THIS MONTH
Some of the other things on our minds when we weren’t doing ever ything else
GAME
This puzzling adventure from ASpace ForThe Unbound dev Mojiken was developed to mark 15 years in games for publisher Toge Productions. That number also factors into its time-loop story: a young office worker is awoken by a phone call from his boss, who demands three reports on his desk by noon. Since it’s 11:45, that gives him a quarter of an hour – but he doesn’t know where his door keys are, and he’s also out of coffee, meaning he could fall asleep during the presentation. Those, it transpires, are the very least of his problems, as he arrives to find one report missing and one half-shredded. Figuring out how to obtain all three involves cryptic riddles, ARG elements, hexadecimal codes, and even a trip to the settings menu. One particular puzzle is perhaps a little too obscure for its own good, but this is a fascinating freebie.
VIDEO
As GDQ’s first ever canine competitor, Peanut Butter’s successful speedrun of the traditionally ROB-controlled Gyromite was certainly a triumphant moment in January’s GDQ event. But dare we say it wasn’t actually that exciting to watch? Runner CZR, meanwhile, gave us a treat for the eyes and ears – completing the Japanese version of Super Mario 64 by playing the drums. Managing to pull off skips and tricks with rolls and fills that would be challenging enough on a regular controller, this was effectively the speedrun equivalent of Whiplash’s finale – and very much our tempo.
WEB GAME
Developed in around a week for the beloved platformer’s sixth anniversary, this commemorative release sees Celeste Mountain – and Madeline – gain an extra dimension. From its visual stylings to its celebratory jingles, Fragments OfThe Mountain evokes a few games from the N64 era – though when collecting a cassette you’re spirited away to challenges that are most reminiscent of Super Mario Sunshine’s void levels, complete with a capella-style soundtrack. It’s not as refined as the original; despite a generous degree of mid-air steer, you’ll miss some jumps through little fault of your own. A z-axis guideline doesn’t much help situate Madeline in 3D space when there’s nothing beneath her – though beating these o
