Game Review: Last Day Of June

Game: Last Day of June
Console: Sony Playstation 4
Developer: Ovosonico
Release Date: 31st August 2017

Last Day of June was first brought to my attention when it was announced that Steven Wilson's music would be featuring in the game. As one of my favourite musicians, it was interesting to see a game based around the visual style from one of his music videos, and containing his music. Aside from this though, I had little idea of the actual content of the game before I was able to dive in. From the outset it's fairly obvious that Last Day of June is a story-driven puzzle game based on exploration, changing timelines and using logic to change events.

Thanks to the melancholic mood of Steven Wilson's music, the game feels as if it'll be sad from the start and not long into gameplay, Carl, the main character is involved in a car crash which kills his partner, June and puts him in a wheelchair. Through June's old paintings, he is able to explore a ghostly world of memories and unlock the ability to live the day once again as his neighbours who all have their own ways of causing the tragic accident.

The main gameplay in the game is split between exploring memories as Carl and seeing his frustration at not being able to change the course of events so that the crash never happens, and changing the actions of Carl's neighbours which lead to the crash. For example playing as a young boy who initially causes the crash by attempting to retrieve his football from the road where Carl is driving, players can instead amuse him with a kite, which leads to their neighbour who is moving out spilling boxes all over the road, since the rope she needs is being used for the kite. This knock-on effect continues as players attempt to solve the situation.

There's a final section with a twist which makes for a fairly emotional ending, but at its heart it's a short game which is definitely able to be completed in a single sitting. The issue with this is that there's not a whole lot of replay value since it's a puzzle game which when solved has the same solution every time. As a logical challenge it can be fun, but it felt similar to other puzzle games which use changing time and events as a concept.

Graphically the game is as its most impressive with a distinct visual style and feel. It works well with Steven Wilson's music to create a world which is enclosed but relatable. The lack of voice acting in the game means that all emotions are conveyed through hums, grunts and other noises. This is both a pro and a con since adding any words seems unnecessary but it can be a little hard to grasp who each character is at the start of the game.

Overall Last Day Of June is an experience that's worth playing once, especially if you're a fan of Steven Wilson's music or Jess Cope's visual style. While there's little replayability to the game, it might be nice to come back to after a while and play through to collect all of the extra memory cards hidden in the game, augmenting the story and character relationships.

Rating: 73/100
Grade: C

Game Review: Yakuza 0

Game: Yakuza 0
Console: Sony Playstation 4
Developer: Sega
Release Date: 24th January 2017

Having only played a little of the first game in the Yakuza series, I didn't really know what to expect from a PS4 prequel, released over 2 years ago in Japan, where the series is far more accessible and popular. In no way did I expect Yakuza 0 to be completely engaging and accessible to franchise newcomers, have such a perfect tonal balance or the kind of storyline pacing which puts it in contention for my Game of the Year, in the very year Shenmue III is set to be released.

So let's back up; at the most basic level, Yakuza 0 is a story driven, beat-'em up influenced game where 99% of issues are solved with combat. Luckily, with 3 main fighting styles for each of the game's two protagonist's, weapons, fighting style upgrades and tons of money to be earned for beating down opponents in various ways, there's enough variety to keep the core combat engaging throughout the game's 17 chapters, as the plot drives events and player interest forwards.

As with most Yakuza titles, the game takes place on the streets of Kamurocho, a fictional take on Kabukicho, a Tokyo red light district, bustling with activity, people and most importantly Yakuza. There's a serious graphical upgrade on all previous versions of the district, and the sense of detail is awesome, especially for such a small setting when compared to most modern games. The sense of familiarity players gain by the end of the game with the streets only serves to deepen their emotional connection with the story.

I don't plan on spoiling anything in this review, since the storyline is such a big part of the game's appeal, but rest assured, though there's a lot of reading and watching to be done in the game, it's a gritty and epic cinematic tale that could easily have been too serious. That is, if players didn't have the option to indulge in karaoke, bowling, running a hostess club, investing in real estate, disco dancing, watching "erotic" videos, playing classic SEGA arcade titles, visiting a telephone club, gambling, racing remote control cars, fishing and completing ridiculous but simultaneously hilarious substories. Yeah, there's a lot of distractions from the main story, but here's where the perfect tone balance is struck, since players choose when and how they wish to break up the seriousness of the main game.

An interesting element of the game is the dual protagonists; the game switches between them every 2 chapters for the most part, and waits a long and tantalising time to have their storylines intersect. There are plenty of plot twists, and personally I saw hardly any of them coming. The real estate and hostess club portions of the game work similarly to one another, and form an optional and generally enjoyable addition to the story, though the mechanics of KIryu's real estate section are far weaker than those of running Majima's hostess club.

Completion points are earned in game for reaching pre-determined milestones. Some of these will occur naturally during gameplay and others are borderline impossible without putting a lot of time into the game. Unless you're dying to get 100% completion, this isn't really an issue, and CP can be exchanged for items, power ups and business skills. For me, it worked well as a list of things to do in the game; allowing me to be sure that I'd seen and done everything to my own standards, if not to that of gaining a completion point.

Each protagonist is able to develop friendships with people around their district and once maxed out, these each have some sort of bonus. An example of this is reaching the maximum friendship level with Emiri at the Bowling Alley. Once this has been done, bowling three strikes in a row (also known as bowling a turkey) will reward Kiryu with a literal turkey. Well, a chicken. Who can become a real estate manager; a perfect example of Yakuza 0's off the wall humour. 

One of the most obvious improvements on past games is the amount of characterisation given to many recurring characters. Japanese only, subbed dialogue allows players to pick up on the mood in a less awkward and disjointed way than badly dubbed English dialogue. The Yakuza lieutenants who serve as antagonists in different portions of the game have their smug and untouchable demeanour almost shouted at players from their highly detailed expressions. 

Yakuza 0 uses many different styles of cutscene, with completely voiced and rendered scenes, text based scenes and graphic novel style panels. This doesn't tend to get in the way, but can feel a little tonally inconsistent. To fully voice such a text heavy game would surely have been far too expensive though. With such a detailed recreation of Japanese streets, you can almost feel the ambience at times, though the game is pretty light on truly great musical accompaniment. With forgettable electronic music during fights and muzak behind sub stories, only the main story is treated any sort of engaging soundtrack.

Overall though, I'm pretty sure this will be my favourite game of 2017. The story was so engaging, the substories and minigames providing a hilarious and contrasting tone, all set in beautifully recreated parts of Tokyo and Osaka. I cannot recommend this game enough; if you're looking for something to get stuck into, this is definitely the one.

Rating: 98/100
Grade: A

Game Review: Virtua Striker 2

Game: Virtua Striker 2
Console: Sega Dreamcast
Developer: Sega
Release Date: 29th February 2000

When arcade games come to home console, gamers usually hope for a faithful conversion of the arcade software. This usually entails near perfect capture of the gameplay, controls and graphics from the arcade, which of course isn't always possible. Having played a small amount of Virtua Striker 2 in its arcade format, what I was hoping for in the home console version was for it to be much, much improved in all aspects. Unfortunately this wasn't the case.

Home conversions of arcade games often add new gameplay modes but Virtua Striker seems to want to trick players into thinking new modes are present. There appear to be plenty of modes to choose from upon starting the game; Arcade Mode is a knockout tournament, International Cup is a knockout tournament and Tournament Mode is also a knockout tournament. Fundamentally there's very little difference between these three modes, as the same options can be set for all of them. Besides these there's the option to play a league or have your performance in a single match ranked.

Because of the game's arcade roots, the controls are super basic for a football game meaning that gameplay often consists of just passing, tackling and shooting rather than any real tactical elements. Furthermore only the d-pad can be used to move players around and aim passes, leaving the analog stick with no use at all. The flow of games is clunky and gameplay mostly focusses on getting possession and attempting to break through on goal.

The camera follows the ball from too close of an angle which could make even the hardiest of gamers motion sick, and the action swings back and forth a little too much compared to the real life game. The ability to switch formations easily is a good feature of the game, alongside its easy to pick up and play nature, but these are about the only positives I can find. International teams are the only sides available, with a handful of fictional bonus teams, and there's not much focus on realism.

Graphically the game is pretty good for its time; the players aren't tiny, undetailed specks, but the crowds and stadia are still fairly featureless. There's no commentary to accompany gameplay and there's only arcade style announcement of events. The game suffers somewhat from having been an arcade game in that when playing some modes there's not even a half time break, red cards or any of the features you'd expect. These features do make an appearance in International Cup mode, but it's not enough to redeem the game.

Overall Virtua Striker 2 is a simple arcade take on football with clunky controls and gameplay, little realism, no commentary and little reason for coming to home console. There are plenty of better football games for the Dreamcast, and in such an overpopulated genre it doesn't pay to be so average in almost every respect. Arcade sports conversions often come up short when competing with home console specific games and this is just another incidence of that.

Rating: 32/100
Grade: E

Game Review: Mario Tennis

Game: Mario Tennis
Console: Nintendo 64
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 28th August 2000

Released in the middle of the N64's lifespan, Mario Tennis was the first proper tennis game to feature Mario and friends, since I'm not counting Mario's Tennis on the Virtual Boy or the original Tennis for NES, which featured Mario as referee. Also of note is the fact that Waluigi debuted in this game, as a partner for Wario in doubles games. Alongside Mario Golf which was released a year previous, it paved the way for further Mario sports games on the Gamecube and later consoles.

The gameplay is solid for a tennis game; mostly intuitive and easy to grasp. The characters seem a little big on the court compared to most tennis games featuring real players. Running around the court can feel a little slidey in a similar way to Mario's momentum in Super Mario 64, and learning the distance at which players lock on to hit the ball can take a while also. As with most Mario sports games, each character has slightly different stats and this affects gameplay also.

Players can choose to compete in tournaments of rising difficulty, ring challenges where the goal is to pass the ball through rings, a special match with Bowser, with items and a tilting court, or a Piranha Challenge where balls are spewed towards the baseline, and players hit back as many as they can, out of 50. This is a great variety of tennis based matches and challenges, and with doubles also featuring in the game there's a ton of stuff to complete and work through. 

While there's a good selection of characters unlocked at the start of the game, there's a couple that can be unlocked through completing cups and connecting a Gameboy version of the game to the N64 with a transfer pak. There are also unlockable courts and cups to provide the game with even more content than it initially seemed to have. As with many Nintendo titles, the replayability is very high.

Graphically the game isn't perfect by any means, but there are some nice touches which improve the game. The ball boys are either Bob-ombs or Koopas and will react in certain ways if the ball comes their way. Mario is usually the umpire unless he's playing in the match, and Lakitu sometimes does humourous things as camera operator. Musically the game is acceptable but there's nothing particularly special like you'd see in main series Mario titles.

Overall Mario Tennis is a solid tennis game with tons of modes and things to do. There's lots of characters and it's generally very good fun despite not having ultra tight controls as we'd see in today's realistic tennis games, or whacky super powered shots as with Mario Strikers.

Rating: 72/100
Grade: C

Game Review: Top Gear Rally

Game: Top Gear Rally
Console: Nintendo 64
Developer: Boss Game Studios
Release Date: 1997

Top Gear Rally is a simple but enjoyable rally game for the Nintendo 64. There are two main game modes, Arcade and Championship as well as Time Trial and Practice modes. In Arcade mode players compete against a single AI opponent through checkpoints for three laps on any unlocked circuit. In Championship mode players race through seasons and attempt to gain a set amount of points overall to progress and unlock new cars and circuits.

There are three types of handling in game; A, B and C. A is the loosest handling, with which the player's car will turn and slide very easily. Handling type C is the tightest handling, requiring more input to turn and hardly ever breaking into a slide. Personally type B seems to be the best since its inbetween these two extremes and as such allows players to slide when needed, but avoid doing so unnecessarily and potentially spinning the car around or into barriers. There seems to be no way of reversing, meaning that one mistake can spell the end of a race.

The selection of cars is limited by a lack of licensing; all cars are given a two letter moniker. Their stats vary but there's little else to go on in terms of choosing a car, and there are real differences in handling. Edited car decals can be made and saved, but the default ones are bearable too. There could definitely be more variety in the types of cars featured; nearly all of them look like the same type of box-shaped racer.

The circuits are interesting and fairly varied; a coast and jungle circuit are unlocked initially and both of these offer different racing experiences. The jungle circuit reminded me a little of Sega Rally Championship 2 with its wide turns and open plains. The only downside here is that the courses aren't in a point-to-point format, as with many later rally titles. Arcade mode also features another racing pet peeve of mine which is competitive checkpoint racing; it's not enough that you're beating the AI; you have to race against time as well. Checkpoints could have been perfect for the time trail mode instead.

Graphically the game holds up pretty well for the era, but is obviously dated with a view to modern graphics. There's a lot of fog covering up a lack of horizon detail and draw distance, but the tracks themselves disguise these issues well. The soundtrack to the game features looped music which is a little short at times, but it's to be expected from cartridge based games, when compared to disc based PS1 titles of the time.

Overall Top Gear Rally scores big in the important sector of actual gameplay; Championship Mode is fun and competitive, and features a variety of circuits to race. Arcade mode can be difficult with its added time limits, but once a few faster cars have been unlocked it doesn't pose as much of a problem. It'd be nice to have seen a little more progression in the game, with only car and circuit unlocks driving players to complete Championship Mode, but it's worth a few hours to enjoy.

Rating: 66/100
Grade: C

Game Review: Parappa The Rapper 2

Game: PaRappa The Rapper 2
Console: Sony Playstation 2
Developer: NaNaOn-Sha
Release Date: 5th April 2002

PaRappa The Rapper was an undoubted Playstation classic which, though short featured classic rhythm game action, a whacky plot and a unique art style with 2D-esque steamrolled characters. PaRappa 2 is the first direct sequel, not counting the spin-off Um Jammer Lammy which had similar gameplay with an emphasis on playing the guitar rather than rapping. Ultimately PaRapper 2 isn't radically different in terms of gameplay, music, or style but it's more than just an expansion for the first game since it moved up to the next generation of consoles.

The rhythm in this instalment seems tighter than in the first game, with less input lag and much more room for improvisation. As before the game rewards creativity from players, within limits. It's difficult to know exactly what the game wants for a "Cool" rating, but its easy enough to finish with a "Good" rating, needed to clear a stage. Another small stage is that transitioning between ratings yields a short clip and simplifies or complicates the rhythm inputs. Sometimes this can be disconcerting, but it works well enough.

Characters from the first game make re-appearances in a few interesting ways, and there's definite references for fans that enjoyed the original. The storyline is as off-the-wall as before, and a little longer, but the main advantage here is the replayability of the game. Once the game has been completed, Parappa's hat changes colour, and the lyrics to each rap increase in difficulty with each playthrough. There's also vs. stages where improvisation is key and players are pitted against the computer, which work well and add much needed content.

As a series, Parappa the Rapper appeals to somewhat of a niche audience; the slightly cringy lyrics, 2D characters in bright and simple colours and rhythm gameplay could be drawbacks for some players. To those who can look past the game's unique features though it's a fun experience which is only held back by its overall length. Where rhythm games that feature licensed songs can have an expansive song list, all songs featured were original recordings with each of Parappa's inputs able to be played at any time, for improvisational purposes.

Graphically the game has improved from the Playstation, but as previously mentioned the characters are still stylistically two dimensional. Some stages could have been a little more visually interesting, though players will likely be concentrating on the required button inputs. As ever the music is enjoyable and consistently funky, though some of the near rhymes in the lyrics take some getting used to.

Overall Parappa The Rapper 2 is more of the same for gamers who enjoyed the other games in the series. It could serve as an interesting introduction to the series for new players, but the first game would be somewhat of a step back afterwards in terms of replayability and responsive controls. The Playstation 2 was a console where games of all varieties were able to thrive, and with a 5 year gap between this and the original, we were lucky to get a follow up at all for such a niche but well loved game.

Rating: 73/100
Grade: C

Game Review: Asphalt Urban GT 2

Game: Asphalt Urban GT 2
Console: Sony Playstation Portable
Developer: Virtuos
Release Date: 1st July 2010

Racing games for portable systems rarely turn out to be classics, or even particularly good. While there are a few notable exceptions to this rule, the majority of handheld racers disappoint. Asphalt Urban GT 2 is the sequel to an N-Gage and DS title, and combines many elements we've seen before in racing titles. On track pickups include money and nitrous, of which there are 3 different boost levels, racers also gain money for takedowns and dangerous driving, for which they can be pursued by police. The tracks are set in real world locations and the game features licensed cars, some of which even look something like what they're trying to represent!

Gameplay-wise, racing feels like a mash-up of other series; London Racer, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Burnout, and the Crus'n series. This is mostly thanks to all of the different elements that have been brought together, the racing itself feels pretty budget; takedowns aren't at all satisfying and look rather silly when your opponents go crashing across roads, nitrous boosts shake the screen like an earthquake rather than giving any sense of speed and the difficulty level is beyond easy. Cornering is arcade with a hint of cheap handling models, it's difficult to actually crash unless you're trying to.

There are two modes in the game; arcade mode acts as more of an exhibition mode since there's no real reward for winning its single races. The main mode has championships which can be won by taking part in three types of races; elimination, speed trials and regular racing. These are set on the game's limited selection of tracks and there's no other real progression as the game continues. Some cars are unlocked and there's modification options, but there's no real incentive to use any of these options as most championships specify the make of car you must use.

Graphically the game performs badly with some licensed cars being near unrecognisible. The locations too aren't of enough detail to admire, though it's mostly obvious what they're trying to represent. The game is endorsed by the Pussycat Dolls for some reason, who appear on loading screens, but add little else. There's just one song included for the menu screens which plays incessantly every time you're taken back between races, after sitting through an unbearably long load time also. This is pretty poor for a game that Ubisoft dared to put their name to.

Overall Asphalt Urban GT 2 is yet another half-assed racing game, this time a sequel to a mobile game which was likely ported with few changes. There's no challenge or progression to the game, which has taken aspects of some popular franchises, only to arrange them into a racing experience which holds little joy or excitement. The real kicker here is that the game was released in 2010, when there were literally hundreds of better racing experiences available.

Rating: 48/100
Grade: D

Mobile Game Review: Colour Switch

Game: Colour Switch
Console: Mobile
Developer: Fortafy Games
Release Date: 12th June 2015

It's been a while since I reviewed a mobile game; partly because I want this blog to focus on console gaming, and also because my old mobile phone had hardly any storage free to try any games out on. Having acquired a new phone, I feel it's only right to check out the best of the app store every now and then, because there are some games worth trying. Colour Switch is a game with a simple concept; guide a ball through obstacles to the finish line. There are currently 35 game modes which feature varied rules on the concept of getting your ball to the finish line.

The sheer amount of variety in game modes is part of what makes this game notable, amongst the large amount of similar app store titles. Sure, there's some that aren't quite as good as others, but on the whole each new mode is an interesting challenge and a fresh take on what can be done with a ball and some coloured obstacles. Most games are based around some form of colour changing, which is done via passing through a colour change symbol, and these remain a constant, alongside avoiding spiked enemies and passing through obstacles which are the same colour as you, throughout most game modes.

Colour Switch is also particularly notable for its consistent and tight control; while players can only really tap and swipe to control in each mode, gameplay is intuitive and any failures tend to be the fault of the player rather than the game. The only real downside to the huge amount of game modes (besides the time you'll waste playing all of them) is that there are a couple of modes which are nearly clones of the original "challenge" game mode, which is shown above. Gamers who like to complete every level of games they own might also wish to avoid Colour Switch, considering its 1000+ level count.

Daily challenges and bonuses are a welcome addition to the game, and players collect stars throughout the modes with which they can buy new designs for the ball which they guide through the levels. That's all the stars can be spent on though. While it may feel good to unlock everything in a game, a little more reward than simply changing the thing I'm guiding through each level might help me to stay invested in continuing to complete such a massive array of levels.

Graphically the game is very clean and intuitive, with simple shapes and colours forming the majority of visuals. Every now and then I found myself wanting a little more space in which to tap on the screen, without covering anything I wanted to see, but overall it wasn't too big of a problem. The music which accompanies gameplay is pretty harmless and doesn't add or detract much eitherway.

Overall Colour Switch is a well put together and fun way to pass some time, with many different variations on its gameplay to keep players engaged. Perhaps it would do well to mix things up a bit and present different modes through a linear progression, keeping players on their toes, but too much content is preferable to too little. It's refreshing to see a mobile game with very little gated content (the only payable content is unlocking levels instead of working your way through them, and getting more stars), even if there are fairly constant adverts, though we've come to expect those.

Rating: 85/100
Grade: B

Game Review: Sega Rally Championship

Game: Sega Rally Championship
Console: PC
Developer: Sega
Release Date: 11th October 1994

It's not very often that a game with very little content is able to wow its players into complete satisfaction with its gameplay alone, but Sega Rally Championship achieves this feat easily. Featuring just 3 main stages with a bonus stage for coming 1st at the end of the third, and two main cars, there's really not a lot of variety in terms of content, to explore. The arcade handling of the cars and the layout of the stages featured is simply sublime; fast paced rally action with exciting overtakes and a challenging goal of finishing 1st after just 3 stages.

The first stage, 'Desert' features corners of easy difficulty, the next stage, 'Forest' is a little more unforgiving and features a few difficult corners. The final main stage, 'Mountain' features many twists and turns and a tough uphill hairpin in its middle section. Finally the bonus hidden stage 'Lakeside' is the hardest of them all, featuring a lot of long corners which require expert braking to remain in the lead and win the overall rally, and game.

Graphically the game is very impressive when observed at speed; the grass and rocks rush by and the blurry textures seem almost to be a speed effect. At slower pace however, and at certain times in the game the textures are less impressive, looking dated and low res, and sometimes even popping in and out. The music featured in the game is excellent and really fits the fast paced mood and racing action, and conveys the classic Sega soundtrack feel.

Overall Sega Rally Championship is about the best players could wish for from a 1994 rally game; exciting racing and sounds, a good challenge and some nicely varied tracks are only held back by the lack in quantity, of content. It's a real case of quality over quantity, and this means that it's still enjoyable despite it's lack of depth.

Rating: 84/100
Grade: B

Game Review: Bishi Bashi Special

Game: Bishi Bashi Special
Console: Sony Playstation
Developer: Konami
Release Date: 7th July 2000

As a lover of minigame collections such as WarioWare, Tant R, Rhythm Heaven, and Project Rub, I had been waiting quite a while to get my hands on this particular title. I'd played the arcade cabinet "The Bishi Bashi" and beaten it in spectacular style, and needed even more of the madcap Japanese minigame collection that is Bishi Bashi Special. Contained on this disc are Super Bishi Bashi and Hyper Bishi Bashi, both featuring a large amount of minigames (some of which overlap between the games), single and two player party modes, and fast paced entertainment.

It's interesting to note that the first title in the Warioware series wasn't released until three years after this game, which features a few similar minigames and concept which is almost identical. With that said, the Warioware series managed to add a level of polish and consistency to its gameplay which Bishi Bashi Special lacks, though it's not at all difficult to pick up and play as a party game.

Most of the minigames are based on either; knowing the buttons of the playstation controller well and being able to match up the colour onscreen to a button press, pressing buttons as fast a possible, or movement. There are a few minigames which seem like duds, compared to the fun of the rest of the collection but overall there's an impressive amount of content and fun to be had. The off-the-wall style of the game as a whole also helps to entertain.

Playing with friends also improves the experience as any difficulty in playing the minigames will apply to all human players rather than giving players a handicap in single player mode, against the computer. Bishi Bashi special seems to be an important step in revitalising minigame collections as a genre with only Mario party being particularly consistent in the fifth generation era.

With bright cartoon style graphics to match the fast paced action in the games, and music to go alongside it all, Bishi Bashi Special almost encapsulates the spirit of minigame collections as a whole. The quirky tasks presented in the minigames almost definitely inspired those of Warioware, directly or indirectly, and subsequently many other minigame collections that've been released in the years inbetween.

Overall Bishi Bashi Special is a well presented game, which reminded me a little of Incredible Crisis, another excellent game which was a little less polished overall, with just as much Japanese madness. With a minigame collection, the important thing is that the games themselves play well and have a consistent, but varied feel, and this is achieved for sure.

Rating: 87/100
Grade: B

12 Days of 3DS-mas Finale: Game Review: Edge

Game: Edge
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: Two Tribes
Release Date: 26th December 2013

Edge is a momentum based 3D platforming game which tasks players with guiding a cube through levels to an exit. The cube can be rotated onto any one of its adjacent sides and moves as if aligned to a grid, so 1 rotation is equal to one square of the level. In addition to this, players can precision control the cube for part rotations which are useful as they stick the cube to moving elements of the level in order to bridge gaps and complete harder gameplay sections.

While there are many games with similar concepts to Edge, the tightness of control and realism of the cube's momentum are both pretty spot on, and the levels are designed in such a way that there's a fair and challenging difficulty ramp, with new elements and tricks being introduced often enough to keep players interested. For such a seemingly generic platformer, it's actually impressively put together.

Graphically the game retains a simple but effective minimalist style with splashes of colour highlighting the levels objectives in an easy to understand way. The music too is very minimalist, with simple beats accompanying gameplay. This is perhaps the only aspect that would have benefited from some from some fleshing out, with a much more present and lively feel giving more of a futuristic and technological feel to the game as a whole.

Overall Edge is an impressive eShop title, and well worth its budget asking price. There's plenty of levels to keep players entertained and very much the type of game that can make commuting to work less of a horrible experience. There's nothing that makes it particularly extraordinary, but it's put together well enough to feel like a quality purchase.

Rating: 77/100
Grade: B

12 Days of 3DS-mas Day 11: Game Review: Kung-Fu Rabbit

Game: Kung Fu Rabbit
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: Neko Entertainment
Release Date: 20th February 2014

Not to be confused with the Chinese film of the same title, which attempted to rip off the Kung Fu Panda franchise, Kung Fu Rabbit is a platforming game from the 3DS eShop which focuses on tight controls and sneaking up on enemies. When encountered from behind (or above, with one of the game's upgrades), enemies can be defeated by simply touching them. If players walk into enemies that are facing them though, the level must be started again. Players can also slide down walls and use them to double jump, giving a great level of freedom to move around levels.

With this simple premise, there are many well designed levels which fill the game, though the level of challenge remains fairly low. Once players figure out what needs to be done to complete a level, the inputs required are likely the easiest part. The upgrade system is interesting, though it doesn't feature enough to give the game the difficult ramp it needs. This isn't a title that I can see many gamers bothering to complete, after their initial play session.

Graphically the game looks good with some visually pleasing depth effects, though there can be a lot going on at times, depending on the level. Carrots act as a currency to buy upgrades, and add a collectable element to the game, with a golden carrot and 3 regular carrots to find in each level. Musically too there's an entirely bearable soundtrack.

Overall Kung Fu Rabbit plays nicely and is well presented and programmed. Unfortunately though it doesn't have enough stand out features, challenge or character to keep players grinding through its levels. It's a nice enough budget title for the eShop, but with so many other games out there, it's hard to recommend.

Rating: 62/100
Grade: C

12 Days of 3DS-mas Day 10: Game Review: Gunman Clive

Game: Gunman Clive
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: Horberg Productions
Release Date: 3rd January 2013

Gunman Clive is an excellent, if a little short run n' gun platformer, reminiscent of Rolling Thunder by Namco. Players make their way through 16 levels, with interspersed bosses, dodging and ducking shots from enemies. In amongst the classic run and gun style action are nods to other games, moving platforms reminiscent of Super Mario World and a mine cart level almost lifted from Donkey Kong Country. The gameplay and controls are tight, and work well to allow players to learn each level a little before finally being able to make their way through.

Players can choose from two characters, with a third unlocked upon completion of the game. There are subtle gameplay differences between characters but nothing too major. Power-ups are also a big part of the game, with triple shot, guided shots and other goodies changing the strategy needed to complete levels. Players have a life meter which is governed by the overall difficulty level of the game; the easier the level, the more hits Clive can take.

Graphically, the game is presented in a hand-drawn Old West style, with excellent animation and effects. The music featured in the game ranges from suitably cowboy inspired to strangely modern, but never low in quality. The bosses are fairly varied and provide a good change up in gameplay between platforming sections.

Overall Gunman Clive is an impressive little game, and potentially one of the best on the Nintendo eShop. While it's length does diminish its replayability, the quality of presentation and gameplay, in addition to its low price make it an enticing purchase, especially if players are familiar with other run and gun titles, such as Rolling Thunder.

Rating: 84/100
Grade: B

12 Days of 3DS-mas Day 9: Game Review: Arc Style Baseball 3D

Game: Arc Style Baseball 3D
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: Arc System Works
Release Date: 30th May 2014

Casual sports games are usually easy to guiltlessly overlook, often containing simplified kids versions of the sports they are intending to portray. In the case of baseball however, this may well be a good thing, since simulation baseball games take absolutely forever to complete a single game, thanks to there being 18 innings per match. With it's arcade style, this game shortens and simplifies baseball whilst retaining the elements of choice that make it fun.

Players can choose from teams with various skillsets in batting, fielding and pitching or make their own with a ton of customisation options. Whilst batting players choose which type of shot to make, with harder hitting shots requiring more accuracy and timing to pull off. When pitching players are in control of the type of pitch and any throwing and catching that needs to be done. The controls and game mechanics work well, but can feel a little simple at times.

The real issue is in the AI difficulty; depending on the teams picked players can either expect to be 20+ homeruns up by the end of the first innings or be completely unable to score at all. In tournament mode both of these variable tend to occur at different stages of the tournament. Without a difficulty balance, it's pretty hard to enjoy a sports game though on the rare occasion things work out evenly, there can be some enjoyably tense spots. Graphically the game has a cartoonish Mii type feel, which tends to work against it as the animations are aimed at a younger audience.

Overall Arc Style Baseball 3D is better than some players might expect for a casual sports game, but not good enough that it's replayably enjoyable. After a few tournaments or exhibition matches, players will have seen all the game has to offer, and without any season modes or deeper gameplay to offer, there's little likelihood of gamers coming back for more.

Rating: 60/100
Grade: D

12 Days of 3DS-mas Day 8: Game Review: Governor of Poker

Game: Governor of Poker
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: Youda Games
Release Date: 10th April 2014

I first encountered Governor of Poker as a flash game online, and was thus surprised to see it on the Nintendo eShop even as a cheap download. Nonetheless, I decided to try and find out if anything had been added since I last experienced the game. Players attempt to take over Texas by gaining a reputation at the poker tables, winning houses and saloons in high stakes games and tournaments, and beating the odds to become the most prolific player in the desert.

The one thing which is most important in making an enjoyable poker game is well programmed AI. A variety of tight, loose and above all intelligent players is essential to enjoyment, if players are to feel that they've actually achieved anything in beating the computer. In Governor of Poker, the computer opponents play with little care, betting on any and every hand that takes their fancy, making it difficult to players to judge good calls, raises and folds. This makes the game much harder to enjoy, as the majority of gameplay is poker.

The graphical presentation is cartoon like, and this undermines the serious vibe that most poker games like to portray. The issue with this whimsical presentation is that it matches the carefree attitude of many of the AI opponents and compounds it. Cartoon sound effects and wild west music also help to remind players that this was once a flash game.

Overall there are far better handheld poker games available (maybe not on the 3DS), and serious poker players will much prefer these. Governor of Poker doesn't really appeal to casual poker players as there are several hours worth of poker grinding involved in beating the game. With such a slim target market left, it's tough to see anyone who the game appeals to, despite competent programming.

Rating: 45/100
Grade: D