On Christmas morning of 1999 I received a Game Boy Color (GBC) and a copy of Pokemon Yellow. Leading up to that fateful morning, I'd been watching other kids play Pokemon Red and Blue and listening to their conversations about the games. Pokemon was everywhere: on the playground, in the neighborhood, and in every kids' … Continue reading I Finally Found My Lost Childhood Game Boy Consoles
Alright, I've introduced you to the Metroid series, and the Xenoblade series, but what about Fire Emblem? Perhaps you're curious about all of the anime sword characters flooding the roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, or maybe you're interested in the newest spinoff game coming out, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. What are these games … Continue reading A Newcomer’s Guide to Fire Emblem
So last year I made a newcomer's guide to Metroid, and I liked writing that post so much, I decided to make more of them. This year, with the recent announcement of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, I'd love nothing more than to introduce more people to Xenoblade. I'm going to structure this much like my last … Continue reading A Newcomer’s Guide to Xenoblade Chronicles
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is an Open World JRPG developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. It was released in January 2021 as a Nintendo Switch Exclusive. MSRB is $60. Prelude: Not Ready for Love It's no secret that I named my blog Hookshot, Charge Beam, Revive after the three game series that impacted me … Continue reading Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the Revival That Pokemon Needs
Shin Megami Tensei V is an Open World JRPG developed and published by Atlus. It was released as a Nintendo Switch exclusive in November 2021. MSRB is $60. Some of my favorite fantasy novels are based on realizing old folktalkes or mythologies. For example, the Percy Jackson series asks the question, "What if the Greek … Continue reading Shin Megami Tensei V Review: God’s Favorite JRPG
In the summer of 2001, Nintendo released the 32-bit successor to the Game Boy: The Game Boy Advance (GBA). It lived for only a brief period, a little over 3 years, but they were very successful years, and they defined an important era of my life. Allow me to indulge in my memories of the … Continue reading The Game Boy Advance: A 20th Anniversary Celebration
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is an Action RPG developed by Nihon Falcom and published by NISA. It was released for the PlayStation 4 in February 2021 and later for the PC, Stadia, and Nintendo Switch in July 2021. I played the Nintendo Switch version. Ys VIII really impressed me last year with its slick combat, … Continue reading Ys IX Monstrum Nox Review: The Goth JRPG
Happy 3rd Anniversary to this blog! I can't believe I've been writing for you guys for 3 entire years. I'm baffled that Polygon hasn't sent me an email begging me to write reviews and editorials for them. Tough luck, professional journalists! I write on my own time. My blog, my rules! At first I thought … Continue reading 5 Nintendo Switch Games that Deserve a Second Chance
Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected is an epilogue story campaign set after the events of Xenoblade Chronicles's main story. It is included for free in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. For my review of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition's main story, click here. So like in Torna: The Golden Country, Monolithsoft went through the process of making yet … Continue reading Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected – Expectations Managed
Xenoblade Chronicles is an open-world JRPG originally released on the Wii in 2012 in North America. It was developed by Monolithsoft and published by Nintendo. A remaster / remake with an extra story chapter was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2020. MSRB is $60. I played and reviewed the original Wii version back in … Continue reading Xenoblade Chronicles: The Definitive Review
Hookshot, Charge Beam, Revive 