I honestly think the RPG spinoffs are the Mario franchise at its best. Games like Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario, and Mario & Luigi have long used the more dialogue-heavy format of the genre to dial the series’ humour up to another level, while creatively blending platform and RPG elements. …
Nintendo Switch
A long-running joke of mine (that I’m probably the only person who finds funny) is that Deadly Premonition is my favourite game I’ve never played. Surrealism, offbeat humour, a subversive approach to game design norms, and jankiness that unintentionally (?) enhances all those things are Extremely My Shit, so Deadly …
In the last couple of weeks, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town has become my go-to game any time I need to just take a load off. Get home from a long day of work, fire up Story of Seasons. Downtime before going to sleep–Story of Seasons. Not feeling …
When it comes to bringing retro games to modern consoles, few developers can match M2. They’ve been keeping classics alive since at least the PS2 days, and they’ve got authentic re-creation of every little detail from the originals down to a fine art. Darius Cozmic Collection is the latest proof …
Summer in Mara is rough around the edges, but its tropical farming adventure and story about finding a place to call home are still delightful. I’ve spent a good share of my time in the last couple of weeks lost in an idyllic tropical archipelago, sailing the bright blue ocean, …
Videogame baseball doesn’t get much better than Super Mega Baseball. The first game proved that comical presentation can coexist perfectly with an deep, authentic simulation of the sport; the second game built on that with new online modes, greater team customisation, and plenty of fine-tuning to the core game. Now …
Buy Shantae and the Seven Sirens (PC version) from Humble Store [affiliate link] Few games are as consistently charming and delightful as a Shantae game. The eponymous half-genie hero is one of the most endearing characters you’ll meet, and her adventures are full of humour, oddball characters, and fantastic places …
Buy 51 Worldwide Games from nzgameshop.com (affiliate link) 51 Worldwide Games has exposed me. Despite my newfound love of strategy games in things like Civilization, when it comes to those classic games of pure strategy—shogi, chess, mahjong—I still collapse. I go play slot cars or toy tennis instead. Slot cars …
Onion Games, the Tokyo-based indie studio behind the likes of Black Bird, Moon, and Dandy Dungeon has a new game on the way: an “insta-death kissing game” for Nintendo Switch, called Mon Amour. Mon Amour is one of the games that will be featured during BitSummit Gaiden, an online indie …
Buy Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition from nzgameshop.com (affiliate link) I can’t remember the last time I played a game that so frequently caused me to stop and just admire the scenery as Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. From the art direction and worldbuilding right down to the nitty-gritty of its base …