Tech-Gaming

HimaNatsu: Of Churches, Sunflowers, and Long Summers review

Robert Allen — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:10:22 +0000

The end of summer holds a particular significance in Japanese fiction. Festivals and fireworks provide one last moment for celebration, while the din of the cicadas seem to grow a bit more melancholic. With the three-term school calendar resuming in September, late August also creates a deadline for one last romance before responsibilities return. Where …

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Q&A with XeGrader plus’ Tokihiro NAITO

Robert Allen — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 16:43:29 +0000

Few game designers can claim a career spanning the formative years of Japanese action RPGs and the creation of a brand-new title for vintage computers. Tokihiro NAITO made his name as the programmer and designer behind 1984’s Hydlide, later contributing to the development of Hydlide II, Hydlide 3, Virtual Hydlide, and the cult shooter Undead …

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Magical Blush review

Robert Allen — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 21:42:52 +0000

The term “metroidvania” probably conjures up images of a side-scrolling labyrinth filled with ledges, ladders, and ability-gated doorways. Magical Blush approaches that familiar formula from above, presenting the action from an overhead perspective reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Here, Brazilian developer Alkacer Game Studio channels some of The Legend …

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Toaplan Arcade Garage: Flying Fire Shark review

Robert Allen — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:21:10 +0000

One recurring detail in Toaplan’s shooters is military hardware. Tiger-Heli established this trend in 1985, pitting your lone copter against an army of tanks, warships, and gunboats. Two years later, Flying Shark sent an incredibly mobile biplane into a similar setting, while 1989’s Fire Shark intensified the action with bigger weapons and an even more …

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New Release: September 10-16, 2026

Robert Allen — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 18:28:35 +0000

This week, Marvel’s Wolverine unleashes its claws for some brutal, bloody action, while The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure bring the complete Crossbell saga to PS5 and Switch 2. Meanwhile, HimaNatsu: Of Churches, Sunflowers, and Long Summers (pictured) delivers a bittersweet visual novel about childhood friends, …

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SPRAWL zero review

Shane Nakamura — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 23:34:52 +0000

Games like Trepang2, Turbo Overkill, and Severed Steel have been some of the best first-person shooters of the last few years. While each delivered its own mechanical flourishes, none of these titles has truly tried to revolutionize the genre. Instead, they’ve delivered potent feasts of gunplay as you mow down legions of foes, which is …

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Asdivine Knot review

Mike Zhou — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 04:54:46 +0000

Unlike Asdivine Hearts’ rubix or Asdivine Kamura’s harbinger system, Asdivine Knot doesn’t deliver a distinctive hook right away. Here, developer EXE-CREATE assembles many of the familiar KEMCO ingredients. There’s brisk, turn-based battles, of course, alongside relationship-dependent endings, and a party obsessed with teasing its brooding lead. As such, the game relies on the Nexus Gauge …

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XeGrader plus review

Robert Allen — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 01:05:13 +0000

With its pixel art and modest mechanics, XeGrader plus looks like another one of those modern games infatuated with retro sensibilities. But its history is a bit more complicated than that. The title is the work of Tokihiro Naitō and Tadahiro Nitta. The two developers helped define MSX gaming in the last late eighties and …

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The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure review

Robert Allen — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 18:07:31 +0000

Once called the “Walkman of the 21st century” by former Sony CEO Ken Kutaragi, the PlayStation Portable was a prodigious piece of hardware. Boasting exceptional audio, visual, and storage capabilities for its time, the handheld became home to a wealth of console-quality role-playing games. For stateside players, that meant being able to enjoy celebrated titles …

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The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero review

Robert Allen — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 03:15:32 +0000

The success of shows like Shōgun and Andor demonstrates that audiences still have an appetite for sprawling, densely plotted stories. But television isn’t the only medium enamored with elaborate narratives. Nihon Falcom’s Trails series now stretches across more than a dozen interconnected adventures, collectively chronicling political conflicts, technological shifts, and an alarming number of secret …

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New Releases: September 3-9, 2026

Robert Allen — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 15:39:18 +0000

This week, Onimusha: Way of the Sword sends Miyamoto Musashi into a demon-infested Kyoto, while Phantom: PHANTOM OF INFERNO NITRO ARCHIVE revives Nitroplus’ dark tale of assassins and stolen identities. Meanwhile, SPRAWL zero (pictured) delivers a dopamine-filled dose of Y2K-inspired first-person action, and Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia trades bloodshed for a colorful, character-swapping journey. …

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Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia review

Robert Allen — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 02:29:31 +0000

The best platformers understand the importance of flow. That’s the sensation you feel when a game’s controls, hazards, and level design all work together, letting you move through a stage without breaking a sense of immersion. Super Mario Bros. Wonder guides you with coins and visual cues, while Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze barrel launchers …

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Aggelos 2 review

Shane Nakamura — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:55:47 +0000

I approached Aggelos 2 with a bit of indifference. After all, metroidvanias aren’t exactly scarce on Steam. Even a quick scan of Valve’s storefront will probably reveal several of them. Similarly, pixel art now seems like the genre’s default art style rather than an identifying choice. As such, the sequel to 2018’s Aggelos might not …

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Lou’s Lagoon review

Robert Allen — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 01:09:23 +0000

Lou’s Lagoon understands that a good tool can make ordinary chores feel satisfying. Plenty of crafting games have asked me to chop trees, plow fields, and plant seeds, and it hasn’t always been engaging. Developer Tiny Roar’s tropical adventure gives you something a bit more more entertaining: the Swirler, a vacuum-like gadget that sucks resources …

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Warped Reality review

Shane Nakamura — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 04:30:59 +0000

For decades, cyberpunk has been warning that technology will inevitably betray us. Habitually, the culprit is either artificial intelligence, an ominous corporation, or some new piece of hardware with a particularly nefarious end-user agreement. Warped Reality gathers all three possibilities under it’s paranoia-fueled, neon-doused visual novel. Unwonted Studios understands that even a familiar premise, like …

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Mexican Ninja review

Robert Allen — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 20:30:59 +0000

Grindhouse movies were rarely celebrated for their technical polish. All too often, their limited budgets were visible in the shoddy sets, awkward edits, and performances from second-string actors. But they were frequently fun and just a bit subversive. Best of all, they took chances that bigger productions didn’t. Developer Madbricks understands that games should take …

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New Releases: Aug 27-Sept 2, 2026

Robert Allen — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:23:20 +0000

This week’s new releases span everything from tactical espionage, grand strategy, super-powered soccer, and even a bit of good, old gothic carnage. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots bring two different chapters of Snake’s saga to modern platforms, while BRIGANDINE ABYSS offers continent-spanning conquest and CAPTAIN TSUBASA …

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Box Knight review

Robert Allen — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 23:59:36 +0000

Office life is such a ideal candidate for satire. And that one of the reasons why Box Knight is disappointing. From superfluous meetings to performative pep talks about improving the corporate climate (while making everyone miserable), the modern workplace has an inexhaustible supply of things to make fun of it. Undoubtedly, Adelaide-based We Made A …

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Apidya’ Special review

Robert Allen — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 19:09:53 +0000

Most shoot ‘em ups are content with sending space ships through starry battlefields. Apidya’ Special replaces the customary enemy armadas with everything from bees, bees, mosquitoes, fish, frogs, and one particularly deadly cricket. But this ecosystem is poised to evoke memories. Yes, this is essentially Gradius with bugs. And I’m completely OK with that concept, …

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Hands-On With Brigador Killers

Mike Zhou — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 23:25:59 +0000

Stellar Jockeys have spent the last seven years developing a follow-up to 2016’s Brigador. Although Brigador Killers retains the original game’s destructive isometric action, its protracted development period reflects some larger ambitions. Currently available through Steam’s Early Access program, Killers need to show that it can support several new systems without losing the focus of …

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