[Review] Cytus Alpha
Posted on 4 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 25, 2019
Developer: Rayark
Publisher: Flyhigh Works
Music has always been essential in games since the beginning of time, spanning from chiptune to various forms of electronic based music with MIDIs, synths, and beyond, to the more contemporary live orchestrations. It’s no shock then that rhythm games – where the core focus is music itself – would gain popularity and only continue to grow thanks to the likes of Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero. Recent hits help remind us about what makes the rhythm genre so great, not only giving us tons of great songs to play through, but introducing clever and inventive ways to play. That trend continues on Switch with Cytus Alpha – a re-imagining of one of mobile’s most enjoyable and highest grossing games.
More: Acttil, Cytus Alpha, Flyhigh Works, highlight, PM Studios, Rayark, top
[Review] Cuphead
Posted on 4 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 18, 2019
Developer: Studio MDHR
Publisher: Studio MDHR
Back in 2014, the world was first introduced to a peculiar game known as Cuphead that had an aesthetic thought to be long forgotten, but presented itself with such panache that it was as compelling as it was unique and eye-catching. Its 1930s art direction oddly made you excited to watch the next episode to a show that didn’t exist, and the game was able to hit the right notes with so many people from so many generations. Now Cuphead has been given a chance to shine once again thanks to its new release on Switch.
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[Review] Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission
Posted on 5 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 9, 2019
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Very few properties can say they have a long running series that have delivered such a wide array of genres for decades much like Dragon Ball has. Akira Toriyama’s magnum opus spans countless generations throughout a multitude of mediums, each with their own twist and flavor to appeal to just about anyone out there with an interest in Dragon Ball. From fighting games, to RPGs, to strategy games and beyond, Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission now builds upon that roster of titles by introducing Japan’s number one digital card game for years to the western market at last and makes it accessible at the comfort of your own home and on the go.
[Review] Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World
Posted on 5 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 26, 2019
Developer: Gust
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists celebrates twenty years of the prolific RPG series bringing together protagonists for every Atelier title up until Lydie & Suelle for a crossover event that sees them coming together to help Nelke expand a new town and helping them thrive once again. It’s really great to be able to see all of these fantastic characters over two decades join up and utilize all of their special skills in alchemy and craftsmanship – as well as monster slaying – as they simultaneously get to know each other and understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses while figuring out the best way to go about goods distribution and town replenishment. This is something we’ve seen in plenty of Atelier titles before as we go from city to city meeting new characters and friends along the way while having an overall goal to help those around you. Altruism has always been a big charm with it, and Nelke is no different. However, this is mostly where the similarities end as the game itself has been turned on its head and goes from an RPG the series is known for, to a banal menu management experience where you’ll ultimately just watch plants grow in between massive visual novel-like segments. Everything introduced in Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists is stuff we’ve seen millions of times in the mobile gaming spectrum, and it doesn’t do it any favors here. Even as a spinoff title it doesn’t warrant paying a premium for something that only resembles Atelier by name and art.
[Review] RemiLore
Posted on 5 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: February 26, 2019
Developer: Pixellore
Publisher: Nicalis
RemiLore is a beautiful game at face value that brings you into a fantasy world of magic and adventure. You’ll play as the protagonist Remi and her grimoire companion throughout dungeons that are vibrant and stand out compared to other titles within the genre. However, while things may seem appealing and inviting at the surface, what you ultimately have is a game with a bit of an identity crisis as it incorporates so many elements between its story, gameplay, structure, and mechanics that it feels like a mess attempting too much at once just to stand out further. There’s promise to be had every time you play through it, but nothing ever clicks or feels as if it belongs, making the entire experience feel like one big “what’s the point?” scenario.
[Review] Steins;Gate Elite
Posted on 5 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: February 19, 2019
Developer: 5pb.
Publisher: Spike Chunsoft
In 2009 we were introduced to a work of science fiction that, to this day, holds great value and precedence in its prowess of storytelling and continues to be revered as one of the greatest visual novels ever produced: Steins;Gate. This was part of Chiyomaru’s Shikura’s Science Adventure series that was preceded by Chaos;Head. The Science Adventure series from 5pb. and Nitroplus spans quite a few games that are still developed to this day and all bring their own flare, charm, and narrative, with sequels more so being spiritual successors rather than follow-ups. With Switch’s first installment, Steins;Gate Elite, we have a beautiful and faithful rework of sorts that now has the chance to breathe new life again and be introduced to a whole new audience. It was something I thought wouldn’t entirely work at first since it uses most of the anime’s cutscenes to retell its original story (with a few exceptions), but what ended up ultimately happening was a rekindling of love for one of my favorite games and some of my favorite characters in the medium.
More: 5pb., highlight, Spike Chunsoft, Steins;Gate Elite, top
[Review] Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force
Posted on 5 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch (eShop)
Release date: January 17, 2019
Developer: Idea Factory / Compile Heart / Ghostlight
Publisher: Idea Factory
Fairy Fencer F felt very familiar to Idea Factory fans when it launched half a decade ago thanks to it using the same system and mechanics as the developer’s most successful property, the Hyperdimension Neptunia series. The game not only had the same arena turn-based RPG combat that made Hyperdimension Neptunia stick out from other JRPGs, but was progressed in a visual novel-like format with tons of dialogue and mostly static images and a much more tactical menu and layout that could change the pace of a battle in the blink of an eye. Still, Fairy Fencer F had its issues, with the occasional technical hiccups, some game breaking moments, prolonged tutorials, and a multitude of other minute things that eventually pile up and take a toll on the overall experience. Thankfully, an “enhanced” version released a few years later with Advent Dark Force, which has been the standard Fairy Fencer F game moving forward. It had tons of quality-of-life enhancements, as well as all DLC included from its original release and even included new story routes that were accessible through key decisions the player would make throughout the game. Advent Dark Force made Fairy Fencer F feel, for the most part, polished and complete. While Idea Factory’s PC ports haven’t had the best track record Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force was certainly playable on that platform and is a ton of fun. Sadly, that is more than one could say about the state of the Switch version.
[Review] Katamari Demacy Reroll
Posted on 5 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: December 7, 2018
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Since 2004, Katamari Demacy has always held a special place in the gaming spectrum with its quirky design but colorful and lovable world that has players simply rolling up items to make the biggest possible star that they can. What started off as a school project would end up becoming a series that would span well over a decade of titles across a multitude of platforms and become one of the most beloved niche classics known today. It’s been a long time since Katamari Demacy had a proper installment, but Katamari Demacy Reroll sees the Switch go back to the series’ beginning.
More: Bandai Namco, highlight, Katamari Damacy Reroll, top
[Review] Gal Metal
Posted on 5 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: October 30, 2018
Developer: DMM Games
Publisher: XSEED Games / Marvelous
Music is prominent in our day to day lives because of the amount of emotions it can give us. Whether it’s sadness, happiness, anger – it can illicit memories and induce feelings, creating moments that stay with you for the rest of time and take you out of the moment and into another space. For musicians, this is a lifestyle, not just a hobby, and the wonderful thing about games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Dance Dance Revolution is that they make feeling like a musician – regardless of whether you have talent or an affinity for instruments and the craft – a lot more accessible to the masses by handing them peripherals to make the immersion that much more real. With Gal Metal, no peripherals are needed, as your life as a drummer begins as soon as you pick up your Joy-Con and start tapping away with the motion, hitting at imaginary drums as you try to save the world from an alien invasion with the power of metal. It’s a lot of fun when it feels good, however the accuracy, timing, and calibration more often than not are off-tempo, even if you’re not, making it for an imaginative but somewhat lackluster experience.
[Review] Starlink: Battle for Atlas
Posted on 5 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: October 16, 2018
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
The cosmos has always been fascinating. From our blue dot, Earth, being able to look up and see the stars shine, it’s natural to wonder what’s out there or what it’d be like to walk on other planets or visit other solar systems first hand. It’s because of this that I’ve always found sci-fi and space exploration intriguing regardless of the medium helping to bring those thoughts and galaxies to fruition with our imagination. Titles like Mass Effect, Elite Dangerous, Everspace, No Man’s Sky, and so much more have helped bring us as close as possible to experiencing the extraterrestrial within the comfort of our own homes (with significantly less danger) and laid the foundation as well as continue to push various ideas on what lies beyond the exosphere in a variety of different ways. Starlink: Battle for Atlas takes the best parts of space exploration, planetary farming, star battles, and more and brings them together in a way that’s immersive both in and out of the game with a toys-to-life approach that, surprisingly, doesn’t actually need any toys to be enjoyed to its fullest.
