Category Archives: Reviews

No Guns Life Review

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It’s time for a series with a very unique premise. I can’t say I knew what to expect when first getting into No Guns Life and I can say even now that there aren’t many shows quite like it. It’s sort of a steam punk Noir at its heart and the combination works pretty well. I’m not going to say it’s a great title or anything like that but it’s pretty good and has a lot of interesting concepts. I mean, what would you do if your head was an actual gun? I’m not saying shaped like one, I mean it’s an actual gun! Better be careful what position you sleep in or you might blow the ceiling up.

The story takes us to a world that is basically ruled by a corrupt company that is at war with a large gang. Just about everyone lives in slum-like conditions and even the rich seem to have quite hollow lives. So many people have lost limbs that there is a whole market for “Extended” which are when people have robotic upgrades to replace their missing parts. Some just get upgrades to be more powerful and then there are people like Juzo. Juzo was a weapon used in the last war. He took many lives and now he has sworn to never let anybody use his gun again. He works as a detective solving crimes everywhere and has gotten a pretty strong reputation. He has more enemies than he can count but this is the road he has chosen. His life really gets thrown for a twist when he meet a kid named Tetsuro. Tetsuro has a weird power that lets him affect all machines which is of course extremely handy in this world. Just about everyone is after him, can Juzo really protect him? At what point is he going above and beyond his actual mission?

There’s so much to the setting and story that it was hard to keep it to one paragraph. While parts of the story may sound a bit absurd and would never happen, a lot of it also feels very realistic. Is it possible that some day we will have so much daily violence that most people will be missing a limb? Absolutely I can see that. Is it also possible that anyone with a robotic limb will be seen as inferior and relegated to the slums? Yeah that can definitely happen. Obviously the world being owned by a corporation is also in the cards so yeah this definitely seems like a very dark future and one you can picture.

Juzo basically stays out of the politics of it all and is mainly just trying to do his job and ignores all the rest. He gets threatened constantly but handles it all smoothly. No matter what is going on, you can count on him to just be smoking his cigarettes. It’s not just to look cool though, those are what allow him to dull his never ending pain and also allow him to function normally. They’re basically filled with a kind of pain killer that he needs. Yeah being a living gun definitely sucks and he is put through a lot throughout the series. He never complains about his lot in life though.

The series ends before he can truly confront his past and get all the answers though. You’ll probably be able to notice right away as the series ends that not everything is answered. It’s definitely one of those titles with an early ending but it still works well enough where you don’t need the full adaption. I would still like to see more of it in the future though. Juzo ends the series as one of the strongest fighters and dominates most of his battles. Even the other gun units don’t tend to be able to defeat him.

As for Tetsuro, he’s a nice enough kid but he sure does get into a whole lot of trouble. It feels like he is constantly making more work for Juzo. The guy has a big heart and basically wants to be a hero but he doesn’t really have the ability for it. Yes, he can hack any extended but he doesn’t have a lot of stamina and can only control one person at a time. So when the control ends, then he is completely vulnerable. He also falls into his share of traps. So I like him well enough but he definitely doesn’t think things through quite as much as he could have.

Mary is a mechanic who helps Juzo out quite a lot by fixing him up and also supplying him with the special cigarettes. She even ends up getting a fairly big story arc involving her brother Victor. She has to do a whole lot of digging in order to find him and see what happened. He basically vanished amidst a huge conspiracy and with this world is can be hard to find the truth. There is also the question of who he truly is. There is an Extended with a copy of his mind, a hand that may or may not be controlled by him, and his real body only might be out there. There are a lot of questions floating around and she’s not exactly a fighter so it’s not like she will be able to just get out there and find the answers on her own.

So she makes for a good sidekick but like Tetsuro she can bite off a bit more than she can chew. Olivier is a police agent who seems rather corrupt and yet she is better than the average officer. She always enjoys a lot of banter with Juzo and throws threats around like they’re going out of style. That said, her hands are often tied when it counts and then she has to rely on Juzo either. Certainly not the position she wants to be in since it definitely undermines that tough image she is going for. I can’t say I was a big fan of hers. To a point her character was just an excuse for fanservice.

On the whole the show is pretty good about not having too much fanservice. There are some moments here and there but rarely anything too crazy. There was one pointless episode involving a perv who goes to the shop just to spy on the ladies there. He gets off way too easily as well. It’s the only episode where you are wondering why it is even there. It’s not the entire episode or anything but it was a pretty large chunk that was effectively just filler. I’m always up for some filler but it should be something a little more fun with good substance. Not whatever this was.

Meanwhile the graphics are good although the fights can get a little messy. It’s far from being a top budget show or anything like that but it looks good enough for me. The character models are good and the backgrounds really help fit in with the noir vibe. The show definitely nailed the atmosphere which was the most important thing. The ost isn’t bad. There are 2-3 themes that I enjoyed but otherwise it can be a little forgettable. It might have clashed with the noir aspect but I’d have liked some good rock themes.

Back to the characters, Kronen was a pretty interesting one. The guy is a human who doesn’t like Extended and that always makes for a fun character. The series doesn’t make him absolutely insane or anything like that either. In fact you could say he may be the most powerful full human in the series. He actually fights well against Juzo without any enhancements. This is due to his powerful throwing needles which can paralyze any opponent. This guy is very resourceful and while he will always be at a disadvantage, he still fights his absolute hardest at all times. You definitely have to respect that.

Wachowski is one of the big leaders of the Spitz organization and I really like his name. Yeah, not a great reason to like a character but it’s just such a fun name to say. The guy is ancient but plans things along pretty well and always has a backup plan in the works. He really comes close to succeeding in his ambitions and the guy even thought ahead enough to bring along some Extended equipment in his wheelchair. Now that is some proper dedication. I tend to not take these old timers too seriously but this guy at least had a decent plan so I’ll give him that. He just let his guard down too quickly.

Then we have our next psychotic villain, Pepper. She seems rather messed up from the start, thanks in no small part to a pretty dark backstory. She had to survive through a lot in a messed up environment and then basically made a pact with one of the gun units. The sob story did include some animal violence which was regrettable. Whether it is bugs or bigger animals, the show didn’t need to go that far. Even with the dark origin, I can’t say that I ever became a big fan of hers though. She’s just too crazy without having anything “cool” to back her up. So it’s just crazy in more of an aimless way and her twisted version of a bond with Seven never got through to me.

Meanwhile Seven gets a fairly raw deal here. After all he needs Pepper to use him as a gun unit, but at the same time he is now super attached to her. So he follows her every order and doesn’t really think for himself anymore. He gets jealous easily and ultimately just acts a lot like a kid. It’s too bad that Pepper was a villain since that ensured that Seven would be as well. Otherwise Seven could have gone on to be a decent hero. That said, when you don’t use your own freewill to decide what to do, it can be easy to make excuses. Ultimately it would have been up to him to have made the right moves.

Another villain we had is Kunugi who doesn’t actually get to do a whole lot. He uses needles to paralyze opponents as well and does pretty well in his fights. You get the idea that he is definitely more of a sub villain than a main one though. On his own the needles would be tough to defeat a more powerful opponent but I like his confidence either way. He’s a very interesting villain and works as a wild card since you can tell he has no feelings of loyalty. I like villains who just do whatever they please like this guy.

The show has 24 episodes and manages to fit in quite a few cases in those episodes. You’ll see traitors like Colt who are forced into hard choices and then other characters like Victor who are a true mystery. We also see Juzo’s origin story and how he used to act back when he was in the war. In a way the series is about showing how he has developed free will since then and won’t be anyone’s weapon in the future. It’s a big deal in the show when he finally lets someone use his trigger since that’s definitely a sign of complete trust.

On a lighter note, the show even talks about the other downsides of a gun head like the fact that it can rust so Juzo has to be careful in the water. It’s not like Juzo ever had any choice in the matter but he does have free will. That whole character arc with showing Tetsuro how to make his own choices was good. The series has a lot to say about not letting yourself be manipulated and making choices for yourself. Juzo ends up being a good role model for the other characters even if it is a role that he absolutely doesn’t want.

Ultimately I’d say the show is also about knowing that you can’t change every part of the world but you can make a difference locally. Juzo keeps on helping people even while the whole world is in such a sorry state and the two villain organizations are still doing whatever they want. Juzo doesn’t let them get in the way of his missions and fights back as necessary but he’s also not just trying to get out there and bomb all the villain bases. He can’t change the world on his own but he can at least change the paths of those right in front of him. It’s the core of a good Noir title.

I’d say the best mystery that represents the show would be when Juzo is called in to help a girl who is being haunted by a ghost. There are a number of twists here as well as set up for future missions but otherwise it is a good stand alone story. Juzo goes in, solves a case, and gets basically no gratitude for most of it. By the end people realize that he is a good guy but it’s not easy. The life of a Noir detective is rarely easy after all. I will say it’s funny how almost nobody reacts to his gun for a head though because of how crazy things are in this world. Juzo is always expecting a reaction so we can assume that off screen most people still get nervous but at least all of the main characters are a bit too busy for that. Why worry about a guy who has a gun for a head when you have to solve a string of murders right?

Also while a lot of the series is about setups and mysteries, there are certainly a good amount of action scenes here. Juzo goes up against everybody from other humans to Extended, to fellow Gunheads. He really runs the gauntlet on the kinds of different opponents who take a swing at him. He doesn’t just win every fight either, he takes his share of losses as well. It’s good that the pain killers remove most of his pain too because he tends to lose in rather painful ways. Juzo always finds a way out of the situation though. The series ends on a completely open note with the adventure continuing so at least it will be easy to get a sequel some day if they ever want to do one.

Overall, No Guns Life is a pretty good show. I like how unique it is and the show has solid enough production values. The writing is good and so you will have a good time here. It will keep your attention the whole time and you’ll be engaged with the cases. Generally it’s not a Sherlock Holmes kind of case where you’re interrogating everyone and getting to the truth but there are still mysteries regardless. Juzo makes for a good narrator in these moments as he walks you through what happened. He’s really got the voice for it. Yeah if you see this show around you should check it out.

Overall 7/10

Lost in Starlight Review

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Whenever I watch a movie and the romance is lazy and/or rushed, I want to watch a foreign movie because they often handle the topic a lot better. Lost in Starlight is an example of that. While it’s not my favorite romance story I’ve seen in recent animated movies, it is still a good title. The movie is also a solid watch overall. I’d consider it a very low key title that isn’t going all out or trying to be explosive but just giving you a solid story with good pacing and no real issues.

The movie starts off with Nan’s mother dying off in space. Unfortunately while the space missions have been going well for humanity, she was the sole victim of the voyage. Her daughter Nan has still decided to pursue a career in going to space but others wonder if perhaps she is just burying her feelings. Her supervisor decides to play it safe and prohibits her from actually going to space. Nan is upset and tries to force her way back in with her scientific knowledge. In the meantime, she meets a guy named Jay who is a bit of a technician. It’s not his true passion though, he used to be a musician but then stuff happened and so he has walked away from it. Can Nan help Jay embrace his musical career once more? As for Jay, can he truly root for Nan to go into space when it will mean that they are separated for a long time?

Relationships will always have some drama and that’s the main dilemma for these two. Now Nan was pretty upfront about wanting to go to space from the jump so naturally I tend to be more on her side with this. The relationship was built with the understanding that she may have to go away. She definitely should have come clean to him the instant she was selected to go to space, but even so it’s not like this came out of the blue. Whenever you get together with someone who has a big life’s passion, you can’t expect that to ever fade. Fortunately Jay does his best to be supportive and handles it better than other leads would have. I was expecting more of a big crash out but for the most part it wasn’t so bad.

I can sympathize with it feeling sad of course, particularly the distance of it all. He can’t just walk over and visit her while she’s in space after all. At least they are able to stay in touch, albeit with a fairly long delay. That’s still far better than having no contact at all. Nan gets into some trouble over there but all in all things go pretty well. The themes of determination and trust are handled really well.

The plot that feels a bit unnecessary is Jay’s music though. I understand that he needed something to do and it was set up as a plot point early on but it was just hard to care as much. Nan was facing a life and death journey in space while Jay is trying to sing. They had to do this at the same time for parallels but when the stakes are so lopsided it just doesn’t work as well. I’d also say the music in this film could have been a bit better in general. It’s not bad but fairly subdued. It’s not the kind of soundtrack that will bring tears to you eyes the whole time.

This may go back towards the theme of this being an ordinary adventure as opposed to some kind of end of the world event but you could still go a bit crazier with the songs. They’re not bad by any means but you won’t remember them quite as well. The animation is pretty solid though. In particular it felt like they were putting a lot of attention on the clothing textures, animating more wrinkles and sharp colors there. So I’d say that works well enough and the movement is good. The film looks a little more faded in that cinematic look a lot of animations go for but it doesn’t hold the movie back or anything like that.

In terms of supporting cast, Jay probably beats Nan here. The rest of the band seemed rather interesting and I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of them. Nan’s best friend gets a decent amount of screentime but she tends to be a little more on the annoying side. She does a good job of cheering Nan up every now and then but some of her pranks can go a bit far. I always thought it seemed a bit annoying to just pick up the phone to try and embarrass your friend when the boyfriend is calling. Nan’s friend is there for her during the serious moments though.

The romance may feel a tad rushed but we did have some montages here and there so at least it’s not like it took place over the course of 5 days or anything like that. Still could have been built up more but at least it’s not a rebound or anything like that. The main two have some disagreements but don’t lose their heads either. It’s why I can call this a good romance all around. With both characters having some trauma (Nan’s being a lot more serious) it was also good for them to be able to talk to each other. Nan ultimately gets some closure in space although I would have liked a long conversation with her Mom. Perhaps that would have been a bit cheesy but I think it could have worked considering all the setup was there.

I was glad we got to space though. It takes a while before we actually see Nan leave so for a bit there you’re wondering just how much time is left. The beginning is definitely fast and very frantic but by the end the pacing slows down. it does help you to get the setup out of the way early though so I don’t have any issues with that. If I could add just one thing to the film, it would maybe be a final interview with Nan to show how far she has really come. We do see that she is over her trauma now but that would be a pretty good ribbon to tie the film from start to finish. This is the kind of film that will likely not get a sequel, but if one ever does appear it’ll be fun to see how that goes.

Overall, Lost in Starlight is a good film. It won’t hit the same levels as most of the anime romance films you watch but Korea’s still off to a good start with this one as a big budget animated title. I’ll look forward to seeing what they bring out next. There is no end to the amount of stories you can write after all and everything about this one was fundamentally sound so I’m not particularly worried. If this movie is up your alley then you should check it out. It’s one of those wholesome films that is hard to dislike and it being so down to Earth and low key is part of its charm.

Overall 7/10

Marvel Rivals Review

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Marvel Rivals is a game that really got huge. For a while there is seemed like everybody was playing it. I would say it is even still huge right now. They keep on adding new characters and of course the gameplay itself is fun enough. That said, I don’t quite get the appeal the way that most people do. To me the gameplay is fine but not something I would end up being stuck to for a long while.

There isn’t a real story mode here of course so you’re really just thrown right into the mix. I was glad to have a tutorial though and did take advantage of that. Basically you’re in a team battle and either have to protect something or attack it. You win based on which team achieved their objective. Whenever you die you are able to switch characters on the fly. It’s pretty nice that you aren’t locked in so you can constantly be switching. The only real restriction is that you can’t have two people using the same character and that makes sense since it could definitely get real confusing real fast. So this way you sidestep that problem completely. As a result I got to play as numerous characters even over the course of a few matches.

The characters are divided into different classes and all have different ways of playing. My favorite character was easily Human Torch. It felt nice being able to fly around and deal out devastating blows to my opponents. I contributed quite heavily in the first match where I scored over 30 KOs. We won that round and it was the perfect way to start. I doubt Torch is one of the most broken characters or anything like that but his moveset is absolutely solid. Whenever you have a projectile fighter like this, you can bet that I’ll enjoy them.

My second favorite character was Groot. He may not be able to fly but his long reach works great as a main attack. I would say the only real downside is that his special moves are a bit boring. He can summon walls to bock incoming attacks which is pretty nice but it doesn’t actually deal damage the way I would like to see it. At the end of the day you need KOs to win here and you get KOs by dealing damage. Still, I got in my share of KOs with the standard attacks.

I definitely didn’t end up mixing well with the brawlers. For example I died fairly quick when playing as Captain America, Wolverine, and Thor. It was just hard to get in close to the other team before I would be taken down by everyone waving around their lasers all the time. I’m sure there are methods to making those characters work but it was definitely a real tough trick for me. A game like this definitely has a lot of RNG as well of course but I won’t deny the high level of skill too. Good aim will go a long way here. The same goes for memorizing where all the health items are at. I’m guessing they are randomly generated but still limited to a few locations rather than just being anywhere.

The graphics are definitely really good. Some of the character designs will certainly take some getting used to though. They really went quite different with a few of them like Wolverine. That said, it’s a consistent art style and I wouldn’t say the designs are bad. I would definitely get used to them after enough time playing the game. The soundtrack is less noticeable with all of the shooting and everything. It seemed good to me but again I’m not sure with how much confidence I can really say that. Either way I guess it’s not ultra important.

I mentioned a few times that the gameplay isn’t super addicting to me and I’ll quickly explain. There is no single player combat mode here and no individual life system. So this means in the team combats everyone has unlimited lives until the match ends. For me a game like this is always way more fun when you have your own life. I know this doesn’t reflect in sales numbers which is why many games have gone away from that model but I still miss it. I’ve never liked the idea that I could be playing amazing and dealing tons of damage and I can still lose because the rest of my team let me down. It just doesn’t feel like this is the way the game ought to be played.

I would at least like the option of a single player mode here. Start out with 25 fighters or something and no extra lives. If you lose then you lose but that’s it. I would find it all to be way more engaging and challenging. Additionally it would force you to get good. Then if the mode doesn’t do well they can always shut it down later. Still, that’s just what would make me enjoy the game better. At that point I’m basically advocating for a completely different title so it’s not a very reasonable request. Just an explanation on why none of the Overwatch titles have ever stuck with me. I do hope this game continues to be successful though because it’s at least pretty fun to watch.

Overall, Marvel Rivals is pretty good. It’s not really a game that would hold my attention for very long but there is definitely a clear audience. I also imagine it’s the kind of game that gets to be way more fun when you know other people wo play it as well. Once you build up that community spirit then it’s really off to the races. You just want to get in there and have fun. As the character roster continues to grow, the game will only get more and more fun. I’m rather curious just how many characters there will be by the end. It seems like a game that could easily get over 50 characters by the end. The toughest part will probably be picking enough unique moves where nobody feels like a clone character.

Overall 7/10

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Review

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This is one of those games I sorta forgot existed for a while there. I think it was technically a big deal but yeah it really vanished. It’s one of those very cinematic games where you get to embrace the story over gameplay but there is still a good amount of gameplay to be had. It’s a fun title but as a result it is also one of those games where you won’t really have much to do if you want to just have fun playing it later on. The cinematic part also means the game will probably be moving a bit slower on a second playthrough although of course it’s all towards the goal of making the first playthrough as good as possible.

The story starts off pretty fast with the Guardians getting into trouble as per usual and now they owe the Nova Corps a whole lot of money. Star Lord gets them to give the Guardians a few days to pay off this fee but even then it will not be easy. We’re talking an incredible sum after all so now they are going to have to scam some folks. Perhaps the legendary monster tamer lady will be a good target. Meanwhile some dark forces are approaching the universe and seek to destroy the Nova Corps. This includes some people who are very important to Star Lord.

The story may start out fairly small in scale but naturally it is a classic save the universe story by the end. It’s a solid story all the way through and you should be very engaged. This is where the cinematic approach works well as there are endless cutscenes here as you go off on your quest. The combat gameplay that we do get is also a lot of fun. You have to really strategize on how you will use each member of your party as well as their various abilities. Particularly until you get to the final chapters where you learn the revive spell. Until then you always have to watch out because a few lucky shots can pull you under.

Personally I always tend to go with a few familiar options instead of trying everything. So I would use everyone’s super, then their O move which seemed to be the strongest ones. I wouldn’t even bother with the other two options. You always have quite a few methods of attack here so at least there is no reason to worry yourself. If something’s not working then try something else. None of the enemies should pose enough of a problem where you can’t figure it out after some troubleshooting. In some ways the platforming could be the toughest part like how I would end up falling more than once.

The graphics are pretty solid here. It’s going for a bit of a live action look but with enough colors where it still feels enough like a comic. The energy effects are nice and the whole time you really feel like a big budget was put into the title. Just look at all of the songs they were able to squeeze inside. You will hear a lot of music as the game goes on and they’re all fairly catchy tunes. You also have the ability to play a mixtape once per fight that completely restores everyone’s health and super attacks. It’s a rather broken ability I must say, but I like how it ties in with how much Star Lord enjoys a good tune.

The game also has a few different fake outs which was really fun. That always adds to a game and the plot twists will keep you guessing as well. I would definitely enjoy a game like this for the Avengers and X-Men at some point. I would say Spider-Man already has this treatment with the big two games that came out a while back. You can tell a whole lot of stories with this although I imagine it probably takes a long time to produce one of these games.

I ended up getting most of the trophies during my normal playthrough and I can’t say that I was really doing much out of the ordinary. It can be nice to play a game that is really generous like this one. There are also a lot of bonus elements and collectibles that don’t even relate to any trophy. This is an especially nice point because it means true collectors can have fun doing a lot of extra exploring while people who want the Platinum can still get that without too much hassle. It’s a win/win for everyone involved.

If there’s anything I would have liked to see, it would have been having more of a hub world. Letting you go back and forth to the different planets on a whim to have fun and of course grind out some levels with the minions. The game has a level up system but you actually max everyone out in the game fairly early and at that point the EXP just vanishes entirely. I suppose this is a decent way to control your level and make sure the player doesn’t get too broken but they probably should have added a wider range of abilities for you to power up. It’s super rare that you play a game where you reach the level cap with everyone like this.

Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy is definitely a fun game. It is a pretty decent length too and there is some replay value with all of the different dialogue options. I doubt you would really go as far as to try and hear them all but the game does deserve a lot of credit for just how many they put in here. It must have taken a long while to record every piece of dialogue. The Platinum seems relatively easy to get but will still take some work. If you like a good action title then you should definitely pick this one up.

Overall 7/10

Survival Kids Review

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Survival games never really tend to be my thing. There’s just not a whole lot to them gameplay wise and of course it can also be pretty rough to get any momentum going because of how realistic the game is going for. Give me a fun arcade style any day. With that I can really be having a lot of fun and it could be like a collecting type of game. Certainly a big improvement over this one with how narrow the whole thing is. Ah well, at least I can say I’ve played the game now.

You start off with a big accident and then the main character makes it to an island. He must now try and survive until help can arrive but he has literally nothing. So you now have to scrounge around for wood, food, drinks, a backpack, and many other items. There are also many wild animals out there which would be all too willing to make a nice meal out of you. So this kid is in a really tough spot but he’s not someone to be underestimated. Where there is a will, there is a way.

First off the graphics are definitely nothing special. This is an older game so I get it but it’s just not the most impressive looking title. I do enjoy the overworld though which reminds you of Pokemon in a good way. I appreciated that and it’s not like you’ll get lost or anything like that. The items all look clear on the hub world after all. This is about where the positives start to vanish though. I’m generally not a fan of survival games and this one is really just no different. It takes forever to do anything and it feels like you’re trapped in a cycle. As with most things, I understand the appeal of it but it definitely doesn’t work for me. I don’t want to just be running around trying to grab things for as long as I can. I want to get to the point where the game is really fun.

You’re left to your own devices immediately with a ton of menu screens that take forever to get through. For starters I grabbed a backpack to put things in but then it fills up almost immediately. I merged different items and got advanced items like a baseball set but what am I gonna do with that? Your top danger will immediately be the fact that you need to eat and drink at regular intervals or you will die. I found a water container but couldn’t find any actual water. So once my character got real hungry it was over. There was just nothing I could do at that point and so I lost. It turned into a bit of a spiral of doom for me with no way back.

I did grab some food but all of it was spoiled like the raw meat or not safe to eat like the clams. Why are clams not safe to eat? I know I don’t eat them in real life but I figured that technically they would be safe. I suppose I underestimated exactly what happens with those clams. I also wouldn’t say it was a whole lot of fun to fight the various animals running around. They were all just minding their business after all and weren’t trying to cause any trouble. Why did I have to take them out of the running so decisively? Maybe surviving at this price was just too much.

The only time a survival game works is admittedly on the mobile where you are matching fruits and that unlocks resources to help you stay alive. The gameplay should be kept separate from the survival gimmick and then you actually have a chance at a high quality game. A survival title mixing in the gameplay and everything just seems like a recipe for disaster in my opinion. Maybe one day there will be a survival game that I have a lot of fun with but it definitely wasn’t this one. It’s not a game I can ever see myself going back to.

Overall, Survival Kids is really not for me. It could be worse but it could also have been way better. At no point while playing the game did I feel like I was having a blast. It’s all too limited and while it feels like the kind of game that would quickly start to get more and more fun as it went on, I need a quality beginning to really get me invested. Without that, it just feels like I’m basically stuck. Give me a quality platformer or something like that any day.

Overall 3/10

Gradius: The Interstellar Assault Review

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Gradius definitely looked like a fun game right from the jump but I was still surprised to see that it had a bit of a real storyline going for it. We got actual little cutscenes between levels and a real ending. So I was impressed there and it helps make up for how short the game is. There are only 6 levels here after all, although the game is exceptionally difficult so it will feel like a lot more than that at different points.

The main story sees you fighting off a powerful alien invasion. These creatures have the advantage in sheer numbers as well as technology. You will be using a lone plane to try and take them all down. The game is a 2D shooter where you can gain new weapons and abilities as you go through the levels. It won’t be easy without a doubt but you will certainly be able to help even the playing field this way. The key is to make sure you don’t grab the wrong weapon because it overwrites the one you had on previously. Some weapons can be combined though. As you gain item boxes, you see which slot is highlighted and pressing the A button will give you that ability. The letter stands for each one, L for Laser for example. So choose your abilities carefully and you should be all set.

Personally my favorite combination was the laser blasts with the shield and rocket. It covers your front pretty well and the shield also buys you a little time. The lasers seem to do a little less damage than the spread shot machine gun but I liked the speed. So you will need to find the right combination that works for you and then the rest will really come into place. Additionally, it’s fair to say that you need fast reaction times here. Most of the bosses revolve around you hitting the weak point but that’s the area where it rapid fires all of the attacks from. So if you don’t watch out then you’re gonna be in trouble.

The graphics are definitely more on the old school side. They’re not terrible or anything but they won’t be standing out. When you recommend this game to someone, you’re probably not going to be talking about the graphics. At least I doubt that you will. Instead it will come down to the soundtrack. That part’s okay but nothing too memorable either so maybe instead just focus on the gameplay. It’s a simple but effective game with how it controls. It’s easy to pick up but difficult to master.

There isn’t really any replay value to be found here so you should keep that in mind. Of course if you’re playing it on the Switch Online then that is more of a non factor since you won’t have to pay anything extra to check this one out. Instead you can just dive in and enjoy it. As long as the game is fun, it helps to override the length to an extent. It’s still not going to make a name for itself as one of the top NES titles or anything like that but I would say it is still good enough in the end.

Overall, Gradius is a good game. It’s not really anything to write home about but at the same time I give it points for just being a fun title. No real gimmicks or desperate attempts to try something new. Instead it settles for just being a fun space shooter. Perhaps that is a result of the game being fairly old so this was still new territory or the devs were just that confident. Either way it is a title that has withstood the test of time and I can really recommend it to any gamer.

Overall 6/10

God Eater: Resurrection Review

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This was my first God Eater title and I can definitely tell you that the length lives up to the reputation. I was playing this one for well over 50 hours and the game is quite difficult. If you’re looking for a big challenge and a lot of replay value then this is the game for you. Even after conquering it, there were plenty of extra levels left to complete. That’s how meaty this game is.

The general plot takes us to a world where monsters continually attack and do their best to crush humanity. These monsters can really show up out of nowhere and most humans are extinct at this point. We protect a final hub where scientists are trying to find a way out of this situation. There is a project ongoing that will supposedly allow humans to leave in safety but there are a lot of secrets about this project. Is it really for our own good? Well, time is ticking since the monsters are progressively getting stronger and stronger. One thing’s for sure, this is humanity’s final stand.

You play as a cadet who just joined the group and you get to see him quickly rise up the ranks. He is one of the super rare new types so he is able to command a powerful god eater weapon. Basically these are weapons which utilize parts of Aragami (The monsters) to eat the other monsters. You rise up the ranks as you clear missions and also begin learning new ways to use the sword. By the end of the adventure you are one of the highest ranking people around.

This version of God Eater basically brings 3 whole story modes within it. The final length of the story is 100 missions. Each mission can range in some from 3 minutes to around 20. You do have a timer of 30-40 minutes total but odds are if you haven’t won within 20 minutes, you’re probably dead. It’s not a game where it is easy or even practical to stall until the end. Aside from the 100 story missions, you’ve got another 100+ bonus missions. Even though they are “bonus” missions, you can expect that you will be playing through a whole lot of them. It’s not really much of an option because they will let you get the materials that you need to boost up your weapons and defense.

Without good weapons, you aren’t winning. Better weapons means better attack power and your shield controls your overall defense. If it’s too low then even taking one hit will one-shot your entire health bar. For the final boss that was happening to me quite a lot until I finally got a better shield. You can learn abilities that help to counter this like still having 1 health point left but it’s not something that you want to ever have to rely on. So better equipment is pretty much a must and since resources are scarce, be very careful which ones you level up. There are 4 elements, Blizzard, Fire, Spark, and Divine.

You will need all of them at one point or another so you want to level up 4 weapons minimum. Then you have slashers, crushers, and piercers. They come into play with each element and now you have a tough dilemma because you can’t feasibly maintain 12 different weapons. So pick your poison as they say. It will catch up with you at some point and that’s when you really find out just how skilled you are. Just how good are your fundamentals here? If they’re not good enough then you will definitely be in trouble.

Generally I would say the gameplay is that of a 3D brawler. You have your gun and your physical sword and you just swing away at your opponent. While using your blade you can also block with your shield. Blocking is incredibly handy because some shields like the tower shield will completely nullify damage. It’s incredibly handy and it’s just tough to get out of the habit of dodge rolling away from attacks. There is no invincibility in rolling here so that means trying to dodge that way is incredibly dangerous.

I didn’t really get the hang of this til near the end. So get into the habit as soon as possible. When using your gun, you are unable to block so you have to be careful or you can be caught in a bit of a death loop. Between that and my guns not dealing much damage, I mainly just used a blade during the game. I know most say that the gun is actually the best weapon to have but I just couldn’t get the hang of it. There’s a whole bullet game within the game on deigning guns and I was not particularly good at that.

Meanwhile you can customize your god eater on how it absorbs parts from your opponent. It’s a pretty important part of the game so you should spend some time here. I definitely focused on the quick dash which I found to be the most helpful. There are a ton of parts to buy and abilities to learn so just try not to get overwhelmed. There are hundreds and hundreds of options but of course they are not all equal. So just find the ones that you really like and ignore the rest. If you start losing a lot, then switch things up.

The game has a ton of variety so while you will get stuck, you will always have options to get around it. That’s why you absolutely need to do a lot of trial runs and figure out what it is exactly that you want to do. Once you have that in mind and a preferred fighting style, it all gets easier. If the sheer repetition gets to you, maybe just take some breaks. 50+ hours is a lot of time after all and the game’s got a fairly low amount of different enemies to fight. You’re mainly fighting the same 10 enemies in different recolors the whole time. There are also only around 5 level environments so the layout will look similar there too.

I do have to admit that this part felt a little lazy but the title is mostly concerned with getting you sheer amounts of levels to conquer. I suppose I can’t slam that too much. The graphics look pretty good for the game. It’s far from top end quality however there are 1-2 fully animated moments in the game which is cool. There is also an extended CG fight in one of the last cutscenes which was really cool. As always, a big benefit to a long game like this is the fact that you really get attached to the characters. That adds to the impact of the story and so overall there is definitely a lot of fun to be had here. Also seeing the credits 3 different times was intense.

Naturally there is a ton of replay value with all of the extra levels and weapons to obtain. It’s definitely a game that you will end up sticking with for quite a long while. You’ll probably continue to improve the more you play as well since you will start to notice enemy attack patterns and also be able to react quicker on your side as well. Never stop adapting and improving as you play the game. That is how you really get the long term victory and also clear levels a bit quicker. Every few minutes you save in a level really counts.

Overall, This was a pretty fun game. Definitely a long title that feels like it has a bit of padding at times but it was still fun. It’s clear that a whole lot of effort was put into this one. It is far from being any kind of cash-in. I’m sure developing the game took a really long time too. I’m interested in seeing how the sequel does. I would say a good story makes or breaks your enthusiasm with the title. If it’s anything like the first game then I’m sure we are in a good spot. If you like fighting monsters then you should definitely check this one out.

Overall 7/10

Kirby’s Star Stacker Review

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It’s time for one of those Kirby games that is so obscure nobody has heard of it. I didn’t think this was even possible but sure enough, it was a whole new experience. I could finally see what the retro Kirby was like. The game is fun enough but a bit on the limited side. It adds a new dimension to the stacking type of games with how the gameplay works but once you’re past that gimmick there isn’t really anything else left. At that point you’ve really seen everything that the game has to offer. Not saying that’s a bad thing, but it does mean the gameplay really needs to impress you.

There are 4 difficulty levels here. The first two are super easy, the last one is super tough. So you could say the third one is the best level to get familiar with things. Basically you need to make matches with at least two items of the same type. When you match enough of them, you summon stars to defeat King Dedede. Additionally there are stars scattered throughout the level and matching two items across from a star will automatically use it as well. This is where the main gimmick comes in. It’s not enough to be making basic matches here, you need to get really creative and make matches from long distance. If you can pull this off then you will be able to beat the levels easily.

The first difficulty has 8 levels and each level takes around 25 seconds so this is fast. The next one has 16 levels and they take around a minute so that’s a bit longer. Then the final one presumably has 32 with the third being 24 but I don’t know for sure. With the final one I just had fun doing a few levels here and there but by the end it definitely got old. Not the kind of game where I felt like I absolutely had to complete everything.

There is no story here after all so you’re just playing for the love of the game at this point. You go through all of the levels to prove to yourself that you still have what it takes. While there is some repetition, it’s not like the game is super long or anything. I can see why this one wasn’t remembered very well though because ultimately it’s just not going to last very long. I imagine even if you bought the game for full price on day 1, you probably wouldn’t stick with it for more than a week. Even that is probably an overly cautious estimate. There’s also just not a whole lot to say about the game in general either because the gameplay is so simple. Not in a bad way but it means that everyone knows what you are talking about right away.

The graphics aren’t bad but of course there are no colors for the Game Boy titles when playing on the Switch. Kind of removes any charm the game might have had there. The soundtrack wasn’t bad though. Nothing particularly memorable I gotta say but it still gets the job done well enough. Ultimately this is a Kirby title after all and you’re just happy to see the little guy running around. The game has a very calm atmosphere about it.

At least with the highest difficulty there is a real challenge here if you want one. If they ever announced a sequel I would be interested but it would definitely be conditional on their adding more content to the game. Throw in a story and I’ll have fun no matter what the gameplay is like. Trust me, that’s really all I need there. At least if you want me to spend money on a game. Now the next Kirby game for me to play might be the elusive Planet Robo.

Overall, Kirby’s Star Stacker is a good game but it doesn’t really bring a whole lot to the table. Nowadays you would expect this to be the kind of game that you would find on the app store for free. Buying it as an actual paid title is just crazy. Even if you really enjoy the Tetris type gameplay, there is a real lack of content here. Ultimately I would not be able to defend it. Of course you tend to be a little softer on it when you end up playing the game for free. At least that’s the way I see it.

Overall 6/10

Killer Instinct Gold Review

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Killer Instinct is a pretty fun fighting game in some respects but it also does feel its age in others. The gameplay could stand to be a whole lot smoother than it currently is. Landing combos is also really difficult due to the way that the combo system is set up. You have to manually find the attacks that line up and go from there. This will vary from character to character of course so if you were thinking about any auto combos, well you can forget about those.

The game mainly revolves around the vs mode and arcade. The vs is about what you would expect as you fight someone and get to see who has really mastered the controls. It’s one of those modes that has endless replay value and it’s why multiplayer games are so good. You know that no matter what, this will still be around for whenever you need it. That said, it also comes down to how much you like the gameplay itself. A fun thing about Arcade mode is it does let you change characters every time you lose so you don’t have to get stuck with anyone. By the end of the Arcade playthrough I had played as every character. I knew that I just had to do it.

They all just feel a bit on the clunky side though. I can tell you that beating arcade mode was incredibly tough and took me many attempts. In fact, I can’t even really say that I completed the game because the final boss has a special gimmick where you can only beat him with a launcher combo. The problem is I couldn’t figure out how to do that so I would defeat him over and over again but he would just regenerate. Really a crazy boss and I can only imagine renting the game from Blockbuster and then trying to take him down.

It just wouldn’t fly. So that’s a bit of an annoying way to finish off the campaign but it’s not like there is a whole lot of story to the title either. At the end of the day it’s a retro fighting game where you can test your fundamentals and have a good time. There’s really not a whole lot more to it beyond that. So just get your game on and then you should be all set.

The graphics look pretty good for the game. That part has definitely aged really well. The colors are striking and I like the fact that the levels even seem a bit interactable. The soundtrack is good too so the technical elements are all in order. If the game could have just had a better gameplay style then this would have really been a very solid experience. I think the fix would be a mix of increasing hit stun on all of the attacks and just naturally letting certain blows connect to each other. At that point, once the hits are connected then it’s more fun since the whole game would become more fast paced. It encourages you to really go in and try to do something instead of all the random button mashing.

There’s not a whole lot more I can ask for from such an old game but this is one that I think would be pretty reasonable. Most games have basic combos as the standard after all and this one would have just needed to match that and it would have been all set. I can see why the series never hit it off to the same level as Street Fighter and Tekken. It definitely would have needed that extra gameplay boost.

I can say that the character designs are fun though. The roster will keep you entertained and it’s not even as small as you might have assumed for such an old game. The characters feel like interesting elseworld versions of popular characters like Predator and Sub Zero. Definitely one way to get around all that copyright I suppose.

Overall, Killer Instinct Gold is a good game but it could have been better. The fact that it is a fighting game is really the only thing keeping it afloat. Otherwise there’s just not a whole lot to say about it. If you have the Nintendo Switch Online then you may as well check it out while it’s there but otherwise I’d say you can definitely find way better titles within the genre. No reason to stick with this one for too long.

Overall 6/10

Maid in Manhattan Review

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Okay it’s time for a pretty wholesome romance story about how true love prevails. It’s a pretty fun movie all around but the romance itself definitely doesn’t work out so well. The characters make a whole lot of mistakes throughout its run and the whole time you are rooting for a guy named Jerry who is just trying to do his best. It’s tough when you have good points but nobody will listen to you. Chris is lucky to have a trusty employee like Jerry at the ready.

The movie starts by introducing us to Marisa who works as a maid at a fairly fancy hotel. She has always done a good job over the years and does her best to keep on improving her craft. She would like to even join management someday but doesn’t really feel confident enough to pursue this. Her friend Stephanie decides to take the plunge for Marisa and mails in the application. The timing is rough though as Stephanie also convinced her to put on the rich clothes of Caroline, one of the people staying at the hotel.

As it so happens, a guy named Chris who is running for senate happens to bump into her and mistakes her for being the rich Caroline. They hit it off right away but this temporary fun cannot last. At any point she could be discovered by her boss or Chris might find out the truth. Should Marisa break things off before it gets too serious or keep up the deception for as long as she can? The stakes are definitely quite high here.

Naturally it’s a bit hard to root for Marisa here because she does break all of the basic rules of being a maid. Theft is a serious taboo and of course she should not be wearing the lady’s clothes either. You certainly wouldn’t feel good if you found out that somebody was messing around with your stuff right? It’s just basic etiquette at that point. No amount of peer pressure should have convinced Marisa to put that on.

Additionally, she had many chances to break things off with Chris or come clean about the whole situation but instead kept silent and this caused the situation to keep on getting worse. Marisa was just too half hearted about the whole thing and still manages to get upset at Chris and the others later on. I didn’t think her blow up was justified because all of the issues were her own. I would argue that by the end of the film she doesn’t seem super remorseful and doesn’t seem to have really learned the moral of the story.

Her kid Ty definitely gets her into a lot of trouble as well. This guy is always meddling like when he seeks out Chris for some closure. Marisa and him had already had a conversation on this and were supposed to have come to an understanding but in the end it turned out that this was not the case. Ty just does whatever he wants and figures it’ll be okay as long as things turn out well but generally he holds Marisa back. The kid needed to focus more on making his big speeches at school.

As for Chris, he comes across as a little too understanding at times. Even once all the cards are out on the table, he barely seems to care. Marisa storms off and he’s still willing to have her back right away. The whole thing just feels a bit rushed with how devoted he is to her instantly. A single walk through Central Park completely changed his life. He may be a nice guy but I don’t see how he will end up being a good senator. The guy is distracted too easily and doesn’t have his mind on policies.

His right hand man Jerry is likely the only reason he is even in the game. Jerry always knows what events to attend and who to talk to in order to make things work out just right. He is the guy who steps in to save the day when others don’t even know that the stakes are this high. No matter how many times he is ignored, Jerry still does his best. I respected his drive here and the guy had true determination. If Chris listened to him more often, he may be president by this point.

As for the side characters, Stephanie means well but she definitely does get Marisa into a lot of trouble. Mailing in an application to be manager for someone without telling them is extremely risky. Additionally the idea of trying on the coat was a pretty bad one. She adds to the film’s jokes at times but also tends to have a dirty mind so most of her gags will have you shaking your head.

Caroline makes for an intriguing antagonist. You can tell that she’s the kind of person who will always escalate a situation and she is quite good at it. Definitely not someone you can just wave off, she will keep on swinging. Thing is, she does have some valid points here when it comes to Marisa. She may not be the nicest person but it does make sense to stand your ground when things aren’t making sense. She was fun with how oblivious she was to how much Chris did not like her.

As with most rom-coms, the film is at its best when focused on the comedy. The script is pretty solid and there are a lot of quality jokes to be had the whole time. The pacing is good and there are quite a lot of characters here. You can enjoy the general tone and the film is over before you know it. The flip side to that of course is that none of the serious scenes work quite as well and of course the romance is as rushed as possible. It’s a very Hollywood styled romance with the two characters clicking immediately and basically skipping the dating phase to go to the one night stand mode immediately. You can tell that neither one of these characters are very serious and so you can’t imagine the relationship lasting for very long.

Overall, The two sides of the coin roughly cancel each other out so what you have is a movie right in the middle. If you enjoy romance movies then I can really recommend this one but if you’re just looking for a comedy then there are much better ones out there. This one does have the added bonus of having a lot of scenes in New York City though. That was definitely a lot of fun as they passed all of the big landmarks on the west side. It just adds a bit of extra punch to the film since that scenery is so iconic. The film itself may not be anything fancy but the execution is good enough. Honestly you could have cut out the romance part and just made it a wacky comedy about Marisa having to keep all of the crazy guests at bay long enough to get her promotion. I think that could have really worked.

Overall 5/10