

Chomp on Pac-Man Flavors at Yogurtland this Summer!
I’ve written about ice cream and frozen yogurt places in the past doing promotions with video game characters and franchises. Yogurtland themselves did a Mario promotion a few years ago. Nekter Juice Bar did the same thing with other Nintendo characters more recently. Heck, even Menchie’s frozen yogurt did a promotion with Dragon Quest Builders! But now we get one with my most favorite video game character of all: Pac-Man! So let’s chomp on the new flavors they have this summer!
Cat Pipes (Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
I’m not sure what this game has to do with cats or pipes. Sure the game plays similarly to titles like Pipe Dream, but the “pipes” here are just represented by dotted lines. And I THINK I saw a cat in the background of the stages, but I’m not sure. But it’s still a serviceable puzzler and available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Fit My Zoo (Switch)
A bunch of wild animals in all different shapes and sizes are at a pool party, and they all want to get on the pool float. Help them all fit by arranging them on the float in this Switch game that reminds me of tanogram puzzles. It’s also exactly the same as another game I reviewed a few months ago called Fit My Cat.
Cary’s Best Games of 2024 SO FAR Awards Show!
Around this time of year, I like to make a list of my best games SO FAR, because usually the AAA titles are released later in the year during the holiday season, and the titles that came out earlier tend to be forgotten. So here’s when those games get their due. Keep in mind that this is my list only and no other outside opinions contributed. And if a game isn’t on this list, it either just didn’t appeal to me as much or I haven’t had a chance to play it yet. Ok with that out of the way, let’s begin!
Pool Party (Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
This isn’t the kind of pool party you’re thinking of. Control a billiard ball as you roll and bounce other players in sports themed mini-games, including pool of course. This madcap, pick up and play multiplayer game for up to four is available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Roxy Raccoon’s Pinball Panic (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Many popular video game franchises and characters eventually get their own video pinball game. Mario, Kirby, Sonic, Pac-Man, even Metroid! But Roxy Raccoon? Who the heck is that? Apparently it’s a 3D platformer that was released a few years ago. I think it was just on PC so that’s probably why I never heard of it. But now you can play a pinball adventure based on that game. It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Rider’s Spirits (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S)
Back when they were more popular and more relevant, I used to love reading video game magazines. I liked them so much it’s even what helped me choose my major in college (not such a good idea now, but that’s a 20/20 hindsight kind of thing). Some of my favorites included Nintendo Power, Next Generation, and Electronic Gaming Monthly. One of the cool things EGM would do sometimes was cover games from Japan that we’d never see over here. One of them I remember was TwinBee Rainbow Bell Adventure for Super Famicom, a cutesy 2D pastel platformer with characters from the TwinBee shooter series. Another Super Famicom one I remember was a motorcycle racing game that caught my eye because it looked similar to Super Mario Kart, one of my top favorite games of all time. And now you can play that game on all modern consoles (reviewed on PS4 here). In Japan the game was originally called Bike Daisuki! Hashiriya Kon. I think EGM called it “We Love Motorcycles,” which is probably a more direct translation of the first part of the title. But here it’s called Rider’s Spirits, which I think is more like the last part of the title.
Ginger the Tooth Fairy (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC)
Ghost Teen: Escape from Limbo (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Here’s something completely different. How about a 2D single screen precision platformer where you’re SUPPOSED to die? In Ghost Teen: Escape from Limbo, you control a kid character who must collect a key and unlock a door to pass the level. But if you get hit, you turn into a ghost and can fly and pass through certain walls. You’ll have to do this to solve puzzles and bypass obstacles, but you must touch a gravestone in the level to turn back into the kid so you can exit the door. The game has retro styled black and white graphics that remind me of the games I used to play on my Apple ][+ computer. It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Goodbye to E3
Earlier this year, the ESA announced they would be cancelling E3 yet again and they wouldn’t have it anymore. So I wanted to say my final goodbyes and reminisce on my favorite E3 memories here. The reasons why I didn’t do this earlier when they first announced it I was pretty busy at the time, and I figured I’d do it when E3 usually occurred around now.