Classic JRPG-styled games are catching a lot of flak lately, with some (wrong) people believing that turn-based games are dated and on the outs. As a turn-based fan, I’m delighted every time a game defies that belief by incorporating turn-based gameplay. Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire is turn-based, but it also brings the action from land to the skies.…
At first glance, it’s difficult to understand Ghostpia’s appeal. You place static screenshots, out of context, next to the breathtaking art of Otomate’s visual novels, the vivid energy of something like Danganronpa, or even independent efforts like Sweetest Monster or Corpse Factory, and it’s really hard to see why PQube…
Harvest Moon was once the epitome of farm/life sims, until Stardew Valley…
Fun trivia fact about me: After Hatsune Miku figures, the most collectible…
I sure am tired of comparing creature-collecting games to Pokémon, but most seem to be inspired by it. Cassette Beasts is no different: it’s got a very Pokémon-esque quality to it, but then turns that around with something new – creature-fusing! There are over 100 monsters to collect and transform…
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Trinity Trigger set out to capture nostalgia for 90s JRPGs. That is precisely what the game delivers. Were it not for the fact that the game looks modern, I myself would have thought I was playing a long-lost classic from the era. It is an action JRPG, where you control…
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Have you ever felt like a game was made for you? Something that so perfectly matches your favourite aesthetics, gameplay style, narrative and theme that it’s like the developers pulled it directly from your inner core? Labyrinth of Zengetsu is that game for me. Related reading: For another example of…
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I’m obsessed with anything picross (more commonly known as nonograms). The puzzle games involve using the numbers surrounding a board to fill in spaces and create an image. I’ve sunk a stupid amount of time into picross games, including MIKULOGI on my iPad (there’s a Nintendo Switch version too). I…
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I almost always enjoy Nintendo’s Indie World Showcases. I mean, the general Directs are pretty great (the last one smashed it out of the park, mostly because of Super Mario World: Six Golden Coins) but there’s just something about the Indie World Showcase that generally feels a bit cozier. I…
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A simple re-release on the Nintendo Switch GBA platform would have been better than Advance Wars 1+2: Reboot Camp. Nintendo and developer, WayForward, did two things of substance for this “remake”: They gave the game a graphical overhaul, and added native online play. Neither of which justifies this project in…
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I don’t know how many people cried out for a collection of classic IGS arcade games, but for those two or three of you, here’s the IGS Classic Arcade Collection! Evidently inspired by the success of many of the other retro compilations, IGS has pulled together a bunch of its…
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Squint your eyes and Process of Elimination could be a Danganronpa spinoff. At least, in the way it works as a visual novel (and that is the bulk of the game). While both titles have very different art styles, the concepts are remarkably similar. And, like Danganronpa, this game is…
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Very few series are as loved as The Legend of Zelda, so whenever there’s a new game on the horizon fans go nuts and crave information. We’re heading quickly to the May release The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath…
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Norn9: Var Commons is not a new visual novel by any means. It was originally a PSP title, and then localised into English for the first time for the PlayStation Vita version. Now it has landed on Switch to give players that missed it previously to catch up. They should…
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