Ellie, Who Slows the Sunset

New review! 378 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
(NES, 1989, Konami)

This week, Ellie looks back on the radical age, joining Leo, Raph, Mikey and Donnie on their journey to defeat the villainous Shredder in an infamously tough NES game.

https://thealmightybacklog.wordpress.com/2026/03/14/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles/

RSS: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-almighty-backlog/2628211

YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9PJIROiIF4

#review #gaming #videogames #retroGaming #tmnt #writing #blog

2026 gaming backlog #7 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)

Crikey but this was rough. There's an ambitious idea here with the overworld / sidescroller split, but it's unrelentingly hard and occasionally obtuse to the point of frustration. Would've been better as a Ninja Gaiden clone.

#retroGaming #gaming #videogames #tmnt

Celebrating the MTG x TMNT set by reviewing what I can only describe as a truly abhorrent video game 🤣

#gaming #videogames #tmnt #mtg

New review! 375 - Castlevania Chronicles

(PS1, 1993/2001, Konami)

This week, Ellie returns to Dracula's monster-infested halls in Castlevania Chronicles, a double-duty port and remake of a Japan-only home computer Castlevania title.

https://thealmightybacklog.wordpress.com/2026/02/19/castlevania-chronicles/

LISTEN ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYHEBmOIX-w

LISTEN ON RSS: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-almighty-backlog/2560412/

#review #gaming #videogames #retroGaming #castlevania #writing #blog

writing this week's review and jamming this track from its ost; vampire killer is a bop anyway but this is a particularly good version of it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bZ5qmW-NMc&list=PL-gSU-sMbGB3gLINZCiiSmqJM33OgXcFS&index=4

2026 gaming backlog #7 - Haiku the Robot (PC)

A lovely little metroidvania - very short for the genre, but that's no bad thing. Love the post-apoc robot theme, and there's much to be said for a game that gets all the basics of the genre right without muddying it up.

#indiegame #metroidvania

New review! 374 - LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean

(PC, 2011, Traveller's Tales/Disney)

This week we join the conniving captain Jack Sparrow on the rolling seas in the plastic brick adaptation of Pirates of the Caribbean.

https://thealmightybacklog.wordpress.com/2026/02/14/lego-pirates-of-the-caribbean/

AUDIO REVIEW: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-almighty-backlog/2548834/

YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHjdf0cMpjE

#videogames #gaming #review #blog #blogging #writing #lego

2026 gaming backlog #6 - Blasphemous (PC)

A really enjoyable metroidvania. Exquisite narrative melding of Souls-like grimdark storytelling with the imagery of a bloody, fantasy Catholicism. Fantastic combat, with some decent challenge to boot! Excellent.

#gaming #videogame #indiegame #metroidvania

New review! 373 - Super Lesbian Animal RPG

(PC, 2022, ponett)

This week, Ellie joins adventurers Melody and Allison as they quest around their sleepy village and uncover a deadly reality-altering plot, but mainly we spend time musing about the power and importance of joyously queer games.

A reminder as well that this review is available in audio podcast form! Just follow the links at the top of the article 😁

https://thealmightybacklog.wordpress.com/2026/02/06/super-lesbian-animal-rpg/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEpYByUontE

https://dashboard.rss.com/podcasts/the-almighty-backlog/?status=published

#gaming #review #videogames #indiegame #rpg #lgbtq #blog #writing

New review! 372 - Wavetale

(PC, 2021, Thunderful)

This week we ride the roiling seas of Wavetale, a modern action-platformer that follows a young lass' journey to save her island home.

Don't forget to check out the brand new podcast version of the review! Available at https://rss.com/podcasts/the-almighty-backlog/2501944/ and https://youtu.be/Ks7n053cByo

https://thealmightybacklog.wordpress.com/2026/01/29/wavetale/

#gaming #review #videogames #indiegame #blog #writing #podcast

2026 gaming backlog 5 - Castlevania Chronicles (PS1)

This one really surprised me - I was expecting a port of an X68000 game to be clunky, but actually it's a fantastic re-imagining of the 1st game. Hard as nails, of course, but so worth the playthrough.

#gaming #retroGaming #castlevania

Sneak peek of something new I'm adding to the blog for tomorrow's review

#Pokemon knew what was up 20 years ago

New review! 371 - The Foundation / AWE

(PS4, 2020, Remedy/505 Games, action-adventure)

This week we finally return to Control with its DLCs, and step further into its world of paranatural horror.

#gaming #videogames #blog #writing #review

https://thealmightybacklog.wordpress.com/2026/01/22/the-foundation-control/

New review! 370 - Crypt Custodian

(PC, 2024, Kyle Thompson/Top Hat Studios, metroidvania)

This week we dive into the underworld of Crypt Custodian as Pluto explores a strange, charming afterlife.

https://thealmightybacklog.wordpress.com/2026/01/16/crypt-custodian/

#gaming #videogames #indiegame #metroidvania #blog #blogging #writing #review

2026 gaming backlog 4 - LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (PC)

Funnily enough, I thought I remembered PotC more than it turned out I did. Anyway, without it, this is just a fairly standard middling LEGO platformer. s'alright.

#gaming #videogames #lego

2026 gaming backlog 3 - Super Lesbian Animal RPG (PC)

An excellent turn-based RPG. Gorgeous DS-like pixel graphics, a solid combat system, and a wonderfully affirming and uplifting story and cast. Had such a lovely time playing this one!

#gaming #videogames #rpg #indiegame #lgbtq #queer

Finally finished the first season of Star Trek TOS, just in time for it to get booted off Netflix 😭

Gone and ordered the full boxset though. I'll pick up the movies next month; it'll take me that long to watch the show anyway 😅 I think it's safe to say I'm a convert.

#StarTrek