Playing Every Game in the Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality
PEGBRJE: ‘Cannon Father’ and ‘Hooks And Shotguns’
2D Funtimes
Cannon Father is a twin-stick infinite shooter created by Two Scoops, a duo indie studio/collective based in the USA. Players will assume the role of an aging retired pirate — who is also a father? — as he tries to stop the hordes of invaders from flattening his peaceful island home.
From above, players will direct the cannon dad around the island, avoiding the seemingly infinite enemies as they spawn over a set amount of time. Firing his cannon-arm will send a massive projectile at the enemies while launching him backwards — it IS a cannon after all.
If hit, the enemies will (usually) die instantly, but there is a chance that players will hit their weapon instead which causes the enemy to lose that rather than dying. It makes for hilarious interactions when a gun is shot from a skeleton, only for it to pick up a shovel from a previous enemy to beat up the player with.
The initial cannon ammo is infinite and packs quite a punch, but within boxes and other hidden locations are two other types of ammunition to devastate these ghouls. First is the grenade, adding a bit more arc to the shot but traveling half the distance, only to erupt in an explosion after a short period. It’s great for clearing out clumped enemies or setting a trap while running away.
The other is the dreaded beach ball, which acts as a boulder that rolls over all opposition in its path. Similar to the grenade, the beachball operates best with clumped enemies but is better seen as a path-clearer rather than a trap.
If players make it to the end of the day, denoted at the top by the timer, they are given a reprieve for the night. They can then wander their island, find any coins and ammunition that had been missed, and visit the spooky shop keep on the hill. Every night this shop will contain two items that players can purchase, from upgrades to ammunition. Coins can be plentiful so it is best not to be stingy, especially since death is the end. There are no save points in this game, only the continuous march of the waves.
Cannon Father is a quirky little game, harkening back to my time playing infinite shooty flash games on browser where the only thing you had to worry about was your skill and your internet privileges. It can take a bit to get used to how each bullet type moves, but once mastered you’ll be on your way to dodging everything while hoping your shot doesn’t send you backwards in to the ocean. Best of luck, cap’n.
Hooks and Shotguns is a 2D run-and-gun platformer by FifthEdgeStudios, an indie team in the USA. Players will follow a shotgun-wielding individual hellbent on recovering their brother from the clutches of their forever enemy Silo, and kill whomever may try stopping them along the way.
Each level is comprised of various platforms and enemies all vying to get in the way of our protagonist, but that won’t stop them thanks to the aforementioned ‘hook’ and ‘shotgun’. The shotgun is exactly as it sounds, firing multiple shots at once that spread and do serious damage. There are no other weapons — or ammo — to worry about, so fire away.
The other item is a grappling hook that players can swap to, grabbing a hold of the underside of platforms so that they can swing across chasms and escape strange enemies. I found it to be a bit challenging to use at first, especially since only ‘golden’ grass platforms can be grappled and it can be a tad finicky.
One other thing is that our protagonist has some serious jumping skills, and is able to loftily glide over many gaps and enemies without breaking a sweat.
Separated in to worlds, but always aiming to go to the right, Hooks and Shotguns is by-the-numbers 2D shooting fun. There are NPCs to talk to, gaining information about each world and the story as it unfolds, while experience can be gained to improve our friend and his abilities.
If you are a fan of platformers with shooting and some extra narrations, this might be a fun little side project for you to explore.
