Freddy Farmer is an Excellent Old-School-Style Arcade Platformer

 Review by Gamatroid

Freddy's daughter has been kidnapped by an evil dragon that lives on top of an abandoned castle.

The only possibility to rescue her is through a magic potion that only a mysterious wizard who lives in the forest can make, but to do so, he will need to get some very specific ingredients and these in turn must be mixed in a certain order using magical cauldrons that are spread throughout the kingdom. 

FREDDY FARMER

• RELEASE DATE: 2/27/25
• MSRP: $4.99
• DEVELOPER: Catcade Games
• PUBLISHER: Flynns Arcade
• PLATFORMS: Switch, PC/Steam
• PLAYED ON: Switch

Freddy Farmer is an old-school single-screen style arcade platformer, with 16-bit looking graphics. It really captures the frantic nature of those classic arcade games well and has the titular Freddy collecting different ingredients around each stage in order to activate a magic cauldron and brew a potion. But be careful, because if Freddy collects all the ingredients, but does it in the wrong order, not only do you not get the associated bonus points for correctly doing so, Freddy won't brew the potion and clear the stage, even though you progress to the next stage.

You can keep track of all the correctly brewed potions (meaning you properly cleared the stage) on the world map. Interestingly you can access any area on the world map at any time, but each area gets increasingly more complicated and difficult to clear, so it makes sense to go in order. Should you lose all of your lives you can continue, but you start over at the beginning of an area, even if you've already cleared previous sections.  

RETRO ROOTS

Freddy Farmer clearly takes inspiration from some of the single-screen arcade hits of the 80s, and it wears that inspiration proudly on its sleeve. While I haven't seen the developers say exactly which games inspired them, there are a few potential candidates that come to mind.

Burger Time

While Burger Time isn't exactly like Freddy Farmer, it does have the single screen layout, has a strong food-related theme, and doesn't let you directly attack enemies - all elements present in Freddy Farmer. 

Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong also isn't exactly like Freddy Farmer, but it is one of the most influential single-screen arcade games of all time, and it involves jumping over enemies to score points. Very likely a strong influence for Freddy Famer. 

REVIEW

Gameplay & Mechanics

Freddy Farmer's gameplay feels like an authentic old-school arcade game, with simple to pick up rules, tight controls, and variations on strategy required for each new stage. While Freddy Farmer isn't easy, it isn't as cheap as old school arcade games either, and has a good balance of difficulty and enjoyment. The fact you can select any stage on the map is also a bonus, since you don't feel restricted if you happen to get stuck on a particular stage (although the stages do tend to build in difficulty, so going to a later stage isn't recommended, but it's nice the game gives you the freedom to do so). 

Visuals & Art Direction

The visuals feel very authentic in the best way, like those old arcade games where the graphics were better than what you would typically find at home, but still very old school. Freddy Farmer strikes a great balance in this respect, and honestly looks really great for the aesthetic it is going for.

Audio & Music

Hot damn, the tunes in Freddy Farmer be jammin'; no joke. Not only do the music and sound effects feel authentic, but the tunes are very catchy and enhance the overall experience. Much better than the game probably needed, but much appreciated.

Story & Narrative

The story is...well do you really need a story with a game like this? It does have one though, and like the rest of the game, the "rescue the person from the demon" premise feels a lot like Ghouls and Ghosts in a good way that harkens back to the arcade games of yesterday. Nothing incredible, mind you, but one more piece of authenticity that makes Freddy Farmer feel like a classic arcade game. 

Technical Performance

Honestly, even playing on Switch, Freddy Farmer plays flawlessly, although I can't imagine the tech running behind the scenes is anything the Switch would have issues handling. I haven't run into any issues while playing, and it seems to run smoothly whether docked or in handheld mode.

 

Innovation & Originality

Freddy's innovation lies in the unique way it has incorporated several classic arcade elements in a new way that creates a truly compelling experience. I love the way you have to collect the items in order, even though it can be frustrating sometimes. The added strategy this mechanic introduces makes it stand out from other games like it. 

Value

Freddy Farmer is only $4.99 on Switch regularly, and I was able to get it on sale, even though it just recently released. Even at full price its a good value and will provide lots of arcade-style fun and action.

 

  OVERALL SCORE: 9  

 

Overall, my experience with Freddy Farmer was excellent. It perfectly captures the best vibes of the great 80s arcade classics, and introduces some new elements as well, all at a value price. Honestly no complaints, other than it can get really difficult in the later stages, but hey, would you really have it any other way. Looks great. Plays great. Music bangs. Stop reading and go play it already!

CRITIC'S CORNER 

In looking at other critic reviews and user ratings, Freddy Farmer doesn't have a lot of ratings, but the ones it does have are a little lower than our rating, and Steam. Honestly, I thought a lot about its rating, and I think it deserves a 9, given what it's trying to do, and the price it delivers it at. If the game was priced a lot higher, then I might reconsider, but given where it's at, its a great experience for the value. In any case, everyone seems to agree that its worth checking out.

(EG's score compared to other publications - raw score quoted then followed by normalized score out of 10, if applicable) 

• Electronic Gamers: 9/10
• Pure Nintendo: 8/10
• Video Chums: 4/5 (8/10)
• Steam: 96% positive (9.6/10)

 

GAMEPLAY 

You can watch my beginning gameplay from Freddy Farmer on Nintendo Switch in the video below:

Into The Restless Ruins Is A Promising New Roguelike Deckbuilder Coming Soon

by Gamatroid

I recently played the demo of Into The Restless Ruins on Xbox Series S, and I came away impressed and looking forward to its full release in May.

Into The Restless Ruins is being developed by Ant Workshop Ltd and will be published by Wales Interactive. It is currently set to release on May 15, 2025 across PC/Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox.

Into The Restless Ruins seems to combine multiple genres that I'm not normally a big fan of. It brings together Vampire Survivor-like auto attacks, card-based power ups, and rogue-light restarts. Interestingly it also incorporates level building / room unlocking mechanics that remind me a little of the recently released (and very well received) Blue Prince.

The aforementioned cards give you various room layouts to place on the map, but of course only certain room sizes and connection points will work at any given time, depending on what the map layout is currently like. This gives the game a lot of strategy that makes it a lot more interesting than any of its individual parts might suggest.

You also have a limited amount of Build Points to use each turn, so sometimes even if you still have room cards to play, you may be out of Build Points to place them. Additionally, you need to consider your path through the ruins during each run, as you can run out of torchlight (instantly starting to deal damage to you and making it difficult to find the exit), and you can also run out of life points.

To combat these limitations you can place Camp Fire rooms to grant you additional torch light (up to your current limit), Armories to grant you additional damage power, and rooms that can refill part of your health bar. You need to consider, however, your actual path through the ruins so you don't place similar rooms to close to each other, or too far away, so that you can refill your torch and health at the right points during your run.

Connecting rooms to fog-laden rooms allows you to enter them, clear the fog, and collect the items in them during a specific run. You can then connect other rooms to them to continue your journey to the portal and end boss of a particular area.

The aforementioned auto-attack is not what I generally prefer in games, but being able to match the attack timing to incoming enemies just seems to add to the overall strategy during each run. While it's not my favorite way to play games, I didn't mind it here.

Once you have made enough progress during a run, the Exit Portal opens which allows you to exit the ruins without dying and retain as much of your collected loot as possible. If you start to run out of torch light, however, it can make finding the exit rather difficult.

Once you place enough rooms to reach the end of a set of ruins, you need to fight and defeat a Warden, which is the boss of each ruin. But of course, you need to make your way successfully through the ruins during a single run AND defeat the Warden in order to clear the level. This is easier said than done, of course, and the order you place rooms in can be the difference between an easier run, and a MUCH harder run, if the rooms aren't placed in an ideal order.

Upon defeating the Warden you are greeted by the mysterious figure you see at the beginning of the game, and she tells you some of her power has been restored, but of course there are other ruins to clear and other Wardens to defeat, in order to completely restore her powers.

I believe the game demo is available on Steam, PS5, and Xbox (sorry Switch owners) and I suggest if any of this looks interesting, you should give it a try. 

You can see my demo playthrough on YouTube: 

Overall I really enjoyed the demo of Into The Restless Ruins. The gameplay loop is interesting and satisfying, the different gameplay elements come together well, and the pixel art is good for the style the game is trying to convey. 

The only place where the pixel art could be better, is the female figure at the beginning. She looks like a small pixel art character that has simply been blown up to be large, and lacks any detail as a result. Honestly that is my only complaint so far, although whether the gameplay loop keeps you hooked for hours, and whether the way future ruins will unlock will keep you interested remains to be seen. 

So far, however it seems like this game is on the right track for a successful launch come May.  

Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo is a Promising New "YoYovania" With Serious Link to the Past Vibes

I recently played the demo of Pipistrello and the Cursed YoYo on PlayStation 5.

Pipistrello is being developed by Pocket Trap and is scheduled to release on May 28, 2025 across PC/Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Switch. Pocket Trap formerly released Ninjin: Clash of Carrots (93% recommended on Steam) and Dodgeball Academia (94% recommended on Steam).

For some reason (probably to reinforce the retro aesthetic of the game), Pocket Trap decided to build a 3D model of a handheld gaming device and have the game playing on the device. Now you can determine whether or not to display said device, and you can simply go full screen and not see any of it if you wish, but I decided to play through the demo slightly zoomed out so I could see it around the edges (as shown in the screenshot below).

They even went as far as to have the buttons on the fake 3D console highlight and depress when you press the actual buttons on your controller IRL.

Graphically I think the game looks a bit better when its zoomed out like this, as the full screen view really highlights the blockiness of the graphics, but that being said, everything looks really great.

For some reason this game gave me strong Link to the Past vibes, even though I am sure there are a lot of games in this kind of style beyond just Zelda.

The YoYo mechanic is interesting, as they've setup angled corners of rooms and items within some rooms that you can bounce your YoYo off of and create a chain of hits. This is useful for reaching enemies that you can't get to with a straight shot, or for staying away from enemies that otherwise might hit you. 

There are also sections where you have to use the angled YoYo throwing mechanic to solve puzzles and unlock things. Overall the gameplay feels really tight and well designed.

So should you give it a try? Heck yeah! I had a lot of fun playing the demo, and I'm looking forward playing and reviewing the game when it releases in May. 

I believe the demo is available on Steam, PS5, and Switch. Xbox owners appear to be out of luck. 

Hit me up on socials and let me know what you think of it. You can see my demo playthrough in the YouTube video below: 

Moons of Darsalon Mashes Lemmings, Oddworld and Jetpac Into a Brand New Retro-Styled Adventure

 Review by Gamatroid

Teams of darsanauts got lost during their mining missions on the different moons of the planet Darsalon. You need to complete several rescue missions in which you will have to lead them to the closest base station. They will use their own AI to follow you and to obey your commands. On your way to the base you will have to protect them from dangers and enemies using your laser gun, jet pack, pilot ground and air vehicles, destroy terrain, and even make new paths with the ground maker gun.

MOONS OF DARSALON

• RELEASE DATE: 2/6/25
• MSRP: $17.99
• DEVELOPER: Dr. Kucho! Games
• PUBLISHER: Dr. Kucho! Games
• PLATFORMS: Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC/Steam
• PLAYED ON: PS5

Moons of Darsalon is an interesting twist on several classic games, including the "leading mindless creatures to a goal" gameplay of Lemmings, the "destructible environments" gameplay of Worms, the "follow me and give instructions to NPCs" gameplay of Oddworld, and the shooting lasers and flying around with a jetpack gameplay of Jetpac. It may sound like a rather odd combination, but in reality it comes together really well.

In the first few levels, the game does a good job getting you used to the follow and command mechanics, and doesn't require you to shoot anything or fly around. Slowly over the course of a few stages it introduces things like the flashlight (so you and your minions can see in the dark - they won't follow unless they can see), the laser gun (to shoot enemies and break through walls), and the ground builder (which allows you to shoot pieces of ground to build bridges or create barriers). Eventually it also introduces the jetpack, and lets you fly around the levels with a good deal of freedom.

Every level essentially involves you guiding the other "darsanauts" to the end goal, and you get rewarded for how many make it there alive, and not leaving ones behind. You do have a minimum number you have to rescue to clear a stage, but this means some can be killed or simply left undiscovered and you can still clear most stages.

Sometimes you may want to go ahead and clear out enemies and obstacles before you have any of the darsanauts follow you, but it depends on the specific situation you are presented with.

Overall, the game's combination of genres does lead to an experience that feels both familiar and refreshingly new.

RETRO ROOTS

I've already mentioned quite a few of them, but Moons of Darsalon has roots in quite a few classic games, and it also borrows its aesthetic heavily from classic Commodore 64 games, including the loading screens and title screen. 

One of the games I've mentioned it is influenced by is Lemmings.  

Lemmings was originally released for the Amiga in 1991, but was ported to practically every computer and home console in existence. It was a huge hit back in the day, and involved guiding a group of rather brainless NPCs to a level goal, while trying to keep as many alive as possible.

Another game Moons of Darsalon seems to have been inspired by is Worms. 

Worms was first released in Europe for the Amiga in 1995, and had a similar aesthetic to Lemmings, which makes sense, since its look was directly inspired by the 1991 Amiga hit. The gameplay was quite different, however, as it was a turn based artillery game with destructable enviornments (the main feature that reminds me of Moons of Darsalon).

Another game Moons of Darsalon seems to have been inspired by is Oddworld.

Oddworld was first released for the original PlayStation in 1997, and introduced a communication mechanic that is very similar to the one used in Moons of Darsalon. In Oddworld, you could give commands to the other Mudokans to follow, stay, or execute certain commands. The goal was to get them to the exit of each stage alive, which again, is very similar to the main goal in Moons of Darsalon. 

The last game that seems to have inspired parts of Moons of Darsalon's game is Jetpac. 

Jetpac was first released for the ZX Spectrum and VIC-20 in 1983, and featured a little spaceman using a jetpack to move around levels, plus a laser gun which could be used to eliminate enemies. While I'm certain other games have also borrowed these mechanics over time, it seems some variation of this inspired the gun and jetpack mechanics in Moons of Darsalon. 

If you aren't familiar with any of these classics, you should definitely Google them and give them a try. 

REVIEW

Gameplay & Mechanics

The overall gameplay of Moons of Darsalon involves a great combination of traversal mechanics, gunplay, destructible and constructible environments, puzzle solving, and Lemmings/ Oddworld-like NPC guidance. While none of the individual mechanics seem to be that groundbreaking, the unique way they've been combined in Moons of Darsalon, creates a new experience that I haven't seen before. The only issue here at all, is that some of the climbing mechanics with your character seem "janky" for lack of a better word. I actually got stuck at the beginning of level 6 for quite some time, and finally had to watch a YouTube playthrough to see that you could grab onto a particular ledge and pull yourself up. I had never needed to climb that accurately in any of the prior levels, so I wasn't as familiar with the mechanic as I should have been to easily identify the way to proceed. This seems like a small issue, but I almost stopped playing altogether as a result (which would have DRASTICALLY altered this review, and my overall feelings on the game.)

 

Visuals & Art Direction

The visuals are HEAVILY stylized, but look AMAZING for the retro aesthetic the game is trying to achieve. One of the best examples of a modern game looking retro that I've seen in a while. If you go on Steam, you will see that the user reviews are not as high as you might think they would be, but in reading through many of them, it seems some of the main title screen and loading screen assets may have been produced with generative AI (I haven't confirmed this, but this is the narrative in the comments). Apparently the developer had different screens originally, but swapped them out sometime in 2024, and there is a toggle in the Options menu to switch between the original artwork and the "2024" version. I actually like the new art, and I had no issue with it, so it didn't have any negative impact on me at all, but if you feel particularly strongly about AI generated art, this might impact your impression of it ,but then you can just toggle the screens to the original version and you should be fine.

Audio & Music

For the vibe this game is going for, the music, sound effects and voice samples are simply perfect. It absolutely nails the retro vibe and helps reinforce the entire presentation. My favorite is the way the voice samples are also played through the controller speaker on the PlayStation 5. It may be a small thing, but I love it when games effectively use the PS5's controller speaker (same back on PS4 as well).

 

Story & Narrative

Like many other elements of this game, the story feels exactly at place with the rest of the retro vibe this game creates, and does a great job putting the player back in a past time and place.

Technical Performance

So...like I mentioned in the gameplay section, I ran into a significant issue at the beginning of stage 6, but it was mostly my fault for not knowing how to effectively use the climbing mechanic, however... it really shouldn't be that hard to pull off, and you'll notice there are a few areas where the game probably could have benefitted from a bit more polish and refinement in the way it controls, but... that is not in any way to say that the game is unplayable or I ran into any game breaking bugs or anything like that. Just be aware that some of the controls are a little janky, and you should be fine.

 

Innovation & Originality

Given this game seems to be built upon the work of several games that have come before, you might wonder just how innovative and different it feels, but from my perspective I think the way Moons of Darsalon incorporates all its different gameplay mechanics is certainly innovative and feels fresh and fun. Honestly I never really liked games like Lemmings, and I could only tolerate Oddworld for a brief time, but the way everything comes together so well in Moons of Darsalon, makes me want to continue playing it and discovering new challenges. 

Value

Moons of Darsalon retails for $17.99, which feels like a good price for the retro-style experience it delivers. Certainly an indie game like this doesn't seem like it could justify charging AAA game prices, but luckily it doesn't even come close, and its price seems well in line with the value it delivers (it might even be a bargain considering everything the game does well).

 

  OVERALL SCORE: 8  

 

I really enjoyed my time with Moons of Darsalon, and other than that small issue I ran into in Stage 6, I completely enjoyed every minute I spent with it. The retro vibes are really strong with this one, and every new stage I entered brought something new to discover that kept things fresh. If the controls were just a little tighter and a few of the rough edges were a bit more polished, I might have given it a 9 instead of an 8, but either way, if any of this sounds interesting, you should play it.

CRITIC'S CORNER 

In looking at other critic reviews and user ratings, Moons of Darsalon generally scores in the 8 to 9 range with critics. User ratings tend to be a bit lower on Steam and PlayStation, but at least with Steam, most of the low ratings are due to people thinking the developer used AI generated art work in the game and are review bombing it as a result. Not sure if this is true on PlayStation as well, but with a good number of 1 and 2 star reviews (but even more 5's) it's very possible there is AI based review bombing going on there too.

(EG's score compared to other publications - raw score quoted then followed by normalized score out of 10, if applicable) 

• Electronic Gamers: 8/10
• Gaming Nexus: 8/10
• Pure Nintendo: 8.5/10
• Digital Chumps: 8.5/10
• Steam: 79% positive (7.9/10)
• Xbox: N/A (not enough ratings)
• PlayStation: 3.64/5 (7.28/10)

 

GAMEPLAY 

You can watch some of my beginning gameplay from Moons of Darsalon in the video below: