Top Releases:

• Vampire Crawlers (PC/PS5/Switch/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 21^st
• Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch (PC/PS4/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 21^st
• Tides of Tomorrow (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 22^nd
• Kiln (PC/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 23^rd
• Kingdom’s Return: Time-Eating Fruit and the Ancient Monster (PC/PS5/Switch/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 23^rd

It’s another light week for new releases, and I’m totally fine with it. Honestly, I think any of the new games coming out could be considered the “top release”, but I decided to go with Vampire Crawlers, simply because its parent entry, Vampire Survivors, was such a massive hit. In Vampire Crawlers, players will move around a dungeon, in first person view, killing monsters and finding treasure. It looks fun and also nauseating to anyone with motion sickness issues (i.e., me).

Vampire Crawlers (PC/PS5/Switch/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 21^st

Developed by: poncle/Nosebleed Interactive
Published by: poncle

For those of you in the Venn diagram of weed smokers and beat ’em up’s, we have Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch which, I believe, actually came out this past Monday, on 4/20 (GET IT!). Perhaps the actual top release of the week is Tides of Tomorrow, a new first person adventure game that, according to developer Digixart, will have a narrative that changes based on the decisions that other players make. Using the unique “online story-link” feature, players will be able to use the code of a friend, Digixart developer, or a favorite Twitch streamer, and play through Tides of Tomorrow with consequences and story choices made by those people.

The good people at Double Fine have a brand new game this week, the multiplayer brawler game Kiln. In this title, players work together as a team to create clay pots that they wear as armor. Their goal is to reach the other team’s kiln and dose it with water until the flame goes out. Finally, rounding things out, we have the action RPG Kingdom’s Return: Time-Eating Fruit and the Ancient Monster (say that fast five times). The game mixes side scrolling action, similar to the 16-bit Ys titles, with a city building component that evokes games like Actraiser. I’m optimistic about this game, could be a hidden gem, so don’t sleep on it.

Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch (PC/PS4/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 21^st

Developed by: Interbang Entertainment
Published by: Atari/Digital Eclipse

Tides of Tomorrow (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 22^nd

Developed by: Digixart
Published by: THQ Nordic

Kiln (PC/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 23^rd

Developed by: Double Fine Productions
Published by: Xbox Game Studios

Kingdom’s Return: Time-Eating Fruit and the Ancient Monster (PC/PS5/Switch/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 23^rd

Developed by: INTI Creates
Published by: INTI Creates

Everything else:

• Cosmos point (PC) – Releases Apr. 21^st
• Sunset Game Shop Shayou (PC) – Releases Apr. 21^st
• Hearts of Iron IV: Peace For Our Time (PC) – Releases Apr. 22^nd
• Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes (PC/PSVR 2) – Releases Apr. 23^rd
• Outbound (Switch) – Releases Apr. 23^rd
• Sudden Strike 5 (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Apr. 23^rd
• Snap & Grab (PC) – Releases Apr. 24^th

Notable Releases from 10, 20, and 30 (and sometimes 40) years ago:

Games:

In notable games, 2016 gave us Star Fox Zero for the Wii U. There was a lot of pre-release hype for the game due to a couple of things; one was that the title was to be partially developed by Platinum Games, and the second being that we had received a Star Fox game since the 2011 remake of Star Fox 64, and hadn’t gotten a brand new entry since 2006’s Star Fox Command. Unfortunately, Star Fox Zero did not live up to expectations.

Critics had three major points of contention when it came to Zero; it had very few new ideas in comparison to previous entries, it was incredibly short at only five hours (though that could be increased with different pathways in subsequent runs), and it had some seriously bad motion controls that were, bafflingly, mandatory. Some critics, like Arthur Gies of Polygon, refused to give Star Fox Zero a final score. Gies said he found the controls to be so abysmal that he could not get through the game, describing the entire gameplay experience as “miserable”.

Sales of the game seemed to be seriously affected by the poor critical reception, although there is no official number released by Nintendo (so it’s hard to know what to believe). According to pundits, however, the sales were so bad that Star Fox Zero was likely the worst selling game in the entire franchise. I don’t doubt this because, if you’ve noticed, there has not been a new game in the series since the release of Zero (no, I am not counting the release of Star Fox 2 on the SNES Classic as a “new” game). However, the recent inclusion of Fox McCloud in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie might indicate that Nintendo is ready to bring the furry flyer and his crew back to consoles. I mean, a guy can dream, right?

From 2006, we have the game Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny for the PS2. This was the seventh entry in the series, the second on the Iris storyline, and the second to be released in North America. While seen as an improvement over the initial Atelier Iris, critics in North America still didn’t really care for the game, calling it “average” at best and “mediocre” at worst. In Japan, however, the game scored a 33 out of 40 in Weekly Famitsu which isn’t, like, amazing, but it’s respectable.

A third Iris game would arrive in 2007, getting even worse reviews than Iris 2, but that didn’t seem to phase developer Gust Co. or publisher NIS America, who have released (just about) every Atelier game in North America since Iris. With a devoted fanbase and a very prolific release schedule, there is just about no end to the series and, frankly, I’d feel weird if we did suddenly stop getting them.

From 1996, we have the Sega Saturn game Panzer Dragoon II Zwei, the sequel to the first Panzer Dragoon, which was one of the console’s launch titles in 1995. Like it’s predecessor, Zwei is an on-rails shooter with players using an aim reticle to take out enemies as they fly on the back of their trusty dragon companion. Also, like its predecessor, Zwei was a critical smash, even surpassing the original title in many critics’ minds. With its high end graphics, stellar gameplay, and intuitive controls, many reviewers felt that Zwei was superior to anything on the PlayStation and was, easily, reason enough to own a Saturn.

However, did it really move the needle in terms of selling Saturn units? No, not really. The console was still pretty much dead in the water, losing major ground to the Sony PlayStation, and gaming fans were busy anticipating the release of the Nintendo 64 which was, in April of 1996, only five months away from hitting store shelves. While the Saturn never really got a fair shot (mostly due to Sega’s own terrible choices), the Panzer Dragoon games were always seen as a highlight, thank goodness we’ve had re-releases across multiple modern consoles in the last few years, with a re-release/remake of Zwei is on the horizon.

Going back to 1986, we have another on-rail shooter classic from Sega, Space Harrier. Hailed as one of the greatest video games of all-time, Space Harrier was a revelation when it hit arcades, first in Japan in October of 1985, and then in North America in April of 1986. At trade shows, Space Harrier would draw large crowds for its, at the time, revolutionary graphics and exquisite cockpit style arcade cabinet that would move with the actions of the on-screen player character. It was a commercial and critical success, earning tons of money for Sega and would appear on many “Best of…” lists for, not just 1986, but for many years following its release.

Developed by famed designer Yu Suzuki, this was his third game and second major hit after his motorcycle racing game, Hang-On. With Space Harrier, Suzuki wanted to prove that 3D shooters could work in arcades, despite everyone telling him they wouldn’t. According to his colleagues at Sega, the problem with many 3D shooters was that the enemies were too small to hit. Suzuki fixed this problem with the most simple solution; make the enemies bigger. Suzuki also found that by having players shots auto-aim, it would also alleviate many of the frustrations seen in earlier 3D shooter. If enemies were too far away, the shot would always miss; if the enemies were closer, the shot would always hit. It’s these simple solutions that would help make Space Harrier a major hit.

Space Harrier would receive two sequels on home consoles, one for the Master System and one for the Genesis, while an arcade spin-off, Planet Harriers, would arrive in 2000 (which was developed by Yakuza creator, Toshihiro Nagoshi). As groundbreaking and influential as Space Harrier was, it almost feels like a forgotten game and series today. By modern standards, Space Harrier falls well short in narrative (there is literally none to speak of), and like many arcade games from the 1980’s, the simple gameplay might feel archaic to most players. However, fun is fun is fun, right? Space Harrier is one of the most fun video games you will ever play, hands down. If you aren’t smiling by the end of your play session then I have to question if you even know what joy is.

Movies:

In notable films, 2016 saw the release of Green Room, a horror/thriller about a broke but dedicated punk band who accidentally become witness to a murder in the green room of a Neo-Nazi club they reluctantly agreed to play it. What follows is a horrifying nightmare of blood, gore, and outright terror that culminates in a white knuckle finale that had me on the edge of my seat. Easily one of my all-time favorite films, Green Room is an absolute must watch if you’re a fan of the horror genre. Anyone who gets squeamish around blood or can’t handle Nazi imagery might want to stay away, but I would easily recommend Green Room to anybody.

Critics absolutely loved the film, as well, calling it one of the best movies of 2016, with it appearing on nearly two dozen critics’ personal “Best of…” lists for the year. Green Room also features Patrick Stewart, playing against type, as the leader of this group of skinheads, taking charge as a soft spoken and wholly terrifying presence in the film. While it did not receive any awards or nominations from any of the major ceremonies (Oscars, Golden Globes, Independent Spirit), it was honored by several smaller outlets and regional film festivals.

From 2006, we have the film Silent Hill, an adaptation of the first game in the series, written by Roger Avary (co-writer of Pulp Fiction) and directed by Cristophe Gans (director of Brotherhood of the Wolf). By 2006, only a handful of video games had received adaptations and, well, most of them were not good. Super Mario Bros., Double Dragon, Street Fighter, and Doom were among the most reviled, making the campy, but flawed, Mortal Kombat, or the downright boring Resident Evil, the de facto “winners” when it came to video game movies.

Now, while Silent Hill would fall below Resident Evil (and even 2001’s Final Fantasy: Spirits Within) when it came to critic scores, among video game fans, Silent Hill was the new likely king of the mountain when it came to video game film adaptations. It was almost 100% faithful to the game (the biggest changes was a gender swap of the main character), it was moody, it looked and sounded just like the game did, and it was wildly entertaining.

While Silent Hill opened in the #1 spot at the box office, it only managed to eke out a total of $46 million in the US, with an additional $64 million overseas. While it’s $100 million worldwide take doubled its $50 million budget, it was seen as a bit of a commercial failure. It probably didn’t help the film much that critics absolutely hated it and that audiences gave it a very disappointing “C” grade when polled during its opening weekend. The main point of contention for most critics was that Silent Hill was incredibly confusing and relied too much on “video game” dialogue. Their one concession was that the film was gorgeous to look at, with stunning visuals and set decoration.

A sequel, Silent Hill: Revelation would arrive in 2012, without Gans or Avary, to even worse reviews than the original. In 2026, a third film in the series, Return to Silent Hill, would release with Gans back in the directors chair, but, it too would be met with scathing reviews (but better than Revelation). While I personally enjoy the Silent Hill film, it does seem that some video games are best left as they are or, as in the case with the animated Super Mario Bros. Movie, turned into the most basic, mainstream drivel in order to appease the masses.

From 1996, we have the film The Substitute, starring Tom Berenger as a Vietnam veteran and somewhat disgraced mercenary who poses as a substitute teacher at an out of control high school after his girlfriend is attacked by a group of students. The Substitute is one of many in a spate of film in the 1990’s that dealt with teen gangs who run amok in their high schools. Sometimes the movies focus on the students in the gangs, but sometimes they center on an adult, usually white, who comes in to “clean things up”.

Sometimes you get a virtuous “cleaning up”, like in Lean on Me or Dangerous Minds, but sometimes you get movies like The Substitute, or 187, in which the teacher resorts to all out violence, including killing many of the dangerous students, in order to restore order to the school. The Substitute is a really, REALLY stupid movie, with an implausible premise and even worse dialogue than what critics said Silent Hill had. However, I found myself really entertained by its stupidity, even if I only rated it two stars on LetterBoxd. I won’t sit here an pretend that The Substitute is a brilliant work of art, but it’s at least entertaining.

From 1986, we have the Ridley Scott film Legend, a fantasy epic starring Tom Cruise as a mythical forest dweller who must save his one true love, the princess Lili, who has been kidnapped by an evil entity called Darkness. Legend had just about everything going for it in 1986, with Ridley Scott coming in hot after Alien and Blade Runner, while Tom Cruise was a major rising star, having appeared in multiple teen dramas, including Taps, The Outsiders, All The Right Moves, and his early breakout, Risky Business. With a respected director, charismatic star, and a US teenage population obsessed with Dungeons & Dragons, it seemed like Legend would kill at the box office; but it didn’t.

Despite holding the #1 spot at the box office for two weeks in a row, Legend was still a financial disaster, only earning $23 million on a budget of $25, nearly killing Tom Cruise’s career before it would be saved a month later with the release of Top Gun. Ridley Scott, on the other hand, would have a harder time bouncing back. His next film, 1987’s Someone to Watch Over Me, was an even bigger financial disaster. It wasn’t until 1989 that he’d release another profitable film, Black Rain, followed by his massive 1991 hit, Thelma & Louise.

Albums:

In notable albums, 2016 gave us Nosebleed Weekend, the fifth studio album from punk band The Coathangers. I’m sure most of you have no idea who The Coathangers are and I will admit that this is, yet again, one of my self indulgent album picks. The Coathangers are an all-female band from Atlanta, GA, who started playing together in 2006. It was in 2016, with the release of Nosebleed Weekend, where I personally became a fan of the group, when I saw them open up for Refused. I saw them for a second time only a few months later at the Punk Rock Bowling music festival, where they solidified themselves as a band that I would follow forever.

From 2006, we have St. Elsewhere, the debut album from Gnarls Barkley. Made up of producer/songwriter Danger Mouse and singer Cee-lo Green, Gnarls Barkley were somewhat of an enigma when they hit the scene, making up an elaborate (and fake) backstory about where they came from, who they knew, and what accomplishments they had achieved.

St. Elsewhere would debut at #20 on the Billboard Top 200 and eventually peak at #4, bolstered by their colossal hit single “Crazy”, which would go eight times platinum. At the Grammy awards, the group would win Best Alternative Album, but lose Album of the Year and Record of the Year (for “Crazy”). Hailed by critics as one of the best albums of the year, as well as the entire decade, St. Elsewhere would kind of be it for the group. Their second album, The Odd Couple would arrive in 2008 but failed to reach the same level of success as St. Elsewhere (likely due to the entire album leaking on the internet a few weeks before release). Gnarls Barkley would go dark for several years after that, resurfacing in 2026 to release the album Atlanta to little fanfare or critical acclaim. At least we’ll always have “Crazy”.

From 1996, we’ve got the album Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues from the punk band Strung Out. While not the band’s highest charting album (it failed to chart at all), it’s the one that I personally remember the most, as the album cover seemed to be all over the place when I was first getting into punk rock music. Formed in 1991, Strung Out were one of the first bands to the signed to Fat Wreck Chords, the label started by NOFX front man Fat Mike.

Relentless touring helped endear the band to punk fans across the world, who have kept them going all these years, with their most recent album releasing in 2024. Like The Coathangers, I would not be surprised if you were not familiar with Strung Out or any of their music, and that’s okay. You’re hearing about them today, and that’s hopefully enough to pique your curiosity.

Closing things out, from 1986, we have the album EVOL, from the alternative band Sonic Youth. Their first release on the independent label SST Records, EVOL found Sonic Youth moving away from their abrasive, anti-pop roots into something more listener friendly and, well, poppy. This is still Sonic Youth we’re talking about, though, so it’s not like this was a mainstream teeny-bop record with radio friendly singles. However, what was laid down on EVOL would give listeners an idea of where the band’s sound would be going on subsequent releases, Sister and their mainstream breakthrough, Daydream Nation.

Critics hailed EVOL as one of the most provocative records of 1986, but it feels like it was perhaps underappreciated in its time. Most of the praise for EVOL would come after the release of Daydream Nation, as well as during Sonic Youth’s rise to stardom in the 1990’s. Several bands have cited EVOL as an influence on their music, including Teenage Fanclub and Pavement, and it had a big fan in singer/songwriter Neil Young, who has described the album as an all-time classic.

Star Fox Zero (Wii U) – Released Apr. 22^nd, 2016

Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny (PS2) – Released Apr. 25^th, 2006

Panzer Dragoon II Zwei (Saturn) – Released Apr. 17^th, 1996

Space Harrier (Arcade) – Released Apr. 1986

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