About Kirk Hiner

I had a pretty good college experience overall. I met some great people. Got better on bass. Was introduced to my favorite book. Totally worth the decade of debt. I’m not sure the…survivors of Demonschool will be able to say the same.
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Although I’ve played a lot of pinball in my time, I have no recollection of ever playing Scared Stiff. I therefore entered Pinball FX – Williams Pinball: Scared Stiff with no preconceived notions, and I’m enjoying it enough to seek out the actual machine.
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Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree was released for Switch nearly three months ago, so it’s been wading in our review pool for quite some time. That ended up being to my benefit, as I don’t have to say I overlooked this compelling action RPG.
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I love a good sequel, and I love a good series, as much as the next JRPG fan. But I also love digging into new games, and that’s what Switch and Swtich 2 owners will be able to do soon with IKINAGAMES’ STARBITES.
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Of all the Atelier games, the Ryza series is easily my favorite. It’s therefore quite easy for me to recommend the Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Edition. Before I do, though, I should address the colossus golem in the room.
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The Cabin Factory is not a game that was meant to be played, it was meant to be streamed. You’re not meant to enjoy it, you’re meant to react to it, and that’s what I did. But how do I review a game I simply reacted to?
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I’m not sure why Full Metal Schoolgirls is set in 2089. A powerful mega-corporation forces its employees to work unreasonable hours so its executives can acquire even more power in an already corrupt world? You think that’s 65 years off, do you, Yuke’s?
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Persona 3 Reload is a blast from start to finish, maintaining a balance and focus that many less ambitious adventures have trouble executing. It’s not a title I’d recommend to everyone, but those who are open to its concepts will be thrilled.
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Of all the sports games available to us, I’ve always preferred basketball. This is despite the fact I don’t care to watch the actual game—it’s too squeaky and harshly lit. But I’m enjoying NBA 2K26 on the Switch 2.
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In my review of 2021’s Rise Eterna, I stated, “…the ending is very abrupt and unsatisfying. It felt tacked on, as if they were going to set up a sequel (which I’d like to see), then bailed.” Well, that sequel is now here with Rise Eterna 2, and it’s a solid improvement over the original.
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Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition is very much the type of game you’ll buy now and keep on your home screen years. But if you already own the previous Switch version, there’s little here to justify the upgrade.
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HYKE: Northern Light(s) is about “witches, camping, and an adventure across the world.” I’m interested in only one of those things, but I gave this action RPG a go nonetheless. I’m happy to say it has its moments, but how many of those will depend upon what you want from it.
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We were introduced to Atelier Yumia back in March. This November, we’ll be reintroduced to Atelier Ryza. Between the two, say hello to Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian.
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The Nameless: Slay Dragon is another fine example of how some games don’t just only work well with modest visuals, they excel. This RPG from WhisperGames relies on text and static visuals to present its adventure, and what an adventure it is.
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Persona 3 Reload is scheduled to arrive for Nintendo Switch 2 on October 23rd, giving you just over a month to prepare your senses of justice and style. We already knew a demo is available to assist with that, but how about a music video, too?
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VARLET is billed as a “school life RPG,” and I’m obviously too far removed from that life to find it terribly interesting—even with the turn-based battles against everyone’s negative emotions.
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Button Factory Games and CobraTekku Games (CTG) have announced that their GameBoy-esque RPG The Edge of Allegoria—originally released for Windows in December 2024—is now available on Nintendo Switch.
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We’re only a week into the 2025 NFL season, and we’ve already had a player ejected for spitting on an opponent. So, the big question for the Switch 2 release of Madden NFL 26 has to be whether players can spit on Dak Prescott. “Spit’s in the game,” right EA Sports?
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