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An Even Bigger Festival!

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Developed and Published by Snowcastle Games, Earthlock is a sort of director's cut remake of Earthlock: Festival of Magic which we reviewed for the Wii U [here insert url with alternate text] Is the new content worth double-dipping? Perhaps, but this is definitely the definitive version of the game without a doubt and here's why:



The gameplay is more or less unchanged from the previous version of Earthlock so expect rather enjoyable turn-based battles, robust partner system, and the unique stance system that Earthlock: Festival of Magic possessed. There is a ton of new content however including a quest system, new sidequests and more.

The story has been heavily altered with a ton of new content including new and alternate story scenes which will be enjoyed by newcomers and veteran players alike!



The controls in Earthlock are solid, but the difficulty can be downright brutal at times with sudden spikes in difficulty which can be a bit jarring at times, but it didn't stop us from completing the game.

The visual presentation is nice enough for a 3-D PS4 indie title, it won't blow you away, but it's pretty nice with unique characters and enemies and a relatively detailed world. The audio on the other hand is top-notch with an excellent musical score that fits the game remarkably well! There is no voice acting which is a shame, but otherwise the audio-presentation is flawless!



Bottom-Line:

With an expanded story with quite a bit of new content, excellent gameplay, and solid controls Earthlock is a great addition to any RPG gamer's library of games, and the solid 3-D visuals and amazing soundtrack will keep you coming back for some more! Overall the game is fantastic, really the only flaw the game has are some spikes in difficulty, but thankfully those spikes are manageable if you grind a bit. We give Earthlock for the PS4 a great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #Earthlock #SnowCastleGames #PS4 #PSN #JRPG

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Roguelike Funlike!

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Developed and published by Ratalaika Games, Devious Dungeon is an action-platformer with some roguelike elements that had a lot of potential, but does the game live up to that potential? Not really, but it's still a fairly solid game and here's why:



Devious Dungeon's gameplay formula is relatively simple, find a key to the next floor of each stage and exit all while trying to survive, every few floors will have a rest area with a shop and a healer to heal your health for a nominal fee. Once you've progressed a bit you will take on the area's boss which is much more challenging than any normal enemy in the game and will require at least a bit of strategy to defeat.

The floors have a bit of random generation, however the number of layouts are pretty limited so expect some repetition. The difficulty level is somewhat easy and the game's platinum trophy is a cinch to earn and can even be earned twice courtesy of the Vita version which is included via crossbuy making this a perfect game to farm gold, silver, and platinum trophies for your Sony Rewards account!



The controls in Devious Dungeon are easy to learn and almost as easy to master. You'll hear no complaints from us in this regard. The audio-visual presentation is also quite solid with decent retro-style graphics and a soundtrack that is solid albeit fairly forgettable.



Bottom-line:

With solid gameplay, intuitive controls, and a decent audio-visual presentation, Devious Dungeon is a decent budget title that most people should get a fair bit of enjoyment out of, however the game fails to live up to its potential which is a shame as the game could have been fantastic if only it had a bit more depth to it. Regardless we give Devious Dungeon a decent to solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★½☆☆☆ 6.5/10

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#Review #RatalaikaGames #Platformer #Roguelike #PS4 #Vita #PSTV

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Thrilling Ride, But Rough Seas!

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Aqua Moto Racing Utopia is the Wii U's only Wave Race inspired indie released on the console, so of course many people might jump at the chance to hit the waves on their U, but is this game worth it's $10 asking price? We think so, but only if you're a big fan of the sub-genre and here's why:



The gameplay is pretty good with a wide variety of environments and courses, decent water physics, and excellent controls. You'd think the game would be a fantastic title right? This is not necessarily the case as some of the visuals look like they were ripped straight from an N64 game, especially the characters and obstacles, however the background scenery and water looks nice.

Another negative is that the avatar customization is extremely shallow, and the rubberband A.I. is a nightmare to deal with. You can literally play a perfect game and still lose at the last few seconds of the race. Thankfully this only happens once in a while, but it's still a bit annoying.



The soundtrack and announcers are pretty good, but the game's biggest flaw is that there is no audio during off-TV play which is a dealbreaker for many people ourselves included. That said the game can be fun at times so if you like the genre you might enjoy Aqua Moto Racing Utopia, but just know that it has its share of flaws.



Bottom-Line:

With good gameplay, a sizeable amount of content, excellent controls, and a decent audio presentation, Aqua Moto Racing Utopia had potential to be a fantastic game, but mediocre visuals and terribly cheap A.I. severely hampered the game's overall polish as did the lack of audio during off-TV play and as such we give this game only a decent level of recommendation.

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Score: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10

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#Review #ZordixGames #Racing #WaterSports #Sports

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Money Rules Over All!

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Developed by Nippon Ichi Software and published by NiS America, Penny Punching Princess is a rather unique beat 'em up with a funny story where money literally is king and sometimes throwing the mighty coin is more effective than pummelling your opponents! Is this fresh and unique take on the genre enough to catapult the game into greatness? We think so and here's why:



Penny Pinching Princess is a brawler at its core, with each stage consisting of many different rooms and quite a large variety of enemies, but where this game separates itself from the plethora of other games in the genre is the bribe feature, can't beat an enemy? Bribe him, need to get past a locked gate? Bribe it, you can literally bribe just about anything in the game, if you have sufficient money that is.

The game is reasonably lengthy clocking in at over 20 hours from start to finish and PPP can be quite challenging too. The controls in the game are somewhat challenging to get used to, but are quite good otherwise. Penny Punching Princess' audio-visual presentation is quite pleasing, sure its not going to wow you, but the visuals are cheerful and vibrant and the soundtrack and voice overs are all well done. Overall the game is top-notch in this regard!



Bottom-Line:

With flawless and unique gameplay, solid controls, and a top-notch audio-visual presentation, Penny Punching Princess is one Vita game any fans of the brawler/beat 'em up genre will thoroughly enjoy and as such we give the game a great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #NiSA #Vita #PSTV #PennyPunchingPrincess #BeatEmUp

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A Classic To Be Reveled!

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Developed and published by Rainbite games, Reverie is an action-adventure title that takes a ton of inspiration from the Zelda and Mother series, but is the game a timeless classic like the series' that it was inspired by? We think so and here's why:



The story in the game is bizarre and clearly is inspired by Mother/Earthbound, but the lore itself is from an old New Zealand folklore/legend and we honestly enjoyed learning a bit about the country's most famous legend while playing this well-crafted game!

The gameplay is actually pretty similar to that of the original The Legend of Zelda title for the NES. The top-down perspective and simplistic weapons and gadgets really add to the game, even your pet rock, but it almost feels better than the games it was inspired by. Rainbite Games really nailed the formula in Reverie, the ONLY downside we can think of off-hand is that the game can be completed in under 8 hours.



The puzzles in Reverie are more or less pretty straightforward, but some of the enemies "especially the bosses" can be quite challenging at times. The controls are also very intuitive and easy to learn which is always great news as is Reverie's PSTV compatibility!

Reverie also has a plethora of side-quests and minigames to tackle, such as the space shooting arcade game Star Blazer, and a hockey game pitting you against a microwave. It's weird sure, but these minigames do add alot to the game in-terms of content!

The audio-visual presentation in Reverie is superb and in all honesty is one of the prettiest retro-inspired indie titles we've played to date and while the soundtrack isn't quite as good it's still quite catchy and memorable!



Bottom-Line:

With timeless gameplay, an excellent story, a fantastic audio-visual presentation, and flawless controls, Reverie is one of the very best indie games we've played so far this year if not THE best and we highly recommend this game to any and all Vita/PSTV owners. We give Reverie a perfect level of recommendation and nominate it as a 2017/2018 GoTY candidate!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★★ 10/10

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#Review #Rainbite #Reverie #Vita #PSN #PSTV #ActionAdventure #ComingSoonToPS4 #PS4

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Your Love For This Series Shall Henceforth Blossom or Something!

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Developed and published by Idea Factory, Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms is an otome visual novel which means the story-telling is from a female's point of view. If you're some burly dude you might just immediately write this game off, however the Hakuoki series is also known for it's action and sometimes gory scenes which is a stark contrast from most visual novels from the otome sub-genre and because of this there's plenty of reasons for even men to dive into this series though we admit it's certainly not for everyone. Read the rest of our review to find out if this game is for you!



First-off Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms has several branching story-lines and different branches within those branches so be prepare to play the game dozens of times in order to see everything the game has to offer. As you'd expect the story takes center stage as this is a visual novel after all, however the game is unique in the way it weaves together action, violence, and romance in equal portions, it certainly keeps things entertaining and rarely gets boring. The game is also PSTV compatible which is always a good thing in our opinions!

The story can at times differ greatly depending on which character's story you choose to play which is great, though there are some inconsistencies at times which is unfortunate, however the overall story was quite a thrill to play through! The audio-visual presentation is amazing in Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms as the backgrounds and characters are detailed and absolutely gorgeous to look at and the music is also top-notch and fits the mood and settings of the game perfectly!



Bottom-Line:

With an excellent story that has a ton of replayability and a flawless audio-visual presentation, Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms is an excellent visual novel from start-to-finish and will entertain a wide range of people due to its variable storytelling that ranges from action/adventure, to romance, and even horror. The only drawback are a few inconsistencies in the story, but overall the game is a fantastic visual novel that we highly recommend!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #IdeaFactory #VisualNovel #Otome #Vita #PSTV #Retail #Mature

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Mechanical Madness!

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Developed by Hit-Point and published by KEMCO, Machine Knight is a traditional style JRPG that doesn't revolutionize the genre, but is still a solid RPG nonetheless. Continue reading our review to find out why we think the game is worth checking out:



The story of Machine Knight is much more modern in its settings than any other KEMCO JRPG we've reviewed so far which was a pleasant a refreshing surprise. The game does an excellent job of explaining the lore and technology of the world and to be frank was by far the most enjoyable aspect of the game in our opinions!

The gameplay is standard JRPG fare though the character customization via Machina Boards for each character was somewhat unique and added a bit of depth to the game. The battles are turn-based as expected from a KEMCO game, but overall the battle system was quite enjoyable albeit simple.



The controls in Machine Knight are intuitive and easy to learn, plus the optional touch control features are very nicely done. The game itself is fairly short in length clocking in at under 30 hours in length, but is still well worth its asking price.

The audio-visual presentation is extremely good compared to KEMCO's previous 3DS releases. The game looks like a AAA SNES JRPG and in some instances looks even better than Chrono Trigger visually. The soundtrack is also absolutely sublime and fits the game perfectly. Overall the audio-visual presentation of Machine Knight is nothing short of amazing!



Bottom-Line:

With a unique and enjoyable story, solid gameplay, and excellent controls, Machine Knight is a worthwhile experience for any fans of the JRPG genre, while the flawless audio-visual presentation certainly adds alot to the game, Machine Knight's short length definitely is a disappointment. Regardless of that one drawback we give Machine Knight for the 3DS a solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #3DS #eShop #KEMCO #JRPG

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Up Your Arsenal of Games!

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Published by Sony and developed by Insomniac Games, Ratchet & Clank Collection is a compilation of the first three Ratchet & Clank titles remastered and upscaled to full-HD. Have these games withstood the test of time and are the upgraded features and enhanced visuals worth it if you already own the PS2 version of the games? Yes, and maybe, continue reading our review to learn why:



The Ratchet & Clank series is known mostly as a 3D run and gun platforming franchise especially the earlier titles. In-terms of story-telling Ratchet & Clank is among the most humorous game series we've run across, sure we've seen games with funnier scenes, but as a whole Ratchet & Clank had us chuckling more frequently than we ever have before. Ratchet is the Lombax with an attitude while Clank is a cool and level-headed robot that can be hilariously calm and ridiculously gullible which causes alot of funny dialogue between the two protagonists.

The gameplay is part platforming and all action with a ton of content to sink your teeth into. You basically traverse a world, find weapons and tools, as well as the infobot to progress further in other worlds and reach new worlds respectively. Ratchet is the main weapons dude in the game and can plow through tons of enemy robots like nobody's business, while Clank is for the most part used to progress to new area's courtesy of his various upgrades such as the Helipack, and Turbo Jet upgrades. That's not to say that Ratchet doesn't also get useful tools. Some of his noteworthy tools are the Magnaboots, and Grindboots which are quite useful at times.



Clank is useful in other ways as well, for instance he can traverse cramped areas or places devoid of oxygen which often earns you some pretty useful tools for Ratchet. The feature is expanded upon in the sequels in this trilogy allowing Clank to command several different types of battle bots such as Hammerbots that can smash obstacles and launch Clank and other bots from seesaws to allow them to reach otherwise unreachable areas. The Bridgebots can also allow Clank and other bots to safely travel across various pitfalls and environmental hazards such as lava.

In-terms of difficulty the games can be quite challenging to downright brutal so be sure to don your rose-tinted nostalgic glasses and be prepared for some actual challenge, something that's missing from many modern AAA games. Also each game is around 15-30 hours in length and depending on your skill level you might even take longer so expect an average playtime of 60+ hours for all three games in the collection!



With the online multiplayer servers being shutdown last month there isn't a whole lot of reason to pick up this collection if you already have the original trilogy for PS2, that said the enhanced visuals and trophy support are nice additions that add alot to the games in this collection. The controls are relatively straightforward and shouldn't be too difficult for most players to master.

The audio-visual presentation is incredible given the fact that these games were originally released on the PS2 well longer than a decade ago. The voice acting is fantastic albeit rather cheesy, the soundtrack is superb and fits the game like a globe and visually the game really looks good upscaled in HD. Overall the audio-visual presentation is nearly flawless!



Bottom-Line:

With top-notch gameplay, tons of content, excellent controls, and a nearly perfect audio-visual presentation, the Ratchet & Clank Collection for PS3 is a great value and is sure to provide newcomers many hours of fun, the only downside is there's no longer any incentive to get the collection if you already have the original games on PS2 since the online servers have now been shutdown. Nonetheless we give Ratchet & Clank Collection a perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★★ 10/10

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#Review #RatchetAndClank #InsomniacGames #Sony #PS3 #Vita #PS4 #3DPlatformer #Collection

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Reeling Us In Hook, Line, & Sinker!

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Hit-Point and KEMCO have always developed and published enjoyable JRPG's that are a great value for their consumers, but Dragon Sinker has a certain appeal that hasn't been seen in their previous console releases, but is that enough to award the game a perfect score? Not quite, but it came very close and here's why:



The story is your typical fantasy fare with three races teaming up to beat an enemy none of them can vanquish on their own, but despite being very cliché it works, and is every bit as good as Final Fantasy III (NES) and Final Fantasy V (SNES). Speaking of those two Final Fantasy titles, Dragon Sinker uses a very similar job system to what those two games possessed which is as enjoyable as it sounds on paper.



The battles are turn-based as expected and aren't all that complex, but using effective techniques and magic is paramount later on in the game, especially if you're playing on the hard difficulty setting. The game's world is surprisingly large for a game that's essentially a modern NES title and the game is fairly lengthy as well as it can take players 20-25 hours to beat the main story and an additional 8-15 hours to beat the post-game content!



The controls in the game are about as simple as you'd expect so strategy plays a much larger role than your motor skills in this JRPG. One tip we need to share is that you'll want to backtrack and complete every quest in the game as the items and party members/job classes you'll obtain will help out immensely in the post-game content.

Dragon Sinker is also PSTV compatible which is always good news in our opinions!



Visually the game is a real treat for retro gamers as not only is the spritework spot-on for an NES era game, Dragon Sinker also has an NES perfect color palette insuring that you'll feel like you've been transported back to the 1980's! Silliness aside, the characters are pretty varied and even change in appearance when you change their job class which is a nice touch.

The soundtrack is also nostalgic and uses genuine 8-bit chip-tunes warts and all and we loved every second of the piercingly brilliant tunes.



Bottom-Line:

With splendid gameplay and  a nostalgic story, Dragon Sinker will have you hooked from the very beginning, while the glorious 8-bit visuals and chiptunes will remind you of a simpler and more enjoyable era of gaming! Honestly there is virtually nothing that we can complain about in this game and almost everything is done flawlessly as such we give Dragon Sinker for the Vita a nearly perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★¾ 9.75/10

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#Review #KEMCO #HitPoint #Vita #PS4 #3DS #PSN #eShop #JRPG

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A Grand Theft Odyssey!

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Developed and published by Nintendo, Super Mario Odyssey is Mario's latest 3D platforming adventure and as expected we enjoyed every minute of the game, however we couldn't help, but notice that the game didn't feel as magical as previous 3D Mario titles, why is that? Keep reading our review to find out why.



There's no doubt that Nintendo pulled out all the stops with the production value of Super Mario Odyssey and it shows between the incredible storytelling, incredible audio-visual presentation, and sheer scope, however the game lost something so much more important in the process.

Super Mario Odyssey lacks the charm of previous Mario games, the level designs are lacking compared to most previous entries in the series and the game is quite honestly, ridiculously easy to the point where it felt like we were playing a game geared towards young children.



That's not all, the gameplay is sort of mission-based like Grand Theft Auto and unfortunately falls victim to the same issues that plagued the Jak & Daxter games after the initial title, The Precursor Legacy and feels like a completely different series now.

Don't get us wrong it's a solid game, but it doesn't feel like a Mario game at its core and that's a serious problem when you're talking about a series that was not only at the top of the sales charts with every release in the franchise, but arguably the most beloved series in the video game industry, it honestly makes no sense why Nintendo would choose to reinvent the series at this time.



The controls in the game are very responsive and easy to learn which is always a good thing in our opinions.

Visually Super Mario Odyssey looks absolutely spectacular and really pushes the limit of the Nintendo Switch's hardware especially in docked mode, but it still looks great in handheld mode as well!

The soundtrack is quite varied as well with some pretty amazing vocal songs, however the music in the game's many levels was somewhat lacking, which was quite disappointing, but even so it's still great to listen to.



Bottom-Line:

While the gameplay and story is solid, Super Mario Odyssey reinvented the series despite there being no need to do so and in the process has lost some of that special Nintendo magic the series has possessed for decades. While the controls and audio-visual presentation are fantastic we still give the game the lowest score of any mainstream release in the Mario series to-date. While the game is solid it was a major disappointment and as such we give Super Mario Odyssey a solid level of recommendation.

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #Nintendo #SuperMarioOdyssey #Switch #Retail #3DPlatformer

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The Longest Battle Ever!

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Don't let the name and trailer fool you, The Longest Five Minutes might look and sound like Half Minute Hero at a glance, but The Longest Five Minutes is by far the better game and is a truly incredible JRPG in many ways! Continue reading our review to find out why:



The Longest Five Minutes is a turn-based JRPG similar to the first Lufia game in-terms of many of its mechanics, however where this game really shines is its incredible story which will have you relive the main protagonist Flash Back's journey to defeat the demon king. In this regard it's sort of similar to Half Minute Hero, however the story is much more coherent with up to three to five hours of gameplay per sequence it feels like a true JRPG unlike its spiritual predecessor Half Minute Hero.

The gameplay and story are also as good as most of the SNES classic's from the 90's with great plot-twists and other surprises, The Longest Five Minutes is an instant classic in our opinions! The game is also somewhat longer than we were expecting clocking in at between 30-40 hours in length. The only gripe we have with the game is that it's very easy to beat, though completing the game is a tricky proposition given the complex optional branching story paths the game possesses, because some of which are extremely challenging to trigger. The controls are simple and easy to learn and the game is PSTV compatible which is always fantastic news in our opinions!



The Longest Five Minutes is a very nice looking game with crisp and vibrant 16-bit HD graphics that look amazing! Visually the game looks somewhat similar to that of the Romancing Saga 2 Vita remake. They aren't going to wow anybody, but they're exceptionally good looking, especially the character and enemy models! The music is also top-notch and fits the game's mood perfectly so overall we feel that the audio-visual presentation of the game is nearly perfect!





Bottom-Line:

With a unique story, excellent gameplay, and nearly flawless audio-visual presentation, The Longest Five Minutes is a fantastic game that every JRPG fan who owns a Vita should snatch up, while the excellent controls and PSTV compatibility is the icing on the proverbial cake. The only downside of the game is its low level of difficulty, but otherwise the game is a genuine masterpiece and as such we give the game a great level of recommendation!



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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #NiSA #TheLongestFiveMinutes #Vita #PSTV #Gaming #JRPG #PSN #Retail

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An Old Fighter Has Been Reborn!

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Under Night Latest is an enhanced version of Under Night with enhanced gameplay, new characters, and a plethora of new game modes, but is that enough to make the game feel fresh and exciting? We think so and here's why:



The core gameplay modes, practice, arcade, and story are all there though the new chronicles mode is far more detailed and plays out like a mini visual novel which adds a lot of depth to the game's lore and world. There is also a new tutorial mode for new players which can definitely even out the playing field and gives newcomers a chance to quickly improve their skill level in the game!

There are several new characters most of which have a very unique play-style so expect a lot of variety from the new content! The core gameplay is mostly unchanged so old pro's will be able to fight with the best of them right from the get-go! The controls are also quite intuitive though it can take newcomers a short while to get used to the game's unique mechanics, but overall the learning curve  for the controls are definitely better than you usually see from your average fighting game!



Visually the game looks great, just as the original did. There's nothing that'll wow you, but everything looks vibrant and detailed with little to no performance issues which is always a good thing. The sound-track and voice acting is also superb and fits the game like a glove, but as always an English voice option would have been nice.



Bottom-Line:

With excellent gameplay, intuitive controls, and a top-notch audio-visual presentation, Under Night In-Birth Exe LateST for the PS3 is a fantastic game that any fans of the fighter genre should enjoy, while the massive amount of new content should make the game a worthwhile investment for players who own the previous version of the game as such we give Under Night In-Birth Exe LateST a good to great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★½☆ 8.5/10

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#Review #ArcSystemWorks #PQube #Fighting #PS3 #Vita #PSTV

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Greatius!

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Developed by Locomalito and published by Abylight, Super Hydorah is a throwback to sidescrolling space shooters of the NES era, such as Gradius and Salamander, but is so much better than the games it tries to emulate. Believe it or not we actually liked this game more than Locomalito's previous Vita game, Cursed Castilla which we gave a very high level of recommendation to our readers. Continue reading our review to find out more!




Super Hydorah is an 80's inspired retro shmup that plays alot like Gradius and Salamander and is equally as challenging which is fantastic for fans of retro games! The level design is genius and at times is even better than those found in the retro games Super Hydorah attempts to emulate! There are a ton of different enemies and stages that you'll be entertained for many hours.

The game also has several different endings which adds a ton of replay value to the game! As for the gameplay itself, the game's power-up's and formula take many cues from the Gradius series. The bosses, of which there are tons, are unique and challenging and require good concentration and memory to learn their patterns to easily defeat them! The controls are easy to learn and work well for the game, and best of all Super Hydorah is PSTV compatible which always is a plus in our opinions!




Visually the game looks unique in a truly good way! First of all the foreground is all done in the style of the classic 8-bit era with nostalgic enemies, weapons, and other aspects that'll make longtime gamers feel right at home, while the background looks like 16-32 bit CD quality. The backgrounds are highly detailed and remind us of some shmup's from the SEGA CD and SEGA Saturn era. The audio soundtrack is equally amazing and quite varied. We liked the bit of voice acting the game has as well.




Bottom-Line:

With flawlessly nostalgic gameplay, excellent controls, and a nearly perfect audio-visual presentation, Super Hydorah will have you hooked from the get-go, and its massive amount of content will keep you coming back for more! We give Super Hydorah for the Vita/PSTV a perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★★ 10/10

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#Review #Shooter #Locomalito #Abylight #SuperHydorah #Vita #PSN

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Soaring High!

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Developed by Hit-Point and published by KEMCO, Bonds
of the Skies is a fantastic budget JRPG that will keep fans of the genre entertained for many hours! Is this KEMCO's best game yet? Nope, but it's still a blast to play and here's why:



Bonds of The Skies has solid gameplay that is unique in various aspects, of course random encounters are in which we rather enjoy every now and then, battles are relatively straightforward, but there are some nuances such as being able to move characters around in your formation mid-battle without using a turn to increase damage given or save yourself if you're low on health by retreating to the back of your formation.

Elements play a HUGE role in the game and quite frankly make the enemies far too challenging for even intermediately skilled players in many instances, especially later in the game. We honestly had a heck of a time reviewing this, between the difficulty, a bug that was later fixed in the game, and our 3DS breaking. Still if you like a serious challenge you should enjoy Bonds of The Skies. The story is pretty unique as expected from KEMCO so be prepared for a fun romp through the world of Eil, but don't expect any major plot-twists to catch you off guard this time around. Bonds of The Skies is rather short clocking in at under 30 hours in length so don't expect a 100 hour epic adventure.



The controls are easy to learn as expected from a throwback 16-bit JRPG. The graphics are a step-up from most of KEMCO's previous 3DS titles which is nice. We also liked the character and enemy designs in Bonds of The Skies. The soundtrack is quite enjoyable as well and really sets the mood for the game!



Bottom-Line:

With solid gameplay, excellent controls, and a great audio-visual presentation, Bonds of The Skies for the 3DS is a great game that most fans of the RPG genre should thoroughly enjoy, however the difficulty and short length of the game might be off-putting for some. Regardless we give Bonds of The Skies for the 3DS a good level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10

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#Review #HitPoint #KEMCO #JRPG #3DS #eShop

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Fairy Good Song! Sorry For The Dreadful Pun...

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Developed by Artdink and published by Bandai Namco, Sword Art Online: Lost Song takes place in Alfheim in the SAO mythos and is a gorgeous looking Vita game to say the least, but how does the gameplay hold up? Continue reading our review to find out!



The gameplay in Lost Song is vastly different from that of Hollow Fragment and in many ways it makes the game much more accessible and enjoyable than its predecessor. There are two HUGE differences between Lost Song and Hollow Fragment, the first is obviously the flight system which is very fun, but sadly is only used in the open fields of the game, and the second is that your characters can use magic to dominate the battlefield! The magic you can use depends on your character's race. Some characters such as Rain even have original sword skills that only they possess.

Another new feature is that you can choose to play as any of the 20+ included anime characters and Rain or a original character you can create, be warned that the character creation is extremely limited and disappointing. Much like Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment, Sword Art Online: Lost Song takes place in an alternate reality to the anime series and light novels. Basically the anime and light novels occur in Timeline A while each of the games take place in let's say Timeline B. There's a definite continuity to the games so the storylines do compliment one-another.



The difficulty in Sword Art Online: Lost Song can be brutal at times unless you spend alot of time grinding levels, and weapon/skill mastery. Also the controls can be fairly daunting at first until you get used to the spellcasting and flight engine in the game. The game is much shorter than Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment so don't expect a single playthrough to take over a hundred hours this time around. Sword Art Online: Lost Song is also PSTV compatible which is always a good thing in our opinions!

The audio-visual presentation in this game is leaps and bounds better than those in Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment. The PS4 version shown in the images is basically an upscaled version of the Vita game so expect to be be impressed! The character models are gorgeous and highly detailed, the world is beautiful beyond expectations, and the game's handful of CG cutscenes are a sight to behold! The music is generally better than Hollow Fragment's, the only downside to the audio presentation is that there is no option for English voice acting.



Bottom-Line:

With excellent gameplay that is both unique and highly enjoyable, a superb story, and top-notch visuals, Sword Art Online: Lost Song will be an instant hit for any fan of the franchise, while the unique gameplay mechanics and PSTV compatibility will appease hardcore gamers to their core! The soundtrack is also improved over that of Hollow Fragment. The only two things we found disappointing was how short the game is for a JRPG and that once again English voice acting isn't available in the game. Still the game is a fantastic addition to any Vita or PSTV owner's game library and as such we give the game a good to great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★½☆ 8.5/10

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#Review #SwordArtOnlineLostSong #Vita #PSTV #PS4 #BandaiNamco #ArtDink #JRPG #Action #Gaming

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For The Castle And Glory!

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Developed by Locomalito and published by Abylight, Cursed Castilla (Maldita Castilla EX) for Vita is a throwback title that possesses traits and elements of many of the 80's and 90's Arcade greats, such as Ghosts & Goblins, Super Indiana Jones, Rygar, and many more! Is the game worth it though?! We think it's one of the best throwback titles in recent years and here's why:



The gameplay in Cursed Castilla is superb to the max, the game is an action-platformer at its core and is not only a nostalgic trip down memory lane, but also provides superior gameplay to that of the titles the game is clearly inspired by! The game is also HARD, and we mean NES HARD! Expect to die alot before learning how to best tackle the game's many challenging stages!

The game has a ton of enemies and challenging bosses to tackle, there are plenty of power ups to be had, but the most interesting aspect of the game are the hazards. Some things that you wouldn't think dangerous are deadly, such as windmill blades in the background. There's even a stage where massive eggs roll by and you can kill them or dodge them, so you decide to dodge them and suddenly you find yourself surrounded by harpy enemies that hatch from those eggs! This clever stage design is just one example of many which really showcases the developer's talent!



Cursed Castilla is PSTV compatible which is fantastic news! The controls are also easy to learn, but can take awhile to master. The audio-visual presentation is absolutely amazing in a true to history representation of 80's Arcade titles! The chip-tunes are fantastic, the characters and levels look groovy, overall you won't find much better even from the likes of Shovel Knight, though obviously the art-direction is completely different.



Bottom-Line:

With fantastic and challenging gameplay, excellent controls, PSTV compatibility, and nostalgic audio-visual presentation, Cursed Castilla for Vita is one game that no Vita owner should miss out on and because of this, we give the game a nearly perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★½ 9.5/10

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#Review #Abylight #Locomalito #Vita #PSTV #3DS #CursedCastilla #MalditaCastillaEX #Arcade #Retro

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A Rare Western JRPG Making A Festively Magical Splash On Wii U!

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Developed and published by Snowcastle Games, Earthlock: Festival of Magic might be developed by a European company, but is truly a JRPG at heart with a colorful artstyle, and music you'd expect from the Japanese sub-genre of RPG's. Is the game as a whole worth purchasing if you're a Wii U owner? We think so and here's why:



Earthlock: Festival of Magic is a mouthful so we'll just call it Earthlock for the rest of the review. Earthlock is a turn-based Japanese-style RPG that is the first fully 3D indie RPG to ever grace a Nintendo console in the West. The story is all about magic and youth and well it's pretty good, though don't expect anything groundbreaking in this regard. The gameplay on the other-hand is a bit more unique with a monster partner system, and a farm to grow ammunition for your characters guns. There's also a bit of city development and other very enjoyable features that we thoroughly had a blast with!

The game itself can be relatively short if you try to power through it, but completionists can expect over 60 hours of gameplay! The difficulty can be challenging at times, but for the most part is well balanced with easy solutions to beat otherwise extremely challenging bosses. The controls are also intuitive and easy to learn which is always a good thing, however the lack of Gamepad features despite the fact that the game can only be played with one is rather disappointing.



Visually the game looks absolutely breathtaking for an indie title as the world has a crazy amount of detail, the characters and monsters look great, and the special effects look amazing, especially the lighting effects! The audio presentation is also fantastic with great tracks that fit the game well to great ambiance in certain dungeons and locations. Overall we'd say the game showcases just how good a 3D indie game can look with enough effort!



Bottom-Line:

With amazing gameplay, easy to learn controls, and a top-notch audio-visual presentation, Earthlock: Festival of Magic is an insanely fun game that'll keep you coming back for more, the own negative aspect of the game is that it really doesn't make use of the Gamepad. Overall however we give the game an amazing level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #SnowcastleGames #JRPG #RPG #WiiU #eShop #Earthlock

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The Bullet-Hell And Fighting Genres Unite For An Epic Battle!

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Developed by CUBETYPE and published by Nis America, Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle is a fighting game at it's core, but like all games in the Touhou franchise it has very prominent bullet-hell gameplay elements! Does this work well with the fighting genre? We think so and here's why:

The gameplay is relatively straightforward with each character being assigned a relatively small number of attacks and no real combo system to speak of. While this might seem overly simplistic at first it actually makes the game very strategic and forces you to learn the enemy's patterns to secure consistent victories against them! The most unique move in each character's arsenal is their bullet-hell barrage which shoots a ton of projectiles in a set pattern at the enemy which can overwhelm them if timed correctly.



The game features a story campaign for each character, but each campaign is so short that the mode feels rather shallow. Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle also has less than 10 characters which is somewhat disappointing. The online multiplayer can be a blast to play and is easily the highlight of this game! The game is also PSTV compatible which is great news for those of you who enjoy playing the game on the big-screen! The controls of the game are extremely simple and easy to learn, but in this particular case it might be a bit too simplistic for some gamers tastes.

The difficulty of the game can range from extremely challenging to easy as pie depending on how much practice you get and how much you've mastered the gameplay. In-terms of the audio-visual presentation the game is decent enough. Visually it looks nice, but it certainly won't impress many Vita players, and the soundtrack fits the game well, but isn't overly memorable.



Bottom-Line:

With strategic and fun gameplay Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle for the Vita is a blast to play, but the game is somewhat light in content and might be a bit simplistic for some gamers. Overall, however we found the game to be enjoyable and as such we give Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle for Vita a solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #CUBETYPE #NisAmerica #Vita #PSTV #Fighter #BulletHell

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A Psychedelic Fairytale Like No Other!

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Developed by Compile Heart and published by Idea Factory, Mary Skelter: Nightmares for the Vita/PSTV is an extremely psychedelic dungeon crawling JRPG with a story that's crazier than anything we've ever seen before. Despite the bizarreness this game possesses that will undoubtedly be off-putting for some, "not us", the gameplay is golden! Is this enough to win over the masses? We think so and here's why:



As we've said the story is absolutely bonkers, calling it strange or weird is a huge understatement, however it still had us interested in what was going to happen next and was overall, extremely enjoyable albeit in the same way we'd imagine a psychedelic hallucination would be like. Regardless it's fun so just enjoy the craziness! The gameplay is top-notch and we dare say it's the closest thing to a perfect dungeon crawling JRPG that we've ever played.

The gameplay progression flows in typical dungeon crawling fashion with a few twists here and there. Basically you must search the dungeons to find a certain something to destroy to weaken the normally immortal nightmares, which are the bosses of the various dungeons, head back to the Liberated Zone "safe area/town" and prepare for the next dungeon. There are also plenty of classes and skill trees that you'd expect from a game in the dungeon crawling sub-genre of JRPG's, but what IS unique about Mary Skelter: Nightmares is the Blood System. The horoins of the game can power up during battle by accumulating blood spatter from fallen enemies. Once enough splattered blood accumulates the maiden will enter Massacre Mode which not only strengthens her, but also gives her access to ultra powerful skills that she can't use in her normal state.



Massacre Mode is a double-edged sword however as the more damage a maiden takes during battle the more corruption she will build up and if corruption is left unchecked the maiden will enter her psychotic "Skelter Mode". In this state she'll murder friends and foes alike. To prevent this you must use the hero's Mary Gun to splatter his unique blood on the maidens to cure their corruption.

Other gameplay elements include guild quests and even decorating the various maiden's rooms as well as bonding with them. The controls in the game are quite intuitive and easy to learn especially on the PSTV which is always a good thing in our opinions! In-terms of difficulty Mary Skelter: Nightmares starts off relatively easy, but becomes tough as nails really early on so expect a fierce amount of challenge from this incredibly thrilling game!



Visually the game looks incredible with gorgeous character models, and creepy as heck dungeon designs that might give some of you nightmares. The special effects are also nice to look at as well. As for the soundtrack it's fantastic and fits the game perfectly.



Bottom-Line:

With excellent gameplay and flawless controls, Mary Skelter: Nightmares will have you hooked immediately and the bizarre yet highly enjoyable story and top-notch audio-visual presentation will keep you coming back for more! Mary Skelter: Nightmares is one of the absolute best dungeon crawlers we've ever experienced and as such we highly recommend the game to any and all fans of the genre!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★½ 9.5/10

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#Review #Iffy #Compy #Vita #PSTV #DungeonCrawler #JRPG

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Clobberin' Buliz!

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Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition for Nintendo Switch was developed and published by Ratalaika Games. The game is obviously heavily inspired by Gameboy/NES era beat 'em ups and brawlers, but is it a heavy-hitter like the games of the genre from that era or is it a featherweight unworthy of your attention? We feel that it's a solid game that falls a bit short of the greats of yesteryear, however we still liked the game and here's why!



The story in the game is silly to say the least, but does seem to take some inspiration from the 80's martial arts flick Karate Kid and it's all lighthearted fun. Don't expect a story-heavy experience though as gameplay takes center stage and it's quite fun actually. Basically you must fight your way through a bunch of stages filled with bullies with your limited fighting moves and certain weapons and objects that can be obtained from enemies or picked up and thrown at them to cause major damage.



Exclusive to the Arena version of the game is Arena Mode where you fight in a fixed area of various stages while progressively bigger hordes of bullies appear to attempt to overwhelm you. This can be a fun little distraction, but is ultimately little more than that.



Overall Squareboy Vs Bullies: Arena Edition is a very solid game, but it's got it's share of problems. First off, the game is very short in length and can be beaten 100% within an hour or two, which is shorter than we had hoped. The gameplay can also get somewhat repetitive, but thankfully the co-op mode makes up for this. To be honest the co-op was personally the highlight of the game for us and added alot of enjoyment value that would otherwise be missing "We're looking at you Vita version".

Secondly, the game is also extremely easy and posed very little challenge which is a definite miss because challenging gameplay is a must in the scrolling brawler / beat 'em up sub-genre.



Back to the positives, Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition has flawless easy to learn controls that will allow players of any skill level to play well which is a definite plus, especially for retro-inspired games such as this one!

The audio-visual presentation is also fantastic with authentic 16-bit graphics that are quite detailed and the unique art style of the squaretastic characters. Everything comes together perfectly on a visual standpoint. And while not quite as good as the visuals, the soundtrack was enjoyable and fits the game well.



Bottom-Line:

With solid gameplay , flawless controls, and a fantastic audio-visual presentation, Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition for the Switch is a fairly enjoyable worthwhile experience that fans of the beat 'em up genre should enjoy, however the game is a cakewalk to beat and short to boot so it may not be for everyone. The local co-op added alot to the game which makes this the definitive version of the game. Overall we enjoyed the game and feel that it's a fairly solid experience and as such we give the game a solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #RatalaikaGames #Switch #Vita #PSTV #Brawler #SquareboyVsBulliesArenaEdition

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Clobberin' Buliz!

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Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition for Vita/PSTV was developed and published by Ratalaika Games. The game is obviously heavily inspired by Gameboy/NES era beat 'em ups and brawlers, but is it a heavy-hitter like the games of the genre from that era or is it a featherweight unworthy of your attention? We feel that it's a solid game that falls a bit short of the greats of yesteryear, however we still liked the game and here's why!



The story in the game is silly to say the least, but does seem to take some inspiration from the 80's martial arts flick Karate Kid and it's all lighthearted fun. Don't expect a story-heavy experience though as gameplay takes center stage and it's quite fun actually. Basically you must fight your way through a bunch of stages filled with bullies with your limited fighting moves and certain weapons and objects that can be obtained from enemies or picked up and thrown at them to cause major damage.

Exclusive to the Arena version of the game is Arena Mode where you fight in a fixed area of various stages while progressively bigger hordes of bullies appear to attempt to overwhelm you. This can be a fun little distraction, but is ultimately little more than that.



Overall Squareboy Vs Bullies: Arena Edition is a very solid game, but it's got it's share of problems. First off, the game is very short in length and can be beaten 100% "Platinum Trophy included" within an hour or two, which is shorter than we had hoped. The gameplay can also get repetitive very fast. After beating the game we didn't feel the need to play again, though the Switch version was a little different with its co-op which we'll explain in a bit further detail in our review of the Nintendo Switch version of the game!

Secondly, the game is also extremely easy and posed very little challenge which is a definite miss because challenging gameplay is a must in the scrolling brawler / beat 'em up sub-genre.



Back to the positives, Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition has flawless easy to learn controls that will allow players of any skill level to play well which is a definite plus, especially for retro-inspired games such as this one!

The audio-visual presentation is also fantastic with authentic 16-bit graphics that are quite detailed and the unique art style of the squaretastic characters. Everything comes together perfectly on a visual standpoint. And while not quite as good as the visuals, the soundtrack was enjoyable and fits the game well.



Bottom-Line:

With solid gameplay , flawless controls, and a fantastic audio-visual presentation, Squareboy Vs. Bullies: Arena Edition for the Vita/PSTV is a fairly enjoyable worthwhile experience that fans of the beat 'em up genre should enjoy, however the game is a cakewalk to beat and short to boot so it may not be for everyone. Regardless we enjoyed the game despite its flaws and feel that it's a diamond in the rough so to speak and as such we give the game a decent level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★¾☆☆☆ 6.75/10

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#Review #RatalaikaGames #Vita #PSTV #Switch #Brawler #SquareboyVsBulliesArenaEdition

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A Frightening Tale of Friendship & Togetherness!

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Developed by Nippon Ichi Software and published by Nis America, Yomawari: Midnight Shadows is a creepy game that proves that friendship can overcome anything, with a heartfelt premise like that it must be a fantastic game, right? Continue reading the rest of our review to find out!



The story of Yomawari: Midnight Shadows follows two girls trapped in a nightmarish hell where ghosts and other supernatural creatures are running rampant in their hometown. They must reunite and work together for there to be any hope for them to figure out what has happened to their town and to survive. The gameplay and settings in Yomawari: Midnight Shadows are surprisingly eerie and gave us plenty of jump-scares during the course of the game.

Basically the flashlight you obtain early on in the game allows you to see spirits and other dangers, however you can't fight them and instead must hide until the creatures or spirits who spotted you give up their search. This stealth element is pretty enjoyable, but doesn't always work if a certain creature knows where you are so it's best to get a little distance between you and the immediate threat before hiding if at all possible. There are times where certain key items are needed to distract certain spirits or ghosts, but if you are an old-school gamer this will pose little to no problems at all.



The controls in the game are straightforward and easy to learn while the difficulty can be quite unforgiving if you aren't used to  retro-style stealth-based adventure games. The game is fairly short as we beat the game in under 10 hours though it might be possible that we didn't fully explore the game's areas. The game is PSTV compatible which is always a plus in our opinions!

The audio-visual presentation is superb as expected from Nippon Ichi Software! The pixel art is flawless, the dim lighting adds to the eeriness of the game, especially if you play the game with the lights off in your room as the developer intended.  The character and enemy models as well as the world itself look gorgeous as Nippon Ichi put alot of love and attention into the intricate details that give this game and series a distinct level of uniqueness that will leave a lasting impression.

The soundtrack is mostly ambient, but it really adds to the eeriness of the game. It might not be all that memorable, but it's still nice to hear nonetheless. Some of the sound effects such as screams, heartbeats, and other spooky sounds really add to the overall experience we had with the game!



Bottom-Line:

With great gameplay, flawless controls, and a fantastic audio-visual presentation, Yomawari: Midnight Shadows will draw you in from beginning to end with it's spooky gameplay and charming visuals. If you're a fan of retro adventure games this is a must-have! We give Yomawari: Midnight Shadows for Vita a good level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10

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#Review #NisAmerica #NipponIchiSoftware #Adventure #Yomawari #Vita #PSTV #Gaming

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Squids or Kids Too!

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Developed and published by Nintendo, Splatoon 2 is the sequel to the fairly popular Wii U shooter Splatoon which ended up being one of the top-selling games on the ill-fated dual-screen home console. Does this sequel hold a candle to its predecessor? Continue reading our review to find out!



Arguably the weakest aspect of the original Splatoon title that released on the Wii U was the single player Hero Mode which had only a handful of short stages that were too similar to one-another and were fairly easy to beat. The whole mode could be finished within an hour or two, but luckily Hero Mode in Splatoon 2 is much more robust with longer, more difficult stages, and much more variety to the tasks. You can easily spend 10-20 hours in the mode this time around which is fantastic news for any squid!

The gameplay in Splatoon 2 is mostly the same as its predecessor, however a few new techniques have been added such as a power shield to guard against certain attacks and of course new weapons. Multiplayer is as fun as you'd expect, however we did experience major instability and frequent disconnects while playing online which wasn't a problem with the original title on Wii U.



Salmon Run is a fun and challenging mode that will really test your mettle and can earn you some good equipment should you do well at the mode! The controls are good, but ironically the original Splatoon was much better in this regard. You'll find out why in our review of Splatoon (Wii U Retail) which will be going live early next month.

There are alot of rehashed stages alongside new ones, unfortunately alot of the old stages have been simplified and many good hiding spots in those stages have been removed which is a shame. Splatfests are the main attraction in this series and are basically a competitive poll where you vote for your favorite poll option which will basically become your team and people on both teams splat it out to prove who is top squid in the arena!



The major drawback of Splatoon 2 and the Nintendo Switch in-general is the lack of voice chat which can only be done if you have a mobile device that is compatible with Nintendo's voice chat app for Switch which is just insane in our opinions. Sure almost everyone in Japan has a mobile device, but elsewhere the numbers are as low as 35% -40% which means that depending on region there will be large groups of players online who won't be able to strategise with their team members which could give certain teams a clear-cut advantage.



Visually the game looks great with a better resolution than the previous game in the new series, however we did notice that in certain returning stages there were certain details missing that made them seem less impressive. The upside is that you'd likely miss these details during a heated match, but it still is a disappointing downgrade. The soundtrack on the other hand is just as good as the first game's and the Squid Sisters music videos are just as fun to watch and listen to which will be music to every squid's ears we're sure!



Bottom-Line:

With excellent gameplay, solid controls, fantastic single player and multiplayer modes, and a flawless soundtrack, Splatoon 2 is a game that any Switch owner should thoroughly enjoy, however downgraded returning stages that are less detailed and are missing many hiding spots, as well as the lack of actual in-game voice chat options really hurt the game's overall score, but regardless we give Splatoon 2 a good level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10

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#Review #Nintendo #Switch #FPS #Splatoon #Gaming

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Revolutionary Party!

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Developed by Omiya Soft and published by Nis America, Culdcept Revolt is a party game that fuses together gameplay elements from trading card games, board games, and other forms of entertainment. The game is actually very similar to Fortune Street which was released on the Wii and became somewhat of a cult hit in the West. So does Culdcept Revolt hold a candle to other party games such as Mario Party or Fortune Street? Continue reading our review to find out!



This isn't the first time a game in the Culdcept series has been released in the West as the first entry on the Sega Saturn did release outside of Japan. This is a definite step-up from its Saturn predecessor with a ton of new cards, boards, and gameplay features.

The rules can be pretty daunting at first, but the game's single player campaign does an excellent job at easing players into the nuances and intricacies of the game. You basically earn territories and buy and upgrade guardian monsters to guard your territory your opponents have to pay a toll when they land on your territory with an unlucky roll of the dice, however they can opt to attack your guardian and steal your property. There are much more crazy rules and points of interest such as gates that when passed earn you magic "in-game currency" as well which can be used to upgrade various things such as guardians and territories.



There are other rules typical of card games that apply such as card fusion and evolution which adds another layer of strategy to the game. The multiplayer is as fun as you'd expect from a AAA party game which is a must. The contols are also solid and easy to learn.

The audio-visual presentation is quite good. As you'd probably imagine the graphics are nothing that'll blow your mind, but they're still quite pleasing while the sound-track is very enjoyable and fits the mood of the game like a glove!



Bottom-Line:

With excellent gameplay, frantically amazing multiplayer, solid controls, and a rather enjoyable audio-visual presentation, Culdcept Revolt for the 3DS is a great game that any fan of the party genre should thoroughly enjoy as such we give the game a great level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★¼ 9.25/10

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#Review #CuldceptRevolt #NisAmerica #Party #3DS #Retail #Gaming

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Half Slime Heroin Ahoy!

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Developed by Exe-Create and published by KEMCO, Antiquia Lost is a 16-bit JRPG with a glossy coat of HD paint and is a blast to play! Is this enough to make Antiquia Lost a worthwhile purchase for you Vita/PSTV? We think so and here's why!



The story of the game revolves around the protagonist who's basically human, a half-slime girl who has a gem-eating fettish, a full-fledged slime lady who's a soldier and gets lost comically easy, and a super strong cat-person who's on in years, but wise. The story is quite comical to be honest though it does have darker moments it never tries to take itself too seriously which is a nice change of pace from most modern RPG's.

The gameplay is fairly straightforward, with a few twists such as growing fruits from seeds to boost stats and feeding gems to a certain character to raise her stat and level her up. Everything else from the turn-based battles to the other nuances such as transportation is all typical RPG-fare, which isn't a bad thing at all in our honest opinions.



The controls are easy to learn as expected from a retro-inspired JRPG which is good. The difficulty on the other-hand is way too easy for a large portion of the game thanks to the premium shop that can be accessed early on to possibly obtain extremely overpowered equipment. Antiquia Lost is also PSTV compatible which is great for players who enjoy gaming on the big-screen.

The audio-visual presentation is decent enough, the graphics are 16-bit and clearly inspired by retro games, but the art-direction isn't quite as authentic as previous KEMCO releases which is a shame, but it still looks good. The soundtrack has a few superb tracks, but for the most part is highly forgettable.



Bottom-Line:

With a comical and highly enjoyable story, solid gameplay, and flawless controls Antiquia Lost for Vita/PSTV is an excellent throwback title that will remind players of a simpler more enjoyable era of the video game industry which is always a fantastic thing.

Unfortunately the premium shop that can be used for free in-game alchemy stones can break the balance of the game's difficulty and the visuals don't quite look as nice as KEMCO's previous 2D offerings and the soundtrack is rather hit-and-miss as well. Overall though, Antiquia Lost is a fun game that fans of retro RPG's should enjoy so we give the game a solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★½☆☆ 7.5/10

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#Review #ExeCreate #KEMCO #Vita #PSTV #JRPG #Gaming

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A lightweight but intuitive game making engine for all to enjoy!

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Created by Kadokawa / Jupiter and published by Nis America, RPG Maker: FES is a lightweight and very flexible game creation engine that's is fun to tinker around with, but how does it compare to its PC counterpart? Continue reading our review to find out the answer to that question and many more!



The FES game engine allows users to place preset assets and events with ease as well as letting them create maps with a robust world map and dungeon creator. The touch controls allow for easy placement and drawing for the various functions which is incredibly intuitive and gives the engine unparalleled ease of use which as you can probably already tell is the tool's strongest asset. You can even tweak some functions if you have basic knowledge of how game engine coding works such as creating a time of day or weather engine to run in your game or even make an adventure game similar to Zelda without using the built-in default battle system!

This game engine isn't perfect however, as a big flaw it has is a severe lack of assets such as character models, enemies, and objects. There's no way to create your own assets as far as we know which is a shame as that would alleviate much of the issues we have with the software. The biggest issue we have with the software "by a longshot" is that you can only upload a single project at a time for other players to download. This not only limits developers, but has caused a severe dearth of games to be released in the community download area of the app. Again you can purchase additional slots, but most people won't bother which is a very big problem for an app that relies on user-created content.



There's also a free player app that allows anyone to play games created on the engine free of charge on the 3DS which is nice, but there isn't alot of completed content available to the community, just a bunch of short user-created demo's which won't hold most players attention for long. Bottom line, the developers should have made at least one or two finished games available from the start to showcase what the engine is capable of and to appease the players who are interested in playing rather than creation.

Visually the engine allows players to create games that look like they belong on the Gameboy Advance, which is impressive given the hardware you're working with and the art-style of the pre-made assets are gorgeous in all of their 16-bit glory! The audio is another limitation that the game has as there just aren't many tracks so don't expect to craft a masterpiece in that regard, but what is there is pretty good.



Bottom-Line:

With easy to use tools and an intuitive interface RPG Maker: FES is one of the easiest game creation engines we've ever seen so even the most inexperienced developers can craft an epic adventure of their own with this software, however many aspects of the software leave much to be desired, but if you can live with these limitations this software is a real gem albeit a flawed one. We give RPG Maker: FES for the 3DS a decently solid level of recommendation.

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Score: ★★★★★★¾☆☆☆ 6.75/10

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#Review #KadokawaGames #NisAmerica #RPGMaker #GameEngine #3DS #Retail #eShop #Gaming

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The Awesomeness of Aincrad Without The Possibility of Death!

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Developed by Aquaria Games and published by Bandai Namco, Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is the first of many JRPG's set in the world of the Sword Art Online anime series and it's a one-of-a-kind experience in many ways even when compared to other titles in the franchise! What makes this game so unique and amazing, you ask? Continue reading our review to find out the answer!



Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is a simulated MMO set after the events of the first half of season one of the anime series and occurs in an alternate timeline as such there will be inconsistencies between the Sword Art Online games and the anime. That said the story feels very true to the source material with the characters personalities and mannerisms being faithfully represented in the game.

The game is separated into two sections, Aincrad and the Hollow Area. You start off by customizing your avatar's appearance and are suddenly transported to a mysterious Hollow Area. We'll get to that shortly, but in Aincrad you can shop at various cities and socialize with your female companions while trying to progress through the final 24 floors of the floating castle. In the Hollow Area things are a bit different as you must help a girl named Philia escape from the incredibly dangerous Hollow Area.

Other differences in the Hollow Area include the implement system where you can add new features to the game using the Cardinal System to test out unimplemented features that weren't ready for SAO's release as well as Hollow Missions which are used to unlock the implements and will test your skills as a beater!



There's just so much to do in the game such as using the "good
" system to train the AI of your allies and if you're proficient enough to perfect the system you can unlock three bonus outfits for every major heroin in the game.  There are also tons of optional bosses, dating events, and sidequests in the game. There are also secret characters to be found in the hollow area as well as a permanent addition to your team who can be recruited if you finish the Hollow Area before clearing the 100th floor in Aincrad!

The basic flow in Aincrad is to work your way to the tower on each floor and then clear the dungeon located in the tower. Finally you must defeat the floor boss before moving on to the next floor. The Hollow Area works a little different and actually flows more like a traditional modern JRPG's world map with interconnected fields and dungeons. You must gather key items and then beateach region's boss before moving on to the next area.

Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is nearly 100 hours in length  not including alot of the side-content so expect the game to last you months from start to finish, especially if you want to earn the platinum trophy for the game. The game is also PSTV compatible which is fantastic for those of you who want to play the game on the big-screen!



The game also features a new game plus which adds the ability to increase the levels of every monster in the game for added challenge! The game is easy enough for most players to beat relatively easy on the first playthrough, but increasing the levels of the enemies in the new game place will test even hardcore SAO players!

The controls are kind of hard to get used to as O is used as the confirmation button while X is used as the cancel button which is completely opposite of most games released in the US. Overall once you get used to the controls they're very good. A big flaw that the game has is its poor grammar. There are so many mistranslations in the game it's almost comical. Regardless it isn't completely illegible as you can easily guess what was actually supposed to be said in each scene, but it does hurt the game's overall score.



Visually the game looks incredible for a Vita game with gorgeous CG cut-scenes as well as visual novel style story-telling. The character and enemy models outside of the cut-scenes are great looking as well, though the environmental graphics are quite dated they're still pretty to look at.

The soundtrack as pretty good albeit somewhat forgettable, while the Japanese voice acting is fantastic. The only downside is that there isn't any option to use English voices in the game.



Bottom-Line:

With great gameplay, an excellent story, and fantastic visuals Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is a superb game that any JRPG fan should enjoy, however a poor translation, confusing controls, and a forgettable soundtrack hold the game back from true greatness. Still at its $20 price on PSN it's well worth picking up. Anyways we give Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment a solid level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★½☆☆ 7.5/10

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#Review #AquariaGames #BandaiNamco #JRPG #Vita #PSTV #Gaming

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A Walk On The Wild Side!

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild is a fantastic open-world adventure game that completely reinvents the franchise. And while it's an excellent title it feel like it's lost some of that Zelda magic. Despite this we still feel the game is one of the best titles in the franchise. Continue reading our review to find out why!



Breath of The Wild is an open-world adventure game and possesses a massive world with tons of secrets and hidden areas to explore and despite being much smaller in scale than Xenoblade Chronicles X, Nintendo did a fantastic job with the topography of the world in the game to make you truly feel like an explorer! This is the game's greatest strength, however it's also its greatest weakness as well since the game nearly does away with complex puzzle solving and dungeons in favor of smaller and easier shrines.

These mini dungeons number in the 100's, but are substantially simpler than a typical dungeon in the Zelda series. With the exception of this, however Breath of The Wild is a fantastic entry in the series and other aspects such as the story-telling as well as sidequests and pseudo guild quests are superb and will keep you entertained for many hours!



The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild is also the first game in the Zelda series to have full voice acting in most of the important story scenes which gives a breath of fresh air to the narrative of the game! The difficulty of the game is fairly easy for the most part, though it can become somewhat challenging at times. For those who want a challenge, there's a difficulty setting for that! The item scavenging and pet system are extremely rich and can make exploration extremely fun for completionists!

You can also cook and craft items in the game as well. This system is somewhat limited, but is enjoyable nonetheless! The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild is also by far the longest game in the Zelda series clocking in at over 300 hours to complete one hundred percent!



The controls in the game a flawless and are a piece of cake to learn which is always a very good thing. The visuals in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild are absolutely gorgeous and even give Xenoblade Chronicles X a run for its money in-terms of the best looking Wii U games! The environments as well as the character/enemy models are intricately detailed and the Cel-Shading gives the game a breathtaking art-direction unlike anything we've ever seen before!

The soundtrack is also absolutely flawless with fully orchestrated dynamic tracks that not only fit the mood of the game, but also change in rhythm and tempo depending on what's happening around Link which adds to the game's atmosphere!



The Switch Difference:

Besides a slightly higher resolution and better frame rate on the Nintendo Switch version when docked both games are nearly identical. The only difference we can think of is that the Switch port has better textures and object models, but overall you'll have an amazing experience with the game regardless of which console you play it on!



Bottom-Line:

With an incredible story, superb gameplay, and flawless controls, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild will draw any Wii U or Switch owners to the game while the unparalleled audio-visual presentation will keep players coming back time and time again. Honestly the only drawback that the game has is that it is too different from the other games in the series, however in-terms of open-world games, Breath of The Wild is in a league of its own which is why we give the game a perfect level of recommendation to any and all Switch and Wii U owners!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★★ 10/10

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#Review #Nintendo #Zelda #WiiU #Switch #OpenWorld #Adventure #Gaming

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A Walk On The Wild Side!

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild is a fantastic open-world adventure game that completely reinvents the franchise. And while it's an excellent title it feel like it's lost some of that Zelda magic. Despite this we still feel the game is one of the best titles in the franchise. Continue reading our review to find out why!



Breath of The Wild is an open-world adventure game and possesses a massive world with tons of secrets and hidden areas to explore and despite being much smaller in scale than Xenoblade Chronicles X, Nintendo did a fantastic job with the topography of the world in the game to make you truly feel like an explorer! This is the game's greatest strength, however it's also its greatest weakness as well since the game nearly does away with complex puzzle solving and dungeons in favor of smaller and easier shrines.

These mini dungeons number in the 100's, but are substantially simpler than a typical dungeon in the Zelda series. With the exception of this, however Breath of The Wild is a fantastic entry in the series and other aspects such as the story-telling as well as sidequests and pseudo guild quests are superb and will keep you entertained for many hours!



The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild is also the first game in the Zelda series to have full voice acting in most of the important story scenes which gives a breath of fresh air to the narrative of the game! The difficulty of the game is fairly easy for the most part, though it can become somewhat challenging at times. For those who want a challenge, there's a difficulty setting for that! The item scavenging and pet system are extremely rich and can make exploration extremely fun for completionists!

You can also cook and craft items in the game as well. This system is somewhat limited, but is enjoyable nonetheless! The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild is also by far the longest game in the Zelda series clocking in at over 300 hours to complete one hundred percent!



The controls in the game a flawless and are a piece of cake to learn which is always a very good thing. The visuals in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild are absolutely gorgeous and even give Xenoblade Chronicles X a run for its money in-terms of the best looking Wii U games! The environments as well as the character/enemy models are intricately detailed and the Cel-Shading gives the game a breathtaking art-direction unlike anything we've ever seen before!

The soundtrack is also absolutely flawless with fully orchestrated dynamic tracks that not only fit the mood of the game, but also change in rhythm and tempo depending on what's happening around Link which adds to the game's atmosphere!



Bottom-Line:

With an incredible story, superb gameplay, and flawless controls, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild will draw any Wii U or Switch owners to the game while the unparalleled audio-visual presentation will keep players coming back time and time again. Honestly the only drawback that the game has is that it is too different from the other games in the series, however in-terms of open-world games, Breath of The Wild is in a league of its own which is why we give the game a perfect level of recommendation to any and all Switch and Wii U owners!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★★ 10/10

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#Review #Nintendo #Zelda #WiiU #OpenWorld #Adventure #Gaming

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Glorious Murder-Fest!

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Developed by Spike Chunsoft and published by Nis America, Danganronpa V3 is a visual novel crime-solving game where the protagonist and 15 other characters are forced into a killing game and must kill to survive long enough to solve an even bigger mystery that is keeping the main character and the others from escaping the madness. Is the game worth your time and money? We think so and here's why!



Danganronpa V3, follows the same formula as the previous titles in the series with a few new twists, however this game's story is leagues ahead of its predecessors with great character development and a plot-twist at the end of chapter one that you'll never see coming.

As always the game allows you to socialize with the group of 16 new characters and build a relationship with them, and then one member will get killed forcing you to solve the mystery through an investigation, followed by a class trial. If you guess wrong it's game over. All of this occurs while trying to find a way to escape with as many of the protagonist's newfound friends as you can!



The characters are all quite fantastic this time around with quirky and in some cases bizarre personalities. As always however, Monokuma takes center stage and often derails conversations and instigates violence and this time he's joined by his five cubs. The crimes are much more clever and thought out in V3 than in previous titles in the series which is fantastic for any would-be crime solving sleuths, however it does make the game a good deal more difficult as a result.

The real heart of the game are the class trials which can be quite hectic and ridiculously difficult at times especially if you suffer from any sort of eyesight issues, that said the whole trial system is brilliant and is done in the style of a shooting gallery. The game does a great job explaining the rules and controls of the different phases of the trial and we suggest you give them a thorough reading before starting each phase because forgetting mid-trial can easily lead to a game over.



The game is absolutely massive as it took us more than 60 hours to complete, which was quite unexpected to be honest. The controls in the game are also superb, but will likely take a half an hour or so to get used to for most players.

The audio-visual presentation of the game is nothing short of breathtaking, with manga-like story scenes, hand-drawn characters and backgrounds, as well as a great use of colors to give the game a masterful art direction. The game looks just as good on the big-screen via PSTV. Also the game's soundtrack is equally as good with a wide variety of tunes that set the mood of the game perfectly. The voice acting is also top-notch, but we highly recommend downloading the free high quality audio pack from PSN for the best audio experience.



Bottom-Line:

With a superb story and gameplay, a ton of content, and a nearly flawless audio-visual presentation, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is one of the best visual novels we have played yet and if you're a fan of mystery/crime solving or visual novels in-general we highly recommend purchasing this game. However if that isn't your cup of tea then you should probably pass on this game. Anyways, we give Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony for the Vita a nearly perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★½ 9.5/10

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#Review #Chunsoft #NisAmerica #VisualNovel #Crime #Mystery #Vita #PSTV #Gaming

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Game: Breath of Fire 3
System: PSP
Release Date:
11th September 1997 (Japan)
30th April 1998 (US)

What is it about?
You start out as a young Ryu, a silent protagonist Brood (people who transform into a dragon), which you would wander around the world to discover the origin of your race and the truth behind the God’s genocide of the Brood race.

Completion Hours: Estimated around 30 hours




Storyline: 6/10

Despite being a 30-hour game, the story in this game feels incredibly short. Trying to avoid spoilers as much as possible, you spend the first half of the game playing as a young Ryu, which would eventually develop the story into his adulthood.

During the Young Ryu’s arc, I have to admit that the story is interesting as there’s a bunch of fun adventures going around. However, when you start the Adult Ryu’s arc, the story is pretty much straight forward about searching for God. From there it’s just a straight line and when you reach the end of the line, it falls flat. The story is overall mildly entertaining, but won’t leave a deep impression in your mind.



Gameplay: 7/10

The thing I love the most about this game is the world map. You access a dungeon or an area in the map and once you’ve cleared it, you can just walk pass through it in the world map! Not only does it makes backtracking easier (you don’t need to go through the dungeon again), it also reduces the amount of those oh-so-annoying-and-easy random encounters.

But let’s talk about the battle system. For a game developed in 1997, the battle system is quite innovative for it’s time. You got the standard attack/magic/defend commands, but they also included an additional command called “Examine”, which you can learn enemy’s skills (ala Blue Mage of Final Fantasy games). Not only that, there’s a Master system, which if you set your characters to apprentice under your choice of Master, they will gain (or loss) additional stats and also learn new skills. For example, you can set your magic character to be train under a High HP and Def Master and make your magic character super tanky. It involves good planning so that your characters will have an edge in battles. Let’s not forget that since your MC is a dragon, you can mix and match different genes (which were found throughout the map) and transform into various types of dragon with different stats and abilities! This adds another layer or strategy to your battle to defeat your foes. But becareful though as transforming into a Dragon will eat up a lot of your AP, which is vital for using skills or spells. Did I also mention that the auto-attack button is also incorporated to help you save up time on battles if all you do is only attack, attack and attack.

Nevertheless I have a lot of fun with the battle system, but it could be frustrating at times because of the difficulty and how the enemies will only tend to target your weakess character in the party. That’s really uncool, bro.



Sound/Music: 7/10

Music for the most part is memorable and enjoyable. It certainly fits the cartoonish world perfectly. However, it is not high-level amazing (definitely not Nobuo Uematsu level). Still, the tunes are catchy and fun to listen to.



Graphics: 8/10

For a game that’s released in 1997, its cartoonish design is delightful to look at. There are 3d graphics used for the building structure, and it certainly doesn’t feel out of place. The map, town and dungeon design are good for the most part and it will easily draw your soul into the world.



Final Score: 7/10

I hate to admit it, but this is my first Breath of Fire game. But on the positive side, I do enjoy it throughout the game. Unfortunately, the story is too direct and short that it really makes me want to crave more out of it. I guess I just have to satisfy myself by playing other Breath of Fire games.



Will I replay the game for a second time?

Unfortunately the answer is no. The random battle is difficult at times which makes it very frustrating to get through the dungeon, and sometimes you have to play through some annoying mini-games to proceed on. (I swear to god, it was the AI’s fault that broke the rope at the beach! It’s not my fault!).

I am just glad that I was able to add this rpg to my list of completed RPGs, and I certainly have tons of fun with the battle system. If the random battles and the mini-games can be tweaked better, and with a better written story, I might come back to this game again. For that reason, this game won’t be in my “RPGs that need to be replay” list for a long long time.

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #Capcom #PSP #Retail #RPG #Gaming

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The Easiest Platinum In The Land!

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Developed by Luc Bernard and published by Arcade Distillery, Mech Tales is a very fun, albeit short platformer which we had a blast reviewing, plus it is chock full of easy gold trophies and an equally easy platinum trophy to earn, however the game is in our opinions extremely overpriced. We still loved the game to bits, but here's the brutally honest truth of the matter and we'll be honest, the game desperately needs a price-drop.

The gameplay is solid with great platforming which puts you in control of a character who wields drones that can shoot various weapons at enemies in twin-stick fashion. These weapons can be purchased between levels using badge points acquired by defeating enemies and collecting badges hidden throughout certain stages.



The enemies are challenging and brilliantly designed as are the bosses, but there aren't many enemy types which is a bit of a letdown, however what's there is superb! The game itself is quite short and should take most players less than four hours to finish and earn the platinum trophy. Mecho Tales is also PSTV compatible which is fantastic news for fans of the micro console!

The controls are a bit awkward at first, but are easy to learn so don't expect to have many issues with the game in that regard, the difficulty is quite challenging, but this is a necessity given the length of the game, any easier and it could be beat in under an hour.



The visual style of the game is decidedly steampunk in nature and looks quite nice. Don't expect to be blown away, but the character and enemy models are detailed and look great, while the stage backgrounds and world map are reasonably nice to look at. The soundtrack is okay, but there aren't many music tracks in the game and the ones that are there aren't anything special.

Now this is where things get sketchy, which is why we a foregoing the bottom-line and prelude sections of our review for Mecho Tales to just get to the point of the matter. The game's asking price is $20 which is FAR too expensive in our opinions. It's a good game, but to ask $20 for such a short game seems rather excessive. If the game were $10 it would be worth it for fans of the genre, but at $20 it's just not.



That said we review games based on the quality and not the price so Mecho Tales for the Vita receives a solid level of recommendation from us with the warning that the game is not an ideal value for your money.

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Score: ★★★★★★★½☆☆ 7.5/10

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#Review #LucBernard #ArcadeDistillery #Vita #PS4 #PSN #Gaming #Indie

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A Deserted Paradise!

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Developed by Nihon Falcom Games and published by NIS America Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is the eighth numbered entry in the long-running, exploration-heavy Ys series and is one of the best Action-RPG's available on the Vita in our opinions! Why do we hold this game in such high regards? Continue reading our review to find out!



Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is an Action-RPG at its core, much like previous entries in the series. The game emphasises on exploration and does an excellent job at puting player's into Adol Christin's shoes with its semi open world, complete with various vast ecosystems. The objective in this game is to find survivors from your ship that help you unlock new facilities in Castaway Village as well as helping you remove barriers to reach previously impossible to reach areas of the island!

Along the way you'll face many enemies and a seemingly endless barrage of bosses bent on ending your desperate plan to escape the island. Much like Zelda games you can obtain tools to solve certain issues or reach areas you couldn't before such as high ledges using the double-jump tool or walking across a swamp using a certain other tool. These tools are a core mechanic of the series and really add to the games and in YS VIII things are no different in this regard!



Ys VIII also adds various new minigames such as fishing and interception missions where you must fight off hordes of monsters in a raid-like battle to protect Castaway Village. These add quite a bit of replay value to the game which is always a good thing! Also Ys VIII is easily the longest game in the entire series and can take first-timers upwards to 50+ hours to beat!

The controls are decent, however you might want to remap some of the buttons should you decide to play the game on a PSTV. In-terms of difficulty, Ys VIII ranges from easy on the easiest setting to rage-inducing on the most challenging setting so expect to be able to play at your own level be you a pro or newbie to the series!



The visuals in the game are among the best we've ever seen on the Vita. The character models are gorgeous and unique with a ton of details while the world itself is lush and full of life. The game quite literally looks like it belongs on the PS3 which blew our minds.  We never imagined that such amazing graphics were even possible on the hardware so kudos to Nihon Falcom for pulling off this hat-trick!

The soundtrack is equally impressive as expected of the in-house Falcom music studio! While not quite as good as the music in The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel, it's still top-notch and even has a cameo track from The Legend of Heroes: Trails in The Sky which is a nice touch!



Bottom-Line:

With highly enjoyable and nearly flawless gameplay, tons of content and fun minigames, good controls, and an excellent story, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA will have any fans of the RPG genre instantly hooked, and the difficulty options, gorgeous visuals, and top-notch soundtrack will keep you coming back for more! Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is in our opinions one of the very best experiences available for the Vita and as such we give the game a nearly perfect level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★★ 10/10

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#NihonFalcom #NisAmerica #Review #YSVIII #Sony #Vita #Gaming #PSN

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Tactical Paradise!

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Developed by Kadokawa Games and published by NIS America, God Wars: Future Past is a Japanese warring states era tactical RPG that is absolutely breathtaking in its art-direction, but how is the rest of the game you ask? Continue reading our review to find out!

The gameplay is relatively straightforward with classes, a grid-based battle system, and stage based story progression so don't expect the unexpected with this game, but what you can expect is extremely solid mechanics and a fantastic story that will have you facing off against soldiers, demi humans, and even gods. Also every character possesses a unique job class of their own which gives players incentive to try to place every character in their party at some point which is always fantastic. Lastly the maps in God Wars: Future Past are relatively straightforward and there aren't too many gimmicks that will pose much of a threat to new players of the genre.



The controls are solid and easy to learn which is always a good thing. The difficulty on the other hand does experience frequent and sudden spikes that can be annoying at time, but shouldn't prevent you from progressing through the game with enough grinding.

Visually the game is gorgeous and possesses a very unique art-style that sets it apart from other SRPG's on the platform. The anime cutscenes of which there are a good deal of in the game are amazing as well. The soundtrack is also just as enjoyable as is the voice acting so expect to be blown-away by the game's audio-visual presentation!



Bottom-Line:

With excellent gameplay, solid controls, PSTV compatibility, and a flawless audio-visual presentation, God Wars: Future Past is an excellent Strategy RPG that's well worth getting if you're a fan of the genre and while there are some difficulty spikes, none of them were too difficult to get past by merely grinding a bit. Overall we give God Wars: Future Past for the Playstation Vita a superb level of recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#NisAmerica #KadokawaGames #Review #Vita #PSTV #SRPG

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Dungeon Crawling of The Afterlife!

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Developed by Nippon Ichi and published by Nis America, Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku is the latest installment in the Cladun series of games and though it may not impress visually, the game is an absolute masterpiece! Continue reading the rest of our review if you want to know why!

Cladun Returns is a bite-sized very fast paced dungeon crawler that has a decent amount of content and deep gameplay that'll likely entice players who're fans of dungeon crawlers and for good reason as it truly is an incredible game at its core.



Cladun Returns is a classic Nippon Ichi game with a homebase town and dungeons separated by chapters, things get interesting after these basic familiar concepts however. First of all you can give your characters an actual personality which greatly affects the dialogue of the game's story which makes each playthrough feel unique. You can also create subordinates to not only aid you in battle, but also bolster your stats and grant unique abilities to your leader unit.

The battle formula is hard to explain, it's not a strategy board with grid-based battles, but more along the lines of a roguelike, or even more accurately the battle system in games like Stardew Valley and Rune Factory are quite similar in many ways. However Cladun Returns has a very deep system that can be quite daunting at times unlike the aforementioned titles, the best thing to do is play at the easiest level of difficulty to get used to the formula and once you get through the steep curve you'll be ready for the tougher battles.



The story is decent albeit a bit on the forgettable side and the game is quite short compared to other Nippon Ichi titles such as Disgaea. The controls are fairly tight and easy to learn which is always a good thing.

On the audio-visual side of things, the game's world looks great with an excellent art-direction and theme, however the character and enemy models are hilariously bad looking which does the rest of the game's visual aspects a grave injustice. It's rare for games to look so pretty in certain aspects and so bad in others. On to the positives however, the soundtrack is excellent and fits the mood and theme of the game quite nicely and is one of the strongest aspects of the game!



Bottom-Line: With great gameplay gameplay that's fresh and unique, excellent controls, and a wonderful soundtrack, Cladun Returns: This Is Sengoku is an instant classic that should entice any Nippon Ichi fan into purchasing the game, however dreadful character and enemy models and a steep learning curve might put off some potential customers, however if you can get past its flaws there's a beautiful gem of an experience to be found in this game! We give Cladun Returns: This Is Sengoku a solid recommendation!

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #CladunReturns #NipponIchi #NisA #Vita

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Zeldahorn: The Wind Waker Ocean!

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Developed by Cornfox and published by FDG Entertainment, Oceanhorn is an excellent action-adventure title that's sure to please, but how good is it? Continue reading our review to find out!

There's no denying that Oceanhorn is inspired by The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, but it does have some differences and sadly they do make the game a bit less entertaining than the title that it was inspired by. First the positives! The battle system is fantastic, with good pacing and fun boss battles. The puzzles are quite good and sometimes are a little tricky too.

The missions are quite challenging at times and will have you do various things like kill x amount of enemies, ship an item to another island, etc. and will often earn you trophies so they're definitely worth doing if you're a completionist!



The negatives are that exploration by boat is done through a set path, basically on-the-rails which kills the sense of adventure and the number of tools is pretty disappointing compared to Zelda titles. Overall though the gameplay is still quite solid!

The visuals are quite good with vibrant characters and gorgeous effects such as glimmering water which really adds to the experience. The character and enemy models on the other hand are somewhat lacklustre, but the bosses are in most cases very cool looking! The soundtrack is superb and really fits the mood of the game! Expect a variety of catchy tunes that you will likely remember long after you finish the game!



Bottom-Line:

With solid gameplay, excellent music, and a superb audio-visual presentation we thoroughly enjoyed our playthrough of the game. There were a few aspects of the game that kept it from becoming a masterpiece, but overall Oceanhorn was a fun and memorable experience and we recommend it to all fans of the action and adventure genres!

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Score: ★★★★★★★½☆☆ 7.5/10

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#Vita #PSN #Oceanhorn #FDG #Cornfox #Review

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Riding The Trails of Awesomeness!

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Developed by Nihon Falcom Games and published by XSeed Games, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II picks up where the first Trails of Cold Steel game left off and is much quicker to pick up in-terms of action, but is that enough to make the game better than its predecessor? We think so and here's why!



The story picks up shortly after the events at the end of the first game with the protagonist Rean being separated from the rest of his classmates. The story is actually much more fast-paced and dark than the original Trails of Cold Steel title, but does a great job throwing in some comedy and lighthearted shinanigans as well to balance things out!

The gameplay has been tweaked and modified a bit as well. Mech battles also play a bigger role in the game and the world is much more open than in the original ToCS title! Possibly the best aspect of Trails of Cold Steel 2 is the ability to travel across the world in an airship that you'll obtain in Chapter 2! Battle linking is still an important part of battles and you can now unleash a few new techniques further enhancing the series' already strategic battle system!



The music is actually even better in this sequel than it was in volume one which is quite a hat trick given how absolutely sublime the music was in part one of The Trails of Cold Steel trilogy. Some old music tracks return, but there are plenty of new ones added that are just as good! There are also many more voiced cutscenes in this game than there were in Cold Steel one which is fantastic news and adds alot to the overall presentation of the game!



Bottom-Line:

With excellent gameplay, a wonderful story, and a nearly flawless soundtrack, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II is one of the best JRPG's available on PS3 and we highly recommend the game to all fans of the genre! We give this game a perfect score!

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★★ 10/10

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#PS3 #JRPG #NihonFalcom #ToCS2 #Review

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Rock Solid Platforming!

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Developed by Jaywalkers Interactive and published by Abstraction Games, Kick & Fennick is a fantastic 2.5D platformer with alot of charm and a fantastic audio-visual presentation! Is this enough to make Kick & Fennick a blockbuster indie hit like Shovel Knight or Freedom Planet? Not quite, but it's still a fantastic title in its own right and here's why!

Kick & Fennick is a fairly lengthy platformer with over 5 hours of gameplay. The gameplay itself is quite unique as your character will use a rather oversized gun to launch himself to reach otherwise inaccessible platforms and in certain cases to defeat enemies. There are some collectables in the game, but not many.



The game starts off easy, but actually becomes fairly difficult in the later stages and should provide a decent challenge which is always a good thing!

The controls are perfect and should be a cinch for most players to learn! Visually the game is gorgeous and looks on par with AAA 2.5D platformers such as Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze so expect to be wowed! The soundtrack is also superb and fits the game quite nicely!



Bottom-Line:

With great gameplay, flawless controls, and a perfectly balanced level of difficulty, Kick & Fennick will draw players in, and its charming and superb audio-visual presentation will leave a smile on their faces! These reasons and more are why we highly recommend the game to all Wii U owners! It's not quite at the same level as masterpieces such as Shovel Knight, but it comes very close!

Price: $14.99

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Score: ★★★★★★★★½☆☆ 8.5/10

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#WiiU #Review #KickAndFennick #eShop

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Hitting The Trails of Adventure!

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Developed by Nihon Falcom and published by XSEED Games, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is a turn-based JRPG with a rich story, unique characters, and vibrant world. Does this mean that the game is worth your time and money? Continue reading our review to find out!

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Trails of Cold Steel is a very strategy oriented JRPG that emphasises teamwork between party members via the Arcus system. This allows players to use special skills during battles and activates certain random skills such as cover and counterattack depending on the party members. These skills can be unlocked by bonding with your party members in many various ways.

Battles themselves are pretty fun with very unique enemies and bosses. The most awesome feature, however isn't even unlocked until the last 30-60 minutes of the game which is definitely annoying and will make you want to race out and purchase Trails of Cold Steel II.



The game features a hodgepodge of mechanics from many classic JRPG's including weapon customization, guild-style quests, turn-based battles, formations, really it feels like it's inspired by the greats of the 90's and early 2000's.

The game's story is both its greatest strength and weakness. The story is very detailed with alot of backstory and lore and character plots and development are top-notch in the game, but story progression in agonizingly slow to the point that the entire 100+ hours in the first game feels like a mere prologue to the second Trails of Cold Steel. Pacing is important and Nihon Falcom failed stupendously with this game. We're not saying it's a bad game, far from it in-fact, however it is a serious enough issue to negatively affect our overall opinions of the game.

The controls are superb as expected and the audio-visual presentation is fantastic in the game! We were hard-pressed to find any songs that we didn't like and the boss theme is at Xenoblade Chronicles level of perfection! The voice acting is somewhat limited and is used mostly during important story scenes and during battles, but what is there is among the best voice acting we've heard from a JRPG in a very longtime! Visually the game looks pretty darn good for a direct port of a Vita title, but don't expect to be blown away.



Bottom-Line:

With excellent gameplay full of strategic possibilities, excellent controls and a nearly flawless sound-track The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel will draw most fans of the genre in and the superb voice acting will certainly keep them entertained, however extremely poor pacing of the story will likely be offputing to many gamers. If you have the patience Trails of Cold Steel will certainly be a worthwhile 100+ hour experience!

Price: $39.99

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7.8/10

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#Review #PS3 #ToCS #NihonFalcom #XSEEDGames

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This Dragon Rocks!

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Developed by Dimps and published by Namco Bandai, Dragon Ball Xenoverse is part JRPG, part fighter, and all fun! So what is so grand about Dragon Ball Xenoverse and what sets it apart from the countless other DBZ games that have been released over the years? The answer is just about everything! Continue reading our review to find out all the juicy details regarding this amazing PS3 and PS4 title!

The story in Dragon Ball Xenoverse is well-crafted and allows you to relive epic moments in the DBZ mythos in a completely new way. Without spoiling much of the plot, basically bad guys are altering history and it's up to you and Trunks to set things right! This gives a breath of fresh air that most DBZ titles have sorely lacked.

The gameplay is also rather refreshing with the ability to customize your avatar's attire, abilities, and move-set as well as boosting his or her stats after leveling up! The game allows you to create an avatar from one of five species, including Saiyans, Majins, and the Frieza race. Each species and or gender has unique strengths and weaknesses to employ or exploit which adds a layer of strategy when developing your character.

Overall the game is a fighter at heart, but it does have very heavy influences from the RPG genre which is what actually makes the game so darned good! Also the controls are very intuitive and easy to learn even for the most inexperienced players in the genre!

The online gameplay is quite solid despite lacking a virtual keyboard. You'll definitely want to invest in a headset if you plan to play with friends or for extended periods of time. The PS3 version's servers are surprisingly stable so don't expect to be kicked from the servers too frequently unless you have particularly unstable internet connection.



The visuals are quite good for a PS3 title with excellently detailed character models, gorgeous cell shading, and a nearly flawless frame-rate even during the most hectic of battles! The sound-track is equally as good with some tunes straight from the Japanese version of the original anime series as well as the official voice actors from the anime!

Bottom-Line:

With excellent gameplay, a great story, and flawless controls Dragon Ball Xenoverse is a step above its predecessors while the superb audio-visual presentation and robust online gameplay will keep players entranced in the game's immersive world! Overall Dragon Ball Xenoverse is a fantastic game that we highly recommend to any fan of the genre or series!

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Price: $29.99

Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#PS3 #DBZ #Fighter #Review #NamcoBandai #Dimps

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Steer Clear of This Fantasy...

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Developed by Muteki Corporation and published by Choice Provisions Dragon Fantasy Book II: The Black Tome of Ice is the sequel to Dragon Fantasy Book I: The Volumes of Westeria which we thoroughly enjoyed in our Wii U and 3DS reviews of the game! Dragon Fantasy Book II is fantastic in theory, however many horrible bugs leave the game in a nearly unplayable state. Here's our opinions of the game.

Dragon Fantasy Book II is an action-rpg similar to Chrono Trigger in-terms of its mechanics, which would be good if not for major technical issues. First of all, during battles the game has a tendency to lag horribly which doesn't make much sense given the fact that the game could have run on a SNES given enough time and effort.



The battles are fast-paced whin the game is functioning properly. You can befriend monsters and have them battle alongside you just like in the first game of the series. The game is quite easy at times and the controls are nearly flawless the latter of which might be the only strong-point that the game possesses. Now to the ugly truth of the matter. Dragon Fantasy Book II is broken, the game freezes frequently, the audio cuts in and out, visual distortions occur regularly, and so many buildings and locations are buggy beyond belief...

Several buildings have a bug that occurs when entered which freezes the game and wipes your save data. There are other bugs that occur during certain story missions when you die that respawn you in an area that prevents you from returning to where you were before forcing you to restart the game from the beginning. These bugs are among the worst we've ever seen and seriously hurt this game's overall score...



Visually the game looks gorgeously retro and the music is fantastic as well! In-terms of the audio-visual presentation Dragon Fantasy Book II: The Black Tome of Ice could easily be mistaken for a 16-bit era AAA JRPG except for the constant static and issues with the audio cutting out and minor visual distortions that occur throughout the game. Honestly this game would be 10/10 material if not for the horrific number of game-breaking bugs that this game possesses.

Bottom-Line:

With flawless controls, excellent gameplay, and a fantastic audio-visual presentation, Dragon Fantasy Book II: The Black Tome of Ice would be a nearly perfect game if not for the fact that nearly every aspect of the game is hampered by serious game-breaking bugs. The issues are so severe that we can't recommend the game to anyone as-is.

Price: $14.99

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Score: ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 1/10

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#Review #DragonFantasyBookII #ChoiceProvisions #MutekiCorp #JRPG #Bad

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Steer Clear of This Fantasy...

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Developed by Muteki Corporation and published by Choice Provisions Dragon Fantasy Book II: The Black Tome of Ice is the sequel to Dragon Fantasy Book I: The Volumes of Westeria which we thoroughly enjoyed in our Wii U and 3DS reviews of the game! Dragon Fantasy Book II is fantastic in theory, however many horrible bugs leave the game in a nearly unplayable state. Here's our opinions of the game.

Dragon Fantasy Book II is an action-rpg similar to Chrono Trigger in-terms of its mechanics, which would be good if not for major technical issues. First of all, during battles the game has a tendency to lag horribly which doesn't make much sense given the fact that the game could have run on a SNES given enough time and effort.



The battles are fast-paced whin the game is functioning properly. You can befriend monsters and have them battle alongside you just like in the first game of the series. The game is quite easy at times and the controls are nearly flawless the latter of which might be the only strong-point that the game possesses. Now to the ugly truth of the matter. Dragon Fantasy Book II is broken, the game freezes frequently, the audio cuts in and out, visual distortions occur regularly, and so many buildings and locations are buggy beyond belief...

Several buildings have a bug that occurs when entered which freezes the game and wipes your save data. There are other bugs that occur during certain story missions when you die that respawn you in an area that prevents you from returning to where you were before forcing you to restart the game from the beginning. These bugs are among the worst we've ever seen and seriously hurt this game's overall score...



Visually the game looks gorgeously retro and the music is fantastic as well! In-terms of the audio-visual presentation Dragon Fantasy Book II: The Black Tome of Ice could easily be mistaken for a 16-bit era AAA JRPG except for the constant static and issues with the audio cutting out and minor visual distortions that occur throughout the game. Honestly this game would be 10/10 material if not for the horrific number of game-breaking bugs that this game possesses.

Bottom-Line:

With flawless controls, excellent gameplay, and a fantastic audio-visual presentation, Dragon Fantasy Book II: The Black Tome of Ice would be a nearly perfect game if not for the fact that nearly every aspect of the game is hampered by serious game-breaking bugs. The issues are so severe that we can't recommend the game to anyone as-is.

Price: $14.99

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Score: ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 1/10

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#Review #DragonFantasyBookII #ChoiceProvisions #MutekiCorp #JRPG #Bad

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An Adventure To The Maxia!

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Developed by Tales Team and published by Bandai Namco, Tales of Xillia is a relatively recent title in the long-running and fairly popular Tales of series. While it doesn't quite live up to the high standards Tales of The Abyss and Tales of Vesperia set, it's still quite an enjoyable action JRPG!

The story is actually one of the strong points of Xillia with many excellent plot-twists and curveballs thrown you'll be left guessing what's next! The game also lets you choose your main character, each of the two characters has a slightly different story similar to how Star Ocean: The Second Story utilizes the very same feature!



The game is fairly short by the series standards and can be beaten within 50-60 hours on your first playthrough. The game utilizes the same combat formula the Tales of series is famous for and tweaks it a bit with the link system and a skill tree to buildup your characters however you want to!

The game is fairly light on puzzle solving which depending on your personal tastes could be either a good or bad thing. An interesting new feature is that you actually have to level-up shops to get better prices and unlock new products by donating money and materials. Lastly the characters are extremely likeable in Tales of Xillia and character development is done right!



Visually the game looks nice especially the animated cut-scenes, however the many fields and dungeons look too similar to one-another which feels rather lazy, though the main towns look nice. The ports also have the same problem with all of them looking identical to each other. The characters and enemies on the other hand are varied and look excellent. The soundtrack is also very well-done and fits the game quite well!

Bottom-Line:

With excellent gameplay, a great story, and a fantastic audio presentation, Tales of Xillia is a great PS3 action-rpg that fans of the series and genre should truly enjoy, however the lack of creativity in the games fields and dungeons really hold this game back on a visual standpoint, however we still highly recommend this game!

Price: $19.99.

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Score: ★★★★★★★★½☆ 8.5/10

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#Review #TalesOfXillia #JRPG #BandaiNamco #PS3 #Retail #PSN

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Holy Cleopatra!

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Developed and published by The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild, Tumblestone is a match-three puzzler like no other, as it possesses some of the best multiplayer action that we've ever seen in the genre as well as many unique modes of play!

Tumblestone's single player campaign starts off relatively easy, but quickly becomes exceptionally difficult to the point that the game might be too tough for the average player to complete. The multiplayer is the real draw of the game and it's among the best in the genre in that regard! There are several modes of multiplayer including tug of war, vs., and more that will test you and your friends' skills.



The controls are easy to learn and work quite well with the game. As for the visuals they are quite nice for a puzzler and there's quite a nice variety to the stage backgrounds, characters, and the world maps. The music and sound effects are also superb so expect a fantastic audio-visual presentation with this game!

Bottom-Line:

With excellent gameplay and intuitive controls Tumblestone will immediately hook fans of the puzzle genre and the challenging difficulty will keep you coming back for more, though the biggest draw of Tumblestone is most certainly its fantastic multiplayer modes! The charming graphics and excellent soundtrack is just the virtual cherry on top! There's really no reason to skip this game if you like the genre other than its price. At $24.99 it's one of the most expensive eShop only titles, however it feels like a retail game so the price is understandable!

Price: $24.99

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★★ 10/10

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#Review #Tumblestone #WiiU #eShop #Indie #Nindie

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Infinitely Solid!

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We're huge JRPG buffs here at WiiWareWave so we always jump at the opportunity to review a new JRPG! Kemco are perhaps best known for being prolific contributors of the genre, especially on the 3DS eShop so it shouldn't come as a surprise that they've released yet another JRPG on Nintendo's aging handheld console. Does Infinite Dunamis live up to the solid to great standard of Kemco's other eShop offerings? We think so and here's why:

Infinite Dunamis possesses a steampunk-style world and story and is quite different in that regard to most of Kemco's other JRPG offerings. The battle system is fairly straightforward, however there are a few unique elements that make it feel a little more unique. The level of customization of Estelle, one of the main characters is definitely one of the highlights of the game.



The controls are easy to learn and very intuitive which is always a good thing, in-terms of difficulty, the game is no cakewalk especially later on, but it's not overly difficult either so don't expect to get stuck too often. Visually the game looks decent enough, sure it's not going to win any awards in this regard, but it still looks nice for a budget title! The sound-track on the other hand is superb and fits the mood of the game quite nicely!

Bottom-Line:

With solid gameplay, a fairly unique steampunk story, excellent controls, and a well-balanced level of difficulty, Infinite Dunamis is a rather enjoyable JRPG that fans of the genre should thoroughly enjoy! The visuals are decent enough, but the sound-track is definitely the high-point of the game. If you're a fan of Japanese roleplaying games, you'll be right at home with Infinite Dunamis!

Price: $9.99/£9.99

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #3DS #eShop #Kemco #InfiniteDunamis #JRPG

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A Hero or A Zero?

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Developed by Platinum Games and published by Nintendo, Star Fox Zero is a unique on-the-rails shooter like no other in the series! But is this a good thing or bad? Continue reading our review to find out the answer to this question and so much more:

The gameplay in Star Fox Zero is very similar to most other cannon titles in the series, however there is no doubt that the game is far more robust and refined of an experience than its predecessors! First of all there are many new vehicles and tools to advance through the game's many stages including returning favorites such as the Land Rover and Submarines and new ones such as a mecha version of the Arwing and a drone which features a neat easter egg that we won't spoil!

Speaking of the drone sections while they certainly make good use of the Wii U Gamepad they're extremely difficult and feel more like a chore to take on. We'd have preferred these sections be at least a little more enjoyable, but as they are now they just aren't.



The game also features a robust achievement system and is it challenging! Some achievements are fairly straightforward, while others require a literal miracle to achieve which is great for replay value! The enemies in Star Fox Zero are quite interesting, however the controls and certain Gamepad features are very awkward and make the game feel like a chore to play which is a very bad thing and hurts our overall opinions of the game.

Visually the game looks decent enough and the frame-rate is okay for the most-part, however for a Wii U title the worlds are quite barren and the graphics in-general look like an early PS3 game, which is unfortunate given how gorgeous games such as Xenoblade Chronicles X, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, and Bayonetta look on the Wii U.

The sound-track is excellent and really fits the mood of the game, but recycled sound effects and voice-overs from Star Fox 64 make the game feel quite unoriginal which again, hurts our overall opinions of the game.



Bottom-Line:

With great albeit flawed gameplay, somewhat difficult controls that take hours to grow accustomed to, and a somewhat disappointing audio-visual presentation, Star Fox Zero is a solid game that could have been so much better. Despite being the weakest title in the series we still think the game deserves a solid level of recommendation!

Price: $49.99/"$59.99 With Star Fox Guard"

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Score: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10

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#Review #StarFoxZero #Nintendo #PlatinumGames #WiiU #Retail

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One of The Best Adventure Titles For U!

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Developed by LookAtMyGame and published by Aksys Games Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus is an Adventure-Platformer in the veins of Zelda II for the NES or the Wonder Boy series. The game was originally nearly broken when it launched on the Wii U eShop, but was quickly patched "at least in North America" so what do we think of the title now that it's been patched? Continue reading our review to find out the answer to that question:

The gameplay in Chronicles of Teddy is very polished and enjoyable, with enough content to be considered a full retail release! There are four main dungeons chock full of unique enemies and bosses as well as several smaller mini-dungeons to test your wits! The game has quite a steep difficulty spike near the end so expect to get stumped!



A unique element of the game is that you communicate and solve puzzles using a unique musical instrument in the game. In fact if used cleverly enough you can even get past certain bosses without even having to face them, which is a really cool feature in our opinions! You can also find new powers to progress further into the game's world after completing each dungeon.

The game's controls are quite tight and are easy as pie to learn which is always a very important factor for any game! The Off-TV-Play is always a welcome feature, as is the option to use any one of a plethora of controllers such as the Classic Controller Pro, Wii U Pro Controller, and of course the Gamepad!


Visually the game is gorgeous with colorful and cheery backgrounds, unique character and enemy models, and splendidly awesome bosses that really add to the overall experience and the sound-track is equally as enjoyable! You won't hear a single complaint about the audio-visual presentation from us, however the patch that fixed various freezing problems and issues that caused the audio to permanently cut-out in North America has not been released in Europe at the time that we published this article so expect a vastly inferior experience if you're a European gamer...



Bottom-Line:

With great gameplay, solid controls, and an excellent audio-visual presentation, Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus is a top-notch eShop adventure that no Wii U owner should skip, unless of course you're a European gamer since the gamebreaking glitches haven't been patched up yet in the region. The game is a meek 2/10 in Europe in our opinions, however the fully functional North American version gets a great level of recommendation from us!

Price: £12.09/$14.99

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Score: ★★★★★★★★★☆ 9/10

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#Review #WiiU #eShop #Adventure #Action #AksysGames

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Katamari Damacy Meets The FPS Genre!

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Developed by QUICKTEQUILA Games and published by tinyBuild Games Lovely Planet is a hardcore FPS at its core with deceptively cute Katamari Damacy style graphics that strangely seem to compliment one-another! The game isn't without its faults, however we feel that it's definitely worth looking into and here's why:

The game is a very simple FPS at first glance, however the advanced physics engine and sheer scope of the game is surprisingly impressive. The game has several features crucial to speedrunners including a built-in timer which can be used to see just how quickly you can beat the games' 100 levels. The game can easily take 4-6 hours to beat, however once you get the hang of the game you can easily beat it in under an hour and a half!



The first off-putting aspect of the game is the fact that there's no cross-hair to aid you which can make aiming quite difficult. Thankfully the game does possess a target-lock button, however it is still somewhat inconvenient to use.

Another negative is that Lovely Planets' controls are extremely awkward "especially the button-mapping" and take some serious getting used to which is definitely not good in our opinions. The title's Off-TV-Play is a great feature that is always welcome!

Visually Lovely Planet looks absolutely adorable in a simplistic and colorful way! Fans of the Katamari Damacy series should feel right at home with the art-direction of the game! The sounds effects in Lovely Planet are okay, but nothing special, however the soundtrack is fairly decent in our opinions!



Bottom-Line:

With solid gameplay, a great amount of content, and adorable visuals, Lovely Planet is a decent to solid first person shooter that is quirky and fun to play in small doses, however poor button-mapping and other poor choices in Lovely Planets' design really holds the game back. Regardless the game still deserves a decent recommendation in our opinions!

Price: £7.99/€8.99/$9.99

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Score: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6/10

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#Review #WiiU #eShop #QUICKTEQUILA #tinyBuildGames #LovelyPlanet

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Alchemic Block-Busting!

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Developed and published by Haunted Bees Productions, BLOCKARA is an interesting title in the puzzle genre that is hampered by a few bugs and a lackluster art-style, but does that mean that the game itself is forgettable? We don't think so and here's why:

The story is rather forgettable as is expected from a title in the puzzle genre, however the gameplay is quite unique! Basically you must destroy your opponent's blocks, fire, water, and plant with opposing blocks in a sort of rock-paper-scissors tug of war, however you and your opponent can shift your blocks around at any time which really adds to the strategic elements of the game, especially during multiplayer matches!



There are a few issues as some areas of the options menu are inaccessible due to a bug, including the setting for color-blind mode which is quite a shame. The controls on the other hand are pretty good and are a snap to learn and the Off-TV-Play is always a welcome feature!

Visually the game looks very low-budget and it feels more like a cheap to free iphone title in that regard. The music on the other hand is fairly good and fits the game well, but even that is marred by excruciatingly annoying voice acting so the audio-visual presentation in a nutshell is definitely below average.



Bottom-Line:

With unique gameplay that can be great fun especially during multiplayer matches, great controls that are easy to learn, and decent music that fits the game quite well, Blockara is a great puzzler that most fans of the genre should enjoy, however lackluster visuals, slightly annoying voice acting, and a broken options menu do hurt this game's overall score. Even so Blockara still gets a decent level of recommendation from us!

Price: $6.99

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Score: ★★★★★★¾☆☆☆ 6.9/10

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#Review #WiiU #eShop #Blockara #HauntedBeesProductions #Puzzle

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