Posted on 6 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch eShop | 6 Comments

System: Switch (eShop)
Release date: December 15, 2017
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix

Romancing SaGa and the SaGa series in general has had a long history in the RPG world, first launching in 1989 as The Final Fantasy Legend. While we’ve seen a few SaGa games localized since then, Romancing SaGa 2 in particular never saw a release until recently on mobile a few years ago, before making its way to consoles now just before the new year of 2018. Unfortunately, this is a poor port of the mobile version of the game localized years ago, and not a remaster of the original title on the Super Famicom. This becomes problematic in a lot of ways, and the Switch suffers heavily from it.

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Posted on 6 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 2 Comments

System: Switch
Release date: November 14, 2017
Developer: Psyonix / Panic Button
Publisher: Psyonix

Rocket League has seen tremendous growth in popularity and players over the past few years since its original release, and also now cements itself as one of the largest eSports franchises in the world. At the same time, it remains easy to pick up and play for the casual gamer to enjoy. Although we’ve seen a surge in online multiplayer titles for quite awhile now, Rocket League maintains a dedicated and respectful consumer base thanks to its low cost of entry, hours of fun, and, most importantly, no pay-to-win nonsense. The cars won’t run faster, but having something like the Batmobile will definitely make you look cooler than most out on the field (besides the incredible Metroid car, of course).

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Posted on 7 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch, Switch eShop | 12 Comments

System: Switch
Release date: November 14, 2017
Developer: Ludosity
Publisher: Nicalis

Years after Ludosity’s well-received Ittle Dew back in 2013 on Steam before making its way to consoles about a year later, Ittle Dew 2+ is here and makes its way over to the Switch, offering fans of top-down dungeon crawlers and old-school Zelda players something to look forward to, and a sequel that finds itself just as wildly charming and humorous as it was the first time around. The game brings with it some new treats that make it feel like a fresh, albeit familiar, new adventure for our protagonists Ittle Dew and Tippsie.

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Posted on 7 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in 3DS, Reviews | 3 Comments

System: 3DS
Release date: October 17, 2017
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus

Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth makes its numbered return since Legends of the Titan released back in 2013 for North American 3DS owners and brings with it a fresh new outlook while retaining the series’ staple of creating your own characters and telling yet another story of Yggdrasil, for better or for worse. While I’m a firm believer that Etrian Odyssey is one of the best dungeon RPGs around, if not the one currently leading the pack, Etrian Odyssey V also reminds me that while the classic mode is perfectly fine, the lack of any significant story makes for an overall grindy and unrewarding experience that doesn’t have exciting enough gameplay to make up for it.

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Posted on 7 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 19 Comments

System: Switch
Release date: September 22, 2017
Developer: Dimps
Publisher: Bandai Namco

The illustrious Dragon Ball franchise by the brilliant mind of Akira Toriyama still goes strong today over 30 years later thanks to its unforgettable characters, world, and expansions into realms of other media such as films, video games, and more, including its brand new anime follow-up Dragon Ball Super. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 takes the core concept and canon of the series and adds a twist to it, giving players a “what if” scenario by having them right the wrongs of altered history as a Time Patroller – a character which you’ll create before starting the game to serve as your primary avatar on your journey through time. Unlike other titles that have you reliving the show, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 feels like a fresh take on the series.

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Posted on 7 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 14 Comments

System: Switch
Release date: September 22, 2017
Developer:: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Nintendo

In what feels like an annual tradition now, Pokken Tournament will be making another debut following its initial 2015 release in arcades, then 2016 for Wii U, and now in 2017 on Switch. While the Wii U version was missing a few Pokemon from the arcade version for whatever reason, the game itself presented a fun and unique take on mixing great elements from Tekken and Soulcalibur and infusing them with the world of Pokemon. For fighting fans and Pokemon enthusiasts, it was a great game to own and add to your Wii U library, and, while not entirely robust, certainly kept the attention and fun for a while following its release. The Switch port, Pokken Tournament DX, aims to be the “deluxe”, or definitive, version of the game much like how Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is. But unlike Mario Kart 8 Deluxe where it felt like a genuine upgrade on Switch riding its way from the Wii U, Pokken Tournament DX fails to deliver any plausible reason to jump in for round 2 unless you didn’t own a Wii U or skipped out the first time around.

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Posted on 7 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in 3DS, 3DS eShop, Reviews | 11 Comments

System: 3DS
Release date: September 15, 2017
Developer: MercurySteam / Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

Samus Aran has a long history with the video games and is easily one of the most iconic and recognizable characters of all time. But unfortunately, the famous bounty hunter along with the Metroid series itself have been mostly dormant for quite a while. However, now Samus is back, and it feels incredible to have her at the forefront once again. Even if Metroid: Samus Returns is just a remake and not a brand new title, beggars can’t be choosers, and I can promise that everything the game has to offer touches base with everything we’ve wanted from a classic Metroid title for a long time while remaining fresh and feeling contemporary in its mechanics, gameplay, progression, and world.

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Posted on 7 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in 3DS, Reviews | 8 Comments

System: 3DS
Release date: July 28, 2017
Developer:: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

Miis have seen a long history of games and appearances ranging from party titles like Wii Play and Wii Sports to spinoff Mario titles such as Mario Kart and Mario Tennis. Now from a fancy island resort in 2013’s quirky Tomodachi Life to the fantasy wonderlands of an RPG, Miitopia sees Nintendo’s Mii avatars come front and center once again on the 3DS. Miitopia builds ground and gives Miis a more robust experience compared to the simulator nature of Tomodachi Life, but it falls short in many areas to really make this a game worth owning, even if it is just as fun and absurd as one would expect from a Mii driven title – for better or for worse.

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Posted on 7 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in 3DS, Reviews | 29 Comments

System: 3DS
Release date: June 27, 2017
Developer: Kadokawa / Jupiter
Publisher NIS America

For those who are unfamiliar, RPG Maker may seem like a brand new game coming to the 3DS, but really it’s a creation tool meant to give easy access to those that want to make simple RPGs and get into the realm of game development. The series has had a long history in video games, first being released in the early 90s, and is still heavily used to this day and frequently associated with short, indie titles typically released on digital outlets on PC. However, well-known games have also been made in RPG Maker such as Corpse Party, To The Moon, Aveyond, and much more. There are even quite a few RPG Maker-created titles currently available on 3DS. Though mostly a PC program, RPG Maker FES makes its way over to 3DS to give players their own chance at creating whatever it is they’d like using their stylus as their paint brush, and their mind as the ink. RPG Maker, like most engines and tools on PC, can get extremely deep in its technicality depending on how much one is trying to implement and achieve with their title, but does that flexibility and the power of PCs translate well to 3DS? Surprisingly, very much so.

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Posted on 7 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 7 Comments

System: Switch
Release date: May 23, 2017
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher NIS America

Since its initial launch in 2003, Disgaea has been a flagship series for Nippon Ichi Software – even using Prinny as a mascot – and continues to be nearly 15 years later, having multiple spinoffs and branching off into other mediums such as anime adaptations and manga. What’s made the franchise so great and successful over the years is that not only has it touched multiple platforms on both console and handhelds, but it’s had fun and engaging gameplay that goes beyond the typical layout and flow of a strategy RPG, bringing along a great cast of characters, settings, art, and music to boost. Now Disgaea 5 Complete is making the series’ return to Nintendo consoles on the Switch for the first time since Disgaea DS back in 2008, and packs in all DLC from the original release. Despite the game itself being nearly two years old at this point, it offers those who have held out or simply never jumped into a Disgaea game before a chance to give it a shot. And even though Disgaea isn’t always associated with Nintendo, Disgaea 5 Complete feels comfortable and right at home on Switch, giving RPG and SRPG enthusiasts alike a great new title to get their hands on and delve into.

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