TVL Magazine #8 by The Vita Lounge Magazine

11 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

Hello Vita Gamers! Welcome to our last issue for 2015!

We have thoroughly enjoyed putting these issues together to showcase what IS there for the Vita and what is coming. Sure, the library may not be suited to all tastes but there are many great games and experiences coming to our favourite handheld and you can rely on us to bring you that information into 2016 and beyond! This issue is filled with the latest Vita releases, including Paul Murphy cover title Teslagrad which has finally arrived! Find out if PMurphy1978 Founder it has been worth the wait on page 22. We also have many other reviews in the following pages with Organ Trail, Code: Realize, Dragon Fin Soup and many more waiting for your eyes.

EUROPEAN TEAM Liam Langan @liamhangover Colin Byrne @ColinJByrne Kerry-Lee Copsey @Kezz182 Jenny Jones @Kitty_has_Klaws

We also have a host of new developer features for you, with Coatsink (Shu), Koei Tekmo (arguably the biggest third party supporter) and BlitWorks (too many to mention!) all speaking to us about their latest and greatest Vita games as well as an early developer diary for Cyber Threat Game.

CONTRIBUTOR I Play PS Vita @IPlayPSVita www.iplaypsvita.com

Rounding this issue off are a preview for Mixed Bag's Forma. 8, a community feature from I Play PSVita and our usual news, releases and hot picks.

MAGAZINE DESIGN Jhonatan Carneiro @JhoCarneiro

This issue is going to press as PlayStation Experience is about to happen, so make sure you check back next time for everything that happened!

Original TVL logo designed by Buramu SPECIAL THANKS Coatsink Software @Coatsink Koei Tecmo Europe @koeitecmoeurope BlitWorks @BlitWorks CyberThreat Game @cyberthreatgame Mixed Bag Games @MixedBagGames

Thanks for reading and supporting us and we hope you enjoy this issue! See you next year!

PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING OUR PATREON – IT WOULD REALLY BE APPRECIATED AND WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO SUPPORTING WHAT WE DO! FOR $10 PER ISSUE YOU WILL GET A PRINT COPY OF THIS MAGAZINE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR! YOU CAN FIND OUR PATREON PAGE AT WWW.PATREON.COM/THEVITALOUNGE

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! 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 an email to 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!

meet the TEAM...

Kyle Wakeling

Charlie Large

Tyler Olthoff

Brad Gruetzmacher

@teflontactics

@charlielarge

@imsohappy77

@vongruetz

Lateralus1082 Colin Byrne

Liam Langan

Zach Price

@lateralus2801

@liamhangover

@MyrishMartyr

teflontactics

Chaz3010

ImSoHappy77

vongruetz

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

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Lateralus1082

EnterCole

@ColinJByrne

liamlangan

MyrishMartyr

! Latest News! eloper Features 11 Reviews! Dev

Contents

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

The Vita Lounge Magazine | Issue 8 | December 2015

04 BITE-SIZED NEWS 12 COATSINK

BITE-SIZED NEWS

THE BIGGEST VITA NEWS BITES FROM AROUND THE WORLD!

06 NEW RELEASES

SOFTWARE

WE SPOKE TO THE TEAM BEHIND THE UPCOMING COLOURFUL PLATFORMER, SHU

14 BLITWORKS

21-42 REVIEWS 22

Teslagrad

Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows

Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~

WHAT IS RELEASING THIS MONTH? COME AND FIND OUT IF ANYTHING IS FOR YOU!

08 HOW TO FIX THE PSTV

OUR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KYLE LOVES HIS PSTV, AND SUGGESTS EIGHT EASY FIXES TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER

10-17 INTERVIEWS 10 KOEI TECMO

WE CAUGHT UP WITH KOEI TECMO AND SPOKE TO THEM ABOUT THE MANY PSVITA TITLES AND PLANS

BLITWORKS HAVE PROBABLY WORKED ON YOUR FAVOURITE VITA GAMES. WE SPOKE TO THE PORTING STUDIO ABOUT WORKING WITH THE VITA

16 CYBERTHREAT GAME

EVOLVING FROM A PERSONA FAN-GAME, WE BRING YOU THE FIRST DEVELOPER DIARY ON THE GAME FROM DEVELOPER CONOR MCKENNA

18-19 PREVIEWS

Norn9: Var Commons

Corpse Party: Blood Drive

34 36 37

Ho eN 20 HOT TEN

WANT TO KNOW WHICH UPCOMING VITA GAMES WE ARE MOST EXCITED FOR?

Bombing Busters Rally Copters Pocket God vs Desert Ashes

The Hungry Horde

Dragon Fin Soup

43 PATREON STARS

THIS MAGAZINE WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THESE AMAZING PEOPLE, SO TAKE A MINUTE TO LOOK AT HOW AWESOME THEY ARE!

18 FORMA.8

CHARLIE GOT SOME HANDS-ON WITH MIXED BAG GAMES' UPCOMING TITLE AND EXPLAINS MORE ABOUT IT

Organ Trail: Complete Edition

44 COMMUNITY FEATURE I PLAY PSVITA SPOKE TO US ABOUT THEIR LOVE OF THE PSVITA AND THEIR FUTURE PLANS!

DIRECTORY

THE BEST GAMES THAT WE HAVE REVIEWED THIS YEAR. HAVE YOU BOUGHT THEM ALL?

The Vita Lounge Magazine | 3

BITE-SIZED NEWS New details emerge for Attack On Titan As we went to print more details were starting to emerge for Koei Tecmo's Attack On Titan, which is based on the anime of the same name. Releasing in Japan in February, the game will get a collectors edition which will cost 12,800 yen ($105 USD) and include some exclusive merchandise such as an “Official Investigation Record Collection” soundtrack, a muffler towel, two sets of Eren, Mikasa, and Levi tin badges and a download code for exclusive costumes.

Digimon World: Next Order's battle system explained Whilst the rest of us get excited for February's Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth release, our Japanese friends are finding out more about Digimon World: Next Order, more specifically the battle mode. Battles have become more advanced in terms of strategy, exhilaration, and speed. A new feature being called “cheering” encourages your Digimon, making you more powerful. Additionally a Two Partner system allows players to adventure with two Digimon, who fight along side one another in battle.

CubiKolor coming to Vita in 2016

Alone With You releases in the Spring

CubiKolor is a puzzle game from French developers Fractal Games and requires you to flip a multi-coloured cube on its side to match with the correct colours on the ground. Doing so unlocks more colours to sync with until you complete the level. With 150 levels different cubes and 2 different game modes there should be plenty to play when this releases next year.

We featured Alone With You in Issue 6 and now we know that this single-player, sci-fi adventure game from Benjamin Rivers will launch sometime in Spring of 2016.

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Uncanny Valley coming to Vita in 2016 Uncanny Valley is a survival horror game, and is said to feature a “bone chilling story, exploration and heart pounding action”. You play as Tom, a security guard who works at a remote facility. During the course of his shift he decides to explore this huge facility to explore, and encounters a detailed story, intense moments or dread as well as a consequence system. Uncanny Valley will be out in the first half of 2016.

Director's Cut of Forgotten Memories coming to Vita Georges Paz, a member of Phychoz Interactive has confirmed that a "Director's Cut" of their horror title Forgotten Memories will release on Vita in 2016 and will feature improved graphics, better AI, an improved UI and boss battles as well as new areas to explore in the game. The localisation of the game has also been improved from the original game.

Battle Golems in Dragon Quest Builders Jenny and Colin have posted quite a bit of news on Dragon Quest Builders this month, and we can reveal that the first Boss in the game will be against a Golum in the land of Merkid. He’ll throw large rocks and slam his fists down which will endanger the town. You can set traps for the Golem and at times he’ll fall to the floor which provides you with the perfect opportunity to strike. Check out more news on the website!

Shakedown Hawaii coming to Vita Did you enjoy Retro City Rampage? The 8-bit open world adventure packed to the brim with classic video game and pop culture references is getting a sequel from Vblank Entertainment called Shakedown Hawaii. Jumping into the 16-bit era and taking place roughly 30 years after the events of the previous game, you come out of early retirement to rebuild your rapidly deteriorating corporate empire. There will be destructible environments and an arsenal of “supercharged” weapons.

Read Only Memories headed to PSVita

Read Only Memories is a cyberpunk graphic adventure game from American developers Midboss. The game will take you on a journey of puzzlesolving and exploring in Neo-San Francisco, 2064 AD. Your life is interrupted by the world’s first sapient machine, a ROM (Relationship and Organizational Manager) and you will have to investigate the mysterious world and characters of Neo-San Francisco.

Joetsu to release an OLED model version of their L2R2 accessory Already available for the PCH-2000 (Slim) Vita, Joetsu Electronics has announced that their L2/R2 button mounted grip cover will be making the jump the to original Vita with a few improvements. They’ve changed the way that the grip fits to the Vita system, having it close from the top instead of the previous “fixed by fingers” system as well as changing the cradle fit of the grip, making it more conformed to the original Vita model than the slim so that it fits properly. It should be out in december.

The Vita Lounge Magazine | 5

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel December 22nd NA

THESE ARE THE VITA GAMES DUE OUT IN DECEMBER. WILL YOU BE PICKING ANY OF THESE UP?

STOP THE PRESS! Bastion Nuclear Throne Bit Trip Collection December 5th

ARE YOU A OPER VITA DEVEL ER? DO OF PUBLISH GAME YOU HAVE A ET CEMBER? G E D IN G IN S RELEA NOW ND LET US K IN TOUCH A VITA E CAN TELL SO THAT W SUE! UR NEXT IS O IN S R E N OW

Big Fest

December 1st NA / December 2nd EU

The core gameplay of BigFest is building up your festival from a small show in the park to a celebration of massive headlining concerts while adding various shops and stalls to keep visitors happy and earn more money for growth. How you build up your music festival is entirely up to you.

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Some of our favourite Vita supporters over at XSEED have just announced that the highly anticipated The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel will be available December 22nd in North America – with the standard edition priced at $39.99, and the slightly more fancy Lionheart Edition available for a slightly more hefty $49.99.

Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders From Planet Space December 8th NA / TBC EU

Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space originally released on the PlayStation 2 in both Japan and Europe before making its way to the PSP. The PlayStation Vita version of the game is the definitive version and will feature a number of additions and improvements – including four-player online co-op, a new Air Raider class and a new English dub!

Red Game Without A Great Name December TBC

Developer iFun4all is bringing its brilliantly-named title to the Vita – featuring 2D environments with a steampunk-themed aesthetic. And there’s also red – lots of it. The game places you in control of a mechanical bird, as you’re tasked with navigating through traps and hazards in order to hand (or claw) deliver a letter to the recipient’s cage.

TVL MAGAZINE

How to fix the PlayStation TV Being that I’ve recently invested much more time into my PlayStation TV, some of the downfalls of the microconsole have become glaringly obvious in my search for ease of use while still swapping between regions.

It would only have the games on the list start without a warning, all others still starting – but first presenting you a message like “not all features may work, and this game isn’t officially supported on the PSTV.”

This would allow any playable game to be taken advantage Obviously some of these downfalls will be a bit more of, while letting people know that if something unexpected preference and ease of use than anything else, but I feel happens it wasn’t supported to begin with (so you’re S.O.L.). that tweaking any of these items away from their problem areas would bring in more buyers and players of the system. Another alternative is having an option in the settings to turn off the whitelist – locked behind a bunch of “not all So without further adieu, here are eight things that Sony software may work as originally intended on the PlayStation could do right now that would make the PlayStation TV a TV” disclaimers. It’s not as elegant as a “no warning list” in better choice for players – both existing, and new. my opinion, but it’s another option that would help to sell product and up customer enjoyment.

Change the Whitelist to a “No Warning List” instead

The whitelist is the list that determines whether a game can be started on the PlayStation TV; if the game is on the whitelist, it’ll load – and if not, it won’t even try (and you’ll get an error message). After getting a bit of time with the no-whitelist trick that was circulating on the last firmware, I can attest to the fact that many non-whitelisted games work quite well on the PlayStation TV – and should be able to be played, but aren’t due to not being on the list. I don’t know about you, but that seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face to me. A move to something akin to a “no warning list” instead would certainly open up the appeal of the microconsole.

Remove the “Use Wifi in Power Save Mode” option and disable it permanently The PlayStation TV's a microconsole, not something running on a battery; why would you need to enable power save mode for the wireless chip when you don’t have any battery to worry about? The ambiguous wording is bad enough (most people think it’s a setting for wireless being on during stand-by), don’t force the option when it’s unneeded and just give the people what they need – a full power wireless connection and a better experience our of the box.

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Remove the featured tab Seriously, this shit has to take resources and it’s quite annoying when you’re trying to move between applications. No thanks, give it the boot please!

Enable the DualShock 4’s touchpad for touch interface by default (without needing to have the L3/R3 enabled) For the games which require the touch function for little things like menus, enabling the L3/R3 touch alongside the touchpad is kind of annoying; the clickable analog sticks make for an easy accidental activation, and can ruin a game if it’s real time in nature. Having the touchpad enabled no matter what (or as a separate option) doesn’t really have any negative effects as it’s not something you’d otherwise touch, or could accidentally touch as easily. It’s a no-brainer to me, and would up ease of use and compatibility at the same time.

Enable the DualShock 4’s Headset Port One of the absolute worst things for me in transitioning to using my PlayStation TV more is the lack of an easy (and cheap) solution to compatible headsets. I typically prefer in-ear earbuds with an attached microphone (like a two-bud version of one that comes with the DualShock 4) – however due to the PlayStation TV’s no 3.5mm jack design and current lack of DualShock 4 headset port compatibility, I don’t currently have available option at all. Though I’m not sure one-hundred percent sure about the technical limitations of enabling the DualShock 4’s headset port, it would certainly be a bit of a game changer for me (and likely many others as well). A cheap/easy way to be included in online chat just makes sense these days, c’mon Sony.

There are too many options in the PlayStation Button menu; remove some If the power off/standby menu is there, why does it need an icon? Do we really need an “enable vibration function” check box available at a moment’s notice? How about a main volume slider; shouldn’t the TV set the volume if there’s no easy headset support? In my opinion, the only things we really need access to at an immediate glance are the touch simulation switch and microphone/sound options – the rest can be pushed deeper with a controller menu and/or other layered menus. Too many options is almost as bad as none at all.

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More important than ever is the need for profiles to move (back) to memory card only. The PlayStation TV isn’t a Vita, and is more open to use by multiple people by design. Not having a system (anymore) by which you can swap accounts easily is a big drawback in adoptability, and will prevent people from picking it up in situation where a console is likely to be shared. Did you know that back before firmware v1.80 the profiles were tied to the memory card? I’m not sure what the exact reason was for changing it (an increased possibility for piracy is often cited), but making a niche device even more niche than it needs to be and hurting your customers in the process is a bad idea. They’re limiting their market by keeping to their current system of “one account per console,” and they’re certainly limiting their customer satisfaction as well. A happy customer is one with more choices (or at least the ones we were originally given), not less.

Speaking of limiting their market, they also need to up the console-per-account limit If you want someone to be able to truly enjoy their PlayStation Vita and PlayStation TV symbiosis (the “both sides of the coin” result that comes from owning them both), then you need to give them the freedom to do so wherever and however they want. While it’s true that some people only have a single Vita-based device, others have many – or would if they could – and limiting people as much as they have in this case limits their market as well. It’s hard for someone to fill their house with PlayStation TVs and have a Vita (and/or a PSP) for on the go when you can only have three devices tied to one account; while I understand the want of curbing game-sharing, a better solution would be to give the PlayStation TV its own category. I mean – looking at it from a console standpoint, the PlayStation TV isn’t really much like the Vita other than the user-interface style and partially-shared compatibility list… is it? It’s not truly portable, it doesn’t support touch in any elegant way, it doesn’t have a battery so you can use it portably, and it’s not standalone like the Vita or PSP are (it requires a TV and a controller). That doesn’t really sound similar at all, really – from the outside it’s looking a bit more like the PlayStation 3 than it is the Vita. Similarities do not equate to a connection, and the PlayStation TV needs more room to expand its grasp in your household – hell, the Vita/PSP does too.

Okay, so there we have it – those are my eight things and not one of them would require an additional purchase, additional manufacturing, someone to be left out, or an exorbitant amount of money. Most of these charges would require only a few minutes or so of time to implement in code, and even the more complex ones wouldn’t require much more work than any other big firmware update. These are simply eight cost-effective things that Sony could do to open up the PlayStation TV (and by extension the Vita) to a bigger market of users, as well as further please the ones it already has. But then again, what do I know – I’m just a guy who plays, writes, and lives all things Vita. Kyle Wakeling Kyle Wakeling is the Editor in Chief and Jack of all trades here at The Vita Lounge. A long time gamer and aspiring writer, he's just hoping to spread the word of PlayStation Vita to the darkest corners of the internet - and beyond.

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TVL MAGAZINE

KOEI TECMO ARE ONE OF THE BIGGEST THIRD PARTY SUPPORTERS FOR THE VITA, SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO CATCH UP WITH THEM. WE SPOKE TO KOEI TECMO'S PR MANAGER FOR THE UK, MARILENA PAPACOSTA TO FIND OUT MORE.

Hello Marilena! Koei Tecmo are one of the more prominent third party supporters for the PS Vita, which we are grateful for! Why do you continue to support the Vita when many other companies shy away so easily? We are always keen to support new platforms and have been developing and publishing games for the Playstation Vita from launch. We find the PS VITA to be a great platform and feel that it suits our titles very much. The support and response that we get from our fans confirms that with every release.

We have a lot of requests for news on Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book. Do you have any Western release news that you can share with us? Unfortunately not yet; although hopefully we will have more news soon. The Atelier series from Gust studios is one that enjoys a strong and loyal fanbase (ourselves included) and we are really looking forward to bringing this title- the series’ first on the PS4- to our region.

We recently learned about Attack on Titan, can you tell us anything about the game? Currently there isn’t a lot of information available for this release. We will be bringing this title to the west, but more information will become public in the next few weeks. Sorry for being so secretive! Attack on Titan has attracted a lot of interest. What will it take to get the game localised? Luckily, it won’t take much! We already announced that this title would be making its way to our shores during GamesCom in August. Although we can’t say more than that at the moment, it’s certainly a title we are all very keen and very excited to be working on. 10 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

Yoru no Nai Kuni looks incredible. What are the chances of a Western release? We most certainly agree that this game looks incredible! Currently we are discussing the possibility of localising it for the west, but there is no confirmed news yet. I will be sure to let you guys know as soon as possible though! Seems like you’re really big fans :D As you are heavily involved in bringing Japanese Vita titles over, can you explain a little how the process works or how games get selected or omitted, such as Dead of Alive 5: Last Round? We rarely omit releases on the VITA, seeing as they are quite successful for us and sought after by fans of our games. Both Toukiden titles have been quite well received on the Vita. Do you know where the franchise could go next? I’m hoping that Toukiden will continue on its great demon hunting track! This is one of my favourite games on the PS VITA and we all absolutely love it for its rich background, immersive storyline, and of course for the chance to team up with your friends and attack giant, overwhelming demons to protect and save humanity! During Tokyo Games Show, our parent company Koei Tecmo Games, announced that Toukiden 2 is in development. This was very well

received news by everyone at the European office and we hope that we can soon find out whether it will also be coming to our market! What is it that Koei Tecmo finds so appealing about the Vita? The Playstation Vita is a great portable platform. I’m sure you know and appreciate all of its technical features as well as we do, so I won’t bore you with praise of its many qualities. I will say, however, that we just love the way our games play on this console. From our very first ones- Dynasty Warriors Next and Ninja Gaiden Sigma- to our latest releases –Samurai Warriors 4-IIwe feel that it can certainly provide high quality entertainment on the go for all our fans! Will you be supporting the Vita at retail in the future, or will new Vita releases be digital only? I believe this is something that we will continue to determine on a title by title basis. What's next from Koei Tecmo on the Vita? We have a few titles coming up for the platform before the end of the year. Samurai Warriors 4-II was released on the 2nd of October, simultaneously with the PS4 and PS3 versions, and Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires will follow on 25th November.

Reader Questions - What are the chances of Gitaroo Man Lives! becoming available on the Vita? Readers Questions - What are the chances of a Ciel Nosurge Offline release? We have no information on these titles. Readers Questions - There is demand for physical versions of Vita games and limited editions. Would you consider offering these directly, from your website? Actually in the west we do not offer direct sales from our website, so that would be a little difficult to accomplish. Of course, it all has to do with how the console will evolve, and how big demand will be for such editions. Readers Questions - A lot of localisations tend to omit the original Japanese audio, but you quite often include it. Is it that much of a problem to include? We include Japanese audio in our localised games because our fans really like it. We always try to listen to them but it’s not always easy to satisfy all of their demands. In the case of Japanese audio for our games I would say that we include it in most casesand we hope this is something fans enjoy!

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TVL MAGAZINE

SHU IS A COLOURFUL PLATFORMER COMING SOON TO THE VITA. WE CAUGHT UP WITH DALEY FROM COATSINK TO FIND OUT MORE.

Hello Daley, thanks for talking to us! Can you give us a little background on Coatsink and Secret Lunch and how you/ they got into developing games? Hello, not a problem at all! Coatsink was established in late 2009 by long time friends Tom Beardsmore and Paul Crabb. We started out with developing mobile and tablet games. We were fortunate in that our first game, Pinch, was a success and it acted as a launch pad to allow us to continue developing games. Since then we have released a few other titles, such as Chip, which we released on Steam, and Esper which is currently available on the Innovator's Edition of the Samsung Gear VR. We’ve grown considerably, with a team of over 25 developers, we continue to work on multiple games for a variety of platforms. Shu looks stunning and is very enjoyable. Can you explain what it is all about? Shu, our protagonist comes from a little mud brick village perched on cliffs over-looking the sea. He lives within a peaceful society which knows not of war or wealth. The bliss is disturbed however when a vile storm begins to consume everything in its path. The player will help Shu and a variety of villagers escape the storm, by means of jumping and gliding through an array of landscapes, including lush forests and forgotten ruins that tell a story of old.

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What was the inspiration behind the game? What games would you describe it as a mix of? We’ve taken a lot of inspiration from a number of games and movies. Donkey Kong Country Returns is touted as an office favourite. We’ve also been influenced by the likes of Abe’s Oddysee, Klonoa, not just for how they look but how they feel. Disney and Studio Ghibli are major touchstones when it comes to shaping the appearance of the game, we’re also big fans of the art style seen in Windwaker! There are many different characters to play through. How difficult was it to decide on their look and effect? We’ve put a lot of work into bringing the characters to life. To begin with we went through the simple design process of ticking boxes, such as gender, age and size. We wanted to give the characters abilities which would not only reflect their physical appearance but gel well with their personalities. As is often the case with character development we have put a lot of time into giving each character their own traits and quirks, like the way they stand or run and the clothes they are wearing, to make them seem that little bit more real.

As we are talking about characters, does the game play differently when using different characters? Do you have a favourite combination? The characters absolutely bring their own flavour to the game when using their abilities. Each level is built in a way which means you can journey through it with or without a certain ability (based on which characters are present in the corresponding level). This means that the player has multiple routes to explore and different means to escape the pursuing storm. Melo is a favourite of mine. I enjoy the fact that he has a long Santa-esque beard and falls asleep when he is standing still. How long would you say that game will take to complete? To fully complete Shu you’d be looking at 4-5 hours. There are 24 levels, each filled with collectables. Is there anything you can tell us about the PlayStation version that isn’t already known? We’re working on implementing online leaderboards where people can upload their times, as Shu is very much a speedrunner friendly game.

What made you want to bring the game to the Vita? We’re big fans of handheld gaming! We like to think that Shu is the type of game you could dip into for a while as you lay back on the sofa. Handheld gaming offers a more personal experience. Portability is another big factor, being able to play games while you travel or just on your lunch break at work is a blessing! Are there any obvious differences in terms of content or performance from the Vita version to PS4? The Vita will have an exclusive feature called the Refuge. The Refuge will act as a place where all your collectables are stored. It’s essentially a trophy room! In terms of performance we’re aiming to have as little difference between the two as possible. We want Shu to be a great experience on both platforms. Do you have a release window and price point in mind? We’re looking to have Shu released in the first quarter of 2016. In terms of price that is something we are still looking into and discussing, but don’t expect Shu to break the bank.

What challenges, if any, did you have to face with Vita development? The Vita is a significantly weaker platform to develop on than the Playstation 4. We ran into a lot of issues with optimisation, but we managed to work through it in the end! Are there any games that stand out for you on the system? What are your favourites? Persona, Freedom Wars and Little Big Planet are office favourites. Coatsink are working on other PlayStation titles, including SuperGlad. What are the chances of a Vita version for Superglad? We fully intend on releasing SuperGlad onto the Vita! We will have more information on that later in 2016. What’s next for Coatsink? We’re currently working on Esper 2, a sequel to Esper. We are also working alongside Boneloaf, to bring Gang Beasts to the Oculus Rift! We would like to thank Daley and Coatsink for their time. Shu is expected some time early next year, and we will bring you more news on that as we have it. Are you looking forward to Shu? The Vita Lounge Magazine | 13

TVL MAGAZINE

IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF BLITWORKS BEFORE, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE YOU'VE PLAYED ONE OF THE GAMES THEY HAVE WORKED ON. WE SPOKE TO PR MANAGER GERALDINE ABULIAK TO FIND OUT MORE.

Thanks for talking to us, Geraldine! Can you tell us a little bit about BlitWorks? BlitWorks was created right after securing our first business requests, which were porting Sonic CD and Jet Set Radio. It took several years to get in contact with key people at SEGA and find a workable proposition, but it suddenly happened and the easiest way we found was to start as part of Blit Software. This way we skipped most time consuming parts of creating a company (filing paperwork, looking for an office, hiring a team, etc) and went straight to the point.

It seems the hard work on Sonic CD and JSR was worth it, as very soon we started getting console port requests that we couldn’t believe: Spelunky and FEZ. The company was really taking off, so we took the time to officially spin the company off and now BlitWorks is a fully independent company.

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How did you end up porting games for other developers? All BlitWorks founders are software engineers with a strong career in the game industry and a very deep technical background. Always involved in low level stuff, from engines to emulators, it turned out to be the proper knowledge to specialize in porting. No one of us would have correctly predicted we would create a porting company, but seeing all our career paths, it makes sense. Perhaps it has not been a coincidence.

Your team have worked with some of the best reviewed and most well-received Vita indie titles. Do you have a favourite? This is a tricky question, as it’s hard to compare games. But we’re probably more emotionally attached to Spelunky, our first Indie port, much harder than we expected, and probably one of the best examples of getting the most out of very little. Just two people, with not a super extensive background in programming, but it’s amazing what they did. No wonder a lot of indies followed that trend.

This year you’ve been working on four Vita titles: Badland, Super Meat Boy, Dragon Fin Soup and Bastion. How do you manage working on so many projects? Well, we’re now about 25-30 people (mostly employees and a few contractors), and since we’re quite specialized in what we do, we can focus on being super efficient. Every port is different, but all of them share a lot of common issues. Actually, properly growing the company has been a much more difficult task than doing a good port. It’s crucial (and not easy at all) that new hires get the company culture right. It’s not enough to hire good people, you need to build a good team.

powerful platforms. When you see the Vita performing like a PS3 or a X360 is because there has been a good deal of work optimizing the performance for the particularities of the Vita. It’s not so powerful unless the code is carefully adapted.

With the ports you have already completed, was there anything you weren’t happy with? We’re not happy at all with the version that is currently published of Dragon Fin Soup, because we had to port a game that was still in development, so it was terribly difficult. We hope the game ultimately gets to a stable point and we can properly patch it. Anyway, as a work for hire studio, you can only How is development of Bastion coming give your opinion, but the ultimate decision is not yours. along? I know a lot of Vita fans are eager to learn more! What is it that you like most about the We’ve finally succeeded! It’s been Vita? probably the hardest port to date, As developers, we have really incredible and it’s been a continuation of our tools for debugging and analysing previously hardest port (FEZ), since performance. They’re even better than the technology we’ve used has been the ones we currently have for PS4 an evolution. But we finally got the (although they’re quickly catching up). performance we expected, it’s really smooth. This game really deserved to Actually, without those amazing tools it would have been impossible to get be played on the Vita, but not at the expense of sacrificing quality, and we’re so much out of the hardware. quite happy with the results. If you could influence one thing about the system, what would it be? What difficulties have you faced Tricky one. We think the Vita is very porting titles to the Vita? The number one difficulty is having to well balanced: spectacular screen, deal with the performance of a mobile decent battery, nice form factor, super great controls. It’s tempting to ask for platform. All the titles we’ve worked more performance or memory, but with, were developed for much more

then you’ll hurt the battery or the price. It’s hard to just change one thing, and this is why consoles change a lot of things at once in each generation. What Vita games from other studios have most impressed you? Is there anything you are looking forward to from the 2016 line up? There are fortunately a lot of impressive games on the Vita, but if we have to select a few gems it won’t surprise you that we pick these: Shovel Knight, Hotline Miami and Limbo. Regarding the games we’re waiting for: Hyper Light Drifter and Nuclear Throne, definitely. After working on titles for other developers, do you have the urge to create something of your own? We’re working on our own projects in our spare time, but there’s no rush to stop working for other developers. It’s amazing what we learn on every project we work on. Every team solves the problems in a very different way and that makes each port challenging enough to keep us happy. Are you working on anything for the Vita that we don’t already know about? We have a few Vita projects on the pipeline, but we can never reveal them. This is something publishers choose the right moment to do. But there are really good games that are still missing on the Vita, and they fit really well in the platform. The Vita Lounge Magazine | 15

DEVELOPER

DIARY #1

CyberThreat had an unusual start in regards its development. The very first version of the game was a Persona fan game in RPG maker, based on the Trinity Soul animation. I quickly moved from RPG maker to Unity, still trying to make a Persona fan game, but in 3D and with a new story and characters. But again, once I realised I had enough ideas and ability to give this game its own unique identity, it wasn’t long before this changed to the game we have today, and that’s CyberThreat! The Persona fan game legacy certainly lives on in CyberThreat, anyone can see from looking at it the influence the series has had. CyberThreat has a calendar system, social links and is set in a school environment, but the way the game approaches these and utilises them is what sets it apart. First of all, one of the most exciting features of the calendar system is the ability to create a world that really feels like it’s alive. Things can change daily, weekly and monthly giving an immersive feeling to the world of CyberThreat, and is a lot of fun to mess around with! The Contacts system, while similar to the social link system, give additional benefits as you complete them. You can get powerful skills, discover bonus dungeons and if they’re links with your party members, you can even give them an XP boost when trawling through dungeons! And the setting of CyberThreat is a culmination of what makes this genre great, teens with powers, schoolyard hijinks, and stopping evildoers from their schemes! Working with 3D was a challenge at first, I had a lot of trouble getting results I was happy with to put in the game. But I kept at it, I knew it would be worth it. I learnt by dissecting any models I could get my hands on until I was able to make whatever I wanted by myself! That said I’ve tried to keep characters very simple, in contrast to the world around them. When the time comes this will help the artwork really stand out. I went through a lot of different human styles before landing on the one I’m using now. I’m really happy with the current models because they’re easy to work with, whether animating them or creating new characters in this style. I have a lot of nightmarish pictures of unused versions of EVE, though I think it would be best not to show them off right now!

16 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

May 2015

July 2015

September 2015 Final Version!

An exciting development is the inclusion of a Female Protagonist. After running a poll on Twitter, I was convinced to. Out of 64 votes, the response was that ~55% of players choose the female option when given a choice. It’s been a lot of fun implementing her into the game thus far. So what the heck is CyberThreat? CyberThreat is a turn based RPG game with a modern day setting. You play as a young man or woman going into their final year of study in a new school. Up to and after their arrival however, there’s been a string of mysterious deaths of students their age. The one thing they all had in common, was that they were badly abused by their peers through cyberbullying. The death toll is on the rise and the police don’t have any leads on these unexplained deaths. But what happens when the target of the cyberbullies is you? The game takes place over the course of just more than a year. The year will see a lot happen, with regards to solving the cause behind the deaths of your fellow students, and with regards to spending your days as a teenager with your friends living a carefree existence. There’s a lot to do, whether it’s trawling through dungeons, spending time with your contacts, or playing the various statboosting minigames. I knew this game had to come to Vita from the very instant I started developing it. It’s a turn based RPG after all, a genre right at home on the Vita! I genuinely feel lucky that we live in a time where you can decide to develop a game by yourself and any platform you want isn’t out of reach. Of course the game is also planned for release on PC, and also for PS4, though the number one priority is making the best game possible on all platforms. Did I announce this game too early? Sure. Do I regret it? Not at all. There’s life still in the Vita, and it’s hard to find a community as passionate about something that has been declared dead and subsequently resurrected so many times. That’s why I think if there’s any sort of game heading to the Vita, it has the community’s full support, and that’s what CyberThreat needs to become (hopefully!!) a fan favourite. It’s a love letter to the Vita, and everything that makes it great. Developing CyberThreat is like a dream. Heck, it started as a dream and now it’s slowly but surely becoming a (virtual?) reality! It’s difficult of course, I’ve lost plenty of sleep worrying about what I have to get done and polish, whether people will like it or revolt against it for drawing inspiration from an established fan favourite, and whether it can ever become the game I need it to be by release. But every day I get up and keep working at it, because no matter what, this is a dream worth realising, and I’m so glad I can see it through with the Vita community. Next time you hear big news about CyberThreat probably will be the trailer and demo build I hope to have done some time in Spring! To keep up with development in the meantime, follow on Twitter @cyberthreatgame!

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PREVIEW In the middle of October I attended Play Expo in Manchester to get my hands on with Mixed Bag Games upcoming title forma.8, which will be heading to the PlayStation Vita early next year. Being the only Vita game on show at the Expo meant that I could focus my time on the game, whilst getting to know a bit more about the title’s development from Mixed Bag’s Cofounder Mauro Fanelli – who was at the studio’s stand proudly showcasing his company’s creation.

Upon entering the caves the first thing that I noticed was how well designed the area was. The game conveys the caves as the vast, dark spaces that they are, with the forefront of the opening stages silhouetting the rocking outcrops of the caverns, whilst the muli-coloured, pastel scenery of the alien world adding some much needed colour to the game.

Mixed Bag started work on forma.8 in 2011, but then put work on the title on the backburner as they focused on getting Futruidium EP Deluxe launched for both the PlayStation Vita and PS4. I was also told that the game has been on the receiving end of a visual and technical overhaul, which has meant that Mixed Bag have needed more time to perfect the game they have spent the best part of half a decade building.

Another thing that Mixed Bag get right in forma.8 is the feeling of isolation and perspective that will overcome you as you play. As a small probe searching an unknown, alien planet you will first feel quite vulnerable – with only a shield to protect you. As you explore further you will find powerups that will not only strengthen your probe but will also help you to solve the many puzzles that the game throws at you to challenge your grey matter – in a similar vein to the early Metroid titles.

Having spent some quality time with the game, I can safely say that this additional work has certainly paid off. The premise of forma.8 is that you pilot a small robot probe that has been sent down to an alien planet in a bid to recover a powerful energy source from the huge underground caverns and bring it back safely to an orbiting mothership that has run low on energy so that it can continue on its journey. 18 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

The one thing that I noticed about forma.8 is that the game does not attempt to handhold you through the tougher sections. This is deliberate, allowing players to figure the game out for themselves – which will heighten the sense of achievement when you figure out how to progress for yourself. I must admit that I did get stuck on one of the earlier puzzles. After picking up a power-up that gave my probe

the ability to drop bombs, I came across a giant spider-like creature blocking my path. Anytime that I tried to get close enough to the spider to drop a bomb it would attack me, knocking me out of the way so that my bomb’s blast-radius was ineffective. It was only by luck that I figured out that I could use my shield to propel the bomb in any direction I needed – enabling me to get past my longlegged adversary. Luckily, navigating the world isn’t as troublesome as some of the game’s puzzles. You can use the left analogue stick to navigate the world with your probe, and the face buttons to use your shield and other power-ups. I was told that the touchscreen will also feature, allowing you to manoeuvre by using the screen borders to move in any direction you need to. The one thing that was missing from my hands on with forma.8 was the game’s audio. Being on a noisy show floor, and lacking any headphones, meant that I missed out on being able to experience forma.8’s soundtrack. Mauro told me that the game will rely heavily on the soundtrack, with the audio adding to the atmospheric feel of forma.8 and also helping you to locate hidden areas and find your way through the game.

Although the game is predominantly an adventure game, I do feel that some players may be put off by the lack of handholding and direction that the game gives you, instead allowing for you to create your own path through the alien landscape. For those that will relish the opportunity to get lost and create their own adventure, then I suggest that you keep an eye out for forma.8 when it releases on the Vita early next year!

The Vita Lounge Magazine | 19

Ho eN THE VITA GAMES WE ARE MOST EXCITED FOR! SEVERED

severedgame.com @DrinkBoxStudios

ATTACK ON TITAN

@koeitecmoeurope

NEW DANGANRONPA V3

AXIOM VERGE

axiomverge.com @AxiomVerge

@spikechunsoft

YIIK

ackkstudios.wordpress.com @ackkstudios

DIGIMON STORY: CYBER SLEUTH

bandainamcoent.eu/product/ digimon-story-cyber-sleuth/ps-vita @BandaiNamcoEU

LEGENDS OF HEROES: TRAILS OF COLD STEEL

@NISAinEurope nisamerica.com/games/ trails-of-cold-steel

NOT A HERO

notahe.ro @Roll7

BASTION

supergiantgames.com/games/bastion @SupergiantGames

SENRAN KAGURA: ESTIVAL VERSUS

estivalversus.com/projects/estival-versus-pre-order @marvellous_games

REVIEWS 22

Teslagrad

Rally Copters

Pocket God vs Desert Ashes

The Hungry Horde

Dragon Fin Soupâ&#x20AC;&#x2039;

Corpse Party: Blood Drive

Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ 34

Norn9: Var Commons

Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows 32

Organ Trail Complete Edition

Bombing Busters

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 | 21

REVIEW TESLAGRAD

Reviewed by Paul Murphy Is this puzzle/platformer from Rain Games magnetising, or is it poles apart?

Teslagrad is the debut title from Norwegian developer Rain AS and was first released elsewhere around two years ago. After doing the rounds on multiple systems it is now the turn of our favourite little handheld, and the game comes to us with cross-buy and in a boxed edition to boot; but is it worth your cash (assuming you didn't already buy it elsewhere)?

2.0 GB

obviously becomes easier as you learn techniques and gain the use of more ancient Teslamancer technology. Every step of the way you'll need to test your reflexes (as well as your brain), your job being to try to negotiate many of the tower's fiendish traps as well as take on some of the many enemies you'll encounter.

Teslagrad is best described as a puzzle-platformer, but it's really much more than that. The game launches you into the silent story in dramatic fashion, your unnamed hero escaping from his house and landing in your control. This immediate control allows you to become accustomed to the game via a rooftop chase - with running, jumping, and grappling ledges soon second nature to you. Before long at the controls however, you'll find yourself in the main setting of the game; the Tesla Tower.

The game only has a few recurring enemies and these cannot be defeated as such and usually serve as extras to help you access those harder to reach ledges or platforms, or to get past a problematic area. The game also features some very well done "boss" encounters which will put everything you have learned to the test as you try to complete your journey. These will test your patience at times and you'll probably die a few times whilst working out the pattern, but once it does you'll feel quite satisfied.

Shortly after entering the tower you will encounter your first in-game item, and the mechanical "hook" of the game becomes clear; everything is influenced by either magnets or electricity. By using the new abilities you acquire along your journey - such as the power glove you encounter very early in the game - you'll be able to activate specific parts of your surroundings with either a positive or negative charge. This will lead to your progress through the sprawling tower, and maybe even the discovery of a few secrets along the way. Set in a "steampunk-inspired" vision of old Europe the game is very beautifully hand drawn, featuring over a hundred different locales in a 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania universe. Your journey is non-linear, and you are free to explore the castle as you see fit - something which 22 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

As noted earlier, the game has many Teslamancer relics that you will find as you progress and these all have different benefits. You'll find the ability to dash/teleport a short distance, discover a cloak to create your own electrical field, and even a staff to fire charges at enemies or objects. Utilising these skills will greatly affect your journey.

The game also packs a fair few trophies - including a platinum - but none of these trophies are directly linked to events within the game, and instead these are ALL tied to collectible scrolls strategically placed around your environment. Collecting all 36 of these little treasures is going to be the biggest source of longevity to Teslagrad, and I'll admit you are a far better gamer than me if you manage to accomplish the task!

the greener side of the fence. That said, Enchanting, challenging and the game still flows nicely - but for satisfying, the only reason clarity it needed to be mentioned. you have for not buying it is because you either don't like I thoroughly enjoyed my time with platformers or you already Teslagrad and is easily one of my own it. favourite games from this year.

The game looks beautiful, and the care and detail that Rain have taken really shines through. Teslagrad is easily one of the best looking indie-developed titles of late, and is a welcome break from the many pixel-styled titles I've experienced lately. As for the sound, it's very atmospheric and perfectly suits the game. The lack of a visual (or audio) story may be off-putting for some, but experiencing the game and interpreting it yourself is particularly refreshing and allows you draw your own conclusion to the events that you experience. It all adds up to a very polished experience, and is a perfect fit for the Vita. To squeeze the game onto the Vita has come at a cost, and Rain had to compromise the free-flowing gameplay from the original versions, which here is interrupted by loading sequences every few screens. For a newcomer like myself to the game it isn't an issue as I didn't know it any other way, but those of you that have played it before may be a little more impatient having seen

Beautifully presented, brilliantly executed and tremendous fun the only reason for not grabbing Teslagrad is because you already have it or you don't like platformers. One of the most enjoyable Vita titles I have played this year.

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REVIEW SHOVEL KNIGHT: PLAGUE OF SHADOWS DLC

Reviewed by Liam Langan When I first played Shovel Knight earlier this year, I found myself enjoying what I would claim to be one of the finest titles available on the PlayStation Vita, so I was more than pleased when I learned that there was free expansion on the way to shake up the entire game. The free DLC, titled Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows, is added to the game as a patch. For those of you who’ve played through the original game you’ll know that this means you’ll be playing as one of the games most interesting characters and main villains, Plague Knight.

465 MB

changed enough to add a whole new dimension to the Shovel Knight experience and really creates and enhances Plague Knight as a character. Shovel Knight makes his way into the story and can be seen when you’re visiting towns, he also appears as a boss in a particular level, which I found to be a fun change up to the story.

Initially, I found the idea of playing as Plague Knight to be incredibly exciting. I was interested to see how the game would change to integrate the character’s abilities and skills (which would differ from Shovel Knight) but what I was about to experience would ultimately leave me somewhat underwhelmed.

As you can imagine, the one thing that Plague Knight lacks compared to Shovel Knight, is, well, a shovel. I felt that this was one of the main things that made the character so special, there’s no pogoing off enemies or digging up environments here, oh no, what you get is something entirely different and believe me, it’s nowhere near as satisfying!

First up is the one major aspect to the DLC that I thought worked well, the story. Obviously things needed a shake up to enhance the story of a character who was merely a boss with no backstory in the initial game, and thankfully Yacht Club Studios executed this greatly. Plague Knight wants to make the most powerful potion in the world, and to do this he’s going to need a series of ingredients which are closely guarded by the Knights of the other kingdoms, so Plague Knight must infiltrate their kingdoms, defeat the Knights and retrieve these ingredients to achieve his goal. The humour and interaction with the environments is 24 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

Plague Knight will use potions to throw at his enemies, which requires you to be at a certain distance to hit them correctly. While keeping your distance is encouraged it is often too easy to get hit if you’re too close, this didn’t fit well with my play style and I feel that it really put me off. The same goes for navigating environments and finding lumps of treasure laying around, it’s often hard to get the aim right when throwing a potion to destroy the area leading to a slow down in progression in the game. Plague Knight is also gifted with one major ability that Shovel Knight was lacking, a double jump – a much welcome addition the gameplay. The double jump can be helpful for jumping above enemies and attacking them from

no particularly noteworthy changes, however some new music has been created for the game which adds to the eeriness and mystique of Plague Knight as a character. One last thing of note for the DLC is the addition of Challenge Mode, a series of trials for you to play through as Shovel Knight. There are 27 in total to play through, with the majority of them being rematches against the boss characters under particular circumstances – such as low health or only certain abilities at your disposal. These were fun to attempt and actually left me less frustrated than the Plague of Shadows campaign itself.

behind, a move you’d normally pull off by bouncing off enemies while playing as Shovel Knight. Another major mechanic used in the game (that is also unique to Plague Knight) is the boost jump. By holding the square button Plague Knight will charge a potion in his hand, this can be used to boost you to greater heights upon releasing the square button when needed. While the addition of this particular move felt great to use at first, it instantly became more and more annoying as a significant amount of puzzles ended up requiring the use of this move – making the new mechanic feel tired by the end of the game. You’ll find green coins scattered around levels, these green coins will allow you to unlock new abilities in Plague Knight’s underground lab – which is where you’ll return to after beating bosses and clearing levels. There are important story characters to meet here too, so it’s worth talking to everyone when you return as they’ll give you hints on how the story will unfold. Also scattered around levels are red potions, these will give you temporary additional health, however if you lose the additional health you’ll need to find another red potion to regain it. I found these

Plague of Shadows is only the first of at least 3 expansions to Shovel Knight extra segments of health particularly and has left me questioning if I really useful when it came to boss battles, want to be excited for the following 2 as they gave me a welcome, added expansions. I am hoping that the advantage against the bosses. next playable Knight will be While it’s always nice to get free DLC in better equipped any form, Plague of Shadows, while a and more interesting to full sized game expansion, is one that I found to be a bit of a let down. Some control, but as for Plague Knight, of the new challenges created for the I doubt I’ll be character can be needlessly difficult playing as at times, which in turn really stunted him again. my progress at particular times in the game. The same great art style and graphics are used for the DLC with

It's difficult to call Plague of Shadows an essential expansion to the Shovel Knight experience, but if you're seriously craving the need to play through the game and experience it in a different way then this is worth a look. However, if you don't want your fond memories of the original game tarnishing at all then it'll be best to avoid this one.

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3.6

REVIEW CODE: REALIZE ~GUARDIAN OF REBIRTH~

Reviewed by Kyle Wakeling A girl, a thief, an engineer, a scientist, a warrior, and an aristocrat make the unlikeliest of teams as they hunt down the inventor who has changed all their lives. Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ is an otome visual novel full of mystery and heroic men, and even as a guy I’ll admit; I swooned a little. But before we get to my opinion, we should probably get the lay of the game – and for those who haven’t read one of my reviews before, (as usual) I promise I won’t spoil anything for you.

Code: Realize begins with a memory – one of a father telling his daughter that he loves her. That might sound like a nice gesture, but it’s followed up with that same father telling her that she’s a monster who must never be able to feel love. These harsh words (from a man who’s supposed to love her) dig into the girl’s soul and move to define her life – setting the stage for a series of events that would play with the destiny of mankind.

The girl, who we’ll call Cardia (as the voice over will continue to do even if you choose another name), is tracked down by a mysterious organization that knows her simply as a monster. Found alone in her home and kidnapped away with no explanation, she’s pulled into a world she was never meant to live in. Thankfully, two men then move in to save her – and it’s from here that her adventure for the truth about being a monster kicks off.

26 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

3.2 GB

You’ll meet many unique characters along your journey, but none as important to your destination as the five men you’ll be able to get close to (all of which were pulled from historic literature in some sort of way). It’s these five men that will guide you on your journey, and it’s also these five men that you’ll have a chance to help as well – ’cause it’s not just you that changes from your interaction, it’s them too. The game is structured such that it has a very clear beginning, middle, and end. These bits are presented as a prologue which introduces a few of the characters without giving you any choices, an eight chapter inclusive bit where you aren’t completely locked into an end route, and a five chapter ending featuring the character you got the closest to during those eight previous chapters. There are multiple dead ends in the game, and only five true endings (one for each of the characters); so you’ll definitely have to make your choices carefully and pay attention to the details of the story to reach the true endings for each character.

In the beginning, there are four character end routes available; Saint-Germain, Impey, Victor, and Abraham. To reach the final ending of the game, you must clear the true ending of each of these routes – unlocking Lupin’s route which leads to the final conclusion. The good news is that once you’ve completed a single character route fully you can then use the Path of Genesis from the main menu to jump right into the other available end routes – skipping the middle bit and getting right to the meat of it. I wouldn’t recommend this method if you truly enjoy the story or are

characters you’re grouped up with. Lupin is so very dashing with his thief’s code and top hat, Impey’s the natural funny guy and wins you over with his what-you-see-is-what-you-get demeanor, Victor is the kind soul with a brain who sticks up for his friends, Abraham’s the warrior who tries to bury his feelings, and Saint-Germain is the mysterious one with motives of his own. They all have their own unique personalities and motives, but the one thing that’s certain is you’re important to them – and you can really feel it when you submerge yourself in their stories.

going for the platinum however, as you’ll probably miss some interesting information and/or glossary terms at the least. Just because the middle bit isn’t tied directly to one specific end, doesn’t mean it’s not important; it branches too. Looking to the art in the game, it’s superb – and I’d even go as far as to say that I’d hang some of it on my wall if I could. It’s all very crisp, colourful, and detailed; more so than most visual novels for sure. It definitely helps that they’ve chosen such a classical period in time to focus on (and twisted it to their own history) as well, as it gives them more opportunity to be creative and extravagant in design. Things like Victor’s headphones seem so familiar and yet so foreign at the same time due to this twist of history. As for the audio, it’s also pretty top notch – though it’s worth noting right off the bat that the game is voiced in Japanese only, and is only voiced during the speaking bits. The only real oddity I can point out aside from the lack of a narration is the one I mentioned at the start of the review – whatever name you pick for your female protagonist, it still says “Cardia” in the story’s voiced bits. This may or may not be an annoyance depending on if you’ve got the voices on (you can shut them off), and whether you’re actually listening to/understanding the Japanese spoken. My Japanese is poor, but I could still pick out her name very clearly every time it was said – and it

was said a lot. Seeing as how the game is voiced in Japanese, it of course has English subtitles – and for the most part they’re pretty decent. There are a few spelling errors (mostly later in the routes), however for the most part the grammar, spelling, and word choice are quite spot on. Looking back over what I played on the road to that final ending, I can’t help but reminisce fondly about my time with each of the very different

Because of this, Code: Realize comes out with more depth than you’d expect – and ends up being an experience I’ll never likely forget. Otome or not, this is a great visual novel whose stories are woven together with great care. It’s a worthwhile journey, and one I’d gladly take again… even with the platinum under my belt. Do you like literary figures? Are you interested in great stories? Do you like a little bit of romance with your adventure? Go grab yourself a copy of Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ and enjoy yourself – if you’re anything like me it’ll be hard not to!

Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ is an otome visual novel that has a lot more depth to it than you might expect. The stories are intricately interwoven, the characters are varied and well developed, and the setting is fantastical and unique; all adding up to an experience that you'll never forget - whichever suitor you choose.

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4.4

REVIEW ORGAN TRAIL COMPLETE EDITION

Reviewed by Brad Gruetzmacher Retro games are all the rage these days, and nobody knows this better than the makers of Organ Trail Complete Edition. The team at The Men Who Wear Many Hats (which is possibly the most absurd studio name I’ve ever seen) have managed to reach back to the dawn of computer gaming to bring a classic experience from my childhood to the modern era. With meticulous care, they have updated the simple pioneer simulator into a wonderful zombie survival game that makes the westward journey both enjoyable and harrowing.

Organ Trail Complete Edition, or for brevity’s sake, Organ Trail, begins shortly after a zombie outbreak epidemic hits the United States. You soon bump into a grizzled old survivor named Clements who has decided to help you get to the shelter in Washington D.C. where the other members of your party are waiting. After the government decides to try and solve the zombie infestation with a few nuclear bombs, it is revealed that the only truly safe haven left is a compound on the west coast. So gather up your supplies, hop in the old family station wagon, and begin the long journey through a radioactive, zombie-filled wasteland that was once America.

Organ Trail offers a few basic game modes to choose from. The Campaign features a one-way trip to the Safe Haven with your party of five. You start off with a limited number of points that you need to spend between cash,fuel, ammo, food, and spare parts for the car. Then you head out on your quest and try to survive until you reach your destination. Along the way you’ll stop in various towns and pick up the odd job for extra resources. You can also grab your gun and go scavenge for supplies that will aid you. There is also an Endless mode, which is very similar to the Campaign except that there is no destination. Here you 28 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

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are out to survive for as long as possible. Points are scored based on how far you travel and how quickly you do it. Once the leader of the party kicks the can, the game is over.

In both modes, you’ll face disease, zombies, and even the stupidity of your own party members (why did John trade our last car battery for something useless?? I’m going to kill him!) that will all try to slow you down. If members of your party are bitten by a zombie, there is the potential they too will become one of the undead which means… you’ll have to put them down. Yes, Organ Trail allows you to kill off members of your own party at a whim… which may or may not have been John’s fate after he traded away our last battery. But you need your team to help you get through this game, and even though they eat your food without contributing much in return, it’s probably best that you keep them around. And since you can customize the names of your party members, it can sometimes be difficult killing off a brother or close friend (and sometimes that makes it easier).

Throughout the game, much of the time is spent in menus where you keep track of your resources and set your pace along with your food rations. Going faster will get you to the end quicker, but you put more wear-andtear on the car. Where the game really shines for me is when you’re able to get out of the menus, out of the car, and into the world to scavenge for supplies. You get to pick your gun (between a rifle, shotgun, and pistol) and head out into the world to take out zombies while collecting food and money. The controls for shooting are a bit awkward, unless you’re over 30 and spent your childhood playing Oregon Trail on the Apple II. You pull the right stick back in the opposite direction you want to fire and then use the right shoulder button to shoot. I can see some people not liking it, but I immediately took to it and was soon able to do head-shots on zombies from across the screen. But using precious ammo isn’t always the best solution when you can easily outrun most zombies. Most, but not all.

The same can also be said of the sound design, which does everything in its power to retain that classic feel while also seeming distinctly modern at the same time. The music takes on a chiptune vibe while most of the sound effects are an exact replica of the blips and bleeps found on games that came on a 5.25″ floppy disc. The entire time I was playing Organ Trail, I constantly found myself whispering, “Oh, that’s awesome!” again and again. Whether it was the Halloween mode I could turn on that would have me scavenging for candy instead of food, or having to avoid a rampaging herd of zombified deer. Every time I’d turn it on, there was something new and interesting awaiting me, such as the physicsbased driving game called Clements Quest, which has you racing the station wagon over mountains and squashing zombies along the way. And just when I thought I had seen it all and things were going to get repetitive, something new would pop up and make me smile while whispering, “Oh, that’s awesome!”

The main criticism I have about the game is that random events can often provide huge negative impacts without you being able to do anything about it. Sometimes your party members get sick, but while you can cure them of that, you can’t cure when they decide to wander off and never return. I had one game where a party member decided to trade away all of my cash for nothing useful in return. Suddenly, my plans would be severely altered and it would seem a bit unfair. But I guess those are the challenges you accept when you allow others to join you on your quest to safety. I suppose I could just go it alone and not have to worry.

Organ Trail Complete Edition is an amazing homage to a classic computer game, but it does more than just rely on nostalgia to make it great. The journey west is a brutal one, but the choices you make along the way are instrumental as to whether you survive or join the ranks of the undead. This game does a fantastic job of making that journey an exciting one. When I first started playing, I didn’t think that I would like this game as much as I do, but after having spent many, many hours with it, I now can’t imagine ever putting it down.

The game can also be controlled entirely through touch, which is something I normally don’t like but works really well here. This is due to the fact that the game’s design has its roots on the PC and was built with a mouse in mind. Thankfully, the touch points are all easily accessible and respond very well. Graphically, the game looks as though it’s 30 years old, which is nostalgic for someone such as myself, but not everyone’s cup of tea. However, that doesn’t hold the game back and quite often is part of its charm. Its decidedly old-school look blends in nicely with the zombie themed motifs that are so popular in our culture today. This blend creates a perfect atmosphere for a fun and suspenseful game.

Organ Trail is an amazing homage to a computer classic. It blends modern day game design with retro graphics to create a game that is both fresh and nostalgic. Older gamers will get a kick out of reliving moments from their youth, while younger ones will discover a challenging game of horror and survival. Here, the choices you make actually do matter and whether your entire party makes it to safety or not is solely in your hands. Presentation

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REVIEW NORN9: VAR COMMONS

Reviewed by Liam Langan 2015 really has been an interesting year for Vita, not only have we seen a massive amount of Japanese games localised for the platform but, more interestingly, a lot of these have been Otome visual novels. As we see the genre gain more popularity here in the west, it’s good to see the increase in visual novels making their way to western Vita’s as is the case with Norn9: Var Commons. Originally released on the PSP in Japan in May 2013 as Norn9, Norn9: Var Commons, which launched in Japan in December 2014 is an enhanced edition of the game. This updated version of the game features more content and features that weren’t present in the original PSP version.

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board decided that it would be best if one of the 3 girls on the ship could look after Sorata, who is the youngest of the group, while they investigate the disturbance. This is where the view of the game shifts perspective as you get to pick between 3 candidates to look after Sorata; Koharu, the name given to the mysterious girl you meet at the beginning of the game, Mikoto Kuga, the oldest and most mature acting girl of the trio or Nanami Shiranu, a mysterious ninja girl with an even more mysterious past.

The story is told initially from the point of view of 12 year old schoolboy Sorata Suzuhara, who, whilst daydreaming on a field trip with his school, hears a mysterious song which sends him to sleep. Upon waking up he finds himself unconscious in the middle of a street in an unrecognisable location.

Once you choose your female companion for Sorata you’re then able to choose another male companion for the female of your choosing, and this is where the game really opens up as each male leads the female character on a different story arc – meaning that in total there are 9 different stories for you to play through.

A mysterious girl discovers a dazed and confused Sorata and then makes him aware that he is no longer in his timeline – he is actually in the past! The mysterious girl, who cannot recall her own name, informs Sorata that she is waiting for a ship to come and pick her up, however, this isn’t a sea vessel that you would expect given the era that you have arrived in, rather it’s a spherical airship.

With Norn9 it’s hard to talk about gameplay as such, as this really is a visual novel at its core, unlike titles such as Amnesia: Memories where there is some established gameplay elements to be found. Norn9 instead relies solely on players making choices to shape the game’s story – with no further intervention from the player beyond that.

The choices you do make fill up a relationship bar which can be found in the game’s pause menu. The female and male character you chose to take care of Sorata will bond and if you manage to make the correct choices, shape how the Upon boarding the airship Sorata and the girl learn that they story will unfold and (eventually) how it will end. are not the only ones aboard the vessel, in fact they are joined by 12 other passengers – 3 of which are female and 9 Luckily, if you do make a bad choice in the game and aren’t of which are male. Before you get the chance to get to know happy with the events that transpire, you can use the any of these characters the ship is attacked. The group on games rewind system. Moving either of the analogue sticks 30 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

to the left will open up the game’s transcript and will allow you to jump back to any part of text that you read so that you can go back and change the choices you made – which is certainly a nice feature for if you’re going for any trophies. The main problem I found with Norn9‘s different stories is that they just weren’t interesting, they seemed to drag on yet end abruptly. the game left me unsatisfied with the outcomes that I got from the stories and really couldn’t see myself playing back through them again to go for the good endings. I found the cast unlikable, generic and just plain boring. Fortunately, while the main story wasn’t the most enjoyable of visual novels, there is another mode within Norn9 that kept me playing for a while after I was done with the main story named Norn9 Quest, and boy oh boy is this mode fun.

these points as currency to unlock images and artwork from the games gallery, which I found to be a lot more interesting than just playing through the main story to unlock them. While I can praise both the beautiful art style of the main quest and the 8-bit art style of Norn9 Quest as well as the soundtrack (the main theme being composed by Final Fantasy composer

Nobuo Uemetsu), the game’s main story isn’t quite up to scratch when compared with other visual novels that have released recently on the Vita – with a cast that are quite forgettable and a story that won’t particularly stick with players. I’d certainly recommend picking up Norn9: Var Commons if you’ve experienced the recent batch of Visual Novels that have come to the Vita and want to keep the trend up, however, if you’re looking to jump on the Visual Novel bandwagon then I would highly recommend visiting other titles in the genre first before playing this one.

You start off by picking one of the 12 characters within the game and then the game randomly selects 3 other characters from the roster. From that point the game then pits the character you chose against the three characters the game chose, and depending on how the character you picked interacted with those particular three characters in the main story you’ll either earn points or lose points. The one thing that really took me by surprise about Norn9‘s Quest mode is that the outcome was never the same each time I played it, so sometimes I would lose points or win more than I did the last time I picked a character which made it really interesting to keep replaying the mode. The interesting thing about the points is that the game allows you to use

Norn9 is perhaps one of the less interesting in a recent burst of Visual Novels to hit the Vita, the story seems to take far too long to go anywhere and ends somewhat abruptly. The games main saviour however is the quirky Norn9 Quest mode, which was more interesting than the main games story.

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3.3

REVIEW CORPSE PARTY: BLOOD DRIVE

Reviewed by lateralus2801 Corpse Party: Blood Drive has finally arrived on the PS Vita in full 3D glory. After starting the series on the PSP as a point-and-click style adventure game, it was only obvious that the newest entry to the series would take advantage of the powerful hardware that the Vita provides. But by making the change to 3D, it seems that technical problems and the new art style dulls the experience of an otherwise fantastic story and premise. Corpse Party: Blood Drive is a completely story driven game that takes place immediately after the events from Book of Shadows (yes, you need to play this game). If you’re a newcomer to the series, you’ll be completely lost on the details of the game and setting. But as a game that stands on its own, it can be enjoyable to a point. The lead characters from Book of Shadows are still searching for a way to bring their deceased friends back to life, which leads to a return trip to the world famous Heavenly Host Elementary School that was featured in the first two mainline entries to the series. The story is told through a combination of anime styled artwork and the chibi 3D characters. It works fine for the most part except when the 2D animation completely clashes with what happens in the game (certain injuries aren’t shown when you’ve actually seen them happen) and this can ruin scenes and the atmosphere for some.

With the new change in graphics, characters can now have full movement in all areas of the game. Unlike in previous games, you are no longer stuck moving in the north, south, east and west directions. This proves useful when avoiding traps and deadly hazards as well as looking for those 32 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

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elusive name tags. In addition to the traps, players must safely navigate from deadly ghosts that can and will kill you in two to three hits and can get pretty frustrating, especially when you’re far away from a save candle or out of spirit talismans.

A big part of the previous games (especially the first one) was the inclusion of puzzles and different ways to see all types of endings (good and bad). Navigating the map can be overwhelming and difficult at first as the game offers no assistance on where to go. It’s mostly a trial and error until you reach a new cutscene. In the end, the game play is largely forgettable, and all I wanted to do was to find out what was going to happen next in the story.

Graphically, I’m not sure that the new art style fits the game. I can’t help but think that the graphics and character models are too “cute” for this type of game. The deaths and actions don’t hit the same way as the sprite based style did for the previous two entries in the series. Instead of being creepy and disturbing, it ends up being a comedy of sorts because you just can’t take the chibi art style seriously in a horror game like this. Other than the character models, the background is generally well done and gives off the vibe that you need and want in a game like this. With blood on the floor and gross stuff growing on the wall, it will give you that sense of fear that you’ll be looking for.

when you make a mistake and enter in the wrong staircase or room. It kills any kind of atmosphere that’s going on at the time. For instance, say that you are running from those deadly ghosts and need to heal, you need to get into the pause screen… loading… loading. Heal then loading… loading. At one point I turned off the game because I was so annoyed and got away from it for a few days until I had the itch to see what was going to happen next. The issues don’t stop here though as the framerate in Blood Drive are bad enough to make Borderlands 2 blush

in embarrassment. For not much going on with 2-3 characters on the screen, it seems that the framerate drops to the teens or even lower with the flashlight on. It’s clear that the game engine struggles mightily when there’s some kind of light on during the dark sequences of the game. If I were to judge Corpse Party: Blood Drive on personal hype and story alone, it would be my runaway game of the year for the PS Vita. But due to the technical issues that plague the game, it’s hard to give it the perfect score that I think it deserves. From framerate drops, long loading times and a curious art decision, it’s far from perfect. If you can look past these issues, there’s a wonderful game, that story-wise, is one of the best on the Vita.

For those of you anti-dub fans, be rest assured that Blood Drive is fully voiced in Japanese, and I can say that the localization is terrific. XSEED has done a terrific job with the dialog and translation. Some of the conversations can be sad and some are hilarious. I loved the change of pace that the XSEED team threw in there. Very well done. One thing is needed for this game: a great pair of headphones. I played the entirety of the game using Astro A40s and I was blown away with the audio work on the game. From full 3D sound, it seemed like I was there at Heavenly Host. I cannot recommend playing this game just using your Vita’s speakers. A good pair of headphones are a must. Even with a strong story and creepy atmosphere, it’s hard to ignore the blatant technical problems that plague Corpse Party: Blood Drive. The first noticeable issue that you’ll encounter is the longest loading screens you’ll ever see on a PS Vita game. It almost seems like there’s a loading screen for the loading screen. They’re everywhere! From every room, to the start menu, to the pause menu, leaving the pause menu. It’s exhausting and tiresome

Corpse Party: Blood Drive had the makings of being one of the all time greats for the PS Vita but technical problems prevent the game from achieving that goal. But if you can look past the problems, there's a fantastic story that's there for long time Corpse Party fans.

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3.5

REVIEW BOMBING BUSTERS

Reviewed by Kerry-Lee Copsey When I think of the Bomberman series, I think back to my childhood. Playing the Super Bomberman games on the SNES and PS1’s Bomberman World with my family. Fond memories of multiplayer mayhem soon spring to mind. Round 1 would usually begin when trying to get the unresponsive multitap to pick up all of the controllers. The second (and longest) fight would ensue during the character select screen. Who didn’t want to play as Witch Bomber? Whether it was battling my older sister or teaming up to blow up the dastardly AI players, one aspect remained consistent: it was fun. It’s a shame then, that Bombing Busters, a game which closely resembles this formula doesn’t manage to capture that same feeling. Adventure Mode is the single-player story, and likely where Vita players will be investing most of their time. Upon starting the tutorial, you’ll be introduced to Dr. Wallow, a mad scientist set on conquering the galaxy. How will he achieve this goal? Through yourself, the bomb-dispensing robot character, of course. The mode consists of five worlds in total, each with their own aesthetic theme and stage hazards. These are split up into five regular levels before concluding with a boss battle.

This is played out much like any other Bomberman game. Stages are essentially mazes filled with obstacles and traps to navigate. You’re given five minutes to wipe out all of the enemies on the map to successfully proceed to the next stage. Power-ups such as increased bomb capacity and blast radius, and the ability to kick, pick-up and throw bombs are all present. As such, so are trick items to decrease stats in attempt to beef up the challenge. 34 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

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Believe me when I say it’s challenging enough. Even the earliest levels require some forward-planning to trap tricky enemies and avoid blowing yourself to bits. Blowing up too many barriers can open up a path to these pesky critters. One touch of an enemy or explosion results in instant death and a restart of the entire stage. For this reason, you have to play very carefully and very strategically – especially when floor traps, teleportation devices and more are soon thrown into the mix. I can’t count on one hand the amount of times I trapped myself in a corner with a bomb or enemy when I was so close to completing the level. While this might sound pleasing to Bomberman veterans, I just couldn’t enjoy myself. The difficulty is harsh from the getgo, and personally, I would have liked a toned down option to ease my frustrations.

However, I’m sure those who yearn for challenge and crave the old-school gameplay have a lot to get out the singleplayer mode. For added replay value, your performance in each level is rated out of three stars. After completing a stage, the amount of time left on the clock determines which ranking you’ll receive. The full three stars is awarded to players skilled enough to blast through the level in under two minutes. Finishing with two minutes left nets two stars, and so on. This system is rewarding to players who are dedicated enough to finding the most time efficient strategies. For me, it wasn’t just the brutal difficulty that left a bad taste in my mouth. While the gameplay does remain Bomberman at heart, that’s all it manages to achieve. Like any other clone of a popular game, this one lacks charm or personality of its own, latching on to the foundation of

After battling through some connection issues, we finally got to play a game. It was your standard multiplayer Bomberman affair alright. “How did that hit me?” and curse words aplenty. With the bare minimum players however, the appeal wasn’t meant to last. The games felt slow-paced and became increasingly tedious. The PS4’s local mode allows for AI-controller players to fill out a match, so why doesn’t the online play? The chaotic fun increases along with the player count. In Battle Mode, the potential for a good time is definitely there, but the lengths a person must go to achieve it? That’s the fundamental issue which stops player enjoyment in its tracks.

another well-established series to scrape by. Though I did get the very occasional tickle from Dr. Wallow’s quips, the story remained dull and uninviting. The irritating renditions of classical music which make up the game’s soundtrack further illustrate my point about originality. Moving onto the multiplayer, I fully expected this mode to be its saving grace, but boy was I disappointed. The online battle mode is for 2-8 players. Unless you know buddies with a copy of the game and an internet connection, it’ll be near impossible for you to find multiplayer match on Vita. As there is no ad-hoc play included in the handheld port, the only option is to head online, but here’s the catch: a PS4 is needed to host an online game. This means you cannot play strictly with a group of Vita owners. To make matters more infuriating, the online infrastructure itself is either incredibly archaic (hello room and IP address search) or there is simply no one playing online. A few weeks after its release, the lobbies remain empty. Many futile searches and tumbleweeds later, I gave up trying. If you’re the type of modern-day gamer who relies on online play with random players, you should too. At least the devs had the decency to soften the blow of the inferior portable version, making the game available as a cross-buy purchase with PS4. Being fortunate enough to own both consoles, I was able to test out the online mode with a friend in the same room. One way to get around the Vita version’s lack of local play…

In its current state, would I recommend Bombing Busters? Honestly, it’s The result was relatively enjoyable. extremely difficult. There’s little Upon creating a lobby, you can memorable about Sanuk Games’ effort. select from the five themed maps The lack of personality combined with encountered in the main game. You the uninhabited online servers means can also adjust match length and the there’s very little in the way of appeal. amount of games to be won in order to If you’re a big fan of the gameplay and be crowned tournament victor. Other have dedicated friends to play with, it variants such as the ability to throw in could be worth a punt during a sale. It bombs when you’ve been destroyed, has the potential to be fun, but there is whether explosions destroy items and zero incentive to play the Vita version. the appearance of the virus item can It’s essentially Bomberman minus be toggled on or off. This all being set the multiplayer. And that’s not the up from the PS4 – the Vita players have Bomberman I fondly remember or the no say in match settings. one I ever want to experience again.

Bombing Busters is an uninspired clone at best. It's devoid of any personality or charm to make the game stand out on its own, but at least it doesn't ruin the old-school gameplay we know and love. It's sad, but this is the closest we're likely to get to a new Bomberman game on a console for a long time. If you're ever desperate for some explosive action, this could fill a hole. Just be wary of the multiplayer situation on Vita. Presentation

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1.9

REVIEW RALLY COPTERS

Reviewed by Zach Price Rally Copters is one of the latest games to push the time trial phenomenon and attempts to put its own special spin on it. Sadly, it doesn’t meet that goal. The way Rally Copters works is that you start a level with a helicopter, and you must go through the various checkpoints in order to complete it. Not anything new, but it’s fun. The game has three phases, with a total of 27 levels. Each phase has an unlockable helicopter, each having better and better stats. The gameplay starts off as very easy, almost as if were a tutorial. The problem with that is that is continues until the last three levels of Phase 3. There are various obstacles you must maneuver to beat the level but they are usually irrelevant; you can get through them with ease and minimal retries. This would be all fine and dandy, but the game is meant to challenge you. When your game doesn’t do that until the very end, then it’s a problem. And it’s pretty sad that this happens, because those last three levels were painstakingly difficult – I died over 60 times on the last level – but I enjoyed them and and felt very rewarded when I beat them. The game needs more of this, but it’s just not there.

the levels and it tracks the number of restarts it took you and the time to 1 3 8 353 MB complete the level. It then gives you a rating – in the form of platinum, gold, silver or bronze – for your overall time. The game also controls very well, It sounds like the usual stuff you’d exactly how you would imagine a find in games, but there’s a caveat: helicopter would operate. You have instead of having each milestone’s to find the exact balance between the time be set by the developer, it is set helicopter’s speed and accuracy in by the respective times in the game’s order to complete the levels as quickly community. It feels rewarding to get a as possible. Rally Copters also has an gold, all I could ever achieve, and know you overcame other players and did appealing aesthetic that reminds you better than them instead of it being of Tron. It’s retro, blocked graphics are arbitrarily set during development. very pretty and the color palette is The times also reset every few days to equally as gorgeous with neon blues and oranges that just pop off the Vita’s make it based upon the existing player pool. screen. The one thing that troubled me was the reset system. When your helicopter blows up, you press triangle to restart at the last checkpoint. However, there have been countless times when I pressed square, which restarts the whole level. It’s an easy mistake to make and could have been solved with the usual “Are you sure?” Also, the combination of a low difficulty and small number of levels means that you complete the game very quickly. The only reason you have to continue playing after completion is to complete other levels with the helicopter you unlock later, getting the fastest time just isn’t motivating afterward. However, the level’s completion time tracker is a very interesting concept that feels natural in Rally Copters. The way it works is that you go through

All in all, I enjoyed my time with Rally Copters, despite its rather short campaign and low difficulty. There are some big hopes that I would love to see added to the game, primarily some DLC with new helicopters, maybe giving us some customization as far as color scheme, and more of those grueling hard levels. The game doesn’t have a specific target audience, and I think it could appeal to various types of gamers. You won’t find yourself with much to do after completion, but pick it up if you have some spare money and want something to do for a short period.

Rally Copters has the foundations to be a great game, if some changes were made to. However, its horrid difficulty curve and lack of levels bring it down from what it could be. You will most likely enjoy your time with the helicopter simulator, but you won't leave a lasting impression in your Vita catalogue. Presentation

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2.8

REVIEW DRAGON FIN SOUP

Reviewed by deathskitten

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A year ago Red Robin lost her memory after an accident. Slowly she begins to remember details of her past and the bloody betrayal of her family. Sounds intriguing doesn’t it?

and Endless Labyrinth – story mode is where I started first. Unfortunately it didn’t take me long to become disappointed, the story is painfully slow to get going and even when it does it’s predictable and clichéd. There are many games that go down the route of having an amnesiac protagonist, so to make it feel more interesting the story Dragon Fin Soup is the creation of Grimm Bros, a new indie needs to go somewhere new or at the very least have RPG game company made up of veteran developers. DFS interesting characters. The story and characters in DFS just completed a successful Kickstarter campaign back in April 2014 which meant that they were able to port to PSVita, PS3 felt bland and like they were trying too hard to be funny. I and PS4. quickly found myself not really caring. The game is a blend of genres, part turn-based action RPG and part roguelike and is set in a procedurally generated fairy-tale-inspired world featuring a 2D top down camera. You play as Red Robin, she’s a bit like little Red Riding Hood but with alcohol problems, a lot of attitude and a helping of bad language.

You start in a small village, which acts as your base of operations during the game, and can pick up missions from Jin the friendly barkeep before heading out to explore the world. There is a mix of scripted events, story quests and procedurally generated missions. You’ll soon find, however, that the missions get overly repetitive quite quickly. The world of DFS is set on the back of a giant space turtle called Asura who swims the multiverse of space-time. If this reminds anyone of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld then you are not alone – Grimm Bros are big fans. The artwork in this game has been done by Randis Albion and he is one seriously talented artist. When I first started playing this game I was in awe of it’s beauty. The voice-over guy that narrated over the top of the artwork I was much less impressed with. Thankfully there isn’t much voice acting in the game so you don’t have to put up with his weird faux-cinema voiceover for long. Strangely, once in-game all the characters look a bit washed out and blurry. This seems to be just an issue with the Vita version as on the PS4 it looks fine. Good storylines are one of the main reasons I play RPG’s so out of Dragon Fin Soup’s three game modes – Story, Survival 37 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

The controls feel really clunky, you can only move with the d-pad, the analog sticks are just used to change the direction your character is facing. You can move diagonally but using the d-pad feels very imprecise and, unfortunately, there’s no way to re-map controls.

After picking up my first item and heading into the inventory screen to see what it was I noticed that the descriptions are in a ridiculously tiny font. My eye sight is pretty good but even I had trouble with this. Your health potions in the game are all bottles of alcohol – Robin is an alcoholic after all. Some of them have a negative side-effect of reducing your magic points by a certain percentage. For some reason every time I drank one a message popped up saying that my magic points had been reduced by 512 points regardless of what percentage the potion was supposed to reduce it by. The game seems to reduce your MP by the correct amount but it’s a bit odd to get the same message popping up every time you drink. looking at a small green bar above their heads (which isn’t always visible) so it’s difficult to know just how close to death they are. Also, when fighting, you can only see one enemy’s information at a time in the top left hand corner of the screen and you can’t pick which enemies stats you see. If using a ranged attack the enemy portrait and health stats don’t seem to come up at all unless they get right next to you.

I also encountered numerous bugs while wandering around in dungeons, such as the game not properly registering what tile you should be on when pushed back by an enemy. Robin will look like she’s still on a square right next to an enemy but when you try to attack you are actually one tile back so just hit empty air. This can get really confusing when surrounded by many enemies. There’s quite a good variety in the types of dungeons you’ll be exploring and each has it’s own unique look. You’ll come across forests, ice caves, abandoned mines, spider forests, deserts, haunted houses and many more. As the dungeons are procedurally generated, you’ll also sometimes come across dungeons which are very cluttered, overlapping items in the foreground make it really difficult to see where you are going and what you are about to step on. When making tactical retreats from enemies it is far too easy to get yourself stuck between a wall and a rock and be surrounded by enemies because you didn’t realise that there would be something in the way. There was even one instance I found where there was an unbreakable object right in front of a door so I couldn’t enter.

One of the things that I was really looking forward to in DFS was the crafting system. Unfortunately the crafting and inventory UI is awful. To move items about you can either use the touch screen or click a series of buttons. However the touchable tiles in the inventory are tiny so it’s difficult to use and it feels really slow to navigate using just the buttons. You also have really limited storage space, you can only carry 60 items on you and store 60 items in a chest. It makes sense to have limited space on your character but when you have a really in-depth crafting system with over 500 recipes it doesn’t make sense to only be able to store 60 items at home. I ended up filling up the chest and then dumping stacks of items all over the floor of my house. I was pleasantly surprised that they didn’t just disappear after leaving the area. I like that you have to level up your crafting skill to be able to craft higher level recipes but because of issues with the controls and lack of storage I just ended up feeling like it was more assle than it was worth.

To make your journey through the Asura wilds slightly easier you can partner up with NPC’s for a small fee or collect pet familiars to fight along side you. You can have upto 2 pets active at any time. I found them really useful early in the game but after a while you’ll find that pets die far too quickly to be of any use. In the end I just started using them as cannon fodder, I felt a little bit guilty sending cute cats and sheep to their doom against ghosts and zombies though! You can find spells which heal your pets but there’s not really enough information during battles about your party members’ health. You can only really see their health by 38 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

The game also seems to constantly crash, on average I was having to reload for every 2 hours of gameplay. It’s particularly frustrating when it crashes just after you’ve

frustrating. When you die the game gives you a score based on how many kills you made, experience gained, gold found, bosses killed and the maximum combo you achieved. It definitely has that ‘just-onemore-go’ feel to it.

cleared out a dungeon floor! I also had issues with one NPC who I was supposed to talk to to complete a quest, but unfortunately she didn’t seem to say anything to move the quest forward so I was effectively stopped from continuing the story. The most rage inducing bug I experienced however was one where the game told me I didn’t have enough memory on my Vita as it was trying to save. I was a bit surprised by this as I knew I had a few GB to spare. After deleting an old game off my memory card just to make sure and then saving and reloading my game I came across the message every gamer dreads to see…save file corrupted. All progress on all game modes had been lost. Thankfully I’d made a backup save a day ago so only lost one day’s progress but I was definitely not a happy bunny…

The Endless Labyrinth was my favourite mode, similar to the Survival mode you begin at level 1 and need to stay alive as long as possible. DFS starts to become really fun when you are no longer doing the dull repetitive story missions. The Labyrinth really is endless and just continues to expand as you explore. You’ll come across various puzzles which if you solve you gain access to chests, some of which contain magic spells. You also have to kill bosses in order to get rid of magical barriers so that you can access the next part of the Labyrinth. I found it quite addictive to keep exploring and wandering deeper and deeper. Endless Labyrinth and Survival mode can be quite fun but it doesn’t quite make up for the lackluster Story mode.

I really wanted to love this game but even without all the bugs there are plenty of other issues with the game. The storyline is nowhere near as good as the brilliant artwork and the missions that you complete get repetitive very quickly. I’m very interested to see what games Grimm Bros creates next though. I think that the DFS universe has the potential for great games in the future and hopefully Grimm Bros will have learnt a lot of lessons from DFS. So, should you buy DFS? Overall DFS is seriously buggy at the moment but thankfully Grimm Bros do seem to be listening to feedback from players and are already planning to implement patches to try to solve some of the issues. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they’re also looking into the problem of tiny writing on the item descriptions. I was expecting that to be something that we’d just have to live with so it’s great to hear it might get fixed. Unfortunately while the Endless Labyrinth and Survival mode are fun the dull Story mode, clunky controls and messy UI really let the game down. For anyone interested in trying a roguelike game for the first time then DFS might be a good place to start as it’s an easy introduction into the genre but I would have to recommend that they at least wait for the game to be patched before trying.

After playing the story mode I found myself feeling quite negative and disappointed in the game. Thankfully the other modes are where the game begins to redeem itself. In Survival Mode you begin at level 1 in the wilds of Asura with limited supplies, fighting challenging monsters, and trying to stay alive as long as possible. Death is permanent so if you die you have to start again from the beginning. You encounter waves of procedurally-generated dungeons filled with traps, monsters, and mini-games that increase in difficulty over time. I found this to be the hardest mode in the game but once you start to find magic spells it becomes a lot easier. For a roguelike game DFS is not particularly difficult. You’ll come across magic much more frequently than in the story mode and it’s really fun to work out what combinations of spells work best. I died more in this mode than any other but death isn’t

This game is a blend of tactical RPG and roguelike but unfortunately it's not brilliant at either genre. The story is bland and for a roguelike the gameplay isn't particularly difficult. I really wanted to love this game but unfortunately it doesn't quite work. The game is still worth a try, especially if future patches sort out the many bugs, but there are better games out there. Presentation

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Lasting Appeal

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Execution

2.6

REVIEW THE HUNGRY HORDE

Reviewed by Kerry-Lee Copsey With the monthly swarm of titles introduced through PS Plus, it’s often easy to feel overwhelmed and forget about your collection. Games you’ve forgotten the existence of will crop up in your downloads list. While working through this backlog, you’ll find atrocious, average, and even surprisingly brilliant games. The Hungry Horde fell somewhere in the middle for me when I finally gave it a chance one year on from its release. Developed by Nosebleed Interactive, The Hungry Horde is a manic race against the clock to infect as many humans as possible to survive the night. If time runs out, the entire area is nuked resulting in a bitter end of your game. While tearing down barriers, pushing back military forces and overcoming obstacles, the idea is to make up as much time as possible. Otherwise you’ll never see each level to its end. This is done through passing checkpoints, playing minigames and recruiting humans. The latter is achieved by simply walking into passing people. As well as joining your undead army, each human also adds 1.5 seconds to your timer. Think Katamari with more rotting flesh.

Upon starting your first game, you’re introduced to some these basic mechanics. From manoeuvring your horde within the top-down perspective to splitting them into groups – controllable with the left and right stick respectively. Pushing the two sticks toward each other will reunite your putrid pals. The way this mechanic is integrated into the game’s puzzles is quite clever. It also adds depth and strategy to gameplay which seems simple on the surface. Zombies move faster in split hordes, making multi-tasking a worthwhile tactic due to its time efficiency. You could be chasing down victims with one half, while the other half busts down a gate. 40 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

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You’ll also find mortals aren’t the only things to watch out for during your rampage. Coloured brains line the streets, each one corresponding to a special ability. Picking up enough of each type allows you to activate a temporary power ranging from a short burst of speed to a humourous rave which stuns surrounding enemies. The blue presents scattered around can either reward you with a selection of these goodies, or surprise you with a bomb. Stand too close and a portion of your horde will be wiped out. Learning to make the most of these resources is challenging, but vital in surviving the brutally fiendish levels.

Should you be fortunate enough to encounter a white present, you’ll be warped to a random mini-game. These are easily the highlights in The Hungry Horde‘s gameplay. Dotted around the map, these fun and frantic slices of arcade gaming do a wonderful job of breaking up the action. The most notable is “Conga Zombies,” which is essentially a disco-themed, fast-paced version of mobile classic Snake. Then you have Zombat, a twin-stick shooter which puts you in control of another famous Snake to push back crowds of the undead. I also thoroughly enjoyed “Infection” which tells the story of the zombie pandemic through its gameplay. Each stage takes place inside a vital organ, and you control a zombie virus cell in an attempt to take over the body by absorbing red cells while avoiding the white cells. The variation in these games alone kept me hooked for hours – and there are even more I haven’t listed above! As expected, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows – certainly not during the apocalypse. The game itself is infected by awfully slow loading times and a choppy frame-rate which often makes the experience feel rotten. Granted, the latter has been vastly improved through the latest patch.

It’s still not perfect, but at least it no longer borders on slideshow levels of poorness; your giant horde will be much more stable when tumbling through action-packed stages. At certain points, your undead gang will be stopped in its tracks when faced with an obstacle. Switches are self-explanatory; these require to be stepped on in order to open gates. Unfortunately, it’s not all that simple – the tutorial doesn’t do its job of making it clear to the player how to overcome anything more. Would I have assumed it’d take a swipe of the touch screen to break a padlocked gate? No. Off the bat, should I have realised you need to smash tucked away military transmitters in an area in order to unlock its gate? Maybe. You could argue that part of the fun is in discovering and overcoming these hurdles by yourself. But when you’re literally faced with a ticking timebomb, the last thing you want to do is waste the little time you have trying to work out vague puzzles. If you don’t know what you’re doing in that exact moment, chances are you will run out of time. You will have to start the run all over again. It’s unnecessary frustration which could easily be avoided with a few pointers thrown in if you remain idle in-game. Though I must applaud the dev’s ability to embrace feedback, as a hints screen has been patched into game, accessible from the options menu. That all being said, if you are patient and welcome this sort of challenge with open arms, there’s a lot of content to squeeze out of The Hungry Horde. There are 150 unique objectives to complete – some cumulative over your various attempts, others which must be completed in a single run. These provide additional goals to work through if you find yourself tired of

plodding mindlessly through the maps. I say this because most of the “one attempt” missions will usually result in a substantial loss of time, meaning the sacrifice of your run. For better or worse, multi-tasking is a huge part of the challenge here. If you’re willing to put in the time to practice, you’re golden (well, green).

me with suspense and nostalgia just writing about it. Oh, and the dread and resulting frustration of receiving duplicates. It doesn’t take a whole bunch of brains to work out the inspiration for game’s blocky character models. They do well in representing AI and the player, making them stand out against the bleak visuals, but that’s all there is to be said about looks. It isn’t ugly by any means, but it doesn’t spew any sort of unique charm to write home about either.

Despite its technical stumbles, The Hungry Horde still has the potential The game also includes a sticker to fulfil. With a wealth of content book, home to over 150 collectibles. including a Platinum trophy – spanning With each packet containing three, over 30 hours of gameplay depending stickers can be obtained by killing a on skill level – there’s a lot here to specific number of humans, completing keep players coming back for more. objectives, or scoring high in spawned Unfortunately, the high difficulty mini-games. Shiny stickers unlock the coupled with the insufficient amount standalone version of the mini-games of guidance will be more than enough as well as a whole host of additional to ward some players off. If you’re features, such as model viewers and willing to put in the time to learn the even a charming character creator. The best strategies, the game can actually stickerbook was easily the standout be very fun and rewarding. For those feature for myself, having adored less dedicated, it could well end up a collecting them physically in my youth. dull, tedious slog which you’re better But now I can earn stickers for a off avoiding. However, if you are virtual book by playing a video game? like me and already have the game Awesome. Best of all, you actually tucked away in your PS+ collection, tear open each packet with the touch it’s definitely worth a punt. You never screen before tapping your spoils to know, it could end up grabbing you in a flip them around and reveal. It fills way you weren’t expecting.

Take a bite, and you'll find The Hungry Horde has a meaty amount of content to sink your teeth into. It's not a taste that will keep everyone coming back for seconds. If you can overlook its technical issues and unsavoury presentation, you just might enjoy yourself. Those with an appetite for addictive, challenging gameplay and a mass amount of replay value will be more than satisfied with their zombie-infested helping. Presentation

Gameplay

Lasting Appeal

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Execution

REVIEW POCKET GOD VS DESERT ASHES

Reviewed by Zach Price Pocket God vs. Desert Ashes is a strategy game that emulates a war between two factions. However, its war isn’t very fast; it’s a long, grueling one. This strategy game is a war of attrition, and that isn’t a good thing. I’ll be the first to say strategy games aren’t really my thing, but I didn’t think Pocket God vs. Desert Ashes would be very challenging. I was wrong. The game takes the combat and structure of the free-to-play Desert Ashes Vita game and pits the faction against the cast of Pocket God, a mobile game. You control the characters Ooga Chaka, from the latter title when the alien-like antagonists, the Landians, invade your land through a portal. The game’s loose story is that the Landians quickly build bases in your land, and your duty is to rid it of them. However, that’s the only tidbit your given. The game uses this as the basis for the story, but adds nothing to hold your attention throughout the game. It depends on its gameplay to hold you, which is arguably fun at times, yet very challenging and long. The way battles work is there are three structures in Pocket God vs. Desert Ashes: headquarters, troop dispersals and resources. The headquarters is the main location for both factions. Capture it and you win the battle; have yours captured, though, and you lose. Troop dispersals are exactly what you think; they are where you choose what kind of troop, each with a different cost, to deploy. Holding these locations increases your maximum number of troops you can have on the field. Lastly, resource locations are where you get the gold to purchase those troops. You start off each battle holding a various number of resources, headquarters and troop dispersals. Usually your best bet is to start off with the weaker ground troops since they can move farther and are the only ones that can capture those structures – they are also cheaper. The game can be quite rough if you 42 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

398 MB

it may take you hours to complete a single battle – and this doesn’t really change throughout the campaign. Even though the number of structures and landscape changes, it remains difficult to overcome the enemy, and that may keep some from continuing on with it – and for good reason. The difficulty needs to be adjusted to where it peaks toward the end and the barrier to entry is shorter.

On a more positive note, the graphics are appealing and use a variety of don’t learn this quickly – it took me colors that just pop. When in battle, forever myself. Each type of troop has the game will go into a more detailed its own tile movement limit, attack view as troops fight against each other. range, and which troop it is strong and The music is also enjoyable, and while weak against that makes the combat it doesn’t compliment a battlefield so variable. The AI is actually fairly tone, it seems oddly in place and competent; it realizes if its troop is will be a close friend as you struggle strong or weak against yours and will through those difficult levels. There make a decision of movement or attack is also some more levels outside of based on that. the campaign mode called Skirmish that can keep you content for your The way battles work is like this: you’ll strategy needs. Lastly, the game has be in range of an enemy and you will a multiplayer mode where you can be given the options to attack. At this control everything from troop perks to point, a percentage will pop up over turn time limit that will allow you to that enemies head with the percentage take turns when you want and play like of damage you will do to it – the you want. percentage is NOT the likelihood of you destroying it. You make your decision All in all, I felt satisfied whenever I to attack based on that percentage; if would overcome the Landians in battle. you can’t kill it and want to back out, Even though the battles were long and you can actually back up and move in grueling, I thought that Pocket God vs. another direction – your movements Desert Ashes was well designed and aren’t set in stone unless you attack fun despite its difficulty problems. It’s or choose “stay.” In that sense, it isn’t hard to recommend the game to a as hardcore or as traditional as other strategy newcomer, as your mileage strategy games, but it is a good option will vary, but I grew to enjoy it even to give you a taste of what strategy though it left a bad initial impression. If games are all about. It also doesn’t you have a high tolerance and patience, take away from the game’s difficulty. then this game is for you. It’s very hard for me to express how I feel about Pocket God vs. Desert Ashes’ difficulty. Even though I mention it is a good option for gamers trying to get into strategy games, the difficulty can be de-motivating and crushing to your spirit. You can’t change any difficulty option in the game, but the difficulty comes from how the maps are laid out. The proximity of your structures and troops to the Landians is so close that Due to its ridiculous difficulty and smart AI, Pocket God vs Desert Ashes is a game you will rage against one moment and feel rewarded the next. Despite a weak story that is almost nonexistent, I enjoyed the time I spent with the strategy game, but wouldn't say I was blown away by it. Simply put it isn't for strategy newcomers, and it isn't for an impatient gamer; if you do decide to pick it up and enjoy it, then you'll have hours of content to enjoy. Presentation

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Lasting Appeal

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Execution

3.3

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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 2 4 games include Freedom Wars, Velocity 2X, and 3P4G

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My PSN isn't related to Harry Potter, honest. It was the name of my first D&D character way back in 1976. I'd meant to use "muddledmind", but wrote it wrong (I was only 11, so that's my excuse). Vita-wise, I play mine every day, usually travelling to and from work.

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MICHAEL RUPPRECHT IS THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FOR I PLAY PS VITA, WHICH FEATURES PSVITA NEWS, REVIEWS AND MUCH MORE! HE SPOKE TO US ABOUT HIS WEBSITE, FAVOURITE GAMES AND MUCH MORE.

What are your all-time favourite PS Vita games?

Why is Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward your favourite game?

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01. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward 02. Gravity Rush 03. Steins;Gate 04. Persona 4 Golden 05. Ultra Despair Girls: Danganronpa Another Episode 06. Wipeout 2048 07. Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 08. Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition 09. Guacamelee! 10. Rainbow Moon Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is my personal number one as that's the game I started my I Play PS Vita YouTube channel with back in October 2012. Although the first game I covered was actually Silent Hill: Book of Memories, Virtue's Last Reward gave me the motivation to do a whole walkthrough with 106 videos and over40 hours of gameplay. But even without the walkthrough, Zero Escape Virtue's Last Reward is my favourite PS Vita game of all time as this game has one of the best stories ever written in a video game (in my opinion) and the characters and everything is so perfect that they nearly come alive in the game. In the end when I stopped playing Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, I have missed those characters! This has never happened before in my whole life playing a video game.

The internet can be cruel sometimes, and on December 1st 2012 my I Play PS Vita YouTube channel got deleted by YouTube without any comment or reason, which obviously left me devastated. However, I didn't give up and started the channel and the uploads again on a new one but this was a very bad experience. I believe someone has marked one of my videos deliberately (for some reason) which resulted in the removal of my channel.

In June 2015, I was thinking, man, I have 2000 subscribers on YouTube, and 1200 followers on Twitter. It would be a shame to leave it just like that and do nothing with it. So this was the time when I had the idea of starting a PS Vita dedicated website. As I am a web designer and know how to make websites, I thought I give it a try and I was seeing it more like an experiment as I haven't had any experience with journalism before. The funny thing is, back in June 2012 I already had registered the domain iplaypsvita.com, but it took 3 more years until the PS Vita dedicated website came to life. I started creating the website on a Friday (with Wordpress obviously) and I was so motivated that I have worked on the site until Sunday to bring it life later on that evening. At the beginning, the site was far from being perfect and it didn't have much content, but as per a German saying; "Der Weg entsteht beim gehen" (the path is made by walking), step by step I Play PS Vita has shaped itself what it is right now. At first I was only bringing new trailers for games as at that time E3 had taken place. Later on I started adjusting the website with new content, like game announcements, new released games and the latest addition is the upcoming ps vita games list for 2015 and beyond.

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As I am doing I Play PS Vita own my own at the moment, there is not much time for game reviews. I am busy enough on bringing the latest PS Vita news and announcements and articles about new released PS Vita games and updating the upcoming games list. But I am planning a review system for early 2016. Stay tunned! I am also planning on getting a PS Vita capture device in the future for my PS Vita YouTube channel, allowing me to publish gameplay directly from the PS Vita. At the moment I am doing the videos with a tripod, a PS Vita cradle and a camera. As I am a perfectionist, it can be quite hard sometimes in adjusting the camera to the PS Vita to get the best results for a video! That's why I want a capture device but as these are expensive I'll have to wait until I can make that investment. Personally I am offended at how Sony is treating the PS Vita owners compared to PS4 owners. Only recently Sony has published a video with the title "The best games are on PS4". It seems Sony is not thinking about the people who own a PS Vita. I know that this video is more directed to consoles like XBox One but this video also suggests that games on the PS Vita are not good. Ultimately this message does not surprise me as it seems that internally Sony has given up on the PS Vita and they are putting all their efforts on their new PS4 add-on PlayStation VR. I really hope that PSVR will take off but personally I doubt it, and in my opinion Sony is betting on the wrong horse. History has shown that a pricey add-on for a console has never succeeded in the mass market before and it surprises me that Sony is not learning from a mistake that has been made many times before. Actually I believe that Sony will bring a PS Vita successor one day. Not now, but in the future Sony has to release a new handheld console at least for the Japanese market. If Sony will not develop a PS Vita 2 (or what ever it will be called), they would give up their Japanese home market completely and Nintendo could take up the PS Vita's market share their with their upcoming Nintendo NX console (which is supposed to be a home and handheld console device). In Japan, portable consoles are and will always dominate the gaming market as people there can not put big TVs in their homes.

PSVita 2?

Everything I do for I Play PS Vita is because I love the PS Vita; it is my favourite console of all time. I am not really earning money with the website and the YouTube channel at the moment, my income I am getting through other projects. I love video games and the PS Vita, it would be awesome if I would be able to get an income with video games one day but maybe in the future this dream will come true. Besides the PS Vita, I own a PS3 but no PS4 right now as there are no games which I am interested in. I am only going to buy a PS4 when Nier 2 is coming out as Nier is my favourite PS3 game of all time.

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The Vita Lounge Magazine | 45

DIRECTORY THE BEST 2015 VITA GAMES SO FAR

1.5 GB 2 16

PERSONA 4: DANCING ALL NIGHT

4.9

3.1 GB 3 15

4.9

144 MB 1 4 7

4.9

3.7 GB 2 16

808 MB 1 1

46 | The Vita Lounge Magazine

4.6

3.0 GB 2 7

DANGANRONPA ANOTHER EPISODE: ULTRA DESPAIR GIRLS

322 MB 7 10

ATELIER AYESHA PLUS: THE ALCHEMIST OF DUSK

KICK & FENNICK

4.6

4.9 SUPER MEAT BOY

BROKEN AGE

4.6

GRIM FANDANGO REMASTERED

TETRIS ULTIMATE

STEINS; GATE

2.9 GB 4 10

4.8

OLLIOLLI 2: WELCOME TO OLLIWOOD

4.6

HOTLINE MIAMI 2: WRONG NUMBER

FLAME OVER

4.6

4.5

403 MB 8 6

2.3 GB 5 9

303 MB 6 8

771 MB 10 5

WE'LL SEE YOU IN

WITH EVEN MORE VITA CONTENT!

The Vita Lounge Magazine | 47

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*All content subject to change