New Game Releases: January 7th-13th, 2016
This week’s meager selection of new game releases in notable for the return of two NES-era light gun shooters, Hogan’s Alley and Wild Gunman. Fortunately, players aren’t forced to search eBay for second-hand Zappers, with both title offering the ability to use their Wiimotes to mow down bad guys. The week’s other notable offerings are a couple of PC ports for now-gen consoles, as well as the next iteration in the Assassin’s Creed Chronicles side-series.
Header Image: Granado Espada, PC
PlayStation 4
Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits (PSN, PS2 Game, $14.99)
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (PSN, $9.99)
Dogchild (PSn, $14.99)
Gone Home (PSN, $19.99)
Tharsis (PSN, $14.99, $11.99 PS+)
The Banner Saga (PSN, $19.99)
Wii U
Avoider (eShop, $1.49)
Bigley’s Revenge (eShop, $4.99)
Discovery (eShop, $6.99)
Hogan’s Alley (eShop, Virtual Console, $4.99)
Tabletop Gallery (eShop, $2.99)
The Adventures of Bayou Billy (eShop, Virtual Console, $4.99)
Wild Gunman (eShop, Virtual Console, $4.99)
Xbox One
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (XGS, $9.99)
Gone Home (XGS, $19.99)
The Banner Saga (XGS, $19.99)
3DS
My Pets (eShop, $24.99)
Ocean Runner (eShop, $24.99)
PC (available via Steam unless noted)
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (Uplay, $TBA)
Big Action Mega Fight! ($TBA)
Chiptune Champion ($TBA)
Dead TrailZ ($TBA)
Down to One ($0.59)
Fairy Tale Mysteries: The Puppet Thief ($5.99)
Falcon ($TBA)
Falcon A.T. ($TBA)
Falcon Gold ($TBA)
Granado Espada (free to play)
Highrise Heroes: Word Challenge ($TBA)
Red Baron Pack ($8.99)
Robot Tsunami ($8.99)
Sepia Tears ($TBA)
Space Pilgrim Episode Two: Epsilon Indi ($TBA)
Spakoyno: Back to the USSR 2.0 ($TBA)
Tharsis ($TBA)
The Growth Journey ($5.09)
The Strike ($7.49)
U-Boats ($4.99)
Windlands ($TBA)
Robert’s Pick: Sure, Tharsis is about as far as developer Choice Provisions (known as Gaijin Games until 2014) can get from the Bit.Trip series. But, moving on from the retro-inspired series’ as well as similarly inspired titles like Whoa, Dave might be a good thing- demonstrating the developers’ ability to successfully tackle other genres. With Tharsis, the studio takes on turn-based, dice-rolling strategy, with a game that simulates our first mission to Mars. Expect things to turn out far worse that Matt Damon had it in The Martian, with cannibalism and permadeath just a few of the confrontations players will face on the red planet.
Gonçalo’s Pick: January is typically a slow month for game releases, so it’s fitting to see maligned Adventures of Bayou Billy being released for the Wii U during this period, though I can only hope it does not sucker in any more unwitting gamers than it has in the past. Despite slim pickings, Windlands seems to be a promising title. Essentially a first-person grappling hook exploration games, players must travel through large, zen-like environments with multiple routes and optional challenges. It also poses an intriguing prospect for any Oculus Rift users due to its unique art-style, sense of speed and scale.
No Duck Hunt, that was the best Zapper game.
Correction: The right answer is Freedom Force. You were shooting terrorists who hijacked a plane in 1988.
Wait, wasn’t Freedom Force that comic book-style PC game.
Gotcha: The Sport was really fun.
Another week where I can save some money is fine with me.
January is always the worst time of year for new games. I don’t know why publishers don’t try to offer more games knowing there’s not much competition.
Tharsis does sound interest you guys review it.
If Tharsis is under $15, I might give it a go.
The one thing I remember about The Adventures of Bayou Billy is that it was hard as hell and maybe a bit unfair.
Oh it was way more than a little bit unfair. The version we got in the west was pretty terrible as it was made unfairly harder than the Japanese version.
Let’s teach those high and mighty Westeners a lesson, Konami thought.
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India seems to be getting no push from Ubi. I wonder why.