Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Review

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana takes place somewhere between the fifth and sixth entry. Even if this is your first game that hardly matters here. Every title is another adventure with Adol Christin. Sure there are ties with characters between each game, but it’s not something to get hung up on. What I’m trying to say is there’s never been a better time to hop aboard the Ys train. Watch my review to find out why. Enjoy!

Special Notes: I received a PS4 review code for Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana.

Ys VIII -Lacrimosa of DANA-_20170821184559

Ys VIII -Lacrimosa of DANA-_20170821193318

Ys VIII -Lacrimosa of DANA-_20170821193635

Ys VIII -Lacrimosa of DANA-_20170821194119

Ys VIII -Lacrimosa of DANA-_20170821194926

Ys VIII -Lacrimosa of DANA-_20170822041639

Ys VIII -Lacrimosa of DANA-_20170823220957

Ys VIII -Lacrimosa of DANA-_20170825225312

Windjammers Review

Windjammers is a hyper stylized sports game that originally launched in arcades back in 1994. It was developed by the now defunct Data East and published by SNK. Other than a Japanese port to the Wii’s Virtual Console in 2010, which was delisted in 2013, this game has been dormant for years. It has now come out of retirement boasting new online features and several visual upgrades. Does this game still hold up, or should it go back into the annals of history. Let’s find out!

Special Notes: I received a PS4 review code for Windjammers.

WINDJAMMERS_20170824214908

WINDJAMMERS_20170824215644

WINDJAMMERS_20170824220757

WINDJAMMERS_20170825222123

Blue Dragon 10th Anniversary

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Blue Dragon. It launched on August 28, 2007 for the Xbox 360 in North America, which is a year after Japan. This video retrospective will go through all three games and the anime spinoff. Does Hironobu Sakaguchi’s first attempt at an RPG post Final Fantasy hold up ten years later, or has its allure faded? Let’s find out!

Gamescom 2017: Top 10 Biggest Game Announcements

Another Gamescom is in the books. That means it’s time to wrap up the show with a look back at the ten biggest announcements including the SNES Mini Classic pre-order debacle, BioMutant, Final Fantasy XV’s deluge of reveals, Secret of Mana getting a remake, and more. Enjoy this little podcast Shay and I put together!

The Legend of Zelda 30th Anniversary

It’s hard to believe, but two important Nintendo franchises premiered in the West in August 1987. First fans were treated to the original Metroid and then on August 22 they were introduced to The Legend of Zelda (according to most sources that is). And like Metroid it too arrived a year earlier in Japan as a Famicom Disk System game. It was followed up by, well, a ton of games and spinoffs as you can see in the table below.

 

We know the origins and we know the games. What else is there to say? Instead of going into great detail on every title I thought it would be more interesting to log the evolution of the series. This is the most important year Zelda has seen since its debut after all. Breath of the Wild, which both expanded the horizon of the franchise while simultaneously dialing back to its roots. So sit back and watch the accompanying video retrospective as I try and map Link’s changes throughout history from the beginning. I also included my video on Zelda clones. Enjoy!

 

 

Main Zelda Release Timeline (Based on NA)

• The Legend of Zelda (NES 1987)
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES 1988)
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES 1992)
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (GB 1993)
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64 1998)
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (N64 2000)
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (GBC 2001)
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracles of Seasons (GBC (2001)
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords (GBA 2002)
• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC 2003)
• The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GC 2004)
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA 2005)
• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii/GC 2006)
• The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS 2007)
• The Legend of Zelda; Spirit Tracks (DS 2009)
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii 2011)
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS 2013)
• The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (3DS 2015)
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (WiiU/Switch 2017)

Mages of Mystralia Review

Mages of Mystralia came out a few months ago on May 18 for PC and now it’s back for a console debut. Is this puzzle filled Zelda like worth your time, or it is it another indie flop? Find out in my review.

Special Notes: I received a PS4 review code for Mages of Mystralia.

Mages of Mystralia_20170818004813

Mages of Mystralia_20170818015233

Mages of Mystralia_20170818020443

Mages of Mystralia_20170818192303

Mages of Mystralia_20170818192628

Mages of Mystralia_20170818193610

Mages of Mystralia_20170818195230

Mages of Mystralia_20170818201042

Yakuza Kiwami Review

Yakuza Kiwami is a complete remake of the original 2005 PS2 game. It’s not, however, the first time the original went HD. In 2012 it was released alongside the second game in a HD collection for the PS3 and Wii U exclusively in Japan. So in a way this is the West’s first experience with the original since its debut more than ten years ago. Does the core game still hold up and are the extra bells and whistles enough to attract old fans? Find out in my review.

Special Notes: I received a PS4 review code for Yakuza Kiwami.

YAKUZA KIWAMI_20170818002559

YAKUZA KIWAMI_20170818003007

YAKUZA KIWAMI_20170818214014

YAKUZA KIWAMI_20170818222322

YAKUZA KIWAMI_20170818225013

YAKUZA KIWAMI_20170820010710

YAKUZA KIWAMI_20170820014113

YAKUZA KIWAMI_20170820015244

Metroid 30th Anniversary

Today marks the 30th anniversary of Metroid’s release in North America. It launched on August 15, 1987 for the NES. Five years ago I covered the series (one and two) and at the time the state of Metroid and Metroidvanias was dire. A couple things have changed since then. One, I’ve learned a lot since my second year of doing this stuff. Two, while Nintendo is finally giving Samus the proper resurgence she deserves, the indie scene has been ablaze with Metroidvanias for years. Games like Axiom Verge, Guacamelee, and the most recent hit, Sundered. They honestly give Super Metroid and Symphony of the Night a run for their money.

 

So while we haven’t been in any kind of a dry spell, again, it is nice to see Nintendo finally acknowledging the franchise. Even Konami allowed that Castlevania anime to be made by another company. It’s not perfect, but the show is still pretty good. Hopefully 2017 marks the revival of both of these great series. For now let’s take a look at Metroid’s past triumphs and mistakes in the accompanying video retrospective. Enjoy!

PS4 Review: Nidhogg 2

Nidhogg 2 is more or less the same game from 2014 albeit with a few tweaks. Does the game offer enough of an evolution from the original, or is it a baby step backwards? Find out in my review.

Special Notes: I received a PS4 review code for Nidhogg 2.

Nidhogg 2_20170811183647

Nidhogg 2_20170811183727

Nidhogg 2_20170811184309

Nidhogg 2_20170811184817

Nidhogg 2_20170811192215

Nidhogg 2_20170811193811

PS4 Review: Sine Mora EX

Sine Mora EX is an enhanced PS4 port. The original game launched on March 21, 2012 for the Xbox 360 and has since been added to the PS3, PS Vita, Ouya, iOS, and PC. Each one of these ports offered something new to the original package in some small from, but Sine Mora EX goes a step beyond that. Does it offer enough for veterans to jump back in five years later and will it attract new players as well? Find out in my review.