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Let's look over Nippon Ichi Software & NISA's Switch support
- Thread starter Hero of Legend
- Start date
might be more of a case of "gotta wait until NIS finishes the Switch/PC port"
Have the majority of their titles performed above expectations? I remember hearing Disgaea 5 and Ys VIII has, but do we have any more insight outside of those?
Nice! I've done my part with a fair amount of NIS titles and more I'll be picking up in the future.
I know coven apparently performed as expected on PS4 and above expectations on switch according to anihawk
Falcom has been licensing out ports of their games since the 80's and will probably continue to do so in the future.
Glad they are supporting the system. Games I bought so far are Disgaea 5, The Lost Child, Ys 8, Labyrinth of Refrain and God Wars.
NeoAtlas 1469 is an awesome game as well. Bought the digital version during a sale a few months ago.
NeoAtlas 1469 is an awesome game as well. Bought the digital version during a sale a few months ago.
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New review time!
The Caligula Effect: Overdose
It's alright but nothing super special in my opinion. Combat has a three turns-in-one thing which is nifty. Your health and SP all heal up fully after every fight which I deeply appreciate, The voice-acting is all in Japanese though which is very odd for a NISA-localized game when even games like God Wars was fully dubbed. Visually it's a pretty mixed bag. Engine Software did a pretty decent job even if the texture work at times is really low-res, but it runs at a mostly smooth 30fps and seemingly is above 720p in docked mode (but sub 720p in portable mode). There's a neat thing where you can use an instant messaging app called WIRE where you can chat with your party members and seemingly with NPCs as you befriend them. The school area is bland as hell but the second area is far more colorful, but you also get in this really out of place pre-rendered area and it's like... what? Overall it was a bit boring but some might get a kick out of it. I've played much better, including from NISA if I'm honest, it just didn't grab me like i wanted it to Watch videos, that's my usual recommendation lol.
The Caligula Effect: Overdose
It's alright but nothing super special in my opinion. Combat has a three turns-in-one thing which is nifty. Your health and SP all heal up fully after every fight which I deeply appreciate, The voice-acting is all in Japanese though which is very odd for a NISA-localized game when even games like God Wars was fully dubbed. Visually it's a pretty mixed bag. Engine Software did a pretty decent job even if the texture work at times is really low-res, but it runs at a mostly smooth 30fps and seemingly is above 720p in docked mode (but sub 720p in portable mode). There's a neat thing where you can use an instant messaging app called WIRE where you can chat with your party members and seemingly with NPCs as you befriend them. The school area is bland as hell but the second area is far more colorful, but you also get in this really out of place pre-rendered area and it's like... what? Overall it was a bit boring but some might get a kick out of it. I've played much better, including from NISA if I'm honest, it just didn't grab me like i wanted it to Watch videos, that's my usual recommendation lol.
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New review is finally up (this took longer than planned):
The Princess Guide
It's basically Penny-Punching Princess 2.0. You pick one of four princesses to start with but once you pick one you can't pick any afterwards. Combat is still a beat-em-up with each of the four princesses using a different weapon. Voice-acting is actual Japanese this time (though no English narration here, it's 100% Japanese). There's a LOT of charm from each of the princesses, but some are more likeable than others. You can also control your own knight who can be independently upgraded using skill points. The princesses get upgraded by giving them Knowledge Materia you earn during gameplay from accomplishing tasks. When teaching them Materia, you earn skill points for the Knight. An issue is that you're stuck with whichever princess you're playing, you seemingly can't go back to a prior one to get more upgrades. This is also true for equipped weapons, they stay stuck on a princess and can't be passed to another princess or your knight. Overall I liked this a bit more than Penny-Punching Princess, though it's not as original like the prior game with its whole calculator usage, that was nifty. I do recommend it though, it's solid though with some issues. It's a NIS game alright in feel and tone.
The Princess Guide
It's basically Penny-Punching Princess 2.0. You pick one of four princesses to start with but once you pick one you can't pick any afterwards. Combat is still a beat-em-up with each of the four princesses using a different weapon. Voice-acting is actual Japanese this time (though no English narration here, it's 100% Japanese). There's a LOT of charm from each of the princesses, but some are more likeable than others. You can also control your own knight who can be independently upgraded using skill points. The princesses get upgraded by giving them Knowledge Materia you earn during gameplay from accomplishing tasks. When teaching them Materia, you earn skill points for the Knight. An issue is that you're stuck with whichever princess you're playing, you seemingly can't go back to a prior one to get more upgrades. This is also true for equipped weapons, they stay stuck on a princess and can't be passed to another princess or your knight. Overall I liked this a bit more than Penny-Punching Princess, though it's not as original like the prior game with its whole calculator usage, that was nifty. I do recommend it though, it's solid though with some issues. It's a NIS game alright in feel and tone.
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I'll repost my list of reviews to make it easier for me and others to find. I hope people find these reviews helpful. I don't get much feedback at all. I'm still shocked at the sheer volume of games I've reviewed for NISA. Insane.
I've reviewed so far (with links):
The Longest 5 Minutes
Penny-Punching Princess
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory
Happy Birthdays
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA
The Lost Child
Touhou Genso Wanderer Reloaded
SNK Heroines ~Tag Team Frenzy~
God Wars: The Complete Legend
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk
Yomawari: The Long Night Collection
Disgaea 1 Complete
SNK 40th Anniversary Collection
The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince
The Caligula Effect: Overdose
The Princess Guide
Lapis X Labyrinth
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered
Destiny Connect
Disgaea 4 Complete+
Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha
Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo
All on Switch. I'll give some brief thoughts on each:
The Longest 5 Minutes
I found it a bit bland and definitely over-priced. It feels like an 8 bit eShop JRPG which you'd find from say Skipmore who makes the Fairune games and Kamiko. Nothing about it felt super "worth" being a retail game other than to just have on a cart if I'm honest.
Penny-Punching Princess
Much better. I liked the combat of just wailing on foes and rotating the right stick to "shake" money out of them. The dialogue of the butler beetle is actually quite funny and there's a definite charm overall. Looks very "by the company behind Disgaea" I feel. You may really dig this one!
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory
Worth noting this is legit a 2-pack of two indie titles, and by the founder of Siliconera, no joke. The art is nice but I wasn't a huge fan of the timed combat/blocking, since enemies can attack at different paces so the whole block and deflect ability was really difficult to really use. There's nearly zero voice-acting bar occasional narration by the respective main character here and there and clips you hear in battle. I'd honestly more recommend checking out one of the solo releases on PS4/Vita actually, but this is the only wide retail release (I think Limited Run did theirs on the other systems).
Happy Birthdays
As charming as this looks, it's surprisingly complicated and hollow. I describe it as an aquarium because all you really do is manage a world but do little else in it. There's no interaction with the creatures. They come, they go. Your goal is to "collect" every species but yeah it's not that satisfying.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA
Obvious fav of the bunch here. It's an action RPG that some might compare to Zelda but faster. Combat is good, it's got a good story that's near fully-voiced (you get odd bits of no voice-acting, but the core stuff is). Despite complaints around the voice-acting and text seem perfectly fine and runs fine enough, even if it's not as good as on PS4.
The Lost Child
Surprisingly decent. It's by the creator of El Shaddai which is a fan fav. If you've played Etrian Odyssey you'll know what to expect, and most would say it's VERY comparable to Shin Megami Tensei (which I have not played..). You can catch and evolve demons, including Enoch who was the main character of El Shaddai. It's 99% fully voice-acted (just some minor text bits in like the shop and whatnot, but story is fully voiced). Lua the angel is WICKED over the top in a delightful way that I really got a kick out of.
Touhou Genso Wanderer Reloaded
I really liked it! It's a rogue-like that's very similar to games like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Shiren the Wanderer, and the only one I played; Chocobo's Dungeon on Wii. The characters are too adorable for words. The game features item merging and dismantling so there's an addictive nature to it. However, the big issue is the fact that if you die in any floor, you lose your level and experience progress. But you keep your items so that's good at least. Plus it got very difficult in the 20's floors (twice I died at 24 and 25). Just be prepared for the difficulty spikes, and you'll likely really enjoy this if you're into rogue-likes!
SNK Heroines ~Tag Team Frenzy~
I had fun with this one. Performance is iffy since it's only 30fps, but I really dig the colorful "pop" the style has. Combat is fun to get into due to its simplicity. The L block + dodge mechanic is LEGIT Smash Bros, it's amazing. There's a lot of stuff to unlock in terms of accessories, character cutscene combinations, etc. The story is okay but it gets CRAZY hard in the final fight, so be careful. Also of course there's the whole sexual nature of it. But it wasn't that bad. It's really just the outfits and nothing more I think. There are better games out there, but I surprisingly enjoyed what I played of it. Note there's no English voice-acting outside of the odd exception being the announcer who's English-only for reasons.
God Wars: The Complete Legend
This probably surprised me more because I had little expectations going in. It's difficult if you don't know how to use the jobs and skills, but once you get the hang of it, it's surprisingly engaging. It's fully-voiced in English and Japanese. It's Vita roots are super obvious, as there's even thin black bars on the sides of the screen (not noticeable on a black TV like mine, I only saw them in the screencaps I took! LOL). Yeah, I actually recommend this over SNK Heronies pretty easily because it's not really flawed outside of not being all that "special". Just note that grinding is only possible in request missions since you can't replay episodes for who knows what reason.
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk
This is basically NIS's true take of Etrian Odyssey (The Lost Child was by Kadokawa Games). It was quite good and I really enjoyed the characters in the game (Luca is too adorable for words!), plus the Enlgish voice-acting is really well done. Word of caution is that a pretty questionable bit happens after a couple of hours in the story. I elaborate a bit more in the review, but yeah it got REALLY uncomfortable in it, let's just say. Overall though there was a lot of effort put here, so if you love Etrian Odyssey and of course love its difficulty, you should love this. Definitely recommended.
Yomawari: The Long Night Collection
This game is legit depressing. I did not expect it to be this dark. I only tell what happens in the beginning of the first game, but it's fucked up. The beginning of the second game is also fucked up. If you have a faint heart like me, you won't want to play this. :( The gameplay is alright. It's an adventure/mystery/survival game of sorts. You have a heart monitor that determines how much you can run and you need to run from the evil spirits or else, boom. Honestly the cute exterior makes you feel even more uneasy because you are terrified at what atrocities might happen to these poor girls. It's weird. In a realistic game you'd be far more prepared. This game was not for me. But folks might really dig it since it was good atmosphere (hell the backgrounds in the second game look legit gorgeous with layers and such). But still. DO RESEARCH. Watch a video, read about it. Know what you're getting into before you buy it!
Disgaea 1 Complete
Mario + Rabbids this is not! :P This is hard to describe, since it's both good and... not as good. The story and characters are great and when things get going it's great, but there's some issues that keep it from being fantastic. I found myself over-leveling Laharl and there can be so many enemies in battles it overhwelms you. Yeah you can make more allies but the experience gain is too little, even when you get EXP bonuses. Plus the camera is AWFUL! :P I did buy Disgaea 5 Complete during Black Friday's eShop sale so I can finally put some solid time into that and compare it. I've read folks say the gameplay systems stayed the same without the many updates from the sequels, I think I can see what they mean already.
SNK 40th Anniversary Collection
Really neat collection. Honestly the biggest selling point are the cool extras to help suck you into SNK history. The Watch function where you actually watch a playthrough of a game, and being able to jump in at anytime is a KILLER feature that even M2 should take note of! Display options are nice but not the most elaborate (M2's got them beat there). The game selection's not my cup of tea (not really into 8/16-bit games as much these days). But as far as I'm aware you won't find many of these anywhere else, and 24 games in total for the price looks like a killer deal (I think it's $40 USD so that's like 4-5 Neo Geo games worth).
the Liar Princess and the Blind Prince
The game is so adorable and charming. It's a 2D puzzle platformer where you have to literally hold hands with the blind prince to guide him to the goal at the end of the stage safely. The puzzles were challenging at times, with one being so hard I had to cheat and watch a vid, and the answers made no sense... But over all it was really fun. The character designs are super cute, the storybook aesthetic is very nicely done, and the music is very good too (especially the cave level where you have to light fires to light your way through). It's also super cheap too at only $25 CDN which might just be the eShop price, but that's SUPER low in price. I highly recommend it. It crashed once during the opening cutscene oddly (I was able to use the Home button to quit the game though), but there's auto and manual saving options, so use them often if you can.
The Caligula Effect: Overdose
It's alright but nothing super special in my opinion. Combat has a three turns-in-one thing which is nifty. Your health and SP all heal up fully after every fight which I deeply appreciate, The voice-acting is all in Japanese though which is very odd for a NISA-localized game when even games like God Wars was fully dubbed. Visually it's a pretty mixed bag. Engine Software did a pretty decent job even if the texture work at times is really low-res, but it runs at a mostly smooth 30fps and seemingly is above 720p in docked mode (but sub 720p in portable mode). There's a neat thing where you can use an instant messaging app called WIRE where you can chat with your party members and seemingly with NPCs as you befriend them. The school area is bland as hell but the second area is far more colorful, but you also get in this really out of place pre-rendered area and it's like... what? Overall it was a bit boring but some might get a kick out of it. I've played much better, including from NISA if I'm honest, it just didn't grab me like i wanted it to Watch videos, that's my usual recommendation lol.
The Princess Guide
It's basically Penny-Punching Princess 2.0. You pick one of four princesses to start with but once you pick one you can't pick any afterwards. Combat is still a beat-em-up with each of the four princesses using a different weapon. Voice-acting is actual Japanese this time (though no English narration here, it's 100% Japanese). There's a LOT of charm from each of the princesses, but some are more likeable than others. You can also control your own knight who can be independently upgraded using skill points. The princesses get upgraded by giving them Knowledge Materia you earn during gameplay from accomplishing tasks. When teaching them Materia, you earn skill points for the Knight. An issue is that you're stuck with whichever princess you're playing, you seemingly can't go back to a prior one to get more upgrades. This is also true for equipped weapons, they stay stuck on a princess and can't be passed to another princess or your knight. Overall I liked this a bit more than Penny-Punching Princess, though it's not as original like the prior game with its whole calculator usage, that was nifty. I do recommend it though, it's solid though with some issues. It's a NIS game alright in feel and tone.
Lapis X Labyrinth
This was a really cute game. It's certainly will appeal to those who love collecting as many shiny objects as quickly as possible. :P It's all 2D and the art-style and backgrounds are very nicely done, and the character designs are too adorable! It can get hard since you want to build up a chain which does reset upon getting hit. But after beating up enough enemies you go into a fever mode that makes you invincible and gives you even more cash from enemies.
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered
This was an odd one. I played a bit of The Legend of Legacy on 3DS so I was able to make some brief comparisons if only minor. A large chunk has you wandering a large but kinda uneventful overworld, and fights for whatever reason lack their own theme song, so you're hearing the overworld theme endlessly. The main issue is the lack of a proper levelling system. Instead you occasionally buff up some stats and moves? It never seemed consistent and I'm not sure if it is and how to find out. You can control which moves get better buffs depending on your team's positions in battle, like being in front will give more attack power while the back increases healing or something? It's uhh... unique at least. In the ned I basically say to wait for a sale or just get any other much better JRPG on Switch, even by NISA like Ys 8.
Destiny Connect
Certainly one of the most unique in tone from NIS' catalogue. It is definitely western Saturday morning cartoon in style. But the low budget rally shows with how little variety there is in character animations and expressions. Overworld controls are shocking laggy, and the graphical cutbacks look really bad when they show up, like the texture of the face of the clock when it turns midnight is right out of the N64. Combat was a definite highlight if only because it's your classic tried and true, no real frills/weird gimmicks sort of combat. Worth it if you're in the mood for a western cartoon look and can tolerate the crust.
Disgaea 4 Complete+
This was such a hard one to review that it took me like over a month to finally do. It's fucking complex, but that seems to be tradition in the series. It's obviously super well made and polished, and brimming with charm. But it's also very puzzle-oriented in how you need to make the most of (and sometimes even beat) battles can really give you a headache! There's oodles of mechanics to toy around with. It's fucking crazy. I gave it an 8 because I understand it's well done in what it's trying to do, I just wish it resonated more with me than it did. It wasn't for me in the end, but I know veterans will love it.
Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha
This is a pretty nifty collection of solid games. Four of them are fairly similar (especially the Strikers games obviously). Strikers 1945 III is actually exclusive to the collection, you can't get it on the eShop alone (but you can for the rest). The wealth of customization options is nuts and this is for ALL games. Custom button inputs, volume options for music, sound effects, and voices if there are any. classic bur and scanline filters for all but Zero Gunner 2, which instead uses a special... whatever this is. Overall again a good collection. It's just completely lacking in any bonus material, and there's no online leaderboards, so keep that in mind.
Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo
Same thing. Not a whole lot to say that isn't the same as Alpha, but what caught me by surprise was that Samurai Aces Episode III: Sengoku Cannon is actually a PSP game, but it also runs at 30fps which may turn people off. Gunbarich is also unique as it's a Block Breaker clone, rather than a shmup. It's indeed still a good collection, but again it's fairly basic in terms of content. It's just the 6 games and that's it. I feel they should've made both games as one 12-game collection for the same price. I mean we used to get compilations even larger in size for arguably less money back in the GC/PS2/XB era. Might've just been to deter cannibalizing eShop sales of the individual games, but still...
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Obviously the full reviews will say more. But my advice is to always watch footage on YouTube to see which works for you or not. It's free, may as well take advantage of the footage out there to see if you're interested enough to buy the games despite the higher than desired prices.
I've reviewed so far (with links):
The Longest 5 Minutes
Penny-Punching Princess
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory
Happy Birthdays
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA
The Lost Child
Touhou Genso Wanderer Reloaded
SNK Heroines ~Tag Team Frenzy~
God Wars: The Complete Legend
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk
Yomawari: The Long Night Collection
Disgaea 1 Complete
SNK 40th Anniversary Collection
The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince
The Caligula Effect: Overdose
The Princess Guide
Lapis X Labyrinth
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered
Destiny Connect
Disgaea 4 Complete+
Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha
Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo
All on Switch. I'll give some brief thoughts on each:
The Longest 5 Minutes
I found it a bit bland and definitely over-priced. It feels like an 8 bit eShop JRPG which you'd find from say Skipmore who makes the Fairune games and Kamiko. Nothing about it felt super "worth" being a retail game other than to just have on a cart if I'm honest.
Penny-Punching Princess
Much better. I liked the combat of just wailing on foes and rotating the right stick to "shake" money out of them. The dialogue of the butler beetle is actually quite funny and there's a definite charm overall. Looks very "by the company behind Disgaea" I feel. You may really dig this one!
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory
Worth noting this is legit a 2-pack of two indie titles, and by the founder of Siliconera, no joke. The art is nice but I wasn't a huge fan of the timed combat/blocking, since enemies can attack at different paces so the whole block and deflect ability was really difficult to really use. There's nearly zero voice-acting bar occasional narration by the respective main character here and there and clips you hear in battle. I'd honestly more recommend checking out one of the solo releases on PS4/Vita actually, but this is the only wide retail release (I think Limited Run did theirs on the other systems).
Happy Birthdays
As charming as this looks, it's surprisingly complicated and hollow. I describe it as an aquarium because all you really do is manage a world but do little else in it. There's no interaction with the creatures. They come, they go. Your goal is to "collect" every species but yeah it's not that satisfying.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA
Obvious fav of the bunch here. It's an action RPG that some might compare to Zelda but faster. Combat is good, it's got a good story that's near fully-voiced (you get odd bits of no voice-acting, but the core stuff is). Despite complaints around the voice-acting and text seem perfectly fine and runs fine enough, even if it's not as good as on PS4.
The Lost Child
Surprisingly decent. It's by the creator of El Shaddai which is a fan fav. If you've played Etrian Odyssey you'll know what to expect, and most would say it's VERY comparable to Shin Megami Tensei (which I have not played..). You can catch and evolve demons, including Enoch who was the main character of El Shaddai. It's 99% fully voice-acted (just some minor text bits in like the shop and whatnot, but story is fully voiced). Lua the angel is WICKED over the top in a delightful way that I really got a kick out of.
Touhou Genso Wanderer Reloaded
I really liked it! It's a rogue-like that's very similar to games like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Shiren the Wanderer, and the only one I played; Chocobo's Dungeon on Wii. The characters are too adorable for words. The game features item merging and dismantling so there's an addictive nature to it. However, the big issue is the fact that if you die in any floor, you lose your level and experience progress. But you keep your items so that's good at least. Plus it got very difficult in the 20's floors (twice I died at 24 and 25). Just be prepared for the difficulty spikes, and you'll likely really enjoy this if you're into rogue-likes!
SNK Heroines ~Tag Team Frenzy~
I had fun with this one. Performance is iffy since it's only 30fps, but I really dig the colorful "pop" the style has. Combat is fun to get into due to its simplicity. The L block + dodge mechanic is LEGIT Smash Bros, it's amazing. There's a lot of stuff to unlock in terms of accessories, character cutscene combinations, etc. The story is okay but it gets CRAZY hard in the final fight, so be careful. Also of course there's the whole sexual nature of it. But it wasn't that bad. It's really just the outfits and nothing more I think. There are better games out there, but I surprisingly enjoyed what I played of it. Note there's no English voice-acting outside of the odd exception being the announcer who's English-only for reasons.
God Wars: The Complete Legend
This probably surprised me more because I had little expectations going in. It's difficult if you don't know how to use the jobs and skills, but once you get the hang of it, it's surprisingly engaging. It's fully-voiced in English and Japanese. It's Vita roots are super obvious, as there's even thin black bars on the sides of the screen (not noticeable on a black TV like mine, I only saw them in the screencaps I took! LOL). Yeah, I actually recommend this over SNK Heronies pretty easily because it's not really flawed outside of not being all that "special". Just note that grinding is only possible in request missions since you can't replay episodes for who knows what reason.
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk
This is basically NIS's true take of Etrian Odyssey (The Lost Child was by Kadokawa Games). It was quite good and I really enjoyed the characters in the game (Luca is too adorable for words!), plus the Enlgish voice-acting is really well done. Word of caution is that a pretty questionable bit happens after a couple of hours in the story. I elaborate a bit more in the review, but yeah it got REALLY uncomfortable in it, let's just say. Overall though there was a lot of effort put here, so if you love Etrian Odyssey and of course love its difficulty, you should love this. Definitely recommended.
Yomawari: The Long Night Collection
This game is legit depressing. I did not expect it to be this dark. I only tell what happens in the beginning of the first game, but it's fucked up. The beginning of the second game is also fucked up. If you have a faint heart like me, you won't want to play this. :( The gameplay is alright. It's an adventure/mystery/survival game of sorts. You have a heart monitor that determines how much you can run and you need to run from the evil spirits or else, boom. Honestly the cute exterior makes you feel even more uneasy because you are terrified at what atrocities might happen to these poor girls. It's weird. In a realistic game you'd be far more prepared. This game was not for me. But folks might really dig it since it was good atmosphere (hell the backgrounds in the second game look legit gorgeous with layers and such). But still. DO RESEARCH. Watch a video, read about it. Know what you're getting into before you buy it!
Disgaea 1 Complete
Mario + Rabbids this is not! :P This is hard to describe, since it's both good and... not as good. The story and characters are great and when things get going it's great, but there's some issues that keep it from being fantastic. I found myself over-leveling Laharl and there can be so many enemies in battles it overhwelms you. Yeah you can make more allies but the experience gain is too little, even when you get EXP bonuses. Plus the camera is AWFUL! :P I did buy Disgaea 5 Complete during Black Friday's eShop sale so I can finally put some solid time into that and compare it. I've read folks say the gameplay systems stayed the same without the many updates from the sequels, I think I can see what they mean already.
SNK 40th Anniversary Collection
Really neat collection. Honestly the biggest selling point are the cool extras to help suck you into SNK history. The Watch function where you actually watch a playthrough of a game, and being able to jump in at anytime is a KILLER feature that even M2 should take note of! Display options are nice but not the most elaborate (M2's got them beat there). The game selection's not my cup of tea (not really into 8/16-bit games as much these days). But as far as I'm aware you won't find many of these anywhere else, and 24 games in total for the price looks like a killer deal (I think it's $40 USD so that's like 4-5 Neo Geo games worth).
the Liar Princess and the Blind Prince
The game is so adorable and charming. It's a 2D puzzle platformer where you have to literally hold hands with the blind prince to guide him to the goal at the end of the stage safely. The puzzles were challenging at times, with one being so hard I had to cheat and watch a vid, and the answers made no sense... But over all it was really fun. The character designs are super cute, the storybook aesthetic is very nicely done, and the music is very good too (especially the cave level where you have to light fires to light your way through). It's also super cheap too at only $25 CDN which might just be the eShop price, but that's SUPER low in price. I highly recommend it. It crashed once during the opening cutscene oddly (I was able to use the Home button to quit the game though), but there's auto and manual saving options, so use them often if you can.
The Caligula Effect: Overdose
It's alright but nothing super special in my opinion. Combat has a three turns-in-one thing which is nifty. Your health and SP all heal up fully after every fight which I deeply appreciate, The voice-acting is all in Japanese though which is very odd for a NISA-localized game when even games like God Wars was fully dubbed. Visually it's a pretty mixed bag. Engine Software did a pretty decent job even if the texture work at times is really low-res, but it runs at a mostly smooth 30fps and seemingly is above 720p in docked mode (but sub 720p in portable mode). There's a neat thing where you can use an instant messaging app called WIRE where you can chat with your party members and seemingly with NPCs as you befriend them. The school area is bland as hell but the second area is far more colorful, but you also get in this really out of place pre-rendered area and it's like... what? Overall it was a bit boring but some might get a kick out of it. I've played much better, including from NISA if I'm honest, it just didn't grab me like i wanted it to Watch videos, that's my usual recommendation lol.
The Princess Guide
It's basically Penny-Punching Princess 2.0. You pick one of four princesses to start with but once you pick one you can't pick any afterwards. Combat is still a beat-em-up with each of the four princesses using a different weapon. Voice-acting is actual Japanese this time (though no English narration here, it's 100% Japanese). There's a LOT of charm from each of the princesses, but some are more likeable than others. You can also control your own knight who can be independently upgraded using skill points. The princesses get upgraded by giving them Knowledge Materia you earn during gameplay from accomplishing tasks. When teaching them Materia, you earn skill points for the Knight. An issue is that you're stuck with whichever princess you're playing, you seemingly can't go back to a prior one to get more upgrades. This is also true for equipped weapons, they stay stuck on a princess and can't be passed to another princess or your knight. Overall I liked this a bit more than Penny-Punching Princess, though it's not as original like the prior game with its whole calculator usage, that was nifty. I do recommend it though, it's solid though with some issues. It's a NIS game alright in feel and tone.
Lapis X Labyrinth
This was a really cute game. It's certainly will appeal to those who love collecting as many shiny objects as quickly as possible. :P It's all 2D and the art-style and backgrounds are very nicely done, and the character designs are too adorable! It can get hard since you want to build up a chain which does reset upon getting hit. But after beating up enough enemies you go into a fever mode that makes you invincible and gives you even more cash from enemies.
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered
This was an odd one. I played a bit of The Legend of Legacy on 3DS so I was able to make some brief comparisons if only minor. A large chunk has you wandering a large but kinda uneventful overworld, and fights for whatever reason lack their own theme song, so you're hearing the overworld theme endlessly. The main issue is the lack of a proper levelling system. Instead you occasionally buff up some stats and moves? It never seemed consistent and I'm not sure if it is and how to find out. You can control which moves get better buffs depending on your team's positions in battle, like being in front will give more attack power while the back increases healing or something? It's uhh... unique at least. In the ned I basically say to wait for a sale or just get any other much better JRPG on Switch, even by NISA like Ys 8.
Destiny Connect
Certainly one of the most unique in tone from NIS' catalogue. It is definitely western Saturday morning cartoon in style. But the low budget rally shows with how little variety there is in character animations and expressions. Overworld controls are shocking laggy, and the graphical cutbacks look really bad when they show up, like the texture of the face of the clock when it turns midnight is right out of the N64. Combat was a definite highlight if only because it's your classic tried and true, no real frills/weird gimmicks sort of combat. Worth it if you're in the mood for a western cartoon look and can tolerate the crust.
Disgaea 4 Complete+
This was such a hard one to review that it took me like over a month to finally do. It's fucking complex, but that seems to be tradition in the series. It's obviously super well made and polished, and brimming with charm. But it's also very puzzle-oriented in how you need to make the most of (and sometimes even beat) battles can really give you a headache! There's oodles of mechanics to toy around with. It's fucking crazy. I gave it an 8 because I understand it's well done in what it's trying to do, I just wish it resonated more with me than it did. It wasn't for me in the end, but I know veterans will love it.
Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha
This is a pretty nifty collection of solid games. Four of them are fairly similar (especially the Strikers games obviously). Strikers 1945 III is actually exclusive to the collection, you can't get it on the eShop alone (but you can for the rest). The wealth of customization options is nuts and this is for ALL games. Custom button inputs, volume options for music, sound effects, and voices if there are any. classic bur and scanline filters for all but Zero Gunner 2, which instead uses a special... whatever this is. Overall again a good collection. It's just completely lacking in any bonus material, and there's no online leaderboards, so keep that in mind.
Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo
Same thing. Not a whole lot to say that isn't the same as Alpha, but what caught me by surprise was that Samurai Aces Episode III: Sengoku Cannon is actually a PSP game, but it also runs at 30fps which may turn people off. Gunbarich is also unique as it's a Block Breaker clone, rather than a shmup. It's indeed still a good collection, but again it's fairly basic in terms of content. It's just the 6 games and that's it. I feel they should've made both games as one 12-game collection for the same price. I mean we used to get compilations even larger in size for arguably less money back in the GC/PS2/XB era. Might've just been to deter cannibalizing eShop sales of the individual games, but still...
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Obviously the full reviews will say more. But my advice is to always watch footage on YouTube to see which works for you or not. It's free, may as well take advantage of the footage out there to see if you're interested enough to buy the games despite the higher than desired prices.
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Lair princess was a good time and I was able to beat it in like 2 sittings, thats rare for me nowadays to beat a game
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Yep, was a rare example of me beating the game. I didn't get all the achievements, but I still actually beat the story mode which is very rare.
Hard pass for me as I found Penny Punching Princess to be a great idea but incredibly shallow experience, even for an action RPG/brawler. And a huge reason for that feeling is the price, which is something I've never felt played a role in my view of a game. I've always tried to separate the price from the experience, but NISA games at $40 are so baffling expensive for what you get that I'm basically ignoring them from herein out. Your review on Princess Guide solidifies that view. They're okay games with some interesting ideas, but I'm shocked these games keep being greenlit.
Penny Punching Princess and Princess Guide seem to be made by the same team as Witch and the Hundred Knight because they're all shallow action games. They also all have the edgy female thing going on. It's kind of weird, and refreshing in some ways, but I assume it's playing against a trope of some sort.
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It's a shame. Even I can see that NIS kind of lost their mojo from the PS2 era (though I never played their stuff then). They always seemed like a solid AA JP publisher, but apparently they lost a lot of staff and what we have today is likely the result of that.
Hopefully they can maybe try to bring back as many as possible, but also try to maybe find a way to put more budget and effort into their games again. And also... please stop focusing so much on the spooky/Halloween aesthetic! It's so overdone it's ridiculous!
Give me something pop and bubbly or something like Tales of or Pokemon. Not everything needs demons, witches, what have you. :P
Even To All of Mankind takes place in a post-apocalyptic Earth. Close enough I suppose? It's bright and colorful at least.
I honestly think the darker focus is in part because they're using art already created, but not used in earlier projects.
I wish they would go back to trying to do a Mystery Dungeon game (ZHP, Fate games). They were so close to doing something special, but churned out a couple lackluster games in Guided Fate Paradox and Awakened Fate Ultimatum.
Heck, I even thought they were doing interesting stuff in the PS3/PSP era, but now it's just tired stuff.
Their lite horror stuff is interesting and looks great, but isn't the all out weird stuff they were doing before. Which is good in some ways, as they're trying something new, but Penny Punching Princess and Princess Guide seem like something that would do better on mobile, honestly. Not that I want NIS to have to go full on F2P mobile monetization scheme or anything, but it would maybe allow them to iterate on a game a bit more instead of jumping into something new.
That seems to be one issue. As much as I like new IP, NIS is creating too much new IP that seems too similar to what they've already done. But then we get a sequel to something that wasn't asked for (Hundred Knight) while ZHP's "sequels" were named something completely different. (Granted it would be tough to do a proper sequel to ZHP because of the story.) Just a bit of a mess overall and outside of Disgaea there seems to be a lack of direction.
Perhaps it's as simple as they've gotten too large and their multiple teams are spreading out their talent. Not sure. Most interviews and whatnot don't give a ton of insight into NIS and their developers.
I wish they would go back to trying to do a Mystery Dungeon game (ZHP, Fate games). They were so close to doing something special, but churned out a couple lackluster games in Guided Fate Paradox and Awakened Fate Ultimatum.
Heck, I even thought they were doing interesting stuff in the PS3/PSP era, but now it's just tired stuff.
Their lite horror stuff is interesting and looks great, but isn't the all out weird stuff they were doing before. Which is good in some ways, as they're trying something new, but Penny Punching Princess and Princess Guide seem like something that would do better on mobile, honestly. Not that I want NIS to have to go full on F2P mobile monetization scheme or anything, but it would maybe allow them to iterate on a game a bit more instead of jumping into something new.
That seems to be one issue. As much as I like new IP, NIS is creating too much new IP that seems too similar to what they've already done. But then we get a sequel to something that wasn't asked for (Hundred Knight) while ZHP's "sequels" were named something completely different. (Granted it would be tough to do a proper sequel to ZHP because of the story.) Just a bit of a mess overall and outside of Disgaea there seems to be a lack of direction.
Perhaps it's as simple as they've gotten too large and their multiple teams are spreading out their talent. Not sure. Most interviews and whatnot don't give a ton of insight into NIS and their developers.
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I just added each game's ROM size, so now you'll know how much space each will take up on your Switch should you go digital. :)
Would just like to add an addendum to this. Docked the framerate is mostly fine, but it drops frames constantly in handheld.
The Caligula Effect: Overdose is criminally underrated and should've scored higher in my opinion, it is a great game: story is good, characters are good, art is unique, battle system is amazing if you like tactical and strategic gameplay where it is not simply (hit a weakness). it is more philosophical than Persona, and it has less comedy, but it is one of the better rpgs you can buy on Switch.
btw, it feels similar to Persona 3&4 in terms of scope and being a "high school rpg", though the gameplay is very different.
btw, it feels similar to Persona 3&4 in terms of scope and being a "high school rpg", though the gameplay is very different.
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https://www.resetera.com/threads/nis-america-sale-on-the-na-switch-3ds-wii-u-eshop.113778/
There's a sale going on worldwide. I compiled the NA and EU sales, but still need to round-up the JP sales.
There's a sale going on worldwide. I compiled the NA and EU sales, but still need to round-up the JP sales.
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I also need to update my reviews in the thread. I reviewed four more games since I last updated.
Lapis x Labyrinth
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered
Destiny Connect
Disgaea 4 Complete+
Lapis x Labyrinth
This was a really cute game. It's certainly will appeal to those who love collecting as many shiny objects as quickly as possible. :P It's all 2D and the art-style and backgrounds are very nicely done, and the character designs are too adorable! It can get hard since you want to build up a chain which does reset upon getting hit. But after beating up enough enemies you go into a fever mode that makes you invincible and gives you even more cash from enemies.
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered
This was an odd one. I played a bit of The Legend of Legacy on 3DS so I was able to make some brief comparisons if only minor. A large chunk has you wandering a large but kinda uneventful overworld, and fights for whatever reason lack their own theme song, so you're hearing the overworld theme endlessly. The main issue is the lack of a proper levelling system. Instead you occasionally buff up some stats and moves? It never seemed consistent and I'm not sure if it is and how to find out. You can control which moves get better buffs depending on your team's positions in battle, like being in front will give more attack power while the back increases healing or something? It's uhh... unique at least. In the ned I basically say to wait for a sale or just get any other much better JRPG on Switch, even by NISA like Ys 8.
Destiny Connect
Certainly one of the most unique in tone from NIS' catalogue. It is definitely western Saturday morning cartoon in style. But the low budget rally shows with how little variety there is in character animations and expressions. Overworld controls are shocking laggy, and the graphical cutbacks look really bad when they show up, like the texture of the face of the clock when it turns midnight is right out of the N64. Combat was a definite highlight if only because it's your classic tried and true, no real frills/weird gimmicks sort of combat. Worth it if you're in the mood for a western cartoon look and can tolerate the crust.
Disgaea 4 Complete+
This was such a hard one to review that it took me like over a month to finally do. It's fucking complex, but that seems to be tradition in the series. It's obviously super well made and polished, and brimming with charm. But it's also very puzzle-oriented in how you need to make the most of (and sometimes even beat) battles can really give you a headache! There's oodles of mechanics to toy around with. It's fucking crazy. I gave it an 8 because I understand it's well done in what it's trying to do, I just wish it resonated more with me than it did. It wasn't for me in the end, but I know veterans will love it.
Lapis x Labyrinth
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered
Destiny Connect
Disgaea 4 Complete+
Lapis x Labyrinth
This was a really cute game. It's certainly will appeal to those who love collecting as many shiny objects as quickly as possible. :P It's all 2D and the art-style and backgrounds are very nicely done, and the character designs are too adorable! It can get hard since you want to build up a chain which does reset upon getting hit. But after beating up enough enemies you go into a fever mode that makes you invincible and gives you even more cash from enemies.
The Alliance Alive HD Remastered
This was an odd one. I played a bit of The Legend of Legacy on 3DS so I was able to make some brief comparisons if only minor. A large chunk has you wandering a large but kinda uneventful overworld, and fights for whatever reason lack their own theme song, so you're hearing the overworld theme endlessly. The main issue is the lack of a proper levelling system. Instead you occasionally buff up some stats and moves? It never seemed consistent and I'm not sure if it is and how to find out. You can control which moves get better buffs depending on your team's positions in battle, like being in front will give more attack power while the back increases healing or something? It's uhh... unique at least. In the ned I basically say to wait for a sale or just get any other much better JRPG on Switch, even by NISA like Ys 8.
Destiny Connect
Certainly one of the most unique in tone from NIS' catalogue. It is definitely western Saturday morning cartoon in style. But the low budget rally shows with how little variety there is in character animations and expressions. Overworld controls are shocking laggy, and the graphical cutbacks look really bad when they show up, like the texture of the face of the clock when it turns midnight is right out of the N64. Combat was a definite highlight if only because it's your classic tried and true, no real frills/weird gimmicks sort of combat. Worth it if you're in the mood for a western cartoon look and can tolerate the crust.
Disgaea 4 Complete+
This was such a hard one to review that it took me like over a month to finally do. It's fucking complex, but that seems to be tradition in the series. It's obviously super well made and polished, and brimming with charm. But it's also very puzzle-oriented in how you need to make the most of (and sometimes even beat) battles can really give you a headache! There's oodles of mechanics to toy around with. It's fucking crazy. I gave it an 8 because I understand it's well done in what it's trying to do, I just wish it resonated more with me than it did. It wasn't for me in the end, but I know veterans will love it.
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Just FYI a lot/most of older NISA stuff is 50% off on US eshop atm. I'm gonna grab Liar Princess for $9.99 and maybe the Yomawari Collection>
The OP just wanted to make threads about the output of different publishers on Switch, if you don't like it you don't have to comment. Let people be passionate about things they like. Not sure why you are looking down on Nintendo fans.
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Added Bokuhime Project. Here's a new Gematsu article with context:
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Just added my review of Psikyo Shooting Stars Alpha to the bunch above. Here it is again:
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I had no idea they added stuff like the cheat shop to Disgaea 4 on switch. Definitely think I'm gonna pick it up now.
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Who the fuck knows. It kept getting delayed for whatever reason. It's been out in Japan since Nov 2018 so quite awhile ago.
I kind of wonder if they'll cancel it or if it's because they're adding more NIS stuff to it, since I remember the 3DS game having Disgaea stuff in it.
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I just found out that NIS actually was the one who brought the then all-new remake of Hero Must Die (wait) to Vita back in 2016:
But they're not involved with the Switch/PS4/Steam version called Hero Must Die Again which is instead published by Degica in the west at least.
Should I add Hero Must Die Again to the OP? I did add Prince-Sama which was developed by NIS on PSP and Vita (but passed on to Regista for the Switch port).
But they're not involved with the Switch/PS4/Steam version called Hero Must Die Again which is instead published by Degica in the west at least.
Should I add Hero Must Die Again to the OP? I did add Prince-Sama which was developed by NIS on PSP and Vita (but passed on to Regista for the Switch port).
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Added three more games!
Also at this point I'll eventually have more posts in a row here than everyone else's in the whole thread combined...
Also at this point I'll eventually have more posts in a row here than everyone else's in the whole thread combined...
NIS's is one of the more interesting supporters of switch, the only problem is NIS themselves, I think