A few thoughts on Witch & Hero III now that I've put about four hours into it

The Witch & Hero series and I go way back (see this old post and this one, too, for proof), so of course I bought Witch & Hero III as soon as it hit the Japanese 3DS eShop late last month.

Since then, I've devoted just under four hours to the game's globe-trotting, witch-protecting adventure. For the curious, that's taken me through around 32 of its single-screen stages. Sadly, I have no idea how many the game contains. If I had to guess, I'd go with 50 or so. Even if it ends up being just 40, though, I'll walk away feeling like Witch & Hero III was worth the 400 Yen (about $4) I spent on it.

That doesn't mean I've found Witch & Hero III to be a perfect game thus far. As is the case with its predecessors, it has its flaws. Overall, though, I'm having a lot of fun with it--to the point I'd say it's my second-favorite of the series' three releases.

What do I like about Witch & Hero III and what do I dislike about it? Here are a few examples of both:

Finally, the action takes place on the 3DS' top screen--I've always found it strange that developer Flyhigh Works put the action of the first two Witch & Hero games on the 3DS' bottom screen. Someone there must've agreed with me, as the action in Witch & Hero III takes place on the 3DS' top screen where it belongs. To be honest, I can't say the game feels all that different as a result, but I'm glad its devs made the switch all the same.



The new enemies and environments are a welcome change of pace--If you thought the enemies and environments in the first two Witch & Hero games seemed a bit samey, you'll love all the new ones that pop up in part three. I especially get a kick out of the humongous boss creatures that appear at the end of certain stages. The series' previous entries occasionally tossed larger-than-usual baddies at you, but they were just blown-up versions of regular enemy sprites. Here, they're completely unique--and beautiful--creations that command your attention by taking up a surprisingly large portion of the screen.

That said, the handful of ice stages can die in a fire--I usually enjoy ice stages in games. Not here. That's mainly because Witch & Hero III's ice stages often feel like you're on a pinball table and stuck between 20 or more bumpers. It's funny the first few times you tackle a stage, but after that it's just annoying. The good news is Witch & Hero III features only a handful of ice stages, so my advice is to grit your teeth and get through them as quickly as you can.



I don't enjoy Witch & Hero III's soundtrack as much as I enjoyed the ones featured in earlier entries--This isn't to suggest the backing tunes that play throughout each Witch & Hero III stage suck. Some of them are pretty darn good, but many others are forgettable at best. I don't consider that to be a huge deal, and I don't think you should either, but I thought it was worth mentioning here anyway.

Thank goodness you don't have to control your partner this time around--At first, being able to move both the hero and the witch at the same time while playing Witch & Hero II was a thrilling change of pace from the series' first release. After a while, though, it seemed more cumbersome than anything else. My biggest fear going into Witch & Hero III was that it would double down on this back-of-the-box bullet point. (All of the game's promotional materials show two heroes, as well as the eponymous witch, on each screen.) Thankfully, it doesn't. Although you're fully able to control both heroes (one using the 3DS' circle pad, the other using its face buttons), you also can hand over control of the second hero to the computer. For me, the latter has been far preferable to the former so far.



These games are more strategic than they initially seem, I swear--If you only play the first 10 or so stages of Witch & Hero III, or the first 10 or so stages of the other two Witch & Hero titles, you'll likely wonder why I like them so much. To understand my fascination with them, you really have to go further than that. Eventually, it becomes pretty clear that to master these games, you have to balance a number of components: the witch's health meter, the health meters of the two heroes, the magic (or "blood") meters of all three characters, the "Holy Power" meter, and more. It all sounds a lot easier in theory than it is in practice, and it's one of the main reasons every new Witch & Hero release excites me a bit more than the last.

Get ready to deal with a lot of slowdown--On the one hand, it's cool that many of Witch & Hero III's stages feature more enemy sprites than ever. On the other hand, all of those slowly creeping sprites cause a lot of slowdown. Bizarrely, it hasn't bothered me much to date, but I have a feeling it will bother many who play the game. So, if slowdown is a deal-breaker for you, think long and hard before you plop down $4 on Witch & Hero III when it makes its way onto your region's 3DS eShop in the coming months.

See also: my Witch & Hero review and my Witch & Hero II review

Witch & Hero III hits the Japanese 3DS eShop just in time to be a GOTY 2017 contender

In late October, Circle Entertainment announced that not only was a third Witch & Hero game in the works for the Nintendo 3DS but it would be released by the end of the year.

Well, it just hit the system's eShop--but only in Japan.

Given my love of this odd little series of action-y tower-defense (or witch-defense, to be more accurate) titles, I bought this latest entry as soon as I was able last night.

I've only put about an hour into Witch & Hero III so far, which means I've conquered about six or seven of its stages, but that's been enough for me to know I'll continue to plug away at it over the coming days and weeks until I either beat it or burn out on it.

Curiously, this Witch & Hero game begins much like the first. At the moment, I control only the eponymous hero, racing around each level using the 3DS' circle pad and bumping enemies to death, Ys style, as they dare to approach and even attempt to kill the witch, who sits, petrified (literally, not figuratively), in the middle of the screen.

Based on the game's logo, as well as its teaser trailer, I know it won't ape the original release's gameplay for much longer. Or at least I hope it won't do so for much longer; I'm really itching to see how the developers at Flyhigh Works change things up this time around. (In Witch & Hero II, you can move the witch around the screen using the 3DS' face buttons, which admittedly makes things a bit more hectic than I'd like.)

Anyway, if you own a Japanese 3DS, you could do far worse than buy Witch & Hero III. It's only 350 Yen right now--after Jan. 10, it'll jump to 400 Yen--and it's already proving to be a lot of fun.

If you'd rather not jump right in to the series' third entry, pick up the first one. It's also only 400 Yen ($4 in North America), and until Witch & Hero III proves otherwise, I still think it's the best of the bunch.

Need to know more about it, and maybe Witch & Hero II as well, before handing over your hard-earned cash? Read my Witch & Hero review. Or read by Witch & Hero II review.

Don't fret if you lack a Japanese 3DS. Witch & Hero III is supposed to hit other regions' eShops sometime in early 2018. Keep an eye on publisher Circle Entertainment's Twitter account for news of its release.

A late 'Game of the Year' contender approaches: Witch & Hero III is coming to 3DS

A bit of news you may have missed late last month: Circle Entertainment slipped into its flurry of Tokyo Game Show 2017 tweets the fact that Witch & Hero 3 is in the works for the Nintendo 3DS.

That announcement made me happier than any other dropped during the formerly illustrious Japanese gaming event. If you're wondering why, consider that I named the first Witch & Hero one of my favorite games of 2013, and I did the same with Witch & Hero II last year.

Sadly, the only things known about Witch & Hero III at the moment are its title and Circle's goal to release the game before the end of the year.

A few other details can be gleaned--or at least guessed--from the tiny screenshots included in the above-mentioned tweet, thankfully. One is it looks like more than one "hero" will join the titular witch on the battlefield this time around. Another is the game may include a second witch as well, if the shadowy figure that's positioned second from the left on the game's logo is any indication.

Should that first assumption prove to be true, I can't say I'll be thrilled, to be perfectly honest.

Despite enjoying Witch & Hero II overall (as per my review), I preferred the original to it in the end because I found controlling both the witch and the hero cumbersome. Controlling a witch and two heroes--or, gulp, two witches and two heroes--in Witch & Hero III may push me over the edge.

I'll buy it regardless, of course. Hell, I'll likely buy it twice--once on my main North American 3DS, and once on my main Japanese one.

The real question in my mind at this point: will Circle bring the game to the Switch, too? If so, I suppose I'll have to buy it a third time.

You know what I'd like even more, though? A Switch port of the original Witch & Hero. The game doesn't need to be displayed across two screens, plus this would put one of my favorite 3DS eShop titles (check out this recent-ish post for nine more of them) on my current go-to games console.

If you're curious to read more about why I'm such a fan of the series' first effor, by the way, you can do so in my Witch & Hero review.

Other than that, are any of you also excited about the impending release of Witch & Hero III?

Shall We Do It? (Aero Porter, Go! Go! Kokopolo and Ninja Jajamaru-kun 3DS)

Although Dragon Quest VII continues to be the focus of the time I spend with my 3DS systems, that doesn't mean I'm ignoring every other game released for the handheld.

In fact, I put a good number of minutes--and, in some cases, hours--into the trio of 3DS titles named below in the last week. Here are my thoughts on those experiences:

Aero Porter--I've wanted to play this Yoot Saito-made puzzler since it was first revealed to be a part of Level-5's intriguing Guild01 compilation. As is too often the case for yours truly, I failed to buy it upon release and then basically forgot about it until I saw it would be included in a Black Friday sale on the North American 3DS eShop.

That was all I needed to jump in with both feet. (I purchased The Starship Damrey at the same time, though I've yet to even boot up the curious-looking survival-horror title.) With that out of the way, I played Aero Porter throughout my recent three-day move--of sorts--from Seattle to California.

If you've never before heard of Aero Porter, the gist is that you have to manage all of the baggage coming into and going out of an airport. Not the most thrilling of premises, I agree, but it's definitely unique. Also, it produces gameplay that's a lot more compelling than I ever imagined.

Unfortunately, it also produces gameplay that's a bit too frantic for my liking. As such, although I currently love and respect the idea of Aero Porter, I'm not sure that's going to translate to me putting much more time into it, as I'm already feeling stumped.

Don't worry, I haven't completely given up on it, but I may have to do just that if it becomes clear it's not a good fit for my feeble brain. Regardless, I'm glad I finally bought it, and I still think it's worth trying if you tend to like portable puzzle games.

Go! Go! Kokopolo--This indie title was first made available to the gaming masses back in 2011 via Nintendo's DSiWare service. Later, it made the transition to the 3DS eShop--though its developer mysteriously pulled Go! Go! Kokopolo from the European and North American versions of that digital storefront in late 2014.

For whatever reason, Go! Go! Kokopolo can still be found on the Japanese 3DS eShop--which is where I bought my copy after publisher Circle Entertainment reminded me of its existence while promoting the game's upcoming 3DS sequel.

I'm now sad I waited so long to experience this wonderfully weird title, which calls to mind classics like Enix's Door Door and Namco's Pac-Man. Here, you're plopped into the paws of an ever-grinning cat named Kokopolo and then tasked with corralling each stage's creatures into the hungry stomach of what the game's makers describe as a carnivorous plant.

As for how you accomplish that, you do it by waltzing up to one of said creatures, swiping at it with your claws, making it angry and then leading it to the above-mentioned plant when it inevitably gives chase.

It's a lot of fun and doesn't require a huge investment of time or energy. (In other words, it's one of those play-when-you've-got-a-few-spare-minutes games that are so great when you're busy.) Plus, it's a real looker, with pixel-based graphics that remind of Saturday morning cartoons.

Ninja Jajamaru-kun: Sakura-hime to Karyu no Himitsu--I don't have much experience with Jaleco's Ninja Jajamaru-kun series. I've played a bit of the Mario Bros.-esque Famicom game from 1985, but that's it.

Not that Sakura-hime to Karyu no Himitsu plays anything like that antiquated title. This modern sequel is a fairly by-the-numbers platformer--with tossable shurikens, naturally. It attempts to make up for its staid gameplay with colorful backdrops and well-drawn character and enemy sprites, but the latter fall a tad short of the mark due to their annoyingly diminutive size.

Granted, of all the games discussed in this post, I've put the least amount of time into Ninja Jajamaru-kun: Sakura-hime to Karyu no Himitsu. Given that, it's entirely possible its adventure turns a corner at some point down the road and becomes thoroughly thrilling.

Should that prove to be the case, I'll let all of you know in an upcoming write-up (perhaps even in another "Great Gaymathon" review).

**Bonus** Picross 3D: Round 2 (demo)--I also recently downloaded and played through the Picross 3D: Round 2 demo that Nintendo added to the North American 3DS eShop. This despite the fact that I've barely touched the Picross DS cartridge I bought ages ago and have yet to even pick up 2009's much-balyhooed follow-up, Picross 3D.

Still, the original Picross 3D gets so much love on line that I couldn't ignore the chance to experience a bite of its digital-only (in my neck of the woods, at least) sequel. As for my impressions of Round 2's demo: I really, really liked it. It's polished to the hilt, as so many Nintendo-made and -published products are, plus there's plenty of substance below that shiny surface.

That said, I've got to admit I think I prefer the more straightforward rules and gameplay associated with traditional Picross to this three-dimensional offshoot. The former's certainly easier to boot up and zone out to, in my opinion, and that's usually what I want from a puzzle game these days.

Who knows, though, I may change my mind and import a copy of the Japanese version of Picross 3D: Round 2 later this year when it finally dawns on me that the days of the 3DS are nearly over.

My favorite 3DS games of 2016 that aren't Pocket Card Jockey

A couple of days ago, I declared Game Freak's Pocket Card Jockey, the weird 3DS eShop title that bravely combines horse racing (and breeding!) with golf solitaire, my favorite game of 2016.

That endearingly odd 3DS game isn't the only one released in the last 12 months I thoroughly enjoyed, of course. Here are three others that fit the same bill:

Dragon Quest VII--Including this recently released remake of Square Enix's classic PlayStation RPG from the early 2000s probably strikes some of you as odd. After all, it's just as often annoyed me as thrilled me in the 50-plus hours I've put into it so far. (Examples of both reactions to the game can be found in this post and in this follow-up.) Still, I like its island-hopping (not to mention time-traveling) adventure more than I hate it, so I think mentioning it here is warranted. Plus, the only game I've played more in 2016 than Dragon Quest VII is Pocket Card Jockey, so it actually would be kind of weird if I ignored it in this post. I mean, you don't devote nearly 60 hours to a game that's irredeemably terrible, right?

Witch & Hero II--Although I prefer the more straightforward gameplay of the first Witch & Hero to the more convoluted gameplay of the second, that doesn't mean Witch & Hero II is a dud. On the contrary, it's sure to be a blast for anyone who enjoys retro-tinged titles that don't require a ton of time or attention. Both Witch & Hero games were inspired by the tower-defense genre, by the way, with the first title slipping players into the shoes of a knight who has to protect a petrified (as in turned to stone, not paralyzed by fear) witch, and the second one allowing players to control both adorably pixelated characters as they do their darndest to fight off swarms of similarly eye-catching baddies. (Additional musings on the sequel can be found in my "five thoughts on Witch & Hero II" write-up from March.)

Yo-Kai Watch--As has been the case with Dragon Quest VII, my mid-2016 playthrough of Yo-Kai Watch was not entirely pleasant. For the most part, though, I found myself both charmed and captivated by the latter, Pokémon-esque RPG. That's mainly due to the game's setting, yo-kai (the game's catchable characters) and battles. I grew especially fond of Yo-Kai Watch's amusingly interactive enemy encounters in the 40 or so hours I plopped into my cartridge earlier in the year--even if they did a number on my 3DS' lower screen. (For more of my thoughts on this Level-5 product, read my "three things I like and dislike about Yo-Kai Watch" post.)

Honorable mentions: The Battle Cats POP!, Final Fantasy Explorers, Kingdom's Item Shop, Return To PoploCrois: A Story Of Seasons Fairytale and Unholy Heights

So, is Ambition of the Slimes (3DS) worth its $5 price tag?

Now that I've put a few hours into the just-released 3DS version of Circle Entertainment's strategy RPG, Ambition of the Slimes, I thought I'd share some thoughts on the experience.

Before I get to those musings, though, I have to mention that I've never played any other iteration of this game. (Developer altairworks first made it available to iOS and PlayStation Mobile users early last year.) So, I can't say how the 3DS port compares to those releases.

With that out of the way, here are some impressions of Ambition of the Slimes for 3DS:

* First, I like that this Final Fantasy Tactics-esque SRPG gets things rolling in the right direction with a tutorial. Even better, it's a short tutorial--just three quick battles.

* Why do I like that it includes a tutorial? Because as is the case with many of Circle Entertainment's games--no offense intended by this next statement, mind you--Ambition of the Slimes' text is only somewhat understandable. Also, it just doesn't feature much text, period. Combine those truths and you have a situation that screams for some sort of tutorial.

* Surprisingly, the third stage of this 3DS title's tutorial had me stumped for a bit. Specifically, the enemy kicked my butt two or three times before I finally figured out what I had to do to beat it. That's not a knock on the game, by the way; I'm pretty sure I was just being dense. Still, it was nice to learn so quickly that Ambition of the Slimes probably wouldn't be a pushover.

* Did those pleasant reactions continue to pop up after I began the game's main campaign? I'd say so. Early on, at least, the story is minimal, the battle stages are fairly small, the challenge increases at an acceptable rate and the soundtrack is surprisingly pleasant. (Regarding that last point, though, I can't be alone in thinking the music here sounds awfully similar to that of the Witch & Hero games, right?)

* Speaking of Ambition of the Slimes' story, at the moment I'd almost describe it as non-existent.  Now, I'd consider that a negative in many cases (especially when talking about RPGs), but in this one it doesn't bother me at all. I didn't buy this from the 3DS eShop because I wanted a deep adventure; I bought it because I wanted a "lite" SRPG to play during my daily commute and during whatever free time I can muster up at home. That's exactly what it's given me so far.

* Control-wise, Ambition of the Slimes is perfectly serviceable. Or maybe I should say it controls as expected. In other words, the 3DS' shoulder buttons rotate the playfields, à la Final Fantasy Tactics and most other modern SRPGs, while its circle and directional pads move characters and its A and B buttons confirm battle orders. Oh, and each of these actions work smoothly and feel good.

* Finally, my favorite aspect of Ambition of the Slimes: its graphics. I'm not just talking about its main battle aesthetics--you know, the ones that can be seen while moving about on the game's three-dimensional, isometric fields. Those are great--thanks in large part to the pixelated characters that populate them. Even better, as far as I'm concerned, are the graphics that come into play after you've decided to confront a specific enemy. (Check out the red-tinged screenshot above for an example of what I'm talking about here.) The sprite-based art used in these moments almost looks like it was created by Pokémon designer Ken Sugimori (even though I know he had nothing to do with it).

Sounds good, right? If you agree, go ahead and give it a try. It'll only set you back five bucks. Just keep in mind that Ambition of the Slimes is a lot like a couple of other Circle Entertainment 3DS titles, namely Witch & Hero and Witch & Hero II.

Much like those games are bite-sized tower-defense titles, Ambition of the Slimes is a bite-sized strategy RPG. In other words, expect something that rivals the great Final Fantasy Tactics and you're going to be sorely disappointed.

See also: Ambition of the Slimes' latest trailer

Friendly reminder: the Final Fantasy Tactics-esque Ambition of the Slimes is now available via the European and North American 3DS eShops

If you're looking to add an adorably pixelated strategy RPG to your 3DS' home menu, you could do worse than drop $5--or the equivalent, if you live in Europe--on the just-released Ambition of the Slimes.

This Circle Entertainment-published eShop title is more than just another pretty--or maybe I should say cute--face. What is that supposed to mean? It's supposed to mean (or suggest) Ambition of the Slimes isn't your typical SRPG. 

In fact, it puts players in the shoes of that lowliest of RPG baddies, the slime. Unfortunately, the slimes that populate this are a pretty helpless bunch and have to take over their human enemies--by leaping into their mouths--to achieve victory.

Not swayed by that description? Check out the game's latest trailer, above. If after that you decide to buy and download Ambition of the Slimes, come back here and chat about it with me in the comments section that follows.

I'd totally buy the Japanese version of the adorable 3DS SRPG, Ambition of the Slimes, next week if an English release weren't in the works

I'm a sucker for a lot of things when it comes to buying and playing video games. Among them: cuteness, pixels, low-poly environments (think the original Final Fantasy Tactics) and strategy RPGs.

Oh, and slimes. You know, like the little blobs that basically represent Square Enix's Dragon Quest series both here and abroad.

All of the above are front and center in Circle Entertainment's 3DS port of a Japanese mobile game known as Ambition of the Slimes--which of course means I want nothing more than to buy the hell out of it the second it hits that region's eShop next week.



I'm going to do my best to hold off on that, though, thanks to a tweet Circle sent out earlier today that assured Ambition of the Slimes is "already on the way" to both Europe and North America.

How long will it take for this adorable tactical RPG to cross the pond? Sadly, I haven't a clue. As soon as I hear anything in that regard, I'll let you know.

In the meantime, please enjoy the trailer above, which showcases some Japanese footage of the game.

(Via japanesenintendo.com)

I've never been keen on The Legend of Dark Witch, but I'm beyond interested in Brave Dungeon

For whatever reason, The Legend of Dark Witch and its sequel, both made by Inside System and published outside of Japan by Circle Entertainment, have never really pinged my radar, if you know what I mean.

The developers' latest effort, though--a role-playing spin-off of The Legend of Dark Witch called Brave Dungeon--currently has my full attention.

Why? Its stellar pixel art, on full display in the following trailer, is a particularly noteworthy reason.



The genre switch is another reason, as I haven't been the biggest fan of run-and-gun platformers--à la Mega Man and the first two The Legend of Dark Witch 3DS titles--since I was a teen.

Unfortunately, the folks at Inside System currently are being kind of coy as to when Brave Dungeon will hit the Japanese 3DS eShop (or the eShop of other regions). All they're saying at the moment is it'll see the light of day sometime between now and the end of this year.

Oh, well, it's not like I'm desperately searching for a new game to play right now. As such, I'll sit tight and hopefully savor its retro-tinged adventure whenever it's finally released.

(Via japanesenintendo.com)

A somewhat gay review of Witch & Hero II (3DS)

Game: Witch & Hero II

Genre: Tower defense

Developer: Flyhigh Works

Publisher: Circle Entertainment

System: 3DS

Release date: 2016

Witch & Hero II doesn't offer up the most positive of first impressions.

Early on, it’s nearly indistinguishable from its predecessor in the looks department. It sounds a lot like that lovely eShop title from 2013 (read my review of it here), too.

In fact, the only aspect of Witch & Hero II that alerts you to the fact you’ve booted up the sequel instead of the FK Digital-made original is its main gameplay hook, which lets players control both of the titular characters rather than just one of them.

Unfortunately, that change isn’t as thrilling as it may seem--at least initially. At first, it’s actually kind of annoying, as keeping track of the hero and the witch (one is moved using the 3DS’ circle pad, while the other is moved using the system’s A, B, X and Y buttons) is quite a hassle, especially when the screen is swarming with enemies.

(If you’re still a Witch & Hero virgin, both games are twitchy takes on the tower-defense genre and task players--after plopping them into the shoes of an adorably Dragon Quest-esque knight--with protecting a magic-wielding witch from hordes of similarly retro-inspired baddies. Oh, and you off those pixelated foes by bumping into them, preferably from the rear, à la classic Ys.)

Thankfully, controlling two characters at the same time quickly shifts from being a nuisance to being a blast. It changes up the formula just enough to make Witch & Hero II's multi-screen trek a lot more interesting and thrilling than it would have been if developer Flyhigh Works had whipped out a sequel that simply tossed a few new enemies and music tracks on top of the first title's gameplay and called it a day.

As for aspects that could be considered less positive than the one discussed above, an obvious candidate is the massive slowdown that pops up in its latter stages. 

Another is that the game can become a cakewalk around the halfway point if you aren't careful about doling out armor, weapon and magic upgrades. This is easier said than done, unfortunately, as Witch & Hero II's early levels mean business, and your immediate reaction to them is likely to be to buff up your pint-sized adventurers as quickly as possible to ensure their survival. 

My advice: only increase the speed, strength and defense of the witch and hero enough so they won't be slaughtered. Do that, and you won't waltz through this game's second half as I did.

One last comment before I stick a fork in this review: if you haven't played the first Witch & Hero already, I'd highly recommend doing that before jumping into the follow-up. It serves as a great introduction to the second title's gameplay, plus it helps you fully appreciate the "throwing off the shackles" sense of freedom that's at the heart of the sequel.  

See also: previous 'Great Gaymathon' and 'somewhat gay' reviews

Pixelated service announcement: Witch & Hero II is now available in both Japan and North America

If you own a Japanese or a North American 3DS system and you've got $4 to spare, you could do far worse than go to your region's eShop and buy a copy of Circle Entertainment's Witch & Hero II. (Side note for folks who have Australian or European 3DS systems: the game is set to hit your eShop in April.)

You may remember that I was (and still am) a big fan of the first Witch & Hero. In fact, it was one of my favorite games of 2013.

As a result, I've eagerly anticipated this follow-up, which is both more of the same as well as a breath of fresh air.

I'll explain why that is in a post that'll be published in a couple of days. For the time being, just know that I've already plopped nearly three hours into the North American version Witch & Hero II (after putting about two hours in the Japanese release) and I expect I'll devote at least three or four more to it before all is said and done.



After all, I played the original Witch & Hero for just over seven hours, and this sequel seems to have quite a bit more content.

Speaking of the original, if you've never played it, I'd highly recommend picking up that--it's also $3.99, although it's often on sale for less than that--before you tackle Witch & Hero II. The first game serves as a nice introduction to the series (imagine that!), plus I think some folks might be a bit overwhelmed by jumping straight into the second entry.

Are any of you similarly ardent fans of the Witch & Hero series? If so, feel free to share the love in the comments section that follows.

Also, if any of you know the name of the person who created the brilliant piece of art showcased above, please let me know. Developer Flyhigh Works shared it via Twitter a couple of days ago, but I couldn't suss out who's responsible for it.

Here's your first look at Witch & Hero II (3DS)

This post is for the three other people in the world who, like me, are eagerly awaiting the release of Flyhigh Works' Witch & Hero II.

That day is approaching more quickly than you may think if you own a Japanese 3DS, by the way, as this sequel to 2013's original Witch & Hero will hit that country's eShop this coming Tuesday (Feb. 17).

And what if you don't own a Japanese 3DS? According to the folks at publisher Circle Entertainment, it'll be added to the North American eShop (and hopefully other Western eShops) sometime after mid-March.

In the meantime, take a gander the game's first trailer:



I can't tell if what's shown in it suggests Witch & Hero II will introduce some new gameplay elements or if it's just going to offer up more of the same.

To be honest, I'm fine with either option, as long as the final product proves to be as enjoyable as FK Digital's first effort.

How many of you--if any--also are chomping at the bit to buy and play this digital tower-defense title?

See also: 'Hear ye, hear ye! The release of Witch & Hero II appears imminent'

A somewhat gay review of Witch and Hero (3DS)

Game: Witch and Hero

Genre: Tower Defense

Developer: Flyhigh Works and FK Digital

Publisher: Circle Entertainment

System: 3DS (eShop)

Release date: 2013

Witch and Hero is one hell of a fun game.

True, it sports some charmingly rendered graphics that call to mind those of its counterparts from the 1980s, and its blippy soundtrack compares favorably to the ones featured in RPGs from the same era, but neither of those things will prompt you to return to the game over and over and over again as I have since I was given a complimentary copy a few months ago.

No, what will keep you coming back for more (and more and more, if you're anything like me) as far as Witch and Hero is concerned is that it's a total blast to play.

What's so fun about it? For me, it all stems from the title's main gameplay hook, which throws gamers into the shoes of an adorably pixelated knight (the titular hero) and then tasks them with protecting his similarly two-dimensional witch pal from swarm after swarm of oncoming baddies.

You see, each of this digital title's 20 stages begins with the hero's quite literally petrified friend standing at its center. As enemies approach her from the edges of the screen, the player (piloting the aforementioned adorable knight) races about using the 3DS' circle pad and bumps into them, a la Falcom's vaunted Ys series, until they've expired.

Don't worry, it's more strategic than it probably sounds. For instance, if you ram into a baddie from behind you'll cause the most damage while experiencing the least amount of pain yourself.

That's all you have to worry about for the first few levels: killing as many enemies as possible while protecting the witch from harm (since she can take damage, too--and if she dies, it's game over).

Thankfully, Witch and Hero adds an extra layer or two of gameplay to the proceedings just before things begin to feel stale by revealing that it's possible to resurrect your pointy hatted pal for a few, precious seconds----during which she blasts oncoming foes either with a fire or tornado attack--by gathering the drops of blood that are left behind by extinguished enemies and tossing them at her feet.

As much as that helps liven up the experience, things are made even more enjoyable after the last of Witch and Hero's surprises is exposed--with the surprise in question being the introduction of yet another ATB-esque bar that fills each time the knight engages an enemy. Max it out and hit a button and ol' helmet head becomes invincible for a hot second while his better half (OK, so I have no idea whether the witch and hero are married or not) pushes out some spells that are even more wicked and spectacular than the ones she unleashed earlier.

Once both of those "features" are made available to players, Witch and Hero fully blossoms as a portable pick-up-and-play game that's worth every penny (399, to be exact) you spend on it.

That's not to say it's a perfect portable pick-up-and-play game. For instance, there's the fact that it takes a while to show its true colors--and, as such, it's sure to lose a handful of gamers in the interim. Also, the final boss is a real pain in the ass.

Neither of those issues is enough to keep me from recommending Witch and Hero, though, so I'd say that if what I wrote above sounds at all appealing, and if you have $3.99 to spare, you should give it a try at your earliest convenience.

See also: previous 'somewhat gay' reviews

So long, 'Bye-Bye, Backlog,' hello, 'Baby Got Back(log)'

I know it may seem a little late in the game (pun intended) to change the title of this particular series from "Bye-Bye, Backlog" to "Baby Got Back(log)," but, really, it's only early May, so there are nearly eight months left in the year to make use of the new moniker.

I can't claim responsibility for "Baby Got Back(log)," by the way--that honor goes to reader Tony Sadowski, who recently suggested it via The Gay Gamer Facebook page.

I thought it was so spot-on perfect that I couldn't help but steal it--with Tony's permission, naturally--and put it it to use.



And who knows? Maybe I'll continue this little "project" of mine next year, too. Not just so I can type "Baby Got Back(log)" as often as possible, mind you--although I'd surely be lying if I said that wasn't at least a slight source of inspiration.

Anyway, aside from that, I probably should tell you a bit about the games I've played since the last "Bye-Bye, Backlog," er, "Baby Got Back(log)" post I published.

Sadly, I've only enjoyed two titles in that time, both of which were nabbed from the 3DS eShop: Crimson Shroud and Witch & Hero.

I'm absolutely loving the former game, by the way. I love its graphics, its soundtrack--even its quirky, table-top-RPG-esque gameplay. I can't say I understand everything that's going on at the moment, but I'm guessing I'll get up to speed eventually.



I'm also continuing to enjoy Witch & Hero, of course, although not as much as I was earlier in the week. That's mainly because I'm stuck on the final boss. Here's hoping I can topple him tomorrow, so I can type up a "somewhat gay review" about it.

In the meantime, are any of you playing either of these games--or have you in the recent past? If so, what do you (or did you) think of them?

And if you aren't playing (or haven't played) either of them, what games are you playing right now?

Half-Minute Hero + Protect Me Knight + Ys = Witch and Hero (3DS)

My first encounter with the recently released 3DS eShop title called Witch and Hero (or Witch & Hero, if you get off on ampersands)--which basically involved me stumbling across its fabulously retro logo and a small handful of screenshots--was so positive I was sure it was my cup of tea.

My second run-in with this Circle Entertainment-published game--a write-up that made it seem like little more than an overly simplistic tower-defense title, although in this case you're actually defending a petrified witch, rather a tower, from swarms of enemies--wasn't so favorable, unfortunately, and pretty much convinced me to give it a pass.

Unsurprisingly (given my history as a gaming flip-flopper), the third time I rubbed eyeballs with Witch and Hero--thanks to the second video below--I was pushed to consider it once again.



Even then, though, I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive about its asking price. I know $3.99 isn't much, especially in the world of video games, but considering I spent just $4.99 on Crimson Shroud last week, forking over a dollar less for a digital title that at the time appeared to have a lot less content didn't much appeal to me.

So, with that in mind, I contacted the folks at Circle Entertainment and asked if they'd be willing to give me a free (review) copy of the game. Shockingly, they were.

I've since spent about five hours protecting the titular witch (while in the shoes of the pixelated hero also seen in the video above), and let me tell you: I've enjoyed pretty much every second of those five hours. Sure, I've had my ass handed to me once or twice (maybe more) in that time, but that's never frustrated me--mainly because the game barely punishes you for dying.

That's not to suggest Witch and Hero, developed in tandem by Flyhigh Works and FK Digital, is a pushover. On the contrary, although the game sports just 20 stages, I've only made it to the 16th one so far. You see, you don't play this title as you do most others--play a stage, beat it on your first try, move on to the next, beat it on your first try, rinse and repeat. Instead, you may beat a particular stage, move on to the next, find you're overmatched, head back to the previous one, beat it a few more times, earn enough dough to improve your weaponry (or magic) and then return to the previously troublesome one to wreak havoc.



Sound boring and repetitive? Maybe so, but in practice it's anything but--or at least that's been the case for me so far.

It helps, of course, that the game's graphics--which bring to mind those of Half-Minute Hero or even What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord?--are as charming as can be, as is its Final Fantasy-esque soundtrack.

There's much more to Witch and Hero than what I've shared here, but I'll save my chatter about them for the "somewhat gay review" that I'm planning to publish next week. In the meantime, I'd highly recommend checking out the videos above if you're at all curious as to what this eShop gem has to offer.