Stephan Adamus
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Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is the final major release to complete the Ace Attorney series on modern consoles. When I reviewed the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy earlier this year, I miswrote that it was the final piece of the series needed on modern consoles. There were two other side games I’d forgotten about, which are both found in this collection: Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, and Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit. There is also a crossover game with Professor Layton called “Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright”, so technically we’re still not done. But Prosecutor’s Gambit was never released in North America, which makes Ace Attorney Investigations Collection essential for any fan of the Ace Attorney series.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is the latest expansion in the long-running Final Fantasy XIV MMO. For those who haven’t played it, Final Fantasy XIV probably should have been titled Final Fantasy Online II. It’s been going since 2010, and after a very rocky first few years, it’s had 5 excellent expansions. Each expansion grew the plot, and it all came to a close with 2021’s phenomenal Endwalker finale.
Contra is one of those classic series that modern developers just can’t seem to get right. The only sequels worth playing since the 16-bit generation have been Contra: Shattered Soldier for the PlayStation 2, and Contra 4 for the Nintendo DS. Both of those titles followed the original Contra’s 2D run and gun formula without any major changes. WayForward, who developed Contra 4, just decided to not bother with any reinvention whatsoever and has remade the original Contra arcade game from 1987 in the form of Contra: Operation Galuga.
Granblue Fantasy is a Japanese-only mobile JRPG from 2014. North America has seen an anime adaptation and a fighting game spin-off. Granblue Fantasy: Relink is an action JRPG sequel that has been in development since 2016. It was started by PlatinumGames, but they left the project in 2019. The game was completed by Cygames, who developed the original Granblue Fantasy.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a collection of games 4-6 in the Ace Attorney visual novels series. The games are Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice. All three were originally released for the Nintendo DS. Modern console owners have had access to the first three games in the form of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy for a few years. We’ve also had access to the two latest games in the series The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy finally collects the missing middle portion of the series, and is the best Ace Attorney collection Capcom has released because of its excellent collection of extras.
Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 is the direct sequel to Fuga: Melodies of Steel, which also makes it the fifth game in the Little Tail Bronx series. This new title is incredibly similar to its predecessor. It has the exact same core gameplay, and uses many of the same assets. This review will piggyback on COGconnected’s review of the original. We’ll focu on the several changes and improvements this sequel makes. If you would like a brief history of the Little Tail Bronx series, and an explanation of the Fuga games’ core mechanics, then click HERE. If you are a fan of Fuga: Melodies of Steel, then Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 improves a few key elements, and provides more of the same core experience.
Believe it or not, there are a lot of us out there that think Pokémon is an incredibly lame franchise. I love JRPGs, but when Pokémon first came to North America in the late 90s, I thought the gameplay was too simple, and the aesthetic was too ugly. The Super Nintendo, and PS1 both had so many great JRPGs, and the insanely popular Pokémon games felt like they were designed for very young children who had never played those. The monster catching and collecting mechanic was enticing though. We all know how wonderful Shin Megami Tensei, the other monster collecting JRPG franchise, can be. But what if a developer tried to make a game incredibly close to Pokémon, but with none of the lameness? Let’s take a look at Cassette Beasts.
Every now and I then I come to a game with no expectations, and get completely blown away. Chained Echoes is a gift to JRPG fans. It’s an homage to classic 2D titles from the Super Nintendo and PS1 eras. And it’s a near perfect modernizing of all the genre tropes non-genre fans complain about. Chained Echoes is a late 2022 contender for Game of the Year, and a must play for all fans of 2D JRPGs.
Arcade Paradise is a genius idea for a game. A 19-year-old college drop-out is forced by their Dad to manage a dilapidated, family-owned, laundromat. The back of the laundromat has a storage room, with a few arcade machines. When emptying those for the first time, our hero discovers that those arcade machines make more money than the laundry machines do. The ensuing game is all about managing the laundromat and putting all the profits towards buying more arcade machines and expanding that aspect of the business.
Ninja Gaiden is one of the greatest action franchises in the history of video games. The original game was an arcade beat ‘em up in the style of Double Dragon, but it was Ninja Gaiden for the NES that perfected the action-platforming formula and pioneered quality cutscene storytelling. It is still heavily played by speedrunners worldwide and is a shoo-in for the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Ports aside, the NES game had two excellent sequels made in the same style, and these three games are often referred to as “The Ninja Gaiden Trilogy.” This trilogy received sequels for the Sega Game Gear and Sega Master System and a prequel for the Game Boy.