This is a reblog of my site http://geekysweetie.com – Other stuff may appear here such as reblogs from other wordpress.com sites. I blog and reblog about anime, video games, kdrama, toys, technology, and kawaii fashion and decor.
Thanks to the folks at Galdra Studios for allowing me to review their debut visual novel, Arcadia Fallen. As a first release from an indie game publisher, Arcadia Fallen definitely exceeded my expectations in many ways. First of all, the game’s high production values from voice acting, to character portraits, and even a catchy anime opening song and animation, all pull you right into the game. From there, the characters and story and unraveling the mysteries of the game keep you glued to your gaming chair. For those that find routine visual novel gameplay a bit dull, you might like the puzzle aspects in Arcadia Fallen because it has a nice crafting and alchemy feature.
With that said, let’s dive into our review. Keep in mind, Arcadia Fallen is a small indie game, but is being held to the same scrutiny and standards as any other game I review here, be it from an indie or bigtime game publisher. For what it is, a small first attempt by a new indie studio, Arcadia Fallen actually holds its own in many areas.
Title: Arcadia Fallen
Platform: PC and Nintendo Switch
Release Date: November 17, 2021
Genre: Visual Novel
Publisher: Galdra Studios
Overall: 68/90 76% C+ “Good Game For Girls”
Geeky: 3/5 – At the end of the day, Arcadia Fallen is a story driven visual novel. For some people, these games are too casual, but for most of my readers, this is our preferred genre of games. I do think Arcadia Fallen has some breakthrough potential to reach a wider audience due to high production values and the alchemy crafting puzzle aspects of the game.
Sweetie: 5/5 – With high replay value, a lot of inclusivity when it comes to who you want to play as, same sex dating options, gender options, and interesting characters and story, girl gamers will love Arcadia Fallen.
Gameplay: 7/10 – Gameplay, like most visual novels, consists of reading a lot of character dialog. When you aren’t reading and making branching plot choices, you’re crafting alchemy items by using a puzzle like mechanic of dragging and dropping ingredients into three spheres and turning them until the inner rings hold the ingredients to make your items. These puzzles range from simple to challenging. It really adds to the gameplay and breaks up the monotony of visual novel style read and click gameplay that all of these games suffer from. It’s a much appreciated little break from the story.
There’s also numerous choices you make as a player that drive and determine the story, or even which characters will join your party. As mentioned, you have a lot of freedom in who you want to romance, including same sex, or gender fluid characters which is nice for diversity and inclusivity.
Another nice touch is that you have a ton of freedom in where to travel to and what order to explore and do things in. You aren’t just forced down one path. From the overworld map, you can go explore side quests, or make branching plot decisions on where to go and what to do next.
There are a lot of quests and rewards and gameplay diversions that help Arcadia Fallen stand out from other traditional visual novels.
Story: 8/10 – The story and writing are very interesting. Without spoiling too much for you, the game starts with a spirit accidentally binding itself to you, and a string of events that have people accusing you and your employer of being evil witches. In an effort to clear your name and unbind this spirit from yourself, you begin a journey where you meet many other interesting characters.
Characters: 10/10 – I really enjoy the diverse characters. The cast is small, but each character truly stands out. I feel like the developers have probably played a few dungeons and dragons campaigns. These characters are spot on representations of the classic “Lawful Good” “True Neutral” “Chaotic Good” “Chaotic Neutral” “Lawful Evil” etc. From a wandering bard/magician who seems to only be tagging along out of amusement/interest, to a young scientist seemingly motivated by fame and greed, to a knight working for the government making sure you don’t try anything suspiscious. These are just some of the characters you’ll meet along the way. The voice acting definitely helps the characters feel more real and personable as well.
Graphics: 6/10 The graphics are not my cup of tea and have a distinctive western style to them, opposed to traditional anime visual novels from Asia. But none the less, I will say these graphics are clean, sharp, and clear with numerous facial expressions.
Music: 7/10 – The opening theme is so cute and was a real surprise. Many of the background ambient tracks are nice and fitting for the scenes. There just wasn’t a big variety of music, but that’s to be expected in an indie game.
Voice Acting: 8/10 – I was surprised at the quality and also amount of voice acting used in this game. There was maybe only one or two characters that I didn’t really care for their voice actors, but the rest I thought fit the characters perfectly.
Character Customization: 4/10 – I was surprised by lack of character customization. It does ocassionally show your playable character. When I played there were only 2 hair styles, and ability to change eye/skin/hair color and a few (less than 10 maybe) options for colors for your clothing. hmm this was a miss for me. But a nice effort to include customization at all.
Replay Value: 10/10 With a somewhat nonlinear approach, and where your decisions matter, this is a fun game to replay to see all of the different effects of your decisions.
I just finished Impostor Factory, a little short indie game by Freebird Games. They have a few other games under their belts including To The Moon, which is probably their most famous title.
Impostor Factory is meant to be a prequel in a way to To The Moon, although it’s slow to link the puzzle pieces together. It all makes sense by the end. You will see some familiar characters from To The Moon by the end.
I had thought I reviewed To The Moon here at some point, but I couldn’t find the review to link to it, so perhaps not.
I really love To The Moon though. I’d been very excited for Impostor Factory for a long time. But for me, it didn’t live up to its predecessor. That doesn’t mean it was a bad game though. I enjoyed Impostor Factory too.
I really disliked the first act of Impostor Factory – not only because it’s repetitive and confusing (intentionally so on both those accounts) – but because it lacked the emotion of the first game.
That emotion slowly begins to build in Acts 2 and 3 – and really hits home at the game’s end.
It’s an extremely short game. I clocked about 5 hours, but I went AFK a few times during that – so probably average playtime will be around 4 hours for most folks. – I feel like To The Moon was longer – but it’s been years since I played so perhaps I remember it incorrectly.
Like To The Moon, Impostor Factory also deals with illness, age, death, and regrets and unfinished business. I’d say Impostor Factory has more of a mysterious and dark tone.
You’re thrown in not knowing anything about any of the characters and it takes a long time to really build that emotional connection.
The game soundtrack is both equal parts memorable and minimal. Often times the game relies simply on ambient background sounds, but when it does use actual music, it is very beautiful. To The Moon also had lovely music.
The dialogue in Impostor Factory is usually pretty good, sometimes a little cheesy, but mostly heartfelt and endearing.
Eventually, once you figure out what’s going on near the end, there is a large emotional impact, so you do end up caring about the characters in the end, it’s just a slow build up before they really connect the dots there.
Short, sweet, mysterious, intriguing, and thought-provoking, all of these are words I would use to describe the story of Impostor Factory.
I’d rate it as follows:
Geeky: 4/5 – Yes it only has pixel “RPG Maker” style graphics, but it deals with time travel and scifi geeky themes. Very geeky indeed.
Sweetie: 5/5 – Once you figure out who or what everyone’s roles are in the game, it’s very sentimental indeed. Concepts of family are key.
Story: 9/10 – It was slow. Didn’t like Act 1, but the rest was good and pulled me in. It was short, but it was sufficient.
Characters: 9/10 – Once you figure out what’s happening, you see their lives from different perspectives and points of view, each building more character depth and revealing more about each character’s inner thoughts and feelings. At first I couldn’t connect with the characters, but that changed by act 2.
Graphics: 5/10 – Oldschool graphics don’t bother me, but for most people they’re not gonna be their cup of tea.
Music: 8/10 – what’s there is very nice and adds to the emotion – just there wasn’t much there really.
Voice Acting: N/A No Voice Acting
Replay Value: 0/10 – No need to replay – it is a linear short game with only 1 achievement and 1 story and 1 ending.
Overall Score: 67% D – Average Game For Girls
My personal enjoyment of the game is actually much higher than a D – but when analyzing each part, that’s the highest I can give it based on our website’s scoring system, mostly because I focus on reviewing Otome and Visual Novels or more complex RPGs where player choice matters – if it wasn’t graded 0/10 on replay value, it’s score would actually be 80% which is closer to how I feel really towards the game. But the fact that it has no replay value and is so short and is still a $9.99 purchase – well that does factor into it too. – I still feel like To The Moon was closer to 10 hours instead of 5, but it’s been years so I could be wrong… Either way they are both great games, I recommend you check them out.
2021 is more than halfway over. Here’s what I have been playing (new releases) and what I’m looking forward to releasing for Nintendo Switch this year. They’re not in any particular order. The first one is my favorite, the next 20 are in reverse chronological order (newer games or unreleased games first) – After that, who knows lol. There’s of course many more great games that I just couldn’t cover all of them here. Nintendo Switch is truly the best console for gamer girls.
1.) Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 4th Heart
Without a doubt, The game I’m most looking forward to is Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 4th Heart. It won’t be in English sadly – but you can always hold your phone up to your screen and use Google Translate – that’s what I plan on doing. I already have a Japanese Nintendo Switch account and already play a few Japanese games this way. The translation isn’t perfect since it’s machine translated but if it’s the only way to play Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 4th Heart, then I’ll do what I have to do. It’s inconvenient of course to hold the phone and work 2 devices, but small price to play for my hands down favorite gaming series.
Overhauled with new graphics and available as a 2pack digital or physical game. I will probably only purchase one of the games myself. Pokemon Diamond was one of the best Pokemon games. So I’m looking forward to this remake.
Available November 19, 2021 A double pack containing the Pokémon™ Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon™ Shining Pearl games will be available for purchase as a packaged version or as a digital downloadable version.
I have never played the other 2 games – or even heard of this series until now. However, it looks very fun. You choose if you want to be good or evil and it has cute anime graphics.
Available August 13, 2021 WitchSpring3 Re:Fine – The Story of Eirudy takes you deep into the Misty Forest, where the Witch Eirudy lives secluded from the rest of the world, when one day she meets an adventurous young man named Adrian in the forest, Eirudy’s life changes as she is thrown into the tide that determines the fate of deities and humans.
Mario Party is one of my favorite Nintendo franchises, so I’m excited to see a compilation of some of the older Mario Party games now releasing for the Switch.
Available October 29, 2021 Calling all Superstars! Mario Party™ is back with 5 classic boards from the Nintendo 64 Mario Party games. Frosting meets flowers as you race to get the most stars (and sabotage your opponents) on the Peach’s Birthday Cake board from the original Mario Party game.
Shin Megami Tensei is the series from which Persona became an “off-shoot”. This child has exceeded the parent now and become far more popular, but I still love Shin Megami Tensei. I don’t think I have ever played this one. I don’t know if it’s new, or possibly a remaster. Either way, I am excited for this game as well.
Available November 12, 2021 The ambitions of god and human clash amidst the horror of a dying world. Neither human nor demon, the newly-forged Nahobino and his friends must decide what is worth saving… and prepare to sacrifice everything in its name. In a world without its Creator, which path will you choose?
Available September 02, 2021 Kitaria Fables is a delightfully cute action adventure RPG with farming and crafting! Armed with a sword, bow and spellbook, fight back against a rising darkness threatening the world. Discover diverse regions in search of relics and resources, tend to your farm to grow your own provisions, and take on quests solo or with a friend in local co-op mode!
Another remastered Sonic Game – kinda meh – but it’s sonic. I rather see a new game similar to the dreamcast Sonic Adventure series. It’s the best. But I’ll take some more Sonic in my life anyways.
Available September 07, 2021 Join Sonic in the high-speed adventure of a lifetime! The evil Dr. Eggman has built a gigantic interstellar amusement park bursting with incredible rides and colorful attractions – but he’s powering it with a captured alien race called “Wisps.”
Available September 09, 2021 Restore Light to a Darkened World The last surviving member of her clan, Olympia travels to Tenguu Island to perform a ritual to bring back the sun. The heads of each district lead a society governed by rigid class structures. Able to travel between the districts, Olympia discovers their wonders and weaknesses.
Available September 10, 2021 A bold new era of the award-winning Life is Strange begins, with an all-new playable lead character and a thrilling mystery to solve! Alex Chen has long suppressed her ‘curse’: the supernatural ability to experience, absorb and manipulate the strong emotions of others, which she sees as blazing, colored auras.
Return to Arcadia Bay and experience two award-winning Life is Strange games like never before! Remastered visuals and animation breathe new life into the great cast of characters and gripping stories. The Life is Strange Remastered Collection includes ‘Life is Strange Remastered’ and ‘Life is Strange: Before the Storm Remastered’.
Available September 30, 2021 Experience an epic story with rewarding, turn-based combat and expansive customization rendered in glorious hand-drawn visuals. Explore the vast and beautiful world of Orcanon Visit five different cities populated by unique creatures and solve more than 20 dangerous dungeons.
I have not played the Switch version. I have it on Playstation and while it’s not my typical type of game, it’s so fun and funny. It’s like a Japanese gameshow like wipeout. It’s an elimination style obstacle course with a few minigames. The playstation one does not have local co-op. If the Switch version had local co-op I’d pick it up again. Super fun and fast easy to get started, difficult to master, type of game.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout flings hordes of contestants together online in a mad dash through round after round of escalating chaos until one victor remains! Battle bizarre obstacles, shove through unruly competitors, and overcome the unbending laws of physics as you stumble towards greatness.
Available December 03, 2021 A new chapter begins! Danganronpa V3 is coming to Nintendo Switch™ for the first time! Danganronpa 10th Anniversary Release: Part 3! Welcome to a new world of Danganronpa, and prepare yourself for the biggest, most exhilarating episode yet.
Available December 03, 2021 Danganronpa arrives on Nintendo Switch™ to celebrate its 10th anniversary! Danganronpa 10th Anniversary Release: Part 1! Hope’s Peak Academy is home to Japan’s best and brightest high school students-the beacons of hope for the future.
Available December 03, 2021 Danganronpa 2 is finally available on Nintendo Switch™! Danganronpa 10th Anniversary Release: Part 2! Jabberwock Island – once a popular tourist destination, this now uninhabited island remains oddly pristine. You and your classmates at the elite Hope’s Peak Academy have been brought to this island by your super-cute teacher for a “lovey-dovey, heart-throbbing school trip.”
Available December 03, 2021 With an all-star dream lineup of characters from each Danganronpa game, gather Hope Fragments at a tropical resort. Explore Jabberwock Island and develop your Dangan characters. Gather money through battle and upgrade your equipment, then defeat bosses and move on to the next island!
I have this on the PC and it’s an excellent game – from the creators of another excellent game called To The Moon. The writing is fantastic and the stories in their games are very emotional.
Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts have peculiar jobs: They give people another chance to live, all the way from the very beginning… but only in their patients’ heads. Due to the severity of the operation, the new life becomes the last thing the patients remember before drawing their last breath.
A journey into a magical land full of mysteries to discover. Baldo is an action adventure rpg, full of puzzles and intricate dungeons to solve. Travelling around the world, Baldo will interact with many weird and funny characters scattered everywhere, to complete the main story quest and many other sidequests.
The graphics look like a hot mess, but the concept of the game seems very fun. It claims to be very emotional and have a lot of interaction and choice and consequence.
She Dreams Elsewhere is a surreal adventure RPG about dreams and the extent to which they mirror reality. You play as Thalia, an anxiety-ridden, comatose woman on a journey to defeat the nightmares preventing her from awakening, while also finding out how exactly this mess happened in the first place.
Play as Naomi, a journalist from New York who moves to a backwoods British town called Rainy Woods in order to pay off her massive debt. The only way for her to escape from debt hell is to take pictures of happenings in the town and report on them.
Unify a broken community as the newly-appointed Guardian of The Grove. Traverse a vibrant island to combat invasive Rot, inspire its inhabitants, and rebuild your home. You won’t have to do this alone: fruity friends await, ready to lend a hand!
Play as Mineko, a curious girl who has just arrived at her new home on a struggling Japanese-inspired island at the base of Mount Fugu. The superstitious locals on the island worship the Sun Cat, Abe.
Bear and Breakfast is a laid-back management adventure game where you play as a well-meaning bear trying to run a B+B in the woods. Hank and his friends find an abandoned shack and, equipped with their teenage ingenuity, turn it into a money-making bed and breakfast scheme for unsuspecting tourists.
Set off on a grand adventure in a fantasy world with the latest entry in the Rune Factory simulation RPG series. After losing their memory, the hero lands in a small town blessed by nature. There, they are recruited into a band of peacekeeping rangers, and their new life begins.
Seek out and take in-game photographs of Pokémon in their native environments in the New Pokémon Snap™ game, only for the Nintendo Switch™ system! Snap photos from the NEO-ONE as you you encounter and research lively wild Pokémon. You might see unexpected expressions or behaviors-Pokémon patrolling their territory, playing, or lurking in out-of-the-way spots.
This company’s mobile games are always fun and cute. Lately they’ve been porting their mobile games over to Nintendo Switch. This is one of my favorites by this company. All of their games play similar so if you like this one, check out the other Kairosoft games too.
The house of your dreams is a dream no more! You play both architect and landlord in this fanciful new sim, and it’s up to you to furnish your ideal abode with anything from arcade games to saunas to convenience stores. Certain combinations can power up your rooms…and their rent.
From the BAFTA-Award winning studio behind Monument Valley and Assemble with Care comes something entirely new! Join Alba as she visits her grandparents on a Mediterranean island. She is ready for a peaceful summer of wildlife exploration with her friend Ines, but when she sees an animal in danger, she realises she needs to do something about it!
Beasts of Maravilla Island is a 3D adventure game where you take on the role of a young wildlife photographer who traverses Maravilla Island’s magical ecosystems to discover extraordinary creatures, learn their behaviors, and, most importantly, photograph their majesty!
FATAL TWELVE, the highly acclaimed suspense adventure game, is coming to Nintendo Switch™! Watch the thrilling story unfold as twelve unique characters, gathered by the Goddess of Destiny, compete against each other for a chance to undo their untimely demise. Introducing tons of events and CGs exclusive to the console edition!
Join Trainers from around the world as they head for Aeos Island to compete in Unite Battles! In Unite Battles, Trainers face off in 5-on-5 team battles to see who can score the most points within the allotted time.
Do you like adventure and strategy games?Lotus Reverie is a visual novel focused on time management, following in the footsteps of other games such as Devil Survivor and Persona.
32.) Professor Layton’s Mystery Journey Katrielle and the Millionaire’s Conspiracy DX+
Level5 Announced a new PLUS version of Katrielle and the Millionaire’s Conspiracy. I don’t have a link for it. It’s out in Japan already, and headed over here soon I think. Below is a link to the non PLUS version from about 3 years ago.
“LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEY™: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy” revamped as “Deluxe Edition” with multiple improved features! ＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝Enhanced puzzle-solving adventure experience with the Deluxe Edition!＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝ ■NEW PUZZLES: This Deluxe Edition includes more than 40 brand-new puzzles and additionally, some refined puzzles from the Nintendo 3DS version.
Follow the critically acclaimed tale of young Amicia and her little brother Hugo, in a heartrending journey through the darkest hours of history. Hunted by Inquisition soldiers and surrounded by unstoppable swarms of rats, Amicia and Hugo will come to know and trust each other.
Nintendo has a few versions of this game, each a different story focusing on a different main character. I have not played yet. I believe it to be just a straightforward visual novel or kinetic novel. I do not think it is an idol simulation game sadly. Missed the mark for me there. I rather have Idol M@ster in English :(. I might check these out eventually though. They’re cheap at just $10 each and look cute graphic-wise.
What if your childhood friend grew up into a gorgeous young lady? What if she asked you to move in with her? What if the two of you joined forces to make her the hottest new pop idol sensation?
“You’re the idol you used to sing to on stage?” After their first live performance, Nobuyuki and Ai have a fateful encounter with the top idol, Nagisa Yukihiro.Six months later.With Miwako’s kindness, Nobuyuki and his friends attend a joint lesson with Uesugi Productions, a long-established entertainment production company.While getting involved with Nagisa through joint lessons, it is decided that an idol festival – DivaFes – will be held, but…
After experiencing joint lessons with DivaFes and Uesugi Produce.Ai and Nobuyuki have taken another step forward as idol producers. What awaits them at the time when they thought their normal life was about to start again is an encounter with new idols. ‘I’ll take care of you from now on as an idol candidate!
This version is Japanese only, but there is an English version on Steam. It is by Key makers of Clannad and Little Busters. Since there already exists an English version, and since Clannad and Little Busters are in English on Switch, I assume we will eventually see Summer Pockets on the Nintendo Switch as well.
From the award-winning creators behind Journey (2013 Game of The Year) and the highly-acclaimed Flower, comes a ground-breaking social adventure that is set to warm your hearts. Welcome to the enchanting world of Sky, a beautifully-animated kingdom waiting to be explored by you and your loved ones.
Air is my FAVORITE visual novel by KEY – makers of games such as Clannad and Summer Pockets (I didn’t like Little Busters and Rewrite very much honestly). But Air – man I cry like a baby. I love it. I wish to god it was in English – I played a fan translated version way back in the day – plus loved the anime adaptations. But Air is arriving on Nintendo Switch in Japan next month. I might buy it and Tsukihime and work my Google Translate phone live scanning as I play it – which is what I plan to do for some of the other games on my list. Not the best – but until someone translates them, what can I do?
Sugar Style is coming to Switch later this year. Although this version is Japanese only, you can already play Sugar Style in English on the PC via Steam.
Sugar * Style is a Japanese-style visual novel produced by Smee, a Japanese developer of romance VNs. This is going to be the springtime of my life!A little while back, a scam artist got the best of my parents and put my family deep in debt.
This one surprisingly is being released in English. I remember covering news of its announcement at the last Nintendo Live event – However, I commented that it was only shown in the Japanese Nintendo Live and not the American one. Well, despite not being featured in the Nintendo Live Direct Event, here we have Caligula 2 releasing in English this October. The first game is very fun and often gets compared to Persona – It’s not nearly as good as Persona – but still good – and maybe 2 will be even better. I’ll be picking it up for sure.
Only in Japanese at the moment. It lets you play as a landlord and customize lots. Looks like fishing and farming are key. By the makers of Rune Factory.
It says it’s in English on the Japanese store page but I could not find it in the American Nintendo Eshop. I downloaded it because it’s 30% off right now. I’ll let you know if it’s any good.
“Bear restaurant” In this restaurant, the dead will have the last supper. Hamburgers, omelets, sushi, pudding, anything. Let us cook your favorite dish when you were alive. This is a story about “Bear” and “Cat”. You are “Cat”, the assistant of “Bear”, who is running this restaurant.
The classic otome game Bakumatsu Renka SHINSENGUMI is now more beautiful and easier to play than ever! This is a romance game for women where you become the first female soldier in the Shinsengumi, fight alongside the other soldiers, and fall in love. Experience historical battles alongside the likes of Kondo, Hijikata, and Okita.
In a world with four kingdoms, each colored by a season, where roles are granted by the Quadeities, strange happenings suddenly threaten the peace there. A quest begins to find each one’s calling in this intrigued fate and journey through the kingdoms to get to the bottom of the mystery!
The time that I spent with you at the house, the journey at dusk, the lost city and the way back home through the white breathing snow… “Stray Cat Doors”‘s continuation is finally here! It’s a escape adventure game where you solve the mystery and clear each stage with a cute character.
Aksys Games announced they’ll publish the Otomate-developed otome visual novel Paradigm Paradox on Nintendo Switch. Paradigm Paradox is set in the year 25XX, where mankind has been isolated in colonies. The protagonist, Yuuki Takanashi, is a student and completely bored.
LiEat is the classic story of a vagabond traversing a strange and mysterious world together with a dragon protégé, buying and selling secrets, while also attempting to uncover the truth about themselves.
Girls battle with sweets falling block puzzle! With Single play, 1P versus &2P versus mode. 3 sweets which are same and connected will disappear. And sweet in bottle be broke by other bottle fell on it. It is also for beginner to lightly enjoy the puzzle combo. Total of 8 character appear.
Sumire is an indie narrative adventure, featuring a one-day journey through a picturesque Japanese village. In this enchanted place, a disenchanted girl named Sumire meets a mischievous spirit who makes her a deal to fulfill her most desired wish.
Calico is a day-in-the-life community sim game where you are given an important and adorable task: rebuild the town’s cat café and fill it with cute and cuddly creatures! You will journey to a small village filled with magical girls and other fantastical friends, where you are placed in charge of a run down cat café.
Cast your friends, family, or anyone you choose in a comedy-filled adventure to bring down the face-stealing Dark Lord! Create and customize Mii™ characters, assign them roles, and watch them come to life. Laugh along as your best friend and dear old grandma team up in the fantasy adventure of a lifetime!
■Real and fluffy! The Djungarian hamster expressed in 3D reproduces the unique fluffiness of the hair! Djungarian hamsters that move in various ways in a cage are healed just by looking at them. ■Introducing over 30 types of Djungarian hamster with various features.
Angelique is a very popular Otome series – but sadly – 25 years have gone by, and never a single Angelique game has ever been released in English. Again not to worry, you can use your phone and google translate to get a rough idea of the story.
CLANNAD Side Stories is an anthology of sixteen short stories penned by the scenario writers of the original CLANNAD visual novel. Featuring episodes set both before and after the events of CLANNAD, this collection is fully voiced by a stellar cast and brought to life by the gorgeous illustrations of acclaimed artist GOTO-P.
Welcome to Olive Town, a peaceful community established by your trailblazing grandfather and his friends. Now that you’ve taken over his farm, it’s your job to carry on his legacy. Plant crops, raise animals, build relationships, and get to know the residents of your new home in this brand-new entry in the STORY OF SEASONS series!
One month after Subaru’s life in another world began, an emissary brings news to royal candidate Emilia that the royal selection is postponed. A nun named Melty Pristis has appeared to defy prophecy as the mysterious sixth candidate seeking the throne.
Romance Of The Three Kingdoms has been one of my favorite strategy games ever since SNES Super Nintendo back in the 90s. I’m glad to see we’re starting to get some of the newer games in English again.
About the Game] The Diplomacy and Strategy Expansion Pack for the series’ latest title “ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS XIV” is available at last! An all new world of strategy awaits you. Make a display of your strategies on an increasingly worldly stage!
In this kingdom management RPG, petitioners will arrive in the throne room each turn to ask for your advice and assistance. Decide whether to help them with their problems, or to conserve resources for more important matters. Remember: supplies are limited, and not everyone has the kingdom’s best interests at heart…
In the year 3716, humanity lives under constant risk of ruin from a colossal alien threat known as “GIGANT”. Fleeing its destruction, a mysterious young girl arrives on ARK-3, a magnificent city built in the sky. Ciel Fledge is a game about raising an adopted daughter in a future world that still has hope.
From the popular avatar “Selfy”, played by 13 million people globally, comes a new fashion coordinating game for the Nintendo Switch! As a newbie stylist, you get to travel around the world to coordinate outfits of your dreams! You can even make your own portfolio and share with your friends♬ Aim to be a top-rated stylist♬You are a newbie stylist working at shop “2-way”.
Become a princess of a magical castle! Pretty Princess Party on the Nintendo Switch transports you to a magical land to explore a long-abandoned enchanted castle. Learn to be a princess and decorate the castle any way you wish. Begin by creating a princess character with endless choices of dresses, shoes, accessories, and hairstyles.
A discounted set featuring all three Mysterious series DX titles: – “Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book DX” Main Game – “Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey DX” Main Game – “Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings DX” Main Game The “Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book DX Digital Art Book”, “Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey DX Digital Art Book”, and “Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings DX Digital Art Book” are included as a purchase bonus.
The beloved 1998 RPG Classic, SaGa Frontier, is reborn with improved graphics, additional features, and a new main character! Experience this role-playing adventure as one of the eight heroes, each with their own storyline and goals. With the Free Scenario system, unfold your own unique journey.
With a story by G.O. and art by Kuuchuu yousai, the PC gaming brand Frontwing presents the popular sci-fi romance-adventure series ISLAND. The secret of this world is uncovered through scattered keywords and masterful foreshadowing in this magnificent telling of an epic tale.
Experience Laid-Back Camp in 3D! Together, Nadeshiko (you!) and Rin embark on a new camping adventure at Lake Motosu, taking pictures and trying lots of delicious food. About the Game Set near scenic Mt. Fuji, Nadeshiko, Rin & co. encounter a variety of unique situations.
Experience Laid-Back Camp in 3D! Together, Rin (you!) and Nadeshiko embark on a new camping adventure at the Fumoto Campsite, taking pictures and trying lots of delicious food. About the Game Nadeshiko, Rin & co. encounter a variety of unique situations.
To get started please enter a query above or explore one of the pages below: Explore hundreds of games and find the one for you-fast! Catch up on all the latest Nintendo news. Dedicated section for Nintendo Switch packed with all the info you’ll ever need.
A gothic suspense tale set in a cursed mansion. ‘The House in Fata Morgana’ is a full-length visual novel spanning nearly a millennium that deals in tragedy, human nature, and insanity. This version includes three games and more: 1: The House in Fata Morgana: the main storyline.
Aksys Games is localizing the otome visual novel Lover Pretend, the company revealed today. A release window was not shared. Here’s some information about Lover Pretend: Chiyuki lives alone, spending all her time studying for university and doing part-time work. She has two dreams in life: to become a scriptwriter – also a dream of her late mother – and…
“Steam Prison” is coming to Nintendo Switch with upgraded content!! [Synopsis]There are two kinds of people.The rulers and the ruled. A catastrophic flood split the world into two.The Heights, a gorgeous utopia.
Hello, today I am reviewing the latest dressup game, Shining Nikki. This is the latest in a long-running series of dressup games from Chinese developer, Paper Games. In Nikki’s newest game, you can see Nikki modeling her outfits for the first time in 3D. Much of the game is still in 2D anime style too, so you’re not missing that anime aesthetic.
Before I get too far let me share with you some codes you can redeem in Shining Nikki for some nice perks:
Next after setting up the game, click the user profile in the top left and then click settings and Redeem Code.
There are currently 2 Shining Nikki Redeem Codes active at time of this review:
NIKKISHOW
PRAISEMOMO
And now here are my initial thoughts about Shining Nikki which just launched a few days ago.
One of the most interesting things about this new installment of Love Nikki Dressup Games is that Nikki has a bit of artificial intelligence this time and can interact with you in surprising new ways. For example, she will ask you if you’ve played the previous games or not, and remember and reference things that had happened in the previous games if you’ve played them before. Another example is she will ask you what type of food you like, and remember your decision and later may offer to cook for you. You can also tell her if you’re male or female and she’ll interact differently based on if you’re a male love interest, or just a close female friend.
Watching Nikki lounge around at her home is cute. You can buy snacks and gifts for Nikki and she’ll sometimes be away from her home. This builds her intimacy with you and can trigger various events like learning more about each other or even unlocking new outfits later.
I did see someone make a joke that you buy Nikki movie tickets and snacks so she can go to movies without you. I laughed because it’s kinda true. But you also buy her things to go to part-time jobs or learn new things, etc.
I feel like the gameplay in this version of Nikki borrows quite heavily from gameplay in another otome dressup game called Romantic Diary. I know they are by different companies and all, but the fact you equip designer reflections and also perform investigations feels more like Romantic Diary or Wannabe Challenge than the traditional older Nikki games like Nikki UP2U, Hello Nikki or Love Nikki which all primarily focused on crafting, gacha, and dressup only.
In this way, Shining Nikki feels like it has evolved to “keep up” with the steady instream of fashion games that we continue to thankfully see hitting the app stores each week. The newly polished graphics, music, voice acting, and more in-depth gameplay elements make Shining Nikki the best game in the series yet.
Overall Score: 66/80 83% B “Very Good Game For Girls”
Geeky: 3/5 – The story is tragic and full of action and excitement which is unique for a casual girly dressup game. However, at the end of the day, despite 3D graphics and all the bells and whistles, it is just that… a 3D dressing game, with much of the game still in 2D as well. Unless you like anime otome dressup games, this one won’t be your cup of tea either.
Sweetie: 5/5 – But for those of you who like myself, adore this genre, of otome dressup games, this is one of the best ones available right now. Be sure to check it out. Nikki is even cuter now in 3D.
Gameplay: 7/10 – There is a ton to do in this game, from crafting to investigating, to reading the story, to even just interacting with Nikki and her new more personalized interactions thanks to a new AI system. However, it seems too short each day. I find I want to keep playing but have used up all my turns in the investigations or fashion battles or that I need to craft a very specific item from an investigation I haven’t unlocked yet and have to wait til the next day to get more investigation turns. Also, some turns say 5/15 – and I’d be willing to pay gems or cash to get more turns but that doesn’t seem possible sadly. Not sure how to use the other 10 supposed turns. They’re never available. Some of the fashion battles are challenging too especially on hard mode but well that is the purpose of hard mode after all. One key feature that I really miss from Love Nikki is the user-voted fashion challenges around certain themes. Maybe I just haven’t unlocked this feature yet I don’t know. Also, I don’t like that you can only equip 5 accessories. You should be able to equip one item from each type of category. Other games like Alice Closet allow this, so why not Shining Nikki too?
Story: 9/10 – There is a really interesting dramatic story, and the full voice acting helps bring it all to life. The story in Shining Nikki separates it from other dressup games out there. I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but lets just say it’s both beautiful, sad, and dark, which is something you don’t see every day in a cute little otome dressup game. That said, after the first few chapters, I just started skipping the story because it was slow and dragging down the gameplay too much. But the story is definitely good for those who enjoy taking the time to click through it. There are multiple decisions to be made, but largely it seems to be just an illusion of choice, and not much impact actually on the story.
Characters: 10/10 – I like all of the characters, many of whom are returning from previous Nikki games. Even the minor characters feel fleshed out and have deep rich back stories which slowly reveal themselves.
Graphics: 7/10 – Nikki is 3D sometimes, in fashion battles or at her home, but largely the majority of the game is still 2D and not “live 2D” but just still, no animation, however, the characters and backgrounds are all nicely drawn. Not a huge variety of outfits yet and some of them are downright ugly. 3D Nikki in her home is really cute. The fashion battles reveal a lot of tiny intricate details in the outfits when zoomed in close. The detail is quite lovely.
Music: 6/10 – Music is nice but can get repetitive as is true of most mobile games.
Voice Acting: 9/10 – Most of the game is fully voiced in English, and it’s not terrible which is a nice plus. The only voice I found really annoying was Momo.
Replay Value: 10/10 – New events, new items, and daily quests and tasks make replay value sky high on this one.
Overall Score: 66/80 83% B “Very Good Game For Girls”
Still my favorite game series of all time, Lunar, deserves a sequel and has plenty of source material to derive such a sequel or rather, prequel from. What I’d like to play is the original tale that started it all, playing as Dyne, with the original reincarnation of the goddess Althena, and Ghaleon, and Mel, and the other 4 heroes (whose names I’ve forgotten at the moment). Of course, they could always just spin it off in a new direction in a future somewhere and use return appearances or references of some of the characters. But the logical next step to me, would be to let us see and play the tale of the original 4 heroes.
2.) Suikoden
Well Konami is crap and only cares about gambling pachinko machines these days – but that didn’t stop the original creators of Suikoden from starting a successfully funded kickstarter to a spiritual successor of Suikoden called Eiyuuden. I already backed it… It’s estimated to take about 2 years before we’ll see it. The gameplay is 100% Suikoden, just for legal reasons they couldn’t use that name, so Eiyuuden it is now. Recruit the stars of destiny. Some are chefs, or shop keepers, some are fighters, build your fortress, 6 team battles, etc. Suikoden is long one of my favorite game series. 2 is still the best really, but they’re all awesome. Very excited about this kickstarter. They’re posting lots of updates over here. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rabbitandbearstudios/eiyuden-chronicle-hundred-heroes
3. Azure Dreams
One of my favorites back on PS1. I don’t think there was ever any sequels. There was a watered down version for GBA or Gameboy Color, but it was fundamentally different because they took out the best parts of the game, the dating and town building, leaving only a randomly procedurally generated dungeon crawling game. Still fun but lacking from the original. I’d like to see a sequel. A few different indie projects have taken inspiration from this series, but none have quite hit the mark for me.
4. Jade Cocoon
This game isn’t well received, but honestly I enjoyed it for its deep level monster breeding aspects. The last sequel was in 2001. One of the kickstarters I backed recently and shared on this blog mention they were inspired by both Azure Dreams and Jade Cocoon – so we will have to wait to see how the final product turns out. Read more about that kickstarter here.
5. Monster Rancher
How fun was this game? Pop in ANY CD – could be a music CD, game CD, DVD, movie, whatever – and generate a unique monster. I had (and probably still have) an enormous collection of CDs (games, movies, not so much music), and finding rare monsters was so much fun and so exciting. Exploring, Training, and Fighting the monsters, also fun. Now in a world of digital games, they would need a different system. I think it could be a fun mobile game, maybe like Pokemon GO, using some type of VR elements to find and capture monsters maybe. If it was on console or PC perhaps it could scan your digital library or use bar codes or CD key codes or something of that nature. There was a mobile game at one point but I recall it not being very good honestly. Monster Rancher was popular enough to have 4 or 5 sequels, but I believe the last was on PS3? or maybe even PS2? Let’s bring it back for PS5 – or better yet, the Nintendo Switch.
6. Dragon Seeds
Am I the only one who remembers this game? Like Monster Rancher, it too allowed you to generate random monsters, though not from discs. I believe it used some type of in-game items (strands of DNA) that you found while battling. Was there a sequel? I feel like there may have been 2 games maybe total? But maybe only one (too lazy to look it up right now). I think both were on PS1, with possibly the sequel – if it exists – being on PS2. I enjoyed this little underrated gem. I liked that I could battle in 2 player mode – but now with the internet – and online games – it seems those capabilities could be expanded.
7. Arc The Lad
Working Deisgns brought us almost all of these games back on PS1 (and likely is the reason they shortly thereafter went bankrupt) There may have been a few sequels on PS2, but now I’m pretty sure it’s been over a decade, perhaps nearing two decades, and no new installments in this series. I liked the branching plot, deep storyline, and anime graphics of these games. Why did they stop making them? They had so many of them at one time. Working Designs collection had what? 4? or 5? of them I think, and I know there were others released after that too. It seems weird for a once wildly successful RPG series to just vanish.
8. Lost Odyssey
The only reason to own an Xbox gaming console in my opinion is for Lost Odyssey. It legitimately is one of the greatest RPGs of all time. But I’m too lazy to dig my Xbox (360 I think right?) out just to play one game. I loved this game deeply. I know the creator is working on some mobile shit now and we’ll probably never see a sequel to this game ever in our lifetimes – which is a shame. What a waste of such talent. But I know he’s got to make a living and just going to where the money is (with mobile games and pay to win being the new way kids are gaming in 2000 and beyond). I’d like to see him return to work on Lost Odyssey 2… Or even just a port / remake of the original…. I’d even buy a next gen Xbox console just for this one damn game or its well deserved sequel, and then never sell it, so I could replay it over and over.
9. Skies Of Arcadia
Here’s another great, and forgotten RPG game – It has had a few remakes and ports, but never a sequel. Why the hell not? A quick google search tells me that the creator wants to make a sequel and aknowledges there is a strong fanbase – so why the hell doesn’t he just make a kickstarter campaign? Duh… Even if you have to change the game title and tweak the gameplay “just enough” That’s what everyone else is doing. Suikoden became Eiyuuden, etc. Shenmue 3 finally came out via Kickstarter, and loads of other games got long awaited sequels. One thing’s for sure, if Skies of Arcadia creators did start a kickstarter, I’d back it. It’d probably be funded in like less than 24 hours. For sure. One of the best, most unique, fun, and outstanding RPGs, ever made. It is now over 20 years old.
10. Inherit The Earth
Well this is already happening – although it’s taking its bloody sweet time in development. It appears to still be happening at least. Seems the last update on the website was about 4 or 5 months ago now. This was a childhood favorite of mine. The sequel looks interesting…. from what little is actually shown…… the patreon page is mostly web comics? But it seems there is going to be a sequel to this game… we can only hope. I mean it’s only been almost thirty years since the first game and all…. lol. You can follow the progress on patreon. https://www.patreon.com/wyrmkeep/posts or take a look at the official website… which is pretty damn bare at this point. http://inherittheearth2.com/ The web page does show 2 youtube videos… which gives me a little hope that something might eventually come from this project.
Support Inherit the Earth: Sand and Shadows development by becoming a patron at http://patreon.com/wyrmkeep.May 2019 development update for Inherit the Earth…
But sadly, the most recent video is from May 2019 – almost a year ago. Perhaps this project is dead in the water now? Although it is still very deserving of a sequel. I hope to see it reach its goal someday.
11. Ever 17
This is one of the best visual novels of all time – I don’t care if it has typos and if the names are confusing – that’s arguably, intentional, anyways. Not the typos, but the name thing, you know. It’s one of the most mind fuckery games ever created, with huge revelations upon completing all branches, that nicely tie the story up and make it all, finally in the end, make sense. I do know that Ever 17 is part of a large series of games including Never 7 and Remember 11 – which I have played thanks to fan translations. Only Ever 17 was commercially released in North America, for the PC by the now bankrupt and defunct, Hirameki International. I love all the games, but Ever 17 was arguably the best. There’s also Riven 12, by the same developers, but as far as I know it did not receive a fan translation. After Riven 12, the creators went on to develop 999, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, whatever it was called, as well as Zero Escape and Nonary Games. The creator is hard at work right now on a new game, that’s not actually a visual novel, but still does have a branching plot, and like Ever 17 takes place in an abandoned theme park. I saw footage of it during the Nintendo Live Direct. So it appears to be coming along nicely still in 2020.
Anyways I don’t really want a sequel to Ever 17 because it’s perfect the way it is. The ending after all routes is perfect, leaving not a single question unanswered. But I do want someone to port this game to Steam or Nintendo Switch please for the love of god. Why hasn’t anyone brought this over yet? No one should own the rights anymore to it, so it seems like easy pickings. Someone even said years ago it was spotted in the steam database, so where the hell is it? I just want to play my favorite Visual Novel again please? thx.
12. Dogz and Catz – Petz
Ok so Dogz and Catz is argueably still going. Ubisoft bought them, and there’s been a few games here or there, but they’re poor clones of nintendogs at this point. They have lost what made them so great. Using the perfume to breed Muttz, to get unique looking petz, to mod the game to create your own breedz, the community – which could now be brought into an online or even mobile aspect to have showz, and so much more. I want THAT petz experience again please and thank you. Or at least bring PF Magic Petz 1-4 or whatever onto Steam or GOG.
13. Princess Maker
Where the hell is Princess Maker 4? People don’t particularly like it, because it’s text heavy and more like a visual novel, but I loved it. It had the cutest princess by far. Although Princess Maker 2, actually looks damn close to my real life self, with the brown curly hair, and brown eyes, lol. I like the animation style of Princess Maker 4 so much. Princess Maker 5 is kinda rather ugly, but I know the gameplay is better. I still haven’t beat it yet. It’s a long and slow game. Well that’s true of all the Princess Maker Games, but 5 feels slower than 1-3. I dunno why. I want 4 so bad I can taste it. I think I read one of the reasons it isn’t included is because of the ending where you can marry the princess. So if that’s all the fuss, just remove that one ending, shouldn’t be that difficult. I also heard it has too much text and they don’t want to bother translating all of it. Stop being lazy. We want PM4. Say it with me now. I’m still waiting… But while I’m waiting for that… where the hell is Princess Maker 6? When the hell was the last time a Princess Maker game was made in Japan? Like a million years ago? I just googled it and 5 was released in 2007… that was almost 20 years ago. We need more daughters. Release the daughters to us immediately.
14. Graduation
OK the last time we had a graduation game was in 1995… It was I think the 2nd? possibly 3rd game in the series in Japan and after that, they had many more graduation games, including Graduation M with all male students. These are not hentai games, though there is some questionable things, like you can marry all the students all at once lol. But anyways, these games are awesome. Can we at LEAST pretty please get the already 1995 English version on Steam or GOG? Please? Remember when GOG used to be for “great old games” – now it’s like an indie marketplace or Steam clone, and that’s a damn shame. I want more OLD GAMES. Gimme Graduation. I love the theme song. I love the game play. I love the whole game. I still play it from time to time. It’s challenging, it’s fun. It has a certain randomness to it, and unpredictability to it. It’s hard actually. You have to manage not just one daughter, but 5 or more girls (or boys in Graduation M). There’s dozens of endings, for each character. The voice acting was SOOOOOOOO bad. lol. I reviewed Graduation 95 over here. Can we get a re-release, with new voice acting? that’d be great.
15. Oreshika Tainted Blood Lines
I did not know until I went looking trying to remember what the hell this game was called, that I found out it was 1, a remake, of a 2011 psp game and 2, a sequel of a 1999 ps1 game. Oreshika Tainted Blood Lines was released in 2007 and a PS vita exclusive at the time. I really enjoyed it. It is very unique. And in some ways reminded a little bit of Azure Dreams. It has dungeon crawling, and a generational element. It stands out in my mind. And anything that stands out deserves a sequel. It seems to get remade or ported to other systems, about once a decade. So I think it’s time we see a remake or sequel of this unique dungeon crawling multigenerational RPG.
16. Earthbound (AKA Mother)
OK I know A.) The creators of Earthbound have 0 interest in any more games in the series. B.) The one we know in North America is Mother 2. C.) There are fan translations for at least one, if not both of the other Mother games. D.) Mother 3 is one of the greatest RPGs of all time according to many sources. E.) This has led to fans demanding a fourth game. Creators explicitly refused, which led to fans developing their own 4th game. F.) Work on the 4th game began in 2010. It originally was going to be a free no cost fan game. G.) Last year, it was announced it would sever ties with the Mother series and become its own commercial project titled Oddity. It remains to be seen how similar or dissimilar Oddity will be to Earthbound / Mother.
In the meanwhile while we wait for Oddity, could we get all 3 of the other games officially released in North America? And available on Nintendo Switch. I think the one we already know and love is available as part of the nintendo online thing. Maybe.
17. Breath Of Fire
What in god’s name happened to Breath of Fire? One of the greatest RPG series of all time and a favorite of my childhood? The last I heard, there was a mobile one a few years ago? When the hell was the last console installment? PS2? I think? It’s long overdue. Feels like forever ago. We miss you so much. Come back to us!
18. Tsukihime
OK where the hell is the Tsukihime remake? I remember sharing news that the remake was under way, like 10, or even 20 years ago, here on my blog… They keep pumping out god damn Fate/Stay Night/Extella games… All I want is Tsukihime. One of the best visual novels I ever played. We never did receive an official release. I was lucky enough to play the fan translation. Tsukihime is a long ass visual novel. It’s graphic and violent as hell. It has rape and murder. But also a pretty damn interesting story about psychosis and childhood and love and other interesting things. I assume we never got it because 1.) There’s a few possible incestuous things going on, and 2.) It’s just too damn offensive and violent. It is definitely a Porn game or Hentai game – however, it’s a LONG ASS game – did I mention this game is REALLY FREAKING LONG?!!! And the amount of Porn or Hentai only accounts for like 2-4% of the total story – So it’s not that bad – I’ve seen worse on American TV. Plus, I think it mostly could be edited out if they really wanted to? Without changing much of the story really.
I liked the story. I’m a woman, and I’m not offended by this game. It was quite interesting. I like the mystery aspect. Really probably the murder is no worse than say similar novels like Higarushi, although perhaps the rape thing would be bad, because of the latest in “cancel culture” I mean if we can’t handle a skunk hitting on cats, how will we handle a young man whose vampire hunting bloodlines, give him uncontrollable desires and urges to kill a vampire princess, in the most brutal of ways, only for her to appear before him the next day after being thoroughly violated in every way imaginable. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. You see, as the story goes on, we learn why he has these urges, we learn about his fucked up family, his case of mistaken identity, psychosis, and childhood trauma, and why the heck he was sent away from his family as a child in the first place, and in the end, he even falls in love with this vampire he tried to rape and kill, and would do anything to protect her…. or not… the choice is up to you.
There’s other romanceable characters too – but she is definitely “cannon” (that is, the developer’s obvious path that they want you to take). But, you won’t know the whole story, unless you complete all the routes, the last of which is one of the lovely maid twins. There in lies the secrets to what the hell is actually going on in this bizarre, but brilliant mystery.
Uhhh OK I just went to google… to see where the fuck this remake is… because it was legit announced almost 2 decades ago… and it appears it’s COMING Summer of this year of our lord in 2021 AD. – they have a trailer and everything now…. How exciting…. Will we see it in English? Let us hope. If so, it will be the first time most English speaking gamers experience this beautiful story. One of the best, most intriguing visual novels I have ever played – and I’ve played just about damn near every visual novel ever. Tsukihime is one of my favorites. Top 5 for sure. LET’S GET EXCITED PEOPLE COME ON!!! Demand an English release of this game please. Write to everyone possible LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN!
TYPE-MOON’s long-awaited remake of its cult-classic visual novel, Tsukihime, is set for a Summer release in 2021 on consoles. Best known currently for their popular mobile game, Fate/Grand Order, was one of TYPE-MOON’s original works. Released in December 2000, Tsukihime served as the starting point for TYPE-MOON’s numerous franchises.
Ok this is an odd one – Pretty sure no one reading this will know what the fuck this is lol. It’s a playstation 1 game, that’s KINDA almost like Monopoly in a way…. We also recently saw Billion Road on Nintendo Switch (I’ve been meaning to do a review of that, but haven’t gotten around to it). It’s kinda like Billion Road too… Sort of… But not really? I dunno it’s hard to explain. It’s like Kairosoft’s Mall Story and Mall Story 2, but multiplayer? LOL. You roll dice and move around a shopping mall. If the building is empty, you can open your own store. If someone owns the store, you pay fees. You can upgrade your properties (similar to adding houses or hotels in monopoly). The visuals are cute. The theme is cute. I dunno it’s very fun. It’s been well over 30 years now since the game was on PS1. Reminiscent also of 100% Orange Juice kinda? I mean all of these games, are KINDA like Top Shop, but none quite EXACTLY the same? Top Shop is the best of its genre. I want to play it right now lol. Very very fun party game or 2 player versus game.
20. Air
OK Arguably the best Key Visual Novel – There is a fan translation for this game. I have played it. We got Clannad in English for multiple platforms now. And we get Key’s other new games, like Summer Pockets – I want them to give an official release of Air (and also Kanon, but my list is limited to 20 games, and I liked Air a little more than Kanon). Both Air and Kanon are better than Little Busters, and whatever else garbage Key games we got. The only other really great Key Game we got was Clannad. For me, I’d rank Air 1, Clannad 2, Kanon 3, haven’t played enough of Summer Pockets to rank it yet. Little Busters somewhere near the damn bottom. And the other one – oh Rewrite, yeah I’d put Rewrite dead last of the Key games. I greatly prefer Air and Kanon over Rewrite. Rewrite was so boring I never did finish it, same with Little Busters. Snoozeville. Is there any hope we will ever see official releases of Air or Kanon? In English ever? Air is so damn sad. The anime makes me cry like a little bitch. Every time she is just lying on the bed crying and crying and crying and crying…. It might be the saddest anime I’ve ever seen, and one of the saddest visual novels I’ve ever seen. If you remember the movie, Benjamin Buttons, it’s basically like that, yeah? That plus toss in some reincarnation and ancient curses, and first love, and fucked up mother/daughter neglectful relationship, and the mending there of that relationship, and death, and rebirth, and there you have the story of Air.
Honorable Mention:
Tactics Ogre:
Tactics Ogre definitely gets an honorable mention on my list. There have been recent interviews with the creators of the series and talks about possibly porting the existing games or a new game, but nothing currently in the works. It is like Final Fantasy Tactics, but more advanced? And with a branching plot? and Some good/evil/neutral type of elements going into it. It’s one of my favorites. It gets remade ever so often. First appearing on Super Nintendo in the 90s, with Sequels on Game Boy Advance (I think?) and N64 (one of the only good RPG on N64), and remakes on PS1 and PSP. It’s been well over 20 years since we’ve had a new entry, or a remake. I’d like to see the old ones brought to Steam, Mobile, and Nintendo Switch, and eventually some day, a brand new Ogre Battle or Tactics Ogre game.
Well there are lots of other games that deserve to be on this list too of course. Tell me, what game do you think deserves a sequel? Are you a fan of any of the games on our list? Leave me a comment below!
I just purchased Calico and began playing it over the weekend. Calico is a cute anime style Cat cafe game. The gameplay is simple and relaxing. You collect cute animals and run errands for towns folk while baking cute treats to sell in your cafe. You can also buy and unlock new recipes, new furniture, and new outfits.
What I love most about this game is how inclusive it truly is. You can be fat, slim, short, tall, black white, or green, or yellow, red, pink, whatever. You can have long hair, short hair, curly hair, straight hair, bangs, no bangs, side bangs, etc. I mean my character looks almost exactly like me in real life. And within game, the NPCs are various body/skintone types too.
And there are bisexual and homosexual NPCs and it’s very inclusive. Although I am white and straight myself, I am big on seeing inclusivity in games like this. It’s a refreshing change. And some of those little chubby NPCs and dark skinned NPCs are so damn cute!
The animals and food you make are all cute too. You shrink and throw ingredients into a bowl following a recipe chart. The food is sold in your cafe.
Different NPCs prefer different types of food, different animal companions, and different styles of furniture.
It’s not just about cats either; there’s other animals too! Birds, dogs, rabbits, and more.
There are day and night cycles. You can save your game by sleeping in your room.
There’s not much storyline yet (but I’m not very far into the game yet). However, the characters are very cute and full of personality, both their looks, and also in how they speak.
The music is also very cute and soothing.
Graphics are simple, but the amount of customization and inclusion in this game get high marks.
Here are my final scores for the game:
Overall: 80/100 80% B- “Very Good Game For Girls”
Geeky: 3/5 – Gameplay is very simple and relaxed – customization is high, but graphics are simplistic. Also seems to be lacking much structured story. There are numerous things to collect which adds to replay value.
Sweetie: 5/5 – Cute, charming game, with cute animals, and tons of diversity and inclusion.
Gameplay: 7/10 – Although collecting and crafting. cooking, designing. decorating and dressing up / customizing is fun, it does seem to lack definition and depth in the gameplay. It is very free-roaming and relaxed – which can be fun, but does get boring fast – similar in many ways to Animal Crossing or Cooking Mama or similar dressup mobile games.
Graphics: 7/10 – Great for diversity and inclusion. Able to customize a character to look like anyone or anything. Great for body positivity. The animals and everything are cute. But the graphics are very simplistic and not very detailed, so about 7 is as high as I can go here.
Story: 3/10 – This is probably the weakest point of the game – there really isn’t much story here.
Characters: 10/10 – As mentioned numerous times, you can customize the heck out of your main character. The NPCs you meet will have various body sizes, skin tones, and sexual preferences. I love how inclusive this game is for everyone. The characters are cute, both human and animals alike.
Customization: 10/10 – I added this category for this review because it’s so much the heart of the game. From creating your character to dressup and decorating the cafe – the possibilities are endless.
Music: 5/10 – Cute but not overly memorable.
Voice Acting – N/A – everyone is boop bleep bloop like animal crossing and many others.
Replayability: 10/10 – From collecting, to cooking, questing, crafting, the leisurely pace of this game will have you playing in small spurts over and over to unlock all of the content in the game.
Diversity: 10/10 – A very uniquely diverse game – not just of race – but body / plus size positivity, and sexual preferences too. I’ve never seen a game quite this diverse and inclusive before.
Personal Enjoyment – 10/10 Although it scored quite low in some areas – my personal enjoyment of the game, is inexplicable. We all like different things, and I really love Calico. I’ve padded the score a little with some unique categories in this review, because the game is very unique and unlike anything else really on the market today.
Pine is a successfully funded Kickstarter game about a grieving woodcutter who lost his wife. What makes the game unique and even more interesting is that it is based on an internet-famous set of images from illustrator Tom Booth.
For the past 3-4 years he has been creating the story of the Wood Cutter based on his own deeply personal feelings of dealing with the death of a loved one. No one knows the whole story because Tom has said he wanted to “try something different” to tell his story – so here it is. He has chosen to do a kickstarter game.
Made Up Games is raising funds for Pine: A Story-Driven Game on Kickstarter! A story about loss and letting go told through illustration, animation, and interaction.
The below information is directly from the Kickstarter page:
Not quite a video game and not quite a graphic novel, Pine blends mediums to pull you into the woodworker’s world.
Interactive moments let you share the woodworker’s struggles, turning Pine’s animated scenes into personal experiences.
The sounds of the world and an original score will combine with Pine’s visual and interactive moments to bring you deeper into the woodworker’s journey.
Northwest Soundscapes (Skywalker Sound, Sucker Punch Productions) is helping with sound design, and the score will be written alongside the game.
Tom drew the first illustration of the woodworker over a long night late in the winter of 2019. It was the most personal thing he’d ever drawn, and Tom almost didn’t share the image.
Original sketch of woodworker. February 2019
When he did, the response was overwhelming. Despite being born from an extremely personal experience, the woodworker resonated deeply with Tom’s audience.
There was an outpouring of support from his fans, many of them thanking him for sharing the image. Some were so inspired that they created truly spectacular 3D models, fan drawings, and actual wood carvings—a few even got tattoos!
As Tom posted more images, the woodworker found his way around the internet. From the front page of Reddit to My Modern Met, everywhere the woodworker went, people wanted to know more about him. It was clear that Tom had found a story that needed to be told.
In the spring of 2019 we started brainstorming how to tell this story in a special way. Inspired by titles like Florence and, later, If Found…, we thought a story-driven game would be perfect for Pine.
I did back a third game yesterday, but didn’t get a chance to post about it yet. If you haven’t already checked out the other two posts yesterday for Ova Magica and Coral Island you can click their names to read them now.
Beacon Pines is entirely different from the above “farming games”. Instead, Beacon Pines bills itself as a “Cute and Creepy” Adventure game where “Words You Fine Can Change The Course Of Fate”. It’s also featuring cute anamorphic or furrie characters.
Hiding Spot Games is raising funds for Beacon Pines on Kickstarter! Beacon Pines is a cute and creepy adventure game where the words you discover can change the course of fate
They do have a demo that we can play. I haven’t tried it yet as of time of this review. It’s only 7 something in the morning here right now. lol. And I didn’t notice the demo last night when I backed them on kickstarter. I am excited to play.
Beacon Pines is a cute and creepy adventure game within a magical storybook. You play as both the reader of the book and its main character, Luka. Explore the town to find word charms. Use your charms to change the course of fate!
I like how the game looks, I like how the game sounds, and I like the gameplay concept. Another reviewer said that it’s like mad libs except you might get someone killed or completely alter their life.
Check out Beacon Pines on Kickstarter or download their demo.
One good kickstarter deserves another I guess. This is the second kickstarter I’m blogging about today, and is in some ways quite similar to the previous Ova Magica. Both kickstarters are still active at time of this posting.
This next kickstarter is titled Coral Island, and it aims to make inclusivity a big focus of its game. Bringing in characters of different races and ethnic backgrounds.
Stairway Games is raising funds for Coral Island – reimagining the farm sim game on Kickstarter! A re-imagined farm sim game inspired by classics. Grow crops, nurture animals, and befriend the islanders.
The gameplay itself looks fun. You date the townsfolk while tending the farm. You even have children and watch them grow into teens. And the other people of the village also grow older as well.
The one thing I really dislike is how slow the playable character walks – I hope they speed that up because that will annoy the hell out of me otherwise.
Still a cute game with a lot of promise. Already successfully funded. Check out Coral Island on Kickstarter.
Ever wonder what would happen if you took Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, Or Stardew Valley and replaced all of the humans with cats? Me neither, until I played Cattails Become A Cat on Steam. It’s on sale right now for the winter steam sale, the biggest sale of the year, for a few more days.
So what is Cattails? I’ve only begun playing the game today, but it’s advertised as being “Like Stardew Valley But With Cats” and near as I can tell so far, that’s a very accurate description. It also reminds me of the children’s book series “Warriors” about various cat clans and lives of cats.
You begin the game by naming and coloring your cat (that’s your playable character) – You’re then thrown into a story scene of a little girl adopting you from a shelter, only later to have her mother dump you on the side of the road. That’s where your journey begins.
You meet another stray cat who guides you through learning the controls of the game. She teaches you to hunt, forage, and use your skills and inventory. She leaves you after asking you to choose a cat colony to join.
There are three options, the friendly forest cats, the fierce mountain cats, and the strange mystic cats. I picked forest cats because it seemed the best for beginners.
You have an empty little den, but later you can customize and decorate your den. You go to sleep, and save your game in your den each day.
To stay alive in the game you must hunt and forage, and sometimes fight other cats. You have to eat to stay alive.
There are seasonal events and special scenes throughout the game, similar as they say to Stardew Valley or Story of Seasons or Harvest Moon or Rune Factory, etc.
And so your life as a cat begins!
For $5.99 in steam’s winter sale, you too can experience life as a cat in Cattails Become A Cat.
Overall Score: 60/70 86% B “Very Good Game For Girls”
Geeky: 4/5 – these Stardew type games are pretty popular right now. The controls seem solid, gameplay solid, graphics retro indie style like Stardew. I think this one will appeal to gamers of either gender as long as they like retro indie sim games and aren’t too worried about “next-gen graphics”.
Sweetie: 5/5 – These simulation games are always a hit for girls, but this one especially so because of the cats.
Gameplay: 10/10 – Once you learn the controls and play a little bit it’s pretty easy. There are 3 difficulty levels, and I’m admittedly playing on “easy” on my first playthrough. There’s a lot of customization and personalization, and the farming/foraging/hunting/fighting as a cat aspect is very unique and fun. The seasonal events remind me a lot indeed of Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon as advertised.
Graphics: 7/10 – The characters all being other cats are very cute – I want more customization options for my own cat. I want to have stripes. I want him to look like my cat in real life. Right now there’s only solid colors. So I deducted points for that. Also note this game has an intentional retro/indie vibe – if that’s not your thing – this isn’t for you. But I like retro and indie games so “fine like this” :).
Story: 6/10 – I’m not far enough in it to say for sure, but games like this usually don’t focus much on story, and focus more on gameplay, and that seems to be the case here so far. It’s not a terrible story – and the whole cat thing gives it a unique angle, but it’s not a narrative driven game because it’s meant to be open world and focused on exploration and living and creating your own story.
Characters – 8/10 – all of the characters are cats! so cute. Again i’d like to see more customization for the main character, but otherwise, am pleased.
Music: 10/10 – Actually… I’m LOVING the music in Cattails it’s so peaceful and whimsical. I am definitely leaving the sound on while playing this one. The game has been running idle in the background while I type this, and although yes, the tracks are short, and loop, it’s not bad, because the music is so good.
Voice Acting: N/A – no voice acting.
Replay Value: 10/10 – You live your life as a cat, the way you want. That’s the point, so yes, there is huge replay value here. You join different clans, meet different NPCs, see slightly different stories, but even beyond just the clan thing, you customize your cats skills and attributes and that directly effects gameplay in many ways. So yeah I’ll be playing this again too.
Overall Score: 60/70 86% B “Very Good Game For Girls”
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