Back in 2007, Atlus decided to use the Nintendo DS to do something ambitious. It brought back the days of first-person RPGs with original party members you had to customize and dungeons you needed to map. Thanks to the handheld’s design, the bottom screen allowed people to practice cartography as they played. Since then, 10 games have been released, each bringing something new to adventurers. Which should you try? What might be right for you?
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Atlus’ Persona series has exploded in popularity. This means there are not only mainline installments, but also ports, updated releases, reimaginings and spin-offs. There are all interesting games that do cool things with elements from the series, but it is also a series where you probably shouldn’t go and begin with the very first game. Fortunately, it isn’t difficult to find a good starting point.
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We are in a fortuitous position with the Nintendo Switch. Companies are more likely to take risks and localize games for a worldwide release, thanks to things like a massive user base and the ability to focus on digital releases. It means smaller games, ones that are unusual and odd, get to appear everywhere. Yes, the translation suffers in the process, but we get to see something like Selfy Collection: The Dream Fashion Stylist, have a moment.
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There are two companies that have become synonymous with otome games outside Japan. One is Idea Factory, the company behind the Otomate line of visual novels. The other is Aksys Games, the company best known for localizing said titles. Piofiore: Fated Memories is the latest and attempts to help increase the genre’s reach by offering more mature situations. While it does succeed, it also doesn’t feel all that different from typical otomes and might even be a bit off-putting.
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We are getting a second Monster Hunter Stories game! The sequel was a part of the September 2020 Nintendo partner showcase, and then went on to be discussed in the follow-up Monster Hunter Direct. But while knowing Monster Hunter Stories 2 is on the way is exciting, it’s also a shock and might leave people wondering why they should be excited. There’s a lot of missing information, which isn’t helped by the preliminary footage seeming to pull from cinematic segments. Fortunately, we’re here to help!
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It is a great time for people who don’t have game development experience to begin making their own RPGs. Thanks to various localization efforts, lots of Gotcha Gotcha Games and Kadokawa Games programs designed to make RPG creation easy are available to a wide audience in multiple languages. There are so many that, well, it might be overwhelming. You have console programs, PC software and even the 3DS has a tool you can use. Which one is best for your needs? Can you actually make a full game? It is a lot to take in at once.
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Dragon Quest II has a reputation, but it has nothing to do with its positive attributes. The game helped the series take a step forward, what with it having a more detailed storyline, including more playable characters, offering more enemies to fight and having additional travel options. Unfortunately, it is also known for being incredibly difficult. That difficulty has proved rather daunting. Fortunately, Dragon Quest Builders 2 feels like it redeems Dragon Quest II.
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The Nintendo 3DS has entered its sunset years. Nintendo had nothing to announce for it at E3 2019. There don’t appear to any new games on the horizon in any region. It seems time to bid a fond farewell. However, for a system at the end of its lifespan, it is quite a fortunate one. Those gathering around to bid it goodbye will find a number of games that, well, are intended to be played for not only days, but perhaps even weeks or months. It seems like a rather positive send-off for a handheld that greatly deserves it.
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Let’s be honest with ourselves. The Game Gear is a fun system, but it is not the absolute best handheld out there. It was known for games that appeared on both it and the Sega Master System. The system has not held up well to the test of time. I have gone through five of them, with only two right now that “work.” Note the quotation marks, as one has no sound and the other must be held at a certain angle to view the screen. But, that does not mean the system’s library is a lost cause. There are some games people should still play.
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