Gaurodan

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Locomalito

I like giant monster movies. I like giant monster movies a lot, to be honest. In Gaurodan, you get to become the giant monster and destroy cities (and tanks, helicopters, boats, etc.) with the lightning bolts that you spew from your mouth. Basically, you just fly back and forth over the city, until every building is a pile of rubble and all of the helicopters and tanks firing at you are destroyed. The best way to describe it is merging the destruction-goal gameplay and giant monster concept of Rampage with Fantasy Zone, a scrolling shooter where you can scroll the screen left or right. It's a fun game with a decent premise, but the fun does wear thin after a little while. Still, destroying everything in your path is an enjoyable experience while it lasts. If you’re a fan of scrolling shooters and a fan of giant monster films, then there’s probably a good chance that you’ll find something to enjoy with Gaurodan.

Review added: 07/04/2021

Giana Sisters

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Kaasa Solution

In the 80’s, there was a Super Mario Bros. clone called the Great Giana Sisters. Fast forward a few decades and the Giana Sisters came back…but without Great in the title. I think that’s because the developers knew that what they published didn’t really fit that description too well. To put it bluntly, Giana Sisters is a slow, boring take on the Super Mario Bros. formula, but instead of controlling an Italian plumber, you control…I think an Italian girl (is Giana an Italian name?) who is unemployed, either that or her employment status was left out. You can gain power ups that allow you to throw fireballs, jumping on most enemies defeats them, and you’ll even be breaking bricks by jumping up at them as you traverse through the levels…sound familiar? Unfortunately, it’s all pretty slow-paced and boring. Giana Sisters may be a good game for very young children to play – it’s extremely easy and the colorful graphics may keep them entertained. For anyone over the age of 6, though, boredom may set in really quickly. Giana Sisters is just short of passable, in my opinion. If there was a little more creativity in the level designs, maybe it wouldn’t feel as dull…but as it stands, it just feels like a cheap rip-off of a very well-known game.

Review added: 07/04/2021