![]() Hogs of War also contains a welcome voice-over by the late, great Rik Mayall. ![]() The controls are nicely tailored for the PS1’s controller, and there’s a surprising amount of tactical depth beneath the cartoonish presentation. In essence, it’s a kind of 3D take on the classic Worms, with rival squads of porcine soldiers murdering one another with a variety of tanks and explosives. This turn-based strategy game got a bit of a lukewarm reception on its release in 2000, but we’d argue that it’s worth overlooking its more annoying quirks. ![]() If you can’t afford the PS1 version, it’s also contained on the Gradius Collectionrelease for the PSP. Sadly, Gradius Gaiden‘ s limited release makes it a bit of a collector’s piece these days. Its action may be rooted in ’80s arcades, but its big, meaty explosions and background effects (including a nice-looking aurora borealis shimmer on level one) give it a glossy feel. It’s a superb game and one that takes great advantage of the PS1’s processing power. Released only in Japan, Gradius Gaiden saw Konami attempt to update the spaceship shooter template a little, with polygon graphics, additional weapons systems, and a greater variety of difficulty levels to court the less seasoned gamer. You’ll know all about the Gradius games if you’re into your retro 2D shooters, but the PlayStation-exclusive Gradius Gaiden is undoubtedly one of its most obscure entries. All the same, it’s colorful and lots of fun, particularly in two-player mode. Even at the time of its release in the late ’90s, YoYo’s Puzzle Park felt like a bit of a retro throwback to games like Rodland or Psycho Pigs UXB, which means it never got much of a release in the west.
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