Fate/EXTELLA LINK proves that sometimes little tweaks can make a huge difference in a game. The combat here is so much better than in the previous game. It’s much faster and far more fluid. The new mission objectives make the stages feel alive and ever changing. Last but not least, the soundtrack here is one the best I’ve heard in a long time. At its $49.99 price tag, you get about 15 hours of story missions and a slew of extra missions that unlock while you’re progressing through the story. If you are a fan of the Fate series, this is a must own title. The characters and story alone are well worth the price of admission here. If you love Musou games, this might be the best of one of this generation. This game did what a good sequel should do, it improved on the first game in every way possible and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for this series down the line.
I feel like RemiLore: Lost Girl in the Lands of Lore is a must buy title for fans of hack-n-slash and rogue-like games. This game combines both in one flawless package and plays just as good as it looks. The story and writing here are both very high quality and will have you laughing out loud at the character’s antics in no time. My only complaint is having to restart the entire level when dying on a stage but this is a very minor beef with such a great package. If you have a sweet tooth for a solid game on your Nintendo Switch, RemiLore will certainly satisfy your craving.
That being said, I still feel what the game does right by far outshines its flaws. If you’re looking for something different that is a bit darker than your average JRPG, I would highly recommend you pick this game up today. You will not regret it, and while I can compare certain aspects of it to other titles, there is really nothing else like this out there today. I spent about 30 hours on one run and quite a bit more to get the other endings via New Game+. This one is well worth the $59.99 price tag, just be prepared for a rough ride and be sure to save often. Death is around every corner and you will be re;Questing a lot!
Despite my few beefs with the game, if you are a fan of the series Dead or Alive 6 is a must own title for you at the $59.99 price tag. The game is still very sexy with tons of jiggle and service fans have come to know and love. The fighting is still deep and fun like always, and honestly I feel like the game just simply plays so much better than the previous one did. I can pull off moves and combos here easily that I had a much harder time pulling off last time around. If you’ve always been interested in fighting games but thought they were too complex for you to enjoy I think you should give this one a shot. The game is so well made and easy to pick up that I think anyone could hop right in here and have some fun.
I had a good time with Sakura Sakura. The writing is fantastic, and I caught myself laughing out loud many times while playing this one. It does drag on a bit, especially in the beginning, but so long as you aren’t looking for a super serious story I think most will give it a pass on that. You get 30+ hours of gameplay here for $34.99, so if your jam is a very funny romantic comedy with some amazing girls, this is must-buy title.
While I think Dragon Marked for Death isn’t balanced very well for a single player game, I think the online play more than makes up for that. There is a ton of quest variety, the levels have tons of depth and the game is just simply a blast to play with a friend. I’m not even a big fan of multiplayer games like this, and if I had more time I’d still be playing right now. I think the amount of quests here and replay value more than justify the inexpensive entry price, and hack and slash fans should grab a friend and be all over this one.
This is one of the best games in the Senran Kagura franchise. The story here is what started it all and some will find it a bit dark compared to the stories we get today. I loved it back in 2013 and my feelings on it have not changed to this day. These characters are so well written that I felt connected to them and that is why I fell in love with this series to begin with. The fan service is great and it wouldn’t be Senran Kagura without it, but there is a deep, rich story here with amazing girls underneath all that. That has not changed even to this day, even though some of newer titles go much harder on the fan service. The combat in this game is a ton of fun, and if this is one of the best soundtracks in all of gaming. It will take right around 8 hours to complete each squad’s story and there’s a ton of free missions to play with as well. It’s worth every penny of the $39.99 price tag, and if you’ve ever wanted to explore the series for the first time, now is the perfect time to do so. If you’re like me and have loved it since 2013, picking this up is a no brainier.
If you’ve never experienced Atelier Rorona there is no time like the present. Atelier Rorona ~The Alchemist of Arland~ DX is the best release of the game to date, and while some may find the price of these re-releases a little steep at around $90 for all three, this is a quality title with hours and hours of gameplay to be had. The inclusion of the DLC and the fact it is portable if you snag it up on the Switch still make this a pretty attractive purchase at what breaks down to 30 bucks a title.
At the end of the day, I loved this game when I reviewed it years ago, and Koei Tecmo has given me a wonderful port with even more content. I know some will think the $39.99 price tag is a bit much. But I still feel with this amount of content and the fact you’re getting the best portable version of the game ever, that it is totally worth it. I mean, they say some things age badly, while others age like fine wine. Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition is an example of the finest wine!
I feel like Gensokyo Defenders is a mixed bag at the end of the day. The story and music are pretty weak, but the gameplay and artwork are top notch. I feel Touhou fans would certainly have fun with this one for the gameplay alone and fans of Tower Defense games will find a lot to love here as well. I just wouldn’t go into this one expecting super high production values at its $19.99 price tag, but if you want a solid Tower Defense game, this one is very likely worth your coin.
I have to say, while I thought the story was a bit lacking and some of the unlocking felt like a grind, I had a wonderful time with the Persona Dancing: Endless Night Collection. The gameplay is still rock solid, the characters and animations have improved over the last outing, and there is tons of replay value here. I loved all the playlists and the VR model viewer was a nice touch as well. I know folks may think the $99 price tag is a bit high, but that’s 33 bucks a game for three pretty great games, so I don’t really think that is too bad personally. If you’re a Persona fan this a must-own collection of titles, and if you’re just a fan of great rhythm games in general, you’ll find a lot to love here as well!
Battle Princess Madelyn is what a classic throwback should be. It mixes the old and the new seamlessly together and is probably one of best quality indie titles I’ve played in a while. I put around 10 hours into this one and there were plenty of secrets left to discover. While I may have some complaints about the gameplay here, don’t take that as sign that Battle Princess Madelyn is a bad game. Games like this were never really my cup of tea, but I know there are those out there that love hardcore platforming challenges like this, and if you are one of those people go buy this game now. At $19.99 it’s a fantastic value, and you will love every minute of it!
While I don’t think this is the best game in the series, Warriors Orochi 4 is far from a bad game. The game runs at a solid framerate, the combat is fun and there are tons of enemies to slay. The lack of alternate routes and some dry storytelling do set this one back a bit, but the massive cast helps make up for it somewhat. You’ll get 20 to 30 hours of gameplay out of this one for its $60 price tag. If you’re a fan of Musou games there is still a lot to love here, but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed since I was expecting something on par with Warriors Orochi 3 and this didn’t quite live up to that.
All in all I had a great time with the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection. I had a wonderful trip down memory lane with great title selections here and I’m certainly glad these titles will now find their way into the hands of this generation. The controls are solid, the audio is top notch and the graphics look great, but I would like to see some more filters added via the next patch if possible. If you’re an old timer like me you will certainly want to snag this one up. If you’ve never seen or heard of any these game before at the $39.99 price tag I feel like this is well worth it not only for the great games, but Museum Mode is great for anyone wanting to learn more about the history of the industry as well. Just don’t try to stick quarters into your Switch, it probably wouldn’t go so well.
This is some of the basic gameplay elements of Disgaea 1 Complete. This may seem a bit overwhelming to newcomers, but if you do the tutorials, you will be slaying your foes and making insane equipment in no time flat. If you enjoyed the original, I think this is well worth the upgrade for the new graphics and the fact that it includes all of the bonus content from the PSP version of the game. Etna mode is just freaking great! The fact that it is portable is just icing on an already delicious cake. It took me around 53 hours to complete the main story, but there are probably another 100 more if I want to do everything, making it well worth the $49.99 price tag. If you’ve been looking for a place to jump into the series, there’s no better place to start than here. It sets an example of how great strategy games could be. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of the newer entries, it’s still pure gold!
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a pure joy on every level. This game excels in every area that I feel like Western gaming completely fails. It balances amazing gameplay and storytelling seamlessly. This is why it’s so damn good. If you’ve never played a Yakuza game before, you can jump right in at this one with no problem. There is a huge optional story recap at the front of the game that will catch you up to speed. I spent about 30 hours with this one and there is still a ton of stuff to see and do. The bonus content here is crazy, from the Majima side story to the ability to play the 2-player arcade games straight from the main menus. That’s right folks, you and a friend can play Virtual On or Virtua Fighter 2 right from the main menu. This game is worth every penny of the $49.99 price tag and I would recommend this to anyone that loves a good story or open world games. If I could give this bad boy 6 out of 5 stars, I would!
SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy does exactly what it sets out to do. It provides a fan service filled, over the top fighter anyone can pick up and play. This is pretty much what I expected this title to be from the day that they announced it. I thought the girls’ outfits were all outstanding and I really had a good time playing through the crazy story with each set of girls. I do think this one is a little light on content. A few more gameplay modes or some other extras wouldn’t have hurt this one a bit. If you are an SNK fan and you want to see some of the leading ladies in a very unusual environment, then this one is well worth the $49.99 price tag. I think casual fighting fans would have a great time with this one as well, since it is really easy just to pick up and play. In the end this may be for the casual fighting fan, but I still feel that it’s better than your average anime fighter!
Since I am a big fan of the franchise, I had a ton of fun with Senran Kagura: Reflexions and I honestly cannot wait until they add the other girls. These include Yomi, Yumi, Murasaki and Ryona, and I will certainly need to spend quality time with my beansprout for sure! Anyways, I think your enjoyment of this title will depend on if you are a fan or not. If you are a fan, then you will definitely want to check this one out ,and if Asuka is your favorite gal, then it goes without saying you should own this. The game is really short, you can beat it in about 3 or 4 hours. You will get some extra mileage out of it by seeing all of Asuka’s different reactions and unlocking all the different accessories and such. I still feel it is well worth the $9.99 price point and if the upcoming gals are your cup of tea, you will certainly want to add those as well. While this one may not be for series newcomers, fans will find a lot here to love, Asuka included!
There are so many more wonderful things I would love to talk about in Newton and the Apple Tree, but without getting into spoiler territory I really can’t. This is one of the best visual novels I’ve read in a long time. Its fantastic story is both humorous and emotional, and will have you questioning what you would’ve done in Syuji’s shoes well after you finish it. I mean how much would you give up for the one you love? Other than the need for more musical numbers my only other minor complaint is I wish the font size was a bit bigger. I think the team is working on a fix for this but it’s not out at the time of this review. The game will set you back $39.99 and is worth every penny of it. The game is heavily edited on Steam, but you can go to PantyPress.com and download a free patch to uncensor the game. There is of course the 18+ patch which restores all of the cut content or you can go for the 17+ patch which leaves out the CG for the H scenes but restores all the dialogue. I would recommend this game for all fans of visual novels or eroge. It’s truly one of the best to come along in a long time. If you’ve never played a game like this, now is the perfect time to start. Playing this will start you off on the right foot in the genre.
All in all, I felt Code of Princess EX was a big improvement over the 3DS game of years ago. The improved graphics and framerate really make this feel like a different game and there is plenty of content there to keep you bashing enemies for hours. I think my biggest problem with this title is still the same though. The combat just feels really stiff at times and the CPU controlled opponents always seem to have an edge in hitting you before you can strike them. Some may think this one is a bit overpriced at the $49.99 for the physical edition, but I have to tell you, Nicalis put a lot of love into it. It comes with reversible cover art, full color manual and a mini OST, so I feel like it is well worth the price. This game is by no means a bad game, but I still feel like it could use more polish. I really hope Nicalis decides to make a full on sequel to this. Based on how much better this is than the original, that would be something to behold. It took about 6 hours to complete the main quest and I spent a ton of time messing around with the characters I unlocked in the other modes. If you didn’t like the original release, there is nothing here that will change your mind. However, If you loved this on the 3DS or are a hard core fan of beat-em-ups, then it would be well worth picking up.