YunaNoire
1992
The most Game Boy game of all time, featuring, the guy of all time
2022
This review contains spoilers
The concept of this game has always been interesting to me and the concept really is well done, if a bit uneven in places. Each of the different chapters are at least entertaining although not all of them achieve greatness.
Near the end tho? It just. All kinda comes together, there's a moment of "oh yeah NOW i get what you're going for". It all just clicks into place and I love that.
I'll rank all the chapters in the order I did them and give a little review of them
Prehistory: The lack of actual spoken dialogue is interesting and although the humour is very lowbrow, it feels appropriate for the setting. Not a favourite, but a decent chapter. B-
Wild West: Really cool concept although I think the remake makes it a little too easy as well. Up there with one of the better ones. B+
Edo Japan: There's a lot of exploration with this one which makes it feel almost like a metroidvania and that's pretty interesting. The story isn't super engaging but it's a fun setting and fun gameplay concept. B+
Imperial China: I really enjoyed the story for this one and I liked the twist they threw in near the end of it. Nothing too different gameplay wise but I enjoyed this one overall. A-
Present Day: Honestly the weakest one and it's a shame. The concept is fun as it tries to turn into like, a Street Fighter RPG, but it just means it's really short and lacking in anything other than fights. Not awful, just a missed opportunity. C
The Near Future: This one was pretty great. Longer than most of the other chapters but I liked the protagonist and the story beats. Not super deep but just very entertaining. A
The Distant Future: This one is probably the best standalone chapter. It's high in atmosphere, low on combat, and god the story is is just amazingly good. Cube is a delightful protagonist and I get why people love them now. A+
The Middle Ages: This is about when the game starts to cash everything in and it's so good. The build up is a little slow but it's worth it for the climax of this one A+
The Final Chapter: Gameplay wise I think this is the best one. You get to pick and choose how much to prepare for the final battle and all the different dungeons for each character are really cool. The final battle just so fun and it plays right into the RPG tropes I adore. A+
All in all, I think that this is an uneven experience but one that just sort of works in the end for me. The combat isn't super interesting but I think that allows things to be focused on the experience instead. Some of the stories are pretty simplistic but they feel very much like legends in that regard, tales of justice and bravery that transcend time.
All in all, Live A Live is a worthwhile experience for fans of RPGs and those looking for something a bit different.
Near the end tho? It just. All kinda comes together, there's a moment of "oh yeah NOW i get what you're going for". It all just clicks into place and I love that.
I'll rank all the chapters in the order I did them and give a little review of them
Prehistory: The lack of actual spoken dialogue is interesting and although the humour is very lowbrow, it feels appropriate for the setting. Not a favourite, but a decent chapter. B-
Wild West: Really cool concept although I think the remake makes it a little too easy as well. Up there with one of the better ones. B+
Edo Japan: There's a lot of exploration with this one which makes it feel almost like a metroidvania and that's pretty interesting. The story isn't super engaging but it's a fun setting and fun gameplay concept. B+
Imperial China: I really enjoyed the story for this one and I liked the twist they threw in near the end of it. Nothing too different gameplay wise but I enjoyed this one overall. A-
Present Day: Honestly the weakest one and it's a shame. The concept is fun as it tries to turn into like, a Street Fighter RPG, but it just means it's really short and lacking in anything other than fights. Not awful, just a missed opportunity. C
The Near Future: This one was pretty great. Longer than most of the other chapters but I liked the protagonist and the story beats. Not super deep but just very entertaining. A
The Distant Future: This one is probably the best standalone chapter. It's high in atmosphere, low on combat, and god the story is is just amazingly good. Cube is a delightful protagonist and I get why people love them now. A+
The Middle Ages: This is about when the game starts to cash everything in and it's so good. The build up is a little slow but it's worth it for the climax of this one A+
The Final Chapter: Gameplay wise I think this is the best one. You get to pick and choose how much to prepare for the final battle and all the different dungeons for each character are really cool. The final battle just so fun and it plays right into the RPG tropes I adore. A+
All in all, I think that this is an uneven experience but one that just sort of works in the end for me. The combat isn't super interesting but I think that allows things to be focused on the experience instead. Some of the stories are pretty simplistic but they feel very much like legends in that regard, tales of justice and bravery that transcend time.
All in all, Live A Live is a worthwhile experience for fans of RPGs and those looking for something a bit different.
Stunningly presented and poigniantly beautiful game about missed opportunities, memories and the importance of immortalising those memories. This is a very artistic game, and isn't going to be for everyone. It's light on gameplay and it's more so a cosy, emotional journey through a touching narrative. Really the biggest compliment I can give it are regarding it's visual presentation, which is gorgeous and beautifully crafted. Worth playing for that alone, in my eyes.
Legitimately a charming and adorable adventure game. It's definitely made for younger audiences but it has enjoyable puzzles and collecting new words for your dictionary is fun. It is let down a little by some tedious elements but it doesn't really take too much away from the overall experience.
2014
Still working on a hard mode playthrough, but this is a very good retro platformer/shooter. Very simple controls, gameplay and graphical style but immensely enjoyable from all angles. Just the right balance of difficulty too, even in the hard mode. They don't throw bullshit challenges at you for no reason, the levels are just very well designed and feel fair while punishing you if you slip up. Great music too and just overall pretty damn charming.
2003
I've always had fond memories of DKC but I've never beaten it before. After picking up a GBA copy, I finally finished it and I can say that I personally enjoy this way more than any Mario Platformer. Just love the aesthetics, the audio and the way the game feels to play honestly.
2016
I'm not super sold on this one. It didn't really win me over with either it's aesthetics or it's story. The most compelling part was the voiceover work, and the two main leads were very likable. I appreciate and respect what it's trying to do, and the story it's trying to tell, but it didn't really spark anything within me.
2001
This was the first Sonic game I ever actually owned and so I definitely have something of a nostalgia bias towards it. As I was a very Sonic obsessed kid that meant that it remained wedged into my original purple GBA for a long, long time. Even after getting more games, this was one I frequently returned to time and time again. So it's admittedly difficult to separate myself from those feelings, even after recently replaying the game in full.
That said, I still think that Sonic Advance is a great game, although one that isn't without it's flaws. For the most part it's one of the best platformers on the system and it does a fantastic job emulating the level design of the original Sonic trilogy. But the issue there is that it mostly is playing it too safe. When comparing it to the later two entries in the Advance trilogy, it's obvious that they hadn't quite figured out what the identity of these games was yet and so they opted to make a game that is fun to play but is also largely derivative.
What does make it stand out though is having four different playable heroes to choose from, each of them having very different move sets. Traversal and enemy/boss elimination can differ a lot based on who you choose and this can make the game easier or harder.
Not only is there variety in the movesets but the animations are especially well done. The Sonic Advance style of character sprites are some of the best in the whole franchise and while they would later be improved upon, they're still full of charm here.
The actual level aesthetics still lack a distinctive identity but they still look nice at least and are incredibly detailed.
So overall, Sonic Advance feels very traditional, like a homage to the original formula that made Sonic so popular in the first place. If you like that sort of Sonic gameplay, you will be well catered for here honestly.
That said, I still think that Sonic Advance is a great game, although one that isn't without it's flaws. For the most part it's one of the best platformers on the system and it does a fantastic job emulating the level design of the original Sonic trilogy. But the issue there is that it mostly is playing it too safe. When comparing it to the later two entries in the Advance trilogy, it's obvious that they hadn't quite figured out what the identity of these games was yet and so they opted to make a game that is fun to play but is also largely derivative.
What does make it stand out though is having four different playable heroes to choose from, each of them having very different move sets. Traversal and enemy/boss elimination can differ a lot based on who you choose and this can make the game easier or harder.
Not only is there variety in the movesets but the animations are especially well done. The Sonic Advance style of character sprites are some of the best in the whole franchise and while they would later be improved upon, they're still full of charm here.
The actual level aesthetics still lack a distinctive identity but they still look nice at least and are incredibly detailed.
So overall, Sonic Advance feels very traditional, like a homage to the original formula that made Sonic so popular in the first place. If you like that sort of Sonic gameplay, you will be well catered for here honestly.
2021
Very cute, and the ending is very sweet. I love the art style and the character designs add to the adorable aesthetic very well.
Ultimately it is very short, and there isn't a lot of depth, but it's a pleasant time if you're wanting something to keep you entertained for a few hours.
Ultimately it is very short, and there isn't a lot of depth, but it's a pleasant time if you're wanting something to keep you entertained for a few hours.
An interesting idea for a side game, and I genuinely enjoyed myself for a bit. It just sort of loses steam after a few hours though. Definitely would have felt better as an add on to New Leaf, rather than it's own game. At least they learned their lesson on that front.
Not really worth anyone's time these days, since it requires having the money for amiibos, and the actual boardgame isn't that exciting. However, it's a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I have fond memories of playing this with friends and getting fucked over by the stalk market and the random event spaces. It's like if Monopoly was somehow worse but also somehow ten times better at the same time.
Both games have been retooled a little, and certain cameos have been stripped out, but otherwise the games are just as great as they were before, perhaps even more so. The bonus chapter is a nice test of your skills, although it was also slightly underwhelming too. But you still have some great value here; two intentionally bullshit hard games in one package.
Just a slight improvement over the first game. Intentional bullshit is still present, and the music and visuals are still very strong. I'd say the level themes aren't quite as strong this time around and I prefer certain parts of the original overall, but you can't go wrong with either.
This is a very enjoyable retro homage, featuring the AVGN. It's not without its bullshit, but the bullshit feels intentional, as part of the game's theme. It's tough, but I wouldn't say it's unforgiving unless you play the highest difficulties. The best part is honestly just the music and the visuals. Some of the songs stick in my head to this day.
Great premise for a visual novel! It's been a while since my own playthrough, but I remember loving it. The presentation is simple but well constructed, and the same can be said of the story as well.