About Kirk Hiner

As if to spite all the rumor-mongers and leakers, Nintendo today officially unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2 with a 2025 release in a decidedly “meh” manner. Check out the first-look trailer and let us know if you agree.
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The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II is sure to delight JRPG fans. How am I so sure? Because I’ve now attended two Discord previews from NIS America, the most recent of which focused on the game’s Märchen Garten.
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Originally released as Ys III: Wanderers from Ys in 1990, this remaster of that game’s 2005 remake will be a comfortable fit for anyone who started with the more modern 3D adventures.
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I’ve come to appreciate two aspects of visual novels: their low-pressure gaming experience their typically unique visions. Both of these are on display in Tmesis Studio’s Universe for Sale.
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Switch owners have been able to get their hands on quite a few Ys games. Next up is Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana, which releases on January 7th, and we offer this preview to help you get ready for Adol Christin’s latest (repeat) adventure.
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One of the first things I point out in my reviews of franchise-based games is whether you need to know the source material to play. With FAIRY TAIL 2, that’ll likely be the case…and maybe the game deserves some credit for that.
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Flynn’s Arcade is my new favorite hangout. Some of you may prefer Arcade Archives across town, and I get that. Huge selection. But they never get anything new. Flynn’s does, the latest of which is Super Spy Raccoon.
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Well, we’ve reached the point with KEMCO that we now have throwbacks to their throwback RPGs. Maybe we’d reached that point already, but no game has made it feel more obvious to me than Journey to Kreisia.
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In Dungeons of Dreadrock 2: The Dead King’s Secret, you’re a member of the Order of Flame, and you’re out to recover the Crown of Wisdom. It all sounds so noble, but is it fun? If you’re an adventure/puzzler fun, it sure is.
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I come to Goblin Slayer -Another Adventurer- Nightmare Feast not as a fan of the series, but of tactical RPGs in general. In that regard, it’s OK, but I wonder if I would’ve liked it more if I were a fan of the material on which it’s based.
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I’ve played so many turn-based RPGs over the years that many have amalgamated in my memory. World of Kungfu: Dragon and Eagle will likely not meet that fate.
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Last week, Pure Nintendo joined NIS America and Nippon Ichi’s Kento Jobana for an online preview and Q&A of Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero. I came away with the following impressions, presented—as always, for your convenience—in bullet point format.
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We’re still four months away from the March 21st release of Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land. Does that make it too early to start digging into the game’s combat and synthesis systems? No, it does not.
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“Better late than never,” we often say, usually to excuse our own lack of interest or effort. But in this case, it’s true. Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is my first EDF game, and I’m having a blast with it.
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Take the name Miniatures seriously, as this is a very small package of four games that can be collectively completed in under 45 minutes. Is that worth $5? It depends on what you’re after when you sit down to play.
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Halloween may have passed, but does that mean the terror has ended? Not when it comes to pinball. So, let’s take a quick visit to Camp Bloodbrook—an M-rated pinball table from Zen Studios—to see if it’s worth adding to your collection.
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Gargamel has tainted the Smurfs’ communal dinner, causing them all to fall asleep. Papa Smurf figures out what’s going on and tasks your character with infiltrating their dreams to wake them all up. And honestly? It’s a dream worth having.
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Fans of the first Trails Through Daybreak will be able to pick up right where they left off with the adventures of Van Arkride and the full team from Arkride Solutions. Don’t think for a second, though, that you’re just getting more of the same.

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