Matt S. is the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of DDNet. He's been writing about games for over 20 years, including a book, but is perhaps best-known for being the high priest of the Church of Hatsune Miku.
People often forget that Game Freak is more than Pokémon. Certainly, that’s where the big money is, but as a developer, the team have come up with some excellent smaller ideas too. Pocket Jockey on the Nintendo 3DS was one of the finest download-only games on that platform. Thank goodness, with the 3DS store closed, the game lives on, with…
I never had the opportunity to play Risen on its original release, many years ago. It was banned in Australia. It’s still banned, but thankfully modern consoles are region-free and I’ve been able to grab a copy from elsewhere. This stream covers the first hour or so of the Nintendo…
I lingered round them, under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering…
Most people with a casual interest in Japanese culture are aware of…
People often forget that Game Freak is more than Pokémon. Certainly, that’s where the big money is, but as a developer, the team have come up with some excellent smaller ideas too. Pocket Jockey on the Nintendo 3DS was one of the finest download-only games on that platform. Thank goodness,…
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I never had the opportunity to play Risen on its original release, many years ago. It was banned in Australia. It’s still banned, but thankfully modern consoles are region-free and I’ve been able to grab a copy from elsewhere. This stream covers the first hour or so of the Nintendo…
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I lingered round them, under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells, listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass, and wondered how any one could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth. When you think of England’s iconic moors,…
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Most people with a casual interest in Japanese culture are aware of kabuki theatre on some level. Even if they’ve never witnessed a performance, the mannerisms and make-up of kabuki theatre are one of Japan’s great artistic exports. Noh is to kabuki what opera is to Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals,…
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I don’t really understand why Idea Factory continues to experiment with action combat systems. Action combat systems are far more resource intensive to get right, and for a company producing JRPGs on a very small budget, it seems counterintuitive. Recent Neptunia titles, including Neptunia Virtual Stars and Cyberdimension Neptunia, have…
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SteamWorld has, over the past decade, built up to become a highly eclectic series. It started with a humble DSiWare tower defence, which was quickly forgotten, but had a breakout hit with the first SteamWorld Dig, which was something of a Mr. Driller iteration. Since then there has been a…
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“We’re screwed. Writing is over. That’s it. It’s time to pack away your quill, your biro, and your shiny iPad: The computers will soon be here to do it better.” This quote came from a writer for The Spectator, and it was in an article talking about the explosive growth…
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I’m a big fan of itch.io for the freedom and open platform that it allows for developers to be creative, experimental, and directly canvas the audience for feedback for games that are not yet ready for primetime on Steam and its ilk. In addition, itch.io allows you to be transgressive,…
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It’s amazing to think that the Japanese, who have such a long and fine heritage with video games, have not traditionally been that prolific with board games. There are the classics, of course (Hanafuda card games, Shogi), and there are one or two hits (Love Letter being arguably the most…
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Paradox Interactive is at it again. The publisher has teamed up with Triumph Studios to announce a game that we’re over-the-moon excited for from the mere announcement alone. Age of Wonders has a big reputation for a good reason, and now there’s a new one on the way. Age of…
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