New Game Releases: January 7th-13th, 2016

Granado Espada

This week’s meager selection of new game releases in notable for the return of two NES-era light gun shooters, Hogan’s Alley and Wild Gunman. Fortunately, players aren’t forced to search eBay for second-hand Zappers, with both title offering the ability to use their Wiimotes to mow down bad guys. The week’s other notable offerings are a couple of PC ports for now-gen consoles, as well as the next iteration in the Assassin’s Creed Chronicles side-series.

Header Image: Granado Espada, PC

PlayStation 4
Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits (PSN, PS2 Game, $14.99)
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (PSN, $9.99)
Dogchild (PSn, $14.99)
Gone Home (PSN, $19.99)
Tharsis (PSN, $14.99, $11.99 PS+)
The Banner Saga (PSN, $19.99)

Wii U
Avoider (eShop, $1.49)
Bigley’s Revenge (eShop, $4.99)
Discovery (eShop, $6.99)
Hogan’s Alley (eShop, Virtual Console, $4.99)
Tabletop Gallery (eShop, $2.99)
The Adventures of Bayou Billy (eShop, Virtual Console, $4.99)
Wild Gunman (eShop, Virtual Console, $4.99)

Xbox One
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (XGS, $9.99)
Gone Home (XGS, $19.99)
The Banner Saga (XGS, $19.99)

3DS
My Pets (eShop, $24.99)
Ocean Runner (eShop, $24.99)

PC (available via Steam unless noted)
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India (Uplay, $TBA)
Big Action Mega Fight! ($TBA)
Chiptune Champion ($TBA)
Dead TrailZ ($TBA)
Down to One ($0.59)
Fairy Tale Mysteries: The Puppet Thief ($5.99)
Falcon ($TBA)
Falcon A.T. ($TBA)
Falcon Gold ($TBA)
Granado Espada (free to play)
Highrise Heroes: Word Challenge ($TBA)
Red Baron Pack ($8.99)
Robot Tsunami ($8.99)
Sepia Tears ($TBA)
Space Pilgrim Episode Two: Epsilon Indi ($TBA)
Spakoyno: Back to the USSR 2.0 ($TBA)
Tharsis ($TBA)
The Growth Journey ($5.09)
The Strike ($7.49)
U-Boats ($4.99)
Windlands ($TBA)

Robert’s Pick: Sure, Tharsis is about as far as developer Choice Provisions (known as Gaijin Games until 2014) can get from the Bit.Trip series. But, moving on from the retro-inspired series’ as well as similarly inspired titles like Whoa, Dave might be a good thing- demonstrating the developers’ ability to successfully tackle other genres. With Tharsis, the studio takes on turn-based, dice-rolling strategy, with a game that simulates our first mission to Mars. Expect things to turn out far worse that Matt Damon had it in The Martian, with cannibalism and permadeath just a few of the confrontations players will face on the red planet.

Tharsis
Gonçalo’s Pick: January is typically a slow month for game releases, so it’s fitting to see maligned Adventures of Bayou Billy being released for the Wii U during this period, though I can only hope it does not sucker in any more unwitting gamers than it has in the past. Despite slim pickings, Windlands seems to be a promising title. Essentially a first-person grappling hook exploration games, players must travel through large, zen-like environments with multiple routes and optional challenges. It also poses an intriguing prospect for any Oculus Rift users due to its unique art-style, sense of speed and scale.

Windlands

About Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

12 comments

  1. No Duck Hunt, that was the best Zapper game.

  2. Another week where I can save some money is fine with me.

    • January is always the worst time of year for new games. I don’t know why publishers don’t try to offer more games knowing there’s not much competition.

  3. Tharsis does sound interest you guys review it.

  4. If Tharsis is under $15, I might give it a go.

  5. The one thing I remember about The Adventures of Bayou Billy is that it was hard as hell and maybe a bit unfair.

    • Oh it was way more than a little bit unfair. The version we got in the west was pretty terrible as it was made unfairly harder than the Japanese version.

  6. Let’s teach those high and mighty Westeners a lesson, Konami thought.

  7. Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India seems to be getting no push from Ubi. I wonder why.