Games which linger in production purgatory often demonstrate dissonance, with lofty ambitions undermined by gameplay that doesn’t quite gel together. That contention is furthered by the release of Rodea the Sky Soldier for the Wii ...
Read More »Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson review
Shinobi during the Sengoku period faced a myriad of threats, ranging from enemy soldiers, attack dogs, and traps. Senran Kagura’s kunoichi have braved a remarkably different set of dangers- with losing their clothing being their ...
Read More »Japanese Rail Sim 3D review
As a habitual rail commuter, I’ve grown accustomed to setbacks. Regularly, the morning train is at least ten minutes behind schedule. Other times, the locomotive careens past its designated stopping point, forcing the train to ...
Read More »I am an Air Traffic Controller Airport Hero Narita review
What is the concept? Following in the contrails of last year’s simulation, a title set against the lush tropical backdrop of Honolulu international Airport, I am an Air Traffic Controller Airport Hero Narita tasks players ...
Read More »Swords & Darkness review
During the late eighties, games like Renegade, Double Dragon, and Final Fight established the fundamentals of the beat-‘em-up. Each game, as well as a slew of sequels and tacit descendants, permitted players to pummel opponents ...
Read More »Ninja Usagimaru – The Gem of Blessings review
What is the concept? Like any good puzzler, there’s more to Ninja Usagimaru – The Gem of Blessings that a first impression might imply. On the surface, the game seems downright simple, as a succession ...
Read More »A-Train 3D: City Simulator review
Much of the world uses watches and clocks to anticipate the appearance of a train. But in Japan, the railway system operates with such precision that timepieces can be set by the arrival of its ...
Read More »Excave II: Wizard of the Underworld review
Helping to fill the deficiency of dungeon-crawlers on the 3DS, last February’s Excave proved to be a passable entry in the genre. While the title periodically succumbed to hack-and-slash tedium and exhibited an uneven challenge ...
Read More »Story of Seasons review
For a franchise with a notable absence of antagonism, the Bokujō Monogatari/Harvest Moon franchise has found itself in an ironic junction. Originally published in 1996 by Japanese publisher/developer Pack-In-Video (creator of Die Hard, Friday the ...
Read More »Excave review
Between Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers and the Etrain Odyssey series, the 3DS has a number of quality, turn-based dungeon crawlers. But real-time exploration and creature elimination on the portable is a bit ...
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