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With that caveat in mind, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game is a fun way to while away a few hours. Its straightforward pick-up-and-play nature makes it ideal for when you just fancy a bit of arcade-style fun — or a bit of friendly competition. Its distinctive Sega polish means that it looks, sounds and plays great, too.
Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is an odd one. It’s so faithful to the original that those used to newer games will find it too simplistic, but the change in visuals won’t really appeal to fans of the original version either. If you know what you’re getting with Asha in Monster World, then there’s still some fun to be had, though it’s hard to really recommend it over other more interesting platformers.
If you love Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII Remake, this game was made for you — literally. It expands upon character motivations, adds backstory, creates new relationships both good and bad, and finally, it lets us play as a fan-favourite character who is the polar opposite to the main game’s aloof, Buster Sword-wielding spiky boy.
As with the other Zoo Corporation games that eastasiasoft has brought to console, Pretty Girls Klondike Solitaire is a great game to have on hand for when you just have a few minutes to play,don’t want to have to engage your brain too much and are in the mood for a shot of candy-coloured happiness. This makes it an ideal fit for the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode in particular — so if that’s the kind of experience you fancy, this is a safe addition to your library.
As a linear story with no meaningful choices for the player to make along the way, could it have been better delivered through another, more explicitly non-interactive medium? Perhaps there’s an argument to be made for that — but there’s something about the way 7 Years From Now’s abstract presentation and the light degree of player control combine to stoke the fires of the imagination and involve you in its unfolding tale that makes me feel this just wouldn’t quite be the same if it wasn’t a video game.
Maybe on another playthrough my perception of the title will improve. As of now, it simply did not reach the heights I had unfortunately associated it with through blind excitement. And that is completely and ultimately on me.
Returning to the world of Ninja Gaiden has been a pleasure, and while it certainly wasn’t the unbeatable behemoth that I remember it being — mostly because my gamer power-level has increased — it still presents a wonderful balance of fun, difficulty, and a sense of reward.
One of the strongest parts of Buried Stars is in its layered characters, who have enough depth to feel human, with their many flaws and strengths combined. Additionally, their responses to both the dire situation around them and the truths of their own traumas are penetratingly realistic and raw, with the majority of impact coming from the impressive voice actors. The same can be said for the game’s clever use of social media, both useful as a gameplay mechanic, and its relevance to the narrative.
In short, Vitamin Connection is a game that anyone who mourns the passing of Sony’s Japan Studio owes it to themselves to play. It may not have had the direct involvement of the creative minds behind titles like LocoRoco, but it feels like it did — and I can think of no higher compliment to pay a title like this. It’s a game that wants nothing more than to make you feel good and for you to enjoy yourself — and taking the time to savour that sort of thing is something we should all make sure we’re doing in today’s busy and chaotic age.
The villain deserved a lot more screen time. By the end of the game, there was an overwhelming amount of intriguing narrative threads the game did not manage to go into enough detail on. The amount of material presented here makes me crave even more hours of the game — it was a thoroughly engaging and exciting time, but I simply want more Ewen.
To sum it all up, Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a wonderful example of what “modern retro” really means. It captures the look and feel of classic 8-bit games while bringing the gameplay bang up to date with lessons learned from some of the very best titles of the last 30 years. If you’re a fan of open-structure, exploration-centric platformers, this should be high on your shopping list.
If you’re interested in Japanese gaming and you want to know your gaming roots, Space Invaders is a great series to get to know. And the Space Invaders Invincible Collection provides the best possible means to do just that. Shoot ’em up fans should consider it an essential part of their collection.
Sumire is a delightful, heartfelt, honest and genuinely emotional narrative experience. At about three hours long, it’s a game best enjoyed in a single sitting — though it’s also worth noting that the game is very replayable to see how different choices along the way play out, and indeed how the whole thing concludes if Sumire finishes her day having favoured a particular type of karma. Is being a “good person” always the answer? Is Sumire herself justified in doing bad things after how she’s suffered? And what’s with all the crows?
Hentai vs Evil is not a game I’ll be playing all the time. But it is a game I know I will return to whenever I’m in the mood for exactly the sort of silly nonsense it has to offer.
The whole thing is a consistent delight to both look at and listen to — and this side of things in particular is one of the reasons I’m so surprised the game hasn’t enjoyed more buzz online since its release, since as you can hopefully see from the images on this page, it sure takes a nice screenshot!
Let’s make no mistake here, though; what we have at the time of writing is good. It’s a great R-Type game with some well-designed stages, the series’ iconic brutal but fair sense of difficulty, lots of unlockables and customisation and an absolutely banging soundtrack. It’s an excellent investment for any shoot ’em up fan — particularly if you’re a longstanding fan of R-Type — and it’s worth your time. It will be interesting to see how it develops from hereon, for sure.
Rising Hell is a thoroughly lovely coffee-break action roguelike that is friendly to quick play sessions, but provides enough longevity to keep you coming back for more. Its relatively short individual runs make it an especially good game to have on hand for when you don’t have a lot of time but still feel like kicking some ass, and its varied unlockables mean that each run can feel markedly different from the last if you want it to.
While the writing and characters could have been better in some parts, its premise and uniqueness is worth a look into at the very least. Filled with penetrating atmosphere, and with a very well thought out mystery brimming with ideas, Return to Shironagasu Island is a welcome arrival for Hyogo Onimushi in the world of visual novels.
For now, Poker Pretty Girls Battle is a nice addition to any gamer’s casual lineup — particularly at this nice a price. While it’s never going to win any “game of the year” awards or anything like that, it was never taking aim for that end of the market — it’s simply an enjoyable game, nothing more, nothing less. And sometimes that’s all you want.
It really is a perfect example of a modern developer completely understanding both the appeal of classic arcade games and their potential pitfalls, and providing us with a new one that is beautifully designed for play at home. It’s one of the best “modern retro” titles out there, and a great addition to the library of any gamer who just wants an experience that is pure fun from start to finish.