PAX was over a month ago but I’ve been busy playing pinball, point-n-click adventures, and watching my husband play Breath of the Wild on the Switch. Finally had a bit of time to round up my favorites from the floor of PAX East 2017 this weekend.
Voodoo Vince
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXO_UNWBuI0
Had a great time in the Microsoft booth chatting with Clayton Kauzlaric checking out the remastered version of his 90s platformer Voodoo Vince. I’m not sure how I missed this game the first time around on XBbox since cute punny, puzzle platformers are my wheelhouse. I guess it's because we were a Sony/Nintendo family back in the original XBox days...
Voodoo Vince is coming out for PC and XBONE as a remastered version of the original April 18th. The XBONE version was up and running on the floor with all the levels unlocked so I got some hands on time with some different puzzles, platforms, and driving a hovercraft down the bayou. It was lots of pun (intended) with cute googly-eyed things and many of areas to explore. It was also surprisingly easy to navigate and not fall off things which is usually my special skill in platformers! The updated game has better graphics, supports rumble in the controls, and has achievements but otherwise is true to the original.
The creator of the game Clayton Kauzlaric was an interesting guy to chat with. I learned about the labor of love he’s being doing in his spare time to bring this game back to modern platforms via the ID@XBOX program. It’s a family affair since his wife also worked on the original game and helped with the code porting bringing it to next gen. Fun Fact: their son was in the original credits as a production baby and now around 13 years later he’s got a credit getting some hands on learning with sound design in the updated version.
Unrelated to this game, while chatting with Clayton I realized I had PAX brain and had totally forgotten he and his studio Beep Games made the only mobile title I’ve ever loved Scurvy Scallywags. Pirates and puns! But alas no update Android OS port can be seen in the spyglass. :/
The Inner World The Last Wind Monk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArF6wVzgFWI
The original Inner World point-and-click adventure is a title I meant to do a review of but haven’t had time for. It was a great game where you play as Robert and Laura to solve puzzles and unlock the secret of how to bring the wind back to the land of Asposia. I played on Steam a few months ago and it blew me away (see what I did there?). It was just ported to consoles last month so you should definitely check it out!
German studio Headup Games had a fully playable demo in their booth on the floor so I got some hands on time with the game. Their PR manager Gegor Ebert answered my questions and walked me through an area of the game. I’m always impressed how well folks from other countries speak English.The only German I have any clue about are words we’ve co-opted in English like schadenfreude and gezundheit (also I could not spell either of those words thank you auto-correct or Auto-Korrektur! :p)
The Last Wind Monk picks up about where the first game left off. This time not only can you play as Robert and Laura but you can control Peck my favorite googly eyed pigeon as well. The art is still great and the story has lots of witty dialog and puzzles.
Flipping Death
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox9JnK-PJlo
I loved Swedish studio Zoink!’s other games Stick it to the Man & Zombie Vikings so was stoked to get a hands on demo from Alexandra and Mikael in their booth at PAX.
Flipping Death is a spiritual successor to Stick it to the Man. You play as Penny who accidentally ends up with the Grim Reaper’s job when he decides he’s long overdue for a vacation. It’s a puzzle platformer that lets you switch between the worlds of the living and dead so it's appropriate that I did my demo on the Nintendo Switch.
It’s got great art and humor and you’ll see some familiar faces from their other games popping up along your journey.
The game doesn’t have a release date yet and Zoink! Is also working on another title Fe for Sony that looks gorgeous. Hopefully they will both make it out this year!
