At the En Masse Entertainment booth (makers of Terra Online), I had the pleasure of playing through one of the dev's latest up-and-coming MMO's Kritika Online. Kritika is a fast-paced brawler MMO that lets players get right into the action from the very beginning of the game.
For most podcast recordings, NinJaSistah and Pandalicious are not in the same room. Ninja is typically bundled up on the cold second floor of her house, while Panda is sitting in her den, usually with her cat, trying to keep it from making a ruckus during the show.
If you're a fan of the classic NES Zelda game will love this modern day action-adventure RPG. Blossom Tales follows a young girl named Lily who has become a Knight of the Rose in a quest to unlock a secret remedy in order to
Monster Boy is a beautiful 2-D side-scroller where you, as the player, embark on a journey with the main character, who is struck with some sort of wizardry magic that transforms you into a monster, hence the name.
At first glance Chime Sharp looks like a free-roaming variation of Tetris. You put pieces together in the hopes of gaining combos and the like. However, I soon realized that the only thing Chime Sharp had in common with Tetris
Trove is an eccentric cubed MMO that brings all the fun of mining, building and questing into one explosive game.
When it's cold outside, we look to anime to warm our hearts. Has this year's anime succeeded in providing good feelings to anime fans? I think it's been a mixed bag, which is usually the case for winter seasons.
I'll Watch it Eventually
Little Witch Academia
Little Witch Academia has gone from short film to series, but it's a Netflix exclusive overseas. While Japan enjoys the further adventures of three young witches, I'll have to wait a few months. In the final episode of Space Patrol Luluco, another Studio Trigger joint, the Little Witch series was announced, and it was damn adorable. I hope that the TV show maintains the quality-and cuteness- of the film.
Returning Favorites
Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball Super, being the shounen show that it is, is hard to catch up on, especially if you actually want to watch all the new series. I started from the very beginning, and I really got into it with the Future Trunks arc. It's definitely the high point of the show so far. It feels like the 90s again for me!
Showa Genroku Rakugo Shuinju: Descending Stories
What can a great show do to top its first excellent season? Nothing, really, but Descending Stories does not lazily coast on the success of its flashback season. I thought that this modern day story would be much lighter hearted, since the focus is on Yotarou, and not on the old master Yakumo. Nope, I'm still crying every episode. Rakugo Shinju still has legs, and I have to watch every episode almost as soon as it comes out. This is an incredibly strong anime.
Ai Mai Mi Surgical Friends
This is the type of anime that even anime fans scratch their head at. It's a short form comedy, and it's entirely bizarre. Go ahead, ask me what it's about...
I DON"T KNOW! Yes, it is about school girls going about their daily life, but it's not a slice-of-life show. Suddenly one of the girls is taken over by a malevolent entity. Someone pisses themselves. One of the girls has a hidden origin where she was really an orphan warrior. There is a talking llama. Why is the new season called Surgical Friends? Again, I have no idea. That title has nothing to do with anything. Just-just go with it.
Ao no Exorcist
New Ao no Exorcist? It took a long time! I did want to see more about this show, and once I had watched a couple episodes, I had felt like I was home again. I rediscovered the worth of Ao no Exorcist, why I got caught up in it the first time around. Ao no Exorcist is like anime's version of Hellboy. It's about a boy with the powers of his father, who also happens to be Satan. Many people lost their lives to the dark lord, and they aren't happy to work with this demon child. In the new season, Rin Okamura is still on unsteady ground with the people he works beside, since they got a grand demonstration of his powers.
I don't know how long it will take me to catch up with this season, but every episode I have seen has been a pleasure.
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shufuku wo! (Konosuba)
I've seen many "stuck in a fantasy world" anime in just the last 5 years, but Konosuba has a twist, just like Re: Zero does. Konosuba's twist is that it's a comedy rather than a serious shounen action series. Also, the lead character is somewhat despicable. He is our protagonist, but Kauma's not exactly a hero. Konosuba is absolutely hilarious. I liken it to Seinfeld or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, where these characters act unlike how you expect rational people to behave. On top of that, they have their quirks and shortcomings. It makes for a pleasant watch, especially if you're watching as many serious, heartbreaking shows as I do.
The Runners-up
Gabriel Dropout
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Organizing a medieval adventure is never easy, so you would think that going on one from the comfort of your home would be a lot simpler. In [adult swim games]'s Kingsway, you quickly find out that any magical adventure is never a
Let me be blunt: as a kid, I sucked at ToeJam & Earl. The Sega Genesis classic was a game that drove my patience, to the point where I had my first experience of rage-quitting a video game. Its groovy graphics
