For this year when I beat a game I will try to do a pro/con for each game and try to explain myself for these things. This is probably a better way than just saying, good game or bad game. Hopefully this will give people more information and idea on my thoughts.
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Well that was surprising that this game was on the database. Anyway this is a small project done by only a few people so I tried really hard to take that into consideration when it came to pros and cons. Which also made it almost impossible to do pros and cons. The major pro that I would say helps this game stand out a little is the story. It may be short but it gives a strong message that even those who feel they are lonely, nothing, have nothing of worth, could end up actually learning their true meaning. The story definitely gave me some hope on a lot of things and let me learn more about myself to help strengthen my ideas and feelings. The con.... Yeah I really do not have anything for this because I tried to think of this as a small project and not some big time game that needed a lot of things. My only con is that it ended. Of course it was going to end, but it ended a little to soon for me. Oh well. Maybe they will do more story on these two in a future game or even do more with their next project. Either way, this is a decent short read for anyone interested in trying to learn more about their own selves.
A Vega of Starlights. Oh, I was suppose to write something interesting. Oh well. So yeah I kind of started this last year when it came out, but got distracted by other things and finally decided to finish it up. I am very glad I did. So this is another Yuri game with magic and occult themes that tries to give the player some interesting relationship ideas and understanding of differences. There are a few minor issues, but the read is pretty good for those interested in Yuri or even those interested in just reading occult themed works. So can we get some pros and cons with a game like this? Sort of. So I am giving this game a benefit of doubt again since it is kind of a small team again and one of their earlier works that they are still working to improve their style on. So I will be a little more lenient like I was with Lonely Yuri. Con's: Well some of the paths are not as developed as others and they do not give the most of what they could/should to the reader. Yet, there is still decent story and interesting paths that do have some connections (due to the Harem Ending) but also deviate from the others. I just felt that some paths could have had more development and maybe felt a little rushed. Yet, I am still giving them some pluses since this is an early project for them and they could make better work in the future. The music is also a minor con, but I do not want to hurt them with this early project. They did what they could with what sources they had, and it worked. Pro's: Yuri. Well that and the story (expecially the Human relationship) was really good and helped to give the reader some understanding of the world and what happened. There are even changes in choices and text when you get the Harem ending which makes it almost like reading a new story with the same characters as the other paths. They did put a decent amount of work into the writing and art, so that helps to make this VN more enjoyable to readers.
This is a very good Megaman game that needs some more attention from the public and is definitely worth a try if you have a DS or 3DS to play the game on. I actually was a little skeptical when I heard it was an open-world Megaman, but they did a very good job at putting the game together in an enjoyable way that still provides a decent story. Pros: Open-World games are not always my favorite since I like to have some guide posts around helping me get through the game, but this was the correct kind of open-world that gave the guiding (mostly) I needed. While I would agree that finding locations based on the map are almost impossible, but the exploration of the game and slight memorization of the bosses/locations kind of makes it easier for the players. The designs of the different forms that you can change into also make the character look more interesting. Instead of just a basic color change you get design changes like: Airplane-like design for the Wind Element, Water Jet design for the Ice Element, Phantom Ninja for the Shadow Element and Digging Mole design for the Fire Element. These, along with the ZX design, all have their own special abilities and models that make playing as each element a little more enjoyable. (Second Ice boss is weak to Ice Element). Cons: I already mentioned an almost unreadable map, but that did not really interfere with my enjoyment of the game. I also understand there is a reason for only four elements, but I kind of wish they could have done some more boss elements than just the four mentioned above (in the Pros section). Also, even though you get these different forms, I mostly found myself playing Model ZX against the bosses since this model provides the Mega-Buster for range and the Z-Saber for close range combat. Though I did explore around using the different forms to get as much of the items and side content completed as possible. This also led to some exploration of the buttons as well. They do not really tell you the button combos for the elements and I ended up pushing different button combos to learn that there are more than one attack and more capabilities for the different elements. The Wind can fly/hover around, the Ice and hover in water and keeps its depth allowing for tight exploration between spikes and traps, and so on so forth with the other elements. Yet, there is really no where shown in the statues menu that these are things you can do. There are probably a few other positives and negatives of this game, yet I really was not bothered by most of them and I enjoyed this game very much. I will say it is creeping close on the verge of Twilight Princess, but I do not think it will overcome it when the final list does come together. Still an excellent Megaman Handheld game for those who may still like Megaman games, but not seen a good reason to play anything after the many disappointments of the past games.
It's a Mega Man (Megaman) thing!!! More based on the older Megaman games but hey, those were good games back in the days right? This game is pretty decent with it's game play, controls and some fan service. Pro's: This game allows you to play as the other bosses of this game (4 other girls you battle as Metagal) and each boss has their own play style and mechanics that make the game unique for them. There could be enemies in certain paths while other paths will not have those enemies but different obstacles. This can get confusing trying to play them all together, but if you play each one separately then you can get use to their own unique game play. Cons: There are only really two minor issues I had with this game. One deal with the controls not really being displayed. I understand they may not be able to do that in the game (since some will use the keyboard, while others will use a gamepad), but it was not easy to figure out some of the unique aspects of the characters without randomly pushing buttons. Not too much an issue, but can be a slight nuisance. The other one deals with the final boss. It would have been cool to have a different final boss for each character (maybe the ones they are weak to), but you get the same boss which needs to be defeated differently based on who you are playing. So there is some difference, just not that much. Otherwise, it is a pretty decent old school Megaman style game that has some replay-ability, and could be enjoyable to those who like these kinds of games.
Plus Version (Updated version) A story of the Cave and how to travel through them without dying? This is probably one of those games is is well known among gamers and is definitely worth playing. I got the normal endings and the "Jump off the island" ending, but I failed at the true ending (apparently really close to the boss, so I'll have to come back to this game and do that). Pro: The whole game. I really do not know if there is much on the cons side. The jump can be a little floaty and there are some tricky jumps and such to make for certain events to occur, but that kind of helps with the gameplay a little. Some of the bosses can be a little hard (expecially Curly's Path) but does not really harm the player if they are willing to work out patterns and ways to defeat their opponents. For a game that came out a long time ago (even with the updated version) it is still a very solid action/platformer that works almost as well as the creator intended (if not better). Cons: Really nothing. I will say I did have to ask for help/search internet for one thing because I did not realize there was an "Inspect" option for items. That is more my problem for not trying things and more expecting the game to tell me these things. (I have that problem with a lot of games :P). Otherwise, even the updated music,graphics and Curly Path, this is still a solid game that could keep getting better if the creator wants to add more bonus bosses or areas to give the players some more Cave Story. I know I technically beat this like last year and did not put it on the list cause I wanted to beat the True ending, but I decided I had enough for now and will come back to it in the future. Definitely a game of the ages that will hold a strong spot in many gamers hearts and fingers.
SEQUELS HURRAY. We all know that every sequel is better than the previous game correct? Yeah, No. There are not many sequels who are actually better than the previous game. This is probably one of those with some understanding of "Oh the previous game was not as well received, so lets change almost everything about this game and see if people like it!" That is just my thought process on what they were thinking with this game. This is just not as good as the previous game. Cons: Too many to bring up. Voice Acting in a Mega Man game? I actually enjoyed MM8 even though many do not. The VA in this game is not that great, especially since it pauses mid sentence until you push the button to advance the text. Some of the VA is not too terrible (Vultron and Queen Bee), but others you can tell they had some poor choices or even slightly off voice work. They got rid of the terrible map that was in ZX, but they also said "Who needs an open world?" Thus ruining the open exploration of ZX. It became more linear with a lot of teleportation mechanics. While it is pretty cool to actually play as the boss of a certain area (with their own unique abilities and playstyles), it kind of ruined the cool outfits/designs of the Models that you could change into in ZX. Plus even if you play as a female character, you still get the VA of the boss (which in my case meant using Model ZX as Vent from ZX and having a Male Voice for my female character). So can there be an Pro's to this game? Sure why not. I mentioned in ZX that there was little to no way of knowing moves of a model I was using (unless you randomly pushed buttons). Well they fixed that and have a whole statues page for you to read all the abilities of the Model. As well as a small tutorial for each Model. While they still kept the same Wind, Ice, Fire and Phantom typings, they actually give you some story too it as well as the ability to play as the boss instead of playing a different colored model. They also finish the story that was kind of just cut off from the end of ZX. I almost wish they had just added a little more to ZX to complete the story instead of giving the players this game, but hey you just go with the flow. As mentioned before you do get to play as the boss. This actually does give you some challenges and obstacles that only a certain boss could overcome. So you may have spikes above you, so you use the turtle to avoid taking damage or need to jump high up and use the Kangaroo to jump very high up. This does help with exploration and getting items out of reach, but can also be a hindrance in boss battles. This is not a completely terrible game and actually does add some things and fixes some things from ZX, but is no where near the enjoyment factor of ZX. If you are interested in the story, then playing this will not hurt, but you could also just watch someone else play this to learn what happens.
Rain, Rain Stay here. Fill the world with Joy and Fear. A Camp Playstation project that actually is fairly well done and well worth trying out. It also helps that I actually enjoy the rain and just want to run outside and dance around in it every time it does rain. I will probably look at this as a small project again, since it is done by Camp Team that was probably invited at random to make a game based on a theme. Cons: There really are not too many issues since it is a small game, but there are a few things. The story is told through Text format, which is not too problematic yet, you sometimes get text while being chased by the Shadows and have little to no time to read what the text is saying. So you could miss some things story wise. The camera can be a little jarring when traversing the landscape, when it changes positions (especially when you are being chased) but really was not to problematic until later in the game with certain jumps. Then there is the small use of some of their enemies. The variety is not terrible, but they have a few enemies that you only see once, or twice in the game and never use them again. It would have been cool to see them use some of the different enemies in different ways. Pros: This is a very atmospheric and stylish game. It has it's own kind of style using the rain to give figure to your characters, and gives you some ways of seeing your characters, even if they are inside or under locations where rain doesn't reach. They give you footprints, dust clouds kicking up or even everyday items laying around to be knocked over to show where your character is even if you can't see them. The visuals really are well done and I rarely felt like I got lost finding my character. The music is also very well done and helps you figure out if you need to stay calm and focus on your pursuers or just relax and enjoy the surroundings. This is good in later stages when you are getting relaxed and then the music kicks and to let you know that an enemy is nearby and you need to be careful. This is definitely a game that is worth trying and I hope they keep doing these Playstation Camp projects. I would love to see more from these camps and see what people can come up with.
What do you get when you combine Bejeweled with RPG elements from games like 10 Million and You have to build a boat? Well apparently a decent gem matching game with anime girls battling their way through Hell to try to stop their fates from being ruined by an evil Deity. Cons: There are a few issues with the game. The game is not fully translated, which is not too problematic, but you may be confused later game when you try to figure out what a spell is doing to you (which is not hard to deal with when it does hit you and you learn). One minor issue that can be a bit problematic is the music is not as diverse. Each character has their own theme song and you will hear a few other pieces throughout the game. There is one song that is used as a Pre-boss fight but lasts for only a few bars before you get the generic music again. Sure you can choose to listen to the song and not click to advance the text, but it should stay or not even appear in the game. Or give a music library to listen to songs in the options. Each characters abilities and stats can be a little hard to figure out (how best to use each character), but they teach you and you kind of learn as you go through the game so it is not too problematic. Some of the purchasing spells are rewards you get from 100% clearing certain stages and it can be kind of pointless to buy spells if you think you might get them after a battle. Pro's The art design is not too terrible and the game can be a little addictive. My first few weeks playing I did not want to stop, but I had to so I could prepare for work the next day. While you will see a lot of same enemies you can use different characters to see how they fair in battle and even later on get the chance to team up with all your allies to fight harder battles. They even give you a branch path section so you can learn which characters work best in which situations, so you can make a strategy for a future fight if necessary. While the early game was fairly easy when I figured out what to do, it did kick up a notch in difficulty as the game progressed making me have to think more and use different strategies. Plus who does not love a good gem matching game once in a while. This is not a terrible game to try out, but probably not what everyone would be interested in. It may take some time to learn, but will end up being an enjoyable game once you find out what is needed.
Wings of the Heart!!! I technically started this Visual Novel a while back and then never got back to it till this year. This is definitely a well worth read and should actually be tried out for VN fans and new comers to the VN scene. Cons: So I technically played the un-patched Steam Version which has some new scenes and added content from the original. However, that also means there are errors in grammar, spelling and kind of a rushed translation (especially Kotori's late route). There are some translation issues throughout the whole VN, but they are not too problematic and as I learned in college, if you have one mistake per five pages of content, it is usually not penalized. As I said it is mostly only during the newer content of the game where it may be a problem for readers. Otherwise there is really not much problem with the VN itself. Pros: What isn't to love about this amazing VN. The story is either written by people who took part in a similar club experience, or some people who have a lot of knowledge on flying in a glider. It has a lot of scientific terms and understanding of how things work with aircraft and how they actually work. As mentions, these people either were in this kind of club or did a lot of research because it is well put together into a story. Even the different love stories add some interest into the story that gives players different views on the world around them. The music, art, character design, character portrayals, CG and even Video (yes there is video in this VN) are very well done and help players enjoy the VN to its fullest. There could be some issues with many of the songs fading out to the next scene and using the same song for that scene as well, but most of the time they switch to another song from the wonderful soundtrack. There are too many good things to explain in just a small summary of this game, but I would gladly recommend this VN to any VN fan who wants to read about Flying through the sky and the very diverse character cast. Well worth giving a read.
The Nightmare Before Halloween… or something along those lines. This is another small project put together by a few people who wanted to write a story about Halloween (or more like Witch Hunting). So I will be a little biased on this VN since it was not a big project and I want to actually give it a fair treatment. Cons: As mentioned, this is a small project and I really can’t think of too many major problems for this Visual Novel. I will say that it could have used some more details in the story. They could have explained a few more things about Witch Hunting, how the location is connected and maybe a few more things about the past events. I understand that in this day and age we can always look a lot of things up online, but authors should never force their readers to do extra work to find out more. While there is some minor translation issues, (This being originally done in Spanish, I think) they are not too problematic and most people can just read through the sentences without even realizing there are mistakes. I was also a little upset with having to go through all endings to even unlock specific character endings, but I thought about it logically and kind of gave that a pass since it actually does help with the story telling. Pros: So even though this is classified as a Visual Novel, it is more a Sound Novel (a sub-branch of VNs). The music and sound actually do help to set the mood and atmosphere of the story. There are calming moments with decent music and then there are tense moments where the player knows something is going to happen. It works well with the story and helps readers get more connected to the story. Again, since this is a small project by a small team I really can not complain too much about some of the misgivings. The story may lack some details, but it not that terrible. It did draw me in (I pretty much completed this short VN in a couple hours and kind of did not want to stop reading even though I had to get to bed for work the next day). So even with some lacking of details it was definitely worth giving a few hours to reading it. If you need a short read or want easy achievements for Steam, then this would be for you. Otherwise, I really do not say this is a must read and could be passed up if you are not interested in these kinds of ideas. It could be a decent read on Halloween though. Just don’t stroll through the graveyard during Halloween night.