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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.
It’s an ultimately realistic way of looking at things — and while at first glance it might appear hopeless, eventually the true message reveals itself with clarity. Violence and killing are not the answer, because no-one is in that truly infallible position where they can reliably act as judge, jury and executioner. No-one is truly good or truly evil — and thus any attempt to rid the world of one or the other through violence is ultimately, inevitably doomed to failure.
Pretty Girls Rivers is a good time, and if you fancy another nice casual puzzler featuring pretty anime-style girls on your Switch, it’s a good addition to the lineup as a whole. Don’t expect it to last you too long — but like I say, if you do want to squeeze some additional (and surprisingly enjoyable) longevity out of it, be sure to tackle the perfect score challenge. I’ll be waiting for you atop the leaderboards!
Yamafuda! is just the thing for when you’re after a non-demanding but cute and engaging game — such as, say, when you’ve spent the last five days coughing and spluttering your way through being ill. It’s by no means going to replace the big hitters of the roguelike deckbuilder genre for anyone — but you’ll find it’s a welcome inclusion in your library when you’re just in the right mood for it.