While Valve has finally announced an official dock for the Steam Deck, they sure did flub the landing on the price. At $89.99 for a simple dock, they’ve priced themselves right out of contention. We’ve reviewed several
There’s a difference between a love letter to a genre and a complete re-creation.
To avoid tackling ground already covered when making video games that reference the 8- and 16-bit eras of the 1980s and ‘90s, Yacht Club Games co-founder David D’Angelo says one of his go-to references is “You’ve Got Mail.” Yes, the 1998 Nora Ephron-directed rom-com starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Or, specifically, its relationship to the 1940 Ernst Lubitsch-directed film that inspired it, “The Shop Around the Corner.”
“It’s the same thing,” D’Angelo says in discussing how the West Los Angeles team behind the retro hit game “Shovel Knight” developed the mission statement for Yacht Club. Viewing “You’ve Got Mail” alongside the original “The Shop Around the Corner,” he says, can at times be a challenge for audiences weaned on more recent acting and filmmaking techniques.
February 1, 2021 - 9:56pm EST
When Yacht Club Games released Shovel Knight back in 2014, it took the gaming world by storm with its addictive gameplay, impressive pixel art style and simple but engaging story. Yacht Club Games had made a name for themselves, and fans of the developer were keen to see what they d conjure up next. While they haven t released a new title yet, they have since published Cyber Shadow, an incredibly stylish 8-bit action platforming adventure that looks and feels reminiscent of their work. Cyber Shadow doesn t just do an admirable job with its look, but also its soundtrack, gameplay, and fair but fun difficulty. What perhaps is most impressive, is the fact that the game was developed by a single person, Aarne Hunziker of Mechanical Head Studios. Cyber Shadow is a great first step for the indie dev, with the game feeling like a welcome amalgamation of NES classics Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man.