Top Releases:

• The Sinking City 2 (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 18^th
• Starsand Island (PC/PS5/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 18^th
• Mortal Shell II (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 20^th
• STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT (PC) – Releases Aug. 20^th (Consoles on Oct. 29^th)

It’s attack of the AA week! None of our new releases are likely to tear up the charts or break new technological ground, but they are perfectly fine titles that will certainly be worth a look one of these days when they go for sale on Steam for $5 in a couple of years. See you next Tuesday!

The Sinking City 2 (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 18^th

Developed by: Frogwares
Published by: Frogwares

Starsand Island (PC/PS5/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 18^th

Developed by: Seed Sparkle Lab
Published by: Seed Sparkle Lab

Mortal Shell II (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 20^th

Developed by: Cold Symmetry
Published by: Playstack

STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT (PC) – Releases Aug. 20^th (Consoles on Oct. 29^th)

Developed by: MAGES. Inc.
Published by: Spike Chunsoft

Ports and Expansions:

• Nioh 3: Hell Rising (PC/PS5) – Releases Aug. 19^th
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 20^th
• DayZ: Cool Edition (Switch 2) – Releases Aug. 20^th

Everything else:

• Beyond Dark Castle (PC) – Releases Aug. 18^th
• Crystaria Online (PC) – Releases Aug. 18^th
• HyperCore : Rhythm Bullet Hell (PC) – Releases Aug. 18^th
• Twisted Tower (PC) – Releases Aug. 18^th
• Deadlock Station (PC) – Releases Aug. 19^th
• Hearth and Hamlet (PC) – Releases Aug. 19^th
• LABYRINTHOS: The Depths Want You (PC) – Releases Aug. 19^th

• Wild Ice (PC) – Releases Aug. 19^th
• False Alarm (PC) – Releases Aug. 20^th
• Gallipoli (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 20^th
• Grim Trials (PC/PS5/Switch/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 20^th
• Mexican Ninja (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 20^th
• Play Faster (PC) – Releases Aug. 20^th
• Puppergeist (PC/Switch/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 20^th

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

Games:

In notable games, 2016 saw the release of Metroid Prime: Federation Force for the 3DS. A controversial title, Federation Force was received negatively due to a number of factors, namely it’s strong focus on being a multiplayer title, its lack of series lead Samus Aran in a substantial role, it being the first Metroid game in six years (following the also poorly received Other M), and Nintendo’s perceived lack of respect for the series on its 30th anniversary.

Elsewhere on the internet, the trailer for Federation Force received over 83k dislikes vs only 9.5k likes, and angry gamers even started a Change.org petition calling for the complete cancellation of the title. Mind you, this negative reaction was coming in 2015 following Nintendo’s E3 presentation, a full year before the game’s release, and had critics and players alike wondering just what the hell Nintendo was doing (well, they were working on the Switch, but we had no idea). For context, fans were also upset about the announcement of Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival, as well as the lack of any new information on Breath of the Wild.

Over the next 12 months, Nintendo would kind of sweep Federation Force under the rug, quietly releasing another trailer in March of 2016, and made zero mention of it at their 2016 E3 presentation (it was, instead, all about Breath of the Wild, Pokémon Sun & Moon, and a bunch of great looking 3DS games). As you might have guessed, Federation Force was a big flop, both critically and commercially. It would be another five years before we got a new entry in the series, 2021’s Metroid Dread, which was a far better received game because it was, you know, an actual Metroid game.

From 2006, we have game from another somewhat neglected Nintendo franchise, Star Fox Command. Released for the DS, Star Fox Command is, arguably, the last game in the series to actually have an original story, as the next three titles, Star Fox 64 3D, Star Fox Zero and Star Fox (2026), have been remakes of Star Fox 64. The gameplay in Star Fox Command doesn’t differ too much from its predecessors, you fly around various stages, both on planets and in outer space, in an attempt to defeat an evil villain and save the galaxy.

The reception to Star Fox Command was mostly positive, with critics and players finding the game to be a rich, fulfilling experience. With multiple pathways to follow and several different endings, the replay value was high, making completing Star Fox Command a worthwhile effort. As I mentioned above, each subsequent game in the series has just been remakes of Star Fox 64, leaving many to wonder what Nintendo is doing with the franchise and when (or if) they plan to continue the story.

From 1996, we have the PlayStation game Jumping Flash! 2, because I needed to talk about something. Like its predecessor, Jumping Flash! 2 was well received by critics who praised its unique gameplay. However, most critics agreed that the game did not do enough to set it apart from the first Jumping Flash!, and felt that there were diminishing returns in the sequel. As such, a third entry would only arrive in Japan in 1999, where it received middling reviews; perhaps this is why it never made it to the US.

From 1986, we’ve got the game Starflight, a PC title designed by Greg Johnson, creator of ToeJam & Earl. This ambitious title found players traversing the galaxy in their starship, hiring & training crew, buying & selling goods, and exploring strange, new worlds in the hopes of discovering priceless artifacts. Long before No Man’s Sky let players go to countless solar systems to explore a nearly infinite number of planets, Starflight allowed players to visit 270 solar systems with 800 different planets, each one explorable (though some would instantly destroy your ship due to extreme gravity). Along the way, players may encounter enemy ships in space or on the surface of planets, adding an additional combat element to the game.

Starflight was very well received by critics who hailed it as one of the best PC games of the year, praising its stunning presentation and incredible amount of exploration. Over the next five years, Starflight would often be cited as a monumental achievement in gaming, with subsequent ports to the Amiga, Commodore 64, Atari ST, Macintosh, and Sega Genesis re-introducing the game to the public and earning it even more praise & fans.

A 1989 sequel, Starflight 2: Trade Routes of the Cloud Nebula, would arrive to mixed reviews. In the ensuing years, video games had become more sophisticated and the repetitive nature of Starflight was beginning to get eclipsed by other, more ambitious titles. Regardless, the success and initial release of Starflight helped to inspire game developers to push the size of their worlds and the amount of content you could include.

As I mentioned previously, designer Greg Johnson would go on to create the cult classic ToeJam & Earl, dedicating most of the 1990’s to the series, releasing three entries in that franchise. He would also go on to make a series of games for children, and even helped to create a children’s musical act/program called Choo Choo Soul. Johnson’s last gig as a designer was for 2019’s ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove!, and has been involved with two other titles, 2023’s Kimono Cats, and 2025’s Grandma, No!

Movies:

In notable films, 2016 saw the release of Hell or High Water, a neo-noir western about two brothers who rob banks in order to save the ranch that their family has owned for decades. Directed by David Mackenzie and written by Taylor Sheridan (the Yellowstone guy), the film was a critical smash, it wasn’t exactly a box office blockbuster, only collecting about $37 million against a budget of $12 million.

The critical praise, however, did lead to several accolades for Hell or High Water, which found it placed on many end of the year “Best of…” lists, while earning four Oscar nominations (including Best Picture, which is lost to Moonlight). Sheridan considered this to be the second film in his “American Frontier Trilogy”, nestled between 2015’s Sicario and 2017’s Wind River. Hell or High Water is an excellent film, I highly recommend it.

From 2006, we have the film Snakes on a Plane, one of the first “meme movies”, so to speak, with high expectations that internet obsession would translate into box office dollars; it did not. While the online buzz appeared to be off the charts, even causing the film to add its infamous, “I’m getting tired of all these motherfucking snakes, on this motherfucking plane” line, it seems that the internet only wanted to joke about Snakes on a Plane, not actually watch it.

Initial opening weekend estimates had the film earning as much as $30 million, however, by close of business on Sunday, Snakes on a Plane would only earn about $18 million, coming in second to Talladega Nights (in its third week of release). The film would go on to gross only $62 million against a budget of $33 million which isn’t, like, terrible, but it’s not great either. With the supposed online buzz, the studio was likely hoping for a $100 million+ overall gross; oh well.

From 1996, we’ve got the film Jack, a comedy/drama starring Robin Williams as a 10-year-old boy with a bizarre medical condition that makes him physically age four times faster than normal. Despite direction from renowned filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, Jack was a critical disaster, being named among the worst films of 1996 and a potential career killer for Coppola, screenwriters James DeMonaco & Gary Nadeau, and Robin Williams.

However, the film was a modest box office success, opening in first place and going on to gross $78 million against a budget of $45 million. Now, did it kill all of these careers? Well, it certainly didn’t hurt Williams, who would make dozens of films afterward (though many were questionable in this era, including Patch Adams, Jakob the Liar, and Bicentennial Man). Coppola would follow up the film with 1997’s The Rainmaker, a big hit, but would kind of fall of the map afterward, releasing odd films every few years. Writer James DeMonaco would go on to write & direct The Purge and its myriad sequels to much fanfare, but things wouldn’t be so rosy for co-writer Gary Nadeau, who would only direct a couple of small films.

From 1986, we’ve got what I consider to be one of the greatest films of all-time, Stand By Me. Based on Stephen King’s novella The Body, the film was directed by Rob Reiner and written by Raynold Gideon & Bruce Evans, a groups of guys who were mostly know for comedy. However, while King had mostly written horror stories, The Body was a poignant, coming of age tale, a big departure for him, and did feature a few comedic moments that Reiner and his team were able to mine, while also keeping in line with the more dramatic elements of the story.

The film had a rocky start, with Reiner only coming in after the original director, Adrian Lyne, dropped out. Feeling like the film was missing focus, Reiner had the screenwriters make the character Gordon (played by Wil Wheaton) become the lead, with the focus being on the hatred Gordon felt from his father following the death of Gordon’s older brother. While that is the underlying plot, the main plot of the Stand By Me involves four friends on a journey to find the body of a recently deceased teenager which is, apparently, somewhere deep in the woods.

Along the way, Gordon and his friends (played by River Phoenix, Jerry O’Connell, and Corey Feldman) discuss their hopes, dreams, and fears, having one last Summer as “kids” before entering their teenage years. The trouble that finds them along the way strips away at the innocence of their childhood but, as they find out, perhaps that innocence was never really there in the first place, as they each have pretty terrible parents who did not treat them as well as they should have.

Days before film was to begin on Stand By Me, the movie was actually cancelled by Columbia Pictures following their acquisition of Embassy Pictures. Television producer Normal Lear came to the film’s rescue, giving the film over $7 million of his own money to see it made, as he had strong confidence in his friend Reiner. However, with no distributor, the film was in limbo. All of the major studios looked at the film, including Universal, Paramount, and Warner Bros., with every one of them rejecting it. It was, funny enough, Columbia Pictures, who would reverse course and release the film after the studio head screened the film at his home and saw that his young daughters went absolutely nuts for the movie.

Initially opening on August 8th, 1986, in just 16 theatres, Stand By Me would earn about $200k at the box office with a massive $15k per theatre take. The film would expand nationwide on August 22nd, earning $3.8 million and reach second place (behind The Fly). By the end of its box office run, Stand By Me would earn $52 million against a budget of $8 million, making it a bona fide hit. In the following years, the film would reach even greater cultural significance as it became a mainstay on cable television and home video.

Critically, Stand By Me was noted as one of the best films of 1986, earning multiple nominations across several industry awards shows, including Best Adapted Screenplay the Academy Awards (which it lost to A Room With a View), and three categories at the still fairly new Independent Spirit Awards (including Best Picture, which it lost to Platoon). Reiner would go on to even higher levels of critical acclaim in the years after with films like The Princess Bride, Misery, When Harry Met Sally, and A Few Good Men, a string of massive hits that any filmmaker would be happy to have.

Stephen King would, in the years following the film’s release, often cite it as his favorite adaptation. In 1986, after a private screening of the film, King is said to have excused himself, spending the next fifteen minutes alone so he could compose himself. He felt that the film perfectly captured the feeling and tone of his story, something no one before that had been able to do. To this day, Stand By Me is, probably, still the greatest Stephen King adaptation of all-time. It’s, in my mind, Reiner’s best work and truly stands the test of time. It is one of the greatest pieces of American filmmaking ever produced, period.

Albums:

In notable albums, 2016 gave us Home of the Strange from the rock band Young The Giant. It reached #12 on the Billboard Top 200 and was well received by critics, in particular for its commentary on American politics and the divisive nature of the country; cool.

2006 saw the release of the album Idlewild, the soundtrack to the film of the same name, and the final release from rap group OutKast. As the film is a period piece set in the 1930’s, the music on Idlewild reflects this era, with a heavy emphasis on jazz, soul, blues, and swing (while still also containing more modern styles, as well). It was a major commercial success, debuting at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, but received a mixed reaction from critics, with some praising the experimental nature of the album, while others called it overlong and self indulgent.

From 1996, we have another OutKast album, ATLiens, the rap duo’s second studio effort, following 1994’s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. Their 1994 debut was highly regarded and sold well enough that their label, LaFace, allowed Big Boi and Andre 3000 to have greater creative control over their look and sound. The duo changed up their look, eschewing cultural norms in the rap world, and opted for a more natural style, a Southern style.

The name of their album offers a dual meaning, with ATL (in all caps) calling out their home town of Atlanta, while also acting as a misnomer of the word “aliens”, which some have taken to mean that the duo felt kind of estranged from the rap community and/or the feeling of being a black person in America. While ATLiens initially debuted at #33 on the Billboard Top 200, it would eventually peak at #2, reaching Platinum status by November of 1996.

The album’s lead single “Elevators (Me and You)” was the highest charting single, reaching #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. This would be their highest position on the chart until 2000’s “Ms. Jackson” hit #1. Their other three singles, “ATLiens”, “Wheelz of Steel”, and “Jazzy Belle” would also reach the Billboard Hot 100 but, OutKast just kind of simmered below the surface of the mainstream.

This is where I, Andy, get to tell you how ahead of the zeitgeist I was on OutKast. In 1996, my buddy Javier brought this album over on cassette tape and played it for me. I was so used to the east coast/west coast style of rap that when I heard “Elevators” for the first time, with its slow, methodic beat and mumbly delivery, I didn’t know what to think. All I knew was that I loved it. By the time OutKast exploded in the mainstream with 2000’s Stankonia, I was already a full fledged fan, happy to see that the world was finally waking up to this incredible group.

Closing things out this week, from 1986, we have the album Slippery When Wet from the rock band Bon Jovi. This was the band’s third studio album and mainstream breakthrough, turning them from small club band into one of the biggest acts of the 1980’s. It is a defining album in glam metal (or “hair metal”), helping the sub genre to explode, leading to the success of bands like Poison, Motley Crue, Warrant, and many, many others.

The success of the album was fueled by three massive singles, “Wanted Dead or Alive”, which reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Livin’ on a Prayer”, and “You Give Love a Bad Name”, which both topped the Billboard Hot 100 at #1. The album itself sat on top of the Billboard Top 200 for a eight weeks and was one of the best selling albums of 1986, and THE best selling album of 1987. Overall, Slippery When Wet would sell over 18 million copies, making it one of the best selling albums of all-time.

While Bon Jovi would continue to have hit albums and singles in the years and decades to come, their heyday was certainly in the 1980’s, as they would never be able to replicate the financial success of Slippery When Wet. I don’t think the band would mind too much, 12 of their last 15 albums have either debuted or peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200, while the other three debuted in the top 20. Bon Jovi are inextricably tied to the 1980’s, and the fans they gained back then still strongly support them now; not bad for a bunch of dudes from New Jersey.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force (3DS) – Released Aug. 19^th, 2016

Star Fox Command (DS) – Released Aug. 28^th, 2006

Jumping Flash! 2 (PlayStation) – Released Aug. 21^st, 1996

Starflight (PC) – Released Aug. 15^th, 1986

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