Review by Clark A. Vocaloid fans wept tears of joy upon hearing Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone was set for a localisation. The series takes user-generated songs and dance numbers and makes them the backdrop of a delightfully addictive rhythm game. Though the dancing and singing virtual idol,…
Read MoreReview by Clark A. Sword Art Online’s video game adaptations should be applauded for bringing a storied concept from the source material to life. That concept is of course the titular world of Sword Art Online, a fictional virtual reality-based multiplayer game (or, to use the inelegant acronym, a VRMMORPG).…
Read MoreReview by Clark A. Touhou is a franchise known chiefly for its genre-defining bullet-hell insanity. Team Shanghai Alice’s wholehearted embracement of fan-made games (“doujin” more accurately), though, has led to a bustling, open-ended franchise where creativity is bread and butter. Its characters have gone on to star in everything from…
Read MoreList by Matt S. The original PlayStation was first released in Europe 21 years ago this week. What a wild west of a console it was too. The first gaming platform that made 3D graphics native and the default, the PlayStation 1 heralded an era of genuine innovation in game…
Read MoreReview by Clark A. Famed writer of anime and visual novels, Gen Urobuchi, has a penchant for dark, perverse themes. Those familiar with the man’s portfolio may label that a gross understatement as his works range from deconstructions of the innocent magical girl subgenre to relentlessly grotesque Lovecraftian horror. Though…
Read MoreReview by Clark A. Dungeon crawlers have a reputation for being daunting, often unfair experiences. Based on MeiQ’s subtitle, you’d expect a game in the same vein as Etrian Odyssey; a punishing but rewarding roguelike loaded with thrilling randomness at every turn. In actuality, MeiQ represents one of the cosiest,…
Read MoreReview by Clark A. The term “bullet hell” is an accurate descriptor for the absurd number of bullets exchanged in hardcore 2D shooters. Franchises like Touhou have garnered reputations for the sheer technical prowess one needs to manoeuvre around projectiles that envelop the screen like hundreds of fireworks set off…
Read MoreReview by Clark A. A flame is burning on the inside of SNK’s corporate belly. Between rebranding the company in an effort to restore its former prestige and the developers within the company outright proclaiming their intent to make the latest King of Fighters game an accessible and popular one,…
Read MoreReview by Clark A. The recently aired The Asterisk War anime did not strike me as a modern classic. It’s a largely conventional battle-infused harem show and leans on the cliché personalities of its heroines. Nevertheless, there are some twists along the way and it goes down nicely as a…
Read MoreReview by Clark A. It’s been said ad nauseum that fan service-driven anime games don’t have a broad demographic. Even so, the way JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven threatens to perplex potential buyers is downright impressive. See, many games that revolve around anime and manga throw a lousy two…
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