Rice Digital
HomepageRice Digital's Reviews
But I digress. Touken Ranbu Warriors is not a bad game. Those who are up for a more quick-hit, easy to play, jump in and enjoy sort of Warriors will likely enjoy it a great deal, particularly if you have a thing for Sengoku-era history; those seeking something with a bit more depth and variety — particularly in narrative terms — will likely be better served by one of the more well-established Warriors subseries. I particularly recommend Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate; that game could keep one person busy for a lifetime and more besides.
I’m very happy with how enjoyable Deathsmiles II ended up being. It seemed to be held in considerably less reverence than its illustrious predecessor, but I suspect a fair amount of that is down to the fact that for quite some time it was considerably less accessible for many players, especially in Europe. That all changes now, though — I’m here to tell you that Deathsmiles II is an excellent addition to any shoot ’em up collection, and that regardless of your feelings on any variety of end-year snow-covered holiday season, it’s reason for celebration in and of itself!
Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness is a weird game and I wouldn’t fault anyone for bouncing off it for being so peculiar, obtuse and, at times, unforgiving. But, returning to it in 2022 with the eyes of someone who has played a lot of RPGs over the years, I can’t help but like its admirable expression of unbridled creativity. While one can see the elements that later RPGs would pull from this first Ultima game clearly, it’s just as interesting to look at the aspects the genre as a whole chose to leave behind in the long term. Because those are the things that make this game really stand out.
Ultimately, the more blindly you go into Ib, the more you’ll enjoy it, and I’ve kept this piece as spoiler-free as possible as a result. If you’re yet to play it, you should do so sooner rather than later — and now’s a prime time to do so. It’s a touching and reflective experience, and remains a treasured experience for everyone who originally experienced it first time around.
On the whole, Otoko Cross: Pretty Boys Mahjong Solitaire is a solid release from eastasiasoft. In some respects, it’s a bit of a shame that this new IP kicked off with something as “safe” as a mahjong solitaire game rather than something more ambitious — but the intention is clearly there for Otoko Cross to grow into something much greater as time goes on.
Deathsmiles is not the simplest or the most straightforward shoot ’em up out there, but it’s still one I recommend without hesitation to both shoot ’em up veterans and relative newcomers. It has a broad scope of difficulty options to make it both accessible and challenging to a wide range of ability levels, and the exciting audio-visual presentation makes it a game that is simply satisfying and enjoyable to engage with. And all this is true whether you manage to score a copy of the original Xbox 360 release or one of the more recent ports — I can happily confirm from first-hand experience that the Nintendo Switch version is thoroughly lovely, and comes highly recommended.
To say too much more about Gun Gun Pixies would be to spoil the experience, but suffice to say that as long as you go into this with the appropriate mindset — which is to treat this more as a “story game” than a fast-action third-person blastathon — there’s an absolutely delightful experience to be had, filled with both cheeky, naughty humour and a heartfelt, beautiful message: the fact that it’s okay to ask for help, and that you don’t need to face your own problems alone, however trivial you worry others might think they are.
Is it better than Downtown Nekketsu Story? Debatable — but if you enjoyed that game, you should absolutely give Downtown Special Kunio-kun’s Historical Period Drama! a go, at least!
We’ll talk more about the story and the deeper aspects of the mechanics in a subsequent part of this feature — but suffice to say for now that it’s wonderful for ZHP to be back, and I’m very much looking forward to indulging in that age-old pastime of watching numbers in Nippon Ichi games go up, and up, and up…
Pocky and Rocky Reshrined is an absolute triumph. Much like The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors, it’s a textbook example of how to do a respectful modernisation of an established retro title; it’s not attempting to be a slavish recreation of the original, but nor is it abandoning the things that have caused people to enjoy it for so many years. Rather, what we have here is a brand new game that just happens to cover some of the same ground as its illustrious predecessor — but which is modern in a way that only today’s tech can provide. And that’s a beautiful thing.
Still, at least we can enjoy it in English now thanks to the Double Dragon and Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle. So if you’re yet to play this joyfully silly game for yourself, grab some mates and give it a go now. Just remember: playing dirty is part of the fun!
All this helps Doukyuusei feel like an incredibly well realised game. This isn’t just a game where you click on girls until they like you more; this is a game with its own little world where people are going about their business, and you have the opportunity to stick your nose in as much or as little as you like. Let’s be honest, though, it’s going to be erring on the side of “more”, though, isn’t it?
Thankfully, that original context is now easy as pie to enjoy in English thanks to the Double Dragon and Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Collection — so even if you’re a raging soccer-hater like I am, I encourage you to give Nekketsu High School Dodgeball Club – Soccer Story a go. You might just find yourself very pleasantly surprised with how enjoyable this game is!
It’s just a shame this had to release the same week as the new version of The Stanley Parable, because as a result I suspect there’s only one first-person narrative-centric game on people’s minds right now. Don’t sleep on The Sorrowvirus, though; this is a great horror game, and well worth adding to your collection.
It’s hard to wholeheartedly recommend Marble Maid, then; it’s by no means a complete disaster, but it’s hard not to feel that it could have been so much better with just a couple of little tweaks here and there.
So there you have it. Doukyuusei’s new version is very much an authentic ’90s dating sim experience, but brought up to date to such a degree that young whippersnappers who cut their teeth on Persona instead of 16-colour 640×480 hentai will also be able to have a good time.
All in all then, Rigid Force Redux is a great shoot ’em up, well worth your time — particularly if you’re an R-Type fan and especially if you’re an R-Type fan who wishes that series would go a little bit easier on you sometimes. Plus with the physical version out there in the wild, you can own a copy to go on your shelf now, too. And if you’re a shoot ’em up collector, this is one worth owning.
For now, though, I will say that if you’re in the mood for some classic ’90s style dating sim gameplay with plenty of 21st century quality-of-life features, Doukyuusei: Bangin’ Summer is absolutely a worthy investment of your time and money, stupid subtitle or no. Now, question is, who is Best Girl that I should be concentrating on first…?
Nekketsu High School Dodgeball Club takes a bit of getting into; I wouldn’t fault anyone for bouncing off it after a quick go, believing it to be shallow or unintuitive. You can level the exact same accusations at Nekketsu Renegade Kunio-kun — but just like that game, Nekketsu High School Dodgeball Club rewards continued engagement and a concerted attempt to understand its mechanics. Mastery of what the game offers won’t come quickly, but it’s rewarding when it does — and in the meantime, the multiplayer mode is great fun, too.
Nekketsu Renegade Kunio-kun is tough, and compared to many modern beat ’em ups it will likely feel more than a little clunky. But take the time to get to know it and there are some satisfying fighting mechanics here — plus it’s always fun to see the genesis of what would go on to become a well-established genre, as well as the beginning of a series beloved the world over.