1
Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Error Listings and Rejected Edits 2025
« on: June 23, 2025, 08:44:54 am »
All your efforts toward curating a niche category are appreciated. Your edits have been approved.
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2
General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!
« on: June 22, 2025, 02:54:42 pm »
40. Cuphead || Xbox One || 06.21.2025
Since its first major announcement in 2014, Cuphead is a game that's greatly interested me for its art direction and vision. Several years past before its eventual release, though that it was exclusive to the Xbox platform for some time ensured I'd likely not play it for some time, if at all. I've actually owned a digital copy of the game since 2018 after unexpectedly being given an Xbox One, though it is only now seven years since then did I finally take the time to play the game.
In short, Cuphead from a gameplay perspective relies on several different genre conventions that all help diversify play, and it's made easier with the game's stage-select structure that's, more-or-less, a take on a boss rush challenge. The majority of stages consist of single-shooter boss encounters, though there are also horizonal shoot 'em up segments alongside run 'n gun platforming trials. I've actually not ever played through a run 'n gun game before, and my experience with the broad shoot 'em up genre in general is quite limited. So, I'm not sure how to properly assess the game's difficulty as I have no reference point. Nevertheless, Cuphead is not a game for the casual or inexperienced player, even in spite of both standard and easy difficulty options being available when starting a new campaign that can even be adjusted with each boss stage. With that said, I decided to play through each stage at Regular difficulty, and I was able to complete that goal. Something else is that Cuphead actually has a two-player mode, though I didn't try that out.
During play, players have numerous actions to help aid them clear their goal. There are standard attacks, single-use special attacks that must be fully charged to use, and minor special attacks that only require limited charge. And early on, a shop is introduced which offers power-up wares and alternative shooting abilities, so there is a sense of customization to help players find a play style that suits them. As far the player's movement, a dash ability is paramount to success, and a defensive parry helps prevent damage, though the latter may only be used to counteract specific color-coded hazards and attacks. Meanwhile, bosses have numerous phases which must be tactfully avoided to successfully best them. Their attacks have all sorts of patterns with multiple hazards to avoid simultaneously. Clearing any one stage will likely require repeated attempts as only through trial-and-error and careful observation can patterns be identified. Under normal conditions, players are only awarded three units of health per attempt that can't be replenished, so the level of difficulty presented is considerably high. Meanwhile, platforming trials purely test the player's sense of movement and control with their chaotic design. In nearly every open space, some sort of hazard spawns or is waiting to run past. And for all stage types, there is an arcade quality to them, as a scoring system is present that grades the player on criteria such as health remaining and total time spent. I ignored this system though obviously tried my best with each stage, and my score average on a letter-grade scale was around a B, maybe even B+.
Prior to playing, I actually wasn't aware of the game's narrative details. They do provide context for the game's events but can largely be dismissed should the player choose, although what story there is is minimal. Controlling the titular Cuphead or assumed player two avatar Mugman, the pair finds themselves in a situation where they're debt collectors working for the Devil himself in order for their souls to be spared. With that in mind, Cuphead is not a fully linear adventure and has a small degree of an open-ended structure. Instead of moving automatically from one stage to the next, players navigate throughout a small 2D overworld while choosing which order stages can be completed. There is some gatekeeping present to prevent the game's full world being explored all at once, but there will always be an option for players to choose what's next. Fortunately, I was able to clear each stage one at a time without going back-and-forth through persistent effort.
Without question, the game features excellent visual and auditory design. Really, the presentation all-around is just top-notch, and the effort put in to implement all of the game's small details is hard to overlook. Those who are familiar with the game will know how art direction is heavily inspired by the Golden Age of animation from the 1930s to 1950s, particularly rubber hose animation practices. For each boss encounter, enemies morph seamlessly into something even more destructive than before with nonsensical humor that upends reality. Just like with cartoon viewers then, players never know what to expect when reaching a boss's next phase for the first time. There is a lot of humor just through visuals alone as a result of the game liberally ignoring real-world anatomy and physics. At the same time, music and sound greatly achieves at establishing Cuphead as some pseudo-cartoon from the era it hearkens back to. With every stage, an announcer readies the action to come, and it was always an enjoyable start to the next challenge.
After all this time, I'm glad that Cuphead was able to meet the high standards I expected from it to reach. Since I don't own its DLC, I know it's a game I'll be returning to at some point. It won't be soon, but it also won't be another seven years. I'll also mention that I've started watching the classic Silly Symphony cartoon short films as a result of playing, some of which I've seen before, and they've been fun.
Since its first major announcement in 2014, Cuphead is a game that's greatly interested me for its art direction and vision. Several years past before its eventual release, though that it was exclusive to the Xbox platform for some time ensured I'd likely not play it for some time, if at all. I've actually owned a digital copy of the game since 2018 after unexpectedly being given an Xbox One, though it is only now seven years since then did I finally take the time to play the game.
In short, Cuphead from a gameplay perspective relies on several different genre conventions that all help diversify play, and it's made easier with the game's stage-select structure that's, more-or-less, a take on a boss rush challenge. The majority of stages consist of single-shooter boss encounters, though there are also horizonal shoot 'em up segments alongside run 'n gun platforming trials. I've actually not ever played through a run 'n gun game before, and my experience with the broad shoot 'em up genre in general is quite limited. So, I'm not sure how to properly assess the game's difficulty as I have no reference point. Nevertheless, Cuphead is not a game for the casual or inexperienced player, even in spite of both standard and easy difficulty options being available when starting a new campaign that can even be adjusted with each boss stage. With that said, I decided to play through each stage at Regular difficulty, and I was able to complete that goal. Something else is that Cuphead actually has a two-player mode, though I didn't try that out.
During play, players have numerous actions to help aid them clear their goal. There are standard attacks, single-use special attacks that must be fully charged to use, and minor special attacks that only require limited charge. And early on, a shop is introduced which offers power-up wares and alternative shooting abilities, so there is a sense of customization to help players find a play style that suits them. As far the player's movement, a dash ability is paramount to success, and a defensive parry helps prevent damage, though the latter may only be used to counteract specific color-coded hazards and attacks. Meanwhile, bosses have numerous phases which must be tactfully avoided to successfully best them. Their attacks have all sorts of patterns with multiple hazards to avoid simultaneously. Clearing any one stage will likely require repeated attempts as only through trial-and-error and careful observation can patterns be identified. Under normal conditions, players are only awarded three units of health per attempt that can't be replenished, so the level of difficulty presented is considerably high. Meanwhile, platforming trials purely test the player's sense of movement and control with their chaotic design. In nearly every open space, some sort of hazard spawns or is waiting to run past. And for all stage types, there is an arcade quality to them, as a scoring system is present that grades the player on criteria such as health remaining and total time spent. I ignored this system though obviously tried my best with each stage, and my score average on a letter-grade scale was around a B, maybe even B+.
Prior to playing, I actually wasn't aware of the game's narrative details. They do provide context for the game's events but can largely be dismissed should the player choose, although what story there is is minimal. Controlling the titular Cuphead or assumed player two avatar Mugman, the pair finds themselves in a situation where they're debt collectors working for the Devil himself in order for their souls to be spared. With that in mind, Cuphead is not a fully linear adventure and has a small degree of an open-ended structure. Instead of moving automatically from one stage to the next, players navigate throughout a small 2D overworld while choosing which order stages can be completed. There is some gatekeeping present to prevent the game's full world being explored all at once, but there will always be an option for players to choose what's next. Fortunately, I was able to clear each stage one at a time without going back-and-forth through persistent effort.
Without question, the game features excellent visual and auditory design. Really, the presentation all-around is just top-notch, and the effort put in to implement all of the game's small details is hard to overlook. Those who are familiar with the game will know how art direction is heavily inspired by the Golden Age of animation from the 1930s to 1950s, particularly rubber hose animation practices. For each boss encounter, enemies morph seamlessly into something even more destructive than before with nonsensical humor that upends reality. Just like with cartoon viewers then, players never know what to expect when reaching a boss's next phase for the first time. There is a lot of humor just through visuals alone as a result of the game liberally ignoring real-world anatomy and physics. At the same time, music and sound greatly achieves at establishing Cuphead as some pseudo-cartoon from the era it hearkens back to. With every stage, an announcer readies the action to come, and it was always an enjoyable start to the next challenge.
After all this time, I'm glad that Cuphead was able to meet the high standards I expected from it to reach. Since I don't own its DLC, I know it's a game I'll be returning to at some point. It won't be soon, but it also won't be another seven years. I'll also mention that I've started watching the classic Silly Symphony cartoon short films as a result of playing, some of which I've seen before, and they've been fun.
3
General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!
« on: June 22, 2025, 10:55:17 am »
39. Formless Star || PC || 06.20.2025
Looking for something casual to play, I decided to try out Formless Star on a whim. Prior to playing, I knew next-to-nothing about the game, but I decided to try it out based on its brief premise and cutesy pixel art design despite not regularly playing games with this kind of art.
As a field researcher for some sort of space exploration team, player-controlled protagonist Anemo is tasked with cataloging information on the planet's biodiversity, specifically its animal life. While this may sound relatively simple, the game is designed so that the world is ever-changing. Each time the player returns to their spacecraft and steps out again, the alien landscape will change to create a new world to explore. There aren't any threats or hazards beyond the world's formless nature, so the game's one sole task is simple to complete. In fact, while there are actually 61 species to identify to add to some compendium, only 30 are necessary to reach one of the game's endings, though it's a ultimately less satisfying experience.
And really, that's all Formless Star really is—a simple, 2D adventure exploration game. When out navigating the environment, exploration is bound to a grid-based tile system. While the world isn't really that large, there are various terrains to traverse through and even varied ground types within them which provide a greater sense of a living environment, and a fair majority of tile types even leave footprint impressions to help prevent players from needless backtracking. I did not realize until near the end of my playthrough, but there is a map system available which is fairly useful considering the game's procedurally-generated design. It's also worth mentioning that, beyond making brief interactions with the world's animals, players are also able to construct bridge walkways and, oppositely, destroy environment roadblocks. For the former, they're also able to be seen on the map which certainly helps identify players with where they are exactly.
Regarding animal wildlife itself, they are predictably unusual considering we've exploring an alien planet. Overwhelmingly, wildlife is non-confrontational as they really just idle around. Interacting with them initiates some sort of reactionary animation or even some action that mildly impacts the player, but there is no consequence during encounters. Since the majority of the game's writing is tied to journal field notes, now seems best to mention the game's lighthearted humor that's, regularly, also twisted in some way by revealing some depressing evolutionary truths. Toward the end of finding every animal, a new species that I believe is guaranteed to spawn right outside the spacecraft appears that provides the means for faster travel. Naturally, this resource makes it much easier to fully complete the catalog.
If choosing to find everything, there is also some not-so-subtle developer commentary regarding the intrinsic value of appreciating art and creating it that actually reminds me of a line from Cave Story. Additionally, finding everything also triggers a short but laughable post-credits scene. Concerning other aspects of the game beyond its gameplay, creature design is strange but whimsical, and this also extends to the world at large. There was one small visual design aspect I did not like, though, which is that a colored overlay filter appears and routinely changes once identifying a certain amount of animals which is evident in the above screenshot even. There is not much to comment on the game's sound, but it's appropriately space-y and with a sort of positive ambiance.
Taking only an hour or so to play through, Formless Star was a short but fun casual experience to relax with. I had been playing through some longer, more trying games while having decided to play through this, so it was a nice respite.
Looking for something casual to play, I decided to try out Formless Star on a whim. Prior to playing, I knew next-to-nothing about the game, but I decided to try it out based on its brief premise and cutesy pixel art design despite not regularly playing games with this kind of art.
As a field researcher for some sort of space exploration team, player-controlled protagonist Anemo is tasked with cataloging information on the planet's biodiversity, specifically its animal life. While this may sound relatively simple, the game is designed so that the world is ever-changing. Each time the player returns to their spacecraft and steps out again, the alien landscape will change to create a new world to explore. There aren't any threats or hazards beyond the world's formless nature, so the game's one sole task is simple to complete. In fact, while there are actually 61 species to identify to add to some compendium, only 30 are necessary to reach one of the game's endings, though it's a ultimately less satisfying experience.
And really, that's all Formless Star really is—a simple, 2D adventure exploration game. When out navigating the environment, exploration is bound to a grid-based tile system. While the world isn't really that large, there are various terrains to traverse through and even varied ground types within them which provide a greater sense of a living environment, and a fair majority of tile types even leave footprint impressions to help prevent players from needless backtracking. I did not realize until near the end of my playthrough, but there is a map system available which is fairly useful considering the game's procedurally-generated design. It's also worth mentioning that, beyond making brief interactions with the world's animals, players are also able to construct bridge walkways and, oppositely, destroy environment roadblocks. For the former, they're also able to be seen on the map which certainly helps identify players with where they are exactly.
Regarding animal wildlife itself, they are predictably unusual considering we've exploring an alien planet. Overwhelmingly, wildlife is non-confrontational as they really just idle around. Interacting with them initiates some sort of reactionary animation or even some action that mildly impacts the player, but there is no consequence during encounters. Since the majority of the game's writing is tied to journal field notes, now seems best to mention the game's lighthearted humor that's, regularly, also twisted in some way by revealing some depressing evolutionary truths. Toward the end of finding every animal, a new species that I believe is guaranteed to spawn right outside the spacecraft appears that provides the means for faster travel. Naturally, this resource makes it much easier to fully complete the catalog.
If choosing to find everything, there is also some not-so-subtle developer commentary regarding the intrinsic value of appreciating art and creating it that actually reminds me of a line from Cave Story. Additionally, finding everything also triggers a short but laughable post-credits scene. Concerning other aspects of the game beyond its gameplay, creature design is strange but whimsical, and this also extends to the world at large. There was one small visual design aspect I did not like, though, which is that a colored overlay filter appears and routinely changes once identifying a certain amount of animals which is evident in the above screenshot even. There is not much to comment on the game's sound, but it's appropriately space-y and with a sort of positive ambiance.
Taking only an hour or so to play through, Formless Star was a short but fun casual experience to relax with. I had been playing through some longer, more trying games while having decided to play through this, so it was a nice respite.
4
Video Game Database Discussion / Re: International Classified Sites Research Archive
« on: June 19, 2025, 11:52:13 am »
I'll mention Satakore, although it may not be something we'd want to add since it's just a results page of eBay listings. It's useful for finding Japanese items, though.
5
Modern Video Games / Re: Nintendo Switch 2
« on: June 18, 2025, 10:00:02 am »
Well, I now own a Switch 2. I already made it apparent that I wasn't interested in gaining one anytime soon, but I'm not the only person who plays video games in my household who's capable of buying what they want.
The system setup process is far more cumbersome than I remember it being with other modern consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Steam Deck. There are so many QR codes to scan or other alternatives alongside some onboarding aspects being over-complicated and not user-friendly.
It was decided that the account wanting to be used for the system would not go through the formal system transfer process which includes transferring save data, so this caused inconveniences. While the account was able to be added manually without issue, it later became required to link the Switch and Switch 2 consoles together because the account was present on both of them. There did not seem to be a way to easily circumvent this, so I do not think it was possible to avoid. This issue was caused by accessing the system's digital Virtual Game Card software (Mario Kart World), even though the software in question is not something that can even be played on Switch hardware.
I've only handled the system for a short time at this point, and it's fine. There are some small but appreciated visual and auditory flourishes with the system UI, and the Switch 2 is far faster than the Switch, both in regards to the eShop and simply navigating menus. But, really, these are bare improvements to expect because the Switch struggled considerably with these aspects. Otherwise, the system seems more of a mid-generation upgrade to the Switch than a proper successor, and especially so considering how similar the two are from a visual and handling standpoint.
The system setup process is far more cumbersome than I remember it being with other modern consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Steam Deck. There are so many QR codes to scan or other alternatives alongside some onboarding aspects being over-complicated and not user-friendly.
It was decided that the account wanting to be used for the system would not go through the formal system transfer process which includes transferring save data, so this caused inconveniences. While the account was able to be added manually without issue, it later became required to link the Switch and Switch 2 consoles together because the account was present on both of them. There did not seem to be a way to easily circumvent this, so I do not think it was possible to avoid. This issue was caused by accessing the system's digital Virtual Game Card software (Mario Kart World), even though the software in question is not something that can even be played on Switch hardware.
I've only handled the system for a short time at this point, and it's fine. There are some small but appreciated visual and auditory flourishes with the system UI, and the Switch 2 is far faster than the Switch, both in regards to the eShop and simply navigating menus. But, really, these are bare improvements to expect because the Switch struggled considerably with these aspects. Otherwise, the system seems more of a mid-generation upgrade to the Switch than a proper successor, and especially so considering how similar the two are from a visual and handling standpoint.
6
Off Topic / Re: What TV/Netflix show are you currently watching? (Megathread)
« on: June 17, 2025, 11:07:53 am »I've got a friend who has been trying to get me to watch How to because she knows how much I like Fielder.
I suppose this means there are now two people suggesting it to you. It's a short show of eighteen episodes, and you'll know almost immediately if it's for you if you ever do decide to give it a try.
7
General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!
« on: June 15, 2025, 06:44:32 pm »
38. Balatro || PlayStation 5 || 06.14.2025
Since its release and critical success, I've become familiar with Balatro and mildly curious to try it out. Admittedly, I am not that knowledgeable or skilled in poker or other card games but do enjoy them with a casual interest on the rare occasion I'm presented to play. It always takes a fair amount of time for me to re-familiarize myself with the basic rules and structure of the game, so I was hoping Balatro would have a low difficulty barrier toward understanding its own rules and mechanics.
Fortunately, Balatro is an easy game to understand and to begin playing largely because, as a video game, a lot of processes are streamlined with instant feedback alongside annotated explanations. Instead of the standard poker format which has participants playing against another to see whose hand scores highest, I found that Balatro presents a much simpler goal since it's only ever focused on the player's hand. During each round, players have a finite number of turns to create hands to meet a certain point threshold which, once met, automatically advances the round. With each additional round, the point threshold becomes higher alongside certain conditions making it more difficult to succeed, and at the end of each phase, a boss encounter appears which has strict limitations to play by or hurdles to overcome. While this may not seem much different from standard poker at first, another aspect that's important to note is Balatro's deck-building gameplay. Both hand and deck size can far exceed the standard amount, and abilities are gained from a wide assortment of special cards which permits cards to modified or outright deleted. So, there is a major focus on strategy experimentation.
However, perhaps the game's biggest strength lies in its multiplier system. After each round, a random selection of special cards may be purchased with the sparse money collected. Though there are several types of special card types, it is Joker cards which allow for point totals to reach ridiculously high numbers through multipliers when used in combination with another and with playing cards. Joker cards are generally a permanent addition to the player's working winning hand build, though only a small number may be active at a time during normal circumstances. So, this alone requires thoughtful strategy to consider, and especially so consider the game's emphasis on randomization. Because of randomization that impacts both cards gained and challenges presented, players will never have one consistent strategy to win. As mentioned, there are other types of special cards to purchase as well with their own types of bonuses, though they're often single-use.
Because of Balatro's randomized mechanics, players are forced to adapt and play a certain way with each run. Typically, this involves playing specific hands in combination with upgrading specific types of cards to accommodate the types of Jokers that are presented. So, for instance, my winning run was able to focus on straights as the special cards I was able to gain allowed for such a hand to easily earn high point values. From what I've gathered, the path to winning is to make small progress in forming additive score bonuses only to slowly replace them over time with better ones. To reach the game's formal end, players must clear the eighth phase, although runs can actually be played endlessly. Still, for my purposes, I considered the game finished once clearing its immediate goal. I did keep playing to see how far along I could get, though, and I reached the end of phase ten before not being able to clear the needed point threshold. Both accomplishments were challenging, though I recognize that, by comparisons with more seasoned players, it is a low-barrier milestone to reach. It took me around 15–20 failed runs to finally clear the eighth phase, and it felt irritating each time it seemed like an okay run with good bonus modifiers (they probably weren't) ended in failure.
Without a doubt, Balatro has a lot of appeal, and it comes natural to want to try once more after failing or even again once clearing certain challenges. There are all sorts of other gameplay elements and unlockables too to entice players to keep playing more to accomplish even loftier goals, and it's certainly a game that avoids being dull. Were I less focused on playing a variety of games, Balatro may be one I'd want to play indefinitely, but I'm not that kind of person.
Since its release and critical success, I've become familiar with Balatro and mildly curious to try it out. Admittedly, I am not that knowledgeable or skilled in poker or other card games but do enjoy them with a casual interest on the rare occasion I'm presented to play. It always takes a fair amount of time for me to re-familiarize myself with the basic rules and structure of the game, so I was hoping Balatro would have a low difficulty barrier toward understanding its own rules and mechanics.
Fortunately, Balatro is an easy game to understand and to begin playing largely because, as a video game, a lot of processes are streamlined with instant feedback alongside annotated explanations. Instead of the standard poker format which has participants playing against another to see whose hand scores highest, I found that Balatro presents a much simpler goal since it's only ever focused on the player's hand. During each round, players have a finite number of turns to create hands to meet a certain point threshold which, once met, automatically advances the round. With each additional round, the point threshold becomes higher alongside certain conditions making it more difficult to succeed, and at the end of each phase, a boss encounter appears which has strict limitations to play by or hurdles to overcome. While this may not seem much different from standard poker at first, another aspect that's important to note is Balatro's deck-building gameplay. Both hand and deck size can far exceed the standard amount, and abilities are gained from a wide assortment of special cards which permits cards to modified or outright deleted. So, there is a major focus on strategy experimentation.
However, perhaps the game's biggest strength lies in its multiplier system. After each round, a random selection of special cards may be purchased with the sparse money collected. Though there are several types of special card types, it is Joker cards which allow for point totals to reach ridiculously high numbers through multipliers when used in combination with another and with playing cards. Joker cards are generally a permanent addition to the player's working winning hand build, though only a small number may be active at a time during normal circumstances. So, this alone requires thoughtful strategy to consider, and especially so consider the game's emphasis on randomization. Because of randomization that impacts both cards gained and challenges presented, players will never have one consistent strategy to win. As mentioned, there are other types of special cards to purchase as well with their own types of bonuses, though they're often single-use.
Because of Balatro's randomized mechanics, players are forced to adapt and play a certain way with each run. Typically, this involves playing specific hands in combination with upgrading specific types of cards to accommodate the types of Jokers that are presented. So, for instance, my winning run was able to focus on straights as the special cards I was able to gain allowed for such a hand to easily earn high point values. From what I've gathered, the path to winning is to make small progress in forming additive score bonuses only to slowly replace them over time with better ones. To reach the game's formal end, players must clear the eighth phase, although runs can actually be played endlessly. Still, for my purposes, I considered the game finished once clearing its immediate goal. I did keep playing to see how far along I could get, though, and I reached the end of phase ten before not being able to clear the needed point threshold. Both accomplishments were challenging, though I recognize that, by comparisons with more seasoned players, it is a low-barrier milestone to reach. It took me around 15–20 failed runs to finally clear the eighth phase, and it felt irritating each time it seemed like an okay run with good bonus modifiers (they probably weren't) ended in failure.
Without a doubt, Balatro has a lot of appeal, and it comes natural to want to try once more after failing or even again once clearing certain challenges. There are all sorts of other gameplay elements and unlockables too to entice players to keep playing more to accomplish even loftier goals, and it's certainly a game that avoids being dull. Were I less focused on playing a variety of games, Balatro may be one I'd want to play indefinitely, but I'm not that kind of person.
8
Off Topic / Re: What TV/Netflix show are you currently watching? (Megathread)
« on: June 14, 2025, 11:38:37 am »
Without really knowing anything about it beforehand besides that Nathan Fielder was its producer, I decided to watch How to with John Wilson. Despites its name, How to isn't really a show that aims to teach a lesson or give instruction. Instead, it's a collection of random, frivolous events curated to explore a central theme each episode, though that theme often shifts as life's unexpectedness dictates it. New York City is framed as some incomparable menagerie of human behavior as Wilson films life's passive moments that often go unnoticed while also conducting interviews with bizarre characters in all sorts of strange environments.
It comes highly recommended for those interested in Fielder's own work. This promotional overview of what the show is provides a simple outlook on it and is without spoilers, and it's Fielder at his best.
It comes highly recommended for those interested in Fielder's own work. This promotional overview of what the show is provides a simple outlook on it and is without spoilers, and it's Fielder at his best.
9
News / Re: Site Status / Crash recovery information and planning
« on: June 13, 2025, 11:59:20 am »
Of course. I just figured I'd clarify that there are many more entries needing repaired beyond the spreadsheet total.
10
News / Re: Site Status / Crash recovery information and planning
« on: June 13, 2025, 09:14:35 am »I have generated a list of all item entry numbers where a back image exists but the front image is missing. There are 10,407 such entries.
I can make it available for anyone who is interested in replacing front arts. It is on Google Drive, so if you have a Google account, you can PM me and I can add you as an editor.
As of today, we have completed 35.10% of this list.
I'll also reiterate that this list does not include entries which originally had front art only or front and media art only. During my time going through entire categories during this process, a considerable amount have been these types of entries, meaning the percentage completion toward restoring lost entry art is actually lower.
11
Modern Video Games / Re: Summer Game Fest 2025
« on: June 12, 2025, 12:22:54 pm »
Apparently Konami presented their own showcase a few hours ago.
Silent Hill
It's been confirmed that Bloober Team, the developers of Silent Hill 2 (2024), are now working on a remake of the franchise's first entry, Silent Hill. Very exciting.
Suikoden Star Leap
What every Suikoden fan was probably wanting—a spin-off gacha mobile game.
Silent Hill
It's been confirmed that Bloober Team, the developers of Silent Hill 2 (2024), are now working on a remake of the franchise's first entry, Silent Hill. Very exciting.
Suikoden Star Leap
What every Suikoden fan was probably wanting—a spin-off gacha mobile game.
12
News / Re: Top 10 Edits all time (as of June 2025)
« on: June 11, 2025, 09:20:52 pm »Where can I see my number?
Thanks
Edit information for every public member profile can be viewed from the About page on the main site which is accessed by clicking their avatar. So, your page is here. Currently, you have submitted 99 edits which have been approved.
13
General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2025!!!
« on: June 11, 2025, 09:14:16 am »
37. Samurai Shaver || Browser || 06.10.2025
Out of curiosity, I wanted to see what kind of rhythm games were available on itch.io, and stumbled upon Samurai Shaver. I wasn't actually planning to play through the whole game despite its short length, but I found myself playing through it all.
Just as its name implies, the the sole objective of the game is to successfully shave samurais as they're brought before you along a conveyor belt to the center of the screen, one at a time and fully nude. However, it's not just their facial hair that's being shaved. Instead, hair needing shaved is in an assortment of places such as the face, chest, and legs. Patches of hair are randomly present, and the player—who I also assume is a samurai based on in-game art—must take calculated timed swings to remove it, which is executed by a simple button press. Of course, since Samurai Shaver is a rhythm game, music accompanies on-screen action. A falling line moves from each samurai's head to toe which telegraphs when timed swings need to be executed, and timing is naturally synced to the game's music. Before the line moves downward, lines indicating where the hair is appears in the rhythm needing to follow. I didn't think this added UI was helpful at first but saw its importance as the game progressed since numerous patches of hair may be grouped together to where it's difficult to know how many there are.
Inevitably, players will make a mistake while shaving which results in samurai being cut with their portrait changing to them screaming with some blood gushing. It's a funny transition. However, there isn't any penalty for either mis-shaving or missing hair altogether. Stages are short, so a simple score tally system is implemented instead based on how many samurai were fully shaved successfully. Surprisingly, but ultimately to the game's benefit, difficulty steadily increases with each stage. Toward the end, track tempo is considerably fast, and stage requirements reflect that with a faster-moving guiding line to follow and samurai having greater patches of hair to shave. I wasn't interested in perfecting the eight stages and only tried them each once, but the game's arcade-like quality definitely complements gameplay.
This was another game jam project developed which was developed in 72 hours, and it has a lot of quality. I didn't play the game's original version, though, as numerous updates have been published since its original submission. There is a lot of quality, and apparently it was well received within the event. Art is simple, but it's an illustrative style that has fun personality. Music is, naturally, the game's highlight and is well-written while combining traditional Japanese instruments such as the shamisen with some small inclusion of chiptune elements, which the latter brings a frantic level of energy and tension. On the accompanying Bandcamp page where the soundtrack is available to download, detailed estimates for how much time was spent composing each track is provided, which I found interesting from a development perspective.
On a whim, I decided to try out Samurai Shaver, and I was pleasantly surprised by this short project. Beyond the steadily increasing difficulty, there is not much depth to the game, though the developers easily accomplished their goal at developing a comical experience.
Out of curiosity, I wanted to see what kind of rhythm games were available on itch.io, and stumbled upon Samurai Shaver. I wasn't actually planning to play through the whole game despite its short length, but I found myself playing through it all.
Just as its name implies, the the sole objective of the game is to successfully shave samurais as they're brought before you along a conveyor belt to the center of the screen, one at a time and fully nude. However, it's not just their facial hair that's being shaved. Instead, hair needing shaved is in an assortment of places such as the face, chest, and legs. Patches of hair are randomly present, and the player—who I also assume is a samurai based on in-game art—must take calculated timed swings to remove it, which is executed by a simple button press. Of course, since Samurai Shaver is a rhythm game, music accompanies on-screen action. A falling line moves from each samurai's head to toe which telegraphs when timed swings need to be executed, and timing is naturally synced to the game's music. Before the line moves downward, lines indicating where the hair is appears in the rhythm needing to follow. I didn't think this added UI was helpful at first but saw its importance as the game progressed since numerous patches of hair may be grouped together to where it's difficult to know how many there are.
Inevitably, players will make a mistake while shaving which results in samurai being cut with their portrait changing to them screaming with some blood gushing. It's a funny transition. However, there isn't any penalty for either mis-shaving or missing hair altogether. Stages are short, so a simple score tally system is implemented instead based on how many samurai were fully shaved successfully. Surprisingly, but ultimately to the game's benefit, difficulty steadily increases with each stage. Toward the end, track tempo is considerably fast, and stage requirements reflect that with a faster-moving guiding line to follow and samurai having greater patches of hair to shave. I wasn't interested in perfecting the eight stages and only tried them each once, but the game's arcade-like quality definitely complements gameplay.
This was another game jam project developed which was developed in 72 hours, and it has a lot of quality. I didn't play the game's original version, though, as numerous updates have been published since its original submission. There is a lot of quality, and apparently it was well received within the event. Art is simple, but it's an illustrative style that has fun personality. Music is, naturally, the game's highlight and is well-written while combining traditional Japanese instruments such as the shamisen with some small inclusion of chiptune elements, which the latter brings a frantic level of energy and tension. On the accompanying Bandcamp page where the soundtrack is available to download, detailed estimates for how much time was spent composing each track is provided, which I found interesting from a development perspective.
On a whim, I decided to try out Samurai Shaver, and I was pleasantly surprised by this short project. Beyond the steadily increasing difficulty, there is not much depth to the game, though the developers easily accomplished their goal at developing a comical experience.
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Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Category/Platform Requests 2.0
« on: June 10, 2025, 02:36:53 pm »
I don't see anything mentioned in either of the topics that say that clone systems with their own library of games are invalid. With that said, is there any reason why Micro Genius can't have its own sub-category?
https://vgcollect.com/item/128685
https://vgcollect.com/item/128685
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Modern Video Games / Re: Summer Game Fest 2025
« on: June 10, 2025, 09:13:43 am »Adding The Blood of Dawnwalker to my list of potentials. New trailer was shown with a longer gameplay showcase scheduled for June 21st. Comes from Witcher 3 devs and it looks on par with it.
This was one of the few trailers I actually chose to not watch because neither its name nor video thumbnail looked interesting, so it helped that you highlighted it here. It seems okay and is something I'll be casually monitoring, but there seems to be considerable overlap between this protagonist and The Witcher's Geralt. Hopefully it can stand out enough from that franchise.