Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a JRPG developed by Monolithsoft and published by Nintendo. It was released in July 2022 as a Nintendo Switch exclusive. MSRB is $60. This is Part 2 of my review; if you haven't yet, I recommend reading Part 1. Reader Warning: I will be spoiling the game in this post, including … Continue reading Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Review, Part 2: The Guilt of Being Alive
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a JRPG developed by Monolithsoft and published by Nintendo. It was released in July 2022 as a Nintendo Switch exclusive. MSRB is $60. This is part 1 of my review and will only contain minimal early-game spoilers about gameplay and basic story elements similar to what was shown in Nintendo trailers. … Continue reading Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Review, Part 1: A JRPG Magnum Opus
I first heard about gaming conventions in the summer of 2016. For E3 of that year Nintendo dropped the trailer for their much-anticipated game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and set up a floor booth for people to try the game out. The company went all out for this display. They constructed … Continue reading PAX West: A Newcomer’s Experience
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is an Action RPG developed by Koei Tecmo and published by Nintendo. It was released in July 2022 as a Nintendo Switch exclusive. MSRB is $60. Fire Emblem: Three Houses earned its spot as my #1 Switch JRPG thanks to its robust customization, fascinating lore, and emotionally rich cast of … Continue reading Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Review – Just Shy of an S-Rank Video Game
They always say you shouldn't meet your heroes, but I can't help but wish I could sit down with Masahiro Sakurai for lunch. During my time as a self-described "hobby freelancer video game journalist" I've researched many game developers, and I've learned that many of them turn out to be quite flawed and controversial people. … Continue reading We Don’t Deserve Masahiro Sakurai
Stray is a 3D Platformer game developed by BlueTwelve Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive. It was released in July 2022 for PlayStation and PC. MSRB is $30. I played the PC version. I've long envied my cat's dexterity. She could effortlessly strut on top of a fence. She could make any mistake look intentional. … Continue reading Stray Review: Paw-sitively Adorable
From its very inception, Pokemon was designed for building a community. Satoshi Tajiri desired to convey his love for catching bugs to a new generation that grew up in a concrete-laden city. When he saw the Game Boy's link cable, he imagined creatures crawling across it. He wanted players to share the bugs they caught … Continue reading Pokémon Retrospective, Part 4: My Life As A Fan
In 2012, I thought I'd outgrown Pokemon. I never bought a DS to play Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, and I didn't feel anything when I saw the remakes of Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver on store shelves. In fact, I felt like I'd outgrown video games in general. During this time I only casually played Super … Continue reading Pokémon Retrospective, Part 3: Modern Poké-Problems
Several weeks ago, our family cat passed away. Her official name was Isabel Allende (yes, we named her after the famous Latin American author), but we usually just called her Smudge. She was about 13 years old when she passed away. She went peacefully, and my family buried her near a lovely tree. We adopted … Continue reading Pokémon Retrospective, Part 2: Becoming Poké-Pals
Pokemon's 9th Generation is nearly upon us. With the franchise experiencing so much growth along with so much scrutiny, it's unclear what kind of legacy Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will leave behind once they come out in November. However, as we anticipate these new games, I want to look back at Pokemon's evolution throughout the … Continue reading Pokémon Retrospective, Part 1: Pokémon’s Magic Spell
Hookshot, Charge Beam, Revive 