Hardcore Gamer

James Cunningham-Editor

James Cunningham

February, 2005
Indie Games, Arcade, Simulation
  • 2548
    articles
  • 2518
    News
  • 2
    Features
  • 28
    Reviews

About James Cunningham

James grew up in the arcades of the 80s and has played games on everything from the Milton Bradley Microvision to the PlayStation 5. He worked in gaming retail during the PS1/PS2 eras, and even had a small stint at Working Designs. It's been a very long ride and is nowhere even close to over yet, and every stop along the way is a chance for something new and fascinating to emerge. Whether that be on a mainstream console like the now-classic Xbox 360 or something less obvious such as PlayDate or NeoGeo Pocket Color, it's all worth looking at.

Granted, what's worth looking at is defined by personal taste, and in James' case that tends to be more mechanics-oriented games rather than narrative ones. Fast action shooters such as Dusk are as good as more meticulous games like Satisfactory, but there's always room for a good action RPG too. Most importantly is always looking to see what's new, because as nice as the past was and as important as it is to not forget it, getting mired down in what one knows is a great way to stagnate. There's too much amazing gaming being created on a near-daily basis to settle for what you know.

Latest

CleaningUpFeature
Making Spaces So Much Tidier in Cleaning Up Demo
PC

Cleaning up is a game where each level is trashed and you're as a brand new cleaning gig worker with a vacuum.

ElliottFeature
Heading Out Into the Retro ARPG World in Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Demo

The Adventures of Elliott is a fantastic-looking throwback to a type of RPG Square Enix hasn't done anything with in far too long.

StarRuptureFeature
Another Day, Another Apocalypse in the Sun-Fried World of StarRupture's Playtest

For those who enjoy exploring and building everything a game has to offer, the StarRupture playtest can already consume a good number of hours.

PrimalPlanetFeature
Living as Hunter and Hunted in the Dinosaur Lands in Primal Planet Launch Trailer

When a caveman is separated from his wife and child after a dinosaur attack he sets out in a metroidvania adventure to catch back up.

RhythmStormFeature
Rhythm Storm Lights Up Steam With Full Release Trailer
PC

Rhythm Storm is a fantastic horde/survivors shooter that focuses on all the important details wrapped up in particle/vector visual overload.

NeonAbyss2Feature
Returning to the Depths of the New Underworld in Neon Abyss 2

The new gods are acting up again so it's back into the pit, grabbing every relic and weapon you can find in a side-view roguelike run & gun adventure.

PumpItUpFeature
Them Dancin' Feets Become Dancing Fingers with Pump It Up Rise Steam Release
PC

Pump It Up Rise is the latest game in the series, 200 songs designed for home use with keyboards and controllers.

AutomationFeature
New Releases and Major Updates By the Conveyorful for the Steam Automation Fest
PC

There's something out there for anyone who can take satisfaction in seeing a system they designed spring to life.

ShovelKnightFeature
Free Weekend for Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon With New Pals Pack DLC and Online Versus Beta

Pocket Knight: Shovel Dungeon is a combination of turn-based movement in a single-screen arena and falling-block puzzle game

OrbiteersFeature
Building a Sprawling Space Habitat in Orbiteers Demo
PC

Orbiteers is a space-station building and puzzle game that jumps from one planet to the next, and its demo shows off a chill satellite-building vibe.

JawsFeature
Jaws Pinball Getting Blood-Red Shiny Upgrade to 50th Anniversary Premium Edition

Jaws 50th Anniversary edition is a striking addition for anyone who's got the space and budget to fit a top-notch pinball table into their collection.

BubbleBobbleFeature
Bubble Dragon Bub Goes Roguelike with Bubble Bobble: Sugar Dungeon Announcement
PC

Bubble Bobble Sugar Dungeons sticks to the classic single-screen filled with monsters you'll need to clear, but as a single-player roguelike

WarriorsAbyssFeature
Ryu Hayabusa and Friends From Ninja Gaiden Coming to Warriors Abyss

Since release Warriors Abyss has kept on growing, with multiple free updates adding new characters not just from the Warriors games but also Atelier.

SkullHordeFeature
Marauding Through the Underworld in Skull Horde Demo
PC

Skull Horde is a dungeon-crawling auto-battler where a necromancer's head is raising an army of the undead, building up its army from skeletal scrubs.

GexTrilogyFeature
Review: Gex Trilogy

The most important thing to keep in mind about Gex Trilogy isn't about how good the games are in 2025, but rather seeing their place in history.

TruxtonExtremeFeature
Gone Too Long but Back At Last, Truxton Extreme Demo Released

Truxton Extreme is exactly what you'd expect, a vertical shooter with fairly basic mechanics and scoring system that somehow becomes its strength.

BlockFactoryFeature
Chill Automation And Brick Building in Block Factory Demo
PC

The machines of Block Factory are here to mine not-Legos from a selection of infinite supply-points and then stack or glue them into shape.

BabyStepsFeature
Stumbling Forward in an Awkward Journey in Baby Steps

Baby Steps looks simple, but hides its blackened evil heart behind a strong sense of awkward humor and approachable main goals.

TanukiPonFeature
Odd Jobs and BMX Tricks in Tanuki: Pon's Summer

Tanuki: Pon's Summer is an open-world adventure sending him all across the countryside, delivering packages to everyone.

OddsparksFeature
Oddsparks Marches Out Of Early Access to Full Release

Over the course of Early Access Oddsparks has added everything from new areas, sparks, and even trains, and today's release adds the final zones.

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