Review 7th Dragon III Code: VFD (3DS)
Very Fine Dragons
3DS owners have watched the pocket-sized portable become something of a treasure trove of JRPGs over the past few years; ATLUS in particular has showered the system with Etrian Odyssey and Shin Megami Tensei titles, Square-Enix introduced the Bravely series, and Nintendo's stepped back up to the plate in helping to publish...
Interview Yoshifumi Hashimoto talks us through Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns
"Deep down, everybody has times when they just want to relax"
Somewhere above the Los Angeles Convention Centre, the Harvest Goddess was smiling over this year's E3; along with Natsume's in-house-developed Harvest Moon: Skytree Village, XSEED brought a farming-fan-favourite in Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns — the latest game in the long-running...
First Impressions Working the Lands in Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns
Meanwhile, back at the ranches
This year's E3 was notable for many reasons, but for farming sim fans the bumper crop of 3DS agricultural adventures on display was one of the best. Along with the internally-developed Harvest Moon: Skytree Village at Natsume's booth, there was also the latest game in the Bokujō Monogatari series (formerly localized...
First Impressions Cowering in Fear in Corpse Party on 3DS
The kids aren’t alright
With Shantae and Story of Seasons filling XSEED's E3 booth with so much colour and cheer this year, there was one title that stood out starkly with its bloodstained logo and bleak look: Corpse Party on the 3DS. This inimitable Japanese indie horror game has been scaring people silly in various forms since 1996, and is now...
Hands On Waiting for the End of the World in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
In like Flynn
While Atlus' booth at E3 this year was decked out from top to bottom in Persona 5's deep red regalia, tucked in between artwork of the Phantom Thieves and attendees swarming for swag was a single splash of neon green, representing a hidden gem for 3DS gamers: Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse. This upcoming RPG is a sequel of sorts to...
First Impressions Kicking It With Kunio-kun in River City: Tokyo Rumble
Return of the King
If you're a retro fan, chances are you've come across at least one game in the longstanding Kunio-kun series. Running steadily for the past 30 years in Japan and localized under such varied names as Renegade, River City Ransom, Street Gangs, Crash 'n The Boys, and Double Dragon, the series has been incredibly prolific and...
First Impressions Going Under the Gavel With Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice
No objections here
Nestled between the rowdy Street Fighter V stage and a rather impressive Monster Hunter airship at Capcom's E3 2016 sat an orange-tinted oasis of calm, in the Tibetan-esque temple of justice dedicated to Phoenix Wright's latest lawyerly adventure: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice. We had the chance to go hands-on with a 20-minute...
Hands On Digging into Harvest Moon: Skytree Village
Getting back to the land
With its giant inflatable tree, pastoral picket fences and fully-stocked stables of farm-animal plushies, Natsume's booth at this year's E3 represented a rustic respite from the show floor madness, and we happily headed down to the farm to check out its newest title: Harvest Moon: Skytree Village. This latest is Natsume's...
Hands On Wide-Open Wanderlust in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Legendary
Instead of the open-floor plan filled with dozens of demo kiosks we've come to expect from its showings, Nintendo's booth at E3 this year looked rather different, featuring a single space shielded from the rest of the showfloor and dedicated to a single game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While it may have seemed like an odd...
Review Justice Chronicles (3DS eShop)
For middling justice!
Kemco has been nothing if not busy lately, keeping 3DS owners occupied with a steady stream of eShop JRPGs, and Justice Chronicles is the latest in this line. Though it suffers from a number of common ails of its ilk — like awkward translation, a generic cast, and uneven presentation — Justice Chronicles does have some neat...
Review Moco Moco Friends (3DS)
It's so fluffy!
Whether it's the demonic menagerie of Shin Megami Tensei, the lovable pocketable monsters of Pokémon, or the goofy ghosts of Yo-Kai Watch, creature-collecting games have been a staple of the JRPG genre for years and show no signs of slowing down. One of the latest takes on this trend is Aksys' Moco Moco Friends, a whimsical,...
Generica
From old-school platformers like Shovel Knight to the pixel-art renaissance, what's old is new again these days, and retro revivals have made for some wonderfully received games in recent years. The best of these projects leverage clever design, modern sensibilities and plenty of polish to craft experiences that feel like games as we...
Fated for fun
The name 'Intergrow' might not mean much to most gamers in Europe or North America, but if you've spent much time with a Japanese 3DS it should ring a bell as it's the publisher responsible for bringing Western Nindie titles like SteamWorld Dig and Mighty Switch Force! to Nintendo's home country. Now Intergrow's teamed up with Rising...
Review Return to Popolocrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale (3DS)
A heartwarming harvest
As a crossover between Yohsuke Tamori's PopoloCrois (an enduringly popular fantasy manga from 1978) and the evergreen Bokujō Monogatari series (formerly known as Harvest Moon and now Story of Seasons in the West), Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale stands out, even in the 3DS' impressively varied RPG garden...
Interview PopoloCrois Creator Yohsuke Tamori on Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale
"I want people to know that heartwarming RPGs like this still exist"
In a season already brimming with high-profile RPGs on the 3DS, Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale stands out: a crossover between Yohsuke Tamori's PopoloCrois — an enduringly popular fantasy manga series that's served as the basis for several anime adaptations...
Review Bravely Second: End Layer (3DS)
This’ll ring a bell
When JRPG giant Square Enix brought Bravely Default to the 3DS back in 2013, it took an old-is-new-again approach, bringing the feel of golden age Final Fantasies — four heroes, airships, crystals and castles included — to Nintendo's newest handheld. The result felt like a truly classic adventure with all mod cons, and it...
Review Radiohammer (3DS eShop)
Hammer time
Between retail full-lengths like Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, and Rhythm Thief and the Emperor's Treasure, and eShop singles like HarmoKnight and Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe, the 3DS has put on quite a sh
Review Family Fishing (3DS eShop)
Fins with Kin
As the house of Guilty Gear and BlazBlue, Arc System Works is perhaps best known for its fighting games, but over the past few years it's also been quietly churning out a series of arcadey eShop sports games starring a multitalented Japanese family. Billy and his hyper-competitive clan have already brought charming, thoroughly decent...
Review The Legend of Legacy (3DS)
SaGa All-Stars
A pedigreed project if ever there was one, The Legend of Legacy could easily have been named for its own lineage — this Furyu-developed RPG counts among its creators some of the legendary minds behind Chrono Trigger, the SaGa series and Final Fantasy XIII. As the latest in a long line of Atlus adventures for the 3DS, it's also...
Review Nintendo Presents: New Style Boutique 2 - Fashion Forward (3DS)
Back in style
Like high-waisted shorts or the reemergence of leg warmers, some things just come out of nowhere. Syn Sophia's New Style Boutique was a similarly surprising success when it hit the 3DS runways in 2012, giving the fashion sim genre a real gem. After a few seasons off it's back for another appearance (in Europe at least) with this...
Stellar
Though they've had a hand in games as diverse as Yoshi's New Island and Time and Eternity, the name 'imageepoch' will forever be linked with Luminous Arc, the studio's successful strategy RPG series that debuted on the DS back in 2007. As a spiritual successor to those titles, as well as imageepoch's last release following their bankruptcy...
Translation, triple audio, and true romance
When we got our first hands-on time with Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale at E3 earlier this year, we were very impressed; this quietly charming little JRPG ended up being a highlight of the 3DS' lineup at the show, and we were eager to see more. Thankfully, at a preview event in San Fra
Review Hatsune Miku: Project MIRAI DX (3DS)
Chart-topper
To those who know her, she needs no introduction: Hatsune Miku is a star. To those who don't, she definitely requires some explanation: Hatsune Miku is a 'virtual idol' and the world's most popular Vocaloid, a personification of a software synthesizer given background, personality, and a constant stream of songs to sing by composers and...
Mario Memories The Delight of Sharing Mario Adventures With Loved Ones
Co-op is always possible
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have E3 veteran and reviewer Morgan Sleeper. Thinking back on my time with Mario, one thing stands...
