If you’ve wanted something more involved than Two Kingdoms, but not as complex as Nobunaga’s Ambition, My Lovely Empress is a wonderfully ranged title that asks players to divide their hearts and their heads to the extreme. To rule but also to seek out your own happiness, however twisted it may be. It may not be perfect, but it’s memorable in a big way. There’s no easy or clean solution to this game, but, for players willing to go on a dark journey, the way ahead is certainly interesting, and the greatest curse of all may be for an emperor – and his unfortunate people – to live in interesting times.
Tomba! Special Edition is a really cool title to lift from the annals of history, and I think that it deserves both recognition and appreciation for what it does. While the series never quite took off in a longform way, I think Fujiwara-san should be proud of his creation and all that went into Tomba! and its sequel. Moreover, I just love that fans get a chance to play something that isn’t a go-to PS1 title when talking about this generation.
Being able to have fun and deliver joke after joke while still taking itself seriously is no small feat, and The Devil’s Playhouse is witty, charming, and rakish in delivery and execution. While I didn’t always love how the controls made me feel, once I was in the pocket I had a grand time conversing, experimenting, and just loving the universe overall.
Though the tale of Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is easily contained to a single game, I can already feel myself wanting to return again, to see how much better I can ferret out secrets, collect all the things I missed, and see if there’s even more to the deeper tale of the tentaihana. Don’t sell yourself short just because it reminds you of another game: Bō proudly stands on his own two, adorable, little feet.
It’s the summer that never was in a town I’ve never been for a childhood that was never my own. Yet, in spite of all these nevers, it caught my attention and helped the old feel young again by capturing the beautiful notion of an exciting, unpredictable summer.
I’m really glad Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition exists in the condition it’s arrived in, and I hope that players also enjoy it to the same degree I did. Tight, senseless and fun, you do the thing and do it again, and keep doing it until you’re satisfied. Be the best even if the best is only in your own heart. Get hyped for seeing how well you can slay Moblins, grab Morph Balls or just land on the Goal Pole. This is a time for champions and hopefuls, and you, my friend, you have the real making of a champion. Good talk, now let’s get out there and inhale those enemies.
Princess Maker 2 is such a fantastic game, and this incarnation is just not the best version of itself. Poorly optimized, glitchy and very pricy, it’s hard to justify its existence when a better release already exists on PC. But, as a console only take, it’s a fine title indeed.
Sunlight Scream is a boring, flat and almost criminally protracted title with multiple endings that all feel the same. The art is alright but nothing special, the soundtrack is dull and the entire thing is cast with rejects from Pretty Little Liars. I didn’t enjoy playing it, but there’s probably a market out there for people who love to be disappointed and frustrated, so I’m sure it’ll sell alright. Don’t take my word for it if you feel doubt, but remember this: there’s so much good food out there. Why in hell would you choose the potato salad?
This is not the end of my time with this game. I have gotten the True Ending, but I’ll be returning. God willing, there’s a Switch port in the future so that I can bring this title around and take it apart from moment to moment. If they ever want to do a voiced version, I’ll be auditioning for Mark’s teacher. If a limited edition is announced, I’ll be saving my pennies. There is a world where this game doesn’t leave a mark on my being, but I’m not there. This world hasn’t ended yet. Take your time, come in with an open mind, and engage in a life not your own. The joy and sorrow of Until Then leaves an indelible mark on your soul, and I am better for it.
It’s a good little way to kill time, much like the original intent. Not too expensive, no massive frills, but a good piece overall. It’s for the right audience, and I could see this being gifted to random people for fun and sharing of the experience.
Rusted Moss is an enthralling title with indulgent lore, wonderful map layout and diabolical approaches to traversal. It’s so rough in terms of what it expects and what you can do, but it’s rewarding and satisfying to accomplish the tasks.
I can safely say that, with or without the additional horsepower, the QoL updates, the very real and massive expansion, and the entire new game arc makes Shin Megami Tensei V – Vengeance the biggest package I’ve ever seen from an SMT title. It might not have the three hundred hour target of something like Persona 5 Royale, but it does have a sprawling, captivating, and positively enthralling appeal that gives you all the demons and none of the dating aspects.
As much as I enjoyed the moments when the game loop clicked, there were so many more points where it didn’t. If you want and need to burden your life with perfection in an imperfect scenario, be my guest, but don’t be surprised by how often you croak.
If you like Magical Drop or have a humiliation fetish that you channel through video games, have I got great news for you. Forever Entertainment has put together a visually charming and aurally pleasant game that seems to be free of really wonky translations and any shortcomings in a technical realm. But if you’re looking for a fun new puzzle game to dip your toe into, know that this water is infested with piranhas and has the same replay value as such. If this is your jam, them play on, it’s all yours. I’m getting the hell away from this game as fast as my legs will carry me.
I don’t want to dissuade players from picking up Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked. If you loved these games and want to replay them on your current rig without emulation, go for it, the games are here and they run great. But I also don’t want to encourage players to pay money for something that feels very lazy in the grand scheme of things. We’ve seen Limited Run Games do amazing things with modern ports and remasters, so I’m left scratching my head why Sparkster and company were given such a spartan treatment. Don’t deny yourself a wonderful gaming experience, but also temper your expectations: if it looks like a throwback title and talks like a throwback title, you’re probably getting a throwback title – and nothing else.
If you must only play one Shockman title, I have to say Shockman 2 is still the pinnacle of the series. But, if you find yourself enjoying the first couple, then absolutely jump into Cyber Citizen Shockman 3. It’s short, it’s sweet, and it’s the perfect end to a trilogy of titles that I fell in love with. I hope there’s a chance we may see a fourth to help revive the series, but, if not, this is the ideal spot to end the adventures; with Tasuke and Kyapiko on the beach, outrunning insane aliens.
If you see the screenshots and expect something on the Super Mario Kart level, you’ll be sorely disappointed. If you want a decent 16 bit race title that’s a bit unfair in solo mode, then we’ve got the game for you. Rider’s Spirits is a fun couple of hours with friends or a decent thirty minutes by yourself, and that’s more than enough incentive for retro enthusiasts to take a peek. And honestly, for about five bucks, you’ll get your money’s worth by the time the last checkered flag gets waved.
I’m still really happy with Neurodiver. It’s got the shine and polish that you wouldn’t have expected, and the interactions and storytelling are excellent right up until the end. It does what I wanted: it gives me more of the world that is Read Only Memories without forcing you to go back and play the first or sit through a rehash of the initial story. It’s got the meat and bones that let it exist independently, and gives me more of a Shadowrun vibe than I would have imagined, though less grim.
While there are certainly better, more robust and more inventive dungeon crawlers, Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is a classic that deserves recognition and, in this new form, can be appreciated both on modern systems and in modern terms. If you’ve any love for the spice of yesteryear and the rawness of digital fantasy, then this early incarnation of Wizardry merits your attention and investment. Now to see if The Knight of Diamonds will be in our future, or if this jaunt back in Wizardry’s history is a one and done journey.
This little piece of Netizen fanfiction is quaint, engaging and really stands on its own two feet. I love the ideology and the execution, and the combat is an ideal length of time. The buffs can be wild, but they never get overly available, and I was constantly impressed that I kept finding new ways to fight and new enemies to encounter. Internet Generation is a brilliant pastiche of the gaming worlds of old, and perfect for anyone who grew up with Maple Story, Ultima: Online, or even MUDs. And, if you just want a pixel-picturesque brawler, we’ve got the perfect server for you.