(PREVIEW) Hands-on With the Upcoming Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland

by Gamatroid 🕹️ 

Explore a dream world as the iconic Little Nemo, armed with toys, candy, and stuffed animals in this cute & colorful Metroidvania adventure. Experience NES-era platformer gameplay in a vast, non-linear world that has been hand-animated frame-by-frame, as you unlock new abilities to progress.

Forget what you know about "dark and gritty" Metroidvanias; this is a vivid, hand-animated journey that reimagines the golden age of NES-style platforming. You explore a vast, non-linear dream world as Little Nemo, trading traditional weapons for toys and pajamas to fend off the encroaching "Oblivion." It’s a gorgeous evolution of the 1905 comic strip’s imagination, designed with the tight, responsive feel of a classic Capcom title.

 GAME FACTS

• TITLE: Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland
• EXPECTED RELEASE: March 31, 2026 (PC) / Later in 2026 (Switch)
• MSRP: TBD
• DEVELOPER: DIE SOFT
• PUBLISHER: DIE SOFT
• PLATFORMS: PC (Steam/itch.io), Nintendo Switch

VIBES

This is a sensory delight—every frame is hand-animated, giving it the fluid feel of a high-budget 90s cartoon. The music is an absolute standout, composed by Peter Berkman of Anamanaguchi, delivering that signature high-energy chiptune sound that makes you want to keep moving. Unlike many modern "hardcore" platformers, the world feels inviting and whimsical, though the precision required for some jumps quickly reminds you of its retro lineage.

Toy-Based Progression: Instead of getting a "double jump" or a "dash," you collect Nemo’s favorite toys and different pairs of PJs that grant abilities. It turns the standard Metroidvania power-creep into something far more charming.

Platforming over Combat: While there are bosses and enemies, the focus is heavily shifted toward movement and environmental puzzles. It feels more like a non-linear Super Mario or Kirby than a traditional melee-focused Castlevania clone.

The "Wake Up" Mechanic: Instead of "death", the developer has implemented a system where being too reckless "wakes you up". Should this happen, Nemo will find himself back in his bedroom, and you can simply head back to bed to continue the adventure. 

 

HERITAGE

While it takes its aesthetic and world from Winsor McCay’s 1905 Little Nemo in Slumberland comics... 

Original Little Nemo Comic (1905)

...the gameplay is a direct love letter to Capcom’s Little Nemo: The Dream Master on NES.

Screenshots from Little Nemo The Dream Master on NES

It captures that specific era where games were defined by "blue skies and iconic zones," but expands it with modern interconnected level design.

IMPRESSIONS

I had a chance to get hands-on with a demo of Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland on Steam and I came away impressed. The graphics look good in still shots but look even better in motion. The controls are tight and the environments are colorful and interesting to play through. Some of the dialog is a bit drawn out but that's a common occurrence in modern gaming (whether retro-inspired or not). 

So far it's all looking good, and it's not nearly as difficult or punishing as the NES original, whether that's a good thing for fans of the original or not. It's important to keep in mind though that this is not a remake of the NES game. It is simply inspired by the same source material, and the choice for it to also be side scrolling is certainly a nod to the NES, but also to the original comic strip.

HYPE LEVEL: 4/5 

The demo proves that the foundation is solid and the presentation is world-class. However, because games like this are so dependent on the complete experience, and I've seen it happen where the demo is better than the full game, I’m keeping my hopes high but my wallet in my pocket until I see how the whole dream comes together.

You can watch my demo playthrough on PC in the YouTube video below:

For upcoming game previews, like this, I've started using a new "Hype Level" approach, which is intended to be a call back to game reviews of old (I'm sure you can guess the inspiration). 

Until next time!

(PREVIEW) Hands-on with Saint Slayer - an Awesome Looking Blood Soaked 8-Bit Homage to Old School Castlevania

by Gamatroid 🕹️ 

The year is 1698. A mysterious figure named Father Pacer has shattered the peace negotiated after the War of the Grand Alliance, obsessively and violently stealing Catholic relics throughout the Holy Roman Empire. Can the ex-soldier-turned-farmer Rudiger protect his people from a power-mad priest and his horde of monsters and minions? 

Can he become Saint Slayer?

You play as Rudiger, a 17th-century soldier-turned-farmer who picks up a spear to defend the Holy Roman Empire from a relic-stealing, power-mad priest. It’s a blood-soaked homage to the 8-bit era that doesn't just copy the aesthetic, it embraces the beautiful "stiffness" of retro game design.

 GAME FACTS

• TITLE: Saint Slayer - Spear of Sacrilege
• EXPECTED RELEASE: 4/20/2026
• MSRP: $9.99
• DEVELOPER: Lillymo Games
• PUBLISHER: Lillymo Games
• PLATFORMS: Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC

VIBES

This is "crunchy" retro-styled gaming at its finest. The high-contrast pixel art creates a grim, gothic atmosphere that feels heavy and dangerous. The soundtrack is a standout, featuring high-energy chiptunes that drive the action forward. 

Controlling your character feels meaningful and there’s no "air control" here; once you jump, you’re committed. This makes the platforming feel like the old school games we know and love, rather than a modern reflex test. 

While most of it seems like a direct influence from old school Castlevania, there will be some differences like:

The Pogo-Spear: Wielding a spear looks to provide a different rhythm than the traditional whip, and the ability to bounce off enemies’ heads adds a verticality that will likely help diversify the gameplay and keep things fresh. 

 

Two-Player Bloody Co-op: It’s rare to find a high-fidelity 8-bit platformer that supports local co-op, let alone one that includes "friendly fire." I'm sure all the times you hit your friend will be "accidental". LOL. 

There may be additional twists but these are two I saw mentioned so far. 

 

HERITAGE

The DNA here is pure old school Castlevania (1986), but the developer, Barry Johnson, has also cited influences from DuckTales for the movement. 

The overall vibe is very much inspired by Castlevania

Elements like the "pogo" ability were clearly influenced by DuckTales

With writing by Colin Moriarty, the game aims to fit into the "modern retro" space alongside titles like Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon or Shovel Knight.

IMPRESSIONS

I had a chance to get hands-on with a demo of Saint Slayer on Steam, and it's looking really good. Graphics appear NES accurate at first, but then you notice an extra level of polish that goes beyond Nintendo's original 8-bit powerhouse, to this game's benefit. 

The controls are tight and the action feels just right. The story is just detailed enough to keep you interested but not drawn out so you're mashing the skip button. Castlevania inspirations are apparent but the game isn't nearly as punishing to play. I had a great time with the demo and you should check it out if you get a chance.

HYPE LEVEL: 5/5 

It is nice to see a developer lean into the limitations of the 8-bit era to create a specific type of experience and challenge. With a demo already showing off impressive polish, a killer soundtrack, and the addition of two-player co-op (with friendly fire!), this is a day-one priority for anyone who still has their NES hooked up to a CRT.

Saint Slayer looks like it’s going to be a masterclass in "stiff" action-platforming. It’s unapologetic about its roots, and for my type of gamer, April 20th can't come soon enough.

You can watch my demo playthrough on PC in the YouTube video below:

For upcoming game previews, like this, I'm trying out a new "Hype Level" approach that is a call back to game reviews of old (I'm sure you can guess the inspiration). 

It's cheesy I know, but... what can you do? lol

NEW CASTLEVANIA!!! Everything we know about the reveal of Castlevania Belmont's Curse

by Gamatroid 🕹️  

Yesterday, during Sony's State of Play on February 12, 2026, Konami dropped a bombshell for fans of the long-dormant Castlevania series: Belmont's Curse, a brand-new 2D action-exploration game set to launch in 2026 across multiple platforms. 

 

This marks the first major original Castlevania title from Konami in over a decade, timed perfectly for the franchise's 40th anniversary. 

 

 

 

The game is set in 1499 medieval Paris, a city plunged into chaos by monstrous creatures emerging from the shadows under a mysterious "Crimson Curse." Players control a young female Belmont, depicted with blonde/reddish hair, a blue outfit, and a braided ponytail, who is the successor to Trevor Belmont (at first I thought Trevor had just really grown his hair out, but then I read that this was a female successor). Armed with the iconic Vampire Killer whip, she must traverse burning streets, uncover secrets in a looming gothic castle, and battle beasts to save the city from eternal darkness. 

 

The narrative takes place 23 years after Castlevania: Dracula's Curse (aka Castlevania III), tying directly into the classic timeline. Fans speculate the protagonist could be Trevor and Sypha Belnades' daughter (from the Netflix animated series), which could make sense in order to tie it to the most recent stories told in the larger Castlevania universe. 

 

For anyone wondering, this is not the first time a Castlevania game starred a playable female character, and not even the first female Belmont. Castlevania Legends on GameBoy (1998) starred Sonia Belmont, who predates Trevor in the Castlevania timeline.

 

 

Then Castlevania Order of Ecclesia on Nintendo DS (2008) starred Shanoa, a member of the Ecclesia order battling Dracula's forces of evil.

 

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse looks to be a stylized 2D "Igavania" (Metroidvania-style exploration-action game, like Symphony of the Night), emphasizing fluid whip combat and platform traversal. 

 

 

The game is being developed and published by Konami, along with Evil Empire (lead developer known for its work as co-developer on the Dead Cells' DLC, including "Return to Castlevania", and The Rogue Prince of Persia), and Motion Twin (advisory role; Dead Cells creators). 

 

Evil Empire's expertise in roguelite action-platformers would seem to make them a perfect fit for reviving Castlevania's 2D legacy. 

 

 

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is being developed for all PC and console platforms, including PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam). Sorry mobile and Mac users, you're going to have to sit this one out. 

As far as a release date, all we know right now is that it says it's coming this year. 

Key gameplay features mentioned so far include:

• Whip mastery: The Vampire Killer isn't just for fighting; swing across gaps like a trapeze artist, strike from unique angles, and access hidden areas. 

• Weapons and abilities: A large arsenal including swords for close-range power, spells, and tools for strategic combat against colorful foes. (the famous boomerang cross is shown in the trailer gameplay) 

• Exploration focus: Vast biomes packed with secrets, deadly traps, puzzles, breakable walls (revealing items like meat), and challenging platforming (which you'd expect at this point from any competent Metroidvania). 

The art style refreshes the series' gothic aesthetic with vibrant, colorful visuals while retaining that eerie atmosphere. 

The cinematic reveal trailer sets a haunting tone with orchestral music (I think they should have used a heavy metal version of Bloody Tears to hype it up - but maybe that's just me), showing Paris in flames, the protagonist whipping through castles, boss teases (vampires, werewolves), and gothic horrors. 

 

A voiceover invokes "Trevor Belmont, last of House Belmont," (which was what initially made me think you play as Trevor) before cutting to the young heir in action. Quick cuts hint at fluid combat, swinging traversal, and epic environments amid crimson skies. 

 

You can watch the reveal trailer in the YouTube video below from Konami:

 

 

This revival looks to properly honor 40 years of vampire-slaying while innovating with Dead Cells-level polish. 

 

Release day can't come soon enough. 

OD - KNOCK looks to be the long awaited spiritual successor to the greatest horror game of all time

by Gamatroid

For anyone who was lucky enough to play P.T. on PlayStation 4 back in the day, you know how amazing a horror game can be when it's created by a master like Hideo Kojima.

I was one such lucky soul, and I ended up being even luckier than most.

When I first saw P.T. on the PlayStation Store, I thought it looked like an interesting indie game. Most likely a chill walking simulator.

I knew absolutely nothing going into it, and it remains the single greatest video game experience I've ever had. 

As an aside, honestly it makes me wish more people could know absolutely nothing about games they are going to play. All you should need to know is the game is good and worth experiencing. Other than that, it would be great to dive in blind, but I realize that's not realistic in almost any other situation.

But for my experience with P.T., that unique impression it left has stuck with me all these years later.

Sadly, the "Playable Teaser" (P.T., get it?) for the cancelled game Silent Hills was pulled from the PlayStation store, and the lucky souls who never uninstalled it (like me) could continue to play it on their PS4's indefinitely, but it was never officially ported to any other platforms, nor was it downloadable once it was cancelled.

If you are unfamiliar with P.T., shame on you. But you can rectify your disgraceful circumstance by watching some of my playthrough before you continue:

Cut to 2025, and Kojima Productions just released an incredible teaser trailer for Hideo's newest project: OD Knock, which very much seems to be a spiritual successor to the horror game he was developing back when he created P.T. 

You can watch the trailer from YouTube below:

OD - KNOCK is very visually impressive, and it has the same "we're just in some average looking house but everything feels super creepy" vibe that made P.T. so memorable.

Check out this rather average looking room from the trailer:

Sure the candle-laden shrine looks kind of creepy, but the room itself is rather average looking.

Everything looks incredible; not quite photo-realistic, but the graphics are getting damn close.

As the character walks to the shrine, she takes out a matchbook and strikes a match. The flame looks incredible, as does the details on her arms and hands.

As she lights the baby-shaped candle, you suddenly hear a baby crying in the background, much like the strange crying fetus in P.T.

You can see the rest in the trailer (hopefully you already watched it), but it all looks really creepy and absolutely amazing.

Even if OD doesn't end up living up to the incredible legacy of P.T., I'm just grateful that there's even a chance we will get to see a full length Hideo Kojima horror game. Even if I haven't played all of this games, I really respect Kojima-san as an incredible creative mind, and it will be great to see his take on the horror genre in something more than just a playable teaser, even if it is the greatest horror game of all time.

I can't wait to see more of this.

Hands on impressions of the brand new Ninja Gaiden Ragebound demo

by Gamatroid

Dive into an untold chapter of the NINJA GAIDEN saga!

To stand against a new threat, Kenji Mozu, a young ninja from the Hayabusa Village, rises to the challenge! Trained by Ryu, he fights fiercely but soon finds himself in desperate straits. Forced to tap into forbidden power, Kenji sets aside centuries of animosity and forms an alliance with Kumori, a member of the sinister Black Spider Clan, convinced that combining their souls and skills is the only way to protect the world out of the Demon Lord’s grasp!

I've been excited for Ninja Gaiden Ragebound since it was first revealed, so I was ecstatic to play the demo that was recently released for Steam's Next Fest.

NINJA GAIDEN RAGEBOUND

• RELEASE DATE: 7/31/2025
• MSRP: TBD
• DEVELOPER: The Game Kitchen
• PUBLISHER: Dotemu, Joystick
• PLATFORMS: PS5, Xbox Series, and PC (Epic Games Store)
• PLAYED ON: PC (Steam)

The opening cinematic recreates the classic NES opening, albeit without the amazing music from the original.

Even though you can imagine a bunch of ways this recreation could have been improved, I can also imagine a lot of ways it could have gone all kinds of wrong. I think they did a good job finding a middle ground.

After the opening cinematic, the game switches to show Ryu and another ninja discussing their training routine. I already knew Ragebound wouldn't star Ryu, as it focuses on another ninja in Ryu's clan: Kenji Mozu. 

The interesting part is that the story takes place at the same time as the first Ninja Gaiden on the NES, but when Ryu travels to America to investigate his father's death, Kenji is left to defend the Hayabusa village.

The first stage acts as a tutorial and has Ryu putting Kenji through various trials that let you learn the different nuances of the game's combat and traversal mechanics.

Then at the end of the tutorial area you face off with Ryu. Of course, you don't have to defeat him, but I've read that it is possible (although difficult and unlikely your first time through the game - think of it like some of those first Dark Souls battles that you are meant to lose, but it is possible to win).

Once combat with Ryu concludes (either through victory or defeat) a messenger arrives and let's Ryu know that his father has been killed, thus kicking off the events of the first Ninja Gaiden. Ryu leaves and Kenji is left behind to defend the village.

I'm sure the full game will better explain the events which lead Kenji on his quest, but the demo is meant to just let you experience different scenarios. The combat is fast and fluid and feels really good, and (as you can see) the graphics look amazing. There is a CRT filter as well if you want an old-school twist to the visuals, and that's what I used for my playthrough (and you can see it in all these screenshots).

From the demo it appears that the regular difficulty won't be too bad, but if you really want a challenge, the harder difficulty level available in the demo proves that it won't be smooth sailing for people seeking a greater challenge.

One of the previous video reveals showed that you also get to play as a second character, a female ninja from a rival clan, but based on the demo gameplay, this is only partially true.

While you do get to play as the other ninja, she appears to exist primarily in spirit form (although its unknown exactly why at this point), and as Kenji you can leverage her powers to throw projectiles and you transform into her to traverse some areas within a specified time limit to unlock doors and solve puzzles.

I'm glad some of this wasn't revealed too early because it might have negatively influenced my opinion going into the demo, but experiencing it while playing the demo makes it seem like a fine extension of the gameplay.

In fact, I might go so far as to say that the Ninja Gaiden Ragebound demo is a perfect example of what a demo should do. It lets players experience select parts of the game, find out additional information in the context of the game and story, and get a feeling for how the game will play upon release, without giving away too much. Even the reveal of the second ninja was carefully staged, so all the changes didn't seem too overwhelming at first, and in hindsight I think that was a genius move.

Overall I really enjoyed the Ninja Gaiden Ragebound demo, and I'm simply even more hyped to get the game as soon as it releases.

You should just go download the demo on Steam and play it now, but if you want you can check out my playthrough of the demo in the YouTube video below: 

July 31st can't come soon enough!