YunaNoire
Stylish, funny and aesthetically gorgeous, VA-11 HALL-A is a very calm, casual game that is less focused on gameplay, and instead chooses to serve up engaging and relatable characters that are charming, sometimes larger than life, and incredibly memorable.
Seriously, this game is so important and I think everyone should play it at least once. It's the perfect game to just vibe with and have a good time. Learning about each character is such a joy, and of course, the immaculate presentation is the perfect accompaniment to it all.
Seriously, this game is so important and I think everyone should play it at least once. It's the perfect game to just vibe with and have a good time. Learning about each character is such a joy, and of course, the immaculate presentation is the perfect accompaniment to it all.
2018
An absolute platforming masterclass. This game will push you to you limit time and time again, but it will always encourage you to just keep trying. What will also keep you coming back, are the amazing visuals, the charming and emotional story and the incredible soundtrack. Not a game to be taken lightly, but well worth putting the effort in to see it through to the end.
Still need to get through the extra levels though, admittedly. Those are incredibly tough to crack.
Still need to get through the extra levels though, admittedly. Those are incredibly tough to crack.
2017
Did not vibe with this. Humor wasn't my style and there's just a lack of character to the visuals. The pacing just wasn't doing it for me either.
2015
A cute game with a very charming art style. Takes after DanganRonpa and Phoenix Wright a lot, and it's definitely an enjoyable experience. I wouldn't say it's anything spectacular though and despite how strong the visuals are, I don't think the game really stuck with me or really made a lasting impact.
A great sci-fi mystery, with charming and colourful pixel art. The world feels really well fleshed out and the characters are written really well. The voice acting is great and the music is wonderful. Turing is my robot son, I love him.
So far the only Advance Wars game i've finished and gosh, I loved it but wow, I kinda suck at these games. Still, I love the character designs here and the music has such a great style to it. Really engaging game!
Could not get over how generic this game felt. I feel like it was trying to parody a lot of typical anime tropes but it just wasn't that funny, or that interesting. The gameplay loop and combat wasn't much better, and it felt super repetitive after a while.
Didn't do a whole lot for me. I feel like that might make me heartless to some people, but I just couldn't really make a emotional connection here, and that's a big issue.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.