Tag Archives: anime

Series Reviews

Pokémon Horizons: The Series Premiers on Netflix February 2024

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Pokémon Horizons: The Series will be available to stream on Netflix on February 23rd, right in time for Pokémon Day. While I am sad that the series will no longer follow Ash and Pikachu, I am excited about what direction the new series takes. The series will Liko and Roy as they brave new Horizons in the first new anime series in 25 years.

The Official Synopsis:

A new adventure is beginning within the wide world of Pokémon! Arriving at Indigo Academy, a girl named Liko receives her first partner Pokémon, Sprigatito. But she soon finds herself pursued by the Explorers, a mysterious group that’s determined to take the pendant necklace she wears. Liko isn’t on her own, though, as Friede, Captain Pikachu, and the other Rising Volt Tacklers offer her protection aboard their airship. Meanwhile, a boy named Roy dreams of becoming a Pokémon Trainer, unaware of the secret hiding within the Ancient Poké Ball he carries. As Liko, Roy, and the Rising Volt Tacklers set sail for new horizons, what kind of discoveries await?

Sneak Peak

A sneak peek of the first episode is up on the official YouTube, and I recommend you check it out if you can’t wait till February. 

I wasn’t going to watch this series, but I just love the animation and character design to let it pass me by. Pokémon has never been a genre-defining anime, but it has always been a comforting one. For an anime that is designed to sell toys to kids, I can’t deny that it has its moments. I am sure this series will be just as cheesy and silly as the rest, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Whether you throw it on as background noise or sit down to watch it with your kids, this is looking like an adventure you aren’t going to want to miss. 

Board Games and TCGs, gaming news

Mech Horror TTRPG Eldritch Automata Coming to Kickstarter

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Eldritch Automata launches its campaign on Kickstarter on January 2nd, and it just might be the horror RPG you need at your table. Eldritch Automata uses the Year Zero Engine that combines anime, science fiction, and horror in what promises to be a frightening and memorable experience. I’ve gotten a taste of the Year Zero System through Dragonbane, and I’ve been enjoying it. It’s easy to learn, and unique enough to provide a memorable experience. Putting this into a world of Kaijus, mechs, and other abominations seems like a good time. 

Society has fallen. Eldritch Horrors and nightmarish Seraphs reign chaos over a dying world. Humanity’s only hope rests on the shoulders of pilots and their Automota, but this is no easy task. Pilots must brave the monsters that terrorize them and the demons that dwell inside them. Do you have the willpower and fortitude to be the hero the world needs, or will you be another resource in this game of survival? 

The game will be revealed at PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia happening this weekend. If you’re attending, make sure you hit up the Gehenna Gaming game room to try it for yourself or head over to their booth (3750) to ask them any questions. I have to see more before I buy into the system, but I am interested. I love that it will introduce mech combat, but the moral mechanic adds a level of complexity I am here for.

Make sure you add the Eldritch Automata Kickstarter to your watch list so you get notified the moment it goes live. If you enjoy these updates, make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.  

Board Games and TCGs, digimon tcg

Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning hits select theaters november 8 – 9 and we’re getting promos!

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Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning will be playing at select theaters across the United States on November 8 and 9 through a special Fathom event. This is great news for fans of Digimon Adventure 2 because it brings back those lovable characters in a new adventure 20 years after the events of the original. If you don’t remember what happened, have never seen it, or simply need a refresher, the entire season is up on the official Toei Animation YouTube.

I’ve already bought my ticket and somehow convinced my wife to go, I can only hope it’s good enough for her to watch more Digimon with me. She did enjoy Ghost Game, so maybe there is a chance. You can pick up tickets to the show for $15 on the official Fathom page. Make sure you get to the show early because the first 50 attendants will get a 3-card promo pack for the Digimon TCG. They may not be the coolest, but it is a nice gesture. 

The Promo Cards

Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning Set ($80)

Now if you need more movie-themed cards for your collection, you might want to look at the Digimon Adventure 02: The Adventure set on Premium Bandai. The set costs $80 and comes with:

  • 30 Digimon cards (15 unique cards x 2 each)
  •  50 Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode Sleves
  •  5 Special Digitama Sleaves
  •  1 Rubber Playmat
  •  1 Storage Box

These promos definitely look a lot better than the ones you’ll be getting at the show, but it’s up to you how much you enjoy this series to justify the price tag. Preorders are open till November 27, or until supplies run out. The set ships in June. 

Board Games and TCGs, digimon tcg

Digimon Adventure 02 Collector’s Set Drops on Premium Bandai

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Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning will be hitting U.S. Theaters on November 8 and 9. To celebrate its release, Premium Bandai has opened up preorders for a very unique collector’s set for the Digimon TCG. The set costs $80, which is a bit on the expensive side, but well worth it if you are a fan of Adventure 2. 

And if you are a fan of Adventure 2, Toei Animation has uploaded the entire series on their YouTube!

If you’ve been enjoying these updates, please make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. If you need to pick up any product that isn’t Premium Bandai, like the new Resurgence Booster set, pick it up at TCG Player using my affiliate link!

The set includes:

I love the Digitama sleeves. They are so cute. I am not too crazy about this kit myself, but I can see fans of the movie or people who want to make their Imperialdramon deck pretty getting this. I just hope the storage box looks better in person. The Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning Set costs $80. Preorders end on November 27, or when supplies run out. The set ships in June.

  • 30 Digimon cards (15 unique cards x 2 each)
  • 50 Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode Sleves
  • 5 Special Digitama Sleaves
  • 1 Rubber PLaymat
  • 1 Storage Box

Digimon

Trainers

Sleeves

Playmat

Storage Box

video game reviews

CRYMACHINA is over-stylized waifu bait with very little substance

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I was sent CRYMACHINA as a review code. I am very happy about the opportunity, but this will be my honest review. If you enjoy these reviews, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

CRYMACHINA is an anime-themed action RPG coming to PC, PlayStation, and Switch on October 24th. Humans have gone extinct, and have been replaced by synthetic beings known as Dei ex Machina. A mysterious prophecy has selected a few of these beings to bring humanity back from extinction, but not all Dei ex Machina share this goal. Fight your way through Dei ex Machina as you attempt to reclaim humanity’s dominance over Eden. Do you have what it takes to claim what destiny offers?

The game is fun for the first few encounters before the novelty wears off. Unfortunately, the blatant waifu bait isn’t enough to distract players from how dull and unimpressive the game becomes. The art style is interesting but tends to be a little too busy and loud for its own good. The story is poorly written, and the gameplay isn’t fun enough to make up for it. This isn’t a bad game, but it is hard to recommend when there are better options in the genre.

I wish the game was better because the format is interesting. The gameplay loop is split into two parts: combat and story. Combat is broken up into small manageable levels where players face a few mobs of enemies before facing off against a boss. Boss fights had unique mechanics, but not all of them were fun. Combat started feeling repetitive, and the initial sense of accomplishment felt after beating a boss diminished and became nonexistent. The over-stylized and busy animation of the combat never made up for how bored I got with combat.

The other side of the loop was the story cutscenes that came in the form of tea parties. Blatant waifu bait aside, this is an interesting way to do a story. Players have the opportunity to watch optional cutscenes where characters get a back story or become more rounded, or they can stick with only watching scenes relevant to the story. This is a great format for gamers with limited free time because the game can be tackled in small meaningful chunks, and you can repeat cutscenes when you need a reminder. This would have been a great format for this game if the story was good, and the characters weren’t generic waifu tropes. 

You can pick up CRYMACHINA for PC, PlayStation, and Switch on October 24th, but I’d hold off for a very generous discount. Even then, you’ll have better options. 

video game reviews

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society, its cute and fun, but not for everyone

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I was sent Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society as a review code. I am very grateful for this opportunity because this game has been on my Wishlist since it was announced for the Switch. That said, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game.

Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society is a retro-feeling dungeon crawler available now for the PlayStation, Switch, and PC via Steam. Eureka has been hired by Madame Marta to search the mysterious Labyrinth of Galleria for the nine mysterious Curios d’art. With the help of puppet warriors, you must delve into the labyrinth and uncover its secrets. What will your adventure hold?

This game is cute, but it feels unfinished. The deeper I got into the game, the harder it was to finish. The story was fine, but the gameplay loop started to feel repetitive. I enjoyed this game in small bursts. The exploration and combat were soothing, and I enjoyed the story. The problem is that there wasn’t enough to keep me engaged. Labyrinth of Galleria isn’t a bad game. I enjoyed it, but it doesn’t do enough to be worth $50. If you like retro dungeon crawlers and don’t mind how heavily it falls onto anime tropes, the game is fine. It has a pleasing art style, terrific voice actors, and a solid story. If you don’t, maybe wait for a good sale.

The gameplay loop is simple. You move through the dungeon in a first-person view one square at a time, and fight monsters with dolls you collect. Combat runs like a traditional RPG and unlocks new dolls and abilities the deeper you get into the game.

The problem I have with this game lies with the gameplay. The game is fun until the grind gets stale. There are settings you can mess with to make the grind manageable, but it got harder to keep playing the longer I sat with it. This is a game that is tricky to recommend because of how niche it is. 

You can pick up Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society for PlayStation, Switch, and Steam for $49.99. Steam currently has it on sale for $39.99 for their NIS publisher sale, but unless you like retro dungeon crawlers, there are better titles you can look at. The sale ends on October 16th.

gaming news

The Second Wave beta means we have more lore and playable heroes on the way!

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Beta Coming October 6th!

The Second Wave beta is just a week away, and I can’t wait to jump back in. I first tried Second Wave at GDC and got to play in the Alpha earlier this year. I loved this game so much that I am still following it closely, counting the days till I can log back into Armantia!

Second Wave is a free-to-play shooter coming to Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, IOS and Android Devices, and PC via Steam and STOVE. A release date hasn’t been announced, but I will keep you posted. The game will be cross-platform between consoles and PC, but mobile devices will have to play with each other to keep things fair. The game allows gamers to play as unique heroes as they fight in epic team battles over Armantia. I love the art and character design, but it might be a little heavy on the anime side for some folks. Art style shouldn’t matter when the game is this fun. Finally, Second Wave promises not to be pay-to-win. All monetization will exist within a cosmetic-only cash shop or battle pass. It’s not clear how they will handle hero unlocks, but I hope it’s not as predatory as Overwatch 2. 

The beta will run from October 6th to the 6th for Steam, Stove, and Xbox insider members only. This will be an open Beta. All you need to do is download the game during the beta period and play till your heart’s content. No announcements have been made about signing up through Xbox Insider yet. I recommend you join the official discord to stay up to date on all the updates.

As we gear up for the open beta, we got a few new characters teased as well as some lore for Ess’el. We have more lore on the way, but I just couldn’t wait another day for this update. If you’ve been enjoying these updates, make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends. 

Ess’el’s Backstory

Ess’el was the first hero I played as, and was the reason I fell in love with the game. Funnily enough, it was also the first choice for the two girls I played against. I don’t think I’ll main here because I love the support role too much, but she will always have a special place in my heart. Her back story just dropped, and it is as edgy and cool as you would have expected! She is a fun melee character that I am sure will see a lot of play.

Aegis

Here is a character we’ve seen briefly before. I love the dark and light motif. This is on the list of characters I am going to try to main. She will be playable in the open beta. The rest of the reveals will follow without much description because we only got the name drop so far.

Jemma

Spade Four

Jack

video game reviews

Disgaea 7, the cute anime game you are going to want to play at least once!

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I was sent Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless to review a little after my previous post. I’ve been excited about this title since the first announcement and was planning on buying it regardless. I am very fortunate to get the chance to review it for my site, but I won’t let this sway my opinions on the game. This will be my honest review of the game. If you’ve been enjoying my reviews, make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends. 

Disgaea 7 is a quirky and unique JRPG for PlayStation, Steam, and Nintendo Switch. This review is based on the Steam version. 

This is a cute game with stunning visuals, a fantastic soundtrack, and fun gameplay. Do not let how cute this game looks fool you. This game is difficult if you don’t take it seriously. I found the stages appropriately challenging and the mechanics engaging. I played the game on Easy, which was appropriate for my skill level. Although I never found the stages impossible or frustrating, it was easy to wipe if I wasn’t playing strategically. If you’ve never played a strategy game, it has terrific tutorials to get you started.

The story is a little on the silly side, with a general cheesiness I found charming. It has a cast of tremendous actors that make the cut scenes such a delight to sit through. I can see this being a niche game due to its tone, but the gameplay is fun enough that it won’t matter. The story is self-contained enough to exist on its own. While you won’t need to play any of the other games in the series to enjoy Disgaea 7, you are going to. 

Aside from the combat, what I love most about this game is how much you can do at the base. Between stages, you get access to all these shops where you recruit new heroes, learn new skills, buy items, vote for buffs, and do other administrative stuff to prepare for the next stage. As goofy as this game looks, I spent a lot of time planning things through, and I loved every minute of it. 

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless releases in North America on October 3rd on PlayStation, Steam, and Switch for $59.99. If it’s not yet on your wishlist, it should be. 

gaming news

Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless is out for the Switch, and its pretty cute

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The Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless demo for the Nintendo Switch has been out for a few days, but I finally got to play it. I loved every minute of this demo. The art is cute, the voice acting is fantastic, and the gameplay is engaging. I haven’t played any of the Disgaea games before, and I am regretting my life’s decisions. Disgaea is a cute and quirky strategy RPG coming to PlayStation, Steam, and the Nintendo Switch on October 3rd in the US, the 6th in Europe, and the 13th in Australia.

A tyrant rules the Netherworld of Hinomoto. Its once proud warrior people now live under the Hinomoto Code of Destruction. It is up to two unlikely friends to join forces and bring back the Bushido code that was once the staple of this proud civilization. 

You don’t need to have played any of the other games in the series to enjoy the demo, but you are going to want to. The demo does a fantastic job of walking players through the different mechanics and setting up the story as its own entity. I’ve been excited about Disgaea 7 since it was first announced. This is definitely going to be in my cart at launch. If you are a fan of the series or want some extra swag, you might want to check out the special collector’s edition available at the NIS online store. There are two different sets, one with plushies ($159) and one without ($99.99). I’ll leave the details below. You can buy the plushies separately.

If you’ve been enjoying these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

Without Plushies ($99.99)

  • Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless Limited Edition
  • “The Art of War” Hardcover Art Book
  • “Songs of Honor” 2-Disc Original Soundtrack
  • Steelbook
  • Mini Byoubu Art Display
  • “Netherworld Warriors” Yunomi Tea Cup
  • Collector’s Box

With Plushies ($159)

  • Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless Limited Edition
  • “The Art of War” Hardcover Art Book
  • “Songs of Honor” 2-Disc Original Soundtrack
  • Steelbook
  • Mini Byoubu Art Display
  • “Netherworld Warriors” Yunomi Tea Cup
  • Collector’s Box
  • Lil’ Fuji Plush
  • Lil’ Pirilika Plush
gaming news

Second Wave Beta coming October 6th!

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The Beta for the MOBA Shooter Second Wave has been announced for PC and Xbox. The beta will run from October 6th to the 16th. Now I got to play an early version at GDC and got in for the Alpha and loved every second of it. Even though the versions I’ve tried were rough, they were enough to keep me excited for Second Wave’s release. I understand that it is too early to judge since we don’t have a finished product, but I see the potential.

Second Wave will be playable on PC, Xbox, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and IOS and Android devices. It is essentially Overwatch, but more anime-inspired. I just hope Second Wind isn’t as toxic as Overwatch has become. I loved playing support and can’t wait to hop back in and play some more. This game is fun, and worth trying if you enjoy the genre, so make sure you wishlist the game on Steam and join the Discord to stay on top of all the news.

If you’ve been enjoying these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!