Category: Editorials

Editorials, Video Games

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror – Where the Path to Kissing Your Friend is the Straight One

Marow

Kirby is a franchise that, even at its worst, has always been an enjoyable time. And yet, there had always been one title that stood out to me – and not in the positive sense. It was messy, confusing, and just felt haphazardly put together. It wasn’t a bad time per se, but it always remained the sole title I never finished to completion no matter how many attempts. That title was Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, which first released on Game Boy Advance in 2004. But now, over 20 years later, I was finally able to experience the game how it likely was intended to be and it somehow ended up one of the best multiplayer experiences I’ve had.

Anime, Editorials

The Performances in Girls Band Cry are All Style, No Substance

Marow

As of writing this, I am only a few hours past of having finished the anime Girls Band Cry by Toei Animation. It took the timeline on my social media by storm out of nowhere, despite not being available anywhere on English streaming services – the latter which remains a mystery as official accounts promoted it in English ahead of release. Packed with a punk rebellious energy wearing its emotions on its sleeve, it was hard not to be mesmerized. But for all the praise I wish to shower the series with, the performances in Girls Band Cry are incredibly weak and flat.

Editorials, Video Games

They Say ”We Love Katamari”, But Turns Out I Don’t

Marow

Playing Katamari Damacy for the first time through its remastered Reroll release was nothing short of pure bliss from start to finish. It is a quirky and nonsensical game about you playing a cute and tiny green-colored prince sent out to roll up everything you see into a ball – a katamari – which is then turned into a star to be put into the night sky as King of All Cosmos had accidentally destroyed them all. Everything from the unique dual-stick control scheme, the absurd cutscenes, to the wacky music turns it into joyous experience that is unlike any other. I had long been aware of the franchise, but actually playing it was something else. There is a natural escalation from a miniscule to gargantuan ball as you play. It’s unique, it’s funny and it’s a game that I wholeheartedly recommend anyone to play if they get the chance to. So, color me surprised when I played its equally beloved sequel We Love Katamari and found it to be a far departure from what I loved about the first game.

Anime, Editorials, Impressions

Embracing the Beautiful Chaos of WIXOSS

Marow

WIXOSS was an anime I remember hearing a lot about when it aired in 2014. What I heard was not positive in the slightest, with comments often going as far as to ridicule its scriptwriter Mari Okada who – particularly at the time – had become known creating scripts for series that wore their hearts on their sleeves for better or worse. In the case of WIXOSS, it seemed to fall into the latter category. WIXOSS was jokingly called an unintentionally edgy and grimdark comedy with exaggerated and unrealistic emotional outbursts where not much made narrative sense, which culminated in card battles that did not appear to follow any rules in the slightest. For two anime adaptations, Selector Infected WIXOSS and Selector Spread WIXOSS, meant to promote a card game and later multimedia franchise, it was definitely not what I would have expected to become the face of it.

Editorials, Video Games

Why I Prefer Pinch-out: Experimental Operation over Contingency Contract in Arknights

Marow

It was about a week ago when the new game mode Pinch-out: Experimental Operation released in the international version of Arknights. Given the impressions I had come across online I was anxiously preparing for a bad time. Yet, I find it to be largely an improvement over its predecessor called Contingency Contract.

Editorials, Other, Reviews

OVERЯOID – When You Win the Battle With This Card, You Win the Game

Marow

Earlier this month, I was metaphorically dragged kicking and screaming into a few rounds of a card game called OVERЯOID (Overroid). Never having heard of it before, as expected given only someone as quirky the perpetrator – known for finding obscure card and board games like it is their job – could discover this particular game that has close to no presence in the English-speaking parts of the world. In fact, it would not surprise me if this is the only long-form text written available in English, as when searched on Google the results are so sparse that a Twitter post from me appears. This is a shame, because despite my initial apprehension, OVERЯOID turned out to be an absolute blast that was hard to put down.

Editorials, Video Games

Discovering the Thrills of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

Marow

Ace Combat is a franchise I have long been aware of, but never once paid close attention to. Growing up, I remember reading about some entries in gaming magazines and receiving fine reviews, but that was about it. So, to say that Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown has turned my world upside down would be an understatement.

Editorials, Video Games

How Dossoles Holiday Solved the Biggest Issue With Events in Arknights

Marow

As much as I love Arknights, there has been one aspect of it has that started to bother me the more I play. For a mobile gacha game that surprisingly tends to respect the player, it has always confused me as to why its events are the one thing that do the complete opposite. This especially came to light during the recent re-run of Dossoles Holiday, which is the only event that to my knowledge has had a system that completely solved the issue at hand.

Anime, Editorials, Reviews

Romantic Killer – The Overlooked Anime of 2022, and a Critique of Societal Expectations

Marow

Romantic Killer is a scathing critique of the notion that women cannot be self-reliant without the involvement of a man in their lives, while surprisingly also briefly touching upon some other heavy social themes such as toxic masculinity or victim-blaming.