September2017

  • Review Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS)

    Welcome back

    You know, there’s a reason why they call it 'Metroidvania' and not 'Castletroid'. As much as the Castlevania series took the whole ‘interconnected 2D map’ ball and ran with it over the past decade while Metroid fans had to do without, it’s Nintendo’s series that first defined the rules and, when handled properly, did it best...

March2013

  • Review Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate (3DS)

    A change is as good as a rest

    As much as it will pain Castlevania fans to admit, the series was in a pretty bad state prior to the release of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow in 2010. Although a string of “Metroidvania” entries — produced under the guidance of the enigmatic Koji “IGA” Igarashi — had hit the mark from a critical standpoint,...