PSX throwback games are so hot right now. Lunistice hopes to recapture the magic of classic games but has A Grumpy Fox gone away and made the best Sonic game in decades?
Broc Peterson reviews.
Update Patch | November 2022
The year is almost over but the video game news machine doesn’t stop no matter what. Alex Green is here with a rundown of everything that happened in the industry in November.
Journalism Has A Skill Issue - Jason Coles | Winter Spectacular 2022
Every now and again discourse happens. And every now and again, despite every bone in your body knowing you should just move on you can’t.
And every now and again Jason Coles writes something for startmenu.
Alex Orona and Super GG Radio’s Best Betas from the second half of 2022
Betas for indie games are becoming more and more popular and are a great way to discover new upcoming games.
Alex Orona walks us through his and Super GG Radio’s favourite betas from the second half of 2022.
How Stray Can Help You Appreciate The Little Things | Winter Spectacular 2022
Stray is a game about being a little cat in a big city, and this change in perspective helped give Marie Pritchard a much-needed appreciation for the little things.
Review | Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (PS5) - I'll Never Forget My Time Exploring The Isle of Seiren
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is nearly seven years old. It was great then but all this time later and having made the jump from handheld to 4K console, does it still hold up?
Henry Stockdale certainly thinks so.
Update Patch | October 2022
The scariest time of year has come and gone… AND WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT TAX SEASON, AMIRIGHT?
But seriously, a lot of important gaming news happened in October.
Alex Green rounds it all up.
Review | Arkanoid Eternal Battle - I'd Buy That For A Dollar
Arkanoid is a game that has seen countless releases and iterations over the years. However, now, 36 years later, publisher Microids is attempting to modernise this classic.
While the concept is sound, the asking price is anything but.
Broc Peterson reviews.
Review | The Pinball Wizard - Flipper Fingers
He wasn’t A pinball wizard. He was THE PINBALL WIZARD!
Does this genre mash-up hit the right notes? Or is it not much more than some fun wordplay?
We welcome Broc Peterson to the site for his first review.
Review | Dead Link - Shoot, Die, Repeat
A roguelike, retro-shooter with beefy guns and tough-as-nails combat? Sign up.
Deadlink is an Early Access title full of potential.
Scott McCrae reviews.
Halloween 2022 - Notes On A Descent Into Horror
Last year Marie Pritchard let us know what the best video game for horror cowards was.
This year she has decided to push herself that bit further and check out some of gaming’s most famous scary games. We asked her to keep some notes on the experience.
It went… well.
Review | Nitro Kid - Turbo? Nitro? What's The Difference?
Nitro Kid is the latest Steam Early Access hotness. But is this neon-drench-tactics-brawler more than the pastiches it pinches from so liberally?
Skeleton investigates.
Monkey Island Made Me Nostalgic For A Series I Have Never Played
Return to Monkey Island 20 years later and see what awaits you (see what we did there?)!
Scott McCrae examines this long-awaited sequel and the legacy it leaves behind.
Update Patch | September 2022
This Update Patch is late?
A monthly news update is never late. It gets posted exactly when it means to!
Or a few days after Alex Green gets done writing it.
Review | The Legend Of Heroes: Trails From Zero - PSP Perfection
There are very few JRPGs with as fervent of a cult following as The Legends of Heroes and very few games the fans (in the west) have been waiting so long to play as Trails From Zero. But over a decade later does Trails From Zero still hold up? Ruddy Celestial investigates.
Preview | startmenu EGX 2022 Roundup
There was a lot of awesome stuff at EGX.
Mainly the incredible startmenu crew that could attend… I guess the games were pretty neat too. Some of the gang rounded up our favourite games at the show!
Review | Saint Row (2022) - And Sinners
Saint Row hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts but now that the dust has settled a bit… Is it really that bad?
Matthew John McCormick has some thoughts and feelings on the series is needs to talk out.
Review | The Fridge Is Red - Wishing For A Mini-Fridge
There is no shortage of PSX-inspired horror games being released at the moment but every now and again, one nails the style so dead on it’s impossible not to be intrigued.
We welcome Angus Law to the site to review The Fridge Is Red and tell us if there’s substance behind the style.
Battlefield, Call of Duty And The Paradox of Realistic Video Game War
Video games and war seem inextricably linked, however, no matter how realistic a game seeks to be can it ever really respectfully represent the world’s darkest conflicts?
Holly Hughes-Rowlands investigates.
startmenu Podcast Episode 20 - Guilty Pleasure Games, AC: Mirage And The Queen
This podcast is going up two weeks late, has speculation about a news story that turned out to be a simple mistake and is a bit of a mess. It is itself a guilty pleasure but, hey, we all had fun, right?