Shall We Do It? (Ever Oasis demo, Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, Metroid II and Miitopia demo)

Sorry it's been so long (over a week!) since I last published a post. I can't even give you an explanation--or at least I can't give you a good one.

Of course, I was on the road for three days early in the week (my husband, cat and I made our way from Austin, Texas, to Madison, Wisconsin), but I've hardly run myself ragged in the last four or five.

Something I've managed to fit into my currently far-from-busy schedule: a bit of quality time with my trusty 3DS. Specifically, I've put a good number of minutes, if not hours, into the following demos and games:

Ever Oasis demo (3DS)--Of the four 3DS demos and games I'll discuss here, this is the one I've enjoyed the least. Which is a shame, as every aspect of the Ever Oasis demo is at least "nice."

I especially like the art style, although the character-switching gameplay is pretty appealing, too. The thing is, I didn't find the latter to be as appealing as I expected it to be before I started my way through the (disappointingly short) demo.

If I were forced to describe Ever Oasis' gameplay with a single word or phrase, I'd probably go with "by the numbers" as far as Secret of Mana-ish titles are concerned. Which is too bad, as I thought that component of the game would help set it apart from other action RPGs that've been released for the 3DS.

On a more positive note, I've read that after a slow start, Ever Oasis eventually hits its stride in impressive fashion, so my current plan is to find a way to pick up a copy of it by the end of the year.

Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (GameBoy)--Although I've been a fan of the original Kid Icarus since it was first released in North America back in 1987 (I even included it in my "10 Most Influential Games" series of blog posts), I've long avoided this 1991 sequel.

Why? The main reason is that it never looked very appealing to me. Playing a Kid Icarus game in black and white just seemed wrong to me after basking in the beautifully colorful--and weird--landscapes of the NES title. Plus, Pit's sprite here has always looked a little off to me.

After a Twitter friend recently heaped praise on Of Myths and Monsters, though, I decided to finally give it a go. And you know what? I've had a blast with it so far. I can't say I prefer this GameBoy game's sprawling stages to the comparably straightforward ones found in the NES offering, but I'm enjoying them all the same. A similar comment could be made about Of Myths and Monsters' soundtrack, which is acceptable but never approaches the brilliance of the Hirokazu Tanaka tracks that fill the original.

Still, I'm loving this handheld Kid Icarus overall--to the point where I'm now hitting myself for giving it the cold shoulder for so long.

Metroid II (GameBoy)--Here's another portable sequel to a console classic I'm only now playing for the first time. Again, that fact boggles my mind as much as it probably does yours. After all, I was obsessed with both the original Metroid and Super Metroid for the SNES as a youngster (beating both multiple times, I should add).

Unlike Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, I can't say I've avoided Metroid II because of what I considered to be below-par graphics. In fact, I've always thought Metroid II looked pretty awesome. Regardless, I dragged my feet on playing it until late last week.

So far, I think it's a better game than Of Myths and Monsters. Although Metroid II is a black-and-white affair, it still feels like a visual upgrade to its NES-based predecessor--something that can't be said of Kid Icarus' GameBoy follow-up. Also, I love the way Metroid II twists the gameplay of the first Metroid and Super Metroid just enough to make it feel unique. (I'm talking about this game's "track down and kill X number of Metroids" focus, of course.)

Despite the above, I'm not entirely convinced I'll stick with Metroid II until its end credits, but I'll certainly do my best to finish it.

Miitopia demo (3DS)--After reading a few impressions of the Japanese version of Miitopia, I fully expected to dislike this Tomodachi Life-esque RPG--to the point that I canceled my pre-order for the North American release. After putting nearly three hours into the demo that just hit my region's eShop, though, I'm back aboard the Miitopia hype train.

Chiefly responsible for that change of heart: the aspects I thought I'd hate--no real overworld to explore, battles that are mostly hands-off--don't bother me at all. Hell, I actually find these tweaks refreshing after playing a number of overly traditional RPGs in the last year or so. On top of that, Miitopia sports a surprisingly bold art style, a soundtrack that's more charming than it has any right to be and a gloriously subtle sense of humor. I've heard the full game isn't overly long, but that's OK with me--especially if it ends up being a short-but-sweet experience.

Have you played any of these games or demos? If so, share your thoughts on them in the comments section below.

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts

Shall We Do It? (Balloon Kid, Dragon Quest Builders, Yomawari: Night Alone and more)

After beating Dragon Quest VII, Kirby: Planet Robobot and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World in recent weeks, I decided to ignore my ever-growing pile of 3DS games and focus on some other handheld titles in my backlog for a bit.

If you'd like to read my thoughts on my Dragon Quest VII playthrough, by the way, you can do so here. This post, on the other hand, focuses on my experiences with Kirby: Planet Robobot and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World.

As for the games that are currently monopolizing my time, here are a handful of impressions that'll hopefully give you an idea as to what they're like and whether or not I'm enjoying them so far.

Balloon Kid (GameBoy)--Although I play the first few stages of the GameBoy Color version of this title fairly regularly (on my Japanese 3DS), I haven't played the black-and-green original for quite a while. In the wake of my "most influential games" write-up about it, though, I thought I should boot up the latter again. So I did. Two hours (spread over about four days) later, I beat its final boss and grinned from ear to ear as its end credits scrolled by.

This latest Balloon Kid playthrough made me ponder the game in a way I hadn't previously. For instance, it didn't hit me until this most recent jaunt through Pax Softonica's title that the difficulty of its stages leaps rather than progresses. I guess that shouldn't have come as a surprise to me, as I played the game a ton when it first came out in 1990. The thing is, I was in my early teens then, and at that point in my life it took a lot for a side-scroller of any sort to shake me. My reflexes have slowed a tad in the ensuing years, so the transition from Balloon Kid's fifth to sixth stage this time around was tough.

Something else that struck me over the last couple of days was that, in many ways, Balloon Kid is half-baked--and this obviously is coming from someone who loves and respects the game in its current "unfinished" state. I say that for a few reasons. One, it features just eight levels. (The whole she-bang can be wrapped up in less than two hours if you've got the skills.) Two, its level design is all over the place. On the positive side, you've got the first stage and its pencil-shaped buildings as well as the fourth stage, which takes place in the bowels of a whale. On the negative side, the rest of its stages are disappointingly clichéd in terms of their themes.

Still, the overall journey through Balloon Kid is so charming and so different from pretty much every other side-scrolling game in existence that it's easy enough to overlook those niggles and focus on the fun at hand. Which is just what I did earlier this week--even when I found myself dying over and over and over again in the game's final three stages.

Dragon Quest Builders (Vita)--Of all the games discussed here, this is the one I've put the most time into over the last couple of weeks. In fact, I've already devoted around 12 hours to this portable Minecraft clone. That number would be a good bit higher if I hadn't dedicated myself to finishing Balloon Kid or starting (at long last) Link's Awakening, but don't expect me to complain about that.

Anyway, back to Dragon Quest Builders. Before we move on, you should know I've never played any version of Minecraft. I put many more hours than I should've into the Minecraft-esque Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, but that's hardly the same thing. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I can't comment on how good or bad Dragon Quest Builders is as a Minecraft clone. Which may be just as well.

At any rate, I love Builders so far. I love its rather languid pace and "do whatever you want" attitude. I love its aesthetic. Surprisingly, I love its town-building component. (I'm usually not a huge fan of such things.)

More than anything, though, I'm loving just running around its world, battling iconic Dragon Quest baddies and gathering materials from the earth around me. I probably should have accomplished more by this point in my playthrough (I'm still in the first chapter, though I've leveled up my town a number of times and it currently has four inhabitants besides myself), but I'm in no particular hurry to finish this game, so I'm fine with slowly savoring the experience for now.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (GameBoy)--I have a feeling a lot of people will be shocked to hear I've never played this portable Zelda adventure before now. Hell, it even surprises me. As for why I've ignored it for so long, I wish I could tell you. My assumption is that I'd recently played A Link to the Past and assumed Link's Awakening would be too similar to it to be worthwhile. Or maybe I'd moved on from the GameBoy by the time of this cart's release? That was 1993, after all. Whatever the case, I passed on buying it then, and I continued to do so until I purchased a digital copy from the 3DS eShop earlier this year.

As of now, I'm about three hours into its adventure. My verdict thus far: I think it's great. It looks and feels to me like a portable cousin to A Link to the Past at the moment, although that's not to suggest Link's Awakening is a carbon copy of its 16-bit counterpart. It actually offers up a number of unique quirks that help it stand out not only from A Link to the Past but other top-down Zelda games as well. Some of my favorites: the Super Mario Bros.-inspired enemies, the side-scrolling segues and the intriguing abilities (Link can jump!) and accoutrements (the BowWow that accompanies Link for a time early on) players acquire.

Obviously I'm still at the beginning of this Zelda title, so it's hard to say if I'll still adore it after I finish it (or even if I'll finish it), but right now I'm finding it thoroughly engrossing, and I look forward to seeing what's in store for me and Link as I continue to explore its dungeons and overworld.



Yomawari: Night Alone (Vita)--No one ever said I was the brightest bulb on the tree when it comes to how I spend my hard-earned cash. Case in point: although I've had a boxed Japanese copy of this Nippon Ichi Software-made game (see photos of its case and cartridge here) since it first hit the streets in late 2015, I just bought a digital copy of its North American release--despite the fact that I've yet to even boot up the aforementioned import cart.

Hey, whatever gets me to finally play the game, right? And play it I have--for about two hours, I'd say. That may not sound like a lot, but it's definitely been enough for me to get a good feel for what it has to offer.

Speaking of which, Yomawari is a conundrum--or at least a curiosity--so far. On the one hand, it's surprisingly cute. Some may say it looks kind of cheap and "mobile-like," too. I wouldn't argue with those folks, but I also wouldn't agree with them. For me, Yomawari looks great, especially since the adorable aspects of its aesthetic help make its more hideous aspects as shocking as possible.

"Shocking" is a key word here, because you will be shocked while playing Yomawari. In general, Yomawari is about exploration. Your dog runs away, your older sister goes missing (while trying to find the previously discussed pup) and you head out after both of them in the dark of night. Unfortunately, you're not alone as you stalk the town that serves as this game's setting. Filling the streets and alleys and parks and other locales alongside you are ghosts and ghoulies that are more nightmarishly designed that you'd probably assume based on the rest of Yomawari's visuals.

These spooks and specters aren't just apparitions, though. Once they see you, they give chase. Fail to avoid or get away from them (they can't be fought) and they'll kill you--represented by blood that splashes across the screen. Such deaths are pretty common, if my experience is anything to go by. I'd say I died about five times within the first hour of my Yomawari playthrough. Granted, some of that was due to me not fully understanding the game's rules. (Very little is explained at this title's outset, so you have to figure out almost everything on your own.) Some of it, though, was due to the game not being a pushover.

As much as I'm enjoying Yomawari right now, I can't help but feel it may eventually wear out its welcome and grow tiring. Regardless, I'll keep plugging away at it and let you know as soon as possible whether that's the case or not.

In the meantime, have you played any of the games mentioned in this post? If so, what are your thoughts on them? Also, what are you playing now? Let me (and others) know in the comments section below.

Shall We Do It? (Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D, Kirby: Planet Robobot and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World)

My last post focused on impressions of a trio of mobile games: Dandy Dungeon, Forget-Me-Not and Heart Star. I enjoyed all three and solidly recommended each of them as result.

Of course, it's easy to throw your weight behind games that basically are free. (You can hand over money to help you through Dandy Dungeon, but in my experience it's not necessary. Also, you can pay a couple of bucks to remove ads from Heart Star, but otherwise it won't cost you a dime.)

The 3DS titles discussed in this write-up are not so cheap. Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D will set you back just shy of six bucks (or a smidgen over after you factor in taxes), while Kirby: Planet Robobot and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World will cost you five to seven times that amount (about $30 to $40), depending on where you pick up a copy.

Are they worth those amounts? Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World is more than worth its asking price, assuming you tend to like platformers. I'd say the same about Kirby: Planet Robobot if the asking price in question is closer to $30 than $40 and if you're OK with straightforward games that are more about letting go and having fun than they are about uncovering secrets or strategically taking out tough-as-nails foes.

As for Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D, I think I'll make you read the next couple of paragraphs to find out whether I consider its price tag to be just right or a tad too high. And while you're at it, read the paragraphs that follow, too. They'll help explain why I'm so gung ho about Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World and not quite as gung ho about the latest Kirby title.

Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D--Although the original Go! Go! Kokopolo fascinated me when it was released back in 2011, I didn't own a DSi at the time and so had to pass on it. I finally bought it a month or so ago when it dawned on me that it was still available on the Japanese 3DS eShop, though, and after giving this curious "chase 'em up" a thorough once-over I sternly berated myself for ignoring it for so long.

The good news for those of you who are unable to access the first Go! Go! Kokopolo (it was pulled from the European and North American 3DS eShops some time ago for reasons I can't recall): this follow-up is nearly identical to its precursor in terms of looks, sounds and gameplay. Yes, Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D features a ton of new level designs and a pair of additional playable characters, but in general it's almost indistinguishable from Tanukii Studios' first effort.

Which is great--for the most part. I say that because while I adore its aesthetic (seriously, the sprites and backdrops showcased in Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D are of the highest order) and enjoy its classic, Pac-Man-inspired gameplay, I also think it has a tendency to be complicated, confusing--due in large part to its overly long, winding and asymmetrical stages as well as its too-tight camera--and frantic.

In the end, I wish a Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D demo existed so folks could see if it's their cup of tea before handing over hard-earned cash to acquire it. Since that's not the case, my suggestion would be to watch a few videos of the game in action. If what you see seems appealing, you probably won't regret your purchase.

As for me, I'm happy Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D exists and I'm glad it's currently taking up space on my 3DS' home screen, but I'm not sure how much more time I'm going to put into it. I honestly find it a fraction too frenetic at the moment, so for now it's moving to my system's back burner, as the saying goes. I'll do my best to let you know if that changes and this digital title returns to my good graces.

Kirby: Planet Robobot--I wish I could tell you why I passed on Kirby: Triple Deluxe even though it excited me when it was first announced. I guess I just wasn't in the mood for another Kirby game at the time. Hell, I turned my nose up at Planet Robobot well past its release date, too. I only picked up a copy a couple of weeks back because I had some "free" money burning a hole in my pocket and I'd read so many positive assessments of the game that I figured I should break down and give it a go.

Now that I've done just that--and then some (I dropped nine hours into Planet Robobot during my week-long playthrough)--what are my impressions of the experience? For starters, I've got to say it's an audio-visual delight. Many of the stages on offer here (the one featuring giant ice cream cones that fall forward and attempt to impede your progress is a prime example) will make you grin from ear to ear, as will the buoyant tunes that accompany them.

Beyond those admittedly superficial details, this 3DS entry follows in the footsteps of every other worthwhile Kirby title in that it proves to be a blast to play. That's true when it comes to testing out the new copy abilities--I especially got a kick out of the "doctor" and "ESP" ones--and it's even more true when it comes to rampaging through entire sections of a particular stage using the titular Robobot Armor.

The lone complaint I'm willing to level at Planet Robobot: sometimes I wished it were a little less straightforward. So much care was put into ensuring this game was as colorful and charming as can be that it's a real shame you're rarely encouraged or even allowed to slow down and appreciate your surroundings. Still, if you're in the mood for a breezy platformer that won't tax you too much, you could do far worse than purchase Kirby: Planet Robobot.

Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World--It's been a long time since I've fallen in love with a Yoshi game. Although I liked Yoshi's New Island well enough, it pales in comparison to the 16-bit original. The same could be said of Yoshi's Story for the Nintendo 64.

Well, Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World is miles better than both of those titles, in my opinion. Not only that, but it's nearly on par with the game that started it all. In a few respects, I'd go so far to say it surpasses that effort. One example: its gameplay. This 3DS title is a bit slower than Island, but it makes up for that possible shortcoming with (seemingly) longer levels that beg to be explored. It also tosses tons of unique and interesting challenges at players. One of my favorites pops up in a stage that forces you to use disappearing Bullet Bill contrails as platforms, although it's just the tip of the iceberg as far as such things are concerned within Woolly World.

Aside from that, Woolly World's crafty art style is to die for (think Kirby's Epic Yarn, but better), its soundtrack is the best since Yoshi's Island and it provides an almost obscene amount of overall content. (I've already put more than 15 hours into the game and I've only just started what I'm pretty sure is its final world.)

For me, Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World is the clear winner among the trio of 3DS games discussed here. It's easily the most expensive of the bunch, but in my experience it also provides the most enjoyment.

To those of you who've played any or all of these portable titles: what do you think of them? Please share your impressions and opinions in the comments section of this post.

Shall We Do It? (Dandy Dungeon, Forget-Me-Not and Heart Star)

Now that I've finally put the Dragon Quest VII 3DS remake to bed, I have tons of time and energy to play other games--a fact that should be obvious by the number of titles discussed in this post as well as my next one.

I know what some of you are thinking: no Vita games? Nope, sorry. I keep meaning to boot up that system and play some Dragon Quest Builders or Mystery Chronicle: One Way Heroics or Yomawari, but I'm so wrapped up in the iOS games mentioned here (and the 3DS games that'll be highlighted in the write-up I'll publish in just a couple of days) that those plans inevitably fall by the wayside.

Who knows, though? Maybe I'll turn my attention to the Vita once I'm done with these titles. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the impressions that follow.

Dandy Dungeon--I first downloaded this free-to-play mobile game because I heard Yoshiro Kimura had a hand in it. That was a big deal to me, as his past credits include Chulip, Little King's Story and Moon: Remix RPG Adventure. I also was pleased to discover Kazuyuki Kurashima acted as this title's art director, as he previously crafted the character designs for games like Freshly-Pickled Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland and UFO: A Day in the Life.

Dandy Dungeon

As you might imagine given its pedigree, Dandy Dungeon shares the bizarre quirkiness that's front and center in basically all of the aforementioned games. It plays nothing like them, though. Instead, Dandy Dungeon is one part roguelike and one part puzzler.

That likely won't make much sense to you until you experience the game for yourself, but the gist is that you're regularly sent into dungeons made up of five-square-by-five-square rooms and then tasked with drawing a single line that'll take the digital representation of the game's protagonist, Yamada-kun, from its entrance to its exit. As he wanders along that route, he'll grab any items in his path and fight any enemies in his way. (Your involvement in those battles is more or less limited to healing or reviving Yamada-kun or casting the occasional spell.)

Dandy Dungeon is a lot more engaging and interesting than that description likely makes it sound, so don't be shy about downloading it if you have a device that's capable of running it.

Forget-Me-Not--What timing! Just a week after I published a post about my five favorite Pac-Man clones, my friend Jess introduced me to another one. Will I be updating the write-up I just mentioned to include this 2011 release? Perhaps in the future, but not right now. Still, I'd be lying if I implied Forget-Me-Not failed to impress me during the handful of minutes I devoted to it over the last few days.

The thing I like about it most so far is that it turns the Pac-Man formula on its head just enough to feel fresh. For starters, Forget-Me-Not's maze-like stages are decidedly asymmetrical. Also, its Qbby-esque protagonist (if it can even be called that) automatically shoots lasers or bullets or some other sort of projectile in whichever direction it happens to be facing.

Forget-Me-Not

Oh, and to move from one level to the next, you first have to collect all of the current board's "flowers" (this game's version of the pac-dots that fill Namco's arcade classic) and then you have to unlock the door that appears in their wake using a key.

Beyond that, Forget-Me-Not sports an appealing aesthetic that makes it look like a minimalist Pac-Man Championship Edition. Also, destroying any of the enemy creatures that slither about each stage produces a plethora of yummy-looking food items that can be picked up for bonus points--and anyone who knows me knows I love games with nabbable noshies.

Unfortunately, this Nyarlu Labs creation lacks the kind of thumping soundtrack most would expect from such a game, but the bleeps and bloops that accompany the action on hand still do a good job of setting the right mood, so don't let that keep you from giving Forget-Me-Not a try.

Heart Star--I became aware of this mobile game while casually perusing Twitter a few days ago. A chap named Peter Willington praised its retro aesthetic and called it a "top puzzle platformer" while passing along a smattering of screenshots. That's all I needed to jump in with both feet. And guess what? Peter was right to applaud this Jussi Simpanen-made title. First, it looks like something Taito would've released back in its heyday (think Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands--or, better yet, Parasol Stars). Second, its gameplay hook is brilliantly unique.

Regarding the latter, your goal while playing Heart Star is to guide two characters--a red-headed girl and a blue-haired boy--through 60 single-screen stages. The catch: she can only stand on red platforms, while he can only stand on blue ones. So, to successfully complete a level you have to
switch between the two--don't worry, it can be done with the press of a button--while also carefully and creatively positioning them. (Sometimes one will have to carry the other, for example. Or one will have to serve as a temporary platform for the other.)

Anyway, it's a lot of fun, it's free--as long as you don't mind an ad popping up every few levels (and if you do mind it, forking over $1.99 will remove them)--and it's highly recommended by moi.

Have you played any mobile games that really left an impression on you? If so, let me and others know about them in this post's comments section.

Shall We Do It? (Boxlife and The Starship Damrey plus Kirby: Planet Robobot and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World demos)

Although I've spent more time with Dragon Quest VII in the last couple of weeks than I've spent with the games discussed here, I'm going to save my comments about the former for my inevitable review of it. (Yes, this means I'm that close to finishing Dragon Quest VII's main campaign--thanks to putting more than 25 hours into it since 2017 started.)

Plus, I think I've said more than enough about my Dragon Quest VII playthrough up to this point. And then there's the fact that I've had so much fun with all of the games named in this post's headline that I'd rather write about them instead.

Boxlife--Who could've thought that a game about putting together boxes would wind up being fun? Besides the folks at skip Ltd., the makers of Boxlife (Hacolife in Japan), I mean.

Actually, let me step back a bit and revise my comment about this DSiWare (don't worry, you can still buy it from every region's 3DS eShop) title being fun. A more accurate way to describe it would be "enjoyably frantic," or maybe, "challenging--sometimes in a way that makes you chuckle, and sometimes in a way that makes you want to crush your DSi or 3DS system beneath the heel of a heavy boot."

OK, so, yes, Boxlife occasionally will cause you to lose your cool, but the good news here is you'll usually walk away from those occasions feeling like whatever mistakes you made during your last round were your fault, not the fault of "cheap" artificial intelligence.

At any rate, my advice to anyone who buys Boxlife after reading this write-up: stick with it. The game's "factory mode," especially, may drive you batty at first, but spend some time with its "R&D mode" and things eventually will click. That's when Boxlife's brilliance really hits you and makes you happy you dropped $4.99 (or whatever it costs in your neck of the woods) on it.

Kirby: Planet Robobot demo--It's been a while since I played a Kirby game. In fact, I think the last one I properly put through its paces was Kirby's Return to Dream Land for the Wii. I intended to follow up that experience by buying the pink puff's first 3DS offering (Triple Deluxe), but for whatever reason I never got around to it. When a demo was made available for that title's sequel, though, I decided I had to try it.

Now that I have, I'm itching to give the full game a go. Why? For starters, Planet Robobot focuses on what every Kirby game since the first (that would be 1992's Dream Land for GameBoy) has focused on: having fun. And by that, of course, I mean having a blast inhaling enemies and then taking on and using their special abilities against other foes. Planet Robobot also is a real looker, with candy-coated visuals that are as likely as the title's gameplay to bring a smile to your face.

Most importantly, though, this effort positively differentiates itself from past entries in the series by tossing something decidedly new at players: colorful mech suits that Kirby can pilot. Without fail, they're overpowered, but that's surely the point. Regardless, it's a blast climbing into one and then basically having your way with the rest of that part of the stage, and I look forward to finding out how they impact the overall adventure this time around.

The Starship Damrey--Although I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the Guild series games I've played so far (and that includes Aero Porter, Attack of the Friday Monsters!, Crimson Shroud and Weapon Shop de Omasse), I spent a long time dragging my feet in regard to The Starship Damrey.

I ignored it for a few reasons, of course, with one being that I've never been a big fan of games that have to be played from a first-person perspective and another being that a few folks told me The Starship Damrey was short and not worth my while. I'm glad I pushed aside both roadblocks late last year and bought this digital title while it was on sale, because the two hours I've devoted to it in the last week or so have been beyond intriguing.

If you don't know much about The Starship Damrey, the gist is that basically plops you into a seemingly abandoned spaceship and then tasks you with figuring out why you're there and what's happened to your crewmates. Oh, and you do this using a handful of robots that are placed around said ship, as you're unable to get out of the bed you wake up in at the start of the game.

Anyway, I have no idea how close I am to figuring out the mystery at the heart of The Starship Damrey (I just passed the two-hour mark last night), but even if I accomplish that feat in the next hour, I know I'll walk away from the game feeling I got more than my money's worth with it.

Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World demo--I've been of two minds about this 3DS port of Good-Feel's undeniably adorable Wii U platformer since it was first revealed last fall.

At first, I was thrilled I'd finally be able to give it a go (as I don't own a Wii U and I loved the developer's similarly crafty Kirby's Epic Yarn) while on the go. Later, my enthusiasm faltered when I decided Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World's visuals were far less impressive than I initially imagined them to be.

Well, things took a turn back toward "OK, I'm buying this sucker ASAP" after I played the game's demo--a few times over, at that--over the weekend. When seen on an actual 3DS screen, Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World looks almost shockingly good. More importantly, it feels shockingly good, too, and that's true whether you experience it on an original 3DS or a New 3DS. (I played through the demo twice using both systems. )

If you're a frame-rate snob, you'll want to make sure you own a New 3DS, but rest assured you'll still have a blast with it if you only have access to an OG system.

See also: 'Are we f$%kin' there yet? (or, more thoughts on Dragon Quest VII after spending 40-plus hours with the 3DS remake)'

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.

Shall We Do It? (Great Greed, Kingdom's Item Shop, Onyanko Town and SaGa Frontier)

I know it's no longer surprising to hear me say I haven't spent much time playing games in recent days and weeks.

Unfortunately, it's the truth--and has been for a while now. That's mainly because I went from being acceptably busy to ridiculously busy earlier this year when I was promoted at work (from senior writer to managing editor). Before, I pretty much never brought work home with me; now, I work basically every weekend and also some weeknights.

And when I'm not working, my attention's often pulled away from playing games to take care of all those boring things nearly everyone has to do on a daily basis--cleaning the house, cooking dinner, exercising, yadda yadda yadda.

Oh, and I have to maintain this blog.

I was able to shove most of that aside just long enough the last two weekends to put in some time with the following titles. Keep reading to hear what I think of those experiences.

Great Greed (GameBoy)--Until a couple of years ago (right before I bought a copy of Bitamina Oukoku Monogatari, the Japanese version of this portable RPG), I was completely unaware of Namco's Great Greed. Which is too bad, as I now know I would've loved working my way through it as a teen. (It was released in Japan in 1992 and crossed the pond the next year.)

Why? The main reason is the battles. They're as snappy as you're ever going to get in a turn-based RPG on the GameBoy. All of them are one-on-one tussles (the game's protagonist versus a single enemy) and they move along at a nice pace thanks to the fact that commands are mapped to the system's A and B buttons as well as its control pad. (A prompts you to attack, B causes you to dodge and the d-pad casts magic.)

On top of that, Great Greed has a surprisingly stunning soundtrack. And then there's its undeniable weirdness. Some of the themes and other things you'll encounter while playing it: time travel, flan enemies, environmental pollution, corrupt politicians and dungeons set in abandoned record factories. In other words, it's basically the best game in existence.



Kingdom's Item Shop (3DS)--I've got to be honest: I paid little attention to this ASOBOX- and PUMO-developed game between the time publisher Circle Entertainment announced and released it. In fact, it wasn't until someone asked me (in the comments section of this recent post) if I'd bought Kingdom's Item Shop that I was made aware of it.

That push prompted me to do a little digging, which brought me to the screenshot above. As soon as I saw that, I was hooked. That's because the scene in question reminds me of an old PC Engine CD title I've had my eye on for years: Monster Maker. Granted, the games are nothing alike--Kingdom's Item Shop is more of a store-running sim with some fun, fast-paced battles thrown in for good measure, while Monster Maker is a full-on, traditional RPG--but that's never stopped me from salivating over a game before.

Anyway, Kingdom's Item Shop is a whole heap of fun. There's no question it has that "mobile game" feel, but at least the feeling here is of quality rather than "cash in." Those fights I mentioned a couple of sentences ago are the highlight, by the way. They're not what you're used to, though; in this adventure, you give commands to for-hire combatants and then race around the battlefield picking up items and ingredients dropped by your foes.

Then you take your haul back to your shop and use those components to concoct enticing products--drinks, food dishes, weapons, clothes and more--for the titular kingdom's inhabitants to snap up. There may be more to the experience than that, but for the moment, that's it as far as I'm concerned. And I'm more than OK with that.

Onyanko Town (Famicom)--I've been curious about this Micronics-made and Pony Canyon-published cartridge for ages now thanks to its adorable box art. Why I waited until a couple of weekends ago to play it for the first time, I can't say.

Am I glad I've finally experienced it? In a way, yes. I say that because Oynanko Town's graphics, while simple, are miles better than what I'd expect from a developer that's never before pinged my radar. (I especially like the sprite of the dress-wearing mama cat that serves as the game's protagonist.) Its gameplay, which reminds of Namco's classic Pac-Man, also surprises.

On the other hand, Onyanko Town is far from a perfect game. While the main backing tune is catchy, it's also piercing and wears out its welcome after just a few minutes. Even worse is the slowdown that regularly brings the action on offer here to a crawl. That's a big deal because the point of the game is hunt down your baby kitten and then bring him (or is it a her?) back home without being accosted by the many dogs and butchers who roam each of the cart's expansive stages.

The latter issue is especially disappointing, as I could see Onyanko Town being held up as a treasured classic, or at least a hidden gem, if it weren't sometimes so frustratingly slow.

SaGa Frontier (PlayStation)--It's been a long time since I've played this wackadoodle, late-1990s RPG. So why am I returning to it now? Because my friend finchiekins suggested it.

OK, so there was more to the decision than that. After all, SaGa Frontier is one of my all-time favorite games. What can I say? I adore its absolutely bonkers, combo-filled battle scenes, which did the overkill thing way before Disgaea and its ilk entered the picture. Also, its Kenji Ito-composed soundtrack is beyond fabulous and deserves to be discussed right alongside the music created for two other Squaresoft greats, Final Fantasy V and VI. Finally, there's something undeniably cool about being able to play through an RPG multiple times using different protagonists.

Have SaGa Frontier's graphics stood the test of time? Hardly, but let's be honest: a lot of people considered it hideous when it first saw the light of day. In that context, I'd say it's no more ugly today than it was back then. Plus, I've always found its character sprites and (somewhat poorly) pre-rendered enemies rather appealing. Even if I didn't, I'm pretty sure I'd still look at SaGa Frontier lovingly thanks its many other positive traits.

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts

Shall We Do It? (Flying Hero, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Kickle Cubicle, Pooyan and Son Son)

You know what I've been daydreaming about for the last few weeks? Someday having a small, cozy den with a with a rather modest TV and an original Famicom system set up in its far corner.

Oh, and within reach of that TV and Famicom would be a small selection of pick-up-and-play Famicom games, of course. Like Flying Hero, Meikyūjima (aka Kickle Cubicle) and Pooyan.

Thanks to those daydreams, I spent a good number of minutes and even hours playing the above-mentioned games--along with a few others, like Jaleco's Racket Attack--this past weekend. Here are some thoughts on them, in case anyone's interested.

Flying Hero--I chat about this game here and on Twitter on a regular basis, I know. The fact is, though, that it's really great title for when you've only got time--or energy--for a couple of minutes of gaming. I've got to warn you, though: if you're anything like me, you'll very likely put more than a couple of minutes into this Arkanoid-esque cart whenever you stick it into your trusty Famicom (or, you know, boot up its ROM on your PC). Me, I usually dump at least 30 minutes into it during each attempt--and even then I have to pull myself away from it. What's the draw here? I guess I just like bat-and-ball games with an interesting twist. (See my ages-old review of Wizorb for additional evidence.) Plus, I really like all of the little details that are packed into Flying Hero; namely, a wealth of different settings, NPCs and power-up items.

Ghosts 'n Goblins--Here's another game I've long ignored. In this case, though, I know why I've given it the cold shoulder: it's hard as hell. To the point that previous experiences with it usually caused me to want to slam my controller into the nearest wall. Still, I felt like playing it last weekend so that's just what I did. And you know what? I mostly enjoyed it. I've always been a big fan of this game's graphics, and I like its controls quite a bit, too. And then there's the soundtrack, which creates the perfect atmosphere for all of the monster bashing that's to come. OK, so I suck at this spooky side-scroller--known as Makaimura in its country of origin--and I'm not going to see its end credits (or even its third stage, if I'm to be honest) anytime soon, but I think I'll still get a kick out of playing it every now and then.

Kickle Cubicle--I'm honestly bamboozled by the fact that I've barely spent any time with this Irem-made action-puzzler over the years. It seems right up my alley, after all. Not only does it have a cute-as-buttons protagonist, but its enemies (if you can call them that) are adorable, too. And then there's the fact that it features tons of collectible fruit and vegetables and other food items--and that's always been something that piqued my interest. On top of all of that, this cartridge's gameplay is addicting as can be. It actually reminds me of other great titles from the same period--like Adventures of Lolo and Bubble Bobble. They're not all of the same genre, naturally, but they all come from the same "just one more level" mold. Speaking of which, I kind of want to get back to it now.

Pooyan--Although Pooyan was released for the Famicom just over two years after Nintendo's console first hit the streets of Japan, it began life in 1982 as an arcade game. That makes a lot of sense when you sit down and play this late-to-the-party home port. Pooyan's a fairly straightforward and basic quarter-muncher with few bells and whistles. You control a pig who has to defend her forest home from a seemingly endless swarm of balloon-carrying wolves. Oh, and you do this by firing arrows--some of which strangely contain chunks of meat--at said canids. Don't worry, it's less weird while you're actually playing it. It's also a lot of fun--if fairly limited from a gameplay perspective. Still, I get the urge to play it on a regular basis, so obviously it does something right despite being more than a little archaic.

Son Son--This Capcom title is in the same boat as Pooyan, actually. It, too, is an old arcade game (first released in 1984) that earned a Famicom port a couple of years later. Also, Son Son doesn't offer players a whole lot of variety when it comes to gameplay. Basically, you're put into the shoes of a chibi version of the "Monkey King" and tasked with, well, I'm not exactly sure. Regardless, from the moment the game starts, you're on the move--this is an auto-scrolling platformer, if you weren't aware--and forced to jump between six platforms, shoot oncoming baddies and collect pieces of food. Although the look of the platforms changes (from grass, to brick, to stone and more), as do the approaching enemies, you see all you're going to see from Son Son shortly after you hit your Famicom's "Start" button. Some may consider that a negative, but not me. I like that this is a streamlined experience. Don't expect more than that when you sit down to play it and you'll have a good time, too.

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts

Shall We Do It? (Dragon Buster II)

On a whim, I decided to play the ancient Famicom game known as Dragon Buster II for the very first time over the weekend.

What prompted me to boot up this Namcot-made title? I'm not entirely sure, although I have a feeling I read Video Game Den's rather glowing review of it at some point in the recent past (I'm always scanning that site for morsels of retro-gaming goodness), and that's what pushed me to give it a go on Sunday.

If this is the first you've heard of Dragon Buster II, at its heart it's a dungeon-crawler. Unlike today's Etrian Odyssey titles or even yesterday's Wizardry releases, however, this one is presented in top-down fashion à la The Legend of Zelda or even StarTropics.

That's not to suggest Dragon Buster II looks or even plays like either of those last two 8-bit classics. Instead, it calls to mind old-school roguelikes--though I'm not sure any of the elements included in Namcot's creation are randomized. (Dungeon layouts certainly don't seem to be, although enemy placement as well as treasure chest and exit door locations may be.)

Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, Dragon Buster II is similar to another of the company's long-ignored IPs: The Tower of Druaga. The former is a lot more engaging than the latter, though, so if you're like me and the very thought of Druaga makes you yawn, don't be afraid to give Dragon Buster II a try at some point down the line.

One of my favorite aspects of this cart-based adventure, by the way, is that its protagonist primarily uses a bow and arrow to send baddies to the great beyond. Even better, the arrows he shoots do more than just plunk off of the dungeon walls that surround him throughout his multi-faceted quest; rather, they ricochet off of them in a manner that is equal parts satisfying and thrilling.

Two other interesting components of this 1986 release: fog blankets (in more of a figurative than literal sense) each dungeon upon entry, and you clear the surrounding area with every step you take. Also, found within the boundaries of these underground chambers are a number of unique-to-the-genre foes like dinosaurs and beings that resemble the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

I've encountered a few niggles so far, too, I have to admit. The most noteworthy one is that there isn't much variety to Dragon Buster II's environments, as far as I can tell. After you've traipsed through the brick-walled dungeon as well as the mossy and icy ones, you've seemingly seen them all. Granted, it's possible I've yet to encounter a couple of locales, but I doubt the ones I've missed are worlds beyond the current offerings in terms of their aesthetics.

Another complaint can be leveled at Dragon Buster II's confounding lack of a soundtrack. For about 95 percent of the game, all you hear are your own footsteps and the sound of your arrows pinging off nearby walls. It's only when you approach one of the titular beasts that any actual music comes into play. I guess the title's developers may have done this on purpose, to add a bit more suspense to its dragon battles, but I can't say I think the trade-off was worth it.

Oh, well, I've enjoyed the time I've spent with this Famicom cart so far--even with its overly quiet and repetitively tiled dungeons.

Have any of you played Dragon Buster II? If so, what do you think about its looks, sounds and gameplay?

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It' posts

Shall We Do It? (Alien Syndrome, City Connection, Mickey Mousecapade, Parodius Da! and Super Mario Bros. 2)

Some of you may be wondering why all of the games mentioned in this post's headline are decidedly retro" Well, that would be because the only current game I've played in the last few weeks is Pokémon Picross.

OK, so I've also put some time--and money--into Nintendo Badge Arcade during that same period, although I don't know if I'd call the latter a "game." (It's more of an app, if you ask me.)

What about The Legend of Legacy and Undertale? I haven't played either of them in about a month, sadly. And I haven't even started Yo-Kai Watch, despite the fact that a copy of that 3DS title has been in my hands since I got it as a birthday present right after Thanksgiving.

Given all of the above, it may seem strange that I decided to spend a good part of this past weekend playing the following bunch of golden oldies. The only response I can come up with to that charge is "I needed it." And don't we all sometimes?

Alien Syndrome (Game Gear)--Considering my nearly lifelong love of the first two Alien films, you’d think I would have at least tried this similarly themed game ages ago. Actually, I have plunked a bit of time into various versions of this Sega-made title (which originated in the arcades) over the years, but for whatever reason the aesthetics and gameplay never sat well with me. Something changed in that regard this weekend, though, as I raced through three of the Game Gear port’s stages on Saturday morning and only gave up after seeing a satisfactory portion of its fourth.

If this is the first you’ve heard of Alien Syndrome, by the way, the gist of it is it’s a run-and-gun action game that’s clearly inspired by the original Alien flick. You run around each level--most or all of which take place on some sort of spaceship--and rescue stranded crewmates while avoiding (or blowing away) a whole host of nightmarish baddies. Oh, and a clock is ticking away all the while, which adds a certain sense of urgency to both of those tasks.

As is the case with most of the games I booted up over the last few days, some (maybe many) modern gamers are sure to find the Game Gear version of Alien Syndrome painfully dated, especially in the graphics department. Still, if you’re a fan of tense gaming experiences and extraterrestrial settings, you’d do well to overlook this title’s superficial stumbling points and give it a bit of love.

City Connection (Famicom)--Looking back on it now, it seems strange that as a kid I had access to an arcade containing a City Connection cabinet. After all, I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin—not exactly a hotbed of obscure Japanese games of any sort.

At any rate, I'm glad my local arcade (bowling alley, really) was home to this Axes Art Amuse-made and Jaleco-published oddity--for a while, at least. I played it every chance I got. Who could blame me? It's a platformer--of sorts--that shoves players behind the wheel of an adorable red sports car and then forces them to race and leap around a handful of stages, all of which are set in real-life cities. The point: why, to cover their roadways in paint, of course. (You do this do you can prove you've fully experienced each locale.)

I wish I could tell you how accurate the Famicom port of City Connection is to the arcade original, but I can't. I can say the former is a lot of fun, though. It's colorful, it controls well enough, it's challenging (but not overly cheap, as is the case for too many games from this era) and it has a soundtrack that's better than it has any right to be.

Mickey Mousecapade (NES)--Here's another game from my childhood. For some weird reason, this is one of the 20 or so NES games I owned as a kid. I say it's weird because I've never really been a big Disney fan. As such, I'm not sure what prompted me to buy (or, more likely, ask for it as a birthday or Christmas gift) Mickey Mousecapade.

Regardless, I remember liking this classic platformer--which curiously puts players in control of both Mickey and Minnie at the same time--well enough. I also remember finding it more than a smidge frustrating beyond its first stage. Which is kind of hilarious, as I got all the way to the game's third stage on my second try this past weekend, and without a whole lot of fuss. Sadly, that's as far as I was able to get.

Oh, well, I'm glad I finally revisited Mickey Mousecapade after all these years. It's far from a great game, and it's downright ugly in spots (I'm looking at you, annoying forest level), but the background music is nice and the overall experience is enjoyable enough that I'll probably return to it again ... in a couple of years or so.

Parodius Da! (PC Engine)--Would you believe this was one of the first Japanese games I ever imported? Detana!! TwinBee was another, along with Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI and Tengai Makyou II. Oh, and Pop'n TwinBee, too.

At any rate, this was my favorite of the bunch. (OK, so I was pretty fond of the two Final Fantasy games as well.) Which makes sense, as it's hard to play this wackadoodle shmup, which parodies Konami's genre-defining Gradius series (hence the name), without a huge grin plastered across your face all the while.

I spend most of my time with the PC Engine port of Parodius Da! playing its "Special" mode, by the way. It's a single-level, high-score romp that's perfect for short bursts of play--which means it's perfect for my ever-diminishing attention span.

Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)--Do you have a favorite Famicom or NES cart? Well, this is one of mine. To me, this bastard child of Nintendo's decades-old Mario series is the gaming equivalent of chicken noodle soup. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy in a way that not too many titles from any era can match.

Anyway, I was prompted to return to this pastel-shellacked platformer by the recently released Nintendo Badge Arcade. For the last few days, that 3DS app has offered up a slew of Super Mario Bros. 2 pins--every single one of which caused my mouth to froth in nostalgia-flavored glee. (OK, so maybe that's overstating things a tad.)

Although I somehow stopped myself from dropping $5 more into the Nintendo Badge Arcade, I wasn't able to keep myself from spending a similar amount to buy Super Mario Bros. 2 via the eShop. Which is just as well, because every 3DS needs to have a copy of this game stuck to its main menu and at the ready at all times, don't you think?

Have you played any retro games in recent days or weeks? If so, which ones--and what pushed you to spend some quality time with them?

Shall We Do It? (The Legend of Legacy, Undertale and the Yo-Kai Watch demo)

Hey, I actually stepped away from The Legend of Legacy, which I've spent about 22 hours with so far, this weekend to play a couple of other games. Who would've thought?

As for the games that took my attention away from the FuRyu-developed, Atlus-published mentioned in the last sentence, they would be Undertale (for the Mac) and the just-released Yo-Kai Watch 3DS demo.

What follows are a handful of thoughts on all three of these intriguing titles.

The Legend of Legacy (3DS)--Why have I played this kinda-sorta RPG (more on that in a second) for more than 20 hours since it arrived on my doorstep two weeks ago? I guess it's because I like grinding. Or, perhaps more accurately, I guess it's because I really like this game's battle scenes. Sure, they're miles away from the fireworks-filled fights found in, say, SaGa Frontier, but they're still pretty fabulous--and fun. (In my opinion, of course.)

Can the battles here be tough as nails? Sure. In fact, they often are--especially when you start the game, or when you start a new area. For me, though, it's a welcome change of pace from the overly easy fights most RPGs offer up these days. Also, the steep challenge forces you to do what's needed--dig through the e-manual, scan GameFAQs, post questions on Twitter--to figure out the game's surprisingly intricate battle engine. When's the last time you had to do that in a modern game?

I also really like exploring each area and, in the process, filling out its map so I can sell it to the shopkeeper in what appears to be The Legend of Legacy's lone city for a few extra bucks. (If a place with a handful of buildings and citizens can even be called that.) Admittedly, I'd probably thoroughly scour each locale even if I weren't forced to do so, but I like that I'm awarded for it here.

I do wish there were more cities or towns or whatever you want to call them. And I also wish there were more people to talk to in those towns--or that the existing ones had more to say. (This includes the king, by the way, who seems pretty much useless after the first couple of hours.) That said, those same elements tend to be so much fluff in other RPGs, so maybe I should be happy that this one's developers decided to make it so they wouldn't get in my way as I work my way through this peculiar, portable adventure.

Undertale (Mac)--I almost feel like I should talk about this game here, as I'm only a smidge past where I was the last time I wrote about it.

In part, that's because I've focused more on The Legend of Legacy and the Yo-Kai Watch demo than I have on this game in the last week or so, and in part it's because I basically had to start over after I bought the full version of this EarthBound-esque RPG. (My previous comments were based on its demo.)

Something I can say here that I think I failed to mention in my earlier write-up about Undertale is that I'm head over heels in love with its soundtrack. Even at this early juncture, it's packed with the sort of amazing, earworm-worthy tunes that make you want to pause your playthrough so the notes can work their way into your bones.

Is that enough for me to heartily recommend handing over $10 for a copy of this digital title? Not entirely, but don't take that to mean anything horrible. After all, there are plenty of additional reasons to pick up Undertale if you're still on the fence about it--with the on-point, retro-inspired visuals, the genre-busting battles and the wittier-than-it-has-any-right-to-be text being three perfect examples.

Yo-Kai Watch demo (3DS)--I've been looking forward to playing Level-5's Pokémon-esque RPG for a long time now. Or maybe I should say I looked forward to it for a long time until I read some comments on line that suggested its battles are yawn-inducing.

Because of those remarks, I downloaded Yo-Kai Watch's North American demo with a bit of trepidation. Would I still like the game I'd pre-ordered some time ago, or would I wish I'd waited before making that decision? Thankfully, I was able to answer that question within a few minutes of booting up this teaser.

Specifically, I quickly figured out that the above-mentioned critics were wrong and that Yo-Kai Watch's fighting scenes were the polar opposite of boring. For me, they're electrifyingly frantic, and the mini-games at their core do an admirable job of keeping things very interesting.

Some other interesting aspects of this demo, in my humble opinion: the wonderfully charming character designs, the amazingly detailed setting and the appropriately energetic soundtrack.

Given all of that, it'll probably come as little surprise to hear that I'm feeling a lot more positive about my decision to pre-order Yo-Kai Watch after spending just 30 minutes or so with its just-released (in my neck of the woods, at least) demo.

Have any of you spent any time with the Yo-Kai Watch demo so far? If so, what do you think of it?

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts

Shall We Do It? (Danganronpa, The Legend of Legacy demo and Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits)

Now that I've wrapped up my many-hours-long playthroughs of 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors and Hotel Dusk (read my impressions of this pair of top-shelf DS games here and here), I'm finally spending time with some other titles I've been eyeing up for ages.

Specifically, I'm spending time with Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, The Legend of Legacy demo that hit the 3DS eShop last week and Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits.

Here are a few thoughts on the above-mentioned games based on my recent experiences with them:

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Vita)--I started playing this Vita-based visual novel earlier this year but then moved it to the back burner because ... actually, I have no idea what prompted me to walk away from it for a bit.

Regardless, I’m back to playing it again—although I’ve got to admit I’m only doing so in fits and spurts at the moment. (You can blame that on The Legend of Legacy demo that commandeered my attention shortly after I downloaded it late last week. Thankfully, I think I’ve nearly exhausted that teaser’s content, so my schedule should open up again shortly.)

Anyway, the few hours I’ve played of Danganronpa since I wrapped up 999 a couple of weeks back have been pretty darn enjoyable. In large part, that's because I really like this game’s unsettling atmosphere. Its jazzy, low-key soundtrack is partially responsible, too.

One aspect of Danganronpa that I’m currently reveling in and reviling in equal measure is its free-roaming nature. On the one hand, I love being able to move around as I please, but on the other, that flexibility makes it easy to get lost—or at least become confused as to where I'm supposed to go or what I'm supposed to do next.

Of course, that’s a problem I've had with every single visual novel I’ve played to date, so maybe I shouldn't point to it as an example of something that's wrong with this particular example of the genre.

I'd recommend taking all of the above with at least a medium-sized grain of salt, by the way. I still have a long way to go before I see Danganronpa's credit roll, so it's more than possible my opinions of this much-acclaimed game will change between now and then.

The Legend of Legacy demo (3DS)--In the six days since I downloaded this demo, I've put nearly five hours into it.

That alone should indicate how much I'm digging it, as only the most special of games are able to grab that much of my attention these days.

So, which of The Legend of Legacy's components are most responsible for me feeling so gaga about it at the moment? One would be the map-drawing focus of its overworld and another would be the strategic, turn-based nature of its fights, that's for sure.

Speaking of The Legend of Legacy's overworld, I've become similarly enamored with the pop-up effect that's used with such confidence in each and every area you're tasked with exploring within this demo. I'm sure some will find it maddening, but I think it meshes well with the rest of the game's coloring-book aesthetic.

So, which of this FuRyu-made and Atlus-published (in North America) RPG's many components have yet to trip my trigger, as that quaint old saying goes? The best example I can come up with is its character designs. Although I love the frog prince, Filmia, and the bosomy Amazon, Eloise, I find the rest of this game's potential party members to be a snooze.

Sadly, I consider even the most boring character designs to be downright thrilling when compared to the majority of The Legend of Legacy's enemy designs. A few of the bosses showcased in the demo are OK, but the rest of what's on offer here is blah at best and tragic at worst.

All that said, I'm very much looking forward to getting my hands on the full, retail version of The Legend of Legacy halfway through October. I don't suppose any of you are in the same boat?

Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits (DS)--I've got to be honest here: when I bought Drill Spirits, I did so expecting not to like it very much. My previous experiences with the Mr. Driller series left me cold, mainly because they made me think there was absolutely no depth to its gameplay.

Still, I've always loved the series' protagonist, Susumu Hori, and I've also always loved its Candy Land graphics, so I picked up Drill Spirits in the hopes that they would prompt me to fall in love with the rest of what Mr. Driller has to offer.

Has it succeeded? Actually, I think it has. After all, I've devoted more than three hours to Drill Spirits in the last week or so.

An even more impressive feat, if my opinion: all of that time has been spent on the first two of this game's "Mission Driller" stages. (I call that impressive because usually spending such a long time on just two stages would drive me batty--to the point that I'd rather toss the cartridge in the trash than continue to plug away at it.)

I'd say the most positive thing about my playthrough (if it even can be called that) of Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits so far is that it's gotten me to stop thinking of this series as being one full of releases that feature paper-thin gameplay. No, there isn't a ton of depth to be had here, but there's more than initially meets the eye, that's for sure.

Even if that weren't the case, though, I'd still probably get a kick out of Drill Spirits' frenetic excavating action. I don't know that I'd call it fun, exactly, but it's definitely satisfying--especially whenever I'm able to complete a level without any special-item assistance--and that's more than enough for me right now.

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts