Pocket Billiards: Funk the 9-Ball’s aesthetic makes a simple pool game stand out

By Jenni Lada // 1.31.192.20.19

There are a lot of pool games out there and frankly, it can be difficult for some to find a place for themselves. Especially in the case of the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. You have games with generic titles like Billiard Club, Championship Pool, Pocket Color Billiard, Pro Pool and Side Pocket. The lone exception was a strange little game called Pocket Billiard: Funk the 9-Ball. In a world where lots of games tried to sell themselves by just showing billiard balls on the cover, this one gave us a dog boy named Break and a frog girl named Rack.

Let’s look at Atlus’ and Sega’s Purikura adventures

By Jenni Lada // 8.27.188.27.18

Back in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Atlus was involved in a venture you wouldn’t expect. The company was a part of the Print Club fad. Though, you might recognize it as Purikura. This was a sensation where you popped into a photo booth, took some pictures, then added frames, words and accents to little pictures that would print out on stickers. (People who played Yakuza Kiwami may remember the Purikura photo booths!) It was a big deal at the time, but do you know how far it really went? Let’s review!

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How early Hamtaro games were secretly awesome

By Jenni Lada // 8.22.188.20.18

What do you know about Hamtaro? There is a very good chance that the response could be, “Not a whole lot.” But, if you owned a Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance in 2002 and 2003, you might be one of the few who knows a surprising secret. That is, there were two Hamtaro games that were absolutely awesome. Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! and Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak were both adventure games that actually required you to learn a new language and explore towns to help hamster-kind. Both of these games are surprisingly good, and that’s before Mario & Luigi developer AlphaDream took over the series with Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue.

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Let’s look over the Penguin Wars timeline

By Jenni Lada // 8.14.188.14.18

Players often run into long-standing engagements in video games, perhaps never really grasping what is going on or what every fight entails. Penguin Wars is returning to modern consoles in a big way. But, with so many entries in the series referred to as simply Penguin Wars, it may be difficult to tell what is different. Fortunately, we are here to look through the series’ timeline and better understand what happens in each tournament.

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N64 Classic vs. Game Boy Classic: a breakdown

By Graham Russell // 7.30.189.10.18

After the success of Nintendo’s first two classic devices, many have suggested the company will follow up with a third. Will it be an N64? Or will it be a Game Boy? Maybe neither? Let’s look at the case for each, and what would likely be included.

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Quest: Brian’s Journey shows how important an additional adaptation can be

By Jenni Lada // 4.25.184.22.18

The eighth generation of video games is known for many things. One of the most notable is the proliferation of ports, remakes and remasters. Companies bring games back, even if they are only a few years old, so a new audience can enjoy an improved and upgraded experience. But this is not such a rarity. Years ago, the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color had a similar situation with a specific game: Quest: Brian’s Journey. Except in this case, it was a demake that offered people a chance to take a better version of the adventure on the go.

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What do you need to know about SaGa?

By Jenni Lada // 4.9.185.24.18

It is a great time for fans of Square Enix’s SaGa series! Romancing SaGa 2 was ported to multiple platforms and released worldwide. SaGa: Scarlet Grace was the first new entry in the series in over 11 years when it was released on the PlayStation Vita in Japan in 2016. Basically, it feels like it is experiencing a renaissance. Which means it is a good time to review what makes it so special.

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What’s up with Ruby Party?

By Jenni Lada // 1.22.181.31.18

Otome games are only just starting to find their place worldwide, but these dating sims for women have been around for quite some time in Japan. If you start enjoying these titles, you will eventually find yourself hearing about Ruby Party. You may even hear laments about how no Ruby Party games have been localized yet! Who is this developer? Why should you care about its titles? Let’s learn a little more about this studio!

Lufia: The Legend Returns’ large cast makes the game stronger

By Jenni Lada // 1.10.181.8.18

Have you ever considered how unrealistic it is when we see games where a small group of heroes somehow topple gods and save the world? I mean, a group of four or six teenagers or young adults managing to do it all? It could be considered quite a stretch. Some games acknowledge this by offering a larger party to make their premise more plausible, but it is Lufia: The Legend Returns that goes above and beyond to present a solid cast. This game’s 12 heroes and heroines come together to strike down the Sinistrals in a way that makes a bit more sense.