One-Shots

Magical Diary: Wolf Hall – A Wolf in Wizard’s Clothing

1 Comment

Those of you who have been following my work for a while may recall a good few years back now I was rather enthusiastic about a game called Magical Diary: Horse Hall.

This unusual game, developed by Hanako Games and Spiky Caterpillar, blended elements of visual novel, life sim and first-person dungeon crawler to create something very interesting indeed — and something that was clearly intended to be the start of a series.

That was back in 2012. Now, in 2019, we’re finally getting a follow-up — so let’s take a first look at what the sequel, Magical Diary: Wolf Hall, has to offer, and how Hanako Games and Spiky Caterpillar will be making use of crowdfunding to realise their goals.

Continue reading Magical Diary: Wolf Hall – A Wolf in Wizard’s Clothing →

Atari A to Z, Videos

Atari A to Z: Vanguard

4 Comments

This one was a new one on me until quite recently. I present to you Vanguard, an unusual shoot ’em up originally released by SNK in the arcades.

Vanguard is unusual because it’s not just being one thing, unlike a lot of shoot ’em ups at the time. Instead, it shifts between horizontal, vertical and diagonal scrolling at various points in the levels, and even has some rudimentary boss fights. It’s also quite unusual to find a game of this era with a proper “continue” system, particularly in its home incarnations.

While its visuals may not look like much these days, it’s a great shoot ’em up that is still worth revisiting today — and there’s an Atari 2600 version too, for those who prefer to console it up.

Follow Atari A to Z on its own dedicated site here!

Podcast

The MoeGamer Podcast: Episode 16 – Welcome to 2019!

6 Comments

Hello! Welcome back to the first episode of The MoeGamer Podcast for 2019, featuring my good self and my good friend Chris Caskie of MrGilderPixels.

The MoeGamer Podcast is available in several places. You can subscribe to my channel on YouTube to stay up to date with both the video versions of the podcast and my weekly videos; you can follow on Soundcloud for the audio-only version of the podcast; you can subscribe via RSS to get the audio-only version of the podcast in your favourite podcast app; or you can subscribe via iTunes. Please do at least one of these if you can; it really helps us out!

Or you can hit the jump to watch or listen to today’s episode right here on MoeGamer.

Continue reading The MoeGamer Podcast: Episode 16 – Welcome to 2019! →

Split/Second, Sunday Driving, Videos

Sunday Driving: Splashdown – Split/Second #2

2 Comments

Having cleared the pre-season training and the first episode of exciting new TV show Split/Second, it’s now onto the next installment.

This episode, Splashdown, introduces the Air Strike event type. This involves helicopters firing missiles at you while you’re just minding your own business trying to drive in circles around an abandoned city.

It’s as intense and ridiculous as it sounds. Hit the jump to see how things went…

Continue reading Sunday Driving: Splashdown – Split/Second #2 →

Announcements, Community

Around the Network

4 Comments

Well, we come to the end of another week, and a monumentally unexciting one at that.

Having endured the pre-Christmas doldrums, it’s now time to get suitably discontent in the run-up to February, which my family has long regarded as the most depressing month in the whole year for some unscientific, almost certainly superstitious reason.

Still, at least there are some cool games on the way… and the things I’ve been covering here on MoeGamer have been making me happy, so… well, there’s that! Hit the jump to see what you might have missed this week.

Continue reading Around the Network →

Videos

Atari A to Z Flashback: Asteroids Deluxe

2 Comments

How do you make Asteroids better? Add the word “Deluxe” to its name, obviously.

Okay, 1980’s Asteroids Deluxe adds a bit more to the basic Asteroids formula than that, but it’s still very much recognisable. The whole experience is a bit smoother than the original, the presentation is sharper and cleaner (and blue!) and there are some additional enemies to deal with. But you’re still rotating and firing and dodging. And dying. Dying a lot.

I’m still no good at Asteroids, Deluxe or otherwise, but I actually enjoy it a lot more today than I did back when it was “current”. It’s a game that’s held up extremely well, and it’s a pleasure to revisit both of its most famous incarnations in the Atari Flashback Classics collection for Switch.

Follow Atari A to Z on its own dedicated site here!

Atelier Arland Trilogy, Cover Games

Atelier Rorona: Arland’s New Beginning

9 Comments

cropped-atelier-header-3938584This article is one chapter of a multi-part Cover Game feature!
<< First | < Previous | Next > | Latest >>

As we’ve previously explored, the Atelier series is no stranger to rereleases and remakes — and at the time of writing, Arland trilogy debut Atelier Rorona has had more than most.

Initially releasing in Japan in 2009 as Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland before being localised by NIS America for North America, Europe and Australasia in 2010, the game was subsequently completely rebuilt in 2013 under its new worldwide publisher Koei Tecmo as Atelier Rorona Plus in an attempt to bring it more in line with the subsequent releases in the series. In 2015, Japan got a unique 3DS version of the game. And in 2018, Gust and Koei Tecmo brought Atelier Rorona DX — pretty much a port of Atelier Rorona Plus — to Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Windows PC.

Keeping one game relevant for nine full years and counting is no mean feat. So let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons this game might have stuck around for quite as long as it has!

Continue reading Atelier Rorona: Arland’s New Beginning →

Project Zero, Videos

New Game Plus: Where’s My Head – Project Zero #10

1 Comment

I think we’re over the worst in our Project Zero Nightmare mode playthrough!

Today’s episode concerns the third “night” of the game, and unfolds surprisingly smoothly. There are only two “vanishing” ghosts to find in this chapter… but there are some tough fights ahead, so we’re certainly not in any sort of safe space just yet.

Hit the jump to see how things went…

Continue reading New Game Plus: Where’s My Head – Project Zero #10 →

Essentials, Switch

Fitness Boxing: Switch Fit

6 Comments

“Exergaming” has been around for a while now; I can recall working up a sweat in Dancing Stage (aka Dance Dance Revolution) on PlayStation 1 back in university.

It was arguably Nintendo who really popularised the concept in the Wii generation, however, with Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus and subsequently Wii Fit U all setting a great example that a number of other developers and publishers strove to emulate. Exercising at home could be practical, said these games, and it could be fun, too!

The Wii and Wii U generations are behind us now — though I know some people are still religiously using Wii Fit, and all credit to them — so it’s time we had a successor, right? Enter Fitness Boxing for Switch.

Continue reading Fitness Boxing: Switch Fit →

Videos

Atari ST A to Z: Pac-Mania

2 Comments

There have been numerous attempts to improve on Pac-Man over the years by both Namco and third parties.

One such attempt by the former was Pac-Mania, a game which transplanted Pac-Man’s simple single-screen maze-based gameplay into a scrolling, oblique-perspective affair with jumping, power-ups and visually themed worlds.

Opinions vary as to whether it’s actually an improvement on Pac-Man or not, but one thing is certain: Grandslam’s port to Atari ST was very solid indeed, and one of the few Atari ST games I actually remember buying for myself back when I was a kid!

Follow Atari A to Z on its own dedicated website here!

The best of overlooked and underappreciated computer and video games, from yesterday and today.