February2018
Review The Longest Five Minutes (Switch)
Is it worth your time?
The Longest Five Minutes has one of the most interesting concepts we’ve seen from an RPG in some time. Starting immediately at the final boss battle, the game’s almost cringefully named protagonist ‘Flash Back’ has no memory of why he is suddenly fighting the Demon King, or even who any of his friends and allies are...
October2017
Review Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle (Switch)
Is it a knock-out?
Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle is a fighting game spin-off from the Touhou Project – a series of video games, print works, and CDs that follow protagonist Reimu Hakurei adventuring through a haunted region of Japan. Reimu, as well as the series’ secondary character Marisa Kirisame, join a host of playable characters to...
Fully decked out
Twenty years ago a bizarre amalgamation of card game, board game, and video game first released on the Sega Saturn, and made waves with its strategic depth, addictive gameplay and unique concept. Subsequent titles have shuffled the formula since, but that core blend of number-crunching, dice-rolling and card collecting remained,...
July2017
Unlimited Adventure
If any modern system can lay claim to the JRPG throne, it’s the 3DS. In the six-or-so years since Nintendo’s little handheld hit the market, aficionados have been treated to all sorts of adventures new and old, from Dragon Quests and Bravely games to Shin Megami Tenseis galore. That sort of library encourages serious RPG...
May2017
Review Disgaea 5 Complete (Switch)
Delightful madness
In the early days of the Nintendo Switch we're gradually seeing the broadening of its library to incorporate a wide range of genres. Disgaea 5 Complete is an early and substantial release for strategy / tactical gamers, and is also the most 'Disgaea' game many will have played. To be absolutely clear from the outset your...
November2015
Review Rodea the Sky Soldier (3DS)
Fasten your seatbelts
Rodea the Sky Soldier has had a pretty turbulent launch. The original concept for the game was conceived way back in 2010 by Yuji Naka, lead programmer and eventually producer on many Sonic the Hedgehog titles. The next year it was reported that the game was finished and ready to be published for the Wii, yet it never came...
Review Rodea the Sky Soldier (Wii U)
Turbulence ahead
Yuji Naka is a legend in the world of game design. He has worked on notable series such as Sonic the Hedgehog, NiGHTS into Dreams and Phantasy Online for nearly 30 years. His newest creation, Rodea the Sky Soldier, has been stuck in development limbo for over five years, but the time has finally come for it to see the light of day...
October2011
Third dimension is the charm
When Cave Story was first released for the PC in 2004, players quickly fell in love with its simple visual design and action-packed gameplay. And while the game has generally retained that look and feel for its subsequent multiplatform releases in recent years, Nicalis decided to put the 3D capabilities of Nintendo's new...
April2010
Review Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love (Wii)
Genre-mashing cinematic robot-girly goodness
It might seem surprising that one of Sega's longest-running and most successful franchises would never have seen the light of day outside of Japan, possibly a result of it being perceived as "too Japanese". namely due to a strong adventure game component which is commonly referred to as a...
