http://www.defunctgames.com The latest articles from Defunct Games. http://www.defunctgames.com/reviewcrew/323 Grab your Guncon, because Time Crisis is coming to PlayStation 5. On second thought, you can probably put down the light gun, because modern consoles and televisions won’t support it. But that inconvenient fact isn’t stopping Time Crisis from coming to PlayStation Plus this week. That’s cool news, but is this game actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Next Generation, Computer & Video Games and more classic magazines that reviewed Time Crisis when it first came out. Get ready to hide behind a crate, because it’s time for another action-packed episode of PlayStation Plus Review Crew. Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/courant/1845 Fun for a while, Incremental Retro Racing is a brand-new throwback with its heart in the right place. It’s a loving homage to the influential racing games that helped to popularize the genre, including classics like OutRun and Rad Racer. Unfortunately, it falls short of mimicking those greats and never manages to find its own personality. The never-ending loop of randomly constructed courses wears thin quickly and there are some real issues when it comes to houses and buildings that are literally in the roadway. Incremental Retro Racing is a love letter that feels like it’s missing a few paragraphs. Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/reviewcrew/322 It’s been 148 days since Nintendo uploaded a Nintendo 64 game to Nintendo Switch Online. Worse yet, it has been 398 days since the last Sega Genesis update. So, what did Nintendo give us this week? That’s right, it’s more Virtual Boy. But before you groan, this is actually a pretty great update, because we’re getting the cult classic Jack Bros and the 2D shooter Vertical Force, as well as a trio of games that are coming to the U.S. for the very first time, including V-Tetris, Virtual Bowling and Space Invaders: Virtual Collection. That’s cool news, but are any of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Nintendo Power, Next Generation and more classic magazines that reviewed these games when they first came out. Pour one out for Nester, because it’s time for another monochromatic episode of Nintendo Classics Review Crew. Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/reviewcrew/321 Are you a fan of lifeless still images? Do you like vague mysteries that never get resolved? Are you the kind of person who can’t get enough of poorly-acted full-motion video scenes? If you answered yes, then I’ve got some good news – Myst and Riven are coming to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X later this month. Those are definitely two point and click adventure games that you’ve probably heard of, but are either of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, Next Generation and more classic magazines that reviewed these games back when they first came out. Immerse yourself in another obtuse episode of Review Crew. Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/courant/1844 The Shore is a brief but genuinely effective horror game inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Explore a mysterious island full of secrets and unleash massive monsters, all while battling your own sanity. This is a great looking game with great voice acting and a lot of moments that will stick with you for a long time to come. Unfortunately, the whole thing is over far too quickly, giving us a rushed ending that lacks the emotional punch the developers were going for. It also turns into an action game in the second half, losing a lot of what was appealing about the first half. For fans of this style of Lovecraftian horror, The Shore is definitely worth playing. But maybe not at full price. Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/reviewcrew/320 Hey, did you know that Rock It Games just released a new Jaleco Sports compilation? Well, I certainly didn’t until a viewer brought it to my attention. This brand-new classic game collection features both Goal! Two on the Nintendo Entertainment System, as well as Super Goal! 2 on the Super NES. Those are definitely sports games, but are either of them actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Computer & Video Games, Nintendo Power and more classic magazines that reviewed these games back when they first came out. It’s time to once again hit the pitch in this brand new episode of Jaleco Sports Review Crew. Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/courant/1843 Get sucked into Forbidden Solitaire, a fictional 1990s computer game so violent that it comes with its own set of urban legends. This ambitious tale of fear combines the best elements from Grey Alien Games and Night Signal Entertainment, creating a genuinely effective horror experience that also takes aim at the ills of the games industry. From the streamlined combat system to the new stealth mechanics to the dozens of joker cards, this is the best solitaire game yet. I have a hunch that both companies are going to find it hard to top Forbidden Solitaire. Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/courant/1841 A simple and sometimes satisfying mix of farming and puzzling, Drop & Grow should keep fans of this style of cozy experience engaged for a few hours. The loop of dropping, growing and upgrading is a lot of fun at first, but grows thin the further you get into the game. It doesn’t help that the core gameplay is so repetitive. That said, growing and upgrading scratches a very specific itch for a good while, and players may not even notice the repetition if they play it in short doses. Drop & Grow is a good looking and playing debut from Shane Staller Games. I’m excited to watch this developer grow with the next game he drops. Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/reviewcrew/319 Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about how companies want to sneak more advertising into video games. That sucks, but it wouldn’t be the first time games have been used to sell products. Back in the 1990s, we saw a lot of these so-called advergames, including everything from McDonalds to Chester Cheetah. Today, I want to take a look at three different variations on this trend, including Cool Spot, the unreleased Fido Dido game and Yo! Noid from Capcom. Yeah, those are definitely characters used in advertising, but are any of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, Video Games & Computer Entertainment and more classic magazines that reviewed these games back when they first came out. I promise, 7up is definitely not a sponsor in this sell-out episode of Review Crew. Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/courant/1839 If you needed a reminder that Parking Garage Rally Circuit is a fantastic racing game, then European Tour is it. More than just doubling the amount of content, the new locations and tracks add a lot of fresh ideas, as well as new obstacles and challenges that give each stage its own personality. While it’s not a full-on sequel, this new content adds onto what was already a great game, creating a can’t-miss package that will appeal to anybody who loves racing and the 32-bit era. Parking Garage Rally Circuit DX is legit. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/courant/1842 The End of the Sun is a captivating new adventure game with a clever time travel conceit. While the character animation is a little wooden and writing is extremely clunky, the overall mystery makes up for some of the game’s imperfections. The open world is fun to explore and bursting with secrets, and I liked that the game wasn’t afraid to go dark and get emotional when it needed to. I can already tell that The End of the Sun is the kind of game that is going to stick with me. At least for a little while. Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/reviewcrew/318 Today is a good day, because Retro-Bit Publishing just announced that they are going to be releasing a brand-new, limited-edition version of one of my favorite Genesis games of all time. I’m talking about Arcus Odyssey, the Wolf Team-developed action game from 1991 that mixes dungeon crawling with shoot ‘em up questing to create a truly addictive multi-player adventure. Pre-orders are currently available for the Genesis and Mega Drive versions of Arcus Odyssey, as well as the first-ever cartridge release of Psycho Dream outside of Japan. We’ve already covered Psycho Dream a couple of times, but what did the critics think of Arcus Odyssey? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, ACE, GamePro and more classic magazines that reviewed Arcus Odyssey back when it first came out. It’s time to battle the Dark Sorceress of Castomira in this truly epic episode of Retro-Bit Review Crew. Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/reviewcrew/317 Get ready to clear your calendar, because next week brings the epic role-playing game Wild Arms 4 to PlayStation Plus. Now, if you’ve been following me on my Review Crew journey, you may remember that we’ve already covered both Wild Arms 1 and Wild Arms 2, but what about Wild Arms 3? As it turns out, Sony decided to skip right to 4, though observant fans will notice that Wild Arms 3 has technically been for sale on PlayStation 4 since 2016. In an attempt to stay current, we’re going to be looking at both Wild Arms 3 and Wild Arms 4. Yeah, those are definitely the next two titles in the series, but are either of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, PSM, Game Informer and more classic magazines that reviewed these games back when they first came out. Get ready to direct all of your anger at the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, because this PlayStation Plus Review Crew! Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/courant/1838 As strategic as it is intense, Shika-Q is an ultra-fast paced one-on-one puzzle game where players fight over land and combos. It’s the kind of game where momentum can change in an instant and all it takes is a single piece to break a massive combo. Both online and offline, the action never lets up, and the game gives you plenty of extra characters, profile pictures, songs, loading screens and more to unlock (including a premium battle pass). Unfortunately, the barebones package and lack of the most basic luxuries (like a way to see your win/loss ratio) bring the game down a bit. Shika-Q is a great game, but with a little more flesh on the bone, it could be something truly special. Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/egmranks/85 As it turns out, EGM managed to review five Star Fox games between 1993 and 2006. They probably would have covered more, but, unfortunately, the magazine went out of business. What we’re going to do today is countdown the top five Star Fox games using nothing more than EGM’s own words and scores. There’s no editorializing here. We’re going to find out which game comes out on top when Electronic Gaming Monthly Ranks Star Fox. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/reviewcrew/316 I sure hope you’re better at navigating complicated mazes than Jack Nicholson, because this week’s Nintendo Switch Online update is full of them. Fans of classic 8-bit games can now enjoy the old school thrills of Pac-Man, the hidden gem that is Mendel Palace and, coolest of all, The Tower of Druaga, an early, influential dungeon crawler. Yeah, that’s cool news, but are any of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Game Player, Nintendo Power, Computer & Video Games and more classic magazines that reviewed these games back when they first came out. It’s time to find out if any of these games are a-maze-ing in this new episode of Nintendo Classics Review Crew. Don’t worry, that’s the last maze pun. Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/reviewcrew/315 Last week we caught up with The Ren & Stimpy: Happy Happy Joy Joy Collection and a lot of people were quick to note that Limited Run Games also released the Nickelodeon Splat Pack earlier this year. In case you missed it, this compilation includes Rocko’s Modern Life: Spunky’s Dangerous Day, AAAHH!! Real Monsters and the game show Nickelodeon GUTS. Yeah, those are all games based on Nickelodeon shows from the 1990s, but are any of them actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, Mean Machines Sega and more classic magazines that reviewed these games back when they first came out. Get ready for for another questionable collection in this episode of Limited Run Games Review Crew. Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/courant/1837 With a killer premise and a morbid sense of humor, Ghost Master is a fun and engaging haunted house simulator where you get to do the haunting. While it initially has a bit of a learning curve, this update to the 2003 cult classic is a lot of fun and satisfying once you get the hang of it. There’s a nice variety of ghosts and abilities, along with some devilishly clever puzzles to solve. Despite all this, the game still feels dated and the menu-driven gameplay is a bit clunky on home consoles. If you are into the premise and don’t mind dated graphics, then Ghost Master: Resurrection is worth the money. Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/reviewcrew/314 Did you know that Limited Run Games recently released the Ren & Stimpy: Happy Happy Joy Joy Collection? Of course you did, because it came out in February. But I’ve been extremely busy and am only now getting around to talk about the games featured in the package, including Veediots, Space Cadet Adventures, Fire Dogs, Time Warp and both the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super NES versions of Buckeroo$. Yeah, that’s a lot of Ren & Stimpy, but are any of these games worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Next Generation, Nintendo Power and more classic magazines that reviewed these games when they first came out. Go and tell the Powdered Toast Man, Mr. Horse and everybody you know that it’s time for Ren & Stimpy Review Crew. No sir, I don’t like it. Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.defunctgames.com/courant/1840 Don’t Mess with Bober is an all-too-brief horror game inspired by the ‘cabin in the woods’ movies of the 1980s. With a fun (and furry) villain to take on and brisk pacing, it’s easy to be won over by the intriguing setup. Unfortunately, the game gets bogged down with annoying stealth sections. It’s also hard to control and doesn’t lead to a satisfying conclusion. You could do a lot worse, but I think you should heed the warning and do not mess with the Bober. Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0800