When you want to be able to read our thorough breakdown on a game because you just can’t stand our voices, this is the place to go! Rich (and sometimes the other guys) get into the meat of a game and give you a recommendation on whether or not it’s worth purchasing.
Kirby thrives on reinventing himself; back when Masahiro Sakurai first introduced us to the pink ball of destruction, he aimed to make a platformer that anyone could enjoy where the player could make their own challenge. Kirby and the Forgotten Land may have the outward appearance of another game reinventing the Kirby formula like Planet Robobot. Instead, they take the classic Kirby formula and attempt to move it into 3D.
In a year of slow starts, Triangle Strategy is one of the slowest games I’ve played in a long time. In the first two hours or so, you do almost nothing. You’re introduced to protagonist Serenoa Wolffort, his many subjects, and mystical bride-to-be. At a glance, the combat is clearly inspired by Final Fantasy Tactics, and one of the best JRPGs of all time is quite the pedigree to live up to.
We have seen Pokémon grow as a brand in the past few years, with numerous games released. Also, we have witnessed Pokémon venture outside of gaming and into merchandising, culture, and even daily grooming activities. Right now, Pokémon is one of the biggest gaming franchises that exist.
For years, longtime fans have dreamed of an open-world Pokemon game where Pokémon roam the landscape, and you could control an avatar that could get lost in the natural landscape. The player could go anywhere and capture any Pokémon free of linear gaming.
A product of its time, Monster Rancher was a transient phenomenon in both the US and Japan during the 90s. From the first release in 1997, the series has amassed 14 video games across multiple gaming platforms and an anime that ran for two seasons.
When Koei Tecmo announced a remaster collection of Monster Rancher 1 and 2 earlier this year, my childhood self was immediately giddy while also perplexed how it would work in 2021. While the remaster offers little in terms of a visual upgrade, some quality of life changes makes this release fit in with an ever-growing market for life simulation games if you are in the market for a new one.
Author: Rich Meister
It’s been almost twenty years since Metroid Fusion, our last mainline 2D Metroid game and somehow Metroid Dread seems worth the wait. Dread was first announced back in 2005 and then disappeared for a very long time only to reemerge this year just a few months before launching. Somehow despite over a decade in development hell, Metroid Dread delivers. It brings the same exploration and excellent boss design that we’ve come to expect from the series, all while bringing the journey Samus has been on since the original NES game to a satisfying conclusion.
