These don't need to be full blown reviews, but since I'm journaling every day, I'd quite like to just jot down a few thoughts whenever I finish a game.

For the next episode of the A Winner Is You Podcast we are covering the Terminator franchise, specifically, Terminator 2D: No Fate, the 1984 original movie, as well as Terminator 2. I've just wrapped a couple of play throughs of 2D: No Fate, and it's a simple game with very few frills around the edges. Players will likely be able to roll credits within an hour, but it's a game made to be replayed, so I'm not sure how relevant that is to its quality.

Obviously, given the size of the games industry, the modern video game landscape brings with it a selection of games that are very often shooting for different things. Some shoot for story, some want to play well, others want to act as vehicles to let you turn your brain off... you get the point, we could go on for days with this. Terminator 2D: No Fate is a fascinating game because it seems to be shooting mainly for what I can only describe as vibes.

What do I mean by this? Well, let's just agree that the Terminator Franchise is for all intents and purposes a series that predominantly spans from the mid eighties to the mid nineties (I know there are newer movies & shows, but lets face it, these are cash grabs. I'm not counting them. You want to argue about that, go to Reddit). And this brings with it a whole host if things. Hollywood action movies were at their zenith, America was probably at the peak of it's aspirational and pop-culture dominance and there's a unique style to this era that you can see from space. Terminator 2D: No Fate recognises this and attempts to channel it into an arcade, pixel art experience that injects a nostalgia for that era straight into the veins of the player. Levels look and play like (and this distinction is important) you would remember an old Mega Drive game playing from the 90's rather than how they would actually look. Levels are short and arcade like and continues are the lifeblood of the experience. Run out of those and you have to start over.

There are choices that offer players and alternate experience, but for the most part, this is also a- whistle stop tour of the big action sequences from Terminator 2, recreating iconic moments in all their pixelated glory. And I'll tell you this for free, that's some of the best Pixel Graphics I've ever seen. Add a Streets of Rage skybox to that you you can just take whatever is sitting in my bank account and give me posters.

Playing through this has even got me hankering to go back and play some Mega Drive games, which for some reason involves that weird Michael Jackson game. I think it's the stairs in some of the levels that are doing that... anyway, I said these don't have to be long. If you have nostalgia for Terminator, the 80's/90's or Sega Mega Drive, then this is a fantastic option for you. It's all those things, mostly for good, but running out of continues can be a bit of a pain when you are chucked back to the beginning of the game. For a game you can complete in under an hour, it can feel a bit pricey, sitting at about £25 at the time of writing, so maybe bear that in mind. With that said, they game is built for replayability, and there are a few modes and routes you can take through the game that surface different levels. I love this game, but it's quite short, sharp, in-and-out. Like a full fat can of coke. It's like nectar, but won't last long, either on the tongue or in the mind.

Check out more of my work at www.SuperSmillie.com and listen to a deep dive into this and the Terminator Movies on the A Winner Is You Podcast.

очень слабо. не рекомендую.

Could not be happier with it, a great homage to the film and expands on the lore both canonically and AU.

smooth controls, great difficulty options and just all around fun to play.

Great retrofeel shooter with extra mechanics, loved the v ariety of how every level had new movements and characters, not just the same toon all the time. SNES-level graphics with good animations. A bit short but delivers a good challenge on hard difficulties.

Замечательный проект! Да, пробегается быстро, но не без удовольствия! Прекрасный и динамичный геймплей, который проводит нас по сюжету второй части фильма. Для олдов прям какой-то праздник 👍️ На мобилке будет ещё лучше выглядеть🤔