Preview: Sumikko Gurashi: Sumikko Park he Youkoso is a super-chill game

By Jenni Lada // 12.14.1712.13.17

The Nintendo Switch does not have many digital board games yet. Sure, there is Monopoly, but there have yet to be many family-friendly, minigame-filled endeavors for folks to enjoy. Unless you happen to be in Japan or have a Japanese account on your system, that is. Nippon Columbia has released Sumikko Gurashi: Sumikko Park he Youkoso for the console, complete with sample demo. While it is entirely in Japanese, it is fairly easy to understand and is remarkably relaxed for a competitive game.

PC Preview PS4

Preview: What’s up with Wattam?

By Jenni Lada // 12.11.171.5.18

What am I wanting to play? Well, it is Wattam, of course! This Keita Takahashi game has been waiting in the wings for years. After all, it was first announced at the 2014 PlayStation Experience. A new engine and some updates later, it finally looks closer to becoming a reality. Funomena and Annapurna Interactive are saying it could be released in 2018, and it certainly is looking closer to a final release.

3DS Preview

Preview: Style Savvy: Styling Star sets goals

By Jenni Lada // 11.7.171.5.18

Every Style Savvy game starts the same. Players are a new arrival in a small, but fashionable, town. Residents immediately recognize them for their sense of style. One of the people there will be so captivated by their abilities after watching them in action that they will bestow upon them their very own shop. The task from that point is to sell as much as you can, have an impact on the community and take part in styling contests that show how well coordinated you are. It is all rather freeform. However, initial impressions of Style Savvy: Styling Star seems to suggest more goalposts for people to pass as they play.

Preview Switch

Preview: Project Octopath Traveler explores the different sorts of duty

By Jenni Lada // 9.19.1711.9.17

There have been many games that explore multiple characters’ storylines and paths. The SaGa series is known for it. Now, with Project Octopath Traveler, another is about to appear. Square Enix is about to tell the tales of eight more heroes and heroines. But, Nintendo Switch owners do not get to see all that just yet. For now, all we get to see are samples of the tales of Primrose the dancer and Olberic the warrior.

Preview Vita

Preview: Mary Skelter: Nightmares puts tremendous pressure on players

By Jenni Lada // 9.5.179.4.17

What happens when confinement, torture, blood and pain become all people know? Do they lose all sense of hope and withdraw? If Mary Skelter: Nightmares is any indication, they will do their best to overcome a dark and dismal situation. Thus, players are placed in a position where they will attempt to save people from this living Jail. It is an apparently sentient prison calling out for blood and filled with monsters called Marchens. Naturally, this means it attempts to infusing horrific and unsettling elements into the formula.

PC Preview PS4

Preview: Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada isn’t afraid to get personal

By Jenni Lada // 5.15.176.12.17

What do you think about first when the Musou series comes to mind? The battle system is always at the forefront for me. I think about the dozens of playable characters that I’ll send hacking and slashing across massive battlefields. Even though I enjoy any and every opportunity to see characters interact with each other in social situations, the fights always feel as though they are at the forefront. Yet, when it comes to my first four hours with Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada, the personal touch feels like the most notable part of this project.

Preview Switch

Preview: Minna de Wai Wai! Spelunker digs deep on the Nintendo Switch

By Jenni Lada // 4.11.179.26.17

Do you remember Spelunker World? It was a free-to-play PlayStation 4 game released worldwide by Square Enix. The goal was fairly simple, as it tasked folks with heading into underground areas alone or with friends to find treasure. Naturally, this was accompanied by in-game purchases, namely Moon Gems, which would allow you to proceed through hazardous activities. With Minna de Wai Wai! Spelunker on the Nintendo Switch, it abandons these trappings for a more traditional and full approach.

Preview Switch

Preview: Splatoon 2’s Splat Dualies offer focused fire

By Jenni Lada // 3.28.173.26.17

I’m not a sharpshooter in Splatoon. I tend to focus my efforts on coating the battlefield, not splatting other inklings. Now that the Splatoon 2 Testfire has come and gone, a new weapon has me changing and rethinking my approach. People who participated in this demo had an opportunity to go hands-on with the Splat Dualies, a pair of pistols, and the loadout for the demo’s version of the weapon is perfectly designed for coating both the field and your opponents with paint.

PC Preview Vita

Preview: A Rose in the Twilight relies heavily on its atmosphere

By Jenni Lada // 3.27.174.4.17

There is a classic The Simpsons bit in which Grampa is telling Lisa that death stalks them at every turn. He then goes on to call out both Maggie and a cat as “death.” While Abe was a bit off, his statements apply perfectly to A Rose in the Twilight. This is a dark game where death could lurk around every turn, and the game embraces and exemplifies that in every way.