TVL Magazine #5 by The Vita Lounge Magazine

12 Reviews! Developer Features! Latest News!

The Vita Lounge M A G A Z I N E

www.thevitalounge.net THE VITA LOUNGE TEAM EDITORIAL Executive Editor / Paul Murphy @pmurphy1978 Editor-in-Chief / Kyle Wakeling @teflontactics Deputy Editor / Charlie Large @charlielarge Deputy Editor / Brad Gruetzmacher @vongruetz Podcast Editor / Tyler Olthoff @imsohappy77 NORTH AMERICAN TEAM Lateralus1082 @lateralus2801 Zach Price @MyrishMartyr EUROPEAN TEAM Liam Langan @liamhangover Colin Byrne @ColinJByrne CONTRIBUTOR Jimmy Champane @jimmychampane Hikami @M_Hikami

Hello Vita Gamers!

Welcome to Issue Five of The Vita Lounge Magazine! It’s another month with many releases and this issue features 12 reviews, including the third Danganronpa title, Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls as well as the long awaited Vita version of Resident Evil Revelations 2. If you have been excited for either of these games you need to get our verdicts! As you’d expect by now we have more developer features and we spoke with Will O’Neil, Funktronic Labs, GaijinWorks and MixedBag Games about their latest titles, as well as a new community feature which comes to you this month from German Vita website Your PSVita. With our latest hot games, the biggest news from Pax Prime and a great editorial on the PSTV we really hope you enjoy this issue! See you next month for Volume, Dancing All Night and much more!

MAGAZINE DESIGN Jhonatan Carneiro @JhoCarneiro

PMurphy1978

Founder What I’ve been playing: MouseCraft, Resident Evil Revelations 2, Super Time Force Ultra

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SPECIAL THANKS Funktronic Labs @funktroniclabs GaijinWorks @gaijinworks Will O’Neil @willoneil MixedBag Games @MixedBagGames Your PSVita @yourpsvita Greg Miller @gameovergreggy PRINT EDITION If you want to support us and aid The Vita Lounge financially as well as receive a print copy of future issues of The Vita Lounge Magazine delivered worldwide to your door please head over to www.patreon.com/TheVitaLounge and consider pledging to us!

Paul Murphy

meet the TEAM...

BACK ISSUES You can buy previous print issues of the magazine for £3.99 (plus shipping) from www.thevitalounge.net/shop whilst stocks last! ADVERTISING Want to get your game featured in the magazine and read by more than thousands of PSVita fans? We can discuss any and all magazine advertising opportunities, for a very sensible price! Send us an email at advertising@ thevitalounge.net COVERAGE Are you a developer? If you are working on Vita content and want to get it covered in either the magazine or on the website, then we would love to hear from you! Please send an email to press@thevitalounge.net and add us to your press lists. If you have a game coming out soon and want us to tell other Vita owners, get in touch! DISCLAIMER The Vita Lounge is an independent PlayStation Vita enthusiast website. All content featured is used with permission, and is used to promote existing and upcoming titles for the PS Vita. We are not endorsed or affiliated with Sony or PlayStation, or any of the companies featured. © 2015 The Vita Lounge

2 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

Kyle Wakeling

Charlie Large

Tyler Olthoff

Brad Gruetzmacher

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, Resident Evil Revelations 2, Tetris Ultimate, Squares

What I’ve been playing: Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, Nova111, Resident Evil Revelations 2

What I’ve been playing: Shutshimi, Tales of Hearts R, Resident Evil Revelations 2

What I’ve been playing: Xeodrifter, Ratchet and Clank, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD

Liam Langan

Zach Price

teflontactics

Chaz3010

Lateralus1082 Colin Byrne Lateralus1082

What I’ve been playing: Deception 4: The Nightmare Princess

EnterCole

ImSoHappy77

liamlangan

What I’ve been Uncharted: Fight for playing: Nekoburo Fortune, Amnesia: Catsblock Memories, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

vongruetz

MyrishMartyr

What I’ve been playing: Shutshimi, The Bridge, Actual Sunlight

! Latest News! eloper Features 13 Reviews! Dev

Contents 04 SEPTEMBER RELEASES

THESE ARE THE GAMES THAT HAVE RELEASED OVER THE COURSE OF THIS MONTH. ANYTHING FOR YOU?

ge The Vita Loun Z I N E M A G A

The Vita Lounge Magazine | Issue 5 | September 2015

20 REVIEWS 21

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls

06 24

25 OUR DEPUTY EDITOR BRAD DISCUSSES WHY THE PSTV DIDN'T TAKE OFF

NekoBuro: CatsBlock

Resident Evil Revelations 2

08-15 INTERVIEWS 08 FUNKTRONIC LABS

WE SPOKE TO THE DEVELOPER BEHIND NOVA-111 ABOUT THEIR MIXED STRATEGY TITLE AND THE VITA

10 MIXED BAG GAMES FORMA.8 IS COMING AND LOOKS AMAZING! MIXED BAG GAMES TELL US ALL ABOUT IT

30 31

Blazblue: Chrono Phantasma Extend

Torque L Nihilumbra

Lost Dimension

12 SUMMON KNIGHT 5

GAIJINWORKS ARE BRINGING SUMMON KNIGHT 5 TO THE PSP AND IT WILL ALSO WORK ON THE VITA! THEY TELL US ALL ABOUT IT

14 ACTUAL SUNLIGHT

WE REVIEW ACTUAL SUNLIGHT THIS ISSUE AND SPOKE TO DEVELOPER WILL O'NEILL ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL AND DEEP TITLE

16 PAX PRIME 2015

TYLER WENT ALONG TO PAX PRIME AND TELLS US EVERYTHIN HE LEARNED ABOUT SOME INCOMING VITA TITLES

19 PATREON STARS

34 36

44 HOT TEN

THESE ARE THE VITA GAMES THAT WE ARE EXCITED FOR. HOW MANY OF THESE ARE YOU INTERESTED IN? WHAT HAVE WE MISSED?

Hatoful Boyfriend XBlaze Lost: Memories

Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess

Actual Sunlight

46 PROMISSES AND EXPECTATIONS

GERMAN VITA NEWS AND COMMUNITY WEBSITE YOUR PSVITA TALK TO US ABOUT PROMISES THAT WERE MADE AND THE EXPECTATIONS THAT FOLLOWED

DIRECTORY 47 DIRECTORY

THE HIGHEST SCORING VITA GAMES FROM 2015, CONVENIENTLY IN ONE PLACE. HOW MANY HAVE YOU BOUGHT?

Nova-111

THIS MAGAZINE IS ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THESE AWESOME PEOPLE. IF YOU SEE THEM ONLINE GIVE THEM A PAT ON THE BACK

The Vita Lounge Magazine | 3

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls

September 1st NA / September 4th EU

If you are a regular of The Vita Lounge then you will know that many of us are big fans of the Danganronpa games. The eagerly awaited next entry in the series, Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, kicks off September’s new releases – and adds a new twist to the titles as it tackles a new genre. Persona 4: Dancing All Night, Samurai Warriors 4-II and the delayed Volume are some of the other notable releases that will grace the Vita this month. Now we all know that some games can appear out of the blue and release on our favourite handheld with only a few days notice, but here are the key titles that we can expect this month;

The Muppets Movie Adventures September 1st NA

Kermit, Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppet gang are swapping Hollywood for Handheld when Disney‘s The Muppets Movie Adventures finally launches in North America this month – almost a year after the game released in Europe.

Persona 4: Dancing All Night September 29th NA

Persona 4: Dancing All Night is a rhythm game spin-off based on Persona 4 Golden. The plot takes place a month after the extended epilogue of P4G and is chronologically the final game to feature the Investigation Team.

4 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

Xeodrifter

September 1st NA

Set between the first and second game (but with spoilers for both - so watch out), this new Danganronpa title takes the typical gameplay formula and throws most of it out the window - opting for a third-person shooter with brawler elements instead of class trials and mini-games. That said, it still retains all the Danganronpa feel you know and love.

Launching straight on to is a side-scrolling platfor the role of galaxy travers stranded in space afte order to return home our four nearby planets, wit upgrades allowing for y deeper into the

Nova-111

XBlaze Code: E

September 3rd NA

Nova-111 is a sci-fi themed adventure game that cleverly combines turn-based gameplay with real-time action, forcing players to utilize both real-time decisions and turn-based strategy to fight enemies and solve puzzles.

Samurai Warriors 4-II September 29th NA

Samurai Warriors 4-II is a hero-focused saga. Unlike the previous Samurai Warriors games that focused on delivering their narrative by exploring the various regions of feudal Japan, this title casts a spotlight on the characters themselves and tells their stories through 13 exciting new chapters. These chapters revolve around nine characters introduced in Samurai Warriors 4, three fanfavorites from previous titles and a brand new addition to the samurai roster (Naomasa Ii).

September 18th E

XBlaze Code: Embryo in North America and n finally being released sequel to the critically a but wi

Unlike the main game it isn’t a beat ’em up it plays in the same prior to the event

Volume

September TBC N

With Mike Bithell anno scheduled launch of Vo Vita version will be weeks’ we can surely title to release for t

A/EU

o PlayStation Plus, Xeodrifter rmer/shooter that puts you in sing nomad who finds himself er his ship takes damage. In r traveller will need to explore th new abilities and weapons you to power up and explore ese strange worlds.

Embryo

o released over a year ago now, after a long wait, it is d in Europe. The game is a acclaimed BlazBlue series – ith a twist.

es of the BlazBlue series, but a visual novel. While world, it’s set 150 years ts in the main series.

NA/EU

ouncing the day before the olume that the PlayStation e delayed by a ‘couple of y expect his stylish stealth the Vita this September.

Super Time Force Ultra September 1st NA/EU

Also launching as part of the Instant Game Collection for September, Super Time Force Ultra is a crazy romp through the space-time continuum. Using a Mega-Man-style world select, players can jump in and out of 6 unique time periods with a ton of different modes, playable characters and collectibles!

Farming Simulator 16

Space Hulk

September 1st NA / September 25th EU

Modeled after a best-selling board game set in Game Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe, Space Hulk from developer Full Control recreates the classic board game experience as a video game for your single or multiplayer enjoyment.

Top Trumps Turbo

September 24th EU / September 29th NA September 25th EU

After skipping a year on the Vita, Farming Simulator 16 will bring back a large number of European farm vehicles such as Lamborghini and Deutz-Fahr (sorry John Deere lovers) as well as a few new activities for you to accomplish. Sheep will now be available for you to raise and cultivate for wool. There is also a new forestry component so that players can now add logging to their list of things to do.

Electronic Super Joy September TBC NA/EU

Electronic Super Joy is described as a “brutally hard platformer” that puts players in a world that is throbbing with pulse pounding electronic music and platforming challenges galore. The game features over 45 different levels that offer up both changes in the environment (such as low gravity) to swarms of incoming missiles and deadly monsters.

Little is known about what we can expect from Top Trumps Turbo, as this title has slipped under the radar, but I would expect this to play like a lot of the mobile versions of popular board/ card games that are already available.

Poncho

September TBC NA/EU

Set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by nature, Poncho is about a robot on a quest to find his maker and to find answers about the devastation around him. Adorned with a Poncho, you must help this mechanical hero overcome impossible odds and discover the secret inside him that could help save humanity!

The Vita Lounge Magazine | 5

TVL MAGAZINE

The

and

It’s Saturday night and for the first time in forever I have time set aside to just play video games. I still have a stack of last year’s biggest games waiting for me on my PS4. Some of the best games from last generation are sitting un-touched on my PS3. And yet I choose to ignore these gaming powerhouses. Instead I grab my controller and turn on my PlayStation TV. Somehow this under-powered, under-appreciated, and practically unknown micro-console has become my go-to gaming device.

Andrew House, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, shocked the world in September 2013 when he reached into his pocket at the Tokyo Game Show and pulled out a tiny white box. While most of the world was clamouring for more information on the PlayStation 4, he unveiled a brand new gaming console called the PlayStation Vita TV. As its name implies, the new console was essentially a stripped down PlayStation Vita that plugged into a television. Nobody saw it coming. Most were confused, baffled, or bewildered as to why Sony would introduce another console when the PS Vita was struggling to find an audience and the PS4 launch was only months away. I looked upon this tiny device, and I saw the future. Forget the PS4 or even the PS5. This tiny box, no bigger than a deck of cards and retailing for approximately $100, was going to disrupt the video game industry forever. This device was 6 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

of the

going to expand the appeal of video games on a scale not seen since the Wii. I wasn’t alone. Soon people started claiming how they’d buy one for every TV in their house. “At that price, I’ll take four!” For once, I was going to be in on the ground floor of the “next big thing.” Boy, was I wrong. Sales of the new console quickly dropped off a cliff after its initial release in Japan. By the time the Vita TV was released in the West it received a fresh coat of paint and a new name. Now dubbed the PlayStation TV, it was launched with about as little fanfare or marketing as any new product has ever seen. In short, it was launched into the world and then actively ignored. And those people who were going to buy them in bulk? They never showed up.

Sony did themselves no favours by shipping the product with some of its key features only half-complete. One of the major advantages to the PlayStation TV was its ability to remote play games from the PS4 to any other TV in the house. Sadly this feature was plagued with horrible performance issues at launch that made it practically unusable. Several months, and a few updates later, remote play was eventually fixed, but this did nothing to stem the tidal wave of negative reviews it initially received.

Then there was the lack of basic applications that everyone was expecting. Every micro-console on the market could also double as a media streaming device. The PlayStation TV however launched with none of these capabilities (or so few they’re hardly worth mentioning). There was no Hulu Plus, no HBO Go, no Amazon Prime, and the most damning of all, no Netflix. In a world where my toaster can stream Netflix, the PlayStation TV could not.

This doesn’t even factor in the difficulty of trying to describe this console to a general audience. It’s called the “PlayStation TV” but there are no PlayStation TV games. It plays games labelled for the PS Vita, PSP, or even the PlayStation One. Even then it doesn’t play all of them. Vita games that rely on the system’s unique features such as touch control or cameras are not compatible. This means that some of the biggest Vita games, like Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Gravity Rush, won’t work. Worse yet, finding out which games are compatible has become a bit of a crapshoot. Customers have to do Google searches and visit enthusiast web-sites to get an idea of which games will or won’t play. If you can’t make it easy to just buy a game for a gaming console, then something is definitely wrong. But somehow it remains my favourite PlayStation console. Why? Maybe the Vita just isn’t niche enough for me. Maybe I needed something that is a niche of a niche. Maybe I just really like the underdogs and always want to fight for the hopeless causes. Or maybe it’s that instead of looking at it and seeing all the things it can’t do, I see all the really cool things it can. It’s easy to look at its faults and point out all its flaws. It doesn’t have Netflix. It can’t play a large number of Vita games. It requires expensive and proprietary memory cards. Its screen resolution is restricted to 720p/1080i. But to me that’s just noise that hides the beauty of what this little thing can actually do. It may not be able to play everything, but the list of games

it can play is both long and impressive. Borderlands 2, Killzone: Mercenary, Rayman Origins, Dragon’s Crown, Freedom Wars, Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed, FIFA 14, and most importantly Minecraft are just some of the little gems that work great on the system. Then when you factor in all the PSP, PS1, minis, and PS Mobile (RIP) games it can play, it is downright mind boggling. Throw in PlayStation Now, the service which allows you stream PS3 games over the internet, and you suddenly have access to hundreds of more games. Oh, and it can also stream games from the PS4.

But it’s not just the games. For me, the most attractive feature is the convenience. It’s a small and quiet console that doesn’t sound like a plane trying to take off after an hour of gaming. I can get in and out of games quickly since the suspend/resume feature works flawlessly. I can play music, watch movies, look at my pictures, surf the web, read Twitter, check Facebook, and stream some TV shows through Hulu Plus (one of the few streaming services that has been added). All of that has been crammed into this tiny box that is now being sold at bargain bin prices. The PlayStation TV may be a hard sell, but that doesn’t mean it’s without its merits. It’s a shining example of a device that is a “jack of all trades but master of none.” It’s a device that is capable of doing so much, but most people will never know. In fact, most people will never hear about the PlayStation TV as it has been relegated to the Land of Misfit Toys, a barren wasteland for the unwanted and unused. But I want it. I have put the time in, have pulled back the covers to see what this mini console is really capable of, and I am completely enamoured with it. It may still be a lost cause, but as Jimmy Stewart reminded us long ago, sometime lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for. Hopefully I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Brad Gruetzmacher Brad is a video game enthusiast and family man. He's been gaming since the days of the Intellivision, and while that indicates he's been doing this for quite some time, he doesn't intend to quit anytime soon. Currently he's trying desperately to convince his daughter that there are more games than just Minecraft (unsuccessfully so far).

The Vita Lounge Magazine | 7

TVL MAGAZINE

LA DEVELOPERS FUNKTRONIC HAVE BROUGHT THEIR DEBUT TITLE TO THE VITA, AND WE SPOKE TO CO-FOUNDER EDDIE LEE ABOUT THE GAME, THE EXPERIENCE AND THE VITA

Hello Eddie, thanks for talking to us! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, Funktronic Labs and why you decided to make games? Thanks for having me! I am currently the co-founder of an independent game studio in LA called Funktronic Labs. Our goal is to develop fun games that are easy to pick-up but hard to master. Before starting the studio, I was living in Japan where I was employed as a programmer on the PixelJunk series. My passion for games started at a very young age, where I grew up playing Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. But as a kid, I've never really considered a career in game development because I naively assumed that all games were simply made in Japan and it just wasn't a feasible life path for me. During college, I started building small games for fun and it was then it is where it sparked my passion. From then on, I couldn't stop. I just kept making games and it eventually lead me down the path to where I am today. You will soon be releasing Nova-111. What can you tell us about it? The development of Nova-111 has been quite a journey! This is our studio's first game and we were quite lucky to have received support from 8 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

the wonderful folks at IndieFund and to have partnered up with Curve Digital to bring our baby onto consoles. We have been working our butts off on this game for quite a while, and I can't believe it is actually happening! We will be releasing Nova-111 on August 25th, and it will be available for CrossBuy on PS4/PS3/PSVita as well other platforms. How does the game play? What mechanics game gamers expect to experience? Our core focus for Nova-111 was to provide an innovative mix between turn-based and real-time gameplay. We love the strategic depth of turnbased strategy games but often felt like they lacked a sense-of-urgency that real-time games provide. On the other hand, real-time games are oftentimes too fast-paced and chaotic to allow for any strategic depth. Our mission was to bring out the best of both worlds and distill it into a single game. And how that plays out in Nova-111 is that the player can move in turns within a grid, but some enemies and environmental hazards can move in real-time. For example, you may be bump-trading against an enemy while spikes are falling in real-time above

your head. So you got to stay frosty at all times! How long will it take to compete the game? And is there a challenge for gamers to continue to play after completion? On average, we expect the player to take about 4-5 hours to complete the game. But for those who crave replayability, we have tons of NewGame+ features that the player can have fun with. And for those competitive players, we've implemented two types of leaderboards in the game -"Time" and "Turns" -- so players can compete on speed-runs or optimize their number of turns against other players. What games inspired you for Nova-111 prior to - and during -development? As you can tell from the grid-based nature of Nova-111, we were heavily inspired by classic roguelikes such as ADOM and NetHack. We loved the strategic depth that roguelikes provided and the feeling of exploration, progress, and wonder is definitely something we wanted to capture within Nova-111. On the other hand, we also loved the action and exhilaration of real-time strategy games such as Starcraft. Our ambition was to bring both of these genres together. What made you want to bring the game to the Vita? You are a Vita fan yourself, what do you think of the system and what have been your favourite experiences? Is there anything that you are looking forward to playing? I am a big fan of the Vita -- the hardware is awesome, the screen is beautiful, and the device is simply wonderful to hold in your hands. Also, I feel that Nova-111's gameplay and accessibility is definitely well-suited for the handheld device. I personally just want to see more games on the Vita and I'm very happy to contribute! Some games that I've particularly enjoyed on the Vita are

Guacamelee and Tearaway. But hands-down the best game to play on the device is Spelunky -- it is a match made in heaven! As for upcoming releases, definitely looking forward to re-experiencing Super Meat Boy on my Vita device. Loved that game. You have been working with Curve Digital for the console release, was there a reason your sought them out to help with your game? We knew about Curve Digital for quite a while before we've started working with them. They were bringing high-quality indie games to console platforms and I reached out to them to set up a meeting. We met them at a pub in San Francisco during GDC and we showed them a rough early build of Nova-111. They instantly understood what we were going for and we just clicked. Since then, they've done quite an amazing job not only bringing Nova-111 to console platforms but also marketing/publishing, and this has really allowed us to solely focus on the game. What's next for Funktronic Labs? Not sure what the future holds for us! We have tons of ideas that we would love to do, but nothing is set in stone. After Nova-111 is released, we would probably take some time to prototype ideas in order to determine if there is anything promising that we would want to pursue. But who knows? If people like Nova-111 enough, perhaps we can consider doing a DLC or Sequel... Do you have anything to say to the Vita fans reading this? It is the passion of the Vita community that makes the Vita truly awesome. And the enthusiasm for this wonderful little device is the reason why we decided to bring Nova-111 on this platform. Our only hope is that we have delivered an experience that the community will appreciate! The Vita Lounge Magazine | 9

TVL MAGAZINE

ITALIAN DEVELOPERS MIXED BAG GAMES HAVE ALREADY ENCHANTED VITA OWNERS WITH THE ADDICTIVE AND COLOURFUL FUTURIDIUM EP DELUXE AND WE SPOKE TO MAURO FANELLI FROM THE STUDIO ABOUT THEIR NEXT TITLE, FORMA.8, AND WORKING WITH THE VITA

Hello Mixed Bag Games, it’s been a while since we spoke. What have you been up to? Hello there, lots of stuff really! After launching Futuridium EP Deluxe last year we started working full time again on forma.8, our ‘big game’, while continuing to prototype different ideas (we just can’t do only one project at a time!).

game may seem simple at a first glance, it needs beefy hardware to run at 60 frames per second. Everything is physics based, we’re throwing lots of animated characters and particles on screen, and some effects like the lights, the water or the lava simulation are quite complex. You really need the Vita horsepower to pull it off smoothly.

So while working on forma.8 we announced the weird dual stick shooter Gemini_X and the Project Morpheus version of Futuridium, Futuridium VR, was showcased at the PlayStation booth at E3 2015.

A little anecdote: Vita was the first console platform we were approved to develop for and the first console devkit we got, so it'll always hold a very special place in our hearts.

We also worked on a tech demo on PSVita using Unity 5, to better understand what could be done using the new Unity rendering engine with PBS on the Sony handheld. We were very surprised by the results. Tell us a little bit about forma.8. What’s it all about? forma.8 is the game we founded Mixed Bag for: while we released Futuridium first, the very first game we started working on was actually forma.8. As the little exploration probe forma.8 you are lost on an alien planet with a very important mission to accomplish (no spoiler on the story for now, but I can assure you it’s weird and mysterious!). The game is a Metroidvania: you have a huge open world to explore with combat, bosses, puzzles and power ups to collect. The usual stuff? Not so much, since we tried to put a spin on everything, trying to give our own vision of the genre. We wanted to give the game a unique vibe, and we really hope to deliver on it.

Futuridium EP Deluxe was one of the IGC titles for PlayStation Plus. Has the additional exposure helped you at all? What has the reaction been like? Yes! Futuridium received a huge boost in downloads by being part of IGC. I can’t disclose details on the IGC deal and on the numbers, but I can confirm that, considering all the versions of the game (including the free Futuridium EP for PC/Mac and the iOS edition), Futuridium download numbers are up in the millions right now. It’s huge and IGC played a big role in it, giving Mixed Bag and Futuridium a lot of visibility. The reaction has been positive: we know that Futuridium is a very polarizing game, being so hard and old school, so we feared an onslaught of bad ratings. However, we were pleasantly surprised of the opposite: we got many nice feedbacks via email and Twitter by people who just discovered the game thanks to IGC.

forma.8 grown in scope during development and we redid a lot of assets earlier this year to bring the quality up to the (very high) standard of current indie games. That’s why it’s taking so long: we really don’t want to rush it, we’ll take all the time to properly polish it before release.

Would you recommend putting your title onto the IGC for other developers? If so, why? For us it has been a very good experience and small indie devs like us can get an incredible amount of visibility and recognition. Again, I can’t speak about numbers, but it was very, very good for us.

What made you want to develop it for the Vita? The PSVita is a perfect match for forma.8: I love the idea of having the Metroid-esque open world of forma.8 in your pocket and the game crisp visual style really benefits from an high resolution screen with great colours. While the

Was there anything about Futuridium EP Deluxe that you weren’t happy with, or had to cut to make the release? Would you revisit it in the future? Well, let’s say that you can keep working on a game for an infinite amount of time: there’ll always be stuff you want to

10 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

improve or mechanics you want to add. :)

Neo-Geo Pocket!

In the end we were happy on how Futuridium turned out as a two people team working on its first console game.

As a gamer, I was always amazed by the possibility of bringing my favourite digital worlds with me. Having something like The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening in your pocket back in the days blew my mind: it’s such a powerful idea. I also think that a handheld still gets you a more intimate experience than a home console.

We didn’t cut anything from the game, actually we kept adding new stuff ‘till the very end of the project: I remember one enemy in particular was designed, programmed and put in the game in the last week of development (don’t do it!). One thing I regret was not balancing the difficulty properly: we did a lot of internal testing but didn’t have enough time to get proper external Q&A. In the end, I think the game would have been better being easier. We’re working on a patch for Futuridium but it’s taking a lot of time: we’ll rebalance the difficulty a bit without altering the game. You recently revealed Gemini_X as one of your future titles. What can you tell us about it and would you like to bring it to Vita? Gemini_X was pitched to us by Andrea Marchi (@ Andoresan75, follow him on Twitter!) last year. Andrea is working right now in MixedBag on forma.8. We loved the idea; it’s a very weird mix of a twin stick single player shooter and a puzzle game, with some very interesting game mechanics. We prototyped it since we were not sure if it could work and… well, it worked. We announced the game but it’s still in very early stages. We would love to do a PSVita version, but we cannot confirm anything for now. What is it that you love about the Vita, not just as a developer but also as a fan? I always loved portable gaming systems; I got all of them starting from the very beginning and I have all the weird ones like the various versions of the Wonderswan and the

As a portable system, the Vita has it all: an amazing screen, good battery life, it’s powerful, lightweight, it goes online and the controls are perfect. I think it’s one of the best portable console ever made. Sony recently revealed that there is now more processing power available to developers on the Vita. Can you shed any light on that? As you can imagine this is under strict NDAs, but it’s about being able to use more memory for games. The amount of extra memory can be measured in tens of MB and is not small at all. Using it, you can have larger, more complex worlds, more animation clips, better textures, more / better audio and so on. It can definitely make a difference. Is there anything upcoming for the Vita that you are most looking forward to? Tons of stuff! I’m eager to play Severed by DrinkBox, I’ve tried it at GDC and was totally charmed. Then Assault Android Cactus, Volume, Not A Hero, Steamworld Heist, the port of Axiom Verge just to name a few. And I still hope that Galak-Z will come to the platform in the future. In addition, I really, really hope that Gravity Rush 2 will be released on Vita. What would be your dream title for the Vita? Give me a Demon's Souls-in-your-pocket gritty single player action RPG with online elements. It would be awesome and I think that the Vita would be perfectly capable of handling it. The Vita Lounge Magazine | 11

TVL MAGAZINE

SUMMON KNIGHT 5 IS A TACTICAL RPG WHICH WAS RELEASED FOR THE PSP IN JAPAN IN 2013. THE GAME WILL SHORTLY GET A WESTERN RELEASE, WHICH WILL ALSO BE VITA COMPATIBLE. WE SPOKE TO GAIJINWORKS FOUNDER VICTOR IRELAND TO FIND OUT MORE

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! Can you tell us a little bit about GAIJINWORKS? I started GAIJINWORKS to continue the work I started at Working Designs, localizing Japanese video games, mostly in the RPG genre. We have some of the same key staff as the old Working Designs, and as we grow, I’d like to hire back more if they want to come. You are working on the localization of Summon Night 5. For those that don’t know, what is the game about? The game is about peacekeepers in a strange world that is kind of like a crossroads of other alien worlds. Each of the known “Otherworlds” has a specific kind of inhabitant, like machine men, spirits, beasts, etc, and they all mix in Lyndbaum where the Eucross and its “Summoners” keep the peace. Being that this is the 5th mainline game in the series and there have been a fair number of gaidens, too, the game world has a well-developed and deep mythology. Fortunately the way it’s been crafted gives a wink to players who know the series mythology, and still holds the hand a little of players completely unaware of what’s come before, so both types of players can enjoy it. You pick one of two main characters to play, one male, one female, and then choose one of four partners. What combination you choose will dictate, to an extent, what dialogue you see and how it reads. What sort of gameplay can gamers experience within Summon Knight 5? How long will it take the average gamer to complete? Summon Night 5 is a strategy-RPG at its core. The battles are fought on a grid and it has the familiar base of a stratRPG with some extra twists added, like the Summon Assist, where you can pick a close ally to help you complete a 12 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

summon, or special summons that let you “tap out” a player and drop in a fresh one if the battle is wearing your team down. You also get “Brave Points” for completing stated objectives on each battle or for finishing off an enemy, etc. Those brave points can be used to upgrade your players after the battle. There are two kinds of battles, event battles and mission battles. The event battles are encountered during the game’s story. The missions are kind of like the bounty board in Arc the Lad 2, where you can accept side missions and by finishing those you can get rare items in addition to extra experience and other perks. And there are a lot of side missions – dozens and dozens of them, if you want to see everything in the game it will take a lot of time to clear them all. In addition to the battles, though, there’s a lot of story mixed with almost a dating sim where you cultivate affinity with different characters via “Night Conversations” at the end of each day. The relationships you build using these during the game will dictate which of the many endings you’ll get. Length of the game is hard to say. You can get through the game with one of two main characters paired with one of four crosses (partners), and if you blow through just event battles and few or no side missions you can complete it in maybe 25 or 30 hours? But if you want all the missions it’s well over 40 hours. And then if you want to see all the character and cross dialogue in the game, it’s probably well over 100 hours. There’s a LOT of dialogue to experience, too. When we did the line count when evaluating the game initially, it was over 40,000 lines – like 4 average novels worth of text!

As Summon Knight 5 was a PSP title in Japan, you are working on the title for the PSP in the west, but it will be Vita compatible. Were you not tempted to redevelop it as a native Vita title? Not really. It would take too much time, and cost a fair amount to further customize it for an already small market. The way we’re doing it, we are getting whatever PSP players are left PLUS the Vita players through the PSP emulation of the Vita. The quality and production value of Summon Night 5 is something that very, very few Vita games have, even now, and we’re trying to let RPG fans enjoy games like this in English while it’s still possible to rescue them. You were looking at plans for a physical release of the game, are you still looking at releasing it at retail? There will be very limited release through distributors, but other than that, the way to get it is to order directly from gaijinworks.com when the presale opens shortly. The games ordered directly from us will be physical+digital packages that will include the physical game and its packins PLUS a digital code so collectors and Vita owners can download it from PSN for free. Essentially a 2 for 1 deal.

What made you want to work on Summon Knight 5? I like strategy RPGs, I like Summon Night as a series, and I like Bandai Namco games. It was a natural “want” for me. I’m still pinching myself that we were able to get the license and be the ones that get to introduce the first mainline Summon Night game to English speaking players! I think they’ll dig it. What are your thoughts on handheld gaming, and the performance of the Vita? Do you think that Summon Knight 5 will perform well given that it is essentially for the Vita’s predecessor? Well, the graphics are clearly a little less than Vita native standard, but the game itself has such high production values for a PSP game, that you really stop focusing on that and just lose yourself in the game pretty quickly. I don’t expect players to have any performance issues with the emulation.

if they do that, the game will display extra information relevant to what’s happening in the PS3 game on the PSP/Vita’s screen. Stuff like monster stats, maps, etc. It’s a very cool extension of the game that makes the PlayStation 3 function kind of like a Wii U, but with a much more comfortable controller screen. I want to try to add this feature to all the PS3 and Ps4 RPGs we will do, and since we’re learning as we go, we’d love to hear what kinds of extra information your readers would like to see on that second screen. Come by our forums at gaijinworks.com and let us know! Do you have any plans for Vita titles in the future? We are interested in, working on, talking about, or negotiating for a number of titles for PS3, PS4, and PS Vita. I would like to get a few PS Vita games out, but it will depend on what’s available to license that “clicks” with my sensibilities.

You recently released Class of Heroes 2G on the PS3, can you tell us anything about the Vita functionality for that game? We took a long time to add a special feature to that game where PSP or PS Vita players could use their handheld as a controller for the PS3 game, and The Vita Lounge Magazine | 13

TVL MAGAZINE

WILL O'NEILL IS THE DEVELOPER BEHIND THE ADULT THEMED AND EXTREMELY EMOTIVE ACTUAL SUNLIGHT, WHICH IS REVIEWED IN THIS ISSUE. WE SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT HIS INSPIRATION FOR THE GAME AND WORKING WITH THE VITA

Hi Will! Thanks for taking the time to talk with us! Can you tell us a little bit about why you got into developing games? I've been a pretty hardcore PC gamer since the early 90s, as well as a writer. It was a combination that was a long time in the making, and certainly depended on the emergence of tools that made it very easy to get started in game development, but I felt strongly that a game was the right medium for this story. I hope others will agree! Actual Sunlight has recently launched for the Vita. Can you explain what the game is about? Actual Sunlight is thematically about love, depression and the corporation. Up close, however, it's an interactive character study of Evan Winter - the main character - and the life that he lives. Topics like video game addiction, unsatisfying work and difficulties in relationships are at the forefront of it. It involves a lot of reading, but I think a lot of it is stuff that players will relate to immediately. What games, if any, did you draw on when creating Actual Sunlight? I 'm a big fan of the oppressive atmospheres of games like Silent Hill 2, but games like Christine Love's Digital: A Love Story were the kinds of things that convinced me that a game with such an overwhelming amount of reading could be effective while also featuring great art and music. 14 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

The game has some very strong emotive narration. Was there a reason you chose to go down this road? The story is essentially autobiographical. I was really motivated by not feeling like the experience of being the kind of person I am overweight, disengaged from close relationships, and more was realistically represented in media across the board. I want to show it with as much rawness and honesty as possible. What made you want to bring the game to the PS Vita? I love how the Vita has become a friendly harbour for visual novels, adventure games and other narrative-intensive genres. I also like the idea of Actual Sunlight as something you can take to a comfortable spot, sit down, and go through the entire thing in a single session. The game has so far only been released in the NA market. Are you working on bringing it to other regions? Because it was released on Steam already, I think I have a decent sense of how the game will do in Europe based on how it does in North America. If it makes sense to do, I'd love to do it! I don't foresee bringing it to Japan unless it

performs spectacularly well, as that would require undertaking a Japanese translation. How did you find developing for the Vita? It was challenging - especially given that I navigated the vast majority of the process on my own! - but Sony was an excellent partner. Nick Suttner in particular is probably a name you hear a lot when talking to indies about publishing to PS, and let me say: He is the real deal. An amazing guy who genuinely advocates for indie development over there. What games have impressed you on the handheld? Is there anything that you are looking forward to? I love a lot of games on Vita and PSP alike. Obvious ones are story-driven titles like P4 Golden, Danganronpa, Virtue's Last Reward and Sweet Fuse. Still, if I'm being honest, my favourite PS Vita game of all time would be Valkyria Chronicles 2! Jeanne D'Arc is

boss, too. Are you working on anything new? And would you want to bring your next game to the Vita? My next game is entitled Little Red Lie, and it's a contemporary adventure game about debt, family, and the truth about honesty. Definitely another heavy, harsh and reading-intensive title. It's too early to say where it'll go after its PC foundation, but I would love to bring it to a Sony console! Do you have anything that you want to say to the Vita audience? I'd like to say thanks! Since announcing the game, the Vita audience has been extremely receptive to the concept of the game, and I've received many messages of support. It's a very different and unique experience than what you may be used to, but I firmly believe this is the first game quite like it that has ever been released on a major console. Pick it up and settle in for a little footnote in history! The Vita Lounge Magazine | 15

Now you might sing doom and gloom, but all’s not lost – despite PlayStation’s poor showing there were many games being showcased that would be making their way to Vita. In For those that don’t know, PAX Prime is an event similar to fact, I got my hands on nine games making their way to our Comic-con – but focused around the gaming community. It’s favourite portable (sooner or later). one of the biggest gaming events out there, and every year Note; I would like to say that all games discussed here were seems to be bigger and bigger. played on PS4, PC, or Xbox – except Bastion which was on Vita. As such, I won’t talk too much about how they run as Now, before you even ask I have to say; there’s no way to it’s irrelevant if played on another platform. Also, I’d like to sugar coat it, not a single Vita was being demoed in the note that all screenshot samples are taken from non-Vita PlayStation booth. We already knew about the lack of Vita versions of the respective games. support from Sony, but seeing it in action at a conference event is much more real than just hearing about it. Ready? Let’s dig in. - Tyler PAX Prime 2015 is over and I’ve got some impressions to share of the event regarding PlayStation Vita.

YIIK

YIIK was one of the first games I got to try that would be coming to Vita, and it was a good way to start. The demo was pretty short in the scheme of things, but it did a good job at showing off the basics of the game and what players can look forward to with the full experience.

“YIIK is a Colorful 3D JRPG set in the 1990s, about eight strangers, a mysterious woman who vanishes in an elevator, and weaponized Panda plushies. When recent college graduate Alex Eggleston returns home from college, he finds adult life to be filled with mystery, strange friends from the internet, and other worlds that exist just out of sight. In YIIK, journey across an expansive flat-shaded wonderland, rife with with intricate puzzles, fast paced turn based 8 partymember battles, cat tossing, panda dropping, ladder throwing action.“ – via Ackk Studios The first thing I noticed is just how beautiful the environment looks. Everything around is so bright and colorful, which really makes you want to see more of this world. Of course beauty isn’t everything, and if the gameplay wasn’t fun this article would be much different. Luckily for Ackk Studios (and myself), the gameplay is quite unique – which is hard to come by with so many different JRPG’s out there. As many of them do, you’ve got a turn based fighting system; but in order to land your attacks you have to finish a quick mini-game. 16 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

For instance, as Alex if you use your basic attack you get a record spinning, and on it are yellow and red triangle sections. By tapping ‘x’ on the yellow sections you add more damage, and if you’re lucky enough to hit the red section the record will spin around once more – therefore making your basic attack hit even harder. I found this really refreshing and was also happy to see each character was different, thus making the fighting more skill based – instead of just hitting attack and watching your character jump to the enemy and smack them with their weapon. At first it was a bit challenging, but after a couple fights I could feel myself getting better. If you’re a fan of JRPGs and some unique fighting systems, then I’d highly recommend looking out for this one as soon as it hits our Vitas.

Moon Hunters

Next on the list is Moon Hunters, which is coming to Vita thanks to Kickstarter – and of course the people at Kitfox Games.

“Moon Hunters is a myth-weaving adventure for 1-4 players, solving ancient mysteries and building mythologies. Explore a hand-painted pixel art world that’s randomly generated yet rich with legends, non-linear stories, and secrets. How will you be remembered?“ – via Kitfox Games Moon Hunters at first site may look like just another pixilated indie game, but of course there’s more than meets the eye. The game is heavily focused on multiplayer and your decisions as a group, as everyone in the party must vote on important decisions. Now this sounds quite awesome, but there’s a big catch with regards to the Vita version; it hasn’t been confirmed to

Drive! Drive! Drive!

Next I was able to get my hands on a very interesting game that is quite early in it’s development, therefore a lot of what I talk about could change (for the better or the worse). Let’s have a look at Drive! Drive! Drive!

“Let us try to explain how this brain melting idea works: you must race & manage multiple tracks at the same time. You are able to switch between the different tracks of a race any time you like. When you switch away from a track, a computer racer takes over driving on that track for you. Unfortunately, the computer racers aren’t what you’d call competent. They are what you’d call incompetent. But in a clever way. In other words, to place well in every track you’re racing you’re going to have to hop from track-to-track on a regular basis to account for the subversively cretinous computer cars. This Articificial IdiocyTM is uniquely powered by our Intelligent StupidityTM engine. Drive!Drive!Drive! It’s a game about strategy and dumb computer drivers and track management.” – via Press Release

VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

Next it was time to check out another upcoming game that from the outside doesn’t look like much, but after playing it was apparent just how much this game has to offer. Being served to our Vita’s by Sukeban Games, just what is this game? Well, “VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action is a booze em’ up about waifus, technology, and postdystopia life. In this world, corporations reign supreme, all human life is infected with nanomachines designed to oppress them, and the terrifying White Knights ensure that everyone obeys the laws. But, this is not about those people. You are a bartender at VA-11 HALL-A, affectionately nicknamed “Valhalla.” Although it is just a small bar downtown, it attracts the most fascinating people this side of dystopia. Keep your clients lubricated and you will be made privy to the most interesting stories.“ -via waifubartending

be getting multiplayer. This makes you immediately wonder how the game will translate, and well… sadly I don’t think it will very well. As for my experience, I was playing with one of the developers behind the game. As we fought enemies and went about our business, I noticed that practically everything interesting aside from the combat was influenced by both our decisions. Playing this game single player could be fun and all, but with a lot of the mechanics being developed around the multiplayer aspect I’m not sure how well it’ll turn out alone. Now with that out of the way, I would like to state that the game’s combat is a lot of fun. Each character has their own abilities and play style, which can make each playthrough feel new (along with the randomly generated environments). As for the story, as I mentioned it’s also non-linear and depends on your actions and decisions in the game. I am a backer of this game myself and I would love to see the Vita get the co-op love it deserves, but regardless it looks like it could be a wonderful game to add to your Vita library. As stated in the press release, this game has a certain brain melting mechanic to it – but when in hand and seeing how it works it’s a lot of fun. Being as it’s early in development I did notice some hiccups, but I wasn’t bothered by them based on it’s early condition. The computer A.I. wasn’t the smartest either, but the fact that you have to juggle all these races at once makes up for it. I wouldn’t of found it fun if after I got first place in each of the races I literally could coast on through to the finish, and that certainly didn’t happen. The unique aspect of this game and the way it challenges you to manage multiple races in a smart way is something exciting and fresh from the racing genre. With the ability to customize your own tracks I can see this game having infinite track possibilities. I was told there would be online and track sharing, so it’s possible you could take your crazy creations and share them with the world. There’s not to much else I know about this zany little title at the moment, but it’s got my attention and hopefully yours too. Being as this game is a visual novel it can be kind of hard to demo at an event such as PAX, but nonetheless they went for it. With all the people yelling, bumping into me, and just distracting me it was difficult. However, I was still quite interested and found the mechanics of making beverages for customers to determine how the story would play out extremely unique and exciting. It’s one of those games that many people will have, but everyone’s story will be different – and that’s something to be excited about. I was told that the game isn’t just about serving drinks to people, as there’s also a system of having to make sure you make enough money to afford to pay rent and decorate your apartment. Unfortunately it wasn’t included in the demo, but it’s something that will keep the game from just being the same thing over and over (which is good). If you’re a fan of the visual novel genre and looking for something different then I’d definitely keep your eyes locked on this one.

Hyper Light Drifter

This was a game I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know would be at the show, but when I got my hands on it I was happy it was here.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hyper Light Drifter is a 2D Action RPG in the vein of the best 8-bit and 16-bit classics, with modernized mechanics and designs on a much grander scale. Explore a beautiful, vast and ruined world riddled with unknown dangers and lost technologies. Inspired by nightmares and dreams alike.â&#x20AC;&#x153; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; via Heart Machine Hyper Light Drifter reminded me a lot of Titan Souls. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very challenging game, but when you pull certain things off (like killing a boss or taking down a ton of enemies) you feel deal with enemies, I feel like it expands on the idea of what the relief and satisfaction of finally clearing a section. Now if Titan Souls was and refines it to be so much better. you took Titan Souls and added regular enemies that are easy to kill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but can still kill you quite easily â&#x20AC;&#x201C; youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got yourself I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know to much going into PAX about this one other Hyper Light Drifter. They both feel similar to each other, but than the trailers Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen, but after having hands on with in good ways â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and with more options at your disposal to Hyper Light Drifter I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to be playing this one on the go.

Assault Android Cactus

We move on to this interesting twin stick shooter that â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like Moon Hunters â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I see potential problems in. But first, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s learn a bit about the game.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Assault Android Cactus is a PC based indie manic twin stick shooter in the classic arcade tradition. Pick from a colourful roster of synthetic heroines and dive in guns blazing against a mechanical army in transforming arena style levels where only your skill, wits and reflexes will get you through. Cactus might just be a Junior Constable in the Interplanetary Police, but when she ends up stranded on a crippled space freighter under attack by its own robot workers, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do whatever it takes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including conscripting any fellow androids she finds along the way â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to reach the brain of the ship!â&#x20AC;&#x153; -via Assault Android Cactus

Bastion I finally was able to hold a Vita that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t my own at PAX â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it was the best! I have never played Bastion before, but everything Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard from it was positive. So as I grabbed that little Vita and started from the beginning I was ready for anything.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bastion is an original action role-playing game featuring a reactive narrator who marks your every move, lush hand-painted 2D artwork, and tight responsive gameplay that rewards playing with finesse. The game is designed to be simple to pick up and start playing, while offering a lot of rich choices around character customization as well as a deep story and gameworld you can lose yourself in.â&#x20AC;? -via Supergiant Games

Jumping into this game, I know for a fact Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not the best when it comes to this genre â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even though I was pretty good at Helldivers and loved it. Regardless of that fact however, I felt like I was doing pretty well. The controls felt really nice and I was able to pick up the game and just start killing robots. The part where I felt the Vita could be a miss is if it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t include multiplayer. I was playing with another person; which seemed to up the difficulty, but also make it more exciting as after each level it would show who did the best. It was little competition within the game instead of just trying to make it through alive.

Assault Android Cactus is definitely a game to keep your eyes on â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re into the twin stick genre. First off the game looks fantastic on the Vitaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s screen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and for the record I was playing on a Slim/PCH-2000 model. I could tell right off the bat that this game was going to be good, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gotten me really excited for it to launch on Vita. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also worth noting that it ran very smoothly and was extremely easy to control, which â&#x20AC;&#x201C; being that this one was actually playable on Vita â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is quite good to know. The game has you adventuring around a unique world with a narrator who like in the description above marks your every move and I found that to be quite an interesting design, though it did make me wonder if the narration would get annoying. That said, I quite enjoyed my time with Bastion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and am looking forward to its release.

In the end PAX Prime was a great time, even though sadness welled up inside me as I walked through the PlayStation Booth and not one Vita was around. Regardless, I still found myself playing a ton of games that I cannot wait to have on the go, and practically every game here has moved up on my must have list despite not being what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d consider â&#x20AC;&#x153;AAAâ&#x20AC;?. Oh! I almost forgot something important; did you notice I said nine games at the beginning? Well, I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lying â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t talk about them yet. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to save that for a little later. đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x2030; Stay tuned to The Vita Lounge for more from PAX Prime 2015, and you bet Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be talking about it in the podcast too!

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The love for the Vita that some of our fans has is incredible, but the belief in us and this magazine that the following readers have shown is truly incredible. Thank you for your support guys! If you see them on your online adventures, please say hello!

Curtis

While not as passionate or devoted a fan as some, I'm nonetheless very fond of my Vita. I am in desperate need of a life, a haircut and more SRPGs to feed my crippling addiction - an addiction the Vita feeds quite nicely with access to older games and the new. Since it's on the smaller side, I feel right at home as a part of the community too. The Vita has everything I like in gaming and lacks most of the things I find irksome - if you ignore the community outrage after every Sony press conference, that is.

Patrick Albrecht

@albrechtpatr I'm loving Japanese games since I had a PSvita. Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment and Phantasy Star Nova are my favourites.

TomNinetyTwo @ TomNinetyTwo A Vita owner since day zero, Tom spends most of his free time battling his backlog of shame. He now owns 3 PSVita consoles, a PSTV and 2 almost full 64GB memory cards. Tom's Top 5 Vita games are: Toukiden Kiwami, Unit 13, Gravity Rush, Freedom Wars and Soul Sacrifice Delta. This month he is playing through: Toukiden Kiwami

Lorenzo Samaniego

@ZoSamaniego I have been an avid Vita supporter since the slim version was launched. The main reason I love my Vita is because of its versatility. Great Vita games, access to PSOne Classics, and Remote Play make it a beautiful trifecta! My favorite games include Freedom Wars, Velocity 2X, and P4G.

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Cowlauncher @Cowlauncher Diehard Vita supporter since day zero. Collector of every US physical copy. Favourite games are Technika Tune, Uncharted, Guacamelee, Limbo, Unfinished Swan, Gravity Rush, and the Telltale games!!

@Updated8Seconds youtube.com/Updated8SecondsAgo (Youtube Commentator) Featuring PS Vita, PS4 & PC Games. Home Of The Series One Night Stand.

Carl Jennings

almighty-slayer @PooWithEyes My favourite Vita games are Tearaway, Velocity 2X and Gravity Rush. I'm trying to get back into Persona 4 Golden but always get distracted.

Jens Brinkmann

Jens Brinkmann generously pledged to appear here but we could not get in touch with him to fill this section. Thanks for your generous support Jens!

Adam Klarich

Adam Klarich generously pledged to appear here but we could not get in touch with him to fill this section. Thanks for your generous support Adam!

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Liam Allen-Miller

@2BFLiam or SuperBestFriendsPlay.com I'm Liam from Super Best Friends Play, and I've been a huge fan of the Vita since day one. I love handheld games, and Vita is the absolute cream of the crop. My favourite Vita games are Freedom Wars and Danganronpa!

Also, a big thanks for all you who supported us and made this fifth issue possible! Wilson, Stephen G, Wictor, Joe, DeathMoJo, Kelvin, Thulsa, Rick, Lars, Brian G, Andreas, Carl J, Kevin, Holt, Andrew, Matthew E, Liam, Matthew W, Chris G, Miguel, Chris B, Mark, Benjamin, Shabbir, Gary, Bradley, Matt A, Daniel S, Juan, Erick, Tom L, Gabe, Steven, Richard, Devin, GadgetGirlKylie, Tim G, Daniel H, Jan-Hendrix, Britta, Shelley, Seth, Kyle, Juha, Brad G, Stephen T, Jose, Adrian, Ben C, CyberThreat Games and Greg Miller.

REVIEWS 21

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls

Torque L

Nihilumbra

XBlaze Lost: Memories

Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess

NekoBuro: CatsBlock

Resident Evil Revelations 2

Lost Dimension

Actual Sunlight

Blazblue: Chrono Phantasma Extend

Hatoful Boyfriend

Nova-111

OUR SCORING POLICY:

5 OUTSTANDING

Full marks indicates an almost perfect game- or at least as close as it can be. It will almost certainly be the best example of what can be achieved on the Vita and simply must be in your collection. It could also be argued that these games are worth buying a Vita for. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s if there were loads of them, it will also be very rare to see a game get this score.

4+ EXCELLENT

Scoring above 4 means that this is something that should definitely be in your collection. These games are very good indeed, and serve as great examples of what can be achieved on the Vita.

3+ GOOD

On a five star scale a three is slap bang in the middle and above average. We class these games as good. Perseverance will yield some some fun. These games may suffer with slight presentational issues or have cut back features.

2+ POOR

Hardcore fans of the series or genre may find something worthwhile but generally speaking this is one to avoid.

RUBBISH

The genre may be to your tastes but try as you might you will struggle to enjoy the game.

The Vita Lounge Magazine | 20

REVIEW DANGANRONPA ANOTHER EPISODE: ULTRA DESPAIR GIRLS

Reviewed by Kyle Wakeling Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is one of the best games I’ve ever played, and once I got into it all I could do was beg for more. The sequel Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair released to consume my life, and I beat it just as quick as the first – but even when I was done, all I could do was hope for a third. With Danganronpa 3 barely touched on, I thought my wait for more would be almost eternal; but from the heavens something different emerged in Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls. A visual novel at its core, Ultra Despair Girls adds third-person shooter and beat ’em up action to the mix… and surprisingly creates something beautiful in the process. Let’s dig in and have a look, shall we? The first thing we should look at is the premise; now I promise to keep spoilers and such to a minimum, and I promise not to reveal anything you wouldn’t learn immediately (or in the other two games). That said, the game itself spoils plot points – and references – both Trigger Happy Havoc and Goodbye Despair, so be sure to play them both before diving in.

Ultra Despair Girls starts with a normal day for the teenage Komaru Naegi; get up, get dressed, bang on the door for your captors to let you out… those kind of things. This is because ever since the tragedy, Komaru has been a prisoner – fed her meals through a slot like a convict. That isn’t to say she’s in a typical prison though, and it’s certainly fair to say that her cell is less an eight-by-eight cement cube and more of an inescapable apartment with cushy furniture. If this sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve been here before – only ith a different building.

2.3 GB

This monotony however has been going on for a year and a half, and would have continued if not for the unexpected entry of a bloodthirsty Monokuma. A frightened Komaru does her best to get away, and thankfully someone shows up to help – giving her a hacking gun and demonstrating its use. It’s here that the game truly begins, and it’s here that you truly begin to fall victim to despair. You follow your rescuer’s advice, going to a location across the street where someone who can help is supposed to be hidden – but things go wrong and you’ve got to flee. When all is said and done, you’re captured; a mysterious teenager known only as “Servant” explaining your situation. You’re introduced to the Warriors of Hope next, and you learn about your role in their twisted hunting game. You’re to be the prey, and they’re to be your predator – but the good news is that you get a head start.

Ejected from the scene, you soon meet up with Toko Fukawa and team up due to some mutual interests. At this point however, your only choice is to run; to find a way to get off this island and save yourself… but that’s not going to be as easy done as said, ’cause this city you’re in is full of left turns. That’s all I’ll say with regards to the plot, other than the fact that it’s pretty brilliant once again. This is definitely a Danganronpa game, and even though it’s got some never before seen elements like third-person shooter gameplay, it holds true to the things that truly make the series great. Now let’s look at the actual gameplay itself. Aside from the visual novel elements, which play out just as any of the other Danganronpa games (and a million others) do, there are quite a few elements that come together to make The Vita Lounge Magazine | 21

REVIEW DANGANRONPA ANOTHER EPISODE: ULTRA DESPAIR GIRLS this one a whole. There’s the direct action bits – the first person shooter/beat ’em up combination that surrounds battling off Monokumas and taking on bosses, and then there’s the puzzle elements that still require those action bits but in a less “shoot until they’re dead” capacity.

is timed – you can only bring out the personality with the use of a taser, which requires batteries… and batteries run out. That said, otherwise she’s invulnerable; so if you’re in a pinch and have the batteries, use them.

Moving on to the puzzle bits, you really only need to use Komaru to get them done. Puzzle elements come in two forms; one a series of completely different challenges given to you by the Monokuma kids, and the other dealing with smart use of truth bullets and an arcade machine which is more like a security camera than a game.

The direct action part of the game is actually a lot like Resident Evil Revelations 2 mixed with Senran Kagura; you have a character with a hacking gun that can use different ammunition to take out enemies, and then you have another character which plays like a Senran Kagura character – using scissors to cut up the enemy in hand-tohand combat. Just like in Revelations 2 you swap between them with triangle, and (also just like it) each character has their own unique weaknesses and strengths which must be played off to win. When you’re using Komaru, you have the hacking gun as your weapon. It can use eight different truth bullets, and each has their own special action and use. The different bullets include Break, Burn, Paralyze, Knockback, Link, Move, Detect and Dance. Break looks to do just that; break the enemy, while Burn is a direct fire attack; Paralyze is an electric attack (which can travel through water), Knockback sends your enemy flying, and Link allows you to take them over for a short period of time. Move, Detect, and Dance aren’t really attacks or usable for direct damage – but Move can activate electronics, Detect can uncover what’s hidden from view, and Dance can immobilize the enemy (and more if you hit a Siren Monokuma). You’d do best to learn how to use these truth bullets efficiently, as they can be scarce sometimes – and you can’t always depend on Genocide Jack.

Speaking of Genocide Jack, when you play as her you use scissors as your weapon and attack like you would in a brawler. Square is your main attack button; a single press allowing you a quick slash, while holding square will execute an advanced attack. Circle is evade, and the left trigger modified with triangle or “x” will execute a special attack if you’ve filled your “Fever” meter with hits to the point where it has lit up a set of scissors. The only thing you have to worry about when using Genocide Jack is that your use 22 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

The challenges given to you are thinking man’s games, usually involving using your mind and your available resources to discover something you’d need to get a passcode – which would then get you through a locked door. The arcade machine challenges however give you an overview of a “playing field” full of Monokumas situated next door, and you must figure out how to complete the given requirements (usually take them all out with one hit) when you enter the room. They also tend to give you restrictions on truth bullet use, though if you’re really in a pinch you can just storm through and kill everything to get by. It’s not as clean or the proper way to do things, but sometimes you’ve got to do things the messy way.

For the record, this Danganronpa game contains no trials, no direct clue-finding (Detect’s a bit different), no daily life “get to know people” bits, and no school-life minigames or post-game… but it still feels quite true to form. Aside from the gameplay itself, there are ways to upgrade and enhance your truth bullets and Genocide Jack’s attack skills. More truth bullets can be gained through playing the game (they’re given to you as you go as presents by Monokuma kids), however you can modify the truth bullets you have with special bullets. These special bullets are

purchasable in the game’s Monokuma Kid shops, which pop up as you play along, and react differently depending on combinations. There are quite a few to collect though, and using them right can pack quite a wallop – so if you rely on the hacking gun a lot you might want to experiment with them. As for Genocide Jack, that same Monokuma Kid shop can be used to upgrade her scissor abilities, including making it easier to fill her special gauge, giving her longer battery life, or simply making her quicker or stronger at attacking. Personally, I chose to upgrade Genocide Jack over worrying about special bullets – and found that the bullets were much less important in the long run. There are also items that you can come across, which appear as a sparkling point and must be picked up with “x” to acquire. The best of these items are skills, which allow you to change Komaru’s base parameters – adding life points, changing the speed of aiming, getting you more Monocoins, and more.

In addition to those types of collectables already noted, there are also hidden Warriors of Hope images to be found – with all five kids’ images appearing in each of the main five chapters. These are a little harder to find than sparkling item drops however, and are instead sparkly areas which you must use “detect” on to identify. I found just under half of the kids in total and I was looking pretty diligently as I went, so it’s safe to say they’re quite well hidden. Other nice inclusions include Ultra Despair Hagakure – a novelized spinoff, a new game plus mode where you keep your upgrades and coins, and an extras menu where you can purchase media and see game records.

Some other things that pop up for collection along the way include books (and book fragments) and hit list cards which detail people the kids want to kill – so watch out for those sparkling items. There are also MonoMono toy vending machines situated around the city, and if you use the “Move” truth bullet on them you can get a random drop (which can be either ammunition for your hacking gun, batteries for Genocide Jack’s taser, or hearts to restore Komaru’s life points).

Graphically, Ultra Despair Girls runs pretty top notch; there were no noticeable frame-rate issues on my end, and all the art was nice and crisp to the eye. That said, the game isn’t trying to look realistic or overly complex – so it’s definitely no console show-piece, though it does look quite good. As for the music, it’s another set of thumbs up, with both familiar and fitting tunes gracing your eardrums as you play. The music always fits the mood, is never intrusive, and doesn’t

get old – exactly what you want in a game that lasts as long and is as storyheavy as this one. The voices are another story however, as my one complaint about the audio has to do with the voice actor cast as Komaru – she seems to vary her voice (or her confidence in the voice) throughout the game. At the very start it almost annoyed me, but the voice used towards the end was much less grating – and I’d like to note that I played the start over, so it wasn’t perception. This complaint is small however, and I rarely found myself putting any thought to it even after experiencing it a second time. As for my final word, it’s this; Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is a game which steps outside its tradition for something a little different, but in doing so doesn’t lose any of the heart that made it so interesting. While it’s certainly not as involved as the two mainline games, coming in a bit shorter and with what seems to be less emphasis on the visual novel bits (though it’s still very present), it’s very much just as memorable and enjoyable to play through. In my mind, it’s a must have for any Danganropna fan – and an excellent addition to the series.

I wholeheartedly recommend Ultra Despair Girls to anyone who has played the first two games in the series - it may not be exactly what you're used to, but it fits so well into the universe the games have created that the differences won't negatively effect your enjoyment at all... and may even enhance it.

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Execution

4.8

REVIEW NEKOBURO: CATSBLOCK

Reviewed by colinjbyrne 1

176 MB

Before we go any further let me make this puurfectly clear. I am a cat person. Don’t get me wrong, dogs are fine… if you enjoy endless bouts of barking and chewed up articles of clothing. Cats are fascinating creatures, mysterious beings who live an independent life, whilst still craving love and affection. In Ancient Egypt they were worshipped as gods. The same can even be said for present time, with famous felines such as Grumpy and Keyboard Cat both being household names. How many famous internet sensation dogs can you name? That’s what I thought.

Nekoburo: CatsBlock is a rather intriguing game, with an equally unusual plot. The story centres around a lively alien race known as the “Square Cats”, who like nothing more than exploring the galaxy using electric waves. Unfortunately a strong solar storm traps the feisty felines on Earth, scattering the furry friends. The cat leader, Totan, meets a young girl named Rino, who brings him back to her home. From there it’s up to you to find the other “Square Cats” and reunite them with their leader. NekoBuro is essentially a puzzle game; A fairly straightforward match-3 puzzle game at that. This concept covers a wide spectrum of games on the PS Vita, but Neko Entertainment have created perhaps one of the most unique puzzling experiences currently available on PS Vita. The aim of the game is to match 3 Cats of the same colour horizontally, vertically or diagonally. You look down on the game board at a 2.5D angle, with the player controlling groups of three cats dropping vertically from the top of the board. Similar to Tetris you can speed up the decent of the cats if you are satisfied with where they will land. You can change which order the three cats will drop, creating groups of the same coloured cat. Once you get a match, they will disappear. This may sound exceedingly dull on the surface, but the whole experience around the basic gameplay is irresistibly addictive. The aim isn’t 24 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

just to clear the board. Different objectives are assigned to each level, making each one feel fresh. Some levels will require you to remove a certain amount of each coloured cat within a time limit, others give you one minute to use a certain amount of power-ups. The most challenging are the quick fire levels, where your cat triplets fall at a dangerously fast speed, with the objective simply being to survive for more than a minute. These different challenges keeps the game interesting and definitely makes the experience more addictive.You’ll find yourself narrowly being defeated by a level, leading to the nagging voice in your head telling you to have just one more go. You know you’ve found a top puzzler when that voice is heard. Of course if your game board overflows with cats, its game over. Power ups are available in game from the start, and these become invaluable as you reach the more challenging levels. These are obtained by building your power metre, which will fill up slightly every time you create a match. The more power you store up, the better the power-up. In some situations one power-up can be more helpful that another so it is important to think strategically about when to unleash the full fury of a particular cat bomb! The look and sound in NekoBuro is truly magnificent, with a colourful art style and gorgeous design making each level a joy to behold. The music is entrancing and gives just an amazing overall sense of happiness. The game oozes charm, and every character is absolutely adorable. If you aren’t a cat fan, one look at the ‘Square Cats’ will melt your heart. It’s all just so darn lovely, and will bring a smile to even the biggest of cat haters. Although the story elements are subtitled in English, all spoken audio in game is in Japanese. If you pull-off a particularly impressive combo, you will be treated to a very enthusiastic Japanese greeting, courtesy of one of your cat pals. You can’t fault the voice

actors for their obvious enjoyment, but after a couple of replays hearing the same phrases and tones, I did become somewhat irritated by them. This is a shame as at times it did distract from the enchanting music. It really does say something when one of the only negatives is the over-the-top happiness of the voice acting. Continuing the bizarre theme of NeroBuro: CatsBlock is what you can get up to outside of the puzzle element of the game. Between levels you are free to access Rinos living room, where Totan and other Square Cats reside. As you progress through the story, you unlock new items of furniture, allowing you to customise the room to your liking. As well as this you can even have a little fun with the feline residents by picking them up using the touch screen or using a number of different toys. A particular favourite pass time of mine was pelting the cat crew with rubber darts. Oddly satisfying. Although at first the room hub did feel slightly out of place in a puzzle game such as this, I found it charming, adding a much needed extra layer of emergence into the experience. Whereas other match-3 puzzle games have had feeble excuses for stories tagged on to their simple gameplay, being able to interact with the square headed aliens in an engaging and fun way really is a unique and fun addition. A purr-fect combination of your standard match-3 format mixed with an intriguing, colourful and unique story allows NekoBuro: CatsBlock to stand on its hind legs and rise above the packed litter of puzzle games. With the constant allure of bettering your score as well as a challenging survival mode, there is more than one reason to keep returning to this bizarre world.

Adding a creative spin to the done-to-death Match-3 puzzle genre, NekoBuro: CatsBlock is a fun, addictive and down right adorable puzzler bursting with colour and charm.

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Execution

3.9

REVIEW RESIDENT EVIL REVELATIONS 2

Reviewed by Paul Murphy If you’ve been looking forward to this game on the Vita, you’ve probably been through a mix of emotions. The ecstasy and elation when it was so proudly and triumphantly announced back in December’s PlayStation Experience event. The frustration and agony when you watched other systems get the weekly episodic content earlier this year whilst we didn’t hear a peep. Then the worry and frustration (again) when it became clear that the port was being managed by a studio best known for its in-house indie titles. How was it going to turn out? Was it going to be a repeat of Borderlands 2? Is it a stretch too far to expect another indie studio to manage a big name port? Or are all our worries unfounded and is this game exactly what we need?

2.8 GB

Playing as Claire you’ll soon awake on a mysterious island, and after breaking out of confinement you’ll find a firearm, regroup with Moira, and look to escape the gruesome compound you ended up in. This is where the game explains the basics to you. Movement and aiming is controlled by the analogue sticks as you would expect and the shoulder buttons serve as your aiming and shooting outputs (using the R without aiming will melee). Square will reload a weapon or interact with different objects – like crates or items you discover, “X” is your general activate button, circle acts as an evade, and triangle switches between the characters in play. The game also makes use of the front touch screen, with these controls divided among the screen’s four corners; top-left for using your torch, toptight for switching to your main weapon, crouching set to bottom-left and finally the use of herbs (for healing) mapped to the bottom-right. The controls also vary slightly depending on which characters you are playing with.

Before we get into all of that, we should actually start with what Resident Evil Revelations 2 is. At its core, the game is a third person action/survival horror title and the tenth game in the Resident Evil series – set between the events of Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6. Originally released elsewhere episodically, this Vita version has all of the content in one package; in a similar manner to The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us titles from Telltale Games.

This is because of the interesting way that the campaign is presented; you will start off by playing as Claire and Moira, and once that part of the mission has been taken care of you’ll then play through as Barry and Natalia – the latter a curious young girl with some peculiar abilities. Set sometime after the first portion, actions taken in the first part of your Initially you are playing as returning series regular Claire chapter can have consequences in Barry’s play through as Redfield, who now works for an agency called Terra Save; he attempts to retrace his daughter’s whereabouts. With a non-governmental humanitarian group which manages regards to the character differences, Moira has a dislike for different situations the world over. During a private firearms and as such uses a crowbar as a weapon, which is function, the group is ambushed and before long you find handy for breaking into boxes. Natalia (rather unhelpfully) yourself imprisoned, alone, and in a very bad way. Due to utilises bricks as her weapon of choice, though being a child the disappearance of not only Claire, but also Moira Burton – also helps her to sneak into smaller crevices and gaps that who is the daughter of Barry Burton, a familiar face from the others can’t. The game will present you with situations Resident Evil series – Barry soon investigates himself to try where you need to use both characters, but their roles are to find out what happened. very much secondary to Claire and Barry, and thankfully most of the encounters with the infected enemies you will face can be dealt with using firearms. The Vita Lounge Magazine | 25

REVIEW RESIDENT EVIL REVELATIONS 2 The game plays out this way over all four chapters, with Claire and Moira driven by the mysterious Overseer, who explains that the ladies are wearing bracelets which measure fear as part of an experiment. Along the way the pair will attempt to uncover who has done this and look for their missing friends whereas Barry’s quest is set retracing their footsteps and even ultimately crossing paths with the remnants of their journey.

either, you’ll also get the rather brilliant Raid mode bundled in too. Essentially a wave-based set of missions, you can create your own character and customise your weapons and skills. As you level up and play missions you’ll earn skill points and new weapons. This mode has many different missions, called Gauntlets, and depending on your efficiency you will earn medals to unlock new missions.

The game is set up such that you will find a myriad of puzzles and challenges that will definitely stimulate the grey matter, whilst at the same time requiring you to be alert to the infected that will be looking to make short work of you. There is a wide variety of enemies that you’ll encounter – 2013: Infected Wars this isn’t – and you’ll encounter quite the challenge as you progress through the story… even if you play on easy like me.

Where it really comes into its own is with another player. Games are always more fun when you are playing with someone else, and playing this online with another player is great fun and probably where you’ll spend the bulk of your time – offering longevity for the title for when you have tired of the campaign.

For those of you that love a challenge, there is a pretty extensive trophy list which requires the completion of all game modes and also tasks you with earning all of the medals as you play the game. Each chapter has a rather demanding list of requirements, and completing these will earn you additional “BP” (the skill unlocking currency) to enhance your abilities and make your journey through the campaign a little more manageable. That campaign will last for around 8-10 hours for the main story, but it’s not all that the game offers you. Successfully completing an episode then unlocks two new modes to replay, called Countdown and Invisible. Countdown is a race against the clock, with time added for defeating enemies. It’s a very interesting mode and will really test your ability to play under pressure. Invisibility Mode is the true test of your ability however, with the enemies hidden from sight as the name suggests. Natalia and Moira can both briefly give away the location of the fiends through their abilities, although don’t say I haven’t warned you – it’s brutal! Also thrown into this bundle are two additional chapters – The Struggle and Little Miss – which add a little more back story for you. The Struggle is a four part story which focuses on another character you encounter in the game and requires you to shoot animals for food (which act as continues) and wipe out the zombies that you’ll find. Little Miss is a purely stealth based episode which sees you controlling Natalia over three chapters, and fills in the story leading up to Barry meeting her in his episode one. The episodic campaign isn’t all you’ll get in this package 26 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

As is becoming commonplace with console style ports for the handheld there have had to make a few visual compromises to squeeze the game onto the Vita. Many of the lighting effects have been removed and as a result everything is a little brighter, somewhat compounding on a title based around horror. The visuals and textures and more than functional and serve the game well, but they do have that washed-out look you find in non-native releases. One bit of advice I’ll make is to manually turn down the brightness in the settings. This makes everything look closer to how it should, and it’s a little silly that it’s set so bright by default.

As is the norm with Vita games though, everything looks better in motion than screens ever give justice for. From my experience it does have a pretty stable frame rate, but it does struggle when there were a larger number of enemies and/or health issues. It does get progressively worse in the later chapters and the final battle may well test your patience – it’s easily where the game’s frame rate is at its worst. Whilst this may be frustrating for some, and many obviously point to Killzone Mercenary and Uncharted: Golden Abyss in terms of the visual standard expected; the Vita is capable of that level of visual accomplishment but I very much doubt that Revelations 2 has that level of budget, investment and time afforded as those flagship titles did. The game also has some horrendous loading times, both pre-level and after dying. During the episode it isn’t too bad, but if you are like me you might find yourself falling victim to the horde a few times (especially in Episode 3), making the loading times very noticeable. I’m not exaggerating either, I’m talking WipEout 2048 and Borderlands 2 levels of around a minute or more. It can become quite irritating. The cut-scenes are all present and accounted for, but there is a definite compression in play which significantly affects the quality, with the transition between the scenes and the gameplay quite noticeable. From an audio perspective, I found that the quality got worse in chapter two, but for the most

part was fine. It can sound quite “tinny” at times (akin to the original on PSOne), but that may be more down to the Vita’s speakers. The story’s dialogue is all present and correct and drives the narrative along quite nicely.

Finally, the game will not let you use other apps whilst it is running – something also shared with the upcoming Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls. With Vita developers now able to access additional memory for games, I suspect that utilising this If anyone had any reservations about additional power comes at the expense buying Resident Evil Revelations 2 then of multi-tasking so there’s no checking this is probably the section that you’ll on trophies or using apps here. want to read. The game is digital-only in the West and although it is sensibly Depending on how you feel about the priced, will take up a basic 2.9GB on aforementioned will undeniably play your memory card, with a 900MB day- a huge role in whether you should one patch to stick on too. Although the be looking at getting this. Looking at game can be purchased in an physical the situation from a different angle, English-language Asian release, that Revelations 2 was not designed for will need importing and is currently the Vita from the ground up, and is delayed until September. Regardless not optimised for the platform as is of the size of your memory card and common with many Vita ports. Despite what’s on it, you may have to move a being handicapped by the budgetary lot around to accommodate this. constraints implied by the use of a smaller, independent studio and the Revelations 2 was also designed to be fact that a much larger game has been played in co-op and despite packing condensed and compressed by file size some multiplayer into the mix with limitations and hardware restraints, Raid Mode, there is no co-operative I personally think that Canadian play in the campaign – which is more developers Frima Studio have done than a shame. It means that you quite a job here. If the task was to are left relying on the somewhat get Revelations 2 onto the Vita, questionable AI, which at times is less there is no denying that it than helpful. has been accomplished.

With a decent story and a lot of replay value this title could last you a while and is available at a sensible price, but it's not without its issues and will take up a huge chunk of your memory card. However, it is worth playing and if you enjoy and want more games like these on the Vita then you should consider supporting it.

Presentation

Gameplay

Lasting Appeal

The Vita Lounge

Execution

3.6

REVIEW BLAZBLUE: CHRONO PHANTASMA EXTEND so they perform specific actions. In “Challenge” mode you’ll be able to select a character and challenge yourself to complete various combo strings or conditions for the specific character you chose.

Reviewed by Hikami 2

3.1 GB

Arc System Works’ line of fast paced 2D fighters continues with Blazblue Chrono Phantasma Extend. This is an enhanced version of the base Chrono Phantasma game with new additions and changes. While returning veterans will still find themselves right at home, the Blazblue series has never been more newcomer friendly. Let’s start off with what you see when you first start the game, the main menu. Here, you’ll see various modes scattered and categorized. The categories found here are Practice, Story, Battle, Network, Collection, and Options. Most people will want to start off with the Practice category. The modes here are “Tutorial”, “Training”, and “Challenge”. In the tutorial mode, you’ll find numerous lessons to partake and learn about the game; it’s very in-depth and not only teaches you about Blazblue but also fighting game mechanics in general. One thing I really appreciated from the tutorial mode is that it’s fully voice acted and you have different instructors teaching you – so unlike tutorials for other fighting games, it was pretty lively and engaging.

For those not looking to invest the time in learning the game though, you’ll only need to take two lessons to learn how to use the Stylish control scheme. Stylish controls are where the game shines in appealing to those not familiar or very good at fighting games. This control scheme will allow you execute crazy combos with a few button presses, so mash those buttons to your heart’s content! Stylish controls are not available for every mode though, only select ones like Story mode for example. Continuing on with the Practice category, “Training” mode will allow you to practice your combos freely with a stationary opponent or you can change the settings around 28 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

Now on to the Story section of the game, which is essentially the “meat” since there’s a ridiculous amount of content here. A fair bit of warning should be issued here however, as the story mode is not included with the base game (at least in the digital version it isn’t – I’m unsure if the retail version is the same). You have to download the “BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma EXTEND Story Mode & Gallery Mode” add-on free from the PSN to gain access to the story mode, and it’s a whopping 2.1GB. For those not familiar with Blazblue’s story up to this point, in a certain tab in Story mode you can get a recap of the events that happened in the previous two games (Calamity Trigger and Continuum Shift). Narrated by none other than Rachel Alucard, this recap was very entertaining; I didn’t actually need to view it myself since I was already caught up, but I watched the whole thing anyways and the character interactions were just superb. If you want to go even more in-depth with Blazblue’s story you can check out a mode called “Teach me more, Miss Litchi!”. Here you’ll have super-deformed (SD) characters go over the game’s lore in a comedic fashion. They’re very self-aware and their interactions had me chuckling constantly. Now moving on to the actual Story mode. Chrono Phantasma Extend continues off the events that occurred in the previous two games. Trying to summarize them myself in a way that makes sense would be very difficult so I’ll save you the pain – the recap is there for a reason. For this game though, “Chrono Phantasma” are The Phantoms of Time; they are those who possess a different future from the one they originally should have. The story here goes all over the place with time travelling and can quickly become convoluted – it’s very typical of one that you’d see often in shōnen manga or anime. That’s not to say it’s bad though, as it’s executed very well. The story takes quite some time to pick up but once it does, it’s very entertaining. It has a variety of scenes so it isn’t all non-stop action; there’s plenty of humor, sadness, mystery, and yes – even a dose of “fanservice”. Moving on, I’ll go ahead and address the negatives I found in Story mode. Regarding the graphics, there’s something that bothered me quite a bit here. First off, the story scenes in this game are presented in a visual novel format; so you have a textbox, some characters talking, sometimes CG scenes for events, and so on. One thing that happens quite often here however, is that the camera zooms in to the faces of the characters. The problem is that the image quality worsens when this occurs. Since it’s constantly switching between a zoomed-out view and a zoomed-in view, you’ll have crisp image quality one second and then suddenly it’ll go blurry once it zooms in. The character art doesn’t seem to scale at all with the resolution, so it’ll end up looking like you’re playing an up-scaled PSP game on a Vita at times. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s certainly very awkward to look at.

The pacing of the story is very strange as well. First off, let me say that the story mode for this game is long for a fighting game – I’m talking RPG style dozens-of-hours long. You could take out the story sections and make it into its own visual novel essentially. Because of this though, the pacing suffers; in one chapter you’ll have extended sections of only dialogue and then just one fight, and in a different chapter you’ll have five fights in a row with a very limited amount of dialogue sections. The story mode was great though, and the sections at the very end in particular were so satisfying. But wait, you’re not done with story mode yet – there’s actually an “Extend” story mode you can go through with more content if you please. But why stop there? There’s also another section with “gag” stories separated from the main one. Oh you thought I was done? Nope, you guessed it; there’s even another mode with even more story content – it’s called “Remix Heart Gaiden” and has a separate story taking place in the military academy with a different protagonist. Whew, that’s quite a lot of story content there isn’t it? It’s no wonder the mode requires a separate download. Next is the Battle category. Most of the stuff here consists of the standard fighting game modes you’d expect. The Arcade mode has you fight a certain arrangement of characters depending on which character you choose (there’s also even more story here, haha – each character has their own Arcade events and ending). Versus lets you fight one on one against a character of choice. Ad-Hoc allows you to face other people via… well, ad-hoc. Score Attack has you compete for a high score on the leaderboards. Simple, right?

Now Abyss mode is something that most won’t be familiar with. Here you’ll defeat waves of enemies while being able to strengthen your character’s stats along the way. You’ll continue descending until you reach the bottom level of Kagutsuchi. Unlimited Mars Mode is Arcade mode but with very intelligent AI, and lastly Highlander Assault Mode is a special mode where you face off with the final boss from story mode. Unlike story mode though, you’ll be able to choose whichever character you want to tackle him with.

– and that currency can be used to unlock various things. Unlockables include unlimited character modes, color variations, background music, artwork, and so on. Blazblue is well known for its animestyled art, and Chrono Phantasma Extend is no different. The menus are stylish, the character arts are clean, and the backgrounds are beautiful… for the most part (there’s that small zoom issue I mentioned). The audio is very impressive as well, with various background music tracks and very clear voice acting. There is dual-audio present so those who have a preference can choose between either Japanese voices or English voices, and rest assured they both have great casts. The cast of characters themselves are also all very unique, with the 28 playable fighters feeling quite different from each other in use.

Now for the category the competitive players will be interested in – Network Mode. Here is where you’ll go online and face off with other players. You can choose between Ranked Matches or Player Matches. In ranked matches, you’ll queue up and wait for someone to challenge you – pretty simple stuff. Player matches though, take place in lobbies. These lobbies are customizable by the host and you’re able to At first glance, the Blazblue series may challenge players, chat, and spectate seem like something only hardcore battles. fighting game fans will find enjoyment out of. In Chrono Phantasma Extend From the ten matches I played, the net however, there is enough variety here code seems to be very good; only one to draw out all types of people. of those matches had some lag issues. Although the story suffers from some What’s more impressive is that all pacing and graphical issues, the likable those matches were against Japanese characters and superb voice acting is players, since I could not find any enough to offset it. players from my area at the time. I’m located in the United States myself, so Not including all the DLC available (that that’s quite a bit of distance. I didn’t have a chance to get into), the replay value to be found in the title is The last category I’ll go over is called just insane. Be it the immense amount Collection. You can save replays from of story content, the various battle online battles and watch them again modes to challenge yourself with, or a here in the replay theater. The only place to battle it out and connect with other thing here besides that is the people across the world in network Gallery Mode. In this game, you’ll earn mode – almost anyone can find some “P$” by just playing in different modes worthwhile entertainment here.

The Blazblue series is a very technical fighting game that new players may find too daunting to give a try. However, Chrono Phantasma Extend is a very accessible game packed with loads of content. Newcomers to the series, returning veterans, and even those who have never played a fighting game before can all find some fun within it.

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Execution

4.3

REVIEW TORQUE L

the game in under 60 minutes and one for beating the ‘L’ route of the game.

Reviewed by Charlie Large 1

754 MB

Torque L has multiple routes to playthrough to reach the end of the game, and from what I have played the routes are determined in stages that have more than one exit portal. The exits you use in these specific stages will determine what route you go down, but this isn’t explained very well so it appears to be trial and error if you are heading for a specific route to earn a trophy.

If there is one thing that is proving to be more popular than the current trend of delaying Vita versions of new releases it is the resurgence of the physics-based puzzle These multiple routes do offer longevity to the title, but after I had platformer that has been taking place completed one playthrough I felt that over the last few years. Torque L didn’t offer too much to Torque L adds to an already overloaded warrant another playthrough. I guess the chance to play the stages that I genre, but sets out to differ from all missed out on is something but that in other titles that have gone before it itself was not enough to motivate me with a unique premise that serves as to jump straight back into the action. the main mechanic in the game.

they offer level creators and editors – something which I feel would add a bit more to Torque L’s overall package. I say this because, at £8.99/€10.99 in Europe, the game is definitely not value for money. In North America the game retails for $6.99, which I feel is a more realistic price for what in essence feels like a PlayStation Mobile title. Some saving graces for Torque L are the simple visuals and the soundtrack that plays during the game. The visuals are nothing special, but the simplistic look of the game does help as they do not distract from the task at hand. The look of the game is minimalistic, and the soundtrack to the game compliments this perfectly – with the electro-beats matching your every move. The soundtrack is nothing to overpowering, but it does everything that it needs to and fits in with the overall feel of Torque L. The game can also be quite fun when played in short bursts – but this is not going to be a game that you will come back to when you have a few spare minutes.

Torque L does feel like a game that is designed to be played at leisure, but the one thing that really aggrieved me was the fact that if you did fail a stage, As you may be able to tell from the you had to wait for the fail animation paragraphs above, I wasn’t overly to play out and then the level to impressed with this game. I feel that reload before you could continue. In a there are so many opportunities that game that aims to be of a fast-paced have been missed that takes away nature I found this really broke the from the potentially strong gameplay immersion that the physics-based elements that the title has. Luckily for platformers aim to achieve. I feel that us, this version of Torque L does save a quick restart option would really your progress, with previous versions have benefited Torque L. By allowing on other platforms not having this me to get back into the action quickly feature and expecting you to complete I feel that I would have enjoyed the the game in one sitting – which is a game a lot more. But as it stands, making me wait ten seconds each time possibility to be fair! The control setup for the game is simple I died (which on Stage 13 was every 5 in premise, but my god is it frustrating seconds) I quickly found myself running Torque L is a game that has the right idea, just the wrong implementation. when you are trying to navigate out of patience with the game. At times I found the game to be a through each of the game’s stages. I found myself pushing myself to my Once you do master (in a loose sense of chore to play, and when you feel that way about something it is definitely death in error when I was attempting the word) the game, you will find that not a good sign. I cannot recommend to get to the finish line – with all sense each of the game’s stages will take this game and I feel that in a genre of direction thrown out of the window around 10-20 seconds to complete. that is swamped with good, cheap after a few rotations of the square. If you think about it, that really isn’t titles there is no place for Torque a great deal of time to complete the L. I think that our protagonist, the The fact that the game challenges game – with all endings possible in a well-dressed gentleman, can stay you to play against the clock means couple of hours. There are other titles inside the box he is trapped in that these errors will be a frequent that have similar shortfalls when it and should never be released! occurrence, as the pressure of the timer comes to the length of the game, but drives you to press the wrong button on most occasions. My first playthrough of the game took me just under an hour, but that was only because in the end I Torque L is a physics-based puzzle-platformer decided to ignore the timer and just to that enters an already saturated genre and playthrough at my own leisure in the brings with it a unique mechanic that does hope that I would relax and not make have promise. It's just a shame that the games as many rash mistakes. execution is not as good as the premise. Torque L is OK as a game to pass time, but even then This initial run through of the game you will find that it offers nothing more than only took me through about thirty-two mobile games that are a quarter of the price. of the fifty stages, and awarded me two trophies – one for completing Presentation Execution Gameplay Lasting Appeal

Developed by FullPowerSideAttack.com and published by Playism, you start Torque L as a well-dressed man who is trapped inside a box. You can roll in the box, but you cannot jump – meaning that traversing the game’s 50 stages is initially, an impossibility. However, what you will soon learn is that each of the sides of the box in which you are trapped are coloured and mapped to the PlayStation Vita’s face buttons. Pressing the corresponding button will see that side of the box extend, allowing for you to use these elongated sides to assist your movement – utilising both momentum and gravity.

2.3

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The Vita Lounge

REVIEW NIHILUMBRA

Reviewed by Liam Langan Indie games seem to have found their home on the PlayStation Vita, and as AAA support for the handheld has been all but abandoned we’re at a point where we seemingly rely on indie games to keep us playing. Indie games come in many shapes and forms, and while most of them are interesting and unique, some indie titles really do stand out from the crowd.

Nihilumbra is the first game from Beautifun Games and was originally released on Apple devices back in 2012. It won several awards as an iOS title and with that success in hand, the developers decided to share the game with a wider audience – and in honesty, I’m glad they’ve brought it to the PlayStation Vita.

340 MB

jump distance, but the ability can also be played to your advantage as it can cause enemies to slip and fall into various dangers and traps.

I’m not frowning upon this too much I thought it is certainly worth pointing out.

The several different enemy types introduced in the game are all unique and are an utter joy to defeat, with each setup requiring thought and strategy in order to defeat them. You can’t just rush into an enemy encounter as you’re likely to wind up dead and annoyed at yourself for doing so.

Nihilumbra is a rather beautiful game and the graphics look great on the Vita’s screen – no two environments look the same and each of them are a joy to look at. Also rather enjoyable is the game’s soundtrack, which is incredibly atmospheric and adds to the eerie tones and questionable themes of the game.

The most enjoyable thing about using the ice power and any subsequent powers you unlock is that they require use of the Vita’s touch-screen or you to use them. By gently scrubbing the area of land that you want to affect with your finger you will see that the The game starts off with you controlling power appears on screen. You can also use the touch screen in order to swap a blob, and poses several strange questions at you, such as who are you? between power-ups. Why do you exist? Where do you belong While the touch-screen powers play a in the world? and so on. When you rather big role in the game, so does the encounter a strange statue, the blob games main enemy – simply known takes the form of the statue and the as ‘the void’. Throughout the game’s adventure begins. various environments you’ll encounter a mass of the void which is intent on chasing the traveller until they consume not just him, but the entire world.

The game starts off with simple platforming such as climbing up ledges and navigating around avoiding enemies until you unlock your first power which is an ice power – that essentially makes the ground slippy. The player will benefit using this power by being able to speed up and increase

Completing levels in Nihilumbra unlocks the ability to play them again by accessing the level select feature on the main menu, but this is where the true nature of the game can be discovered – Nihilumbra is essentially a mobile title ported to PSVita and the level select screens reveal chapters and star ratings for each stage. While

At a price point of £7.39 and a 3-4 hour run time on the initial playthrough, it’s definitely value for money. There is also an unlockable challenge mode for when you’ve finished the main campaign, which adds a lot more variety and interesting and thought provoking puzzles to the experience.

Nihilumbra is a cheap and interesting experience that certainly kept me tense throughout my time playing it, its often dark and interesting mechanics are a dream on the Vita but the experience may not be for everyone. Pick this up if you’re looking for something unique or experimental, but be warned, the game itself may leave you questioning your own existence by the time you’ve completed it!

Nihilumbra is an interesting concept and a short and sweet title that not only looks great but also uses some of the features that a lot of developers forget the Vita actually has, Nihilumbra is one of the more unique titles on Vita and if you're looking for something different, you should definitely give it a go. Presentation

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The most negative thing about Nihilumbra is that at times it feels too much like an experiment than an actual game. While it’s all about questioning the meaning of your existence it can sometimes leave you confused as to what on earth is actually going on in the story, and this can be extremely off-putting.

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3.4

REVIEW LOST DIMENSION

Reviewed by Jimmy Champane

985 MB

As someone who has trouble getting into JRPG’s, but latches onto a select few like Persona 4 Golden or Fire Emblem Awakening, I wasn’t sure if Lost Dimension was going to be an enjoyable experience for me. Setting out to mix the third-person tactics of Valkyrie Chronicles with the mystery-solving visual novel action of games like Zero Escape or Danganronpa, it seemed like a game too potentially cool to pass up. After spending a lot of time with it, I’m happy to report that I enjoyed my experience immensely.

One of my biggest pet peeves with JRPGs is how complex they can be right out of the gate, but Lost Dimension’s battle system manages to find a nice middle ground between too shallow and too complex. I did find that after a while the cannon fodder enemies were a little tiresome to fight, and the fact that between turns loading screens would pop up didn’t help them feel any quicker. Being able to effectively choose how a battle was going to play out based on the types of characters I was adding to my team helped remedy the boredom, though.

Developed by Lancarse and published by Atlus, Lost Dimension was released in Japan last year for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. The premise is simple – the world is about to be destroyed by a villain who goes by the name of The End and world leaders send 11 soldiers to take him down. You control the leader, Sho and fight your way through a mysterious tower. What makes Lost Dimension special is that throughout your journey you’ll have to weed out traitors within your team.

After every mission, you can initiate a conversation with each team member; however the first two you select will become closer to you, opening up different conversation options. It’s cool to read the dialog at first, but the writing and conversation topics are pretty boring, and I found myself skipping most of them after a couple hours. Luckily, the benefit of deepening character bonds far outweighs the slight annoyance. When you know which characters are close with each other, you can smartly position them together on the battle field. When one takes damage, the other will sometimes step in to protect them which can give you a few extra turns to take down a particularly tough enemy.

Like I mentioned earlier, the battle system is almost identical to Valkyrie Chronicles’. The story is broken up into main and side missions, and before each one you select a squad of six characters. During your turn you take control of each character, positioning them throughout the map. The characters use guns, swords and special abilities to defeat foes, and they can also work together providing each other with support. On top of that, each one has a unique ability that makes sets them apart from the rest. One character, for example, can burn foes in a fiery blast, and another flies around the battlefield, increasing their range.

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Surprisingly, my favorite part of Lost Dimension was figuring out who the traitors were. The first traitor is the same person in everyone’s playthrough, but after that they’re randomized. After every mission, you are shown a short cutscene where Sho can hear some of his companions’ thoughts and when there’s a traitor thinking out loud, Sho will react accordingly. He can only hear thoughts of people he brought into battle, too so this forces you to vary the team you bring into missions. Once you’ve narrowed in

on a few strong suspects, you can spend a Vision Point to see whether or not you’re right. Vision Points are extremely rare, so you can’t just use them left and right, keeping tension high throughout. The real stress comes from the fact that you have to pick a traitor before advancing floors. Even if you pick the right one, the team has to vote on whether or not they think you’re right. The way to get them to sway to your side is by nudging them when they approach you for your opinion after a mission, so you’ll need to start to have an idea of who the traitor is pretty early on. If you don’t utilize this feature, you’ll almost assuredly send someone innocent to their death. I played Lost Dimension on PS Vita exclusively, and I was met with a few different bugs. There are slight framerate drops while moving your characters around in most battles, and as I mentioned earlier, having to see a loading screen between attacks increased the feeling of turn-based fatigue I started to feel late in the game. Finally, the screen between battles where you select missions, gear and conversations is weirdly optimized to be a touch interface, but forces you to interact with it by using a laggy pointer. Normally I would guess that these issues would be patched out post-launch, but since the game is technically almost a year old, it’s

safe to assume they’re not going to be. None of the technical issues necessarily spoiled the experience for me, but if you’re playing on PS Vita you should know about them going in. Even though it has its fair share of issues, Lost Dimension manages to stay unique and exciting throughout the entire experience. I’m not sure if I’ll

be going back and beating it again to achieve the true ending, but I estimate that my first playthrough took about 25 to 27 hours, so there’s not much to complain about there. Overall, it successfully manages to mix a fun, if simple, story with light turn-based tactics and visual novel elements all while staying fun. If you have a PS Vita, Lost Dimension is a no-brainer.

Lost Dimension has a lot of great ideas, and while not all of them pan out, it's a mostly enjoyable experience from start to finish. Technical issues withstanding, it's one of the Vita's best RPGs.

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Execution

3.8

REVIEW HATOFUL BOYFRIEND

Reviewed by Kyle Wakeling

1.9 GB

I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d be playing a game where I’m a female protagonist and I’m courting birds at a prestigious bird academy – but I have, and it was actually pretty enjoyable.

somebirdie. Stats are raised through attending elective classes and through specific missable events throughout the year, going into three categories – Wisdom, Vitality, and Charm – based on what you’ve done to earn a boost. Who you spend time with is pretty easy to determine, but the Before we get into my thoughts on the matter however, let’s trick with that comes where multiple endings (or simply the bad endings) are possible as your choices can send you off get into a little back story first; as a new female student – let’s call her the default name, Hiyoko – enters her freshman on many different routes… even when you’re courting the same suitor. year at St Pigeonation’s she’s surrounded by birds. This is because St. Pigeonation’s is a school for birds, even though My first few playthroughs ended up in the same bad ending you’re a human and you’re allowed in. Weird? Yes. But we with some different choices, so you’re going to have to can deal, right? Moving on. choose carefully (or use a guide) to get them all. Personally, I played it through properly a few times until I started to get As a student at St. Pigeonations you’ll be doing all the bored of seeing the same scenes over again, then played the normal things students do during a school year. You’ll “fast-forward through repeat scenes and only watch new be studying (in both a structured and elective curriculum environment), mingling with other students (who are birds), ones” game, before finally moving on to using a guide to see the things I missed. participating in extracurricular activities (such as track team), and going on trips. This yearly life however, has an It’s definitely not an easy thing to find your way naturally effect on the outcome of the story; the choices you make to all the possible endings, but it is possible – there are along the way – no matter how small – will determine your tiny hints left all over in the dialogue along the way that ultimate path and the ending you find. when added together can show you the way. That said, this is a visual novel with many endings and finding them all is ultimately a thinking man’s game; if you’ve got a bad memory or aren’t good with puzzles this one might just end up confusing you more than it entertains.

There are fourteen different endings to get to with Hiyoko and lots of different scenes to see along the way, so you’ll have lots of fun with this one trying to see it all. Endings range from fairly mundane, to something that brings forth some emotion (in either direction), to the absolutely crazy and fantastical. But this is a game about dating birds, so what did you expect? Speaking of the endings in the game, you get them based on three things; your stats, who you’re close to (spend the most time with) and the choices you make with that special 34 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

As for the graphics in the game… well, they’re mostly static images so how bad can they look? It was a little plain looking at times, but it was always crisp looking and clean. I had no problem with the graphics other than the fact that they were of birds, and there’s even a setting to alleviate a modecum of that pain available when you start the game.

It’s a very weird setting however, and only applies to first introductions – so it didn’t happen to pull me away from the bird mentality at all… though you might be more susceptible to the imagery than I am (being that I’m a heterosexual male). The sound was another matter entirely however, as I often experienced sound corruption. The song playing in the background would start exhibiting weird noises and eventually morph into something akin to the Missingno Pokémon glitch’s roar. I ended up muting the game after two playthroughs and it was much more enjoyable that way (unfortunately). One thing I do have to complain about in addition to my previous notes however, is the frequency of crashes I experienced in the game – which were almost as numerous as the endings. It seemed like every second or third playthrough I was getting a crash, and I ended up saving at the beginning of every major event along the way just to keep from having to play the whole thing again. I probably would’ve finished out the game a few days earlier had it not been for the wasted time, but thankfully the game was more than interesting enough to keep me coming back. Speaking of the game, it initially struck me in an odd kind of way. At first I was enjoying it simply for the laughs – like the crazy things that Okosan does, and the reactions of the different students to the situations – but as I experienced more endings that weren’t just me

being killed, it dug its hooks in a little more deeply. Some of the endings I hit ended up being a bit anticlimactic, but there were others (especially those involving the truly unique characters) that hit me right in the feelings. Though I didn’t expect to go into this game and feel for a bunch of birds, that’s exactly what happened… and I had a good time doing so. Through my time with the game I’ve come to see that Hatoful Boyfriend is full of curious little things that

make you smile, or wonder what you’ll uncover next; and though it’s presented in a weird format (birds, seriously?) it still manages to be quite enjoyable if you’re open to the idea. The storylines are sometimes emotional, the endings can be quite insane, and you never know what will happen along the way – but aren’t those the fun bits that people pick up novels for in the first place? They are for me, and Hatoful Boyfriend has delivered.

Hatoful Boyfriend is a visual novel about dating birds, but only on the surface - underneath is a web of interconnected stories filled with interesting plots, emotion, and even a twist here and there. It's certainly not for everybirdie, but it's worth a peek if you're at all curious; just don't expect it to be too realistic.

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Execution

3.9

REVIEW XBLAZE LOST: MEMORIES

Reviewed by Kyle Wakeling XBlaze Lost: Memories isn’t as much a sequel as it is something else entirely; while you’ll definitely want to have played Code: Embryo before it, it’s not so much “more” as it is “the big picture” in scope. First, let’s take a look at Lost: Memories’ premise; as it starts not with the familiar or a recap of past events, but somewhere else fresh and never before seen.

2.3 GB

To get down to the next floor (and each subsequent floor), Suki must collect memory fragments that are scattered around – three getting her clearance to jump to the next level, and four being the total located on each floor. Fragments usually require a bit of looking to find, but they’re very obvious and if you actually look around everywhere they’re hard to miss – so you shouldn’t have too much trouble with this task. Each time (or nearly each time actually) you collect a fragment you’ll trigger a cutscene with Nobody. In these short back-and-forth moments she usually prods Suki to be her friend, and also comments on the contents of the memory fragment collection. Oh, I didn’t mention? You’ll be able to see the memories you collect when you jump between floors. That’s important; I can’t really tell you why exactly, but it’s integral to the story so don’t skip them.

At the start of the game you’re introduced to a young girl whose mother is dying and father is mostly absent doing experiments for work. As things progress the mother dies, the father ends up leaving, and the then teenage girl is left alone with her little sister to raise her. One day however, the little sister disappears after entering her father’s workshop… and the girl follows after her, unknowingly stumbling into the abyss. In this abyss, the girl meets yet another girl – one who calls herself Nobody and names the girl Suki (though in actuality you get to pick). Nobody explains that not only has she already met with Suki’s little sister, but she knows where she is; safe on the bottom layer of the Phantom Field. Nobody then adds that she would like to help Suki get to her, and after some questions Suki relents and follows Nobody’s lead.

Once you’ve collected enough fragments to jump levels, you simply find the portal (the thing with four pillars) and press “X”. You’ll be treated to a small gameshow style quiz game with a few questions about things that have happened so far, and on completion you’ll dive and get a cutscene which depicts a part of the “true story” behind Code: Embryo. These cutscenes are actually sourced memories from the fragments you’ve collected, and are memories from people other than Touya Kagami – so don’t be surprised to see perspectives and scenes you might not have experienced in the first XBlaze title. Jumping from floor to floor will eventually lead to Suki’s

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sister, and gathering the memories will eventually recap the story from Code: Embryo entirely as well as lead somewhere interesting and new. Where exactly is for you to find out, and telling you that would ruin one of the best things about this game – so just trust me that it’s both amazing in nature and unique in execution. One other thing I should mention – not something necessarily vital to the game, but something of possible interest to the perspective player – is the collection of readable tips you can amass. Tips can be found just like memory fragments; out in the world, though you also gain tips from viewing memory fragments and talking to Nobody as well (among other random instances). The tips you collect however give access to new vocabulary and information in the menu (across a wide variety of subjects), so if there’s something you don’t understand then tips are the best place to check for an answer. They also count towards a trophy you need for the platinum, if that’s your thing.

As for the story (the meat of any visual novel), it’s a good one. It’s filled with little twists, left turns, clues, tidbits, and emotion… everything you need to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. While I didn’t start into it with the intention of finishing it in two days, that’s exactly what happened and it wasn’t because I was pushing myself or it was overly short. Once you get past the introduction and realize that something big is going on here, the hook digs in and you’re on the line right ’til the end. Speaking of the end, while there are a few “variables” present in the main story there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of multiple endings; Lost: Memories isn’t built to be as far branching as Code: Embryo was and is instead meant to solidify the story and draw you the big picture. As such, it’s quite possible to get the platinum in one 15-20 hour playthrough… though you won’t technically have played all the content as there are multiple side stories included (and coming as DLC).

I’d really suggest you check out those side stories I mentioned, as they offer some laughs and an additional short look at characters we didn’t get to see as much of this time ’round. Though the stock unlockable ones aren’t really relevant to the main story and are just for laughs, the Sechs DLC available at launch will include a little backstory that I believe to be quite relevant if canon. Now to the final verdict; while it’s certainly not often that you see a story expanded in such a way that it enhances the original experience, XBlaze Lost: Memories has done just that. The storyline is well woven into the original, the new characters grow on you quickly while the old ones are up to familiar tricks, and the entire presentation is both unique and entertaining right to the last moment. While the first XBlaze title is a solid introduction, this one is clearly what they were setting the stage for – and frankly I recommend you experience the whole wonderful thing.

Looking to the graphics in the title, they’re mostly very clean – however there are a few instances where the camera “zooms” and you see pixelation. Aside from that though, there’s a lot of really good looking art and even an animated voice-over to be seen; so I’d have to say it’s above average even with that tiny pixelation issue counting as a negative. The audio is very clear, with a recognizable soundtrack at least partly sourced from the first game (though I didn’t mind at all, especially with how it was presented). The voice-over is Japanese only due to the inclusion of the animated voice-over effect however, so if you’re looking for an English dub you won’t find one here; though some perfectly serviceable subtitles have been included. The subtitles aren’t a 100% accurate translation as they’ve taken a few liberties, but the story is intact and more than enjoyable with what they’ve given us – so it’s not a big deal in my opinion.

XBlaze Lost: Memories is not so much a sequel as it is something that enhances the first game's story in every way. It features an enjoyable narrative, lovable characters, and a unique way of presenting the big picture; something visual novel fans will be sure to appreciate and enjoy. Just don't forget to play Code: Embryo first!

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4.3

REVIEW DECEPTION IV: THE NIGHTMARE PRINCESS

Reviewed by lateralus2801 When you thought you’ve had enough of humiliating your enemies with banana peels, saw horses, and spring boards, think again. Koei Tecmo is doing what Koei Tecmo does best: adding new content to an existing title in a full priced package for those who missed out for the first time. Is it worth double dipping with Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess? That depends; how much did you enjoy torturing others?

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certain number of points, which traps are used, and even using mandatory traps in a level. This can be frustrating because some traps are only unlocked by back-tracking through previous missions and constantly replaying them until you earn the specific trap that’s needed to progress the story.

Please note that this review will only cover The Nightmare Princess content. For a review of Deception IV: Blood Ties please check out our review at thevitalounge. net/2014/03/25/deception-iv-blood-ties. For those of you who are familiar with Deception IV: Blood Ties, The Nightmare Princess is essentially an expansion pack to 2014’s release of Deception IV that also includes the full Blood Ties single player campaign in one tidy package. Fans of the Deception series will no doubt feel right at home, but there are definitely some differences that will throw veterans for a loop. Unlocking these new traps can be as simple (or difficult) as completing the three optional quests in each stage. As mentioned before, some of the traps necessary to complete the game are the rewards from these subquests. For those of you who don’t like to dabble in subquests, this can be a chore especially when you think you’ve done a great job and you end up failing the quest because you’re a few points short. But for those fans who like games with a lot of meat on the bone, the combinations available are endless in bringing pain and suffering to your enemies. A surprising addition is Velgyrie’s ability to give a Battletoad’s style boot to the opponent. While in Blood Ties, if you were caught between traps, Leagrinna was usually done for. With this added ability, it adds an extra option to the game in case you screwed up on a trap or are being chased by numerous other enemies.

The game starts out with the shocking revelation that the Devil has another daughter named Velgyrie, who is the younger sibling of Laegrinna. Velgyrie has the power to haunt people in their dreams with humiliating traps and death. The story of Velgyrie plays out in a quest tree that For those of you who got a little can be frustrating to those who like to work on their own terms. In order to progress to the next levels, missions must bit tired of the dungeon setting, be completed through specific tasks such as attaining a The Nightmare Princess arrives with 38 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

new stages such as a playground, gymnasium and an emergency room. Each of these new locales come with their own sadistic stage traps (such as an operating table or a humiliating ride down a twisty slide) for your amusement. Each of these levels are introduced to you after simple tutorials that show you how the new quest system works and how it is used to gain new traps. As mentioned before, everything that was included in Blood Ties is present in this new release. From the quest creator to downloading and playing other player’s creations, the replay value for this game is very good. Also unchanged from the previous version is the graphics. Each level is brilliantly designed and the while the frame rate isn’t at 60fps, there are no noticeable drops – especially when there are multiple enemies on the screen. The cut-scenes are comic book styled stills that are fully voiced in Japanese with English subtitles. The game is just as beautiful as before and it is still one of the better looking games on the PS Vita.

For someone that really enjoyed Blood Ties, there was something about the fact that this game is full priced and only $10 less than the PS3 and PS4 version that doesn’t sit right with me. Adding this to the fact that it’s digital only will surely upset some fans who are short on memory card space and may make them pass on this title. But as as with previous Koei Tecmo “re-release” titles, there is no shortage of content in the second go around.

With over 100 quests, the entire Blood Ties story line plus The Nightmare Princess story line, you will have hours of playtime in your hands. The bottom line is that The Nightmare Princess would have been better served as either DLC or a low priced stand alone title. There aren’t enough additions to Blood Ties to justify the $39.99 USD price tag.

For those of you who have never played a Deception title, The Nightmare Princess is a fantastic entry point for newcomers with tons of content and replay value. But for those who have previously purchased Blood Ties, aside from the new quests, there is nothing here that's worth the full asking price.

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3.6

REVIEW ACTUAL SUNLIGHT

Reviewed by Zach Price Actual Sunlight is one of the most mature games I’ve ever played. Using a mixture of the visual novel and point-and-click formats, the game tells a brief, yet sweet story about a man who is dealing with depression and suicide.

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the game. You’ll find something to click or interact with and delve a little deeper into the protagonist’s mind.

In Actual Sunlight, you play as Evan Winters – a man that is bald, in his late twenties, lives in a small apartment in Toronto and is battling many demons. The game starts with you awaking one day and fighting off thoughts to go to the roof and kill yourself. He has these same thoughts and urges throughout the day, no matter who – or what – he is interacting with. These interactions, however, are key to Actual Sunlight’s gameplay.

From the very start, you will walk around various environments, including your apartment, clicking on objects. These objects will pop up either a monologue or a conversation Evan has had with his therapist. However, these are all text conversations; the game has no voice acting whatsoever. But that isn’t a bad thing. The text really drew me in and I became more and more curious who Evan Winters really was – and the texts revealed him further to me. Like I said, you can also talk to people, whether they are fellow train-goers or Evan’s colleagues. Most of the time you’ll have a normal conversation and it will take you into the same type of monologue or conversation with Evan’s therapist. These usually tell you what Evan really thinks about them and can give a bit on context to the world Evan has going on around him. This is the only thing you do in 40 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

The game presents itself in a retro art style. It is reminiscent of the 16-bit era and is a good choice. It doesn’t detract from the overall purpose of the game: to drum up a conversation about depression and suicide. There are occasional bits where the game displays static screenshots – of maybe a coworker crying or Evan lying in bed. The screenshots are stunning. The bright, cheerful color palette seems to offer a sharp contrast between the dark subject matter the game presents and the hope that it hopes to present. It is apparent that the game’s developer – who makes a special cameo in the game that I’ll let you find for yourself – wants to strike up a conversation; he wants to bring the conversation to the forefront of everybody’s minds. This may have been my favorite aspect of the game: the self-reflection it generates. Throughout the short threehour story, I found myself sitting and thinking about what was going on to Evan and how I felt about the circumstances surrounding him. Without spoiling anything, the game gets progressively darker as Evan becomes even more lost in his own thoughts. We’ve all probably had interactions with people suffering from these diseases, but the game’s ability to place you in a person’s head who is suffering from it and quickly identify with him is very profound. However, don’t let that discourage you from playing if it doesn’t sound like your cup of tea. There is some dark humor used sporadically throughout the game that did make me laugh and broke up some of the tension caused by the subject matter.

Again, the game is only two to three hours long, but this shouldn’t discourage anyone from playing it. The game is a solid experience that will hold your attention for the duration of your playthrough. Even though you already know that Evan has these diseases, you will have a strong urge to dive even further into his mind. Many warrant a game’s quality on the quantity of hours, but I think Actual Sunlight is one of the games that proves that idiom wrong. Because it has such a strong impression after completion, I would say that it is completely justified. However, there are some issues I have with the game. The sound design in the game is almost non-existent. There will be a song or two played during one of the interactions that take place, but it doesn’t feel right – you will mostly be playing the game with no sound or music the whole experience. It’s a curious choice to do this, and it makes me question whether it was purposeful. The developer may have wished to create the same contrast the color palette had with the story by including nearly any sound. It does create a sense of solitary in the world Evan is in – and he is very much alone, as you’ll find out. However, I would rather there be an inclusion of a more well-rounded soundtrack. I want to hear happysounding tunes when Evan is doing one of the things he loves, like video games, and have some more depressing tracks for when he feels the weight of the world on his shoulders.

You will certainly find yourself returning to Toronto after you complete Evan’s story. Even though you can get the whole game within one completion – remember to click and talk to everything, — you will have many standing questions and curiosities that warrant a return. I found myself sitting thinking about why Evan may have said, thought, or done something and found that it was very easy to just return to the game, especially since it is so short. You won’t be returning over and over again,

but that doesn’t detract from Actual Sunlight. While the game is short, Actual Sunlight will hold your attention from “Press Start.” The serious subject matter certainly will turn some away from the game – and they will be missing out – but if you do decide to pick it up, you will find that it is worthy of your time and will make you reflect a lot on what you’ve played, more so than other games.

Actual Sunlight is a serious game for those that like inward thinking. While the gameplay is solely clicking and interacting with people and objects, you will find that the reflection invoked makes up for it.

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4.1

REVIEW NOVA-111

Reviewed by Charlie Large Stuck in a small orange spacecraft and tasked with fixing the space-time whilst hunting down lost scientists, Nova-111 will bamboozle your brain in more ways than one with the many mechanics that it blends together to make for a charming-yet-challenging game from Funktronic Labs. The game cleverly uses its story to explain the dual mechanics at play in this colourful title. The scientists (of which there are 111) live in a turn-based world and have embarked on the Universe’s ‘Greatest Science Experiment’ to unlock ‘real-time’. This is the given reason for Nova-111’s brave attempt to combine these two gameplay mechanics that you don’t normally see together in games and, quite remarkably, they work really well together to make a game that is extremely fun and unique to play.

Nova-111 features a number of worlds for you to play through, with each world featuring a number of levels to get through – with each world ending with a boss battle. Each of these levels features a number of stages (typically four) that you will need to complete to progress to the next level, and once you complete a level you are given a grade (with S being the best and F being the lowest) that is made up

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of the amount of scientists you have saved, the time taken to complete the level and how many turns you have taken during the level’s stages. My only complaint about this setup is that the game only saves once you have completed all the stages within a level. If you close the game or accidentally quit to the title screen midway through a set of stages, the next time you jump back into the game you will need to start the level you are on from the beginning – which caught me out quite a few times! In the game’s many stages you will manoeuvre Nova (your spacecraft) around a grid in a way that will be familiar to those that have played any turn-based strategy games. The first scientist you pickup on your journey (titled Mr. Science) will act as your tour guide throughout the game – introducing you to the new gameplay mechanics that are introduced as you play and narrating your travels to you. Dr. Science will also name the new enemies that you encounter – generally naming them based on their attributes (for example, an enemy that spits projectiles is called a Chucker and one that bounces around stages called a Bouncer).

through the stages to rescue any scientists that you have left behind will improve the score you receive at the end of each stage, and with Nova-111 features online leaderboards you may find yourself hunting each one down in a bid to get to the top of these charts. There is also a New Game + mode that can be unlocked which allows you to play through the game again but with the addition of multiple cheats that can be toggled on and off as you see fit.

As you make your way through the game you will come across many hostile enemies that you will do battle with in a turn-based style. These enemies will throw themselves at you in a whole manner of ways and it will pay dividends for you to pay attention to how these alien entities move as the key to success is to learn their attack patterns so that you know when best to attack them. Initially, the only form of attack your spacecraft has is the ability to bump into enemies to dish out damage. As you progress through the worlds you will acquire upgrades that will add more firepower and boost your ships abilities such as being able to drop bombs, fire laser beams and phaseshift through objects to get to out of reach areas. Nova-111 drip-feeds you these extra abilities and then the next few stages you play are centred around learning how to utilise these new additions effectively. In no time you will be whizzing around through levels offing enemies and finding secret areas, and once you have become accustomed to your latest upgrade, a new one will be thrown into the mix for you to get to grips with. These upgrades are assigned to Square, Triangle and Circle, whilst X is used to skip a move – which comes in handy when you want to lure an enemy to you or stay still and allow for an object to move to activate a mechanism. One of the cleverer upgrades is one that can control time – making enemies stop in their tracks so you can get through tricky areas with ease. This upgrade has to be used in tandem with the turn-based and real-time elements of the game to allow you to manipulate your

surroundings so that you can progress through the game. Later on in Nova111 you will encounter a world where time is already frozen, and this same upgrade will then be used in reverse to allow time to pass freely – which I though was a great idea that has been implemented well into the game by the developers. Speaking of time, one thing that is noticeable with this game is how short it is. I managed to get through the game in 5 hours, but saying that, I did not rescue all the scientists on my travels so if you are a completionist then you can add a couple more hours onto that running time. Going back

The game’s visuals are easy on the eye, and each object is detailed, colourful and crisp. I loved Nova-111‘s artstyle and also enjoyed the sounds that are attributed to each enemy/obstacle you encounter. Whilst you are busy taking all of the surroundings in, there is a synth-pop soundtrack playing in the background that fits in nicely with the sci-fi nature of this title. All in all, Nova-111 is a great little game that I think most strategy/ puzzle game fans will have fun with. Although it is not particularly long, I feel that there is enough replayability to be had with this title to keep you occupied for a while. Figuring out how to tackle each enemy and hunting down each scientist will certainly challenge you, but you will also have a lot of fun whilst making your way through the three worlds and many stages that Nova-111 throws at you!

Nova-111 is a fantastic game that fans of strategy/puzzle games will love. With a great concept, and a challenging but fair learning curve - you will find yourself having many 'eureka moments' when it all clicks into place and you begin to master the many mechanics that this game perfectly moulds together!

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Execution

3.9

SEVERED The recent delay that Drinkbox Studios announced hasn't cut into our anticipation for their latest title and it reclaims the top position. Are you excited for this? With touch mechanics for lopping off enemy limbs and set in a "fully stylised twisted reality" this Vita exclusive can't come soon enough.

AXIOM VERGE We don't have a date for Axiom Verge, but that hasn't stopped the retro-styled 2D Metroidvania title from storming up the charts and climbing six places. Inspired by classic games like Rygar, Contra, Bionic Commando, Blaster Master and Metroid, this game looks incredible.

DIGIMON STORY CYBER SLEUTH Set in the near future, the line between digital worlds and reality is becoming blurred, and logging into cyberspace is part of everyday life. For one teenager, a harmless online chat results in a chance encounter with a mysterious hacker and sets the adventure into motion.

PERSONA 4: DANCING ALL NIGHT Another climber in our chart and so close to being in your hands now. This rhythmic spin-off from arguably the Vita's greatest game is filled with 30 tracks - many of which come from the original game. Is this one on your list?

NOT A HERO Down but not out for this violent cover shooter from the Bafta-award winning chaps Roll 7 and Devolver Digital. You must help an anthropomorphic bunny to win an election by "cleaning" up the city. Or rather, killing everyone in his way. Vote Bunnylord!

NOT SURE WHAT'S COMING FO - WE'VE GOT THAT COVERED GAMES THAT WE ARE MOST

OR THE VITA? DON'T WORRY AND HERE ARE TEN OF THE EXCITED FOR ON THE VITA!

ATTACK ON TITAN We have only just started getting details on this latest project from Koei Tecmo as we went to print, but the little we have heard so far has us excited. Based on the anime of the same name, the game is around 50% complete. We will bring you more news on this game as soon as it comes in!

SUPER MEAT BOY It may have been playable elsewhere already, but that's not stopping us from looking forward to this challenging platformer when it lands on PlayStation Plus later this year. Revered by many, Team Meat's signature title cannot come soon enough!

YIIK It's a new entry for Ackk Studio's YIIK, a colourful RPG set in the 1990s and starring eight strangers, a mysterious woman and weaponised panda plushies. With turn based battles, lots of exploration and more than 25 hours of gameplay this game looks amazing and has so much potential.

SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS Climbing a spot in our hot list, the newest title in the series has the largest roster yet. It also has more moves, more story and more destruction than ever before as well as online match ups with up to four other players. A fan of Senran Kagura? Then you'll be wanting this!

CORPSE PARTY BLOOD DRIVE A top-down horror-infused adventure game with some RPG elements thrown in for good measure, the game tasks you with exploring a haunted school and its grounds - trying to find a way to escape. To achieve this, you will need to interact with your environment to find new objects, inspect your surroundings for clues, and avoid anything scary that pops out!

ABOUT PROMISES

The first thing I want to shout out is: damn, I love my PS Vita. Not only because this little gadget looks extremely sexy but mainly for its games. When Sony announced the NGP in 2011, they raised everyone’s expectations: The newest handheld with its powerful multicore CPU would bring PS3 games on the go. High quality games on the bus, on the train, on a flight or on the toilet. You could hear everyone dribble at the mouth – including me.

But somehow it went differently. The attitude of many outsiders and also other Vita owners results from these days. Promises were made, expectations had risen and a s a result, Vita gamer’s hearts broke. Because of the boom in the mobile gaming segment and the high development costs the expectations couldn’t be met. It was a punch in Sony’s and its followers faces. It was such a hard blow that Sony itself decided to stop the support of AAA first party titles for the Vita. Unfortunately, Sony have acted very poorly with the media in the past. For example Bioshock, was announced at the very beginning without even having a contract. Or the PR disaster with Final Fantasy Type-0, which hit me personally very hard. The very little advertising that Sony has done for its handheld has a negative effect on its performance; or perhaps it was their real purpose. Of course you can say that every PR is good PR. In this case after almost four years it’s just nerves. 46 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

Since the beginning of its existence the PS Vita has been down for the count by the media many times. No games, no sales, no gamers. At the current state of play there are handful magazines and blogs which covers and stress the positive things. The wider collective notices nothing or just very little fragments of the Vita’s development, whereas everyone else covers and discusses the announcement of an announcement for an announcement for a trailer. What really does annoy me is the fact that the media would rather write negative coverage about the Vita than the positives that it has. For example, the last E3. The Vita was mentioned by Sony during their conference just twice with only one game announcement. Not even a little indie trailer represented the hardware. And you could see everywhere popping up (especially on Twitter): Sony forgot or dismissed the PS Vita. GOD DAMNIT NO! Practically no one reported about the amount of units sold when the magical 10 million mark was reached and the Vita automatically wasn’t the worst selling piece of hardware anymore. Hardly anyone writes that over 400 games were released on the handheld (see your PS Store), and still growing every week. Apart for the (awesome) PS Vita community the interest for the handheld is near to null. And with negative news you can attract your visitors better than with good ones…

EXPECTATIONS

should stop expecting something from the Vita which it cannot achieve. We should stop hoping that Sony will come along with a selection of AAA titles. Instead we should accept that the Vita is alive with its current library, accept that the Vita found its place and that this place is very comfortable.

Me for myself was on the same trip, that the handheld really needs a GTA or its own God of War. Exclusive High-End games like the PSP got. At the end I was sick of all the weekly disappointments, so now I do nothing but relax. A new game was announced? Cool, let’s have a look! XSEED is bringing some new games to the West? Wicked! Sony doesn’t feature Spotify on Vita? Wayne, I don’t care. With this attitude I can enjoy everything rather being depressed. What is my secret? I enjoy playing with the Vita. As long as my backlog increases day for day, I don’t have a single reason to be grumpy.

Every console has its right to exist. For every person that does not like the current target group, there is another one that doesn’t like the games. I won’t judge them because of their opinion, but for me it is important that As I said, many people are still attached everyone behaves with respect. to those old, “glory” PSP time with its God of War, Need for Speed, Final We all are gamers and everyone has Fantasy and GTA games. Personally, I his preferences. Luckily there are many wouldn’t say no if they come to PS Vita, people who has the same preference but these games are not a reality. We like me, namely the PS Vita.

yourPSVita is a passionate and PS Vita dedicated German News page covering everything related to our beloved handheld and Sony since 2011 . We feature daily news, weekly reviews (with over 600 different games) a big games and release lists, our own opinions and articles searching for more PS Vita enthusiasts.

DIRECTORY THE BEST 2015 VITA GAMES SO FAR

1.5 GB 2 16

4.9

DANGANRONPA ANOTHER EPISODE: ULTRA DESPAIR GIRLS

KICK & FENNICK

4.8

4.6

2.3 GB 5 9

3.7 GB 2 16

4.6

771 MB 10 5

4.5

3.0 GB 2 7

HOTLINE MIAMI 2: WRONG NUMBER

808 MB 1 1

2.9 GB 4 10

4.6

403 MB 8 6

OLLIOLLI 2: WELCOME TO OLLIWOOD

4.6

303 MB 6 8

SHOVEL KNIGHT

TOUKIDEN: KIWAMI

FLAME OVER

4.5

4.9

144 MB 1 4 7

ATELIER AYESHA PLUS: THE ALCHEMIST OF DUSK

BROKEN AGE

4.6

GRIM FANDANGO REMASTERED

TETRIS ULTIMATE

STEINS; GATE

3.2 GB 2 11

4.4

465 MB 6 3 28

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