IGN Korea's Reviews
Building on the character-specific mechanics introduced in its predecessor, Cotton Fantasy, this 35th-anniversary entry makes the same stages feel entirely different depending on who you choose. Switching characters means relearning safe distances and scoring routes, giving every return trip a purpose. The home version further supports repeated play with training tools, hitbox and enemy-bullet display options, and a complete selection of routes and characters. Some key mechanics remain poorly explained, while overlapping effects can occasionally obscure crucial information. Even so, its approachable spectacle and deeply rewarding scoring system make it an exceptionally polished shoot ’em up. It may not definitively be the greatest Cotton ever made, but it is more than worthy of celebrating the series’ 35th anniversary.
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Truxton Extreme proves that a long-dormant series can return for more than nostalgia. The spirit of Truxton remains at its core: overwhelming firepower is balanced by the tension of losing momentum after a single mistake, while repeated attempts gradually turn intimidating enemy formations into patterns you understand and overcome. Extreme builds on that foundation rather than simply recreating it, using its wider battlefield, on-the-fly speed changes, weapon choices, and EX Boost system to create new decisions about positioning, survival, and score. Story, Arcade, Arena, local co-op, online rankings, training tools, and accessibility options make the package unusually complete. Repeated campaign stages and lengthy retries can become tiring, but the shooting itself remains consistently strong. Combined with its competitive price, Truxton Extreme is an impressive revival that shows how a classic arcade shooter can return as a genuine modern sequel rather than a nostalgic imitation.
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Time has been kind to NINJA MASTER'S. At launch, its infinite combos and balance issues overshadowed much of what it had to offer, but revisiting it today reveals an ambitious fighting game built around inventive ideas such as weapon switching, the Splendid Combination System, and the Super Power Gauge. Neo Geo Premium Selection provides the best way to experience these mechanics in a modern environment, offering players a chance to re-evaluate one of ADK's most underrated fighting games. It may not be flawless, but it remains a distinctive and rewarding fighter that is still well worth playing today.
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World Heroes Perfect is a game that maintains its direction of leaving powerful options intact and creating fun through their collisions, rather than carefully refining balance. As a result, matches are not built around steadily accumulating advantage, but instead tend to shift dramatically from a single decision. The jump-centered pressure, noticeable differences in character performance, and repeatedly dominant patterns can feel rough and unfair by modern standards. However, these same elements also create the game’s unique sense of tension and speed. Even in the Neo Geo Premium Selection version, these characteristics remain unchanged, and in some ways, they stand out even more clearly. Ultimately, this is not a game suited for players expecting refined competition and balanced design, but for those who can embrace bold design and immediate fun, it still delivers a distinctly memorable experience.
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MARVEL MaXimum Collection is not a greatest-hits package, but a record of how arcades and 8- and 16-bit home systems translated Marvel into games in the early to mid-1990s. It places X-Men and Captain America and The Avengers at its center, surrounded by console releases and multiple platform versions. Quality varies widely, but save states, rewind, and cheats make even the roughest games worth exploring, while scans of boxes, manuals, and advertisements restore context the games alone cannot provide. The lack of online play for Captain America and The Avengers is a clear limitation beside X-Men’s six-player support. This is not a complete history of Marvel games, but its approach to selection and preservation remains convincing.
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The PC Engine version of City Hunter was not a groundbreaking title even in 1990, and its conventional side-scrolling structure and simple combat clearly reflect the limitations of its era. This re-release does not attempt to romanticize those aspects. Instead, it brings the game into a modern environment with official localization, stable performance, and contemporary quality-of-life features, while preserving the original structure and feel with notable care. Rather than serving as mere nostalgia, it stands as an exemplary restoration—one that allows today’s players to experience a slice of licensed action game history in an accessible and faithfully preserved form.
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“Double Dragon: Revive” is a title that prioritizes the core experience and satisfying combat of arcade action. Strategic combat, stage interactions, and cooperative play are all seamlessly integrated, delivering enjoyment within the genre’s framework while making thoughtful, measured changes to preserve the identity of the Double Dragon IP. While certain aspects may still require further refinement to fully safeguard the IP’s value, the game succeeds in evoking the nostalgia of the arcade’s golden era. It remains faithful to the essence of the genre, offering not just a recreation of the past but a modern reinterpretation that feels engaging and compelling.
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Real Bout Fatal Fury 2 was largely overlooked and forgotten at the time of its release, but over time it has come to be recognized by fighting game fans as a tragically underrated masterpiece and a highly polished versus tool. This ‘NEOGEO Premium Selection’ version includes modern features such as gallery viewing, training mode, and online play. While there are some minor drawbacks, the package offers good value for its price and provides a stable competitive environment, making it highly satisfying. Especially now, with character strategies fully documented, anyone can quickly appreciate the well-balanced gameplay. It’s a definitive edition that can be confidently recommended to fans.
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Trails in the Sky the 1st may have a few minor shortcomings here and there, but overall it’s a highly ideal remake that lets you fully experience the very first entry in the Trails series. The long-standing issue of visuals has been polished to the point where they’re no longer a distraction, the combat is engaging, and the quality-of-life improvements make the whole experience pleasantly smooth. That said, the main story feels somewhat short in volume, and the lack of long-term replayability is disappointing. Still, it’s a fantastic remake that significantly lowers the barrier of entry for newcomers to the Trails series.
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Shinobi Revenge Strike is a truly immersive 2D action platformer that is not only a joy to watch, but even more engaging to play.
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Among the more recent entries in the Super Robot Wars series, this is the one that delivers the most fun and satisfaction. The crossover flows naturally without feeling forced, the story is cleanly told without unnecessary fluff, and the variety of side missions helps fill in both the gaps of the fast-paced main plot and its comedic beats. It also fixes, to some extent, the power creep issues of past titles, offering a well-balanced experience that keeps you on your toes even in the late game. Unfortunately, the overly inconvenient changes to the UI and the combat confirmation screen that makes it difficult to see crucial information drag down the overall evaluation, which is a real shame. Still, as a whole, this is a strong title that makes me hopeful for the revival of the series.
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Kronos: The New Dawn offers a compelling mystery to solve and a chance to explore a chilling sci-fi hellscape, but its mediocre combat system keeps it in the shadow of survival horror classics like Dead Space and Resident Evil 4.
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Filled with unfriendly checkpoints and repetitive battles, Shadow Labyrinth is a crude reinterpretation of Pac-Man's "Secret Level" episodes, resulting in a tedious experience.
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Ninja Gaiden Ragebound is a compelling title with stunning visuals and sound, and fast-paced yet deep combat that's hard to put down.
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A well-crafted sequel based on a proven formula that has spanned four generations of Nintendo consoles.
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The overwhelming visual beauty and gameplay that inherits and refines the strengths of the previous work are the great charms of this work, and the story that consistently unfolds based on the theme of 'connection' is also admirable. On the other hand, the new play elements are somewhat tame, and the overall game experience lacks freshness. In addition, the storytelling that does not fully unfold until the end is disappointing. While it boasts a high level of completion overall, it is a work that leaves room for further innovation.
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It's one of the best 3-player co-op games when played as designed, but implementing it is harder than you might think and solo play is unbalanced.
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An impressive achievement that revitalizes the long-stagnant JRPG genre by skillfully unfolding a sweeping tale of life and death, art and theology. On this new stage, it proves that the genre isn’t obsolete—it's a timeless classic.
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Onimusha 2 Remaster stays true to the original’s distinct feel and atmosphere, while smartly introducing a handful of meaningful quality-of-life improvements—such as autosave, analog movement, and real-time weapon switching—that make revisiting this classic a more seamless experience. Packed with over 100 pieces of concept art, new difficulty options, and mini-games, the remaster offers both strong archival value and a sense of completeness. What truly sets Onimusha 2 apart, however, is its bold departure from the linear action structure of its predecessor. While retaining the signature Issen counter-attack system, it introduces branching narratives shaped by relationships with companions, player-driven choices, and a cast of strikingly unique characters. Even back in its original release, this was a bold experiment—and in hindsight, it stands as a singular entry within the series, one that dared to be different before the franchise shifted toward more straightforward action. This remaster doesn’t just preserve that memory—it reaffirms that the game’s spirit of experimentation remains relevant even in today’s gaming landscape.
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Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is a quiet retrospective of overlooked fighting game experiments. Many titles were ignored upon release and seldom revisited, yet the collection captures Capcom’s innovative spirit—bold attempts to push the genre’s boundaries with unique mechanics. Its value lies not in perfection but in the act of trying. In a scene dominated by optimization and balance, this collection reminds us of fighting games’ broader creative potential. Longtime fans can revisit obscure titles, while newcomers glimpse the genre’s diverse past. Though imperfect, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 stands as an important archive, showing that fighting games are about more than winning—they’re about ideas and risks. This reexamination offers fresh insight into the genre’s rich history.
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