This year was less polarizing than last. I spent a lot of 2017 coming to terms with some of my long-time favorite franchises going off in directions I wasn’t particularly interested in. Most releases in 2018 pleasantly surprised me. I won’t separate between the good and bad this time, so hopefully it will provide more […]

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Grinding for loot is the core of the online Phantasy Star series. But it’s more than just about the stats on each piece of equipment or power of a new spell. Each category of weapon has a unique feel, range and timing that works better or worse against certain foes. Adapting mid-encounter is key to […]

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I don’t particularly take pleasure in crushing difficulty. If it’s fair, it’s fine. But it can be draining smashing my head against a wall to try to overcome a single challenge. One thing that has always lightened the blow is a cute presentation. Aside from getting so upset at Odin Sphere that I took a […]

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Red Dog: Superior Firepower kind of plopped into my lap. Around the end of the Dreamcast’s life I ended up getting the console and this title as a gift. I haven’t thought much about until recently. Otherwise it more or less just sat in my collection gathering dust. After finally playing through it, I can […]

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Hello Neighbor is broken. That’s both a good and a bad thing. Its free-form puzzle design allows you to push the boundaries of its engine to come up with your own solutions. But its fragile structure will have you second guessing nearly every action. Your neighbor is a kidnapper. Each of the three acts has […]

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In 2021 I did a reading and commentary on this article on Patreon. I was a bit nervous revisiting Full Spectrum Warrior. Even though I didn’t play much of it as a kid, it was an impactful game for me. It taught me a lot about cover mechanics at a time where I was more […]

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Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is sold on the back of 1989’s Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. The surface level mechanics and presentation are near identical. As a side project to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, it could have settled with being a simple tribute. Instead, it’s something much more. Similar to the classic Castlevanias that came […]

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Mario Tennis Aces is far from the first time Mario has taken a racket in hand to the court. As someone who hasn’t touched the series in nearly two decades though, I was taken aback by how conservative it feels considering it features the plumber’s name. When you attach a franchise like Mario to a […]

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In the Freedom Wars story, Kai Wolf Silva isn’t particularly notable. He’s an early character who offers some tutorial dialog, then largely becomes dedicated to optional flavor text. Yet here’s an unofficial fan book dedicated entirely to him. This book is largely a collection of art, manga and short stories that drag out the most […]

The post How do we love Kai “Wolf” Silva? – He’s Such a Nice Boy appeared first on One Controller Port.

I’m always surprised by how many people played and enjoyed Thousand Arms back when it released in 1999. It’s a fairly average RPG with dating sim elements baked into it. The more intimate you become with the other female cast members, the more spells and abilities you have access to. When I played it in […]

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