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Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is a well-presented game that is full of the typical Nintendo and Sega charm, and is a fun game to bust out when you just fancy some simple, straightforward arcade-style fun for which you don’t have to think too hard. This isn’t a game you’re going to be playing for months at a time — but it is one you may just find yourself wanting to get down off the shelf now and again the next time you fancy seeing Daisy in a leotard.
It’s hard to really see who Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound & Debriefed is aimed at. People that were put off by some of the issues in Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed aren’t going to play its even jankier predecessor, and £34.99 is a steep asking price even for someone that might be interested in trying this out. If you’re desperate to see the series’ origins, then this might be worthwhile — just go in with appropriately low expectations!
Should you buy a copy if you already have Delicious! Pretty Girls Mahjong Solitaire? Sure! You get more puzzles, more girls, more outfits and some new music — albeit not nearly enough of the latter. Plus, y’know, it’s a fiver; that’s pocket change these days.
Despite my occasional irritation at the characters’ decisions and responses throughout the narrative, I enjoyed Scarlet Nexus. It could have just done with a little more refinement; if you’re going to include “Social Link”-style systems, for heaven’s sake make sure they aren’t disconnecting the player from the bigger story at play!
With its very likeable cast, distinctive and memorable heroine, beautiful presentation and compelling narrative setup, BUSTAFELLOWS should be on the shopping list of every visual novel enthusiast — not just otome fans.
All this isn’t to say that the game isn’t worth playing. Whether you are a fan of the original or you are experiencing it for the first time, Skyward Sword HD is a Zelda game worth playing as much as any other. However, it doesn’t wipe away the issues that the original had completely. The various quality of life issues that are implemented in this version only serve to highlight the issues that plagued the original — and the fact that some of those issues require more than a simple “quick fix” provided by a remaster like this to resolve.
Ultimately, Cris Tales ended up fixing few of the issues that I had with the game’s demo back in 2019, while also adding a few more thanks to the Switch port. I can’t imagine the currently average story getting much better at the end, and most of the ideas and gameplay mechanics presented at the start end up going nowhere. It’s a shame, as there was a lot of potential there — hopefully some of the more glaring technical issues can be fixed in a post-launch patch, at least.
Because despite the game’s many flaws, Kodaka proves that he continues to make brave and bold decisions in his creations, and has still delivered a title true to his vision. While featuring an extremely constrained plot, its surprising focus on love and its excellent take on the FMV genre was a thrill to experience. I simply want even more — and for Kodaka to have the opportunity to iron out the few nitpicks I’ve mentioned above.
Whether you like to blast through a game’s story as quickly as possible or take your time mastering every possible mechanic along the way, there’s something to like in Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book. So if you’ve passed this installment in the series by up until now, I’d encourage you to give it a go — particularly if you’re one of the series’ many new fans who came along with the introduction of Ryza. You won’t be disappointed!
It’s absolutely fantastic, and should be considered an essential purchase for any discering shoot ’em up fan — particularly if you enjoy the Star Soldier series. Now we just need to find someone up for publishing a nice physical release of that Switch version!
It’s silly, sexy fun that is the perfect game to enjoy in the summer months — particularly if you have any sort of rose-tinted nostalgia for the ’90s. So what are you waiting for? There are ladies to uncov– I mean, boxes to pack!
There’s plenty to do in Mario Golf: Super Rush, then. And while it may not be a game you’ll want to play every day once you’ve beaten the Golf Adventure mode, there’s enough here to keep things interesting for many solo and group play sessions. And with the prospect of free updates down the line, the future looks bright for this one — here’s hoping the online community takes to it in the long term.
Mario Golf: Super Rush’s adventure mode probably won’t take you a long time to clear — likely somewhere around the 6-10 hour mark, depending on how many times you have to retry the tougher challenges — but it’s a great introduction to what the game has to offer, and a perfect example of how Nintendo is willing to infuse one of the most slow-paced, potentially boring sports in the world with a sense of energy, personality and dynamism.
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.