First Impressions Learning to Fly With Rodea the Sky Soldier
Winging It
Rodea the Sky Soldier has had quite a turbulent time in development. Originally announced in 2010 for the Wii, this character-driven flight action game from Sonic and NiGHTS into Dreams creator Yuji Naka looked set to soar, but ultimately never got off the runway. After years of radio silence, Rodea was cleared for takeoff as a rebuilt...
Review Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight (3DS)
A Knight to Remember
Atlus' evergreen Etrian Odyssey series got its start on the DS with a trilogy of excellent map-making adventures, and it's found similar success on Nintendo's newest handheld, with Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan and spinoffs Etrian Mystery Dungeon and Persona Q all right at home on the 3DS. Thanks to 2013's
First Impressions Heading Back to the Farm in Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale
Of Cabbages and Kings
Nestled snugly between Senran Kagura's bountiful bosoms and the Cold Steel of the latest Legend of Heroes chapter, Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale occupied a relatively unassuming spot at XSEED's E3 booth last month, but it certainly left quite an impression. This upcoming 3DS title is a crossover that...
Review Lord Of Magna: Maiden Heaven (3DS)
Domestic Bliss
When Rune Factory developer Neverland sadly shut up shop in 2013, there was still one project left on the table - a brand new story-driven SRPG named Lord of Magna. It lay unfinished until Marvelous miraculously reassembled part of the original team to finish the game, and we're lucky they did; it's not perfect, but with fun battles,...
Interview Senran Kagura Producer Kenichirō Takaki Bares All
“I love games, I love girls, and I love sexy stuff”
The Senran Kagura series famously - and perhaps apocryphally - began life when its creator, Kenichirō Takaki, decided that the Nintendo 3DS' stereoscopic display was destined to display one thing over all else: breasts. Setting to work to fulfill his dream, Takaki-san produced two tales of...
First Impressions Basking in the Glow of Atlus' Legendary Lineup
We take a look at Stella Glow and Legend of Legacy
From a steady stream of Shin Megami Tensei titles to an ever-growing assortment of Etrian Odyssey outings, it's safe to say that Atlus has shown the 3DS a massive amount of JRPG love over the past few years. The company's lineup at E3 last month continued that happy trend, but what was especially...
Review Glory of Generals: The Pacific (3DS eShop)
War never changes
Whether fighting in fantasy worlds or gritty reality, 3DS-owning strategists have had a steady stream of wargames to keep them busy since the system's launch. CIRCLE Entertainment has been responsible for a particularly prolific eShop invasion, with World Conqueror 3D, European Conqueror 3D and Glory of Generals all joining the...
First Impressions Digging Up Details on Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories
Meanwhile, back at the ranch
Natsume always has a diverse catalog of games to show at E3, but the cream of each year's crop is undoubtedly Harvest Moon, the premier farm-life simulation series that's been offering players quiet pastoral pleasures since 1996. This year, after having just produced their first in-house Harvest Moon with last year's The...
First Impressions Getting Into The Spirit With Yo-Kai Watch
An Inspiriting Invasion
Yo-Kai Watch's Western début has been a long time coming - two 3DS games, several anime and manga series, and a mountain of merchandise have already conquered the imagination of young Japanese players, and now the first portable RPG in the series is making its way to the rest of the world courtesy of Nintendo and Level 5...
First Impressions Plugging In To Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash
Little Robo, big heart
The first time we played Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash at this year's E3, it was on a 3DS tethered by cable to a mobile Nintendo representative. It felt oddly appropriate given the wired nature of the game's protagonist, but sadly, pressing 'B' did not - as we would have hoped - release the cord. Later on during the show, we got to...
Hands On Logging More Flight Time With Star Fox Zero
“Impressive, Star Fox!”
In this second look at Star Fox Zero, Morgan Sleeper has a more positive experience than colleague Alan Lopez. To reflect the divisive nature of the controls, Alan's updated impressions from another playthrough are also included. When Miyamoto-san's Muppet started sprouting Star Fox features during the Nintendo Digital...
First Impressions Celebrating a Gaming Icon With Super Mario Maker
Let's Super Mario!
Super Mario Maker, recently powered-up from its initial moniker of 'Mario Maker', was a huge part of Nintendo's E3 presence both this year and last. Just a few months ahead of its September release it still had plenty of new surprises in store for this year's show, and still managed to captivate attendees' imaginations. The...
First Impressions Linking Up in The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
Wisdom, Power, Cosplay
While saving Hyrule has traditionally been a one hero job, multiplayer adventures have become a fan-favourite subset of the Legend of Zelda series since Four Swords made its début in 2002, and we were ecstatic to see The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes - an all-new co-op title for three players - revealed in Nintendo's...
First Impressions Holding Court with Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Racquet Riot
A surprise service sent over the net in Nintendo's Digital Event at this year's E3, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for Wii U marks the first home console appearance of this particular Mario Sport in over 10 years. If early impressions are anything to go by, it's one to watch for - the demo we played on the show floor was very simple,...
First Impressions Kicking Off With Metroid Prime: Blast Ball
Samus Soccer
First unveiled as a suspiciously Samus-shaded title at the Nintendo World Championships, Metroid Prime: Blast Ball was more recently revealed to be part of the upcoming Metroid Prime: Federation Force for 3DS. While the main multiplayer action of Federation Force wasn't on the show floor at this year's E3, we did get a chance to take...
Review Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains (3DS)
Sie Sind Das Spiel, Und Wir Sind Die Spieler!
When Attack on Titan hit the anime airwaves in 2013, it became an instant phenomenon. Originally a manga by Hajime Isayama, its popularity spawned several spin-off series, light novels, an upcoming live-action film, and even a rather creative photography trend. With intense action and a dystopian,...
Review Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker (3DS)
Dial D for Demons
The original Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor - a game in the grand tradition of titles cleverly acronym'd to reference Nintendo's dual-screened handheld - represented a new take on Atlus' long-running Shin Megami Tensei games, combining the series' modern setting and demon-taming mechanics with tactical, strategy-RPG gameplay...
Review Pokémon Rumble World (3DS eShop)
Diamonds and Pearls
One of many spin-offs to come out of Nintendo's Pokémon phenomenon, the Rumble series takes toy versions of Game Freak's famous monsters and throws them into simple, action-packed beat-'em-ups. The 3DS has already played host to Pokémon Rumble Blast, but following in the free-to-play footsteps of the recently released Pokémon...
Review Etrian Mystery Dungeon (3DS)
Sharing the Wonder
Since its début back in the DS days, ATLUS' Etrian Odyssey series has been well-represented in the West, with every main entry, an ongoing run of 'Untold' story-driven remakes and the magnificent mashup Persona Q all making their way to eager European and American gamers. The Mystery Dungeon games - while equally well-known in...
Review Pokémon Shuffle (3DS eShop)
Hoenn Hustle
Pokémon have been puzzling ever since the Johto days, when Pokémon Puzzle Challenge married the block-flipping gameplay of Panel de Pon with Game Freak's charming, collectable characters. It's a formula that's stuck, with Denpa Men developer Genius Sonority heading up the most recent series of Poké-puzzle combinations, including...
Review Puzzle Monkeys (Wii U eShop)
Fun as a barrel thereof
Ever since Tetris introduced gamers to the joys of skydiving shapes, block-dropping puzzlers have fallen into place on nearly every console and handheld under the sun, and for good reason: they're simple to learn, endlessly replayable, and - when done right - utterly addicting. Seeking to fill a simian-sized gap in the Wii...
Review Breezeblox (Wii U eShop)
Breezy
One of a growing number of indie titles appearing on the Wii U eShop, Breezeblox is a block-rolling puzzle game from début developer Brennan Maddox that, on first glance, seems to owe more than a little to mobigame's cube-based classic EDGE. Beyond the minimalist aesthetic and Cartesian conceit, however, they're very different games, and...
Double-plus-ungood
One of the quirkier titles to hit the 3DS eShop recently, Rocket Studios' Kemonomix+ is the sequel to a Japan-only DSiWare game from 2010: a streamlined simulation featuring a combination of exploration, time-management and monster rearing set on a faraway pastel planet. It borrows good ideas from excellent influences, but leaves...
Review Mario Party Advance (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Party of One
Given the palm-rending popularity of the Mario Party series on Nintendo 64, it was only a matter of time before Nintendo brought the festivities to a handheld venue, and in 2005 Mario Party Advance arrived to fulfil the dreams of on-the-go party people everywhere. Developed by the busy bees at Hudson Soft - best known as the house of...