Bomberman Quest is the result of throwing Bomberman into one of the Gameboy Legend of Zelda games. It’s a mashup of Bomberman’s bomb-based gameplay with Zelda’s structure and mechanics, which becomes evident about two minutes into playing it. Since this is a mashup, the game deserves a hybridized name. The choice is obvious, so welcome to Bomberelda… Read More »

What is bravery without a dash of recklessness?  Five Retro Encounter panelists recently finished the first Dark Souls, and it’s every bit as impressive, intense, and moving today as it was in 2011. Today the panel talks about the game’s undercooked second-half environments, the fully-realized DLC episode, and the emotional turmoil upon discovering why certain… Read More »

I got my first console back in the late nineties when I was around twelve — a PS1. In the preceding months, I spent hours thumbing through gaming magazines and getting excited about specifically playing Final Fantasy VIII (which was due out soon) and Final Fantasy VII (which I’d bought a magazine walkthrough for even… Read More »

NieR: Automata is one of the most influential games of the previous generation and one of my favorite games of all time. So, when a NieR-like game gets announced, I sit up and listen. When Stellar Blade was revealed in 2019, it quickly slotted itself into my most anticipated list. Every trailer painted the game… Read More »

Lunark developer Canari Games has announced Castaway, a top-down action-adventure title, is releasing worldwide on August 16th for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. This charming bite-sized game features pixel art visuals and is heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Preorders are live at… Read More »

Atlus has announced that the original soundtracks for its cult-classic RPGs Digital Devil Saga and Digital Devil Saga 2 are now available on music streaming services. This release commemorates the series’ 20th anniversary. The music has been consolidated into one playlist with a total of 139 songs. Both albums were composed by longtime company composers… Read More »

Look out, it’s a scary… boyfriend? Idea Factory’s upcoming spooky otome game, 9 R.I.P., launches on the Nintendo Switch digitally and physically on October 15th. Physical copies will be available in standard and limited editions. Dive into the world of handsome, spooky spirits in the trailer below: The limited edition of 9 R.I.P. includes the… Read More »

On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re diving into a magical alpine journey and revisiting a classic RPG. First up, Abe joins us to discuss Dungeons of Hinterberg. This action RPG with Zelda and Persona-like elements is set in a beautiful Austrian resort town, combining combat, puzzles, and social interactions. How do these elements come… Read More »

This edition of RPGs Coming This Week solidifies 2024 as an exceptionally strong year for RPGs. I mean, we knew that before the year even started, but it kind of hits differently when you lay it out week after week. And this week, seven solid titles grace storefronts for the first time. Not all of… Read More »

The mid-to-late ’90s are by far the peak of creativity and ingenuity for legendary development house Squaresoft. Buoyed by Final Fantasy VII‘s success on the PlayStation in 1997, Squaresoft created a wide range of experimental titles for the platform, blending genres like survival-horror (Parasite Eve), 3D platforming (Brave Fencer Musashi), and even shooting games (Einhänder)… Read More »

In February 2024, The Pokémon Company decided to make up for lost time by publishing not one, not two, but three OSTs on the same day. Among them was the soundtrack to their gen-9 flagship title: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet! This soundtrack is the largest of any from the franchise to date, spanning six discs… Read More »

The action RPG landscape is dominated by Metroidvanias and Souls-likes these days. As the subgenre gets more crowded, developers must find ways to make their games stand out amidst a sea of clones. Aside from The Surge, there haven’t been many sci-fi-oriented Souls-likes, and outside of Code Vein, the anime aesthetic has been sorely underrepresented.… Read More »