#sega
#sega
by Amr (@siegarettes)
“A game ultimately based on capitalism”. That’s the way SEGA producer Yosuke Okunari described Fantasy Zone, in an interview on its 3DS remaster. Given its roots as an arcade game, that’s not too far from the truth. Amidst its cute aesthetics is a game not scared to play rough, to rob you of both your quarters and the in game currency you use to keep yourself capable of fighting back. The SEGA AGES release gives you ways to adjust how rough you want to play, but it’s still that same arcade game, and it’s gonna make you work. Instead it finds an interesting new way to rebalance the game: creating generational wealth.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Born of the Wii party game boom, the Mario & Sonic games have often been relegated to side attractions. Outside of the novelty of putting Mario and Sonic head to head for a foot race, they never inspired a larger response. Mario & Sonic 2020 aims to change that, introducing a new story mode that sees the cast competing in the ‘64 Olympics to escape a world that’s trapped them in their retro forms. Alongside some engaging events, this goes a long way to making Mario & Sonic 2020 more of a complete package, one that lasts beyond the initial novelty, even if its uneven in where it puts its attention.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Seeking to bring new life to a lesser regarded entry in the series, Banana Blitz HD removes the motion controls, brings the game to HD, and tags on a sharp new interface. These additions do a lot to make the original game more playable, but also makes clear the glaring compromises in the original design, while sanding off some of the unique appeal of the original.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
With the sheer volume of entries in the Yakuza series, sometimes it becomes hard to talk about just what it is that separates an exceptional entry from a great one. Thankfully the rapid releases of Zero, Kiwami and Yakuza 6 have all put on display different facets of Yakuza’s appeal. Zero remains the peak, with well integrated side stories and strong characterization, Kiwami’s core drama and combat held the game together despite a choppier narrative arc, and Yakuza 6 showed off the series’ incredible ability to capture local flavor. Yakuza Kiwami 2 then, is a synthesis of the work done in these previous entries, collecting the best elements and using them in its return to one of the series’ strongest stories.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Becoming familiar with the Yakuza series means becoming familiar with Kamurocho, the bustling entertainment district that the series calls home. And like Kiryu Kazuma I’ve come to accept that Kamurocho is a place I can’t escape, but also a home of sorts. The are others cities, each with their own character and charm, but the heart of Yakuza has always been Kamurocho. So I’m pleased to see that Yakuza 6 has once again brought new life to this city.
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Sonic Mania is an incredible achievement. It’s a game I looked forward to since its announcement, and one that I had total faith in knowing the team behind it. It’s smooth, modern, and has great boss fights and a few surprises that I appreciated.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
[TRANSCRIPT]
Sonic Team has made one of the best games of the year. It doesn’t have Sonic, it’s not even a platformer. It is, of all things, a fighting game. So move over Capcom, Arc Sys, and make way for Puyo Puyo Tetris.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
[TRANSCRIPT]
Sonic Forces feels incomplete. It’s straining against its budget, with signs that it may have gone a few changes of direction. Everything is highly polished, but it’s clear that plenty got cut on the way, leaving them to assemble what’s left into something resembling complete. It’s frustrating, seeing something with so many ideas, but with almost none of them explored.