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Steel Assault: a retro ode to Konami and Capcom platformers on Steam

Alright, this is quite a neat game, which hearkens back to the 16-bit/32-bit era of 2D platformer games. Presented in a retro 4:3 aspect ratio (which my computer monitor is, which I prefer), it also has scanlines to enhance the nostalgic, CRT feel to the visuals.

You can cast zip lines to prevent from falling, as well as for climbing to higher platforms.

I find Steel Assault to be rather difficult. You have an energy whip to lash enemies, and can also punch them when up-close. It seems that I just have to die constantly until I figure out the attack patterns of the bosses and mid-bosses because it is pretty unforgiving.

So far I’ve only made it to the 2nd level. Very hard, but fun game. Fortunately, this game is available on Steam OS, so it runs natively on my Linux desktop computer.

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Ikaruga on Steam!

I played Ikaruga in the game centers when it first came out. I was living in Himeji at the time, and I was excited to find this at the game center near Himeji Station. Being the spirtual successor to Radiant Silvergun, I was pretty hyped and greatly anticpated its release. I bought it on the Dreamcast when it was first released, too. Since it was under 1,000 yen on Steam, I bought it again. It’s weird seeing it in English. The game’s text can be switched to Japanese though. I appreciate how this game supports 4:3 aspect ratio monitors like my own. It runs perfectly on my Linux desktop through the Proton utility.

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’80s movie posters spotted in Huntdown

I’ve been playing Huntdown on Steam lately after it went on sale recently. It’s a sprite-based, 2D cyberpunk bounty hunter game with a retro ’80s aesthetic, down to the Terminator-style synth music, CRT monitors, and floppy disk drives. In the first section of the game, one of the levels you go through a movie theater. Check out the movie posters! Aliens, Akira, and The Thing. Love it!