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Now Playing 6/28/2015
Last week was the final week of school before summer vacation. It feels great to be free. Last week, I also got a review copy of Lost Dimension. My first impressions were…mixed. I can’t stand the character design for any of the characters. They have a seriously “budget” vibe going on, but once I got past that initial reaction, I was introduced to a very good strategy RPG. It’s as though they combined Danganronpa’s “catch the killer” vibe with Natural Doctrine’s combat system and a sterile white dystopian future aesthetic similar to Freedom Wars. When I say that it’s like Natural Doctrine, I mean that in the best possible way.…
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XSEED To Bring Trails In The Sky SC West
I received an email today which is rather important for fans of the PSP RPG series The Legend of Heroes. There’s so much good stuff, I’ll just post the email contents for you. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC, digitally to PC and the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system (including compatibility with the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system) in 2014. The first chapter, previously released for the PSP system as The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, will also be released for PC this winter.
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Killzone Liberation
When I first heard that Killzone was being brought to the PSP, I immediately thought, “Oh great – another FPS that shouldn’t be on a handheld!” As time went on, screenshots trickled in, proving that this would not be the case. Rather than the now traditional first-person view, Killzone would take a more old-school approach to the shooter genre through an overhead, top-down view. It’s refreshing to see a new take on an old style, but it also showcases some of the reasons why games have moved into a 3D perspective.
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Disgaea: Afternoon Of Darkness
Okay! So I’m a little bit late jumping on this bandwagon, but damn it all, this series rocks! I also realize that N1 is bringing it to the market at an awful time considering that Final Fantasy Tactics has just been released for the same platform. Now, I’m all for some FFT, but where that game made this genre of strategic role-playing games popular, Disgaea makes it seem like a fine craft.
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Tekken Dark Resurrection
The Playstation Portable is truly an amazing machine. When it launched, fighting fans were treated to the excellent Darkstalkers Chronicle. Less than a year later, Capcom again blessed us with what may be the best version of Street Fighter Alpha 3 yet. However, there haven’t been any successful 3D fighters for the system here in the States. Namco looks to remedy that by presenting us with what could be the first real system-selling game since Grand Theft Auto. After playing the PSP version of Tekken Dark Resurrection, you’ll immediately begin making comparisons to Playstation 2’s own Tekken 5. Those who have played it will likely compare this to the arcade…
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Gradius Collection
Vic Viper sets out on yet another journey to save the galaxy. For better or for worse, this time the journey is more of a repeat performance. In this PSP compilation, you can take on any of the legendary ship’s first 5 games: Gradius, Gradius II, Gradius III, Gradius IV, and Gradius Gaiden.
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Monster Hunter Freedom 2
Perhaps the hardest decision a developer has to make has to do with niche sequels. On one hand, you have the enthusiastic word-of-mouthers telling their friends about their favorite game, hoping to get them involved in it. On the other hand, you also want to appeal to a wider audience, making it more profitable and better worth your effort. Do you make the game more accessible for newcomers or do you appease the already established fan base? A lot of companies have struggled with this dilemma, but none seem to balance the two as well as Capcom.
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Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground
There are many companies out there bringing port after port to our beloved PSP, but few companies have felt the desire to craft a truly genuine experience on the little portable that dared stand its ground against the big bad Nintendo. XSEED Games dares to break that mold. Their last game, Valhalla Knights was a great idea with a somewhat flawed execution. If dungeon crawling is what you desire, but Valhalla Knights failed to quench your thirst for hack and slash goodness, Dungeon Maker may prove to be your beverage of choice.
Handheld Gaming Reviews
