<![CDATA[A-to-J Connections

<![CDATA[A-to-J Connections - Gaming]]>Mon, 30 Jun 2025 23:37:07 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Game Review: Starlight Legacy]]>Sun, 06 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-starlight-legacyBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox One, XBox Series XS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam)

We have a sort of updated review for everyone today. Starlight Legacy is a retru-themed RPG that comes to us by way of developer Decafesoft, and publisher EastAsiaSoft. It's a game that I followed all throughout its development, and I even reviewed it during its original launch on PC. It's now available on all current consoles, and we're going to be taking a look at the PlayStation 5 version today. This will mostly be an update review, but there will be some new takes and bits here and there as well. That's enough for an intro, let's just get into the review already.

Starlight Legacy takes place in the world of Evaria, where friends Ignus and Teryl head off to deliver a package to King Lennox in the Kingdom Capital. Teryl is a freelance warrior for The Kingdom, but Ignus is simply along for the ride. If you were expecting either one to assume the role of "main character", you'll probably be sorely disappointed. Weak openings aside, King Lennox rules a land made up of four distinct Provinces, one of which is currently in open rebellion. These Provinces are referred to by their main characteristics, Forest, Mountain, Sky, and Desert, though all were independent at one point in time. Delivering the package goes off without a hitch, but Separatists from Lusoria, The Sky Province, kidnap the princess and burn down The Eternity Tree. Though it's never made totally clear as to why The Eternity Tree is so important to The Kingdom, its destruction creates havoc that our heroes must solve. King Lennox sends our unlikely duo, as well as a travelling merchant named Frida, off to collect the Starlight Relics. These three are now dubbed "The Starlight Heroes", and the quest begins. Free travel is restricted, so each Province must be taken on individually. A Relic is hidden in each, and together these Relics can create a new Eternity Tree. Things aren't ever that simple though, as King Lennox, The Lusorian Separatists, and even others you'll meet along the way, all have their own goals in mind that may run counter to those of The Starlight Heroes. It's not the most original plotline out there, but it does a good job in getting you into the world and its mechanics.

I don't want to start off the review with too much negativity, but there are some points about Starlight Legacy's story that I want to discuss before moving on. Put simply, it's messy, written in a style that is a mix between overly serious and campy, and isn't nearly as impactful as anything found in the games that inspired it. Admittedly, it's not the worst plot ever seen in an RPG, but it seems to have gotten the short end of the stick as far as focus in development went. If you're wondering why I seemingly glanced over the trio of heroes, that's because the game pretty much does so too. Teryl is probably the most developed character of the bunch, and that's pretty much solely due to the fact that he's a family man. Ignus literally has no real reason at all to be on the quest, and Frida just got caught up in things as they were happening. They all have a bit more backstory added to them over the course of the game, but it never really extends to the point where they feel like fleshed-out characters. I probably would've liked it more if they were simply blank slates, as this half-assed attempt at characterization feels almost insulting at times. The rest of the plot doesn't fare too much better, but it does flow decently for the most part. The game is essentially split up into several chapters, each being centered on the current Starlight Relic you're searching for. The overarching plot isn't bad, but you'll most likely be able to predict the next turn of events long before they happen. There's a fine line between creating a story that recalls classic games from a simpler time, and creating one that is cliché and boring. While I don't think Starlight Legacy completely fell towards the latter side of things, it did stumble along quite a bit.

It can of course be argued that older RPGs didn't have the strongest of stories, but that would be cop out. Not only can I think of several that did, the 16-bit era is often considered something of a renaissance for the genre. Perhaps there is a bit of the 8-bit take on story here, but that's just me making excuses. I don't think anyone will grow to hate Starlight Legacy due to its weak story, but I'm also willing to bet that plenty of people will probably be disappointed by it. It really was a big let-down for me, and I kept hoping it would go places it didn't. I'm also disappointed to report that the game's many post-launch updates did little to fix my issues with the overall plot. I guess they can't all be winners, and part of this failing can be due to the fact that Decafesoft is apparently a development studio made up of a single person. Anyhow, I guess it's time to move on with the review.

Discussing Starlight Legacy's gameplay is a bit of a messy topic, since it can be very complicated if approached from a certain angle. At its heart, it's a traditional turn-based RPG with random combat that is as basic as could be, but there's more to it than that if you're willing to dig deep. Combat relies heavily on elemental-based attacks and alignments that you can change at most any time, as well as equipment that moves character stats towards three different areas. Elemental affinities can be given to each character via in-game items, and these affinities can affect damage taken or received. For example, characters with the fire element will deal more damage when performing fire-based attacks, but will also take more damage from ice-based ones. You're freely able to change your elemental affinity at any time, and each of the game's main regions tends to have enemies that lean towards one element or another. You can also just go for the basic, non-elemental, alignment if you want. Equipment on the other hand tends to move a characters stats to attack, magic, or speed at the detriment of the others. For example, axes are strong but slow you down, staves provide you magic over strength, and just about all equipment messes with your speed to some degree. Technically defense and magic defense are thrown in as well, but you get the point. It's not just a matter of equipping the best gear available to you, but more like equipping weapons and armor that suit your play style. There are a few more systems we're going to get into in a bit, but I think it's worth discussing how important these mechanics are to the main game.

I'm sort of jumping the gun a bit, but my biggest issue with Starlight Legacy has to be its overall balance. Enemies will absolutely destroy you early on, and that trial-by-fire cycle will repeat itself whenever you enter a new Province. You also start at level one, which makes no sense from a story perspective. Why freelance warrior Teryl is the same level as Ignus is beyond me, but it means you can get one-shotted if you're not careful. I honestly thought I was doing something wrong at first since I kept dying. I think the game wants you to make use of the elemental affinities right from the get-go, but I found them to be very ineffective in practice. The bonuses they grant barely ever feel worth the hassle, and a handful of tough battles leveled up the characters enough so that messing around with the elements seemed even more pointless. Then there are the character skills which can come off as very OP. Get used to abusing skills if you want to get ahead. Also, money is just thrown at you via the near-constant random battles you're subjected to. Items and the like are very expensive, but it doesn't take too long to max out your money if you simply fight every battle the game throws at you. Even though my first couple hours were extremely difficult, I eventually got to the point where I didn't even bother with any of the more complicated in-game mechanics. I reused the same skills and summon magic over and over again, and used my easily replenishable supply of items whenever I needed to heal up. Starlight Legacy is far from an easy game, but it proves that there is a lot of work that goes into balancing an RPG that we as players don't ever seem to notice. This is anything but an example of that balance done right, and even though this part of the game did get some updates over the past few months, very little has changed in the grand scheme of things.

Now that we have that big issue out of the way, let's tackle some positives regarding gameplay. Even though I wasn't too big on how Starlight Legacy handled elemental affinities and equipment, I did like how it handled exploration. Since the plot sees our trio of heroes collecting the Starlight Relics one Province at a time, it makes sense that those Provinces would be tackled in a particular order. In actuality, you can choose to take on the four regions in any order you choose. Level scaling across them all means that they will all (mostly) be in line with whatever your current party level is. The issues I mentioned earlier regarding balance are definitely still present, but I think they would've been there even if a "correct" sequence of Provinces was provided. Not only can you tackle each region in any order, but there's also a lot of freedom in how you do so. Each of the four nations have their own quests and gameplay quirks, but you're pretty much left to your own devices as to how you go about completing them. Each of the Provinces also gives you a new form of transportation that affects where you can travel. These include a magic carpet to get over rocks, a raft to go onto the water, and so on. You can even fly in 3D by the end, but talking about that too much goes into spoiler territory. Since each Province has areas that need all the unlockable forms of transportation to reach, that means that areas tackled later have more secrets to find. It's not quite open world, and it's not quite Metroidvania-like in its progression, but it is cool, and made for a fun experience.

Since the world is broken up into areas you can explore in any order you desire, this does mean that towns, chests, and available equipment can be a bit all over the place too, but these are all also scaled in accordance with the order taken. Each shop in the game is pretty much a copy of all the others in the world, and carry items, equipment, and magic that correspond with your current place in the game. I think they might also be somewhat dependent on character level, but I may be mistaken on that. Also, I didn't mention this earlier, but magic is something you purchase in-game. Some characters might be more proficient with magic-based attacks, but no character learns spells by default. You also can only use four spells at any one time, so some planning has to be made when decided who gets what spells. This all works out in a manner similar to early Final Fantasy games, and was a nice break from traditional mechanics. Going back to the level scaling, chests are handled a bit differently than shops and monsters. Besides some of them being locked off until you acquire modes of transportation only found in other regions, there will also be some chests that have numbers on them. These numbers correspond to the amount of Starlight Relics you currently have in your possession, and you can't open any that are above your current amount. This allows these chests to have items of a far higher level than what is found scattered elsewhere, and is another unique system that I liked. Though I must also point out that its inclusion means that you won't be able to collect every chest on your first run through an area.

I think I've gone on about gameplay for long enough, let's discuss graphics next. I'm a bit torn on this topic, as I really do like the overall look and feel of the world. The retro aesthetic is captured perfectly, and there are design elements I like. I'm a sucker for 2D sprites, and this game has some good ones. Also, the world is presented as a single large area. You go from town to monster-infested roads smoothly, and only break in this immersion comes when entering a dungeon. There are even some Mode 7-style scenes that are fairly impressive too. What's the problem then? Well, I'm of the mind that Starlight Legacy has a generic look that is hard to get behind. This is purely a subjective view, but the entire game looks so by the numbers that it lacks anything that would have it stand out. I'm sure the developer gets a kick out of fans comparing it to older games, but that can only go so far until it becomes a curse. The three main characters not only have very little character to them, but they also look like they were pulled out of a How to Draw Anime book. I don't mean that as an attack to the quality of their artwork, but as to the amount of personality and charm that their sprites and portraits give off. These are not characters you'll remember after the game is finished. At best, they'll just get you thinking about games and characters that possibly inspired them. This also goes with most everything else in the world. Towns, dungeons, and roads look like they could belong to any other 16-bit looking RPG, and the monster designs can be very hit and miss as well. It also doesn't help that each of the four Provinces follow a specific stereotype (Desert, Forest, Ice, etc.), and that the game and world are both rather small in scope. This doesn't really ruin the experience by any great degree, and you may in fact take in the game in a totally different way than me, but I really have to wonder if Starlight Legacy could've benefited from some outside help when it came to aspects outside of gameplay.

All my small issues aside, there's one part of Starlight Legacy that I think is near perfect, and that's its music. The entire soundtrack is full of the same retro vibes present elsewhere, and this is probably the only part of the game where I have nothing at all negative to point out. I truly did like every single piece of music the game had to offer, and I was even starting to look forward to certain themes after a while. It's also a place where the game most definitely succeeded in keeping things both traditional and original. The overworld themes are lively, the town themes are calm and soothing, the battle themes get the blood pumping, and so on. This sounds like it could very well be the soundtrack of a long lost SNES JRPG, and I mean that in the best way possible. There were some tracks that I must've heard on loop for ten minutes or more, and I was never bothered by it one bit. Instead of becoming irritating, I found myself humming along to some of them, and there are even some melodies that have been stuck in my head the entire time I've been writing this review. I don't know if the soundtrack is available to pick up on its own, but I'm going to look into that when I'm done here. I really have nothing else to say. This is a great soundtrack, and I hope that this level of quality is kept up in any future projects from the developer.

While Starlight Legacy does manage to capture much of the spirit of a retro 16-bit JRPG, it doesn't really pull off the length one comes to expect from such a game. It only takes about ten hours to reach the end, and maybe a few more hours more if you're going for the completionist route. That's not a bad length for any game for sure, but it is on the shorter end of things as far as the genre is concerned. There is something to be said about the quality versus quantity approach to gameplay, but I don't know if that's really the case here either. I'm not exactly against the game's reliance on old school gameplay mechanics, but a good chuck of those ten hours will be spent grinding levels. The battle system isn't the worst, so I didn't mind it all that much, but the lack of a strong story really stings when the game's short length enters the discussion. I do think it's more than worth its current $12.99 price tag, and it even went down in price when it made the shift to consoles. With that said, it can be hard to recommend it when there isn't a lot of replayability. That is a problem for many RPGs, but most other RPGs are either longer, or have more memorable stories to fall back on. There are some optional bosses to beat, and secrets to find, but this is truly a one and done experience. Then again, most players will enjoy the ride nevertheless.

It probably comes as a surprise to no one that I give Starlight Legacy the fullest of recommendations. It's by no means perfect, but it's a strong showing from a single developer. Playing it is a must for fans of 16-bit RPGs, and probably for RPG fans in general. It also is short and affordable enough to appeal to those who lean more towards the casual side of things. It's not the easiest of games, but there just might be a little something for everyone here. The developer also did a great job of fixing the game's early issues, so this new console version is quite literally the definitive version. It feels like the game is finally at home, and I hope that there's a sequel in the works. Until then, see you in the next one!

Check Out Starlight Legacy on PlayStation:
https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10012166

Story: B
Gameplay: B
Graphics: A
Music/Sound: A+
Value: A

Overall: A

Pros:
+ A cool take on the retro 16-bit RPG formula.
+ Though some of the advanced gameplay mechanics can be ignored if you so desire, the game does have a level of character customization that is rather impressive.
+ The non-linear aspect of the game almost gives it an open world, or even a Metroidvania, type of feel.
+ If you're a fan of 2D sprite-based graphics, then you'll find a lot to love here!
+ The soundtrack is simply amazing! Some of the best retro-styled music I've heard in a long time.
+ Though the game itself can be rather small in scope, there are lots of optional areas to explore, and secrets to uncover.
+ Its current $12.99 price tag is more than reasonable, and even reflects a post-launch price drop.

Cons:
- Both the story and characters are near paper thin. This is not a game that will remain in your mind due to its plot or characterization.
- Game balance is all over the place. The opening few hours of the game are absolutely punishing, and the latter few hours will see you so powerful that you can simply ignore many of the more complicated gameplay mechanics.
- Though good on a technical level, there isn't much charm or uniqueness to the graphics or character designs.
- At just ten hours or so, the game is on the shorter side as far as RPGs go.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

Is King Lennox really King Trump?

#StarlightLegacy

]]><![CDATA[A Fantasy That Isn't Final: A Kaiju Big Battel: Fighto Fantasy Review]]>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/a-fantasy-that-isnt-final-a-kaiju-big-battel-fighto-fantasy-reviewBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox One, XBox Series XS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam)

It's not often that a game comes around that brings up long-forgotten memories of my past, but that's exactly what we happened when the game we're going to look at today popped onto my radar. Kaiju Big Battel: Fighto Fantasy (Which I'm going to refer to as simply "Kaiju Big Battel" from here on.) is a retro-inspired RPG based on the Kaiju Big Battel media franchise, and it originally released on PC and mobile devices back in 2018. It took nearly a decade, but it's finally made leap to consoles, and it's now available on just about every current platform. I was once a big fan of the KBB franchise, and playing this game really took me back to my youth. Anyway, we're going to be taking a look at the game on the Nintendo Switch here, though I'm sure all versions are identical. There's a lot to go over in this one, so let's get straight to the review!

Kaiju Big Battel: Fighto Fantasy places you into the role of American Beetle, a WWE-styled Hero who is about to have a championship match with his arch-nemesis, Dr. Cube. Things are going good for Beetle, but Dr. Cube goes cheap and pulls out a steel chair. Chaos ensues, and Beetle and his friend Silver Potato soon find themselves transported to an alternate reality full of ghosts and monsters. They're eventually rescued by their friend Dusto Bunny, who invites them onboard the newly redesigned Hero HQ. Dusto Bunny lets the duo know that Dr. Cube has been up to all sorts of nonsense while they were away, and he's currently rampaging his way through time and space. The group doesn't know what he's up to, but there's no way it can be good. Thankfully their new HQ is set up with a time machine, so it's not long before they find themselves in places like Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, 1920s Russia, 1970s London, and more in their attempt to stop Dr. Cube. Dr. Cube is always one step ahead of them, and he's constantly laying traps for them that they can't help but fall into. Cube has countless minions to do his bidding, but our Heroes have more friends that end up joining them on their journey. Dr. Cube's plan does eventually reveal itself, but I'll leave that for players to discover on their own. What matter is that we have a story that goes far beyond anything Kaiju Big Battel has brought us before, and that's saying something.

Let me get it out of the way now that I love the plot found in Kaiju Big Battel no matter how you cut it. It stands strong on its own feet, and gives players a time travel story that isn't total nonsense. It's also really funny, and the humor lands whether you know who these characters are or not. I'll get more into this later on in the review, but I feel like I have to state early on that this just may be one of those licensed games that's actually really good. Let me back up a bit though. The thing is that I used to be a huge fan of Kaiju Big Battel back in the mid-2000s, when I randomly picked up a book from a Borders bargain bin titled Kaiju Big Battel: A Practical Guide to Giant City-Crushing. I knew nothing about it, but I had to learn more once I saw that it was giant Japanese-style kaiju wrestling. From there I bought a Kaiju Big Battel DVD, and made it a point to absorb every bit of information I could find online. I would go on to buy more DVDs, and even recalled seeing them mentioned on G4's Attack of The Show at one point. I wouldn't say I was KBB's biggest fan, but it truly felt like a piece of media meant specifically for me. I then moved on with my life, and only thought about KBB the few random times I stumbled across the old DVDs and book in my collection. Imagine my surprise to learn that an officially licensed game released nearly ten years ago, and it also was an RPG! I mention all this not only to give a bit of my history with the franchise, but to come clean that I may be a bit biased as far as this review goes. Having said that, I'm no stranger to bad licensed games, so don't expect me to heap praise upon a game that's obviously bad. I'll still be fair and honest, but I'm also secretly happy that this nostalgic bit of my past has managed to resurface once again. With that out of the way, let's get back to the review.

Before I dive into gameplay, I think we have to pause a bit to discuss Kaiju Big Battel's difficulty settings, as these have a big impact on how the game is played. There are three modes that essentially act as Easy, Normal, and Hard, with the easiest of them basically letting you play the game only for the story. Monsters are weaker, enemy encounters are fewer, and you're healed after every battle. Normal gives you the basic RPG experience, where the game is balanced to give you a bit of challenge, but not so much as you'll be forced to level grind to get past a particular section. The hardest setting is where things get interesting, as all you'll take more damage, have a higher encounter rate, and even face enemy types that are unique to this difficulty setting. I played the game on the Normal for the most part, but I did try out the hardest one to see if it was playable or not. The game lets you change between these vastly different settings whenever you want for the most part, so players can go back and forth if they find a particular section of the game too easy or too difficult. This is a rather simple touch, but I like what it represents for accessibility. It's not often that RPGs have difficulty settings at all, and the ones here mean that players of all skill levels can still enjoy the game. Having said that, the hardest difficulty is still totally playable as far as I'm concerned, but you'll have a real tough go at it if you don't know the ins and outs of the game. On that note, let's move on to gameplay proper.

Much of Kaiju Big Battel's gameplay is separated into exploration or combat. Exploration sounds simple enough, but there will be plenty of optional secret areas and sidequests that you won't be able to fully explore and complete your first time through. Players will also often find that their path forward is blocked, and that a particular character's overworld skill is necessary to move on. These skills are all tied to a particular characters, so you'll just have to hope you brought the right Hero along. American Beetle can punch through walls, Silver Potato can knock down debris to create bridges, Dusto Bunny can hop through weak floors, and so on. The game will usually give you the party member needed for these sections right before you reach them, but you will have to shuffle around members from time to time. There are also push-block puzzles, locked rooms, and riddles scattered about that may stump you for a bit. I never found these to be particularly difficult, and instead felt like they did a good job of breaking up the standard RPG gameplay formula. The other bit of exploration has to do with NPC interactions, as the game implements a strange dialogue mechanic. Just about every piece of NPC dialogue has reply options that can get said NPC to either like you or hate you, and these NPC feelings are permanent once they've gone into effect. This one mechanic rubbed me the wrong way, as I often picked what I thought would be the "nice" reply, only to have the NPC get angry with me anyway. Also, some NPCs offer up sidequests when you talk to them, and I could never shake the idea that I was soft-locking myself out of some sidequests forever by making a wrong choice. I don't think that actually is the case, but it's something I never got over.

Combat is the other big part of Kaiju Big Battel's gameplay loop, and this is the type of RPG that shows you the encounters on the overworld map. Bigger monsters will be indicated by bigger overworld sprites, and all battles are standard turn-based affairs. Each of your party members can attack, use skills or items, or attempt to flee. Some skills work better against some enemies rather than others, and each of the playable characters have an unofficial character class or role. For example, Silver Potato is the elemental "magic" user, and Dusto Bunny is the healer. You'll be assigned a party in the first couple of hours, but you'll eventually have multiple characters to choose from, and putting together a balanced party is as important as it is in any other RPG. Losing all of your party's HP during combat leads to a game over, and winning a battle nets you experience points and money. The game uses a standard level up system, and stats can also be augmented by equipment. Equipment is made up of weapons, armor, and accessories, but players can also give their characters gems that offer bigger stat bonuses, or even special skills. Most equipment and items can be found in the overworld or in dungeons, but shops of all types also exist in the game. Speaking of which, your HQ will eventually become a hub town of sorts that sells everything from every other shop in-game. There may not be a whole lot of surprises gameplay-wise, but Kaiju Big Battel does a great job of streamlining the RPG basics to the point where the game moves at an almost breakneck pace. You'll spend less time in menus than in other retro-inspired games, and more time beating up monsters.

I guess the big question those on the fence will have about the game is whether or not it holds up well as a standalone RPG, or if it's only going to appeal to existing fans of the franchise. I've already mentioned that I was a big fan of Kaiju Big Battel at one point in my life, but I'm not exaggerating one bit when I say that I hadn't thought about it in over a decade, and had to do a double take when this game popped up for review. I did get a chuckle or two when a character I remembered popped up, or used a move I remembered from way back, but I mostly went into this game blind. I knew about American Beetle and Dr. Cube, but never before saw direct interactions between them on this level. KBB on its own is something that people can jump in and out of casually, and I think that works perfectly when adapting it into a video game. Fans of the franchise will probably get more of the inside jokes, but this truly is a great 16-bit inspired RPG all on its own. It's worth playing by its own merits, and its silly story is enjoyable even if you know nothing about the characters or their relationships before the opening cutscene. Seeing as KBB had its heyday nearly twenty years ago, I think that plenty of existing fans will be in my boat anyway. They may remember watching a few moments from the DVDs here and there, and maybe recall reading the book at one point, but they'll most likely be going in on a level similar to newcomers. My point to all this is that I'm of the mind that Kaiju Big Battel: Fighto Fantasy works perfectly fine as a standalone game, and players shouldn't look the other way simply because it's technically a licensed game. Then again, I'm willing to bet that a lot of potential players haven't even heard of Kaiju Big Battel before, so maybe this entire bit in the review is for naught... Anyway, let's move on!

Kaiju Big Battel has been hitting out of the park so far, and that trend continues as we move into discussing its graphics. This game's visual style borders between something that could've pushed the SNES to its limits, or maybe had an easy pixel-based life as an early PS1 game. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve, and most everything about the game looks and feels unique in some way. I do think some of the settings you go to in-game are a bit on the generic side, but the character and monster designs more than make up for it. Some are outright silly, others make no sense, but there's no denying that there was creativity behind their creation. I do feel a little mixed giving credit for things that came from earlier parts of the franchise, but I guess that doesn't really matter since it would've still been original at some point. All of this adds up to a game that essentially feels like a long-lost 16-bit era RPG, albeit one with slightly more modern humor. There's also a lot of references to other games to found in the visuals themselves. The party menu looks a lot like what was used in early Final Fantasy games, cutscenes feel like they could've been taken from a '90s arcade fighting game, and the arcades in the Hero HQ are obvious references to Space Invaders and BurgerTime. The aesthetics are all captured perfectly, and I really can't find any negative point to bring up beyond what I've already said. Even then, I have to point out that most area maps are on the small and boring side, but there are quite a few of them, and many still manage to look great. No matter how you cut it, Kaiju Big Battel really knows how to put on a great show!

I hate to jump from blind praise to blind praise, but I'm about to rant and rave regarding how awesome Kaiju Big Battel's soundtrack is. The music found in this game is a mix of all sorts of classic video game music genres, with some tracks feeling like they'd be at home in a SquareSoft RPG, and others feeling like they could've been taken from console beat 'em ups like Battletoads or Final Fight. It's a great mix of music that never disappoints, and part of me wonders if any of it was taken from other parts of the franchise's history. I have very little recollection of the music from back then, but if it's anywhere near as great as the music here is, I think I'll have to hunt down some of those old soundtracks! Not only is the music great, but the sound effects are too. Smacks sound meaty, and there's a silliness to everything that you can only achieve with great sound design. I guess the only thing that's missing here would be a few compressed voice samples, but those might've been left out for the sake of authenticity. I still would've loved to hear some crunchy one-liners here and there, but I guess I can't fault a game for sticking to their guns when it comes to recapturing a particular time and place in gaming history.

I'll admit that I went into Kaiju Big Battel thinking that it would be a quick game, but I was shocked to find out that it's actually a decently long RPG. Most players will be able to complete the game in about 10-15 hours, depending on the difficulty chosen. I went back and forth in difficulty options myself, and I did my best to uncover all of the game's secrets. I was pushing into the high teens, and I still have a few more hours to put in before I hit that 100%. I didn't think the game would latch onto me how it did, and it's become my favorite piece of Kaiju Big Battel media in general. If I looked at it from that viewpoint alone, I'd say that its $19.99 price point is more than fair, but there's more to it than just that. Worth it not, this is a port of a nearly ten year old game, and one would imagine that it would've seen a drop in price over the years. Not only did it not drop in price one bit, but it actually DOUBLED when it made the move to consoles. Kaiju Big Battel: Fighto Fantasy is available on Steam for just $9.99 at the time of this writing, and it's also 60% off at the moment due to the Steam Summer Sale. I had a blast during my time with the game, but I don't think there's any reason for that sort of price jump. Those looking to play it will have to make a choice as to whether or not the console experience is worth the increased cost, though I'm willing to bet that there are some potential players who think I'm making a big deal out of nothing regarding the price.

Even though I have a couple issues here and there, I still think that Kaiju Big Battel: Fighto Fantasy is worth picking up for fans of retro-inspired RPGs, and anyone who has fond memories of Kaiju Big Battel. Not only is the game clever, funny, and fast-paced, but it also made me nostalgic for early 2000s media. That said, this is a game that will be most entertaining to those who are already familiar with the franchise, but newcomers will find lots to love here as well. I'm still not totally sure it's worth grabbing on consoles, but I'd say pick it up on whatever platform you wish if money is no object to you. If it is, then maybe look into getting it on Steam instead. I hope that this re-release means that we'll get more Kaiju Big Battel media soon, though that might be wishful thinking. On that note, I think my review is done, and I'm going to go dig up my old KBB DVDs. See you in the next one!

Check Out Kaiju Big Battel: Fighto Fantasy on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/kaiju-big-battel-fighto-fantasy-switch/

Story: A+
Gameplay: A
Graphics: A+
Music/Sound: A+
Value: B

Overall: A

Pros:
+ A very unique RPG that can easily be enjoyed by already existing fans and newcomers alike.
+ Has a fun and silly story that isn't afraid to poke fun at itself and the tropes it delves into.
+ Easily changeable difficulty settings mean that this game is accessible to players of all skill levels.
+ Overworld character abilities, plenty of sidequests and secrets, and more, make this a game full of replayability.
+ Perfectly captures the 16-bit RPG aesthetic. This could very well be a long-lost SNES title.
+ Has an amazing soundtrack that full of music that sounds like could've come from several retro gaming genres.

+/- It's awesome remembering how great Kaiju Big Battel is in general!

Cons:
- I'm no stranger to console taxes, but being double the price it is on Steam just feels wrong.
- Since the game relies heavily on humor, some players might not have as much fun with it as others will.
- Even though the difficulty settings do a good job making the game playable for all, there are still some balance issues found in each of them.
- This isn't a real negative, but I never liked that NPC relationships can be ruined forever by a single dialogue choice.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

Playing this game did sober me up a bit...

#FightoFantasy

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix]]>Fri, 04 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-alice-gear-aegis-cs-concerto-of-simulatrixBy Al

Players: 1-6 (Local & Online)
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

We're no strangers to fighting games that have an anime art style here at A-to-J, but Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix is quite a bit different from what probably pops into your head when you think of that genre. Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix (hereafter simply referred to as "Alice Gear Aegis") is an arena fighting game that released on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 last year. It's the first console release in a series of games that originated on mobile platforms. Hearing "mobile" anything will definitely put off a lot of people right away, but we're going to put that aside and take a look at the PS5 version today. This is going to be quite the ride, so let's get right into it!

Alice Gear Aegis has one of the wildest stories I've heard in a long while. At some point in the future, Earth is invaded by an alien species known as The Vice. The conflict that followed caused humanity to flee Earth via "Shards" left from the destruction of the moon. Centuries later humanity has developed weapons known as "Alice Gear", and are now able to hold their own against The Vice. These gears need people to man them, but they can only be operated by young women who have a latent ability that is needed to use them effectively. These young women are known as "Actresses". Actresses are more than just frontline fighters though, they also represent something akin to celebrities to the people of The Shards. While I can't say for sure what happened to The Vice (I swear the game just stopped mentioning them), the manufacturers behind the Alice Gear have decided to hold a tournament to find a spokesperson for their products. You play as a new employee of a small Actress agency called Narukozaka Manufacturing. Even though Earth is a distant memory, The Shards have largely come to represent places that existed on it centuries before. The Shard the game takes place in is modeled after our present-day Tokyo (convenient!), and it's your job to see your client through the tournament. Your client of course being the Actress you pick in the game's Story Mode. There are 24 Actresses in game, and they all have their own reasons for being a part of the game's central tournament. Honestly, this set-up can be largely ignored, and it's mentioned very little in-game beyond the intro to the Story Mode. Seeing as the individual interactions between the Actresses is what you'll see the most of here, I can't help but wish that the game chose to focus on its characters rather than a convoluted set-up. I kept expecting the Story Mode to take a twist, and The Vice to start an attack or something, but we get none of that here. Maybe that tale is covered in one of the mobile games, or maybe The Vice are all long dead. While I don't know much about any of that, I guess I'll do what this game did and just ignore it and move on.

It's been a while since I've played a 3D fighting game, so while I don't have a lot of recent examples to compare it to, I found that I really enjoyed Alice Gear Aegis' take on the genre. Battles can take place as 1v1, 3v3, or even a 6-person Battle Royale. The latter two have a few additional gameplay elements that make them unique, but they all play relatively similar enough to each other that most of what I'm going to say applies across the board. Each battle takes place in a large arena, with some of them having stage hazards that can be used to block enemy attacks. You're able to move freely around the field in just about any direction, but actually moving directly towards your opponent is a little tricky. That might sound counterintuitive, but it's because most of the combat is meant to take place long range. There are melee attacks you can perform, but you'll largely be using the gun in your hands to be doing a lot of the fighting. The gun you have changes depending on the Actress you're using, but you can eventually equip everyone with any weapon in the game. Each weapon has their own fire rate, damage output, ammo, accuracy, and reload time. Though this might sound a little complicated right off the bat, the weapon varieties follow all the rules that you'd expect, such as the fastest weapons being the weakest, the strongest being the slowest, and so on. You also have gears equipped to each of your legs, and these are always more powerful attacks that have a longer cooldown time. The only other form of normal attack worth discussing here is the aforementioned melee attacks, and these have can be light to heavy as well in terms of speed and damage. Performing a melee attack obviously means you'll have to be face-to-face with your opponent, so part of the lead up to the attack is flying directly into the threat range of the opposing Actress. This creates a sort of risk/reward scenario as melee attacks are often far easier to land, and can be linked together into a small combo. That's about all there is worth mentioning for offensive moves, but there's a lot more to discuss as far as the combat is concerned.

Each Actress has a bar that represents your HP. HP values vary between Actresses, and they can be adjusted slightly by equipping skill modules. No matter the amount of HP though, losing it all means a battle is lost. You can hold off attacks by dodging, which uses up a meter so you can't do it indefinitely, and by blocking with a shield. The shield will be your best friend if used correctly, but you can't rely on it too much as it can be broken by strong or repeated attacks. Some attacks can even leave you stunned, but weirdly this can't be taken advantage of as stunned Actresses are rendered temporarily invincible. Managing an Actresses HP works a little differently if you're fighting team-vs-team as you can actually recover a small amount of damage by cycling in another team member. Team battles are also the place where you'll most likely to use your special meter, as you can use a small amount of it to call in a team assist. This same meter is also used to perform a special move that different for each Actress. These are often very powerful attacks, but others do things like make you invincible, allow you to instantly break shields, and other specific things like that. I didn't mention it earlier since I wanted to cover it along with the team mechanics, but these specials can also be used in solo matches. In my experience though, few solo matches last long enough for the meter to reach its peak. The only other thing that makes team battles different is that all Actresses must be defeated to win. Though it's unlikely, you can pull off a 1v3 win in the eleventh hour if you're lucky or skilled. And just to be thorough before we wrap up combat, Battle Royale plays the same as all other modes, but it's each Actress for themselves, even if they're facing off against former team members. The only unique mechanic to be found in Battle Royale is one that allows you to switch the opponent you're currently targeting. And that's about it as far as fighting mechanics go. It's a pretty simple system to learn, but it has enough depth that it can take quite a while to master.

Most of the game modes in Alice Gear Aegis revolve around straightforward combat, either local or online. By that I mean you'll mostly be performing a lot of individual fights in a perpetual loop of exhibition matches. If you want to know what the game is really about, you're going to have to hit up the Story Mode. This mode sees you pick a single Actress and see her through the tournament. It's also the only time where you'll realize that you're supposed to be playing an actual role in the story yourself, as the Actress you pick will speak directly to you at certain points. Even though you're only picking a single girl, you actually get to play with the team that she's a part of. Each Actress' Story Mode has visual novel-style cutscenes that explain their backstories and reasons for becoming an Actress. Though they're quite the varied lot, don't expect any masterful storytelling here. Still, I have to give the game credit for essentially creating 24 full stories. Though you'll still be doing a lot of fighting in Story Mode, you progress through the tournament on a board game-style map. Each space on the map represents a battle, an item pickup, or a teleporter. Item pickups are self-explanatory, teleporters allow you to explore off the main path while still being able to return for key battles, and battles can either be solo or team. Though all the story-related tournament battles will be done by your entire team, the vast majority will be solo battles. This actually makes Story Mode somewhat more challenging as some fight pairings can feel almost one-sided. It was in this mode that I realized that much of the game operated on a sort of rock-paper-scissors type mechanic, and you lose the ability to match types in solo fights. Though there's a lot of extra fluff along the way, all you really have to do in Story Mode is win every fight. Though winning them all is a must, there are only three fights that have story bits attached to them. That means that this tournament basically consists of the Preliminaries, the Semi-Finals, and the Finals. Pretty simple stuff, and you can get a lot of rewards for playing this mode. What rewards you ask? Well, let's talk about that next.

Customization is the name of the game in Alice Gear Aegis, and you're able to change just about every aspect of each Actress. You're able to change their gear, their weapons, and even add some skill modules that alter their stats. This is probably too complicated to explain in a review, so suffice it to say that you're able to create a very powerful team once you understand what gear/weapon types work best together. When I said you could customize just about every aspect of an Actress, I meant it, as you can change their clothes and accessories to your heart's content. You can put them all in maid outfits, swimsuits, or even bunny ears, the possibilities are (somewhat) endless. All of these items are purchased with credits that you get for completing matches. You can also get some of the items for free in the Story Mode, as that's what the item spaces I mentioned earlier are for. It is an odd system though, as you're required to purchase most of the items individually for each girl. This isn't the case for all things like gears and skill modules, but expect to spend a lot of time amassing enough money to buy outfits for each and every girl. What's interesting is that the changes you make to each girl stay throughout all the offline game modes. This means that if you customize each and every Actress, you'll face them in combat in whatever costume/accessory combo you made for them. A very neat mechanic, even if it can be a little pointless. Unfortunately cosmetic changes don't affect the Story Mode's cutscenes, but I guess that might be asking for a bit too much. Though a side thing for sure, unlocking all the customization options is essentially the only real "goal" in the game.

I guess it's time to move on and talk about the game's visuals for a bit. The fact that Alice Gear Aegis started life as a mobile game was very apparent as soon as I started playing the game. Though I'm mainly talking about the casual-friendly gameplay mechanics, I also mean the simplistic nature of the graphics and menus. I don't want to make it sound like this game is particularly ugly or anything, but it has a generic-ness that can't be overlooked. I mentioned earlier that the Story Mode didn't offer anything too deep, and part of that is because most of the characters follow very standardized character tropes. There's an idol, a delinquent, a gyaru, a country girl, and so on. These aren't just things you have to discover in the Story Mode either, I had most of their characteristics down simply by looking at them. I say that, but it might actually be hard to tell the Actresses apart in their default forms as they all look rather similar to each other beyond their hair color. This extends into the gears they're equipped with too, as they pretty much look the same across all 24 girls. It gets even worse once you realize that you always seem to fighting in the same arenas over and over again. There are actually only 10 arenas in the entire game, and some of them are variants of each other. I actually assumed I was missing something in my first few hours with the game, but nope, the game is just that limited. Thankfully the graphics are saved by things like the decently animated cutscenes, the sheer amount of character customization, and the fact that the game runs silky smooth no matter what nonsense is happening on screen. I just wish that the game offered a more visually appealing experience. These girls definitely deserve it.

I initially was going to say that I felt the same way about the music as I did about the graphics, but I actually grew to appreciate the music the more I played the game. I use a term called "visual novel music" a lot when I review games of that genre, and much of the music here feels like it's ripped directly from an upbeat visual novel. This isn't a bad thing at all mind you, it's just a style of music that works for what it is. This means the soundtrack is largely inoffensive and settles nicely in the background where it doesn't bother anyone. Alice Gear Aegis may not have a soundtrack where you'll be remember tracks long after you're done with the game, but there also won't be any parts of it that make you reach for the mute button. Rounding out the audio experience is the game's voice acting, and it's here where I think the real magic lies. Just about every part of the game is voiced, and each role is played so perfectly that I almost feel bad for implying that the characters were rather generic earlier. If you're looking for a dub though, you won't find it here. There's only a Japanese-language option, but I wouldn't give up this cast for the world, as they all fit their characters perfectly. I guess this all boils down to me having to say that I feel that music and sound are arguably the best aspects of this game, even if I don't have a lot of things specifically to rave about.

This is the part of the review where I talk about game content, replayability, and how all that compares to cost. I originally wanted to open this section by saying that the game offers a rather hollow experience that is only kept alive by the various versus modes on offer. That changed when as I played through more and more of the game's Story Modes. The sheer amount to see and do here is insane for those only wanting to play the single player offerings, and that gets multiplied by a 100 once you take on other opponents in-game. I actually was surprised that I was able to find a few matches online, as I assumed this would be a game where I'd have to hunt down other owners of the game and schedule a match. I got absolutely trashed in the handful of online matches I took on, but it was fun playing a game like this against human opponents. I also tried local multiplayer with some friends and can report that it plays just as well as online mode, but with the added bonus of making the wins/losses personal. Since every girl falls into what is essentially an anime trope, you can have the true "Battle of The Anime Waifus" contest weebs everywhere want. Jokes and hyperbole aside, its current $29.99 price tag is the perfect price point for the amount of content you get here. I have to knock a small point off because there is some over-priced DLC available that only offers a handful of new costumes, but I guess you don't have to get it if you don't want. That said, I have to admit that there's a very good chance I'm going to grab that DLC at some point down the line just because I'm digging this game so much.

If you're a fan of anime, fighting games, or even multiplayer party games, then picking up Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix is practically a must-do. Even casual players, or those who are looking to get their next visual novel fix, will likely find something to enjoy here. It does have a few presentation issues, and its roots as a mobile game are readily apparent, but it's also lots of fun to play, and that's most important at the end of the day. Pick it up now, and be sure thank me by challenging me to a match online! I'll be waiting with my favorite idol, Touka!

Check Out Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix on Playstation:
https://store.playstation.com/en-ca/concept/10003388

Story: B+
Gameplay: B
Graphics: B
Music/Sound: A
Value: A-

Overall: A

Pros:
+ A fun arena fighting game that has a variety of multiplayer options.
+ Lots of customization for each of the characters that affect both cosmetics and gameplay.
+ The Story Mode really does flesh out of the characters in the game.
+ The sheer amount of characters mean that most players will find ones that suit them best.

Cons:
- I was not at all surprised to learn that this originated as a mobile game.
- While the Story Mode does flesh out each of the characters, it does not do the same for the game's world itself.
- The loop of unlocking customization options can feel very repetitive after a while.
- There really isn't a lot of content here to keep anyone to keep people playing once they've tried their hand in all the game modes.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

It really is!

#AliceGearAegisCS

]]><![CDATA[Another Imperfect Visual Novel Masterpiece: A Mystery Lover 2: Forgotten Truth Review]]>Wed, 02 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/another-imperfect-visual-novel-masterpiece-a-mystery-lover-2-forgotten-truth-reviewBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

It's been nearly two years since I reviewed the Chinese visual novel Mystery Lover (A review you can find HERE!), and that game had a story that stuck with me long after I finished it. I of course tried to find out all I could about the developer and learned that there was already a sequel, but it was Chinese only. From there I waited patiently hoping for a US release at some point, and I'm glad to say that it finally happened. Mystery Lover 2: Forgotten Truth is developed by Never Knows Best, published by Cyberisle Games, and is currently a Nintendo Switch exclusive. It also has a story that isn't a direct continuation of the first. I personally was hoping for more direct follow-up, but I kept my mind open to all possibilities. There's going to be a lot to cover in this one, so let's just get straight to the review!

Mystery Lover 2 places you into the role of Leed, a poor student who recently moved to the upscale city known as Riverville. Leed struggles to make ends meet, works nights at a convenience store, and is the newest member of Riverville High's Mysteria Club. This club was heavily featured in the first game, and is a club made up of hopeful detectives and investigative reporters. Besides Leed, the club is made up of its leader Layna, the soft-spoken Charles, and the currently-studying-abroad Persephone. Though a quartet, Layna is the group's driving force, and she longs to make a name for herself in the world of investigative reporting. It comes to the club's attention that a new cafe has opened up downtown, and there have been rumors that its viral popularity is actually the work of social engineering. Layna and Leed go off to check into whether or not the cafe hires the people who wait hours in line, but their investigation hits a snag when an elderly woman is injured right outside the cafe. Leed then finds himself face-to-face with Angerona, a popular reporter who works for a trusted online media outlet, and he brings her into the Mysteria Club's next meeting. With Angerona's help, the Mysteria Club learn that the events at the cafe might be connected to the harassment a popular VTuber named Yumeno Hitomi, and that there might be even more to it than even just that. The webs continue to spiral out of control, and things take a deadly turn before lone. It's up to Leed and his friends to cut through all the lies, deceit, and misinformation, and discover the truth behind everything going on in Riverville.

As I mentioned at the start of this review, Mystery Lover 2 is a sequel in mostly name only. The events do follow from the first game, but there aren't many references to it, and it almost feels like a re-imagining of the characters and setting. Persephone played a central role in the first game, but she only drops in occasionally here, and doesn't talk about past events. Layna and Charles are also equally tight-lipped, and our protagonist Leed has a name that's uncomfortably similar to the first game's "Reed". The plot also features Yumeno Hitomi, the same VTuber who was a key figure in the mystery of the first game. While I'm a bit disappointed that this isn't the purest of sequels, the weak connections mean that newcomers can jump right in and enjoy the story for what it is. Both games have two completely different stories, and tackle their respective mysteries in different ways. Even though there are a lot of reused assets and plot points, this game goes its own way. There's far more suspense this time around, and the stakes are considerably higher. There's also some supernatural elements that I could go into, but I'll leave most of the plot details for players to discover on their own. I'm always wary of spoilers in visual novel reviews, but I'm extra cautious here. Mystery Lover 2's plot does have some issues regarding writing that I'll get to later, but it is most definitely its strongest asset. I wouldn't be surprised if players form their own Mystery Clubs after playing this game. That, or maybe just go and play that original title.

Since Mystery Lover 2 is a visual novel, it makes sense that there wouldn't be much in the way of traditional gameplay. Players will spend most of the game's runtime going through dialogue, occasionally making a response choice, and sometimes watch cutscenes that play automatically. The latter sometimes run excruciatingly slow, and I made sure to save after each of them so to never have to go through them again. It's not all just traditional visual novel stuff, as there are some quirks that make this game unique. Leed has access to his (pretty beat up) cellphone at all times, and players can access it to revisit in-game online forums, VTuber stream clips, and even a "Tips" section that gives background on terms that are either unique to the game, or to Chinese or ACG culture. The tip entries do a good job of keeping new players in the loop, but some entries are left strangely untranslated. Besides the cell phone, there is a new romance subplot to the game that leads players to one of two endings. Going down a particular route is done by choosing the appropriate dialogue options that pertain to one girl or another, and it's usually obvious which one will focus on which girl. I don't think it goes into spoiler territory to mention that the two girls in question are Layna and Angerona, and I am 100% an Angerona fan. There's also another bit of gameplay that revolves around re-arranging photos to change the course of the story, and even time itself, but it's really just more dialogue choices disguised as gameplay. All of this is to say that Mystery Lover 2 isn't exactly re-writing the visual novel formula, but not every game has to remake its respective genre from scratch.

Even though I think that Mystery Lover 2 has a story that's worth seeing through to its end, there are some issues with the game's writing that I think are worth pointing out. I'm not sure what social and political climate the game was written in, but playing it in the US in 2025 was a bit jarring. Much of the plot revolves around misinformation campaigns, audience manipulation, online smear campaigns, and improper journalistic practices in the mainstream media. I'm not exaggerating one bit when I say that the media is painted out to be the enemy, and the only ones who can be trusted in this world are those who do their own research first hand. You might see where I'm going with this, and it made for some awkward moments where I was expecting the Mysteria Club to pull out some red hats. There's also a lot of plot points that just don't really make sense to an American audience. The scene where the old lady injures herself is a good example, as no one helps her at first for fear of being forced to pay for her injuries. This has a lot do with the way China handles personal injury cases, and is kind of confusing to Western readers. There's also heavy use of a Quora-like site, and I can't imagine anyone using such a place to get their information. I'm no stranger to cultural differences in games, but the ones here are weirder than most. My other big issue with the game's writing has to do with the romantic sub-plots, mainly that they seem to come out of nowhere. I guess we can assume that Leed and Layna became close before the start of the story, but Leed and Angerona basically fall in love in a single evening. One can argue that love can indeed be that way, but it almost feels like these plots were thrown in as an afterthought to appease visual novel fans who want romance in their stories. None of these issues are deal breakers, but they aren't the only ones I could go into either. Rather than make this review twice as long listing off more, I think I'll cover the biggest issue with the game's writing. One that brings the game down quite a few notches.

One of the main issues I had with the original Mystery Lover game was its translation. It made for very uneven reading, and there were typos and untranslated bits scattered throughout. The game did get a bunch of updates post-launch that fixed many of the issues I mentioned in my review, but they were slow in coming. I expected Mystery Lover 2 to have a similar translation, but I was not expecting it to be of a quality that is somehow leagues away from what was found in the first game. Words and phrases are constantly used incorrectly, sentence structure is all over the place, tenses and verbs are consistently wrong, pronouns are tossed around at random, and some sections of dialogue make no sense at all. I had to stop several times to re-translate parts of the text, and there are still sections of the game that I don't think I fully understood. There's also plenty of things that are left completely untranslated, with some of these sections even being important to the plot. I found it so jarring that I put off reviewing the game until right before the deadline set by the publisher on the hopes that an update would come along and fix a bunch of the issues I had with the game's text. That update still hasn't arrived over a month after release, and I'm starting to wonder if it ever will. I don't want to make it sound like the game is completely incomprehensible or unplayable, but it's not exactly an enjoyable experience. It's actually a testament to the great plot and setup that the game has that I didn't put off the game entirely. It's still good, but reading it can be quite the broken experience. I hope that this entire section of the review becomes outdated one day, but I guess we'll have to wait and see if that ever happens.

I have mixed feelings when it comes to Mystery Lover 2's visuals, and that's due to their general lack of variety, and the fact that this game reuses a lot of assets from the first. Most of the backgrounds and character designs look amazing, as do just about all of the CGs, but the biggest problem is that there really isn't a whole lot to see in the game. Backgrounds repeat constantly, characters only really have one or two poses, CGs are lingered on for far too long at times, and the entire opening section of just text over a picture of a bridge made that part of the game an absolute chore to get through. This is made all the worse for players of the first game, as half of the visuals here are just lifted straight from there. They even used the exact same Live2D setup for Yumeno Hitomi. I would normally forgive a small, indie visual novel for both of these faults, but Mystery Lover 2 also makes the mistake of wearing out its welcome by running for a bit too long. I'm all for visual novels that give you a full story, but the visual part of that equation has to be kept interesting so players stay invested. Nothing here looks bad, but you'll see everything the game has to offer visually dozens of times by the time you hit the game's credits. I actually had a hard time choosing screenshots for this review since I felt that many of them looked far too similar to one another, and that's not an issue I typically run into. It's weird too, since I had none of these particular issues with the first game. This game does feature art from Ren Ki, who's provided art for huge games like Mahjong Soul and Honkai Impart 3rd, so it's a shame there wasn't more original art in the sequel. I hope that the third game in the series goes in a new direction visually, or at least makes a bigger attempt to be all original.

Thankfully things fare much better as far as sound goes, as Mystery Lover 2 has a soundtrack that is just as good as the one found in the first game. Much of the music falls into the genre I call "visual novel music", but that doesn't always have to be a bad thing. The music is anything but distracting, and there were more than a few melodies that stuck in my head. Each track fits perfectly into the scene they're placed into, and some of re-used older tracks made me nostalgic for the first game. Some readers might wonder why I gave the game a pass on reusing music when I just got on their case for doing the same with art. The difference being that repeated musical motifs and themes are normal as far as sequels go, and that's not usually the case when it comes to art and designs. There's also far more new music than reused bits, so it's really not fair to compare the two.

The other part of audio worth bringing up is voice acting, and Mystery Lover 2 is fully voiced in Chinese, and features a cast that is putting in their best work. It's not often that one finds a visual novel of this size and scope that's fully voiced, so I have to give credit where credit is due. There is no English language option, but I personally wasn't expecting one, and I'm willing to bet it wouldn't have been too good anyway given the issues with localization I mentioned earlier. My only real gripe with the audio is that I'm the type of visual novel player who clicks off a dialogue window once I've read it, and this is supposed to end the spoken dialogue for that particular. Unfortunately Mystery Lover 2 doesn't seem to have that dialogue cut-off thing on by default, and voiced bits will often trail into one another, or run far past their written counterpart. There were even time when music tracks played one on top of the other, and messing around with sound options can only do so much. There is technically an option in the menu to fix the first issue, but it seemed to keep being reset each time I restarted the game. I'm not sure if the game was meant to be played on auto, but I can't fathom how these issues weren't discovered in playtesting. Thankfully those are the only big issues I had audio-wise, but it's a shame they're there since I think the game would've hit it out of the park if not for their presence.

Mystery Lover 2 is a surprisingly long game, and it'll take most players about 12-16 hours to finish its story dependent on reading speed. Unlike the first game, there are the two romance options available to the player, so those wanting to see everything will have to go for a second playthrough. There are some optional scenes and dialogue that is can be seen if players are thorough, but most of those can be skipped without missing too much. Completionists will want to fill out all the Tips, and get all the CGs, but that's rather easy to do if you go through the game's main endings. All things considered, there's a decent amount of content here for an indie visual novel, and it's all the more amazing that it's available for a low price. Despite my issues with the translation and presentation, I still say that the content and level of quality goes far beyond its current $12.99 price tag. I still stand by all the critiques I made in this review, but part of me feels that it might be worth picking up despite them, since this game was clearly a labor of love, and that price makes it hard to pass up.

I may not have liked it quite as much as the first game, but I still think that Mystery Lover 2: Forgotten Truth is worth checking out for fans of the first game, or visual novels in general. Its Chinese setting and focus on unraveling a series of mysteries sets it apart from most games in the genre, but there's also the romantic sub-plots that some players have come to expect. There's a great story full of twists and turns for those who are willing to take the journey, and I hope that future updates fix the many translation issues present in the game now. The first game got several updates that made it far more readable, and I hope that the same thing happens here. Either way, grab it now on the Nintendo Switch (Or Switch 2!), and thank me later. Also, maybe check out the first game, if you haven't already, afterwards! On that note, I'll see you all when that third game drops!

Check Out Mystery Lover 2: Forgotten Truth on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/mystery-lover-2-forgotten-truth-switch/

Story: B
Gameplay: A
Graphics: B+
Music/Sound: A-
Value: A

Overall: B+

Pros:
+ A neat visual novel that incorporates a unique setting, ACG & VTuber culture, romance, and lots more.
+ There's a bigger focus on the mystery aspect this time around, and the stakes are far higher too.
+ Is as much of a standalone story as possible. There is no need to play the first game to understand this one.
+ Features amazing art, character designs, and CGs from Ren Ki (Mahjong Soul, Honkai Impart 3rd).
+ Delivers another amazing soundtrack that rivals just about anything else to be found in the visual novel genre.
+ The cell phone mechanics, most especially the "Tips" system, and the photo re-arranging sections, offer a nice break from the standard gameplay loop.
+ There are two romanceable heroines this time around, and two endings that play out depending on which you choose.
+ Despite its issues, it's still a steal at just $12.99.

Cons:
- The translation is pretty bad. Players will have to do a lot of re-translation in their heads to fully understand what's going on.
- Not being a truly direct sequel can be a bit disappointing for those who wanted one.
- There are some plot elements that feel a tad problematic in today's political climate.
- Reuses far too many assets from the first game. There are long stretches where there's nothing new or interesting to look at.
- Much like the first game, the developers somehow managed to put control issues into a visual novel.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

What exactly is she saying here???

#MysteryLover2ForgottenTruth

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Exo-Calibre]]>Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-exo-calibreBy Al

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox One, XBox Series XS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam)

We've reviewed a lot of shooters recently at A-to-J Connections, but not too many of them have the charm and character of the game we're going to look at today. Exo-Calibre is an anime-themed vertical shooter developed by Vampixel Games, and published by EastAsiaSoft. It's out now on all major platforms, and we're going to be taking a look at the game on the Nintendo Switch here. There's a lot to go over in this one, so let's get straight to the review!

Exo-Calibre places you into the shoes of a member of an elite trio of mech pilots known as the Ex-Calibre Knights. Their mech suits are just one product of the Exo-Tech Corporation, and all hell breaks loose when the AI drones and machines they also produce start attacking humanity at large. Only the Ex-Calibre Knights are able to stop the AI menace, so they set off to do exactly that. It's an admittedly simple set-up, but it's more than I was expecting to find in a game like this. More often than not shmups have stories that exist solely in instruction manuals and eShop descriptions, so seeing one told in-game is always refreshing. Much of the story comes via opening and closing cutscenes that bookend the game, and there are several dialogue scenes throughout the levels themselves that give you a bit of background as to what the Ex-Calibre Knights' current mission is. It's all rather light-hearted, but that's where a lot of the charm lies. The stakes might be high on paper, but our heroes aren't too busy for a joke or two along the way. Now that we've covered plot and story, let's move the discussion to gameplay.

Upon starting a run of Exo-Calibre, you're given a choice of which of the Knights you're going to play as. There are plenty of differences between the three as far as aesthetics go, but their main differences lie in their individual weapons. All three have guns that fire differently, and cater to different styles of play. Caliburn has a weapon that fires straight ahead, Galatine has a weapon that spreads out at the midway point into a long and wide spray of shuriken, and Arondight has a weapon that fires a web of projectiles in an arc that doesn't go out nearly as far as the others'. I personally found that Galatine suited my style of play best, but other players will want to try them all out before making their choice. There sadly aren't any secondary weapons in the game, but there is a melee attack that also serves as a dodge roll of sorts. There are some enemies that seem to be more susceptible to melee attacks over bullets, but chances are you'll mainly be using the move to dodge otherwise impassible walls of enemy fire. Each character can also accelerate in a way that quickly moves the screen upwards, but I found this to be of limited use in-game. That's pretty much it as far as player actions go, but it's far from all the game has to offer.

Exo-Calibre is a vertical shooter that features long stages that are broken up into three smaller sections that act as checkpoints. The first two sections of each stage are endurance rounds against waves of enemies, and the final round is always a boss encounter. Most enemies can be taken out by your standard weapon, though there are some quirks in certain stages that change things up a bit. There will occasionally be laser beams you'll have to either destroy via their source or dodge through, enemies that just absorb your bullets, and some sections that feel like they belong to a billet hell game. Boss encounters also offer a break from the routine, and can be pretty challenging overall too. No matter the character you choose, they can all take three hits of damage by default before dying. Dying doesn't have to be the end of your current run, though it will take you back to the start of the current section of the level you're in. You have unlimited lives when playing in Story Mode, but you can get a Game Over in Arcade Mode if you have no more extra lives to fall back on. This isn't a horrible mechanic on its own, but it flies in the face of what most people expect form a shooter. Most games in the genre let you keep playing from where you died, only restarting you if you continue. Exo-Calibre also makes the weird choice of making you watch all the cutcenes from that section of the level again when you restart. It's an odd gameplay choice for sure, and probably the most annoying single aspect of the game as far as I'm concerned.

There really isn't much else to the game to discuss beyond character upgrades, so I guess we'll tackle those here. Since there aren't any powerups in the game to speak of, the only thing that enemies drop in the game comes in the form of scrap that can be used to purchase upgrades between levels. These upgrades allow you to boost your weapons shot and damage capacity, increase your speed, and add an extra hit or two to your HP. You can also purchase additional lives, but those are only important in Arcade Mode. No matter how good you are, I don't think it's possible to get even half of all the upgrade in any single run. Not only is it hard to amass the amount of scrap needed for the higher upgrades, but you actually lose a bit of the scrap you've collected in a level each time you die. The upgrade system is a neat mechanic, but I think it's poorly utilized overall. These upgrades are also locked to your current run, and reset whenever you start up another playthrough. I'm not sure if the game would be better if it incorporated a roguelike system of permanent upgrades, but it feels like it's stuck in an in-between mode since it also doesn't feature traditional powerup mechanics.

I don't really have a lot to say regarding Exo-Calibre's sound and visuals, so I'll cover them both quickly. I personally found both to be near perfect, with the edge given to the graphics. Exo-Calibre has a 2D pixel art style that looks awesome in gameplay and cutscenes. The anime aesthetics are sure to draw players in, and I dug the Bubblegum Crisis-esque character designs. The enemies also all look unique, and the bosses are all impressive too. The action also never slowed down one bit, and I played the game purely on the Nintendo Switch in Handheld Mode. Sound fares just as well too, and shooter fans will have find another soundtrack that is full of pulse-pounding bangers that they'll want to add to their video game playlists. My only real gripe is that I wished the game had a few vocal quips here and there to truly capture the action classic arcade vibe, but that's more of a nitpick than anything.

How long one sticks with Exo-Calibre really depends on the player, but you do get a lot of game for just $6.99. There are lots of unlockables here, including other gameplay modes and even a secret character. I mainly discussed the Arcade and Story Modes here, but there are also Boss Rush and Time Attack modes too. They're pretty much what you'd expect as far as gameplay goes, and all four of the gameplay modes come with their own leaderboards. I'm not really one to keep track of high scores, but I know that plenty of players are, and the game does keep track of such things. The only thing that Exo-Calibre is missing is a multiplayer mode, and that's yet another oversight that I can't really wrap my head around as far as gameplay decisions go.

Even though I’m of the mind that some of Exo-Calibre's quirks don't always work, I still think that it's a must-buy for shmup fans in general, and those who like anime-styled games in particular. Its fast and furious gameplay is sure to give players their vertical shooter fix, and it even offers balanced difficulty that is challenging but fair. The characters are also endearing, and the entire plot setup makes me hope that a sequel is in the cards. My advice is to pick this one up on whatever platform you can, and put a stop to AI once and for all. On that note, I guess I'll see you all in the next one!

Check Out Exo-Calibre on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/exo-calibre-switch/

Story: A
Gameplay: B
Graphics: A+
Music/Sound: A
Value: A

Overall: A

Pros:
+ A cool anime-inspired vertical shooter that's sure to draw in fans and newcomers to the genre alike.
+ The story and characters have a lot of charm to them, and the lighthearted vibes of the story keep the game flowing smooth.
+ Has some of the best pixel-based graphics I've seen in a modern game, and an awesome soundtrack too.
+ Several levels, and four gameplay modes, mean that there's a lot here for players to sink their teeth into.
+ An absolute steal at just $6.99.

Cons:
- There are some gameplay choices, such as respawning and the upgrade mechanic, that feel far from perfect.
- The lack of a secondary shot, or a screen-clearing bomb, makes this game feel a bit incomplete at times.
- Would've benefitted greatly with a multiplayer mode.
- Like most shooters, the longevity of this game will be determined by how much players care for the genre itself.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

I'm surprised I didn't mention how crazy this game's premise is in today's AI landscape.

#ExoCalibre

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Dark Fairy Tale: Dreamland Survivors]]>Sun, 29 Jun 2025 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-dark-fairy-tale-dreamland-survivorsBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: PC (Steam)

There was a time when I looked high and low for quality survivors-like games, but I couldn’t find any that filled the void left after I fully completed Vampire Survivors. This journey has brought me to several games of questionable quality, and some that fell just short of perfection. The game we're going to be looking at today comes to us by way of developer BINGOBELL, and publisher BeStarsGames. It's called Dark Fairy Tale: Dreamland Survivors, and it's a fairy tale-themed game that's currently a Steam exclusive. There's really no need for further intro, so let's dive right in!

I don't want to start my review with a negative, but I think the lack of an actual in-game plot is Dreamland Survivors' biggest failing. You play as Pinocchio, and you take on the powers of Dream Eggs and Tarot Cards to fight off monstrous versions of characters and creatures that come from the pages of fairy tales. The game's description also makes mention of Cthulhu, but I don't see any of that in the game itself. This is simply a standard horror-themed game, but one with a fairly interesting premise. The problem is that no matter how interesting things are, none of that matters if you're not given any reason for going through the game at all. Making matters worse, all of the game's runs are referred to as "Dreams" or "Nightmares", so I'm not even sure anything in this game is even meant to be taking place at all. Are these just the dreams of Pinocchio? I really hope not, as the entire "It was just a dream!" trope has been done to death at this point. I do have to point out that this is a game from a very indie Chinese developer, so it's possible that the lack of a plot is due to inexperience. That doesn't change the fact that the game would've been far more enjoyable if players were given some sort of narrative throughline, but I think I've harped on this point long enough. Let’s move the discussion to gameplay next.

At its core, Dreamland Survivors is your typical survivors-like where your one task is to.... survive... against wave after wave of enemies. This game goes for a level-based approach, where each run is separated into one-minute rounds. Each round will clear out all enemies, bring all experience and coins to you, and open up a shop and a portal to the next round. Controls are pretty simple, as you pretty much only ever have to worry about movement. Attacking is fully automatic, and you also have a dodge that has to be charged up between uses. You have a standard life bar, and losing it means the end of a run. There are ways to increase your HP, as well as refill it in-game. Bosses do sometimes pop up in Tarot Card sequences, but I'll get to those in just a bit. Outside of bosses, there are sometimes special enemies that walk around carrying chests containing coins and Dream Eggs or portals that take you to Tarot Cards. There are also more powerful monsters that you most likely won't be able to kill within the time allotted. Most runs in the early game only last for 15 rounds, though later runs can last longer. There's also an Endless Mode that I didn't bother with all that much, but it has some additional quirks all its own. Completing or failing a run means you can keep any in-game currency (Referred to as "Nightmare Sigils" in-game.) you've collected, and you can use those to upgrade your character in between runs.

There's actually a lot I can get into regarding Dreamland Survivors' gameplay, as just about every aspect of it is done in a way that is far different from what fans of the genre would expect. Rather than have weapons to equip and choose from, you have three types of attack that you can take advantage of in each run. The three types of attack are Lancer, Caster, and Archer, and there are also additional damage-dealing abilities that augment these main attacks in the form of Curse, Burn, Corrosion, and Blast. You start each run with one point in one of the attack forms, and you can eventually unlock them all by devouring Dream Eggs of the type you want. Your character does gain stats via levelling up, but most of their growth will come from the use of Dream Eggs. Dream Eggs are most often given during a level up, but they can also be found in chests, dropped by enemies, or bought from in-game stores. Each Dream Egg has two abilities attached to it, one that you gain from equipping it, and one you gain by eating it. Each Dream egg is also tied to at least one stat, and will grant a level in it when you eat them. Eggs can also be sold in the shop, but I'm of the opinion that even the worst Dream Eggs are better off eaten than sold.

The other stat boosting item that is rather complicated to mention are Tarot Cards. The theme of Tarot Cards runs throughout all of Dreamland Survivors, so it makes sense that they make up a big chunk of gameplay. You'll enter a specific Tarot Card zone after every three rounds, and these can make or break any run. You'll first have to choose a card at random, and have to fulfill a task laid out on it in order to get your rewards. I saw "rewards", but these are chosen at random too, and can just as easily boost enemies instead. In order to gain the use of a Tarot Card, you'll have to complete tasks like surviving the round, defeating all enemies within the time limit, or even defeating a boss. These might sound easy on paper, but you'll also have to deal with whatever effects the Tarot Card grants, and not all of them are positive. Some Tarot Cards grant you additional attacks, but the worst of them flip you upside down or create a mirror image of your character that can also take damage. Failing a mission while still having health means you can continue, but without any rewards, and losing all your life ends the run as normal. Tarot Cards are basically legendary versions of Dream Eggs, and I very often sold the ones that had effects I didn't like since they give you a ton of coins. There's also optional Tarot Card rounds you can go into, but dying in these means you lose access to your current character for a run or two. This all might sound a little confusing, but I can totally go more in-depth if I wanted to. I will return to this topic soon, but first I want to take a break and discuss some other bits of Dreamland Survivors.

If there's one place where Dreamland Survivors really shines, it's in its visual style. There admittedly isn't too much variety as far as enemy and backgrounds go, but what is here is amazing. Not only that, but each Tarot version of Pinocchio is pretty cool, and I wish that the game simply had more to it. I also never experienced any slowdown or gameplay issues, even when the action got really intense. On a similar note, I found the overall sound design to be good too, but the problem with variety pops up here too in an even worse way. I'm not sure how many music tracks are actually in the game, but it felt like I was hearing the same three or four songs for hours on end. The music is really good, but even the best of soundtracks will get old if you have to hear them on repeat non-stop.

Sadly, that's about where my strong positives end. While the visual style might be great, the menus are absolutely horrible. There are far too many stats tossed into a handful of screens, and all of them are technically important in some way. This brings up the bigger issue of the game design itself, as I feel like it’s at odds with what makes the survivors-like genre so addicting in the first place. Half of the fun one usually has in these types of games revolves around shutting your brain off and letting instincts take over. You can make random choices like I did in my first run, but you won't get very far doing just that. Rather than having a blast with the simple gameplay loop, you'll instead spend a lot of your time managing your inventory and wondering why the Tarot Card system screwed you over again. This leads me to my biggest gripe with the game, and we're going to have to tackle character growth and combat once again to cover it.

The only reason I didn't give up on Dreamland Survivors in the first hour was because I knew I had to write a review. It's not a bad game once you get the hang of it, but it has one of the worst openings I've ever seen. You're given about eight tutorials in the first minute or so of gameplay, and not a single one of the game's many complicated systems make sense at first. Everything feels like it was made different simply for the sake of being different, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I didn't know what I was doing in my first two or three runs. I even went into the game's discussions on Steam, and saw that other players had this exact same issue. One of the developers even came into the chat and encouraged people to just pick things at random if they didn't know what they were doing, and I don't even know what to say about that. I did start having a bit more fun once I things fell into place, but I'd be lying if I said that I understand everything the game has to offer. One reason I haven't talked much about permanent upgrades is because I'm still not sure how they work, and I'm pretty sure I wasted entire hours building up a character that I accidentally deleted. The game can be fun, but I really want to throw up my hands in an AVGN-like "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!?!" right now. This is also something that can't be easily fixed in updates, so it'll most likely always be a barrier to entry for some.

I didn't even cover all of the negatives either, like how gaining Nightmare Sigils also increases the strength of monsters, or how my unspent Nightmare Sigils disappeared on me more than once between runs, but I think you get the point. Dreamland Survivors is far from perfect, but it just might scratch that survivors-like itch for those looking for something to play now that they've finished the latest Vampire Survivors DLC. It's probably not the best the genre has to offer, but I think there's a decent game here if you get past the annoying first few hours. The developers have also released several updates since launch, so I hope that some balance fixes eventually make their way in too. Also, at just $4.99, it's hard to be too harsh on the game. If it were a few dollars more, I'd warn people away, but it feels more than fair as far as the game stands now. It may not be the most solid of recommendations, but Dark Fairy Tale: Dreamland Survivors might be worth a look. On that note, I'll see you in the next one!

Check Out Dark Fairy Tale: Dreamland Survivors on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3288300/Dark_Fairy_Tale_Dreamland_Survivors/

Story: N/A
Gameplay: C
Graphics: B+
Music/Sound: B-
Value: A

Overall: B-

Pros:
+ Even though some of the gameplay elements can be confusing at first, it is cool take on the survivors-like genre.
+ The premise of a fairy tale themed game where you play as Pinocchio is so good that it's a shame that it wasn't developed more.
+ Outside of the clunky menus, this is a great-looking game with a decent soundtrack too.
+ Perfect for those looking for more depth in their survivors-like games. It can be played randomly, but takes a lot of skill to master.
+ Priced very affordably at just $4.99.

Cons:
- The first few hours of the game are extremely rough. Several tutorials are thrown at you in a minute or so, and everything seems different than what fans of the genre would expect.
- While the graphics and designs are great, they are limited in number. The soundtrack also seems to be made up of only a few tracks on constant repeat.
- There are some really annoying parts of the game that just make it feel broken. (Most of these have to do with permanent character growth.)
- Even though the game advertises that it can be played with just one hand, it's really not for the casual player. There are still parts of the game that confuse me, and I don't think that is going to change anytime soon.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 - Ninpo Blast]]>Sat, 28 Jun 2025 07:56:45 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-tiny-pixels-vol-1-ninpo-blastBy Al

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, XBox One, XBox Series XS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam)

It's been a while since we've reviewed a shmup title here at A-to-J, and EastAsiaSoft is here to break that streak for us. Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 - Ninpo Blast (Which I'm going to refer to as simply "Ninpo Blast" from here on.) is a vertical shooter with roguelike elements that released last year on all major platforms, and it seems to be both developed and published by EastAsiaSoft themselves. We decided to take a look at it now since it's getting a sequel of sorts soon, so the wait isn't as random as it may seem. We're going to be trying out the game on the Nintendo Switch today, though it's safe to say that all versions are identical. This is going to be a quick one, so let's dive right in!

There is no story at all to speak of in Ninpo Blast, but I'm willing to let that slide since you play as a ninja on a hoverbike, and that's just all sorts of cool. Though there is no story, the game goes for the tried and true approach of a (maybe?) space setting, and bosses that mostly resemble giant bugs. Your only goal is to survive and get a high score, and maybe earn enough coins to make each subsequent run a little easier. This is a vertical shooter, and your character has three forms of attack. The kunai shoots straight ahead, the shuriken fires in a wide arc, and the katana slash kills everything on screen. You can switch between the kunai and shuriken whenever you want since they're mapped on different buttons, and the katana slash needs to be powered up between uses. That's pretty much all you have at your disposal as far as offensive capabilities go, though you also have a shield that allows you to take an extra hit without taking damage. It too needs to be charged, but you'll come to rely on it since it only takes three hits to kill you at the start of the game. Losing all your hearts means the end of your current run, though you do get to keep any coins you found along the way. You also get to place your score on the leaderboards, though that's probably something you won't really have to worry about until you're several dozen runs in.

Ninpo Blast can be quite a difficult game when playing it on its base settings, so it makes sense to pick up all the upgrades available to you as quickly as possible. All upgrades cost coins, with several needing a progressively higher amount to fully unlock everything in a particular category. Coins are dropped randomly by enemies and bosses, and will float to the bottom of the screen if you don't grab them in time. You'll probably only get a few each run in the early stages, but you'll later find that you can get dozens in each run as you get improve your character and get better at the game. These coins can then be used to upgrade your abilities and stats, or open up new options in the game. Each weapon can get upgrades that increase their rate of fire, damage output, and number of projectiles, and you can also increase things like your score multiplier, number of lives, and the ability to bring coins to your easier. That's not all though, as about half of the upgrades serve to expand the game itself. These include things like new backgrounds and hoverbikes, and even additional bosses that can cap off each wave of enemies. There's probably more I can say about these upgrades and unlocks, but I think you get the point.

It's easy to assume that getting all of the character upgrades will make the game easy, but all they really do is increase the amount of enemies you'll be able to take out before eventually getting overwhelmed by the endless stream of enemies and bosses. There is no way to truly "beat" Ninpo Blast as far as I can tell, as all runs are technically endless. Each run is broken up into waves of enemies that sort of act as levels. Each of those waves consist of a random assortment of enemies that ultimately culminates in a boss encounter. I already mentioned that these bosses are mostly bugs, with the ones unlocked with coins being particularly intense. Defeating a boss gives you a bunch of coins, and you then move on to the next level. It might seem like each wave is the same, but they actually get progressively harder the further you go. New enemies will start to pop up that are harder to take out, bullets will start to fill the screen, and bosses will start to use better tactics and skills against you. Since there's no way to recover lost lives, it's just a matter of time before your current run comes to an end. Even though this gameplay loop may sound repetitive, unlocking more content keeps things fresh, and there's an addictiveness to the experience that's hard to describe outside of playing it for oneself.

Part of the reason why Ninpo Blast is so hard to put down has to do with its speedy gameplay, and near-perfect presentation. There's very little downtime to be had, as you'll be jumping right into another run as soon as the previous one wraps up. Depending on bosses, some waves only last a couple of minutes, and the quick pace makes it hard to realize that you're essentially doing the same thing over and over again. Add to this the fact that the game is visually impressive, and features a soundtrack that seems almost too good for a game of this size and scope. I played this game on the Nintendo Switch, and never noticed even a bit of slowdown no matter what nonsense was going on in-game. I also came to love just about all of the game's music, and it wasn't unusual for a particular track to get my blood boiling mid-run. Unlocking upgrades is also a good incentive to keep playing, as are the aforementioned leaderboards. I never managed to place very high on them, but I'm sure that there are several players out there who live for that sort of thing. Ninpo Blast might be as simple as they come, but it truly gets the arcade shooter formula down perfectly.

I'd be lying if I said that Ninpo Blast stayed fresh for very long after my initial playthrough. I put in about 4-5 hours to unlock everything, and played for another few hours just because it was that much fun. I then figured I had seen enough for this review, and put the game down. Even though I've gone back to it a couple times since then, I don't see myself playing it for anywhere near the time I've already put into it. I'm not really sure that's an issue though, since the game only costs $4.99. Given its very low price point, I think that there's more than enough content to feel like you got your money's worth no matter how many hours you end up putting into it, and I'm positive that those more inclined to play arcade shooters will keep at it for far longer than I did.

I don't think it's at all surprising when I say that Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 - Ninpo Blast is totally worth picking up. It's a must buy for fans of vertical shooters, especially for those who like them to have roguelike elements as well. It's quick, it's fun, and you get a lot of bang for your buck along the way. It may not stay in your gaming rotation forever, but it's sure to draw you in for several hours of arcade fun. I wasn't expecting too much from this game when I picked it up, and it completely blew me away. Pick up now on whatever platform you can, and thank me later. See you in the next one!

Check Out Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 - Ninpo Blast on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/tiny-pixels-vol-1-ninpo-blast-switch/

Story: N/A
Gameplay: A
Graphics: A+
Music/Sound: A+
Value: A+

Overall: A+

Pros:
+ A fun and fast-paced vertical shooter that has roguelike elements to keep it fresh.
+ Not only do the upgrades increase your abilities, but they also unlock more features in the game too.
+ Has awesome pixel-based graphics, and a soundtrack that seems far too good for a release of this size.
+ Is extremely addicting, and has leaderboards for those who want to truly master the game.
+ At $4.99, picking it up is practically a no-brainer.

Cons:
- There is no story to speak of at all. Even a simply paragraph or two explaining the set-up would've gone far.
- Since the game doesn't ever truly "end", it can become a bit repetitive after a while.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

]]><![CDATA[Game Review: Banner of Conquest]]>Sat, 28 Jun 2025 01:25:40 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/gaming/game-review-banner-of-conquestBy Manuel

Players: 1
Platforms: PC (Steam)

I've been a sucker for anything in the survivors-like genre ever since I first played Vampire Survivors last year. I was a bit late to the party, but I've since picked up several other similar games, and I try to snatch every single one that comes across our desk for review. Banner of Conquest is survivors-like game that is set in China's Three Kingdoms Period, and it comes to us by way of developer Haojoy Game, and publisher 2P Games. It's currently a Steam exclusive, and is currently part of 2P Games' Steam Summer Sale at the time of this writing. Considering that this review has something of a time limit attached to it, let's just dive right in!

The story found in Banner of Conquest is one of its stranger aspects. It does take you through many of the famous battles from the Three Kingdoms Period, complete with relevant defending generals, but doesn't give you anything in the way of plot or background as to why that particular battle is/was so important. It also doesn't give them to you in any particular order past the first handful, and you can mess that order up further by unlocking new sets of battles as soon as they become available. The characters and setting are sure to entice fans of the Three Kingdoms, most especially fans of the related media that stems from the book Romance of The Three Kingdoms, but it's a shame that more effort wasn't put into capitalizing on the wealth of material available. All the important characters are here, upgrades have little references that only those in the know will fully grasp, and even the available mounts and weapons are taken directly from the source material. All the developers had to do was give players a single screen of text before a battle to appease people like me, but I guess that was a bit too much for a game of this size and scope. No point griping about that anymore I guess, so let's just move on.

With the story somewhat of a bust, let's hope things fare better in the gameplay department. Banner of Conquest is your standard survivors-like game where the only actions you'll ever perform will be the movement of your selected character. That's literally is, as this game doesn't have any extra mechanics for dodging or performing a special attack. Enemies will come at you in endless, random waves, with each battle being broken up into at least a dozen or so rounds. Each of these rounds last about 30-90 seconds, and all enemies will be cleared and your character will be healed if you survive. Defeated enemies will drop resources that can be used to purchase upgrades in between rounds, healing items, wine to boost your horse if you have one, and coins that are used to purchase permanent upgrades. You'll also recover life by killing enemies, but this is a slow process. Your character will take damage by getting too close to an enemy, being struck by one of their special attacks, or getting hit by a stray projectile. Unless you have a skill that revives you, dying ends your current run then and there. Enemy generals will often appear every fourth or fifth round, though you don't actually have to defeat them. The key thing to remember about Banner of Conquest is that survival is the only real goal. You don't have to kill every enemy or general, nor create the perfect character build. You simply have to survive whatever the number of rounds a battle has (Typical 18-20+), and move on to the next.

Even though creating the most powerful player character imaginable isn't necessary, it still is a lot of fun. Upgrades come in the form of cards, and they're split into two categories. The first of these are Weapon Cards, and you'll choose one of several at the start of each run. Your character is able to equip up to six weapons at any one time, and these can be Melee, Long Range, or Elemental as far as their types go. These weapons have sub-categories too, but I think you get the idea. You can re-open a weapon slot by selling the weapon currently in it, and you can upgrade a weapon by purchasing another Weapon Card of the same type. The other type of cards are Plot Cards and these grant you stat bonuses or skills. Detailing all the cards available to you in the category would take far too long, so I'll just give an overview. These cards can bestow better character abilities while lowering certain stats, grant you a special type of trap attack, boost weapons of a certain type, increase you movement and attack speed, give a stat a few more points, and so on. Plot Cards can also be dropped by enemies, most usually by defeated generals. Unlike Weapon Cards, there are no limits as to how many Plot Cards you can have at any time. Also, purchasing or finding another of the same time does allow the ability to stack, so you'll want to keep an eye out for repeats of cards you like.

First time players might be a bit confused as to how permanent upgrades work in Banner of Conquest, as you actually have to clear the first two battles fully before they open up at all. This can be quite annoying, as you'll only have two characters available to you, and you'll face enemy generals that can literally one-shot you if you're not careful. Once you do beat that second battle, the game truly opens up. Besides the permanent upgrades, you'll be given the option to unlock new areas on the map using coins, as well as start using mounts. Mounts are a unique addition to gameplay that requires a bit more explanation. Mounts grant you greater movement, and also add another attack beyond whatever weapon you have equipped. This means that they take up a weapon slot, and they also upgrade on their own outside of the card system. Instead of raising their stats by way of cards, you simply upgrade a mount in its own menu system. These upgrades still have the resource costs, and they're mostly stat based. These stats are all important though, as keeping your mount alive is extremely important if you came into battle with one. I'm not exaggerating when I say that mounts change the entire way the game is played, as having one means that all health pickups become wine that makes your mount go faster, and all damage will go to your mount before you. This puts you at a severe disadvantage if your mount dies and you're forced to fight on foot. You can revive a fallen mount, but it's best just to play more carefully when you go into battle with one. There are a few other cool things that unlock, but I'll leave those for players to discover on their own.

There are some other positives I could point out, like the fact that the game features a very impressive soundtrack and has well over thirty battles to unlock and play through, but Banner of Conquest isn't without its flaws. Besides the fact that many players will probably quit before things get good, the visuals and gameplay loop might drive away even those who are fans of the survivors-like genre. I personally don't think Banner of Conquest is an ugly looking game, but there is an undeniable generic feeling to the world and the characters. You'll fight in battles that only have a small handful of variants, and most of the enemy generals seem to use the same generic sprites. Coins are also handed out to players very slowly, and that means that it can take hours and hours to unlock and see everything the game has to offer. I'm a sucker for these types of games, but it just doesn't have the same feeling of fun as some of the greats in the genre have. I'd have to say that part of that stems from the lack of a proper level-up system, but it's also due to the fact that runs can end far too easily if you're not paying total attention. I very nearly gave up on the game when the general in the final round in the second battle kept killing me in one or two hits, and I only beat it once I realized I just had to wait the clock out. This isn't exactly intuitive gameplay to those familiar with survivors-like games, and it left a bad taste in my mouth that I never really got over. There's a pretty good game here if you're able to get past the rough opening, but I wonder how many potential players won't simply refund the game after the first hour.

Despite my issues with the game, I still feel like Banner of Conquest is worth playing for fans of survivors-like games, or of the Three Kingdoms Period in general. I played a ten hour marathon session of this game, and I still feel like I'm just getting started. I didn't even intend to play that long, I just get that addicted to games like this sometimes. It's not the best the genre has to offer, but it does capture a lot of what makes these sorts of games fun. I even picked up the Journey to the West-themed survivors-like from the same publisher, and will probably review that one here in due course. As I said earlier, both that game and Banner of Conquest are currently on sale at the time of this writing, and it can still be picked up for a very reasonable $4.99 even at full price. It's hard to be too harsh on game priced so affordably, so I guess I'll just leave it at that. Pick it up if you're a fan of either of the things I mentioned earlier, and be sure to catch me in my next review!

Check Out Banner of Conquest on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2483730/Banner_of_Conquest/

Story: B
Gameplay: B-
Graphics: B-
Music/Sound: B+
Value: A

Overall: B

Pros:
+ A fun survivors-like game that has a few quirks that make it unique.
+ Even though the setting isn't fully capitalized on, it's a must-buy for lovers of all things Three Kingdoms.
+ Has an amazing soundtrack that is sure to keep you going just one more run.
+ Truly opens up after a less-than-smooth opening. There are multiple gameplay modes, a mount system, several playable characters, and well over 30 battles to play through.
+ Priced very affordably at just $4.99. Picking this one up on even a whim is easy when the price is that low.

Cons:
- The opening section of the game is very slow and rough. I can see many potential players giving up in the first hour.
- Being able to clear battles without defeating the bosses at the end just feels strange.
- Both the graphics and gameplay loop are a bit on the repetitive side.
- Seems a bit bare bones at times when compared to other games in the genre.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

i love Guan Yu!

#BannerOfConquest

]]>