What sensible 90's child didn't love Pokemon? As the years have gone by, this franchise has sustained its momentum with minor improvements to its gameplay and major increases in the number of catch-able critters. One of the finest examples of polymorphic content, Pokemon comes in all shapes and sizes, and more than a few titles have used its iconic character designs in various different ways. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon turns each monster into a rogue-like procedural dungeon crawler. Pokemon Conquest applies an isometric strategy twist to the fold. Hey You, Pikachu! uses a microphone to make a little critter into your Tamagotchi buddy. Detective Pikachu is a stupid thing that shouldn't exist. But one subseries of Pokemon that stands out as both bizarre in concept yet wildly addictive in execution is Pokemon Rumble. While none of the titles in this series are particularly fantastic, the idea of smacking around hundreds of weaker Pokemon with one's super-powered, highly a...

Many independent developers enter the scene working on their own intellectual property, utilizing specific aesthetics, genre, or gameplay mechanic motifs and gimmicks in order to differentiate themselves from their contemporaries. Whether it's arcade action, retro difficulty and aesthetic, or something completely new and unheard of, this industry is often where you'll find the most unique, engrossing, and/or charming experiences from Western and European developers, in contrast with the wacky nature of high-profile Japanese games and over-serious, rote triple-A Western games. Yes, I know I am going to be slaughtered for that comment. A particular developer whose works have remained aesthetically consistent is Image and Form, a Swedish development studio and creator of the SteamWorld series. What is so impressive about their works is that, despite each entry in the SteamWorld series belonging to different genres, the quality of gameplay has been consistent, engaging, and most ...