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Bit Orchard: Animal Valley (Switch): COMPLETED!

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In case you were thinking this was like a Game Boy version of Stardew Valley, then you’re right. It is. Only very, very cut down. Well, maybe cut down is wrong. Streamlined? Slimmed down?

As in that game, you inherit a run-down farm (an orchard, in this case – albeit one with only one tree), meet people, grow crops (well, just apples), do a bit of fishing, complete some quests, chat to a ghost, and so on. Only instead of taking you over a hundred hours as it does in Stardew Valley, it takes maybe three or four. There’s a lot less to see and do, but sometimes, that’s OK.

Bit Orchard is a bit buggy, fiddly to control (and to lay out your trees, although that’s being fixed in an update I believe) and, of course, short, but it’s also cozy and cute and well worth the low price of entry. Which was a pound at the time of purchase.

Bit Orchard: Animal Valley (Switch): COMPLETED!

Posted on Written by

In case you were thinking this was like a Game Boy version of Stardew Valley, then you’re right. It is. Only very, very cut down. Well, maybe cut down is wrong. Streamlined? Slimmed down?

As in that game, you inherit a run-down farm (an orchard, in this case – albeit one with only one tree), meet people, grow crops (well, just apples), do a bit of fishing, complete some quests, chat to a ghost, and so on. Only instead of taking you over a hundred hours as it does in Stardew Valley, it takes maybe three or four. There’s a lot less to see and do, but sometimes, that’s OK.

Bit Orchard is a bit buggy, fiddly to control (and to lay out your trees, although that’s being fixed in an update I believe) and, of course, short, but it’s also cozy and cute and well worth the low price of entry. Which was a pound at the time of purchase.

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth (Switch): COMPLETED!

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Well look at this – it’s another Metroidvania game that I’m playing. Only this one is based on a series of Japanese books (I think!) and looks a lot like Touhou Luna Nights. Not least because it’s running on seemingly the same engine and is by the same team. And it’s really good!

Whereas Touhou Luna Nights “borrowed” the bullet grazing mechanic from the Touhou shooters, in Deedlit there’s a Radiant Silvergun-style colour swap system, where you flick between fire and wind based powers which makes you immune to the effects of those enemies that match you. It means you can run through fire when you’re fire “powered”, for example, but also each style has a gauge that fills up when you use it against baddies – and a full gauge lets you refill your health when you swap to the other style.

There’s a million Symphony of the Night type weapons to collect and agonise over choosing, and the usual upgrades like double jump and levitate, and lots of tricky bosses, secrets and all the things you’d expect from the genre. I think the characters all passed me by as I have no knowledge of the source material, but that doesn’t affect the game, which is a solid example of a Metroidvania.

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth (Switch): COMPLETED!

Posted on Written by

Well look at this – it’s another Metroidvania game that I’m playing. Only this one is based on a series of Japanese books (I think!) and looks a lot like Touhou Luna Nights. Not least because it’s running on seemingly the same engine and is by the same team. And it’s really good!

Whereas Touhou Luna Nights “borrowed” the bullet grazing mechanic from the Touhou shooters, in Deedlit there’s a Radiant Silvergun-style colour swap system, where you flick between fire and wind based powers which makes you immune to the effects of those enemies that match you. It means you can run through fire when you’re fire “powered”, for example, but also each style has a gauge that fills up when you use it against baddies – and a full gauge lets you refill your health when you swap to the other style.

There’s a million Symphony of the Night type weapons to collect and agonise over choosing, and the usual upgrades like double jump and levitate, and lots of tricky bosses, secrets and all the things you’d expect from the genre. I think the characters all passed me by as I have no knowledge of the source material, but that doesn’t affect the game, which is a solid example of a Metroidvania.

61: Skyrim in Space

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The ugvm Podcast returns, a little earlier than advertised in some listings magazines, with this, Episode 61.

Not that there’s anything specifically noteworthy about Episode 61, but it does feature The Return of the Zo, who joins deKay, Luffer and Kendrick in Chat Mode, and we talk about Not-E3, games at Not-E3, the future of E3 and/or Not-E3, Saudis Buying Stuff, Starfield, aaaaaand… games we have played such as these ones what are listed here:

  • Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
  • Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
  • Laser Overload
  • Beehive Bedlam
  • Animal Crossing
  • Kirby and the Forgotten Land
  • Unpacking
  • Control
  • Back 4 Blood
  • Sonic Colours Ultimate
  • Gran Turismo 7
  • House of the Dead Remake
  • Switch Panic
  • Drakengard 3
  • Nier: Automata

Plus some excellent listener questions are answered, we put the world to rights, and we only upset a handful of countries this time.

(Direct link here)

Don’t forget, if you want to contact us with questions or comments for or about the show, you can email podcast@ugvm.org.uk or publicly shame us @ugvmpodcast on the Twittors.