This is a classic Outrun game in every sense of the word.  The only things that are different are how it looks, who’s driving, and what you’re driving.  You can pick between a few different avatars as well as your ride of choice as you go from one race to the next in the titular drive of coast to coast.  Along the way you’ll have other drivers blocking your path as well as a rival who just always seems to get in the way.  It’s actually really fun and hits all the right notes!

Visuals:

Talk about a game a very nice glow up from its original roots.  Even though this is for the PlayStation Portable, it is absolutely gorgeous.  Everything is just bright and vibrant with the cars looking amazing and the levels being extremely detailed.  All of this is moving at blazing speed like an Outrun game should be!

Audio:

Just like the visuals, the audio in this game hits all the right notes…pun definitely intended.  The cars sound like they should, the tracks have those tunes that just won’t quit, and everything is superb.  

Completion:

I raced a few races and immediately fell in love with this game.  It controls so well with the difficulty curve ramping up a bit.  The sense of speed is amazing with levels going by you in a blur.  It’s even more amazing that this is a PSP game and it shows what truly that system was capable of!

The post Outrun 2006 – Coast 2 Coast appeared first on Shattered Pen.

Patapon is a rhythm game first and foremost. It’s not a typical one where you’re trying to match beats and everything. There is just an ongoing time signature throughout each level that you have to match with button presses to get your little army of natives to either march, attack, defend, etc. If you get ten combinations in a row, you get a FEVER! and your little dudes get all excited and do all sorts of cool stuff.

Visuals:

This game gots style. It’s very simple with how it shows the characters as black little one eyed head things as they go from left to right completing the level. The contrast between the foreground and the background is very apparent with the aforementioned being deep black while the rest is colored. Enemies’ eyes are a deep red to differentiate them. I can’t really say anymore without showing what I’m talking about.

Audio:

The music and sound effects for this game will stick with you for decades. The little guys constantly telling you the combination you just entered over and over again never really seems to get old and, as you keep the combo going, the music ups and it really does sound like you’re making music. The soundtrack is adorable considering what is going on in the background. The little guys chant and cheer when you beat a level and have a little party at the end. It’s equally adorable when they yell, “FEVER!”

Completion:

I have been playing this game off and on probably since it first released, or at least when I got my PSP back in 2008. I’m terrible at keeping rhythm so I bounce off of it pretty quick but I so desperately want to keep playing just because how charming and addicting it is.

The post Patapon appeared first on Shattered Pen.