, collecting junk to sell or build things with, and along the way you meet an entertaining cast of characters who help you piece together the intricate lore of the history of the “giants,” a.k.a. humans, and how the world became what it is now. The story can be almost overwhelming at times with how much of it there is, and while some cutscenes are fully voice-acted, other sections are just large blocks of text, which can be cumbersome to get through. Despite that, the game never wore out its welcome for me, and kept me interested in unraveling its mysteries right up through the conclusion.
The gameplay of Rusty Rabbit involves Stamp in his mech, exploring the depths of the mountain, breaking through blocks and fighting off mechanical rust beasts that infest those areas. This is very reminiscent of the SteamWorld Dig series, where digging further down allows you to upgrade your mech with new capabilities and weapons that in turn allow you to go even deeper. The junk you collect can be sold, but is also necessary to craft the new weapons you acquire blueprints for along the way, and the XP you get from digging gets you skill points to be spent on a very deep skill tree. Together, there’s a real sense of progression and empowerment that changes the way you play.
Like a good Metroid-style game, Rusty Rabbit’s big world allows for a lot of exploration, but there’s a specific path it’s guiding you down. Going off the beaten path will get you more junk and experience, and frequent fast-travel points make it relatively painless to go back to areas when new abilities allow you to explore further. The map does a good job of telling you where things are and what obstacles are in your way.Stamp has four main weapon types that each have their advantages and weaknesses. The drill and hammer are mostly used for environmental puzzles and traversal, while the gun and sword are more focused on combat. When you find blueprints for new and better versions of each of these it feels like a big deal, and each of them can also be upgraded with plasma cores you find throughout the world.
Combat in Rusty Rabbit largely feels very good, with different enemy types requiring different strategies, which helps keep things fresh. There are also some interesting bosses with unique patterns, but sometimes they can feel too easy, where if you’re leveled up properly and come in with some healing items, you can more or less just stand there and hack at them and they’ll die before you do. Along the way you unlock the ability to fight more powerful versions of them, which can be interesting, as well as randomly generated levels that are handy if you want to level up or collect certain kinds of items.
With a big world to explore and a compelling story full of twists and turns, Rusty Rabbit offers a pretty meaty campaign that stays interesting all the way through. The gameplay loop and upgrades are very satisfying and keep things fresh along the way. Whether you’re familiar with the artist’s work or you’re brand new to it like me, I fully recommend Rusty Rabbit.
I would be very interested to see if Nintendo suddenly remembers they own Eternal Darkness when it comes to adding GameCube games to that service, not to mention several other obscure GameCube 3rd party gems like Lost Kingdoms 1 & 2.
Also, if anyone has a suggestion for a genre to look at, please let me know.
Huh. Well, okay. Now,,how do we get core back? 🤣
Welcome back, at least! How did you get fixed finally?
Can you use the forums normally now, Insanolord?
A creative platformer that improves on its predecessor in many ways.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/68576/grapple-dogs-cosmic-canines-switch-review
Two years ago I reviewed the original Grapple Dog for Nintendo World Report. I thought it was a good, if unspectacular game, but I enjoyed it, so when the opportunity arose to review the sequel, I happily took it. I’m thrilled to report that Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines exceeded my expectations and improved on that first game in many ways.
Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is a 2D platformer, a genre well represented on Switch, but it brings a lot of interesting ideas to the table and keeps throwing them at you to keep things feeling fresh. The biggest addition for the sequel is a second playable character, hence the name. Pablo, the star of the original, returns, and is now joined by the grumpier Luna. It’s not just a cosmetic difference: each character has unique abilities in addition to the grappling mechanic that is core to the gameplay. Pablo is built for fighting enemies up close, while Luna has a gun and a dash that makes her more suited for long range. Each character has their own levels, so they can be built around how best to use those abilities.
One of the biggest strengths of Grapple Dogs is its variety. In addition to the core differences between the characters, they each have special powers that show up in certain levels, often based on the theme of the world. I particularly enjoyed the electricity power in the first world that lets you glide across electrical panels, and the power in the fire world that lets you fly around jetpack-style. These create interesting new level designs, as well as adding variety to the adventure. The different themes are also complemented by some striking visual differences between levels and worlds, in addition to tweaks like levels where platforms come in and out of existence based on a rhythm.
Each level includes three gems to collect, analogous to the star coins in Mario games, as well as a hidden treasure chest. Collecting a certain amount of these is required for progression, which can be a little annoying in spots, but once you get to know the game you can start to get a good feel for where to look for them, which is satisfying. The levels are mostly linear, though sometimes you end up in an enclosed area where you have to grab a certain number of collectibles to unlock a door in order to progress. I generally found these sections to be the weakest part of Cosmic Canines because of how much they slowed things down, though they’re generally not that difficult. What can be very difficult are the bosses at the end of each world, which feature interesting designs but focus too much on combat, rather than the platforming that is the core of the experience.
Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines feels like a case of a developer learning from what worked and didn’t work from their first effort and improving on it effectively. The result is a fun platforming adventure that I can recommend to both fans of the original and newcomers alike.
The site as a whole is having issues that are being worked on according to John Rairidin on the discord.
He didn't say much else so I can only assume it is Khush's fault.
Is it historical still when you look at the last 14 years?
3DS was released in March 2011
Wii U in November 2012
NEW 3DS XL in February 2015
Switch in March 2017
Only Wii U was November. Perhaps NEW 3DS is a bit more derivative but I consider it a "NEW" hardware launch.System variants have been all over the place but within July - October indicating that Nintendo does want to take advantage of holiday sales momentum with these different models:
3DS XL - August 2012
2DS - October 2013
NEW 3DS - September 2015
NEW 2DS XL - July 2017
Switch Lite - September 2019
Switch OLED - October 2021
With how well Switch sold from its March 3rd release date, I've always felt like Nintendo would try for that time of the calendar again in a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" superstitious sort of attitude. I think it also would help with holiday sales momentum to release earlier in the year so that you get the initial sales rush from early adopters and then can get a second spike during the holiday sales and restock up for that time as well.
