About Kirk Hiner

Truth be told, because I was firmly on the side of Baldur’s Gate in great gaming debate of the late ’90s, I’ve never played a Diablo game. Now that I’ve played Diablo II on the Switch, I…well, I won’t say I was on the wrong team, but I can freely admit that bypassing Diablo was a mistake.
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I’m conflicted by WarioWare: Get It Together! This is somewhat by design, as the game is all about conflicts. Urgent, ridiculous, three-second conflicts. And whereas its traditional microgame formula is largely intact, a couple of development decisions can lessen their impact if you’re unwilling to adapt.
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Square Enix has certainly been keeping things interesting with some unique new games. The latest is Dungeon Encounters, a single-player dungeon exploration RPG that was just announced at Tokyo Games Show.
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One of the more intriguing announcements in Nintendo’s E3 2021 Direct was the JRPG Astria Ascending. If you’re a fan of the genre, Artisan Studios and Dear Villagers would like to remind you that the game hits the Nintendo eShop tomorrow.
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A Night at the Races isn’t quite what you’d expect from the title. It’s less of a race and more of a runner, and a very difficult one, at that. Unlike most runners, however, this one comes with a fairly intricate story to keep you involved between the levels.
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If yesterday’s Nintendo Direct didn’t press all your gaming buttons, KOEI TECMO America has just placed another on the console. Touken Ranbu Warriors is coming to Nintendo Switch in May of 2022.
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WitchSpring3 [Re:Fine] – The Story of Eirudy is a study in mobile vs. console gaming. Originally released for mobile devices, The [ReFine] version is a Switch port that makes some necessary improvements, but not enough to justify the price.
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Nighthawk Interactive has announced that Colors Live, the sequel to the critically acclaimed painting Nintendo 3DS game, Colors! 3D, is now available exclusively on Nintendo Switch. Developed by Collecting Smiles, Colors Live is a digital sketchbook for artists of all skill levels.
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Publisher Ziggurat Interactive has announced that “revamped” editions of the original BloodRayne and BloodRayne 2 are heading to Nintendo Switch and other consoles this fall. Both games will be available digitally and through an exclusive physical release through Limited Run Games.
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Telling a cautionary tale isn’t usually the goal of an arcade sport game, but that’s what Golf Club Wasteland does. Major corporations have rendered the Earth uninhabitable, so the one-percenters have fled to Mars and only return to play a few rounds of golf, which totally checks.
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If you’re a fan of scrolling shooters, don’t overlook this remake of Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams as I originally did. Cotton Reboot! is a game worthy of its titular exclamation mark.
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Part of the reason I hated FMV games was the fear that this was the direction the industry was heading. Now that we’re safe in the knowledge that it never will happen, it can be fun to go back to that period to revel in our mistakes. Speaking of which…
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An issue with many trivia games is that the players need to be at the same level in order be competitive. That’s fine if you’re playing with friends, but it may not work with families. Papa’s Quiz changes the formula just enough to help solve that problem.
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Epistory – Typing Chronicles is a visual treat, and it plays like no other game I can think of on the Nintendo Switch. But there’s a reason for that, and that reason means you may be better off playing it on your computer.
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The first Musou-style game I ever played was Warriors Orochi III Hyper on the Wii U, and I had a great time with it. Unfortunately, none of the Warriors games I’ve played since then were quite able to recreate the same level of fun…until now.
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I’ve been playing video games for a very long time. I’ve killed monsters and demons in many different ways. And although I can’t (and wouldn’t want to) recall each method, I can say with certainty that Akiba’s Trip: Hellbound and Debriefed is the first time I’ve done so by stripping them.
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One of the more pleasant surprises to come from the E3 Nintendo Direct was that KOEI TECMO is updating 2014’s Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. We now know the game will be released for Switch, other consoles, and Windows PC on October 28th, 2021, in North America.
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Ys IX: Monstrum Nox provides a solid JRPG experience for genre and franchise fans. Unfortunately, some visual and technical issues prevent it from being as good as it could have been. Head inside to find out if you should accompany Adol Christin on his latest adventure.
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