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Reviews

System: Wii U
Release date: September 23, 2015
Developer: Golden Ruby Games
Publisher Ripstone


Author: Dennis

Genuine arcade games in the modern era have been one of those lost treasures we see far too few of. When they do arise, some still fall short of bringing something refreshing, memorable, and fun to the table. Extreme Exorcism brings back the old school in the best way possible, delivering a unique and fun experience everyone can enjoy. Gameplay is the core focus of Extreme Exorcism, and it executes on this front so incredibly well.

System: Wii U
Release date: September 17, 2015
Developer: Simogo / Dakko Dakko
Publisher Simogo


Author: Travis

When you first pick up Year Walk, “peaceful” and “serene” are two words that may pop into your head. You find yourself in a quaint, Swedish forest in the winter, with snowflakes falling, the wind gently whispering, and ‘barely there’ atmospheric tones.

The odd sense of warm security you feel in a chilly setting is misplaced, however. Despite the calming, ambiguous way Year Walk opens, your character’s goal to eventually see into the future by partaking in a ‘vision quest’ takes a few disconcerting turns.

What I’m trying to say is that this game is going to rustle your jimmies.

System: Wii U
Release date: September 11, 2015
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher Nintendo


Author: Dennis

Since his debut in the 80’s, Nintendo’s famous plumber has spawned a plethora of games, touching upon nearly every genre and delivering smiles to people all over the world. Shigeru Miyamoto’s excellence in game design and character creation is one that’s been seminal and is responsible for copious amounts of developers’ paths to where they are today.

Until Super Mario 64, most mainline Super Mario games had been side-scrolling platformers. With its addictive gameplay and unique design, Mario went on to become one of the gaming world’s most unique and well known characters in gaming history. Mario has become an iconic character known globally even to those unfamiliar with the medium. With countless ROM hacks for the various Super Mario titles from the original to 3 to World plaguing the internet for years, now you can design your own Mario levels seamlessly with the Wii U GamePad easily, and the possibilities are endless.

System: Nintendo 3DS
Release date: August 27th, 2015 (EU) – September 15th, 2015 (NA)
Developer: Tamsoft
Publisher Marvellous, XSEED
Best girl: Rin

Let’s just get this out of the way first: Senran Kagura has always sold itself on the breasts of its female protagonists rather than the actual gameplay and on the surface this sequel is no different. It’s still all about teenage anime girls fighting it out in the perviest way possible and it’s bound to be a style that will alienate most of the console’s audience. Though it wouldn’t be particularly professional to do so as a reviewer, Senran Kagura 2 is absolutely the kind of game where it is reasonable to dismiss it based on the premise alone. That said, there is more to Deep Crimson than finally making good on the producer’s promise of viewing breasts in stereoscopic 3D and there are some welcome refinements to the brawler gameplay.

My only experience with the series prior to this was the Playstation Vita spin-off, Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus, a game I didn’t care for at all, which made it even more surprising when I ended up enjoying Deep Crimson quite a bit. I still have my misgivings about the game’s aesthetic, but the fast-paced combat and bizarre tone definitely filled a niche on the console’s library. Though the gravity-defying blobs the game calls breasts might still be Senran Kagura’s primary selling point, there is thankfully a bit more to it this time around.

System: Wii U eShop
Release: August 27, 2015
Developer: 13AM Games
Publisher: 13AM Games


Author: Vincent

It’s not too often that an indie release comes around and blows my expectations out of the water. But with Runbow, it appears that the folks over at 13AM Games have successfully created a title worthy of being the exception. Bringing a new concept to the platformer genre is about as difficult as it gets, and it’s even harder to make it all work. Yet with Runbow, the developer has gracefully created a game filled with as much innovation as there is fun. Also, did I mention you get to play as Shovel Knight and Rusty?

System: Nintendo 3DS
Release: August 4, 2015
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus


Author: Dennis

Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold is an epic dungeon-crawling experience in which you and a fixed group of party members embark on a journey. The objective is to complete a century-old ritual by a princess you randomly run into inside the forest close to the town your newly formed guild stumbles upon, High Lagaard. It is here you familiarize yourself with the townsfolk and collect quests to help you on your way to completing this ritual with the Princess. However, while deep in the dungeons heading towards the location where the ritual will take place, you come across a large monster in which you are forced to fight. It is here you stumble into other adventurers from faraway places and transform suddenly into an inhuman monster— wielding the power of a legendary sentient being once known as the Fafnir Knight. From this point forward you aim to figure out exactly why, and how, you were bestowed this power. You must uncover this mystery all while trying to complete this ritual with new friends and allies. Just as you have your own special skills and abilities—so do your allies, each with their own individual strengths and weaknesses. You are the hero of this tale, with your guild and a princess; you embark on a quest to uncover the truth behind the origins of the powerful Fafnir Knight.

System: Nintendo 3DS
Release: June 2nd, 2015
Developer: Neverland, Marvelous
Publisher: XSEED, Marvelous

Author: Patrick

Though I haven’t had much experience playing their previous work, I’ve always had a lot of respect for Lord of Magna’s original developer, Neverland. Whether it’s the intricate puzzles of Lufia, the DIY dungeons of Dark Seed or the laid-back life simulation of Rune Factory, their games always find some way to put a unique spin on the role-playing genre. What a shame then that what is likely their final title lacks this same creative spark, with a story that falls back on tired tropes and a blend of strategy RPG and dating sim mechanics that fails to capture the appeal of both genres. It’s nice that the game even exists following Neverland’s declaration of bankruptcy, but Lord of Magna’s troubled development is very much apparent in the final product, and I wonder just how finished the game actually is.

System: Wii U (eShop)
Release: May 21, 2015
Developer: Ronimo Games
Publisher: Ronimo Games


Author: Vincent

Swords and Soldiers II is simple in every sense of the word. Its graphics, gameplay, and story won’t surprise you, but that’s just fine. In this game’s case, simplicity is great. You see, on the surface, it doesn’t look like Swords and Soldiers II has much to offer, but writing it off as just that is quite the unfair judgement. You won’t be finding a deep philosophical story that revolves around corrupt politics and military morales, and that’s okay. You won’t be spending hours learning the intricate and complex controls and applying them to fast paced battles, and that’s okay. The game just simply throws you into a side-scrolling battle against three armies that are filled with charm, charisma, and just the right amount of puns that’ll keep you smiling all the way through, and that’s okay.

System: Wii U (eShop)
Release: June 4, 2015
Developer: TicToc Games
Publisher: TicToc Games


Author: Dennis

In the HD world we live in, we’re spoiled by the copious amount of pixels that deliver us vibrant colors in a sequence of images on our TV screens and phones. Each pixel helps support the next, all the while providing a fragment of whatever is being displayed – regardless of resolution. In the Pixel Kingdom, those who have more pixels live in luxury. The other “low-rez” inhabitants live basic, humble lives. After a terrible attack threatens those with many pixels, all watch in absolute terror except for one that was bound to save the day. A single pixel. Enter Pip.

Splatoon is officially launching in just a matter of minutes, so we’re giving this one final bump!


Finally we’ve come upon the day when Splatoon reviews are allowed to be posted. Here’s a 15 minute video with a whole lot of what I thought about the game; would you believe me if I said this was edited down from a thirty minute video? I could seriously make a 60 minute video about this game honestly. Maybe I will someday.

Our complete video review is below. Hit the break for the summary, recommendation, and rating.


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