Seven Pirates H – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – developed by Felistella, Idea Factory and Compile Heart with publishing handled by Eastasiasoft, Seven Pirates H is the latest entry in the Genkai Tokki series that has made the jump to HD. Take on an adventure on the waters of the Monsupi Sea, encountering cute monster girls, H monsters and much more while on the hunt for great treasures, with fanservice and lewd humor throughout. This title is available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, with a link to the game at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Eastasiasoft for providing the copy of Seven Pirates H that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Mature Content Warning: this title is intended for mature audiences, with suggestive and sexualized content, including interactive “intimacy” modes where the player can touch the characters in sexualized ways. If you are under the recommended age for this release, or if you are uncomfortable with the content that is listed above, please proceed at your own discretion.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story (taken from the Eastasiasoft website). Please note that I will only be covering the core mechanics of the gameplay, this is to prevent spoiling any of the surprises that occur during the course of the game.

Story – Join young pirate Parute Kairi and pervy boy monster Otton in an adventure to locate the lost treasures of the Monsupi Sea! Determined to make a legendary name for herself, Parute sets sail with a magic compass and the aid of newfound monster girl companions, but what starts as a raucous romp across uncharted islands gradually reveals something more sinister. Through their colorful encounters with rival pirates and locals in need, Parute and company learn some unsettling truths about the king who governs these waters, all leading to a confrontation that could tear their adorable crew apart!

Gameplay – Seven Pirates H is a dungeon crawling JRPG, where the player is a human pirate captain who recruits monster girls to their crew, on the hunt for treasure across areas of the Monsupi Sea. The player will sail across the waters of this mysterious sea, encountering dungeons that must be explored, events that push the narrative forward and characters that may just become friends with the crew. I will be breaking down the information here into sub sections, starting with the exploration.

Exploration: this is what makes up most of the gameplay for this release, with the player exploring both the high seas and the locations that populate it. This is split into two distinct styles, the overworld map where the crew sails their ship in a top down perspective, with clouds obscuring parts of the map. New areas will be opened up by obtaining parts of a map, which can be found in dungeons or by completing certain tasks.

When the party disembarks at an explorable location, the perspective shifts to third person with the party leader roaming the dungeon area of each zone starting at the exit. While in these areas, enemies will spawn that the player can choose to battle or avoid while moving through each area. There are also treasure chests that can be found while exploring, with varying rewards inside that will aid the player in their task, either by providing consumables or key/resource items.

As well as the treasure chests there are harvest points, where resource items can be collected and used for various purposes (detailed further down). A dungeon area will also have different paths that can lead to new areas, some with secrets to be found and others may be dead ends, so exploring everywhere is important. The dungeons can even be broken up into different zones, each containing more treasures and resources to harvest that the player can move between.

Last to discuss are the compass and events, two mechanics that are used to push the narrative forward. The compass will lead the player to the treasures that need to be collected to push the narrative forward, leading to event markers in that area. These events are mandatory and will initiate a dialogue scene between characters, resulting in more plot details and sometimes a battle. There are also markers that appear in the overworld map, with some being optional side events.  

Combat Encounters: as mentioned above, enemy H monsters will spawn in the dungeon zones that the player can battle. There are three ways that battle can be initiated, if head on contact is made the battle occurs as normal, if the player makes contact from behind they get an advantage, but if the enemy does it they get an advantage. When combat begins, the order that each combatant makes their turn will be influenced by their agility score, with higher values for better priority.

The combat uses a three color element system called pheromones, with a paper, scissors, and rock style weakness/resistance mechanic. There are red, blue and green pheromones, with a single color type applied to each character and monster in the game. The system is similar to other RPG games, with a good comparison being the basic starters from Pokémon, with red as fire, blue as water and green as grass, since they are very similar in function.

Effective use of the pheromone system can be the key to success in battle, as the enemies can also use the system against the player. When the crew members each make their turn in battle they all have access to the same actions in combat, here is a breakdown of the basics of battle;

  • Attack – the basic attack where characters will attack foes with their weapon, dealing physical damage to their enemies, with the potential for an extra attack to occur if there is more than one enemy in the battle.
  • Skills – each character can use skills to defeat enemies, using MP (Mura-Mura points) to activate these special abilities. There are also support skills that can aid the party in combat, with restorative skills, buffs to strengthen other characters and even negative effects that can be applied to enemies. MP is increased by dealing/receiving damage and through the use of items.
  • Excitement – when the MP meter goes past 100 for a character, they will become excited, increasing their attack, defense and agility scores, continuing as long as the meter stays above that level.
  • Arousal – When the MP meter is maxed out, the character enters an arousal state, giving much higher stat boosts and nullifying any negative effects, while providing access to an ultimate attack. However, if the player does not clear the battle within a set amount of turns, the state will end with that character becoming sedated and unable to fight again for a while.
  • Item – use an item in battle, with support items that can restore health, give MP points and even revive fallen party members. Items can also be used outside of battle to prepare for bosses and more difficult combat encounters.
  • Defend – the character skips their turn and guards, reducing damage taken during the next enemy turn. This is useful when trying to increase the MP meter for a specific character in the party.
  • Run – the easiest action to understand, the character will attempt to flee battle, with higher agility scores providing a better chance of escaping danger.

During story events, there will be bosses that can’t be defeated by traditional attacks and will only be stunned when their health hits zero, which means the player has to use the Otton Cannon to finish them off. This special move is activated in combat by interacting with the chests of the girls, with touching and action increasing the meter with this only lasting a few seconds. Once the meter is full the attack will activate, dealing massive damage to the target.

When the enemies are defeated, they will often drop treasure as rewards for clearing the battle, as well as gold and H Extract which acts as experience points. When players gain specific amounts of H extract, they will earn Training Extract, a special material that is used to level up the party members (detailed further below). When a character is leveled up, they will get boosts to all stats and can unlock new skills that will be useful in later battles.

Character Development: the player is able to increase the strength and skills of their party through the use of training Extracts earned in battle. The mode that this is used in is called Booby training, an interactive intimacy mini game where the player is able to manipulate their characters breasts to enhance different qualities. This can include making them bigger to increase attack, reducing their size to make them faster and making them softer to increase total defense.

When one of the party member’s stats reaches a specific milestone, they will unlock a new ability that they can use in battle, further strengthening the crew on their adventure. Even though booby training is the only way to level up the party, it is not the only way to augment the stats/abilities of the characters. Underwear can be obtained during the course of the game, separated into bras and panties with some being specific to a single character, whereas the majority for everyone.

The underwear serves two functions, with the bras providing special passive skills for the equipped character, alongside the panties that provide increases to attack, defense and agility. This equipment can be obtained while in dungeons from chests, or by trading resources to craft them from the merchants in the game. These merchants are called Booby Kin, cute little monkey like monsters that join the crew over time and live on the ship.

The Ship: on that subject, the ship is the home of the Booby Kin who offer a few different services as part of the pirate crew. Starting out there are only a few that fit the different roles of the ship, with more joining the crew as they are “rescued” as treasure drops and from the overworld map while exploring the sea. They can provide info on treasures, enemies and secrets, as well as giving quests to gain rewards and progress the story, while also being the merchants for the crafting and store.

The ship also has the gallery as part of it, with the ability to view event art, backgrounds and listen to music that has been unlocked during the game. There is also a dungeon guide, that shows where specific monsters are located, a bestiary that gives details of their rewards, pheromones and a model to display them. These details are also viewable while in the dungeon, but the ship is the best place to use them as they can allow better planning for requests.

Now that is the core of the gameplay that I will be covering, due to there being many surprises that I don’t want to spoil for those who want to check this title out for themselves. So with that said, let’s move onto the other aspects of the game, starting with the controls.

Controls – the control system for this title works well, with the thumbsticks controlling character movement and camera, the d-pad/shoulders controlling menu navigation and the face buttons used for functions. The touch screen is implemented here for the intimacy modes, where the player can touch the girls for Booby Training or the Otton Canon, with a good amount of sensitivity. However, there are standard controller inputs that work relatively well when connected to the switch dock, allowing it to be enjoyed comfortably in all modes.

Difficulty – this title is one of the easier dungeon crawlers to start playing, as enemies are plenty and provide H Extract in abundance at the start, but as each Extract is earned their yield lessens. This makes the challenge a grind if players choose to stay in the early areas, but if players want to try and ease the experience. The pheromone system does make the game a little more challenging, as players must decide which crew members to deploy in each dungeons and against bosses.

Presentation – the visual style for this game has a fanservice heavy element to it, with most girls having a risqué look to them and the majority of H Monsters having a comedic yet suggestive design. The environments are creative, with the beach, cave and ghost ship zones featured early in the game fitting the pirate theme well. The battle animations and event scenes are animated well, with creative set pieces for special arousal skills, as well as the art used for special events.

The music for this release is well designed, with a soundtrack that reinforces the pirate motif, like the breezy melody of the forest of purity and the pirate parade style overworld theme. The battle themes have a heavier feel to them, with the use of rock style guitar, pounding drums and a choir to add impact. The game only has a Japanese voice track, with excellent performances from the games cast, with the heavy use of suggestive sounds that further add to the fanservice on show in this title.

Final Thoughts – I enjoyed my time playing Seven Pirates H, with the unique mechanics and charming characters that each brought unique character traits to the narrative. The fanservice elements were fun, with the unique mechanics being used for both suggestive and comedic purposes, which made the experience more engaging and entertaining. The characters each have their own charm and there is a lot of content on offer, with the request missions and side story events adding to the value.

I am more than happy to recommend this title to fans of JRPGs and fanservice centric games, there is a good balance between the combat, exploration and booby centric mechanics. The teams at Idea Factory, Compile Heart and Felistella have created another excellent JRPG, with hours of content to get sunk into and it is balanced very well. If you have played games like Moero Crystal/Chronicle, Dragon Star Varnir or the Neptunia series then this will be perfect for you.

In the end, I give Seven Pirates H a final score of 5/5. This title is a fanservice filled romp that has a charming cast of characters, a fun story that is both engaging and entertaining, exploration/combat that flows at a steady pace and unique gameplay mechanics that make the title unique. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to the game will be below, with an affiliate link for the physical to help support the site.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Link to Affiliate Physical version (HERE)

Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 2 – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – developed by Nippon Ichi Software and published by NIS America, Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 2 is another double pack release of classic titles from the NIS vault. This pack features the strategy JRPG Makai Kingdom: Reclaimed and Rebound (with new content) and the roguelike dungeon crawler Z.H.P.: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman. This double pack release is available exclusive for the Nintendo Switch (the games are available individually on Steam), a link to the title will be at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank NIS America for providing the copy of Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 2 that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. I will be approaching this coverage in the same way I covered the previous entry in the NIS Classics series, discussing the core elements of the two titles (to prevent spoilers) before discussing the overall quality of the package as a whole. If you have not seen my coverage of Volume 1 of the NIS Classics series, you can find that (HERE). Story details have been taken from the official website for this release.

Makai Kingdom: Reclaimed and Rebound

Story – What happens when the strongest Overlord in the cosmos turns into a book and loses his Netherworld? He raises an army to reclaim his Netherworld and body, of course! Step into the shoes…or rather, the pages of Overlord Zetta and fight to take back what’s yours! Use the INVITE system to build your army, harness a variety of weapons and magic, and experience a new story in Petta Mode for the first time in the West!

Gameplay – this title is a strategy JRPG that shares many similarities with other titles developed by Nippon Ichi Software, such as the isometric view point and turn based battles. Just like other NIS titles, the story is broken up into several chapters, each made up of multiple stages to battle through, with cutscenes playing at preset points to push the story forward.

While the core gameplay has many similarities to games like Disgaea, there are some unique mechanics that allow this game to stand on its own. Here is a breakdown of some of the features of this title;

  • Zetta – the overlord Zetta is unable to fight while confined to the form of a sacred tome, instead summoning characters to fight for him from his netherworld through the use of INVITE. The units are created from items that are scattered throughout the Netherworld, including weapons, armor and scenery items, each with their own unique modifiers. Usually 8 units can be deployed, with each defeated unit depleting the deployment pool. The game is over if all units are defeated.
  • Point System – the clear condition for each map is to earn enough points to reach a minimum target. Points are collected in a few ways, such as defeating enemies and picking up items. When the minimum score has been met, the player can clear the stage at any time or continue to score as many points as possible, clearing it when all enemies are defeated. Rewards will increase at different point totals.
  • Map Extension – during the course of the game, there will be instances where sections of the map will be hidden from the player. The sections that are hidden are called Extensions and will appear by defeating an enemy or item that has an area KEY attached to them, as well as a few other methods that can be discovered during play. Uncovering new map parts may also lead to special random events that can change the outcome of battle drastically.
  • Facilities – as the game progresses, the player can unlock facilities, special buildings that can be invited to the battlefield just like character units. However, these special units hold other characters and provide bonuses when used, with an example being that the hospital building will heal units tied to it between turns. Be aware though, that units are only attached to building as long as they are alive, if they are defeated they will be removed until they are reassigned.
  • Vehicles – there are special items called vehicles that players can equip to other units, or be deployed to the battle on their own. However, they function differently to other types of equipment in game. When invited to the battlefield, a vehicle will be counted as a unit, adding to the invite limit for that map. The Vehicles also gain experience and take damage, but they can only be improved or repaired by specific units or facilities.
  • Kingdom – this is the home base that the player will be in between battles. Here the player can summon characters, items and other features to change the appearance of the Kingdom. While in the base, the player is able to talk to lord Zetta to make wishes, buy equipment from the shop and also heal fallen party members. This is where character creation also occurs, since the player must have an item on the ground to create a unit, Zetta can summon items collected in maps to be used when asked.

The turn based battle system is a mix of Phantom Brave and Disgaea, with elements taken from both games to create a fun yet challenging combat system. The free movement and out of bounds mechanics from Phantom Brave are here, letting players move is a free flowing way with varied map designs. The movement combines well with the free flowing action system, where the player can choose the order they make moves without restriction.

The flashy and rather ridiculous attacks appear in this title also, with the ultimate attacks for characters having over the top animations that play out in battle. The leveling system requires a lot of combat and skills to be used, with different characters gaining experience and progressing differently. This means that there is a need to grind at times, as the difficulty and challenge of battles can escalate very quickly with level differences occurring quickly.

If the player is not prepared before entering battle, there is a chance for a sudden game over and potentially losing a lot of progress. Luckily, progress can be saved while in the home base, preventing significant penalties from defeat. The game is also generous with rewards when repeating previously cleared stages, with HL that is used in the shop and hospital being earned at a rapid pace, if a little time is taken to practice.

A secondary currency, called MANA will be earned at a slow pace, meaning that it will take a while to reach any significant levels. The MANA is used when making wishes with Lord Zetta and when creating characters, with the ability to reincarnate and level up units to make them stronger. Be aware that some wishes may result in the death of a character which makes reincarnation an important feature, as a character that has been sacrificed will be stronger when it is reborn.

The game starts off with little in terms of features or resources, however as the game progresses, more character types and facilities will be available, along with new dungeons and more. There is also a new game plus feature that will be accessible when one of the several endings is obtained. This mechanic will also introduce new special characters and events that can be accessed, increasing the play time and replay value of the package.

The last thing to cover is the special Petta Mode, an alternate mode that will let the player go through a special version of the game as Lord Zetta’s daughter. This game mode features new scenarios and story elements that are distinct from the main game, essentially providing two games within the package. The game will easily last for about 60 hours on a cycle, not taking into account the extra time from the Petta mode scenarios that are available from the start.

Difficulty – the difficulty curve for this title is gradual at the start, but has the potential to escalate due to the random elements that the extension system introduces. Luckily the ability to grind can lessen the sudden difficulty spikes, as certain characters can be leveled both in and out of battle, like the healer who can function in the maps and home base. The merchant will also be affected outside of battle, as they can be used as a shop, buying and selling items in the home base while also fighting with enemies in the stages.

Another way to alter the way that the challenge plays out, is by changing the gear that character units hold. The equipment is obtained by purchasing them from the shop/merchant, collecting rewards and even stealing them from enemies, but if a unit doesn’t have an empty slot they can’t pick them up. all gear provides different stat changes to the unit it is attached to, with specific items working better with some units than others, like items that boost magic for mages and armor that increases defense for fighters. 

Z.H.P.: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman

Story – The monstrous Darkdeath Evilman is threatening the Earth, and it is up to you, the weakest superhero ever, to become strong enough to defeat him! Customize everything imaginable, from your stats and your appearance to your secret base and even your theme song. Can you overcome the odds and become a hero!?

Gameplay – this title is a dungeon crawling roguelite, that uses the grid based movement system of other NIS titles, with only a single playable character. The game is broken up into chapters with multi-level dungeon stages, each with randomized layouts, enemies and trap layouts. There are also boss battles that are tied to the story that play out during the course of the game. When a chapter is cleared, a turn based battle against the big boss will occur.

What makes this title distinct from the other release in this package is the roguelike mechanics that are used. With the player level resetting to one when entering and leaving the dungeon stages, while potentially increasing the total level with every victory or defeat. But great care must be taken, as defeat will lead to losing all items and money in the player’s possession, with rewards and items only being retained upon clearing a dungeon.

Here are some of the special mechanics that are unique to this title;

  • Dungeon Gimmicks – in the dungeons that the player explores, there will be traps, mechanics and gimmicks that will affect the player during play. These include spike pits that will deal damage and cause the player to drop items they are holding, as well as cannons that will send them to different areas of a dungeon floor.
  • Customization – items that the player can collect include consumable, throw able and equipment items. The equipment that the player picks up can be equipped to slots on the body, causing the look of the Unlosing Ranger to change, as well as provide special abilities that can be used in the dungeons. There are also costumes that change the entire look of the main character.
  • Body Modification – a system called the Shadowgram lets players install mods directly into their body, using a grid based system that expands over time. When modifying the body, items and upgrades that are installed will give additional boosts to player stats, further strengthening the Unlosing Ranger.
  • Facilities – both inside and out of the dungeon, the player can access facilities that provide special benefits. These include the blacksmith, who will allow items to be repaired, as all equipment has a limited durability and will become less effective over time. however, the facilities that the player can access while in the dungeon have limitations.
  • Level UP – during the dungeon stages, the player will gain experience from battling enemies, which will increase their level while in the dungeon. This will increase their current stats, HP and make them stronger overall. All levels that are gained will be added to the total level when a stage ends, either through completion or defeat.
  • EN Meter – the EN meter will track the energy that the Unlosing Ranger has, depleting over time, with the only way to refill it is consuming items or starving. Different actions will result in varied amounts of the meter being used up. As an example, moving around the dungeon will use a minimal amount of energy, whereas attacking with two weapons or a special move will deal more damage.

The action system for this title follows a global turn counter, where every character in the dungeon floor will activate and make their moves at the same time. However, there is a unique way that combat occurs. For the most part, enemies will stay in their position in the dungeon, only being alerted when the player enters an area around them, but some enemies roam areas. Attacks, special moves and item consumption take individual turns, with the player and enemies acting after each other.

Great care must be taken when engaging in battle, as there is the chance that the player may be pushed into the range for another enemy to be aware of them, alerting another foe of their presence. When an enemy is defeated, they will also make a death cry which will alert enemies within range, causing them to initiate battle against the player. Be warned, that equipment will also degrade during battle and using special attacks, as well as duel wielding weapons will use extra EN meter.

There are also items that can be thrown at enemies, which include poison that deals damage over time and pillows that put them to sleep. These items are very useful and will be most useful at the end of some dungeons, as there are some boss battles that occur at the end of some stages. The boss battles can be very challenging, as there will be the risk of multiple enemies and the bosses themselves can deal devastating blows to the player.

Outside of the dungeons, there is a home base that the player can freely roam, with shops to spend WP points at and NPC characters to interact with. This is where the facilities like the blacksmith and Dark Clinic (for body mods) can be accessed freely. There is also an actual home that the player can enter, with a Wife and Daughter for the Unlosing Ranger while they are at the base, depositing funds to enhance the storage for items and increase benefits.

The features of the home base will expand over time, with new shops, characters and facilities being introduced via progress in the game. Different elements of the world will change depending on the actions that are made, with the condition of the player home changing depending on the funds deposited. These changes make the game world feel a little more alive, there are also Items that can be unlocked to change elements of the base, giving some customization options.

The base is also where the player can save the game manually, as the game will autosave when the player is defeated or the dungeon is cleared. If a mistake is made in the dungeon and the player attempts to reset the game, this will be counted as a defeat, causing all items in their possession to be lost. All of these mechanics make this a challenging title.

Difficulty – the difficulty of this title can be very punishing, with the random map/enemy elements, loss of gear upon death and resetting level in every dungeon making the game a tough challenge. There is a tutorial that explains the game system well, allowing players to get used to the mechanics, but it will take some trial and error to get used to the different systems. Some grinding will be needed if players want to gain an advantage in later levels, so replaying early stages will help.

Overall Package

Controls – the controls for these games work very well, with the use of the thumbstick for roaming movement in Makai Kingdom and the D-Pad for precision in ZHP. The button layouts for both games are almost identical, making it easy to get used to when learning to play both games. The camera movements are tied to the shoulders, with functions on the face buttons, providing a comfortable experience when played with either the pro controller or Joy-Cons.

Presentation – both of the games in this pack use a mix of beautiful sprite work and hand drawn art, combined with rendered 3D environments. The character designs are distinct between both games, with some crossovers when it comes to guest characters, like Prinnies and the Overlord Laharl from the Disgaea series. The cutscenes that are featured in the game are fantastic, with a mix of character portraits and sprites for animations, alongside special attack scenes that are as wonderfully ridiculous as ever.

The sound for both games has that distinct NIS feel to it, with orchestral arrangements, electronic melodies and compositions that use a variety of sounds that meld together cohesively to create something magical. Both games have the choice of Japanese and English voice tracks, that can be freely switched between. Makai Kingdom features the vocal talents of Crispin Freeman (Hellsing Ultimate) and Wendee Lee, with Z.H.P featuring performances from Kate Higgins (Naruto) and Kyle Herbert (My Hero Academia).

Final Thoughts – this was my first experience with Makai Kingdom and Z.H.P., and I can happily say that I had a great time playing both games. The differences between both games made each experience stand out in this pack, with the tactical JRPG gameplay of Makai Kingdom and the punishing roguelike challenge of Z.H.P. contrasting well. This is an excellent double pack of two games that have been hidden on older platforms for years.

I have no problem recommending this release to fans of other games in the NIS library, as well as those who are looking for something new to play. The stories of both games are engaging and have the distinct humor, charming characters and fantastic sprite work that the developer is known for. There is a lot of depth to the games and replay value on offer, especially with the extra scenarios of Petta mode for Makai Kingdom, making this a release well worth the time and effort to play.

In the end, I give Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 2 a final score of 5/5. This is an excellent double pack of two games that have been inaccessible to players for many years. The gameplay of both titles are distinct from each other, the stories have a lot of charm and there is a lot of depth to each title, with the potential for dozens if not a couple hundred hours to be spent playing them. If you want to check out this release for yourself, a link to the title will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Sakura Angels – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – developed by Winged Cloud and published by Gamuzumi, Sakura Angels is the latest Visual Novel from the Sakura series to hit the Nintendo Switch platform. Engage in a story about magical girls protecting a guy from an evil that wants to take them. This version of the game has no explicit content like the PC counterpart, a link to the game will be at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Gamuzumi for providing the copy of Sakura Angels used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

With the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story.

Story – Kenta, a young man who has been plagued by nightmares and headaches, encounters a monster on his way to school only to be saved by two magical girls. These girls Sayaka and Hikari, are his guardian angels and must now protect him from the evil that is stalking him, enrolling in his school and becoming a part of his everyday life. Can these angels save Kenta, or will the mysterious evil entity get what it desires?

Gameplay – the gameplay for this release follows the traditional visual novel system, with the plotline playing out via the perspective of the protagonist Kenta. The events that occur during the experience, will change depending on the choices that the player makes at key points, with each decision pushing the story in a different possible direction. This means that the different choices can alter the outcome of the story route.

Much like the other titles in the VN genre on the Nintendo Switch, there are special CG arts that can occur during different events sometimes altered by the dialogue choices made. It is possible for these CG art scenes to be missed in a single route, altering story scenes if specific choices were made. This means that the player must go through the narrative several times to see all of the scenes, getting each of the different endings.

This is a fairly short experience, with the few romance plots and endings that are available for the player to experience. It is a quick story that can be gone through in a couple of hours each time, providing straight forward narrative threads that can the player enjoy casually. Since this is a console port of a PC title, there are no explicit scenes that would be in other releases of this release, however the fanservice elements are still present.

Presentation – the art style in this title have a nice look to them, with the characters having a vibrant design to them, with expressive character faces that portray the characters well. The backgrounds are a little sparse with little in terms of presence, which unfortunately take away some of the impact of the scenes. The CG scenes are drawn beautifully, with highly detailed pieces that are very pleasing to the eye.

Unfortunately the sound design for this release is a little hit and miss at times in different areas. The music for this title is enjoyable, with music that fits the settings well for the most part, but some pieces don’t work as well. There is a dubbed voice track for this title, with a Japanese voiceover for the female characters that will play for their lines. However, the sound balance is a little off at times, with the voice lines being lower that the music making it harder to listen to without altering the volume settings.

Final Thoughts – I had a pleasant experience with this release, with a story that was easy to follow along and characters that distinct from each other. There are some minor inconsistencies to this title, like the occasional typos, sound balance issues and relatively short time of the narrative routes. However, this is a good budget visual novel, perfect for those who are looking for a simple romance VN with fanservice elements.

In the end, I give Sakura Angels a final score of 3.5/5. This is a decent budget visual with an easy to follow story, pleasing character designs and fanservice scenes that work well with the anime aesthetic. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to the game will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Marble Maid – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – developed by Shady Corner, in collaboration with Molegato and Gingy Kitten with publishing handled by Eastasiasoft, Marble Maid is a puzzle ball platformer with a sexy twist. As the maid Marble, clear up the dust bunnies that have infested the rooms of the mansion that has hired her services. This title is exclusively available for the Nintendo Switch console platform, with a link to the game available at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Eastasiasoft for providing the copy of Marble Maid that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Mature Content Warning: this title is intended for mature audiences, with sexual content, imagery and heavy fanservice elements. If you are under the recommended age or find the content mentioned offensive, please proceed at your own discretion.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. I will be skipping the story segment and moving straight into discussing the gameplay.

Gameplay – the objective of this title is simple, as Marble, the player is tasked with capturing the dust bunnies that infest the mansion. To complete this task, the player will be able to roll, bounce and dash across more than 50 stages, collecting at least 3 of the 5 needed dust bunnies and reaching the goal. However, this won’t be easy as there are hazards that will hinder the player, along with tight time limits that will apply more pressure.

The areas that the player challenges in the game are separated into zones with 10 stages, each with their own unique themes, including a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. While in each stage, the hazards aren’t the only thing that the player must contend with, as it is possible for Marble to fall off the edges of platforms. There are also gimmicks that increase the difficulty, including falling platforms and blackout stages, where they must be lit up by candles to navigate the darkness.

When Marble falls of the stage or makes contact with a hazard, she will be returned to start of the stage. However, if a dust bunny has been captured, marble will be returned to the spawn point for that bunny as a checkpoint.  But take care, as the bunnies will dash away if they spot Marble, becoming a slight setback if Marble falls of the stage after capturing a bunny that has run away. The dust bunnies can also fall off the stage, returning them to their original spawn point if this happens.

Some of the stages will have bunnies hidden or in difficult to reach spaces, making it tougher to collect all bunnies in a stage within the time limit. To offset this, there are time pick-ups scattered throughout most of the levels, providing just enough time to make it to the goal. If the time limit expires, without reaching the goal with enough bunnies the player will fail that stage, starting again from the beginning with any progress made lost.

At the end of each set of stages is a boss battle with the Nega Maid, where Marble must push her off the edge three times. However, this is no easy feat, since Marble can fall and be knocked off the stage, as well as getting hit by attacks that the Nega Maid will be able to pull out in later stages. If this happens, progress will be reset, but the timer will continue to tick down. When the boss is defeated, 5 dust bunnies will spawn and Marble must capture at least 3 before being able to clear the stage.

Outside of the stages is a hub world that the player can freely explore, showing off gimmicks that will be used in later stages, including rolling wine bottles, cleavers and water pools. These areas help the player to get used to the hazards that will be faced, which can prepare the player for the trials ahead. as well as the exploration while moving between zones, there are galleries that can be viewed on the walls of the hub world, a fan art, behind the scenes and reward gallery.

The fan art gallery is unlocked from the start, with the behind the scenes and reward gallery images being unlocked as the game progresses. The main way that images are unlocked is by capturing dust bunnies, with each artwork being obtained by meeting different milestones. There is also a speedrun mode where the player can challenge the entire game, with a timer that will be persistent throughout the playtime for each run.

The gameplay is fairly solid and a lot of fun, but unfortunately there are some small flaws to the experience. During play there are some minor issues with the camera, where it can get stuck needing to press the camera reset button to get it in position and allow Marble to move again. The physics can also work against the player, most notably when trying to dash which can cause Marble lose momentum, bounce in a way that causes her to fly off the map or even get caught on level geometry.

These minor errors can be a source of frustration, as the tight time limits and sometimes uncooperative physics/camera is not a fantastic combo. This can cause time losses from falling off the stages, unintentionally colliding with hazards and simply getting stuck while trying to move or climb platforms. However, these issues are a small hiccup that doesn’t severely impact the gameplay and can be adapted to.

Now with the gameplay covered, I will be moving onto the other aspects of the game, starting with the controls.

Controls – this title has a very basic and easy to learn control system. The left stick moves Marble, the right moves the camera to the left or right. The face buttons are used for jumping and dashing, with the shoulder buttons used for adjusting the camera zoom and re-centering it behind Marble. These controls work well, but there can occasionally feel delayed when trying to dash, as well as feeling slippery when trying to make precise movements due to the physics.

Difficulty – there is a slow and gradual difficulty curve, introducing new gimmicks and challenges over time. However, if the player wants to be a completionist, there are very hard platforming and movements to get every dust bunny, made more challenging due to the time limits. But that doesn’t mean that it is impossible to get all the bunnies, it just takes some practice. There is an unlockable hard mode that makes the stages even tougher, for those who want a challenge after completion.

Presentation – Marble Maid has a very cutesy look to it, with Chibi style models for the characters of Marble and the Nega Maid, bold designs for the stages and easy to see hazards. The 2D art that appears for Marble in the top left portion of the screen is adorable, reacting to what is happening on screen with simple expressions. These different elements combine well to create a charming experience, which is pleasing to the eye.

The art galleries are where the mature content for this title is located, with adult imagery that is not appropriate for younger audiences, but the art is of a high quality and modified well to adhere to rating guidelines. The sound design for this release is very good, with music from Hentai Hero, offering a relaxing yet upbeat experience. There is limited voice acting in this title provided by Kum Bomb, with the opening cinematic and some voice lines that occur during play, which is a nice touch to the presentation.

Final Thoughts – I had a good time with this release, it’s a fun puzzle ball platformer even with the minor flaws to the camera and physics. The levels are designed in a way that challenges players, but isn’t punishing, with secrets and rewards that are perfect for those who want to put the effort in to get everything. I can happily recommend this title to fans of lewd games, as well as those who want to challenge themselves with the speedrun and hard modes.

In the end, I give Marble Maid a final score of 4/5. This is a fun puzzle ball platformer with challenging stages, varied designs to the different thematic areas, a charming soundtrack and a lot of cute yet lewd art to unlock. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to the game will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)    

Crystar – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – developed by FuRyu and published by NIS America, Crystar is an action focused JRPG with a striking manga art style. As Rei, travel purgatory and fight the revenants, all to rescue your sister Mirai and revive her. This version of the game is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, containing all the additional DLC content in the package. A link to this version of the game will be at the bottom of this review.

Declaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank NIS America for providing the copy of Crystar that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Content Warning: this title features descriptions/depictions of death, neglect and suicide which some may find disturbing. Please proceed with caution and at your own discretion if any of these topics are uncomfortable for you.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. When discussing the gameplay, I will be only discussing the core elements of the gameplay to prevent spoiling the surprises this game has.

Story – a young girl named Rei is pulled into the afterworld of Purgatory by an unknown force, along with her little sister Mirai. While they try to find a way home, they are attacked by a terrible monster and Rei unlocks a power hidden within her. To protect her sister, Rei fights against the dead souls of Purgatory. However, this power is turned against her and she accidentally kills Mirai, mistaking her for an enemy.

Devastated by this, Rei weeps at what she has done. Sensing an opportunity to benefit themselves, two Demons appear and speak to the traumatized girl. In exchange for the tears of her suffering and hunting down the wandering souls of Purgatory, they will revive Mirai and reunite the two. Taking this offer, Rei signs a contract and becomes an Executor of Purgatory, setting out on a journey that will put her in great danger, all to save her beloved sister.

Gameplay – the gameplay for Crystar is a mix between dungeon crawling JRPG and action brawler, with labyrinthine maps for the player to explore. The core of the gameplay takes place in these dungeons, with the player roaming through the zones of purgatory, moving between floors and battling the denizens of this afterlife. Each mission in the game is designated as an Ordeal, a trial where the objective shrouded in mystery until it is taken on.

To clear these missions, the player has to carve their way through waves of enemies that appear throughout Purgatory, gaining experience for each enemy slain and leveling up at each milestone. Battling enemies within purgatory is fairly simple, with the player having access to a basic move-set in familiar hack and slash style combat. During the course of the game, additional characters will join the player forming a party, which allows switching between units during the battle.

The basic move-set for the characters are as follows;

  • Basic Moves – there are light and heavy attacks that the player can use, hitting enemies with consecutive attacks. The light attacks can be chained into heavy attacks, giving extra flexibility to combos. The player can also jump and perform aerial attacks with either the light or heavy attack. Enemies can be locked onto, showing a health bar and focusing the camera onto that target.
  • Movement – the player will sprint if holding the movement stick in a direction for longer than 2 seconds, allowing them to move faster and dodge enemies. There is also a dash that will send the character in a direction, but it cannot be used quickly as there is a short cool down between dashes.
  • Skills – characters have unique skills that use the SP meter and deal heavy damage to foes. There are 4 skill slots that each character in the party will have access to, with one skill for Rei at the start of the game. As the characters in the party level up, they will gain new skills at preset points and the skills can be freely assigned. SP can be recharged by dealing damage to enemies.
  • Idea – during battle, a tear gauge for the characters in the party will charge from dealing and taking damage (the gauge can also be filled up by depleting the SP gauge). When the meter is full, Idea Release can be activated, giving the player a significant power boost until the meter runs out with a special attack that uses up the meter for massive damage.

While exploring the levels of purgatory, players will encounter a variety of enemies that roam the different locations of the afterworld. First are the Specters which are general enemies that appear throughout the Ordeals, with a different designation for their strength in ascending order. They populate the different layers of the afterworld and are the most common enemies that will appear, they aren’t the most dangerous enemies, but can overwhelm the player in numbers.

There is a second type of enemy that the player will find. These are called Revenants and pose a greater risk to survival in purgatory, they will often resemble general specters when encountering them, but are much stronger. When encountered, a Revenant will have a red halo hovering above their head, allowing them to be seen when in battle and they have unique names too. However, these aren’t the only type of revenants that will be encountered by the player in game.

At specific points during the story, the player will encounter Boss Revenants, which are of even greater strength and can cause significant damage quickly. These bosses are challenging and will push players to do the brink, with a lot of health and attacks that can wipe out a lot of health if unprepared. This is likely the best time to use the accumulated power of the IDEA, releasing it to do as much damage as possible in a short amount of time to wear the enemy down.

When enemies are defeated, loot is dropped that the player is able to collect. These items include essence, which is a currency that can be used to buy items from the Peddler in Purgatory and torments, a special item that is dropped by defeated Revenants that can be purified (discussed further down). As well as the loot from enemies, treasure can be found scattered throughout Purgatory, with consumable items hidden within chests and resources called thoughts hidden in breakable crystals.

There are also story events that will occur throughout the game, usually at the start of an Ordeal, however they can occur at key points to push the narrative forward. These plot points will appear as books, showing the player the memories contained within and provide context for events that happened to that character. These story scenes make for smooth transitions between the afterworld of Purgatory and the real world.

Speaking of the real world, outside of the dungeons of Purgatory, the player is able to purify the torments that are collected during Ordeals and more in Rei’s room. Here are the features that can be accessed while in this location;

  • Ordeal – select a trial to challenge in purgatory, with both main story challenges and optional challenges that can be taken on. All cleared Ordeals can be replayed freely to farm resources and experience.
  • Organize – here the Torments collected can be purified through Rei’s tears, turning them into Sentiments, equipment that strengthen the Executors in the party to boost their stats. Sentiments can be fused with others to create stronger variations of them, as well as made stronger by giving additional bonuses if they have open slots by using resources collected in Purgatory.
  • Phone – contact characters while outside of Purgatory, conversing with them and gaining extra story progress, providing additional context to events that occur.
  • Change Clothes – here the player is able to change the costume that characters wear while in Purgatory, with all the costume DLC that was available for the previous release of this game included from the start.
  • Album – this is a record of events that occur throughout the game, providing a summary of the plot that has occurred so far, battle records that show play time, enemies defeated and more. There are also memoirs of the dead, where the stories of revenants can be viewed to provide optional lore for the player, with a glossary of terms for quick reference too.
  • Music – a simple sound menu where all unlocked music tracks can be listened to freely, with new tracks added throughout the game.
  • Thelema – take a moment to play with Rei’s pet dog Thelema, doing this warms Rei’s heart each time that she spends time with her faithful companion.
  • Save/Load – this is the only place that the game can be saved and loaded manually. While there is an auto save feature that regularly saves the game, the manual save and load system allows players to experiment with different skill and sentiment compositions.

The last thing I want to talk about is the camp menu which can be accessed in both Purgatory and Rei’s room. While in the camp menu, the player is able to view the status of the active party, seeing their level, current HP and total SP points, along with their equipped skills. Players can also use items to recover health, cure status ailments and discard unwanted sentiments when there is a surplus of them, exchanging them for an essence payout.

Sentiments can be equipped here, with three designations for the sentiments and some restrictions on how they can be used. The equipment that can be used by characters is separated into Aggressive Sentiments, Protective Sentiments and Bolstering Sentiments, providing additional bonuses for stats as well as passive bonuses depending on the item equipped. There are class specific sentiments that apply to specific characters, letting the player easily distinguish between them.

Skills can also be modified freely in the camp menus, with the ability to map unlocked skills for each character as the player wishes to. This grants further flexibility to the combat system, by letting players mix and match the skills that they have unlocked to fit their play style. New stronger skills will be unlocked during the course of the game, which means that the weaker skills can be switched out, making space for more abilities to use while retaining their core functions.

Now with the gameplay covered, I will be moving into the other aspects of the game, starting with the controls.

Controls – the controls system for this title uses a basic layout with all main skills on the face buttons, party members tied to the D-pad and special functions on the shoulder buttons/triggers. The camera and movement controls are nice and smooth, with all core inputs working well on both pro controllers and Joy-Cons. However, there are some minor flaws to the control inputs, as they can feel slightly delayed, with attacks occasionally missing inputs, but it doesn’t have a severe impact on the gameplay.

Difficulty – there is a balanced difficulty curve to this release. The leveling system keeps non active party members earning XP while out of combat, while also having a boost system that will provide attack increases when characters are switched out depending on damage taken. The abundance of items, essence and resources to strengthen sentiments makes this game a fair challenge for all, with three difficulty settings that modify the damage taken/dealt in battle.

Presentation – the visual style for this title is pleasing to the eye, with bold 3D models for all characters and environments that are rendered very well, building the world of Crystar. The 3D world contrasts well with the striking manga style art, which is expressive and adds extra weight to emotional scenes with the in game renders in the background. This title does have some graphical downgrades due to the hardware limitations, but this doesn’t impact the gameplay and while some details are omitted it doesn’t detract from the overall quality.

The soundtrack for this title has a lot of variety to it, ranging from melancholic piano and orchestral pieces, to industrial/electronic compositions that give a tense atmosphere to combat in Purgatory. There is also a dual language option for Japanese and English character voice tracks that play throughout the game. The English voice track for this release features talent from anime and video games, including Brianna Knickerbocker (Mary Skelter), Kayli Mills (Re:ZERO) and Xanthe Huynh (Cells at Work!).

Final Thoughts – I had no expectations for this title going in, due to only seeing a few clips of the game from trailers, so I was unprepared for the impact that the narrative had. The story pulled me in and made me feel things, which is always a good sign when playing a narrative driven JRPG with themes of sorrow and loss. The gameplay loop was simple to pick up, with easy to learn mechanics and action that flows very well, but may feel repetitive to some players after a while.

I very much enjoyed the overall experience of this title, with the gameplay, story and presentation working together in a very cohesive way. Unfortunately, there are some minor flaws to the combat, with the occasional missed input and some slowdown during flashy special attacks, but they don’t disrupt the gameplay significantly. However, I was very impressed with the amount of content that is on offer with this title, offering bonus side missions and multiple choices to dialogue during some cutscenes.

In the end, I give Crystar a final score of 4/5. This title is a complete action JRPG package, with an easy to pick up gameplay system, a world that features a cast of unique and interesting characters, coupled with a story that has depth to it around the subjects of death and loss. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to the game will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Cotton Fantasy – Release Date Announced

Hello, I have some exciting news regarding the upcoming release of the newest title in the Cotton series from our friends at PR Hound, ININ Games and Strictly Limited/Gamesrocket. For more details about the newest Cotton release, check out the details below.

ININ Games is proud to announce that Cotton Fantasy is launching in one month, on May 20th, for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 (PS4), both digitally and via retailers worldwide, as revealed in a new trailer!

After the critically acclaimed remaster Cotton Reboot! delighted fans in 2021, Cotton Fantasy now marks the full rebirth of the series, with a brand-new entry. Only one more month to go until fans around the world can get their hands on this modern and high-octane “Cute ‘em up” shooter! To play the game on launch, fans can already pre-order from a variety of local retailers for $/€39.99, a full list is available on the ININ Games website.

Eager collectors also have the chance to secure a limited boxed edition from Strictly Limited Games or Gamesrocket. The Limited Edition comes at the same price as the retail edition but with alternative cover artwork and a game manual not included in the retail edition and will start shipping in May. Also available is a highly limited Collector’s Edition with exclusive, magical collectibles, including the official Cotton Nendoroid figure. This edition will start shipping a little later though.

About the game:

Something sinister is in the making – the willows are vanishing from Fairyland and the Fairy Queen entrusts Silk with solving the case. Who could be behind this devious ploy?

For a promised lifetime all-you-can-eat supply of tasty willows, the little witch Nata de Cotton is willing to help her old friend out and embark on another adventure together, to save the Fairyland.

Cotton Fantasy sets the stage for another fantastic adventure, 30 years after the Cotton series initially premiered, with lots of features to offer:

  • HD graphics & brand-new shoot ’em up game mechanics  
  • 6 iconic, playable characters to choose from, each with different mechanics and attacks, even including guest characters like Umihara Kawase (from the equally named series) and Luffee from Doki Doki Poyacchio
  • Easily accessible Shoot ‘em up gameplay, perfect for newcomers, but with enough depth for veterans 
  • 16 colourful and varied scrolling stages to unlock, with vertical, horizontal, and 3D movement 
  • Light-hearted story with fun and charming cutscenes voiced entirely in Japanese (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish subtitles included)  
  • Exhilarating soundtrack featuring iconic remastered tracks from past games 
  • Unlockable content and different characters offer high replayability  
  • Aim for the high score in your nation and globally with the featured ranking boards 

Check out the trailer below for a preview of this upcoming release.

The Caligula Effect 2 – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – developed by FuRyu and Historia with publishing handled by NIS America, The Caligula Effect 2 is a JRPG that mixes dungeon style exploration and a hybrid turn/time based combat system. Trapped in a simulated world, the protagonist must work with the Virtuadoll X (pronounced Kyi) to escape back to the real world. This title is available for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, with links to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank NIS America for providing the copy of The Caligula Effect 2 that was used for this piece. The provision of this title has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I will be covering the core mechanics of the gameplay to prevent spoiling any surprises that the game has, as I feel that some elements of the game must be experienced first-hand.

Story – The mysterious Virtuadoll Regret, has used her songs to pull people into REDO, a simulated world devoid of guilt and created to free the denizens’ of their past mistakes making them forget reality. The Virtuadoll X breaks into this simulation to bring it down, encountering the Protagonist as they realize that the world around them is a lie. During this awakening, X jumps into the body of the protagonist and becomes their soul partner.

The two must now work together to recruit others to their cause, forming the Go-Home Club, a group that seeks to shatter this false reality and return to the real world. However, this will not be an easy task as the Virtuadoll Regret, has a group of followers that seek to stop this attempt to bring down REDO, as well as the soulless inhabitants that wander the simulation. The soul partners, must do all they can to bring REDO down, while learning more about the other Go-Home Club members.

Gameplay – the Caligula Effect 2 is a JRPG, with dungeon styled exploration, sprawling areas to explore and unique hybrid of real time/turn based combat. The game takes place in the simulation of REDO, with the player taking the role of the Protagonist, a second year student from Tatefushi Academy who has an awakening of what is truly going on. Due to this realization that this world isn’t all it appears, the Virtuadoll X chooses the protagonist to help her bring down REDO, taking half their body.

To achieve this goal, the player must travel throughout the world of REDO, exploring different areas and recruiting more people who have had the same realization. The gameplay is split into two different segments, dungeon crawling action and hub-world exploration. When roaming the dungeon zones, the player will encounter enemies that will be wandering around, following simple paths either alone or in groups and charging the player if they are seen.

The player can engage an enemy in two ways, if direct contact is made either from the player running into the enemy or vice versa, combat will just start. However, if the player is able to get behind an enemy and press the action button, an advantage will be given to the player for that battle. The combat uses a system called the “Imaginary Chain” where decisions are made with time paused, but when all current party members have had actions assigned they will occur simultaneously.

The “Imaginary Chain” system uses a timer for all actions, counting down on screen for all actions that have been assigned with the party. When the timer counts down for the assigned actions, that player will be able to a take their turn again, making timing important to maximize damage potential and minimize risks. Each action varies in how long the timer will last, giving a flexibility and tension to combat, as a poorly timed attack could lead to ruin.

The majority of commands use the resource SP to be performed, which will slowly refill over time and completely refill upon completion of the battle, but can be refilled via actions or items (described below). Here are the battle commands that can be used in combat when battling foes;

  • Attack – these are the damage dealing attacks that the party can use to damage enemies, with a percentage meter that will appear during the timing phase showing probability of success. Attacks are broken up into three types, melee, ranged and guard, with special attacks that can counter other attacks and deal additional damage when conditions are met.
  • Support – use support skills that will provide various effects, including healing allies, providing buffs to party members and negative ailments to foes.
  • Action – utility effects that are commonly shared with the party, including defending from attacks, dashing across the battlefield and refilling SP with soul charge.
  • Item – use the items in the party inventory to heal, revive allies and more.
  •  Overdose Skills – during battles, a stress gauge will fill up for the party members, allowing them to use special ultimate abilities called Overdose Skill. These skills have the potential to deal massive damage against enemies and can turn the tide of battle, with each skill unique to the character that wields it.  
  • X Jacking – the Virtuadoll X has the ability to support the party when a voltage meter on screen is full, providing various benefits to the party and lasting until the meter runs out. The voltage meter charges over time during battle and by destroying objects during exploration, allowing for the X Jacking ability to be activated faster (X can also be leveled up by using X points to buy upgrades and special skills through X points earned during play).

When a battle ends, the party will gain experience for defeating the enemies, leveling each party member up when they reach specific milestones. Each time the party members level up, they will gain some increases in stats and new skills/abilities depending on the level that they reach. Allies that have fallen in battle will also gain experience, leveling up even when incapacitated which eases some of the potential headaches that uneven leveling can cause.

Completing battles will provide rewards for the player, including money and items that drop at random. These rewards will vary depending on the level of the enemies defeated and the current zone they are in. The money earned in battles can be used in shops, to purchase supplies and items that have been obtained as rewards can be sold to merchants in stores.

As well as the battles with the enemies encountered in the dungeons, there are items that can be collected by interacting with objects called Rifts and Soul Remnants. The Rifts appear as crystals and must be broken by the player to retrieve the items inside or gain voltage points for X, whereas the Soul Remnants simply need to be activated. However, the Soul Remnants can be in areas that can’t immediately be accessed or hidden out of sight.

The Soul Remnants also contain special items called Stigmas, a form of equipment that can be given to party members and provide different bonuses and passive effects. These passive effects from the Stigma can be learned by the party member that is holding the, becoming a permanent skill boost that can be equipped and unequipped at will. The Stigma system and passive effects are the only form of equipment in the game, with some being character specific and providing only that party member with a bonus.

There are also puzzles that must be completed in some areas in order to progress, ranging from collecting keys to activating switches and more. The puzzle segments, allow different areas to be entered and open up new paths for the player to explore. To help the player with some of the navigation and to help locate Soul Remnants, there is a mini-map that will gradually fill out as the area is traversed, showing the routes that can be taken and where the Remnants are located.

During the dungeon crawling sequences, story scenes will play out with each set making up a story arc or chapter, offering multiple choices for dialogue. These dialogue choices will give different responses and have the potential to impact the final ending of the game, while also being able to uncover some of the secrets of the world of REDO. At the end of each of each arc, the player will encounter a boss battle that works as the climax of that story section before moving onto the next.

Outside of the battle and story focused dungeon crawling elements, the player is able to explore different areas and interact with the residents of the world. By interacting with different NPC characters in free roam environments, the player can get side quests that will provide rewards and boosts for the protagonist, while unlocking the true reality of the quest target. This gives additional depth to the world of REDO, by shining a light on the people that are within this false reality.

There are also interconnected quests and stories that focus not only on the quests giver, but other NPC characters that they may be connected with and even party members. This means that some quests will require others to be completed before that specific one can be done, which does add to the intrigue of some specific character quests, but can become frustrating to backtrack for single quests. But some of the back tracking can be alleviated with the save points that are scattered through the world.

In most areas, there is a save point that the player can use to record their progress. These save points also act as fast travel points and allow the player to move between different areas under certain conditions. This allows for some time to be saved when completing the side quests given by NPC characters. The save points can also be used to travel to the home base for the party and home of X, a train called the X Express.

While the player is on the X Express, they are able to talk to the party members freely and can choose to learn more about them. The personal stories for the party members play out in character episodes, which are unlocked by raising an affinity level with each of them over the course of the game. These stories are optional, but do give more detail on the motivations of the party, adding additional context to dialogue and story scenes.

The X Express is also a mini hub world where the player can move to different areas, shown by a map of the train lines with each location listed on the side. The player is also able to trade with X while on the train, with a service where the player can buy/sell Stigmas, alongside special offers that can be purchased with X points. The train will also change in appearance over time as more party members are recruited, with each new person adding elements of their personalities to the décor of the Express.

Now with the gameplay covered, I will be moving onto the other aspects of the game, starting with the controls.

Controls – the controls for this game are balanced well, with the thumbsticks used for movement and camera controls, as well as all main functions being mapped to the face buttons. The menu navigation and battle commands work well, with all inputs having little in terms of lag and the precision in the Imaginary Chain that is possible with the D-Pad adds to the comfort of the game. This title plays comfortably with the pro Controller and Joy-Cons in both docked/undocked play.

Difficulty – there is a balanced difficulty curve to this release, with mechanics that ease the tension of encountering several enemies one after another. The way that the player health and SP is refreshed after battle makes the higher difficulty levels more manageable, as any allies that are incapacitated are revived at the end of the battle. This means that the battle difficulties easy, normal, hard and extreme adjust the amount of damage that enemies deal/take during combat.

Presentation – this release has a pleasing visual style to it, with character models, environments and story scenes that are designed well, with smooth animations. There are also character portraits and art that have the distinct JRPG look to them. However, there are some minor flaws to the graphical output, with some of the textures having a slightly fuzzy look during cutscenes, but that is likely due to the hardware limitations of the Nintendo Switch system.

The sound for this game is fantastic, with music tracks that have a distinct J-Idol vibe to them, offering unique compositions for each location. During play the music will also shift from instrumental to vocal, seamlessly adding the lyric track to the song when battle commences, then removing it when combat concludes. This gives the music a dynamic edge and enhances the flow of gameplay. There is no English language voice over, however the Japanese voice track is performed well and all voices fit their characters.

Final Thoughts – this was my first time with the Caligula Effect franchise, as I had not played the previous releases in the series, but I can say that the experience I had was pleasant. The combat and dungeon exploration flows well, with the Imaginary Chain system that allows strategy to be implemented to time attacks perfectly for maximum effect. The story has a lot of depth to it and I found myself being pulled in, wanting to learn more about the characters that I encountered in the world.

I can happily recommend this title to JRPG and dungeon crawling fans. The story doesn’t need much if any knowledge of the previous release, which allowed me to follow easily and the combat/party system is robust with a lot of flexibility to it. The game doesn’t feel too punishing either if mistakes are made, as the usual no XP for downed party members is absent, as well as damage being healed after battle. The only minor complaint that I have is that the textures can look blurry in at times but it doesn’t detract from the overall experience too much.

In the end, I give The Caligula Effect 2 a final score of 4.5/5. This JRPG offers a story that is engaging with a lot of depth, characters that have their own charm to them, combat that flows in a unique way and an excellent soundtrack of Virtual Idol songs that enhance the experience. if you want to check this title out for yourself, links to each version of the game are below.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Link to PlayStation 4 version (HERE)

Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – developed by Compile Heart in collaboration with Tamsoft and published by Idea Factory International, Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is the action JRPG crossover years in the making. Take on enemy ninja and Yokai in dungeon crawling, hack and slash action, with characters from the Neptunia and Senran Kagura franchises. This version of the game is available for Nintendo Switch, with a link to the game at the bottom of this review (discounted on both the EU and NA eShop services for up to a week post launch).

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Idea Factory International for providing the copy of Neptunia x Senran Kagura that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting off with the story. When discussing the gameplay, I will only be covering the basic mechanics as there are some features that I feel players must experience first-hand.

Story – in the land of Gamninjustri, a struggle has arisen between the Daimyo of the two strongest nations, each of them being home to a major school of martial arts. The Heartland nation has the Compa style, which are Ninja Arts that are based on the Command Technique. Their rivals are the Marveland Nation which uses Honeypa Style, which use Ninja Arts based on the Action Technique. These two nations have been locked in a battle for dominance for a long time.

During one of their battles, an army of mechanical ninja appeared and made their assault. These ninja are part of the Steeme Legion, led by Yoh Gamer, a ninja who is a master of the Headshot style of Ninja Arts. The mysterious ninja made an announcement to all the nations of Gamninjustri, the “Super NINJA War” is about to begin to decide the strongest ninja school in the world.

Gameplay – the core of the gameplay for this title is focused on dungeon crawling, hack and slash combat with objective based missions. To accomplish these tasks, the player deploys teams of two ninja from the available roster to various locations. When the game begins the player will only be able to use two of the four Compa ninja, with additional characters joining the party over the course of the story, up to a total of 10 characters.

While inside the dungeon segments, the player will combat yokai and enemy ninja, using a variety of attacks and skills to deal maximum damage to foes. With experience being gained for each enemy defeated, leveling up that character and increasing their base stats, including attack, defense and total health. all characters that are in the party will gain experience even when they aren’t in battle, so there is no risk in unbalanced leveling with the party.

Each character has their own unique fighting style, with different weapons and special attacks, giving different pairings a unique feel as each character have their own strengths and weaknesses. The types of mechanics that players can use in battle are as follows;

  • Basic Moves – the basic move set for the ninja are made up of normal combo attacks, ninja weapons that consist of shuriken/kunai and jump attacks. Attacking enemies from behind deals additional damage, with a lock-on mechanic which shows the health of the target.
  • Defensive Options – players can dodge enemy attacks, making them invincible for a moment afterwards, with the ability to dash by holding down the dodge button. The dodge and dash use up the stamina meter, which is refilled over time or by attacking enemies. There is also a guard system that can deflect damage from most enemies, with perfectly timed guards reducing damage and filling the stamina gauge.
  • Ninja Arts – by holding down the Ninja Art button, one of four special attacks can be activated, using up stamina in different amounts. When activating the Ninja Arts, a special bar called the Trigger meter will appear. This meter allows up to four special attacks to be chained together, with each successful chain potentially adding new effects to attack.
  • Shinobi Extreme – during battle the EX gauge will fill up, outlining the portrait of their active character with a prompt appearing when the meter is full. When the Shinobi Extreme skill is activated, the active character will unleash an all-powerful attack that deals massive damage to their targets.
  • Fuurinkazan Drive – this ability has four unique skills called Awakenings, with each one having different features in battle, including increasing attack power and defense when fighting enemies. These skills can be used a limited number of times per character, with the number of uses refreshing when the dungeon is completed.
  • Items – in battle players can use items to heal damage, refill stamina and provide various effects. Some of the effects that can be applied include strengthening the active character, reducing the cost of stamina for dashing/dodging and removing negative status ailments from enemies.

While in the dungeon, barriers will appear and prevent the player from progressing. There are two types of barrier, a red barrier that can’t be bypassed and a yellow barrier that can be removed by completing objectives like defeating all enemies. The red barriers will also change depending on the mission, with different areas being opened or closed to fit that challenge. These barriers do restrict some of the exploration possibilities, but do make returning to areas rewarding.

At specific points of each dungeon, a marker will show the destination for an objective within that zone. When reaching the marker, more often than not, a story segment occurs setting up the next sequence, either setting up the next stretch of the mission or even a big boss battle to end the dungeon. The boss battles that occur feature powerful enemies, with a lot of health and a special break meter, which will weaken the boss and stun them temporarily when depleted.

The boss fights can be very challenging, with unstoppable attacks that can’t be guarded against, multiple health bars for boss enemies and extremely powerful attacks. This is where the partner switch mechanic is the most useful, as during combat the player can freely tag their partner character into battle, with extra damage done if switching during a combo. The reserve member can also recover used up stamina, with health regenerating if dropped below 50% when switched out.

It is important to use the partner switch system effectively and tag out often, as once a player character has been defeated they can’t return without using expensive items. If the partner is knocked out, they will also be unable to earn experience from battling enemies, which prevents the character from leveling up until they are revived.

Outside the dungeons, there are several things that the player is able to do in the main home base. These include the ability to talk to various characters from the world of Gamninjustri, take on special missions and organize the party with equipment, items and skills.

Here are the things that you can do while in the main home town;

  • Shinobi Base Functions – here the player can change their formation, setting the lead and partner character for the dungeons. The player is also able to equip characters with new gear, change Spirit Gems, special items and swap their Ninja Arts with new ones that are earned through leveling.  
  • Spirit Gems – during play, special items called Spirit Gems can be bought from the market or earned from defeating enemies. These gems can be added to a board in different patterns, the variety of which increasing over time and specific patterns can provide increased benefits. Spirit Gems can also be combined to create stronger gems, providing increased bonuses.
  • Market Street – in the market, players can buy/sell items which include ninja weapons, consumables and Spirit Gems. There will be new items added to the store over time, increasing in strength and overall effectiveness. A limited number of items can be taken into the dungeons, so excess amounts will be put into storage.
  • NinChat – this is where the player is able to gather information and talk to NPC characters in the game world, gathering information between missions. Certain characters will have events attached to them, which can add extra story details, give shrine requests and even item rewards.
  • Kumotsu Shrine – at the shrine, missions can be taken on sending the player to a specific point directly from the shrine. The challenges vary in difficulty/objective, with rewards that are provided when the mission is cleared. There is also the treasury, which has galleries of story scenes, character information and more.
  • Peaches and Cream Meditation – the player sits cross-legged on a giant peach, trying to stay balanced while filling up a peach meter on screen. Successful completion of this challenge provides rewards that last a preset amount of time, while also giving items that can be used. New levels of challenge will be available over time, with each one costing a fee to challenge. Controls for this can be either gyroscope motion or the triggers depending on the player choice.

The home base is also where the world map is located, showing the different areas that players are able to explore, with a training area and all previously cleared zones available. The player is also able to freely save and load at the home base, with an auto save that prevents a sudden loss of progress during play. While in the base the player can look at records and check tutorials, with various settings that can also be changed, with the ability to set difficulty, change controls and adjust the sound levels.

Now with the gameplay covered, let’s get into the other aspects of the game, starting with the controls.

Controls – the controls for this release are relatively simple to pick up, with all the key functions for basic combat set to the face buttons and triggers. The menus for Fuurinkazan Drive and Ninja Arts are set to the front shoulder buttons, the item menu, partner tag and target switch systems are set to the d-pad. All of the inputs work together well when using either a pro-controller or the Joy-Cons, with smooth movement for characters and camera with the sticks.  

Difficulty – this title offers three difficulty options, with easy, normal and hard being selectable from the options menu. The main difference between each setting is the amount of damage that the player receives and deals to enemies, with other subtle differences that aren’t immediately noticeable. The overall challenge feels balanced, without the feeling that the game is punishing the player, along with points before boss battles where health is replenished and equipment can be altered.

Presentation – visually this title looks very good running on the Nintendo Switch system, with well rendered 3d models and environments that are animated very well. The level of detail is impressive given the limitations of the hardware, with little in terms of lag or slowdown aside from rare instances when a lot of elements are loaded in at once. There is also the fanservice element that both Neptunia and Senran Kagura series are known for, with a “softness” to the movement of the characters.

The game uses traditional 2D anime art for story scenes, character portraits and menus, which have the signature styles of both Tamsoft and Idea Factory. With each character beautifully drawn and given several expressive poses/faces, appearing in the story scenes. There are also CG art scenes that will appear through the story, showing the characters interacting and to set up events, which have the usual high quality that is attributed to the two developers.

The soundtrack for this release has a mix of styles that all work together well. These styles include the usual guitar focused rock based compositions used in Idea Factory releases, combined with traditional Japanese instruments and even orchestral pieces that fit the theme for the game world. There is only a Japanese voice track for this title, featuring the vocal talents of each characters long time VA including Rie Tanaka as Neptune, Hitomi Harada as Asuka (Senran Kagura) and Asami Imai as Noire (Neptunia).

Final Thoughts – as a longtime fan of both the Senran Kagura and Neptunia franchises, this crossover was very exciting when it was announced and I am happy to say it did not disappoint. The action flows at a fast but smooth pace, with enemies that would fit either series well as a standalone title without the other characters. I had a great time playing this game, as the story is cohesive and well written, with the usual self-aware commentary that Neptunia is known for and fanservice that isn’t excessive.

I am very happy to recommend this release to fans of the Neptunia and Senran Kagura franchises, with easy to pick up action and a diverse roster of play styles to select from. The game requires little knowledge of either series to be able to enjoy, so it can be a good first experience for new players, before jumping into the more complex standalone titles. If you like action based JRPG titles with a little humor and some light fanservice, this is for you.

In the end, I give Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars a final Score of 5/5. This action JRPG combines the best elements of both franchises, with an engaging story, the signature humor of the Neptunia series and the action of Senran Kagura to balance it out. I hope we get more games like this in the future and if you want to check it out for yourself, links to the game will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Taito Milestones – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – originally developed by Taito and powered by Hamster Corporation through their Arcade Archives engine, Taito Milestones is a collection of 10 arcade titles from Taito in the 80’s. This collection has been published by ININ Games, with digital and limited physical versions available from Games Rocket/Strictly Limited Games (while stocks last). You can find links to both the digital and physical versions of the release at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank PR Hound for providing the copy of Taito Milestones that was used for this piece. The provision of this title has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. Since this is a compilation of games with different gameplay styles and genres, I shall be covering each title with a summary of that game and its gameplay in order of year of release.

Qix – 1981

The player controls a diamond shaped marker that they must use to capture territory on screen, drawing lines from one point to another with fast draw or slow draw. The slow draw lines are orange and worth double points, whereas the fast draw lines are blue and worth only half of the orange. To clear the stage, the player must capture at least 75% of the screen while avoiding the Qix (a colorful figure in random motion) and Sparx (sparks that chase the player) that will kill the player if contact is made.

The gameplay is simple, yet works very well, with only two buttons and the movement required. The difficulty of this game can seem steep when first playing, but will get easier with some practice, along with the option to alter difficulty and number of lives in the settings.

Space Seeker – 1981

The player controls a ship that roams over the planets overworld map, with six enemy forces made up of two distinctive play styles. The first is a side scrolling action mode, where the player ship fires at enemies in the air and drops missiles on those on the ground, ending when the ship reaches the goal or a life is lost. The second is a shooting segment that has a first person perspective, battling a fleet of enemies only proceeding when all enemy ships are defeated or the player is shot down.

This title is distinct in the use of two different modes, however, it is very difficult with the speed of the action and depth perception of the first person mode. The difficulty of Space Seeker is quite high, with the unfortunate problems of depth perception and some twitchy controls. The level of difficulty can be lowered a little through the in game dip switches, but it will take time to adapt.

Alpine Ski – 1982

In this release, the player controls a Downhill Skier, moving left and right to avoid hazards with the ability to increase player speed on the slopes. There are three stages that the player can challenge, with a simple downhill course, a slalom course and a ski jump competition to set the highest score possible. The stages are timed with the timer being extended as scores are met, refreshing the time when it hits zero but a game over will occur if extend scores aren’t met.

While this can be a simple and easy to pick up game with a basic premise, get to the bottom as quickly as possible and avoid the obstacles the time limit is tight. However, the time limit and bonus time settings can be modified to make a little easier to keep playing. The movement does feel unresponsive at times, as the direction has to be held down to move the player, which makes the controls feel lacking in precision.

Front Line – 1982

Playing as a lone soldier, the objective for this title is to proceed through a vertically scrolling stage, battling the enemy forces while trying to reach their fortress. To accomplish this, the player has a gun and grenade that can be used in eight directions, as well as two different types of tank that can be used while progressing up the screen. When the fortress has been reached, a grenade must be thrown into it on foot in order to destroy it and clear that level.

This release uses a twin stick style of play which can be to the detriment of the gameplay experience, due to the difficulty of aiming the weapons effectively for an attack. There is an option to switch from twin stick to a single stick, but it doesn’t make the aiming any easier in battle on foot, but it does make the control of tanks less troublesome. It is a tough game when first starting, but like others it can be fun to practice and keep playing.

Wild Western – 1982

As the sheriff, the player is tasked with protecting a train that is being attacked by bandits while riding his trusty steed. This must be achieved while dodging enemy fire, the obstacles that can get in the way and jumping onto the train to fight off the bandits that manage to climb aboard. If three bandits manage to get aboard the train, then the game will end. There is a bonus stage that occurs between rounds to score bonus points.

Unfortunately this is the weakest title of the collection, as the controls feel uncooperative, the movement feels the stiffest of all and the aiming is very difficult due to the use of the twin stick setup. Much like Front Line, the controls can be altered to be only a single stick for both moving and aiming, this doesn’t really help the experience as it is still difficult to move and aim. All that can really be done to lessen the difficulty is increase the maximum lives as there are no continues in this game.

Chack’n Pop – 1983

The player controls Chack’n, a yellow creature that travels through a series of single screen mazes, walking on the ceiling and climbing steps by stretching his legs. The player can drop bombs to fight the Monstas that hatch from eggs on the ceiling, as well as breaking cages containing hearts to clear the stage by freeing them and reaching the exit. If Chack’n is hit by the smoke of his bombs, an enemy or the timer runs out the player loses a life, when all lives are lost the game is over.

This release can be a little confusing to start as the stretching mechanics are unusual, the way that bombs move is unpredictable and maze navigation can be complex. The difficulty is mostly balanced when the mechanics are adjusted to with a tutorial level at the beginning. This game provides a decent challenge for the player, alongside special bonus objectives to take on. The settings for this game can be adjusted, increasing lives, the frequency of power-ups and scores to reach for extra lives.

Elevator Action – 1983

Assuming the role of the secret Agent Otto, the player uses elevators and stairs travel through a 30 story building, collecting confidential documents and fighting enemy agents. The player has access to the several types of attack, a gun to shoot enemies/light fixtures and a jump kick to attack at close range. To clear each level, the player must collect all of the secret documents and make it to the bottom, failing to do so will return the player to the highest floor with an unclaimed document.

Elevator Action is a very simple platform run and gun, with four directional movement and two button inputs to jump/shoot. There are some minor hiccups with the movement, when pressing down to crouch the player must press up to stand which takes some getting used to. The game does feel slow and difficult to control sometimes, with the way that elevators, stairs and doors function which can take some time to get used to. The ability to alter settings does make the game a little easier.  

The Fairlyland story – 1985

As the witch Ptolemy, the player takes on enemies in single screen platforming action. The objective of each stage is to use magic to turn enemies into cakes, pushing them off platforms to possibly squash other enemies for bonus points or crumble them with additional attacks. Bonuses can be earned from chaining drops, collecting items that appear on screen and extra lives can be earned for specific scores. New enemies will appear over time as the game progresses through a total of 101 stages.

This title has a good feel to it, with responsive platforming making it very easy to pick up and play. There is a gradual difficulty curve to this release, with the complexity and challenge of stages increasing as the round number does. This is one of the few games in the collection that allows continues to be used, letting players try again if they run out of lives, giving everyone a chance to make it to the end.

Halley’s Comet – 1986

Defend the solar system in this vertical shooter, as a brave space fighter, shooting down enemy ships and comets that attack the planets. The player must attack the comets that fly across the screen and enemy ships, as any that get past the player will result in damage to the earth, ending the game if damage percentage reaches 100%. Stages are split into different sections, with mid-boss and boss battles for each area of the solar system, with power-ups that increase the power of the ship.

Halley’s Comet has a very distinct gameplay style to it, with the planet damage mechanic that adds an element of anxiety and stress to the experience. It is a very tough game as there is a maximum of four lives and no continues, the enemy patterns are erratic making learning patterns difficult. The ship also starts off slow, making it difficult to dodge the enemies and projectiles that attack the player, causing a steep initial difficulty spike at the start.

The NinjaWarriors – 1987

In a dystopian future martial law has been implemented by the president, now the cybernetic ninja warriors must fight back. This title is a side scrolling hack and slash style action game, with simple attacks and shuriken to fight wave after wave of men. The super-wide screen allows large numbers of enemies to spawn, with tense battle sequences against boss enemies, ranging from enemy ninja and samurai to heavy artillery tanks.

This is probably the best title on the collection, with two player co-op action and the three screen super wide display. The action is tense and challenging with the sheer number of enemies that can appear on screen. The collision detection does feel a little off in some places, with the player characters moving slowly across the screen, which can make the time limit feel a restrictive but doesn’t impact the experience. The game can be continued infinitely, letting players keep going to get to the end.

Now with each game in this collection covered, I will be discussing the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – for the most part, the controls for each of the games work well, but unfortunately there are some issues. The two games that use the twin stick style of gameplay don’t work the best, especially with Wild Western as the jump and shooting inputs are only mapped to the face buttons. There is an option to change the control method to work with a single stick, along with the ability to remap controls, but these don’t make the controls any more responsive.

Presentation – the visual and sound emulation for this compilation is fantastic, with a complete 1:1 translation from the original hardware to the Nintendo Switch hardware. This shows with the NinjaWarriors game, which uses a three screen system that has been carried over very well. There is also a selection of settings to alter the look of the display, with scan lines, resizing and even the ability to have the game displayed vertically in classic “Tate” mode.

Final Thoughts – this compilation has a varied selection of titles, with some better than others. The standouts of this pack are The Fairyland Story, Qix and The NinjaWarriors, which is a stark contrast with the weaker titles like Alpine Ski and Wild Western. The quality of the gameplay and replay value with each game in the pack also varies, which can be off-putting to some players as there is little in terms of bonus content aside from leaderboards.

I have some experience with the arcade archives software that powers these games, which made it a little disappointing to see that the bonus game modes were missing. These titles are available as standalone releases, which have High Score and Caravan modes which are unfortunately omitted from this pack, however the quality of life improvements remain. I can recommend this pack to players who want these games all in one place or collect retro compilations, as it offers a lot at a decent price.

In the end, I give Taito Milestones a final score of 4/5. This is a good celebration of the history of Taito, with some standout titles but some unfortunately weak ones in the pack. The use of the arcade archives software emulates the games perfectly and provides quality of life improvements, but unfortunately lacks the additional high score and caravan modes.

Link to Digital version (HERE)

Link to Physical Games Rocket version (HERE)

Link to Physical Strictly Limited version (HERE)

Beat Souls – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – developed by Zoo Corporation and published by eastasiasoft, Beat Souls is an intense rhythm action title with an anime edge. As the Shrine Maiden Mikoto, battle the Yokai through dance to put them to rest, by dodging hazards and collecting the Beat Souls. This title is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5 and the Xbox family of systems, with links to each version at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank eastasiasoft for providing the copy of Beat Souls that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. I will be skipping the story segment and be moving directly into the gameplay, as there is little in terms of plot to discuss.

Gameplay – Beat Souls is a fast paced rhythm action title, where the player must dodge hazards and collect the Beat Souls on screen to score points. During each stage, the track scrolls with the hazards and beats running down. The player must move left and right, using her Otomo souls to collect the beats on screen by moving Mikoto or the Otomo themselves. Mikoto has a set number of lives that will be reduced by one if she makes contact with a hazard or beat, ending the stage if she runs out of life.

Collecting the beats will add to a combo meter on screen, with each beat adding up and increasing a ranking meter on screen as well as the score. There is also a fever meter that will fill up with each beat collected, activating a special fever state when the bar is filled to a specific point and a mark on track is crossed. Fever increases the score multiplier and lasts until the end mark is reached, taking damage before fever is activated will reduce the meter, potentially preventing it from activating.

When the stage ends, a ranking based on the performance will be provided, ranging from poor to excellent. Alongside the rankings are two challenges per song, first is the no damage achievement from making it through the stage without losing a life. The second is a full combo achievement, which can be earned by hitting every beat without missing or taking damage for the entire song. These are extra bonus challenges for the play to attempt.

As the player progresses through the game, new songs will be unlocked with one of three characters, each having their own unique look and music style. The songs will vary in speed, with a BPM on screen to give an idea of how fast the song will be. The songs will also have a difficulty attached to them with a second, harder version of each song that is unlocked after completing the first version of the song. This doubles the song variants to play from 45 to a total of 90.

The songs will become more complex and difficult as they progress, with the addition of more complicated patterns and the need to switch between yellow and blue beats. With the tougher challenges for the hard variants of each song that push the player, with each challenge increasing in complexity when it comes to the tougher tracks. The tougher tracks are beatable, but there is a need to practice to perfect each song and clear bonus challenges.

There is a level system also included in this release, with each cleared stage giving experience that levels up the player, unlocking stages in the special hell mode at specific milestones. The infinite mode also has an online ranking where players can challenge others, with the highest score being added to the worldwide rankings. As well as the level system, there is an achievement system where players can unlock new characters, each with their own unique skills that can be used in stages.

The achievements that can be unlocked include collecting beats, clearing songs on hard and reaching specific levels, which don’t add much in terms of gameplay but add value to the player. These extra achievements and the infinite mode add to the replay value, giving players more incentive to continue playing the game after clearing the songs.

Now with the gameplay covered, I will be moving onto the other aspects of this game, starting with the controls.

Controls – the controls for this release are very simple, with the thumbstick and d-pad being used to move the player left and right. The face buttons are used to jump hazards and to switch the color of the Otomo souls, with the shoulder buttons moving the Otomo to the left and right. These controls are comfortable and feel right when played in handheld and/or docked mode. The game also plays well when using a pro controller or Joy-Cons, with zero lag or input issues when playing the game.

Difficulty – there is a gradual difficulty curve with this title, where the songs will have simple patterns that are relatively easy to get full combo scores. The difficulty does increase dramatically over time, making it very tough to score perfect runs of each song, but the characters that can be unlocked and their skills can make it easier. Practice is an important part of the experience, in order to score maximum points in the standard songs and to climb the leaderboards in hell mode.

Presentation – there is a very distinct visual style for this release, with an anime art style that has a neon cyberpunk flair to it. The environments and character designs have a cutesy design to them, with bold elements and thematic designs that fit each character. The soundtrack for this title has a lot of variety to it, with rock styled tracks that contrast well with synth based instrumentals. Some tracks are separated into short and long versions, extending some tracks to add a little variety to some compostions.

Final Thoughts – I had a good time with this release since I enjoy rhythm action titles. This title has its own distinct style to it and makes it a unique experience, with the cute neon anime art style and gameplay mechanics. I can happily recommend it to fans of rhythm action games, as there is a lot of content and challenge on offer for everyone who enjoys the genre. This is a complete package, with the variety of music tracks, achievements and the ranking mode included for worldwide competition.

In the end, I give Beat Souls a final score of 5/5. This title is the complete package for modern rhythm action fans, with a distinct art style, a good variety of music tracks, fun gameplay mechanics and an achievement/ranking system that is rewarding for players to keep playing. If you want to check this title out for yourself, links to each version will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Link to PlayStation version (HERE)

Link to Xbox version (HERE)