Not a very big week for games, it seems, as the first quarter of the fiscal year kicks off and, honestly, it doesn’t really get much better for a couple of weeks. This is probably a good time to catch up on the releases from earlier this, especially with all of the massive RPGs that came out.

Still, if you want to play SOMETHING new, there’s a new golf/racing hybrid game called Turbo Golf Racing that looks A LOT like Rocket League. It’s been out in early access on Steam for a few months and has built up a niche community. This will probably be fun for a weekend or two.

Turbo Golf Racing (PC/PS5/Xbox One/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 4^th

Developed by: Hugecalf Studios
Published by: Hugecalf Studios

There’s not a whole lot, other than Turbo Golf Racing, sorry to say. Kitchen Crisis looks like a surreal Overcooked, while Knowledge Keeper looks like your typical retro inspired, top down dungeon crawler. The game Saviorless seems to be getting some mild hype, looks to be a fun little Metroidvania. Might be worth checking out.

Kitchen Crisis (PC/Switch) – Releases Apr. 2^nd

Developed by: Team Samoyed
Published by: Team Samoyed

Saviorless (PC/PS5/Switch) – Releases Apr. 2^nd

Developed by: Empty Head Games
Published by: Dear Villagers

Knowledge Keeper (PS4/PS5/Switch/Xbox One/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 3^rd

Developed by: USANIK STD
Published by: Sometimes You

In terms of well known franchises, Double Dragon Gaide: Rise of the Dragons has free DLC this week, called Sacred Reunion. It will feature new characters, new upgrades, new difficulty levels, and a brand new “versus mode” which will let you fight against your friends in 1 vs. 1 combat.

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons – Sacred Reunion (PC/PS4/PS5/Switch/Xbox One/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 4^th

Everything else:

Just because nothing HUGE is coming it out, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any great games. Take this week to try out an indie you’ve never heard of and support a small team. It might just be the next big thing.

• Interstellar Plunderer (PC) – Releases Apr. 2^nd
• Minishoot’ Adventures (PC) – Releases Apr. 2^nd
• NightFeed (PC) – Releases Apr. 2^nd
• Seren Nova (PC) – Releases Apr. 3^rd
• Beat Slayer (PC) – Releases Apr. 4^th
• Cartridge the Tiger (PC) – Releases Apr. 4^th
• Death Noodle Delivery (PC) – Releases Apr. 4^th
• BIOMORPH (PC) – Releases Apr. 5^th
• Sons of Valhalla (PC) – Releases Apr. 5^th

Notable Releases from 10, 20, and 30 years ago:

It’s spring break in our neighborhood and I’m on my way to Disneyland so let’s quickly get through these.

2014 gave us the game Monument Valley, a puzzle game that put indie developer Ustwo on the map. In the game, players guide the protagonist, Princess Ida, around an M.C. Escher-esque structure in an attempt to find the exit. Secret doors, hidden passages, and “impossible” architecture must all be utilized in order to solve each puzzle.

While puzzles can be challenging, Ustwo specifically made Monument Valley to be completed by most players, with a focus on making the game an “experience” rather than a “challenge”. Monument Valley was well received by critics and players, selling over 2 million copies by the end of the year and making over $6 million in revenue, against a budget of $1.4 million (bringing the total gross to over $14 million after 2 years on the market). Curiously, Monument Valley as the victim of rampant piracy, with the game illegally downloaded at an alarming rate. This didn’t seem to bother Ustwo, despite the loss in revenue.

Monument Valley received multiple accolades at the end of the year, being called the best mobile game of 2014 by various outlets. A PC version would release in 2022, allowing players to breakout of the portrait mode that you are required to play on your phone. In 2018, it as announced that a live action/CGI hybrid film would be released by Paramount, but there is currently no word on its status.

After the success of WarioWare Inc. on the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo decided to bring the frantic microgame series to their home console, the GameCube, with the 2004 title WarioWare Inc.: Mega Party Games!. Featuring the same games as the GBA version, Mega Party Games gave the added bonus of playing them with your friends. A bit of a sleeper title on the GameCube, Mega Party Games didn’t really well all that well and is regarded as a cult classic.

Rounding out the notable games we have the CD-i exclusive Hotel Mario. After pulling out of a deal with the company Phillips, Nintendo agreed to the let the company make four games using their franchises. Three were based on the Zelda series, with the fourth being Hotel Mario, however, these titles didn’t do much to drive sales of the CD-i, likely due to their poor design, graphics, and controls.

In Hotel Mario, players move the famous plumber around various hotels, looking for Princess Toadstool (Peach). To do this, Mario must close every door on each floor, defeating, or avoiding, enemies along the way. The game received a lukewarm reception when it released in 1994, with its reputation only getting worse over the years.

In the world of notable films, 2014 saw the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the second entry in that film franchise, and did its best to set up the events of both Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. The movie’s key introductions include Sam Wilson, AKA Falcon, Sharon Carter, great-niece of Peggy Carter, villain Crossbones, and the return of Bucky as the murderous, brainwashed, Winter Soldier. The movie also continued the trend of bona fide actors taking on major roles in the MCU, with Robert Redford portraying the head of SHIELD who is, spoiler, actually a Hydra operative.

2004 saw the release of another comic book film, Hellboy, directed by the fantastic Guillermo del Toro. Despite feeling like a modern film, Hellboy was released in a world where the word “hell” was still considered highly offensive. The movie was not played in various theatres around the southern United States and, in theatres where it did play, the title was often changed to “Hello Boy” on the marquee.

1994’s film was another controversial one, John Watters’ Serial Mom, about a suburban housewife who is, well, a serial killer. Actress Kathleen Turner took on the role of the titular serial mom, killing people in the neighborhood that don’t follow the various HOA rules in the neighborhood, or who she feels treat her children with disdain.

Serial Mom tested very poorly with audiences, prompting the distributor to demand Watters re-cut the film to make it less vulgar & violent, as well as shoot a new ending. Watters refused to do so, claiming that the distributor intentionally tanked the film by testing it with very conservative audiences. The distributor finally caved in to Watters when Turner gave an interview, lambasting the distributor for its handling of the film and their treatment of Watters. Despite favorable reviews and built in controversy, Serial Mom was a box office failure, opening in 11th place and only grossing a little over $7 million dollars. Like WarioWare on the GameCube, though, Serial Mom has gained a cult following over the years, ranking among the best films of Watters’ career.

Moving on to notable albums, the punk rock supergroup OFF! put out their third album, Wasted Years. The band saw its profile rise around this time due to Red Hot Chili Peppers front man, Anthony Kiedis, would wear an OFF! hat on every show during their “I’m with You” tour. Some punk purists felt that having OFF! be embraced by a mainstream act like the Peppers made OFF! sellouts, especially after the band opened for RHCP on a few dates. Singer Keith Morris (of Circle Jerks/Black Flag fame) basically told those people to fuck off. Kiedis and the band were their friends, they loved their friends, and they were going to play shows with their friends. Hell yeah.

2004 saw the release of Modest Mouse’s breakthrough album Good News for People Who Love Bad News, part of a kind of garage/indie rock sound that found an audience in the early part of the 2000’s. The album lead single “Float On” was EVERYWHERE in 2004, which isn’t a bad thing, but it is surprising.

Capping things off we have yet ANOTHER pop-punk album from 1994, Smash from The Offspring. Debuting after Green Day’s Dookie, Smash helped keep the punk train rolling in 1994, giving hyperactive teenagers another CD to bop to that Summer. Despite coming out on the indie label Epitaph, The Offspring had a much more mainstream sound than Green Day and, in my opinion, were far more keen on “selling out” than Green Day, perhaps because of the slightly older age of their band members. Still, sell out’s or not, The Offspring put out one fucking GREAT album with Smash, with singles that still feel as raw and relevant today as they did in 1994.

Monument Valley (iOS) – Released Apr. 3^rd, 2014: Wiki Link

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games! (GameCube) – Released Apr. 5^th, 2004: Wiki Link

Hotel Mario (CD-i) – Released Apr. 5^th, 1994: Wiki Link

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Eh, here’s one more Offspring song for good measure: