Seven games I sadly failed to finish in 2022

I finish nearly every game I decide to start.

Or at least I did before this year. 

As I mentioned in my "favorite games of 2022" post, this year has been a weird one in many regards, but it's been especially so in terms of my interaction with and enjoyment of video games.

For reasons I can't fathom, I failed to finish a whopping seven games this year. The games in question are 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Fuga: Melodies of Steel, Live A Live, Nora and the Time Studio, SaGa 2 Hihō Densetsu: Goddess of Destiny, Shin Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation, and Skyrim.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (Switch)

I've wanted to play this Vanillaware game since it was first announced for the PS4 and Vita several years ago. Yet when I finally got a chance to play it, I bailed after just over an hour. To be sure, this bailing had little to do with 13 Sentinels' story or gameplay and a lot to do with the fact that tacking its strategy segments with a drifting Switch Joy-Con proved to be more than I could handle at the time.

If I'm to be honest, though, the existence of these strategy segments played a small role in my disenchantment with 13 Sentinels, too. I've never been a big fan of real-time strategy games, so sticking one into an otherwise-compelling visual novel was never going to thrill me.

Don't worry, I'm planning on returning to 13 Sentinels in 2023 and giving it a proper chance, RTS segments be damned. I won't be doing so until I fix or replace my current pair of Joy-Cons, though, that I can assure you.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel (Switch)

Unlike 13 Sentinels, I put a good amount of time into Fuga: Melodies of Steel before walking away from it earlier this year. Over 11 hours, to be exact. Which suggests I liked it quite a bit, right? I did, in fact. Unfortunately, a Fuga boss that gave me more trouble than expected and a (real life) trip that occurred around the same time conspired to both take me away from the game and keep me from returning to it.

Again, the plan is to give Fuga: Melodies of Steel another go sometime next year. Perhaps strangely, I'm considering starting over with it. After my abovementioned boss woes, I did some sleuthing online and learned that I made a few decisions during my aborted playthrough that likely led to that unfortunate roadblock. A fresh start should keep me from repeating the experience.

I think the hard work will be worth it regardless, as Fuga's two-dimensional, turn-based tank battles and cute, furry crew proved to be quite captivating during the 11-plus hours I put into the game a few months back.

Live A Live (Switch)

As is usually the case, I can't remember exactly why I failed to finish Live A Live after devoting about 10 hours to it shortly after it hits store shelves in July. What I do remember: I had a great time with the four stories I managed to complete in the time I spent with this HD-2D remake. I especially liked the prehistoric chapter that focused on a lovelorn (some might just say horny) caveman and his colorful crew—which includes an ape that injures baddies with his farts and poop.

This JRPG's unique settings—others include ancient China, the Wild West, and a spaceship in the distant future—were the highlight here for me, though I also appreciated how each story lasted a few hours at most. You'd think that would've made it easy for me to plow through the whole she-bang in a breezy 20 hours or so, but somehow I felt a bit burned out by the time I wrapped up my fourth chapter. Considering I've only got three more to go, I should be able to complete the rest before similar feelings set in after I circle back to Live A Live sometime in 2023.

Nora and the Time Studio (Nintendo DS)

I've dreamed of playing this Atlus-made Atelier-like since I first heard about it in early 2011. Not because I'm a huge fan of the Atelier series, mind you (I've yet to play a single entry), but because I think it looks adorable and because I've rarely met a Nintendo DS game I didn't like. I had no hope I'd ever be able to enjoy it due to the language barrier, though. (It never earned an official North American or European release.) Or at least I didn't until I learned earlier this year that an English fan translation for Nora was out in the wild.

At any rate, I enjoyed the four or so hours I put into Nora and the Time Studio this summer thanks in large part to its gorgeous sprite art and charming characters. The only complaint I can level at it at the moment is that I found its gameplay to be more restrictive than anticipated. In some ways, it reminds me of another DS title I played in 2021, Princess Debut. The two titles are worlds apart in terms of genre, but both seem aimed at a similar audience and feature fairly (sometimes overly) simplistic gameplay. Should a bit of digging suggest Nora and the Time Studio is a relatively brief affair, I'll probably return to it in 2023. Otherwise, I think I had my fill this year.

SaGa 2 Hihō Densetsu: Goddess of Destiny (Nintendo DS)

It's hardly a secret at this point that I generally adore Square Enix's SaGa series. SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions has been one of my favorite Switch games to date, and SaGa Frontier is one of my favorite games of all time. Long before these two titles were even a twinkle in creator Akitoshi Kawazu's eye, though, there were the trio of GameBoy games that started it all. My fondest memories are for the first release, known as SaGa in Japan and The Final Fantasy Legend in North America, but I have a lot of love and affection for its sequel, too.

This is a three-dimensional reimagining of that game, as you might imagine. Although I'm sure it was more impressive back when it first came out in 2009, it remains a nice-looking game. It's a lot easier to play than the original GB release, too, thanks to various quality-of-life improvements. It's still quite stilted in that regard in comparison to more modern JRPGs, though, and I think that, along with the random and regular-ish difficulty spikes, is what prompted me to throw up my hands in surrender after nearly 26 hours of play. Will I willingly circle back to it in 2023? I can't imagine it at the moment, but stranger things have certainly happened, so who knows.

Shin Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation (Switch)

Here's another game I spent a lot of time looking forward to playing before I finally got my grubby mitts on it. (It released in Japan over a year before it released in my neck of the woods.) As with 13 Sentinels, though, I walked away from Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation surprisingly quickly.

What was the reason? The biggie is that I just wasn't finding it as interesting or enjoyable as I thought I would. Also, and I hate to admit this, I think the Shin Chan characters and aesthetic weren't doing it for me. I would've far preferred for this to be a real Boku no Natsuyasumi game, even though I know that probably wouldn't be possible at this point in time (what with the Switch being the leading platform here, and Boku's close ties to Sony and the PlayStation).

Still, the plan is to return to Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation as soon as possible in the new year. Whether I actually accomplish that task is anyone's guess, though. Who knows, maybe the long-promised physical version will materialize soon and that alone will prompt a reappraisal of the game. Fingers crossed, regardless.

Skyrim (Switch)

Of all the games highlighted here, this is the one I put the least amount of time into in 2022 before dropping it for something else. To be honest, Skyrim has never seemed like my cup of tea. I only bought it after its Switch port released because multiple people whose opinions I respect suggested I would enjoy it. Based on my admittedly terse experience with it so far, I remain doubtful.

The classic European fantasy aesthetic doesn't do Skyrim any favors for me. Nor does the huge, open world (something that's always been hit or miss with me) or the real-time WRPG gameplay. Still, I've barely scratched the surface of what the game supposedly has to offer, so I'll try to push these semi-negative thoughts to the very back of my brain if I give this fifth Elder Scrolls adventure a second chance in the coming year.

See also: my favorite games of 2022 that weren't released in 2022

On why The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a better bedtime story than it is a satisfying JRPG

When the folks at Nippon Ichi Software revealed The Cruel King and the Great King in early 2021, I was ecstatic. I adored The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince, a puzzler-platformer with a similar aesthetic and vibe--so much so I declared it one of my favorite games of 2019--and thus expected the world from this follow-up.

With The Cruel King and the Great King being a JRPG rather than a side-scroller, though, I couldn't help but wonder how artist and writer Sayaka Oda and her talented team at NIS would handle the genre switch.

I say this because The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince is a wonderfully accessible, streamlined, and unique take on the puzzler-platformer genre. Before I played it, it was hard to imagine how The Cruel King and the Great King would check those same boxes.

After finishing The Cruel King and the Great King, the difficulty makes perfect sense. Although the game is plenty accessible, and some may argue it's streamlined and unique, too, it's not streamlined or unique in the ways I hoped or expected it would be in the wake of The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince.

One noteworthy case in point: there's no traditional overworld map, dotted with towns and dungeons, to explore in The Cruel King and the Great King. Instead, the game presents players with a minimalistic map that's vaguely Metroidvania-esque. Rather than traverse it by jumping from platform to platform, though, you move from point to point by ambling left and right down tight and barren (but beautiful!) hallways.

This is a lot less taxing than scouring a vast overworld or stumbling through a maze-like dungeon, of course, but I personally never found it to be an enjoyable or satisfying alternative to the status quo, and I'm pretty sure most others would feel similarly about this odd design decision. (For the curious, Nintendo's Miitopia does a much better job of tweaking this staple RPG component.)

Another example of how The Cruel King and the Great King tweaks the RPG formula but ultimately fails to produce something gratifying: party members occasionally learn new battle skills, and some of them allow you to target groups of enemies that are lined up vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Depending on the makeup of your party (and the alignment of your enemies), you can combine these skills to overwhelm the opposition.

Unfortunately, the game conspires in several ways to keep this from happening as often as it could or should. For starters, each character learns just one or two of these skills during an average playthrough. And not only that, but it can take a long time to learn them. Also, enemies typically are grouped in ways that make it possible to defeat some, but not all, using such combos.

Although that's hardly the worst thing in the world, I think The Cruel King and the Great King would have been a lot breezier and a lot more fun if it set things up to make these happen as often as possible. Especially since the game's tussles are fairly ho-hum otherwise.

The Cruel King and the Great King's battles disappoint--though underwhelm may be a better word here--in another important way, too. Early on, the game tells you that you can spare enemies in certain situations. To be honest, that notification basically went in one ear and out the other for me, or whatever the equivalent is for your eyes while reading. Later, I remembered it and looked it up online, worried I might be missing something vital or even playing the game "wrong."

I was missing something, it turns out, but not anything important--as far as I'm aware. If you manage to expose an enemy's weakness and make it sweat, you can let it escape. The thing is, exposing an enemy's weakness is easier said than done, especially early in the game, and even then, there's no guarantee the enemy will agree to flee.

As such, playing The Cruel King and the Great King like it's an Undertale knockoff isn't really possible. Which is just as well, as the game currently doesn't give you any reason to do so. Sparing an enemy doesn't benefit you in any way, or at least it didn't seem to during my playthrough. It was noted in my "monsterdex," but that's it.

It's too bad The Cruel King and the Great King's designers and developers decided to incorporate this element into the experience and then do so little with it. Especially since the story, which follows an orphaned girl who is raised by a dragon and helps local monster-folk while training to become a "hero," is a perfect fit for such anti-RPG gameplay.

Based on what I've said so far, you're probably thinking I wish I'd never wasted my time and money on The Cruel King and the Great King. I don't--and keep in mind this is coming from someone who dropped big bucks on the game's pricey "Treasure Trove" bundle. Oh, sure, the protagonist's slower-than-molasses walking speed occasionally (OK, regularly) got on my nerves. And there were times when the frequency of the battles bugged me, too.

Still, I enjoyed it overall. Its story is the definition of heartwarming and is, without a doubt, the highlight of The Cruel King and the Great King. Its soundtrack is top of the line, too. Even after hearing its main battle theme 100 times, you won't tire of it--or at least I never did. And of course it's filled with gorgeous, hard-drawn art, like most Nippon Ichi games are these days. (See Yomawari, Mad Rat Dead, and Labyrinth of Refrain for evidence.)

There's no denying I expected more of it, though. I consider The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince to be one of the best games Nippon Ichi's ever made. I've played through it four times and would struggle to find fault with it if pressed on the issue.

Because of that, I had high hopes The Cruel King and the Great King would follow in that game's footsteps a bit more than it did. Oh, well, at least it came through with a killer bedtime story.

See also: The good, bad, and ugly of Heroland (or, why I'm thinking of walking away from this oddball RPG after putting 20-plus hours into it)

15 overlooked Nintendo Switch games you need to play as soon as possible

My last two posts have focused on overlooked games for the Nintendo DS and 3DS--a pair of systems most people stopped buying games for and even playing years ago.

This post focuses on overlooked games for the Nintendo Switch, a system that, while definitely starting to show its age (it came out five years ago, after all), is far from done selling or being played. 

So why write a post about overlooked games for a system that's still in or near its prime? My main motivator was that so many high-profile and highly regarded Switch games have released in the last five years that a ton of smaller, less acclaimed--but no less worth buying and playing--titles have gotten lost in the shuffle as a result.

Which ones? For me, the 15 discussed below more than qualify as overlooked or underappreciated Nintendo Switch games.

Black Bird

At first glance, Onion Games' Black Bird is little more than a ripoff of Sega's Fantasy Zone with a drab makeover (makeunder?). Dig beneath the surface and give it a proper chance, though, and you'll see there's a lot more to this side-scrolling, wrap-around shmup than copying key aspects of the aforementioned classic's gameplay. And I'm not simply talking about its otherworldly vaudevillian soundtrack. Black Bird features bullet-hell elements, for starters. It's also more strategic. Don't take my word for it, though; give it a try yourself, especially if you're any kind of fan of the genre.

Bravely Default II

Some will say calling Bravely Default II overlooked is a stretch; my response to those naysayers would be to compare how the masses embraced the original Bravely Default and the Switch's version of that game, Octopath Traveler, to how they've reacted to this title so far. Regardless, Bravely Default II is worth a look if you tend to like JRPGs--even if you've yet to experience its precursor. Sure, its visuals are kind of ugly, but they'll more than likely grow on you in time. And even if they don't, the other components on offer here--the fascinating story, the stunning setting, the rousing battles--are sure to do the trick.

Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers

A lot of Nippon Ichi Software (NIS from here on out) titles go unnoticed by mainstream game fans, but I think this one may take the cake in that regard, especially among the company's releases of the past decade. That's too bad, as Destiny Connect is one of the sweetest RPGs I've ever played. It also features time travel, a customizable robot party member, and a stellar soundtrack. The cherry on top for people like me who don't always have time for 60- to 100-hour adventures: Destiny Connect takes just 20 hours or so to finish.

Dungeon Encounters

When Dungeon Encounters was revealed, it looked like an absolute stinker. It proved to be anything but after spending a few hours with it, though. Yes, it's minimalistic to an almost shocking degree, but that just lets you focus on the addictively Etrian Odyssey-esque gameplay it offers all comers. This means you map out floors in Dungeon Encounters, as you might imagine, though the process is more straightforward and less involved than it is in Atlus' long-running series. The game balances out this slight (for some) by having players solve riddles to find new abilities, party members, treasures, and even the final boss.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel

Fuga: Melodies of Steel starts off seeming like the ultimate head-scratcher. The game follows a pack of furry children (young, anthropomorphic cats, to be more specific) piloting a giant tank against an onslaught of Nazi-esque dog-folk in the hopes of reuniting with their kidnapped loved ones. Once you accept its inherent weirdness, Fuga is a joy to behold. In particular, its tank-on-tank (or, more commonly, tank-on-two-or-three-tanks) action is strategic bliss. Fights here begin with a bit of rock, paper, scissors, but quickly blossom into something quite unique. They're surprisingly snappy, too, which makes the game feel like less of a slog than it otherwise might.

Gnosia

I've said this elsewhere a few times now, but here is it again: Gnosia is a Werewolf simulator. If that means nothing to you, Werewolf is a social-deduction game that models a conflict between a small group of murderous werewolves and a larger group of unsuspecting humans. This AI-operated take on the game is set in space and involves evil, alien-like creatures called Gnosia instead of werewolves, but everything else is the same. Gnosia is thrillingly executed, sending players through loop after loop--sometimes in the shoes of a human crewmember, sometimes as a Gnosia--to unravel its mysteries and unlock its gratifying conclusion.

Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk

The main selling point of this NIS production seems to be that you can create a party of upwards of 40 members. I understand why that is, and the idea of it is pretty electrifying (even if it's less so in practice), but for me the real draws here are the unique traversal abilities, like jumping over chasms and breaking through walls, and the story that slowly, but satisfyingly, transitions from acerbic to touching. 

The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince

This NIS creation is an accessible puzzler-platformer filled with lovely art, a blissful soundtrack, and a heart-breaking story. It's also the perfect length. A single playthrough takes just five or six hours, which means returning to it once or even twice a year is no bother at all. Doubt you'd ever do such a thing? Consider that I've already completed it four times. That's the kind of experience The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince provides those who give it a chance.

Mon Amour

The first time you play Mon Amour, you'll probably respond as I did and think to yourself, "this is cute, but I doubt I'll play it for very long." Since then, I've put a little over eight hours into it--which is pretty amazing when you consider a single runthrough takes 10 to 15 minutes, at most. Don't ignore Mon Amour because it looks like a kooky Flappy Bird knockoff, by the way. Although it seems the former was inspired by the latter, Mon Amour treads its own curious--and surprisingly strategic--path.

Overboard!

This eShop game bills itself as a "next-gen visual novel," but for me that description doesn't quite fit. While playing it, Overboard! feels more like an elaborate, modern, mystery-themed puzzle game. Your goal is to get away with murder by learning the movements and motivations of everyone else on board a cozy cruise ship and then using that information to your advantage. Overboard! is more interactive than your typical VN, as you may expect. Not only do you direct conversations, but you dictate where you go and when, as well as what you do once you're there. Succeeding as a murderer isn't easy, so you'll likely screw up a number of times before you nail it. Thankfully, a single playthrough often takes 30 minutes or less, so tackling it over and over again shouldn't be much of a problem.

Part Time UFO

Part Time UFO is the type of bite-sized gem that Nintendo used to plop onto the 3DS eShop with some regularity. Such releases have been nearly non-existent during the Switch era thus far, which is a shame. What makes Part Time UFO so special? Without trying to sound too superficial, its candy-coated visuals and syrupy sweet OST are chiefly to "blame," though the gameplay, which blends that of a claw crane with that of a balance-puzzler, deserves credit, too.  

Raging Loop

Like the abovementioned Gnosia, Raging Loop's content cribs from Werewolf. It also has players (readers, if you prefer) go through several loops--though the ones in Raging Loop are far fewer and a lot longer than those in Gnosia. That's where the similarities between the two titles end, though. Otherwise, Raging Loop is very much a visual novel. This means a lot of reading, of course, but the story here is more than captivating enough to warrant it, plus you're regularly allowed to make decisions that impact how things play out.

SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions

Final Fantasy V and SaGa Frontier have long been my all-time favorite RPGs, but this most recent entry in Square Enix's decades-spanning SaGa series is seriously giving both games a run for their money. SaGa Scarlet Grace does so many things differently than practically every other competitor in the JRPG space that I scarcely know where to begin in explaining what sets it apart. An obvious example is its battles, which are even flashier and more visceral than the ones in SaGa Frontier. Traversing Scarlet Grace's boardgame-like overworld is another highlight, as are its plethora of recruitable characters and its Kenji Ito-composed soundtrack.

Sushi Striker

I've been championing this indieszero-developed puzzle game since it was first announced, but it doesn't seem to have done an ounce of good. Sushi Striker is widely considered a bomb and a disappointment due to its overwhelmingly poor sales. Yet I continue to proclaim it's well worth the $15-ish you're likely to drop on a physical copy of the Switch release. (The 3DS version goes for less than $10.) Slinging plates of sushi at an endless parade of cartoonish enemies is a distinct thrill, and the story is bizarrely compelling. Bonus points go to its length and its better-than-it-has-any-right-to-be OST.

Void Terrarium

I don't know who at NIS came up with the brilliant idea to combine a roguelike with a (human) Tamagotchi, but I'd like to kiss them. The result of their brainstorm is one of the most enjoyable examples of the genre I've played in years. Further helping matters is Void Terrarium's bleak-but-intriguing post-apocalyptic setting and its crunchy, industrial-tinged soundtrack.

Honorable mentions: Dandy Dungeon, Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind, Lapis x Labyrinth, Mad Rat Dead, Space Dave!

How Let's Go renewed my interest in Pokémon

When Pokémon: Let's Go was revealed earlier this year, I paid it no mind.

My lack of interest had nothing to do with me being too cool, hardcore, or even old, mind you. Instead, it had to do with my, erm, "complicated" relationship with this long-running series.

You see, although I've bought a lot of Pokémon games over the years, I've barely played--let alone completed--most of them.

A few cases in point: before Let's Go, the only Pokémon title I ever "beat" was Red. I got close with Black, but became distracted as I approached its finale. All the rest, though? Well, I put about seven hours into X, and maybe four into Diamond and Emerald. Meanwhile, my copies of SoulSilver, Black 2, and Moon all remain unopened and unexplored.



Now my initial shoulder-shrugging in regard to Let's Go makes a lot more sense, right?

The thing is, although I was frosty toward this Switch remake at first, I thawed on it shortly after copies finally hit stores. Why? Glowing word of mouth, to be frank. Plus, screens and video footage of the game made it look like a lot of fun.

So, after a bit of hemming and hawing, I handed 60 big ones to the evil superpower known as Amazon for a copy of Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! and then (impatiently) waited for it to arrive on my doorstep.



Based on all of the above, you might assume the first few minutes I spent with this title were the gaming equivalent of love at first sight. They weren't.

In fact, after putting about an hour into it, I was wondering what on earth I'd done in buying it. I found it boring and slow. Honestly, if I hadn't spent so much money on it, I would've popped its cartridge out of my Switch and never looked back. Because I did drop a wad of cash on it, though, I stuck with it. A few hours later, I was all but smitten.

I can't point out to you the exact moment when my opinion of Let's Go, Eevee! changed, sadly. All I know is that I began one play session with a yawn and ended it with a grin splashed across my face.



That grin stayed in place for most of the next 40 or so hours I spent with the game, too.

I "blame" its charming cast of characters--the eponymous monsters, especially--for most of the pain I endured as a result of that days-long smile-fest, by the way. What can I say? There's just something about how the original 151 Pokémon creatures are depicted here that makes me happy.

The same could be said about the new, Pokémon Go-ish capture mechanism. A lot of people despise it, I know. I adore it. In the past, I often found the "wear 'em down until they're just about to faint" aspect of this series' random encounters to be draining. That's no longer an issue here.



Also, combining that aspect with wild Pokémon that are visible on the overworld map makes progressing through the game a breeze.

Are those three components really enough to change someone's mind on this series? I can't speak for anyone else, but for me that's certainly been the case--much to my own surprise, I have to admit.

Will my renewed interest in all things Pokémon (or at least some things Pokémon) remain strong if the mainline game that follows in the footsteps of Let's Go in late 2019 drops either or both of these last two bullet points from the back of its brightly colored box? I honestly don't know.

I can assure you I'll approach it with an open mind, though. And who knows? Maybe I'll walk away from it 50 or so hours later (as I did after I finished Let's Go recently) feeling like I got my money's worth from the purchase--something I've rarely been able to say about Pokémon games.

A few thoughts on Dark Souls: Remastered from a gay guy who usually plays cute games

I've been curious about FromSoftware's Dark Souls since it first made a splash all the way back in 2011.

I've even considered picking up the Xbox 360 version on a couple of occasions. I never went through with the purchase, though, because that system's spent more time tucked inside its box and hidden away in a closet than it's spent connected to our TV.

When publisher Bandai Namco announced it was prepping a remastered iteration of the game for the Nintendo Switch, however, I knew I had to get off my butt and give it a try. So, I pre-ordered a copy as soon as I could--and then rather impatiently waited for it to make its way to my doorstep.



Although it took me a few days to work up the courage to stick the Dark Souls: Remastered cartridge into my Switch, it didn't take me long to fall in love with the game that diminutive cart contains.

In fact, I've put more than 16 hours into Dark Souls: Remastered for Switch since I first booted it up. I'm not tremendously far into this unnerving adventure, I've got to admit--I just entered the Lower Undead Burg after spending a ton of time in the Undead Parish. Still, I'm having a blast, and that's all that matters to me with any game I play.

What does "having a blast" mean in this case? I thought you'd never ask. Here are some thoughts on my Dark Souls: Remastered playthrough so far.



It's not as tough as I thought it would be--Don't get me wrong, I've died a ton of times since I first started playing the game. But dying isn't a very big deal in Dark Souls: Remastered. Unless, of course, you bite it after you've accumulated a ton of "souls" and "humanity" and before you've saved at a bonfire. Even that's not the worst thing in the world, though. I guess what I'm saying here is I started Remastered expecting it to be completely overwhelming and instead found it to be surprisingly accessible.

I appreciate how its gameplay puts patience ahead of brute force--Although I'm sure with the right "build" you can brute force Dark Souls, too. I'm not skilled enough for that, though, so taking things slowly is the only option for me. Thankfully, Dark Souls seems as OK with that as I am. At the very least, I've never been punished for approaching a new area or enemy carefully rather than running in with guns blazing (or, um, with daggers swinging), and I think that's pretty cool.



I also appreciate how Dark Souls severely limits your ability to feel "safe"--Dark Souls: Remastered may not be as tough as I assumed it would be, but it's just as scary. Actually, I'd say it's scarier than I thought it'd be. Why? Because any time you're not squatting beside one of the game's few campfires, you're basically a sitting duck. I love that. It keeps me on my toes and even forces me to improve my abilities and tactics.

Playing this game while wearing headphones is both amazing and terrifying--Here's something I've rarely admitted here or elsewhere: I usually play games with the sound turned off. I do that because I often play games while sitting on the couch with my husband as he watches TV. I've bucked that trend while tackling Dark Souls: Remastered, though. What a game changer--pun intended. In particular, hearing the footsteps of nearby enemies when none are plainly visibly in front of you is unsettling, yes, but it's also beyond helpful (in terms of keeping you from racing into an ambush).



The ability to "cheese" certain enemies and even bosses makes me really happy--This may be the aspect of Dark Souls that's surprised me the most thus far. I honestly expected the game's developers to force players to win fair and square at every single turn. Instead, they went in the opposite direction. The result: you're free to "win" however you can--even if that means taking the easy way out. (Such as by luring a particularly tough baddie over the edge of a cliff rather than bothering to actually fight it.)

As much as I'm enjoying Dark Souls: Remastered, I have a feeling I'll never finish it--After the game first clicked with me, I was sure I would stick with it until the bitter end. Then Black Bird and Pokémon: Let's Go stole my attention away from it. Although I'm done with the latter and I'm only returning to the former every now and then, I've yet to pick up where I left off with Dark Souls. I hope to rectify matters in 2019, but even if I don't, I'm glad I learned this series isn't, as I initially feared, too hardcore for me.

How to beat Black Bird's final boss in 'True' mode

If you're anything like me, your first few meetings with the final boss of Black Bird's "True" mode won't end in success.

Oh, hell, who am I kidding? If you're anything like me, your first, I don't know, 30 meetings with it won't end in success.

In fact, I put around 25 hours into this Onion Games release before I saw the credit roll in this mode. What changed? To be honest, I found and watched video footage of someone else fighting this shape-changing baddie that clued me into a few mistakes I was making.

If you're having a similarly difficult time toppling this Black Bird adversary and you're not sure why, the following tips should help.



1. Try your best to reach the boss while in the bird-ship's fully powered-up form. (It should look like mine does in the screenshot above. Also, it should shoot large, circular bullets straight ahead and launch homing missiles that look like little crows from the side.) Believe me when I say this will make the task ahead a lot easier than it'll be if you arrive on the scene without enough ammo.

2. If possible, don't use any bombs during the first two portions of the fight. Should that not be an option for you at this point, at least save a couple of them for the battle's third phase. (Need some specific advice here? Let me know in the comments section below and I'll do my best to help.)

3. Speaking of which, I pretty much always drop a couple of bombs during this brawl's third segment. You'll know you've reached it when feathers--or whatever they're supposed to be--begin to rain down from the top of the screen. It's possible to avoid even the ones this multi-faceted foe launches at you, of course, but doing so takes more skill than I currently possess. At any rate, unleashing a bomb just as this iteration of Black Bird's final boss attempts to pelt you with projectiles not only keeps you from being hit, but it also keeps you from losing your precious homing missiles. (Assuming you're still fully powered-up.)



4. Those of you who are used to Black Bird's "Normal" mode, or those of you who've yet to get past this portion of the "True" mode's last fight, are in for a bit of a surprise now. Not only isn't the scuffle over (as it would be if you were playing the game's easier setting), but it's got two more phases. Thankfully, the first is a breeze. All you need to do during it is avoid the green prisms that surround and then try to squeeze you. The only advice I can give you here is to stay still until the objects lock into position, then move in whatever direction is needed to avoid being pinched. Rinse and repeat until just one of those little buggers remains.

5. Enjoy that rather calm segment of Black Bird's final fight while it lasts, by the way. The fifth and final portion of this clash is the toughest and most chaotic one yet. Or it is until you realize it's not nearly as nightmarish as the game wants you to believe it is. Basically, you've got to deal with two different attack patterns this time around. During the first, the boss inhales a bunch of asteroids from the edges of the screen. Your focus here needs to be on avoiding those rotating, damage-dealing boulders. The only time you should change that tactic is when you lose your homing missiles. If you ever find yourself in that situation, go ahead and drop a bomb--assuming you have any in your arsenal. That should return you to fully powered-up status. And if you don't have any of those explosives? Shoot the green planetoids. They'll drop gems that will produce the same result.



6. The second attack pattern of this phase is the polar opposite of the first. Instead of inhaling objects from the edge of the screen, the boss spews them outward from the center of it. This is where most people freak a bit. I know I did early on. Don't follow in my footsteps. Instead, stick to one side of this many-staged adversary. When she unleashes her fury (you'll know it when you see it), stay close to the line of red "bullets" while shooting the other projectiles she sends your way. Oh, and only use bombs here if you absolutely need to do so. They won't help you power up, so save them for the first segment of the fight.

7. You'll cycle through these patterns until you've died or you've defeated the boss, so get comfortable. And make sure you aim at least some of your bullets at Black Bird's biggest baddie during this Groundhog Day-esque segment of the final battle. This is why it's so important to start the fight fully powered-up. The homing missile-bird thingies that come along with that allow you to pick away at the game's antagonist even when you're not facing her.



8. Fill "Amoris Nova" (apparently that's the name of this iteration of the last boss) with enough ammo and she'll finally explode--and in a fairly satisfying way, if I do say so myself. What's next? Why, the game's score-tally screen and credit roll-cum-ending sequence, of course. Congratulations!

9. One last thing: should you wind up with fewer than 25 million points, you won't see the game's true ending.

If you're struggling with that task, check out my post full of Black Bird tips, tricks, and tactics.

See also: 'Onion Games' Black Bird is the dark Fantasy Zone clone I didn't know I wanted or needed'

Ten Black Bird tips, tricks, and tactics

As my last post here hopefully makes clear, I like Onion Games' homage to Fantasy Zone, Black Bird, a whole heck of a lot.

I like this Switch shoot 'em up (though it's also available via Steam) so much, in fact, that I've put more than 16 hours into it since I bought it a few weeks ago.

That means I'm a bona fide Black Bird pro, right? I wouldn't go that far. My high score at the moment is a smidgen above 15 million, which puts me around 265th on the worldwide leaderboard. (This is just among Switch players, by the way. The Switch and PC leaderboards are separate.)

Still, I'd say I know my way around the game pretty well at this point.

Black Bird fan art by @karinto_angrm

That's what prompted me to publish the write-up you're reading now. Well, that and the fact that I've yet to come across a single English article or blog post or FAQ that shares tips, tricks, or tactics with players who are struggling to wrap their brains (and thumbs) around Black Bird's many gameplay elements.

So, that's what you're getting here: every hint, tip, trick, and tactic I could think of after obsessively playing Black Bird for the last 15 or so days.

1. First and foremost, never forget that only the black bird's eye is vulnerable to attack--This is part bullet-hell shmup, after all. And that kind of thing (making just a small portion of your "ship" assailable) is par for the course for the sub-genre. Keeping that in mind should make Black Bird's boss battles, in particular, a lot easier--or at least a little less stressful.

2. Don't bother hammering the shoot button--Save your thumb a lot of discomfort and even some cramping and just hold it down. Believe me, doing so won't make playing Black Bird a bore. You and your other thumb will have plenty to do--and plenty to worry about--even if your right one remains static. (Well, except for when it shifts positions to hit the "X" button and unleash an enemy-obliterating bomb.)

3. The key to combos is to keep shooting enemies (and to not get shot yourself while doing so)--You've heard this game has combos, right? Well, they're one of the keys to getting the highest of high scores. Actually, they may be the key to getting the highest of high scores. At any rate, starting a combo is easy: just shoot and kill one of Black Bird's many enemies. (Yes, even though they're cute.) To keep a combo going, though, you have to continue shooting and killing them.

Black Bird fan art by @Taite283

But don't dawdle. You see that yellow gauge sitting just below the score in the upper-right corner of the screen? If that empties, your combo comes to an abrupt end. The same happens if even one of your foes' bullets hits your precious plumage mid-combo, by the way. So do your best to keep those projectiles at, uh, wing's length as you go about your murderous business.

4. And the key to upgrading your weapon is to keep grabbing gems--Sadly, I can't tell you how many of these gems, dropped by felled baddies, you need to grab to successfully upgrade your weapon. So grab as many as you can as you zigzag your way through Black Bird's wrap-around stages.

5. Try to balance the number of enemies you kill with the amount of time you spend on a level--Down enough baddies during a stage and you'll be awarded a ton of bonus points. How many is "enough"? It depends on the stage. You'll know you've succeeded in that regard, though, when the game offers up a "superb!" while tallying your results. You also want to shoot for "superb!" when it comes to your level-completion time. Achieve that and the bonus points you netted for your enemy kills are tripled. (They're doubled if you get a "great!")

6. Use your bombs wisely--During my first handful of Black Bird playthroughs, I saved these eye-popping and often ear-splitting explosives for the final boss, mostly to make its last form a little easier. I still hold on to a few for that purpose, but now I use some within the levels that precede the climactic battle, too. Anyway, to get the most bang for your buck, don't drop one of these weapons of mass destruction until you've maxed out your combo meter. (You'll know this has happened when its text turns purple.) Also, I'd recommend against wasting any bombs on the first three bosses--even while tackling the game's "True" mode. With a bit of practice and patience, you should be able to beat them using regular bullets--or whatever shoots out of the eponymous fowl's beak.

7. Speaking of bombs, you can't have more than six in your inventory--And you can't have more than eight life bars at any one time. Keep that in mind as you collect the power-ups that pop out of Black Bird's grinning "curse pots." (They're the little brown bowl-shaped objects that tend to be hidden beneath the dirt, behind doors, and among tree branches.) You only get a handful of points for collecting another after hitting those limits, so aim for a different power-up instead.

8. Patience really is a virtue, especially during Black Bird's boss fights--All of this game's bosses do their best to tease you into being more aggressive than maybe you should be. The third one, Paladon, is a good example. If you go into that tussle with all guns blazing, your life meter is sure to suffer for it. A much better tactic is to stay calm and to time your moves and shots with the openings it eventually offers up. In other words, don't rush these battles.

Black Bird fan art by @r_stk

9. Don't ignore practice mode--It's a good place to come to grips with the game's many components and to practice strategies without committing to a full playthrough. Sure, you can do the same in Black Bird's "normal" and "true" modes if you want, but why waste your time with that when there's a far more efficient option?

10. If you see something sticking out of the ground, shoot it!--Why? For starters, it may be a curse pot that's just waiting to provide you with a power-up. On the other hand, it could be "Aspara-san," the wonderfully strange character that's part asparagus stalk and part rocket. Simply unearthing this guy will net you 10,000 points, but that's not the reason I'm suggesting you go out of your way to free him from the dirt. So what is? If you can manage to expose the tips of one or more Aspara-sans and then use a bomb to pull them the rest of the way out--and into a swarm of enemies, preferably--you'll be rewarded with a ton of points. (Thank you to @topherocious for bringing this tip to my attention!)

Have any of you played Black Bird? If so, share any of the hints, tips, tricks, or tactics you've amassed thus far in the comments section of this post.

Ten questions with Space Dave! (and Woah Dave!) creator Jason Cirillo

So many amazing indie games are hitting the Switch eShop these days that it's getting hard to keep up with all of them.

A relevant case in point: although I adored Woah Dave!--a frantic, Mario Bros.-esque platformer released for 3DS, PC, PS4, Vita, and Wii U back in 2014 and 2015--I totally blanked on its spiritual successor, Space Dave!, until right before it hit the Switch eShop late last week.

Oh, well, all that matters now is it pinged my radar just in time. And, boy, am I glad it did, as I've become thoroughly smitten with Space Dave! in the four-plus hours I've spent with it thus far.

Don't worry, I'll share some impressions of the game in the next week or so. Today, though, I'm sharing the contents of a little tête-à-tête I recently had with its creator, Jason Cirillo.

Before we get to that, I need to make something clear: although proper references to both Woah Dave! and Space Dave! end in exclamation points, I'm going to remove them from here on out in an attempt to make this post as readable as possible.



The Gay Gamer: After the success of Woah Dave, I’m sure a lot of people felt, as I did, that you’d follow it up with a direct sequel. What made you go off in a different direction and make a game inspired by the fixed-shooter genre instead?

Jason Cirillo: The initial idea was that these games would all be arcade homages brought into the modern era. Woah Dave, for example, pulls systems from some of my favorites like Mario Bros., Bubble Bobble, and Space Panic. I wanted to do another homage-style game that pulled from an entirely different set of games. That's kind of how Space Dave was born. Some of the inspirations, like Galaga and Space Invaders, are fairly obvious, while some others, like Gaplus and Missile Command, might not be. There might be more games in this series that are totally different genres as well, who knows. There might also be a direct sequel to Woah Dave yet to come. It would have Woah Dave in the title.

The Gay Gamer: Did any more modern games serve as Space Dave’s inspiration?

Jason Cirillo: I'm not sure there's a specific title, though the more modern tower defense genre has crept in there quite a bit. Japanese bullet-hell shooters also were inspiring, though I don't do much of the fancy bullet patterns like they do.



The Gay Gamer: Do you think someone has to be a fan of old, fixed-shooter games like Space Invaders to enjoy Space Dave? Or, what are the aspects of Space Dave that you feel will or could appeal to people who maybe have never even heard of Space Invaders?

Jason Cirillo: I think it helps to be a fan, though I don't think it's necessary. I playtested the game with lots of people who aren't necessarily big retro game players, and they enjoyed it a lot. Lots of them like Space Dave better than Woah Dave. I don't think you'd have had to have heard of Space Invaders to enjoy it. Not to be cheeky, but in 1975, the entire world hadn't heard of Space Invaders. That proved to not be a problem for its eventual release!

The Gay Gamer: Which aspects of Space Dave did you create, and which aspects did other people create?

Jason Cirillo: I am the creator and director of the game, and I coded the original prototype of the game. I also did the music, sound, and graphics. When we went to console, we brought in a programmer familiar with the environment necessary to port it to work on Nintendo Switch. Our programmer, Garrett Varrin, is known for his work on Shütshimi as well, and he not only coded the Switch version, but he also lent a lot of great ideas to the game itself and really added a lot to the fun factor. The game definitely would not exist without his fantastic work on it.



The Gay Gamer: Did you encounter any particular challenges while planning, designing, or developing Space Dave? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them?

Jason Cirillo: The big problem was just trying to not be a straight-up Space Invaders or Galaga clone. I wanted it to clearly and unapologetically be inspired, like Woah Dave was, but I wanted it to be new. Making it feel new was the challenge. But I enjoyed that challenge a lot. I tried to overcome it by going back to what made Woah Dave work. I looked for opportunities where strategies could be developed and implemented. Putting in new gameplay elements that players could learn to use to their advantage was one way, like having the ground you walk on be a volatile element was a big part of that. Making stronger enemies that can more easily kill you become stronger allies to work for you was interesting, too. There's a fair amount of risk and reward in the game that makes it feel fresh.

The Gay Gamer: What are you proudest of when you look at and play the finished product?

Jason Cirillo: I'm proud that I made a game that I liked and that I wanted to play and stuck by that as my mission. Really, that's the only way I know how to make games. I'm always proud of finishing a project and seeing it in the hands of people who are having fun with it. That's always a really good feeling.



The Gay Gamer: I know Space Dave just came out, but how is it selling so far? Is it matching your expectations, exceeding them, not meeting them--or maybe something else entirely?

Jason Cirillo: It's doing way better than we expected, to be honest. Woah Dave also did really well--frankly, also better than we expected--so I think I expected there would be a little cultish following for Space Dave. Still, I'm blown away with how well it's actually done so far.

The Gay Gamer: Do you have any plans to port Space Dave to other systems at this point, such as PS4 or 3DS?

Jason Cirillo: No solid plans for other consoles at the moment, but I am very open to it. We're probably bringing it to Steam.



The Gay Gamer: How about Woah Dave? Is there any chance it’ll follow Space Dave onto Switch sometime soon?

Jason Cirillo: When we get a lot of demand, we listen. And we have gotten a lot of requests for Woah Dave on Switch. So, there's a really good chance.

The Gay Gamer: You recently asked people on Twitter which other genres they’d like you to explore in future Dave games. Did that help you at all? And did you already have an idea as to which other genres you’d like to tackle before you sent out that tweet?

Jason Cirillo: Yes, the responses I got from that question on Twitter did help. Some really fun ideas there for sure. I have a few old arcade games I'd like to pull from in another Dave game, though I'm not sure I am ready to spill the beans just yet on that. I'd love to just go berzerk in the third installment and have a lot of fun with it.

See also: previous 'ten questions with...' posts featuring auntie pixelante, Peter Bartholow (of Indivisible fame), the guy chiefly responsible for the English fan translation of Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love, the guys who created Wizorb, and the makers of THE 'DENPA' MEN 2

Eight Nintendo Switch games I'm looking forward to playing in 2018

Although I am by no means finished buying or playing 3DS or Vita games, there's little doubt in my mind that most of the money I spend on this hobby in 2018 will be directed toward Switch titles.

The eight Switch games discussed here aren't the only ones I'm looking forward to playing this year, by the way. They're just the ones I'm most itching to experience.

As such, don't be surprised if I eventually publish a follow-up post to this one that details some of the other Switch titles I hope to tackle by the time 2019 rolls around.



Bayonetta 2--I wish I could tell you why I've yet to try the first Bayonetta title. I've had an Xbox 360 for years, after all. The best explanation I can offer up is Microsoft's second console has never quite clicked with me, and as a result I've rarely felt like buying games for it. (The only retail Xbox 360 game I currently own is Deadly Premonition.) Well, I'll soon have my chance to try both the original Bayonetta and its sequel, and you can bet I'm going to take advantage of it. Here's hoping I find the gameplay in these titles as fabulously appealing as their saucy protagonist.



Dark Souls: Remastered--Here's another widely heralded game I've long ignored because of my lack of love for the Xbox 360 (and my lack of a PS3, period). That's not a comment on my interest in the title, though. In fact, I've wanted to see what all the fuss was about since Dark Souls first made a splash in 2011. Thanks to Namco Bandai's decision to bring the recently announced "remastered" version of the game to Switch, I'll be able to do just that this coming spring. What do you think: will I enjoy it, or will it completely overwhelm me?



Dragon Quest Builders 2--I considered writing about the upcoming Switch port of the first Dragon Quest Builders here, but I've chatted about that game (which I pre-ordered as soon as Amazon allowed it) enough on line, so let's talk about its in-the-works sequel. To be honest, I don't know much about it at the moment. As long as Dragon Quest Builders 2 offers up a few new twists on the original's charming, Minecraft-esque gameplay, though, I doubt I'll regret my purchase.



Gal Metal!--What can I say? I tend to like music and rhythm games. I even enjoyed Wii Music, for crying out loud. That lack of taste (some might say, at least) may serve me well after my copy of this curious import arrives on our doorstep in a few weeks. Although there's little question Gal Metal! looks great, there are a lot of questions surrounding its gameplay, which appears eerily similar to the much-maligned Wii game mentioned earlier. Granted, the move-your-Joy-Cons-like-drum-sticks controls at the center of Gal Metal! should be far more accurate than the ones showcased in Wii Music, but that doesn't mean they'll be fun. Oh, well, even if the game disappoints, I'll still have a snazzy piece of cover art to ogle.

Dear third-party developers and publishers, please greenlight Switch sequels to these games

Just over a month ago, I published a similarly titled post in which I discussed sequels I'd like Nintendo to greenlight for Switch.

This write-up, of course, is aimed at third-party developers and publishers.

Sadly, I don't have the highest of hopes that follow-ups to any of the games mentioned below will make their way to the Switch anytime soon, but I'm not going to let that keep me from blathering on about them here.

With that out of the way, keep reading to learn about 10 Switch sequels I'd like third parties to make before Nintendo's popular hybrid system gives up the ghost.



Cladun--I'm well aware that this retro-tinged series of dungeon-crawlers began life on Sony systems, but considering the one that put it on the map (the PSP) is long dead and its successor has one foot in the grave, prepping the next Cladun for Switch seems like the only viable option for developer System Prisma. Should the company do that, though, I hope it eschews the last release's ancient Japanese setting in favor of something a bit more in line with the series' first two entries.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles--Specifically, I want a "real" sequel to the GameCube original. The Switch would be perfect for such a game, don't you think? And this time around, you wouldn't need to own a bunch of GameBoy Advances and related cables to experience its particular multiplayer pleasures. All you'd need are a couple of extra Joy-Cons--if your goal is to cobble together a proper four-person party, I mean. At any rate, please make this happen pronto, Square Enix.



Mr. Driller--The bigwigs at Bandai Namco have ignored this Dig Dug spinoff for a good while now. In fact, Drill Till You Drop and W, sold via the DS and Wii eShops, respectively, are the series' most recent console outings, and they came out all the way back in 2009. A fresh sequel for Switch would be perfect, if you ask me--especially if it allowed players to make use of the system's touch screen in handheld mode.

Opoona--Developer ArtePiazza has been dropping hints that Opoona may soon make a return, but no one seems to know what form the return will take. It could simply be an untouched digital release of the original game for Switch (and maybe other current consoles). Or it could be a mobile port of the same game. The best-case scenario, in my mind: a Switch sequel that addresses Opoona's many shortcomings but retains its sense of otherworldly awe. That said, I'd also take a remake--as long as it, too, fixes some of the Wii offering's issues.



Pac-Man Championship Edition--Oh, who am I trying to kid here? I don't really want Bandai Namco to push out yet another sequel to this 2007 release. I just want the company to make the first one available to Switch owners like myself. That's not too much to ask, is it? If it is, how about a Switch port of 2014's Pac-Man Museum?

Shiren the Wanderer--Actually, I'd welcome any sort of Mystery Dungeon sequel on Switch as along as it isn't another of the Pokémon-branded ones. Don't take that the wrong way--I don't have a problem with the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. I would, however, prefer to see a mainline entry come to the system first. OK, and new Torneko or Chocobo spinoffs, too. Once those are out of the way, Spike Chunsoft, feel free to churn out another Pokémon offshoot for Nintendo.



Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest--By nearly all accounts, Square Enix's last Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest game didn't do so well. It only saw the light of day in Japan, however, and it came out fairly early on in the 3DS' life. Had it launched later, and had it earned a Western (North American, especially) release, I think it may have fared better. Regardless, with the Switch lighting up the sales charts around the world, a fourth Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest title could finally see the kind of worldwide success this series has always deserved.

Super Monkey Ball--I know this Sega series has gone downhill since its second console release, but I'd welcome a new Switch entry with open arms if it returned to its glory days on the GameCube. The question is: does the company still have what it takes to produce a worthwhile Super Monkey Ball game? I'm not sure it does, but I'll give Sega the benefit of the doubt and cross my fingers that a new, thrilling adventure starring AiAi and co hit the Switch sometime soon.



Yomawari: Night Alone and Midnight Shadows--It's hard to say if this series of cute-but-creepy survival-horror titles has done well enough for Nippon Ichi Software to make another or if it's currently on the proverbial chopping block due to ho-hum sales. Should NIS make a third, though, I pray it'll add Switch to the mix of systems that can play it--and maybe port the first two titles to the hybrid as well?

Zoo Keeper--I have to be one of the few people around clamoring for this series of match-three puzzlers to continue on the Switch. I've thoroughly enjoyed every version of Zoo Keeper I've played to date, though--with the GBA and Japan-only 3DS games being my favorites--so I'd love to see what developer Success can concoct for Nintendo's latest handheld.

Are there any sequels you'd like third-party developers and published to make for Switch? If so, let me and others know about them in the comments section below.