![]() In Shakedown Hawaii, while the audiovisual presentation says “16-bit”, the narrative itself is rooted in the present. Colorful console-style graphics and catchy ditties give a sense of nostalgia to the game, though this was more prevalent in Retro City Rampage with its 80s vibe. The visuals and audio are excellent as well – fitting perfectly with the early 90s era of gaming that Vblank is echoing with their latest title. The variety between them keeps things fun and interesting as well. Some are slow-paced point to point objective chasing quests, but others are wild and explosive getaways or chases. The biggest testament to that is that I never struggled with them, even though the game has a ton of diversity in its gameplay and mission design. If you played Retro City Rampage DX on the Vita, you’ll be right at home with the controls in Shakedown Hawaii – they’re quite similar both on foot and while driving – and they still feel great. There’s a main storyline to follow, but as you play you’ll also see plenty of side missions open up, giving you the opportunity to either extend your playthrough considerably and/or play through the campaign a second time and make different choices (the side missions often have to do with how you “run your business”). Trouble, not surprisingly, arises quickly – as your son gets involved with shady dealings of his own and your actions also attract the attention of the law and rivals. You can thwart rival businesses by forcefully taking out their supply lines, or generate new sources of income (or cut down on expenses) in less than savory ways – but this completely fits with the theme of the game. Having said that, some of the action you’ll undertake does have a lot to do with a certain kind of “business savvy”. He decides it’s time for action and to really take charge – but not in the business sim sense. ![]() There’s also a new angle in terms of the story and campaign, which now has you take control of a CEO of a business that’s is facing tough times. ![]() Grand Theft Auto (the original 2D one) also fits in that list, but Vblank already had a similar idea years ago and Retro City Rampage DX was the result.įast forward a couple of years, and Shakedown Hawaii follows a similar pattern – but updates the visuals from an 8-bit inspired look to something more akin a Super NES game. Titles like The Lost Vikings, Civilization and the classic NHL games come to mind. It’s a trend that makes you nostalgic for games you’d like to see ported or remade for the Vita one day as well. Ratalaika’s provided us with a steady stream of games that follow this pattern, and Sometimes You is another example of such a developer. It’s also out for the Switch and PS4 and should land on 3DS as well, but we stuck with the Vita version since that’s where we enjoyed Retro City Rampage DX.Īs the Vita entered the later stages of its life cycle, it more and more became a platform for ports and remakes of indie games. Vblank Entertainment’s follow-up to 2012’s Retro City Rampage DX has landed, and luckily for Vita owners it didn’t pass Sony’s handheld by.
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