[Review] Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Posted on 8 months ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: February 16, 2024
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
For as much as Mario’s continued success can be traced back all the way to his debut in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, outside of the occasional professional sporting tournament, kart race or fistfight, he and the famous ape rarely share the screen these days as much as they used to. And it really isn’t Mario’s fault, now is it? How concerned can we expect him to be with a banana-obsessed gorilla while Bowser is off transforming into floating sentient castles in Super Mario Bros Wonder? That said, I’m pleased to report that the characters’ rivalry is still alive and well, brought to the forefront once again with this release of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. A remake of the titular 2004 Game Boy Advance puzzle-platformer that spawned its own series, this game sports both enhanced visuals and some new stages and modes. But is that enough to warrant a revisit and bring in new players, and how does this enhanced package hold up twenty years after the original?
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[Review] Sympathy Kiss
Posted on 8 months ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: February 27, 2024
Developer: Idea Factory
Publisher: Idea Factory
Akari Amasawa is someone that I’m sure plenty of us can relate to: she wakes up in the morning, she goes to work after breakfast, and she comes home in the evening. Rinse and repeat. Her job is one that could be done by basically anyone, and her life is unremarkable. But really, what else can you expect? That’s just life. But even unremarkable circumstances can change, and for Akari, who has been with IT company Estario Corp. as a designer for almost a year, her work life (and, of course, her personal life) is suddenly turned upside-down when she is recruited as part of a small team to save one of the company’s founding apps, which has been losing momentum as it is pushed out by the competition. Her new role is uncertain, and her new colleagues are strangers. In Sympathy Kiss, a new otome title from Idea Factory, you’ll be joining her on her journey to navigate the perilous trenches of work, romance, and life. The choices you’ll make along the way are probably not what most people would do in her situation, but it’s certainly a nice break from the stressors of everyday life.
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[Review] Another Code: Recollection
Posted on 8 months ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: January 19, 2024
Developer: Arc System Works / Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
It’s really a bit remarkable that, of all the long-dormant franchises Nintendo could have chosen to resurrect next, it was Another Code that they decided to give another chance. I’m totally here for it, both as a fan of narrative-driven adventure games, and as an advocate for the preservation and accessibility of older titles; I’m just surprised that it actually happened. Another Code: Recollection is a full remake of the 2005 DS game Another Code: Two Memories, as well as its Wii sequel, Another Code R: Journey into Lost Memories – the latter which never released in North America. While these puzzle-tinted mystery games have always been well-regarded by fans for their compelling premises and overall atmosphere, they never sold particularly well globally and generally received mixed reviews from critics; furthermore, the original development studio no longer exists, and both games were built around hardware features unique to their original platforms. Well, against all odds, we now have a reimagined collection of both titles sporting improved visuals and presentation, and even some narrative and gameplay changes. While I ultimately enjoyed my time getting to know the game’s charming protagonist and unraveling a moderately captivating mystery, Another Code: Recollection’s toothless writing and shallow moment-to-moment gameplay makes it a slightly niche recommendation.
[Review] Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters
Posted on 8 months ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: January 23, 2024
Developer: Idea Factory / Compile Heart
Publisher: Idea Factory
Hyperdimension Neptunia is a series that has been around for a long time now, and much like the video game industry that it shamelessly parodies, it is constantly changing, incorporating new ideas and gameplay mechanics into its premise to stay relevant. This has not always been for the better, however. Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters, the latest entry in the franchise to make its way to the Switch, now features some of the series’ best writing to date, but is let down quite significantly in other areas, making it a tough sell for any but those already invested in the series.
[Review] Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
Posted on 9 months ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: January 18, 2024
Developer: Snoozy Kazoo
Publisher: Graffiti Games
It’s not very often that you find a game that will actively encourage you to commit crimes, with most that even give you the option of doing so attaching a suitable punishment: placing a bounty on your head so that authorities will attack you on site, changing your name to “THIEF” so that everyone knows your true nature, or even outright killing you if you return to the scene of the crime in future. Turnip Boy Robs a Bank sees the titular hero returning to commit further crimes after his successful tax evasion, this time in the form of a roguelite experience that, despite its flaws, is as delightfully charming and nonsensical as its predecessor.
[Review] Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Posted on 9 months ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: January 18, 2024
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown came as something of a surprise when it was announced during Summer Game Fest last year. The series had been in an odd state of partially suspended animation up to that point, with the last mainline entry on consoles being 2010’s The Forgotten Sands, and the only other activity being largely ignored mobile spinoffs and the vague promises of a remake of the first game in the series. A brand new 2.5D entry was probably the last thing anyone expected, and while The Lost Crown won’t be the game that many fans were asking for, it nonetheless stands out as a fantastic entry in the series that is more than worth your time.
[Review] Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince
Posted on 10 months ago by Elias in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: December 1, 2023
Developer: Square Enix / Tose
Publisher: Square Enix
There has been a resurgence of great turn-based RPGs over the last decade – the Switch itself becoming somewhat of a bastion for fans of long stories and level grinding, with no shortage of adventures to unwind with as the system moves ever onward in its lifespan. Monster taming games have been around for quite some time, emerging in 1987 with Megami Tensei, a mature-themed romp through a world of demons and pacts, but soon joined by more lighthearted franchises like Dragon Quest V’s monster recruiting mechanic, Pokemon’s Game Boy games launching to huge success, and the lesser known series Monster Rancher’s disc-related gimmick spurring many monster-taming fans to action placing every CD they could get their hands on into their PlayStation in order to spawn a new and potentially powerful creature. Dragon Quest Monsters’ titles play more like your classic castles and dragons adventure, just with a team you raise and strengthen a little differently than you might if you were playing something like Final Fantasy. The series now returns with Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, and players will get to see another side to a mainline game’s most evil villain character while simultaneously becoming a very powerful monster wrangler.
[Review] Super Mario RPG
Posted on 10 months ago by Elias in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: November 17, 2023
Developer: Square Enix / ArtePiazza
Publisher: Nintendo
As a classic of the SNES era of RPGs, a remake of Super Mario RPG was a bit of a shock reveal earlier this year. Originally a collaboration between Nintendo and Square, it was a bit of a surprise back then as well. With a complete and from the ground up remake, we see new 3D graphics, crisp menus, and a bit of extra content for a game on Switch that many would say is one of the best RPGs of its time – but what about now? Let’s take a look at how Super Mario RPG fairs in today’s standards, as spoiler free as possible.
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[Review] Persona 5 Tactica
Posted on 10 months ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: November 17, 2023
Developer: Atlus / P-Studio
Publisher: SEGA
From dancing and dungeon-crawling to road-trip adventuring, the Phantom Thieves have been awfully busy since the events of 2017’s Persona 5. Of course, with that game being one of the most acclaimed RPGs of the past decade, there’s been plenty of fan demand for spin-offs and sequels, some of which have been truly excellent. That said, even as a fan of Joker and company I was having a hard time getting excited about Persona 5 Tactica – 2021’s Persona 5 Strikers put such a nice bow on the characters’ stories that I didn’t expect a shift to grid-based strategy to shake things up enough. The good news is that it’s a solid tactics game that introduces some fun ideas to the series, even when its story beats don’t quite hit the mark.
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[Review] Virche Evermore – ErroR: Salvation
Posted on 11 months ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: November 9, 2023
Developer: Idea Factory
Publisher: Aksys Games
Curling up with a book is one of my favourite pastimes, and I have always thought that the Switch’s handheld mode makes it the perfect fit for visual novels because of this. Fortunately Aksys Games agrees with me, and has supported the system with a plethora of otome since it first released. With Virche Evermore – ErroR: Salvation, the publisher has brought a noticeably dark story that, although it won’t appeal to everyone, stands out for its exceptional worldbuilding, engaging cast, and superb presentation.
