Takoyaki Surprise

Although there are lots of retro indie games on the market, most of them focus more on emulating the feel of console games from the 8/16 bit era and the arcade scene of the 80's and 90's feels neglected in comparison. Takoyaki scratches that itch in that it feels just like a coin-op in almost every aspect. The gameplay is fast paced and action based, designed to be challenging but also enticing, to keep you wanting to put more quarters to play even in the face of trial and error. The most unique aspect would probably be the controls in which you must take on two player characters at the same time. It's actually just moving around one character with the arrows and the swordfish is basically just a weapon but it's something that could still work with co-op. I haven't tested whether or not the game is compatible with physical controllers, but it feels like something that could work well as an arcade game with joystick movement for the octopus and trackball movement for the swordfish. Even for keyboard though the controls work well enough that it's not too frustrating to play or difficult to grasp. The game's world and presentation is silly and lighthearted, especially with the corn…

Wonderful, creative game. I really enjoyed the gameplay (although it can be pretty tough later on), the voice acting, and the stage settings. Highly recommended. Also check out Surfasaurus.. that game is great too.

This is a really unique game and I really recommend it. Use your hand eye coordination to save the princess. The game play is split between using the keyboard to stay alive while using your mouse to kill any and all enemy's on screen. I personally am not a huge fan of clicker games but I found myself really loving this one. You should definitely try it out.

I'm only 20 min into this game, but it's already nourishing my early gamer nostalgia with all the right sounds and visuals to to call forth "Monsters in my Pocket", "Paper Boy", "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", and "Super Dodge Ball". This is a cute and casual click-to-defeat, move-to-dodge game about surviving and skewering bouncing burgers, ornery onion rings and rotating raviolis, with appropriately over-the-top chains of explosions on defeated bosses. It would have been right at home loaded on a cartridge and shelved next to all of my earliest loved console classics. This love letter to simple-controls retro games is worth the asked 5 dollars and is a steal at $1.49 USD in the current 2024 winter sale.

I haven't been into arcade-type games since I was a kid, so perhaps this isn't for me. My playtime is so short because I stop at the second level - all that pasta moving around makes me really, really, hungry and I have to stop playing. However, I will say that a lot of love went into this game. The art, the sound, and the music would not be out of place on a console or arcade cabinet 30 years ago. The gameplay, in some ways, reminds me of Smash TV and Total Carnage. I really like the idea of an octopus using a swordfish as a living sword, as well. It doesn't try to be something other than what it is, a goofy, fun little game. I'll also add that the voice acting is top notch. Well worth a buy.

Currently fighting away at the Mussel, trying to get my timing right. That boss battle is kind of a slog, and I'm pretty close to the end. I think. Either way, the game is really cool. It's an interesting mix of Arcade action and a traditional clicker of sorts. You move your octopus around, use your swordfish to fight enemies by clicking on them, and fight some of the best looking pixel art food I've ever seen. After I stopped playing for the day because I was properly stuck, I headed to the store to pick up some stuff to make a steak pie. Slightly inspired by all the delicious things I saw in the game. The story is humorous and pretty simple overall. Princess gets kidnapped, and you head out to save her. Because the major foe is a chef, you're fighting tons of food enemies as you make your way across the United States and various themed foods. It's very cool, and very fun.