Nintendo 3DS

Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse Gets a New Little Trailer Showing Combat Mechanics

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The world has begun to end as the Angels and Demon’s waged war within Tokyo. Doing so brought forth the apocalypse that the Samurai from Shin Megami Tensei IV tried to end with his valiant team. For those within this games world death is something that comes easy, one that forces survivors (the players team) to formulate strategies, to plan for combat, and to fight for survival. With demon’s now crawling through Tokyo in mass numbers, it’s time for players to fight back using the games “Strike First” mechanic, which allows players to land a preemptive strike in order to initiate combat. This strike? Can lean the game in the players favor.

If landing a first strike isn’t the first thing you do, exploiting a enemies weakness just might be the most important thing while on an offense. With attacks ranging from physical, gun, fire, ice, electric, force, light, and dark – you’ll need to be prepared to shut down enemies with their weakness. This opens up the chance to deal massive amounts of damage in a single blow, but for those that think a good defense is a great offense, you’re in the right spot.

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Buffs are highly important in the SMT world, this means a sure way to the “Victory Screen” is by using the proper buffs in order to boost damage, boost defense, and even debuff the enemy so that they are weaker; they’ll also be more susceptible to damage because of those debuffs. Another important factor comes in two steps. Don’t panic. This means take a step back, watch what demon’s do, but also prepare to use the right partners so that you can pack a punch with powerful characters such as Gaston. If you need a bit of firepower? Nozomi might be your partner of choice to pack an extra ranged ammunition.

You can see all this in action in the games trailer below:

Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is set to launch exclusively on the  Nintendo 3DS on September 20th, 2016. The title will cost $49.99 USD on launch day. Stay tuned for our review.

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Last Chance for Event Pokémon Jirachi

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Pokémon has become a world wide phenomenon, one that has captured the hearts of millions and continues to do so even to this day. For those wanting a chance at classic legendary Pokémon. Nintendo has been offering numerous ways to do so through this years 20th Anniversary event that’s lasting all year, but not each of these special Pokémon chances. The chance is limited for those who want to have an alternative way to grab an extra or three of each of these bad boys.

Ending today, players can log into the Mystery Gift, click “Receive Wireless” on either Pokémon X and Y or Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire to claim these guys. Note that these Pokémon can only be grabbed once per title, so if you have all four? There’s your chance at four different natured as well as certain stats.

Once received, the Event Pokémon can be obtained from a Delivery Woman at any Pokemon Center in the game. Make sure you have an open spot in your party. If you wish to get a specific Nature or Individual Values, save before talking to the Delivery Woman, then Soft Reset (L+R+START or SELECT). This is EXTREMELY important to remember for those of you who have special stat values that you want so pay attention carefully.

Location Event Date
Worldwide via Internet April 1, 2016 – April 24, 2016

Jirachi is one of the eleven Mythical Pokemon that will be distributed via Nintendo Network via the Wireless Connections for the 20th anniversary of Pokémon that will be going on all year. Players will need to select Mystery Gift and get via Internet in Pokemon Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X, or Y between the event dates to download this Pokemon to your game. Visit the nearest Pokémon Center and speak with the delivery person inside to add this Pokémon to your team.

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Jirachi
Level 100 Moves
Type Steel.pngPsychic.png
  • Wish
  • Confusion
  • Rest
Ability Serene Grace
Held Item Salac Berry

Coming soon on May 1st is the nefarious Darkrai who will be available exclusively through GameStop/EB Games or GAMES stores. These codes are limited in number between store availability, which stresses first-come-first-served type of deal if it happens like with Mew. So  make sure to have your calendars ready and to head over to your nearest participating retailer.

Location Event Date
Worldwide – Local Participating Retailer May 1, 2016 – May 24, 2016

Darkrai is one of the eleven Mythical Pokémon that will be distributed via a code from participating GameStops and GAME stores for the 20th anniversary of Pokémon. While connected to the internet, select “Mystery Gift”, “Receive Gift”, “Get With Code”, and enter the code in Pokémon Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X, or Y between the event dates to download this Pokémon to your game. Do note you will need an active internet connection to participate in retrieving your new Visit the nearest Pokémon Center and speak with the delivery person inside to add Darkrai to your team. Just like Jirachi, double-check and save before obtaining him in case there are values and special traits you want.

Darkrai.png

Darkrai
Level 100 Moves
Type Dark.png
  • Dark Void
  • Ominous Wind
  • Nightmare
  • Feint Attack
Ability Bad Dreams
Held Item –

Stay tuned for more updates regarding the 20th Anniversary of the franchise!

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Monster Hunter X is Heading West Renamed as Monster Hunter Generations

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For Monster Hunter fans today is one to rejoice for. Capcom has announced that their latest Monster Hunter title Generations will be heading west exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS and will feature one of the most robust set of customizations to date. The series will also serve as a tribute to the last decade of the series and will feature new areas, monsters, and even returning some of the the fan-favored regions.

The game will return the known use of cooperative gameplay via online and local play for fans that want to carry on harder tasks than before. While offering new Hunter Arts to the game, players will see a new aerial style to the game so that fans can take on aerial monsters against one another. For those looking to try out new stuff with fourteen weapon types, field skills, and power-up’s, your chance is coming soon when Monster Hunter X releases on Nintendo 3DS.

 

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Pokémon Sun and Moon Announced for 2016 Holiday

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

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It isn’t all that strange to see Pokémon titles come out every year to every couple of years. Why? The game is always evolving. Fans of the series are always pushing to be the best of the best and even causing the developers to plan ahead with how much of the franchise they consume. It’s not all that different anywhere, fans love the franchise, and the devs themselves love the franchise.

As of yesterday, there was a “leak” that hinted that a new set of games would be launching this fall. Their names? Sun and Moon. As of today, Pokémon.com has confirmed these two titles that will coincide together will launch this holiday season exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS family.

Stay tuned for more information as we await to hear about the upcoming titles.

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

 

Op-Ed: Nintendo Needs to Stop Consoles and Focus on Handhelds

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

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You might already know that earlier I ripped into the one console developer I’m a fanboy of. Not the obnoxious kind that will defend them into a six foot grave, but the one that will prove you wrong when you need it. One secret is, I have a love affair with two companies, and the second one is Nintendo. How might this be? I grew up to Nintendo. My first console played was my dads launch-day NES that he brought home on his way from work. Yes, I remember it, and I was one years old when he did it. I still remember sitting on his lap as he played games like Bubble Bobble, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., and Galaga. To me? This was my childhood and over the years? I’ve never abandoned Nintendo as they remain a part of me that has become sentimental. If they make a bad console? I’ll buy it. If they make a great one? I’ll buy it. I’m a loyalist. Much like I am to Sony and Microsoft, but not a fanboy to Microsoft.

Over the years, I’ve made the debate a few times over that Nintendo needs to leave the home console market. Their three last consoles have bombed, that being the Gamecube, Wii, and now their failure of the Wii U that has become much like Sony’s Vita. Not a lot of support and what little it got has been fantastic. Again, some of it isn’t even first party. Titles like Xenoblade Chronicles X, Resident Evil Revelations, Shovel Knight, and even my beloved Bayonetta 2 aren’t first party. While I do enjoy titles like Yoshi’s Woolly World, Super Mario Maker, Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, and Super Smash Bros. But when it comes down to third party support? Nintendo has been weak on that aspect for years, it’s no secret, and because of it? It’s honestly hurt them in the long run since they have very few IP’s that are new. While new ideas for old IP’s are great, you can only flog that same dying cow for so long before you’ve beat it to death. Unfortunately? This is where Nintendo has seemingly gone with consoles. I’m not saying they haven’t been ahead of the curve. They are truly ahead of the curve, but there’s only so much you can do before approaching the technological brick wall and slam into it.

This is where Nintendo has seem to go with the Nintendo Wii U. While we’ve seen plenty of ideas of what the Nintendo code-named “NX” could be, we already know that it’s going to focus heavily to an online service, that the console itself will be, if rumors are true, more powerful than the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. If the rumors are true this means that they will be putting some pressure on both Sony and Microsoft to push their hardware to the limit. Meanwhile while that is a nice thing, we all know that when there’s a new piece of home console out of Nintendo, that means a handheld isn’t far along. Even with the launch of the New Nintendo 3DS XL last year, it’s still a bit dumbfounding as to why they would release a new handheld already with the NX. Perhaps they are taking a PlayStation Vita route where they want a handheld to coincide with their console. However, whatever they do, it’ll be no surprise if they are forced to keep both first and third party support focus for both pieces of hardware in order to keep fas interested.

Nintendo Should Focus Solely on Handhelds – It’s Their Best Demographic of Players

If the totals according to Nintendo is true, the Nintendo 3DS has sold roughly 57.94 million units since its launch and well… The Wii U hasn’t done even a quarter of that sitting at only 12.6 million units sold since its launch. The numbers are devastating from a marketing perspective. If it puts anything into perspective since it’s launch the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One both have broken 30-40 million units each since their launch two years ago back in November. While the Wii U had come out before them, this means the console has become a literal failure, the Nintendo 3DS however, isn’t doing much better in comparison to the handheld it succeeded, the Nintendo DS/DSi, which combined sold 154.01 million units.

While it is hard to say that Nintendo has had great marketing in the past, it comes to show that some gamers feel that the 3D effect is just a cheap gimmick. Speaking for myself? I don’t use it. I find it mildly irritating to my vision as well as my Nintendo 3DS’s battery life since it does deplete my battery at a bit quicker rate than when it’s on. If Nintendo wants to do anything successful to succeed the 3DS and the Wii U? Go back to the basics. Go for high quality graphics in a handheld. There’s plenty of focus there as fans are big for handhelds since many gamers do find themselves on the go. Even if they are in public places it’s not hard for friends to get together and even gaming together through the Nintendo 3DS. If sales say anything though, it’s that Nintendo’s handhelds have always outsold their consoles and still continue to-do-so today. While that would be a sign to some, it seems the executives at Nintendo want to try and bring console gamers over to their side. It’ll be a tough road to recover from due to the Wii U’s current status in total sales.

 The NX Rumors of a Console and Handheld Combined Could Spell Trouble

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While it’s hard for people to not point out my love for my PlayStation Vita and my PlayStation 4, the same can be said about my Wii U when I get in the perky mood to play it. That means I have to be willing to sit in my V-Rocker and paying attention to the TV in front of me for hours on end at eye level since I sit on the floor to primarily play my Nintendo. Force of habit after having sat on the floor playing NES/SNES for so long as a kid. While those reflections are nice, it’s hard to say that the combination of the two could spell trouble for Nintendo. With Satoru Iwata no longer around to share his vision with his fans in his beautifully charismatic way – it’s hard to see what Nintendo’s future is like since we haven’t seen the new Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima has had a rather successful career at Nintendo, we haven’t seen many of the amazing things that Iwata managed to pull off. Things such as Iwata asks, Nintendo Direct, and the likes, Nintendo’s new president Mr. Kimishima, has been silent since he took the seat at Nintendo on September 14th, 2015.

While there have been write-up’s from such as Nintendo’s Investor Relations, we know that Kimishima is planning to keep the same course that Iwata has. The only hope here is that he has a strong idea of how to market the possibility of a home console and handheld console duality. With them depending on one another we could see Nintendo and DeNA pushing hardware and software sales next year assuming Nintendo doesn’t pull a Wii U and launch it the same year they announce it. Then again this is Nintendo we are talking about. We’ve known them to be sporadic in the past.

Third Party Support Matters for the NX – This is Why New Nintendo 3DS Focus Will Help

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When looking at the Nintendo 3DS library of games we see the same thing that the PlayStation Vita has been going through, but in an opposite direction. Instead of fantastic third party support, we’re seeing minuscule amounts of big name titles hitting the Nintendo 3DS. While we do have games such as Yokai Watch, Etrian Odyssey, Shin Megami Tensei, Fire Emblem and such leading the way, the third party support is bleak. We’ve seen few games coming out of anyone, including XSEED Games, Koei Tecmo, Atlus, NIS America, Bandai Namco or anyone really trying to make an impact. To be honest? It feels as if the handheld is dying, almost hemorrhaging for some solid third party support.

While it’s hard to say that the Nintendo 3DS family deserved a more powerful successor to the family, we got one known as the New Nintendo 3DS XL. It sports faster hardware, processors, and even went to Micro-SD support for larger memory and faster memory access. Let alone did the screens get updated, we also get the circle pad built in through the handhelds c-stick function, which has helped tremendously with functionality. What is hurting this handhelds justification of being made is the fact it has received only one exclusive since it’s launch last year; Xenoblade Chronicles 3D. While I can say I love the game, it has been a hard to justify purchase since the handheld hasn’t seen much in the means of pure exclusives like it should have been getting already. This means Nintendo could be readying its last hurrah for the hardware so they can ready up for their next hardware line. While I’d love to see the NX succeed, Nintendo does need to remember that the New Nintendo 3DS family does have a lot of support, and will for years to come as has all their hardware.

Family Games Can’t be the Focus Anymore

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If you look at the Nintendo 3DS, you won’t be surprised to see a lot of the games are focused on family or kids. With a few sparse games for adults such as Fire Emblem Awakening, Shin Megami Tensei IV or the Devil Summoner series, the handheld family has very few games in line for adults who do own the handheld and do want adult games. This is where Nintendo will need to be shifting its focus if they plan on going towards the portable gaming hardware that the NX is rumored to have. Especially since the console is supposed to be able to go on the go with its handheld counterpart so that fans can, well, take it with them if they decide to leave. IGN even had a video supporting a supposed patent that actually demonstrated a hardware that looked a lot like what we have now with the Nintendo Wii U game pad that serves as a second screen functionality or even a second screen all together.

While Nintendo has relied heavily on its first party support and kid friendliness, it’s time for Nintendo to lace up their boots and provide a bit of diversity. Especially if they are going to attempt to compete with both Microsoft and Sony in the gaming market. While Nintendo took over the handheld market with a single hand, it’ll be hard for them to maintain their current run without pulling a few tricks up their sleeves to compete with Sony and Nintendo’s first party franchises such as Halo, Quantum Break, and even Kojima’s upcoming new titles. Nintendo, diversify a bit more. It won’t hurt, we promise.

Nintendo Rocks the Handheld World Already – Closing Thoughts

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While it seems Nintendo may not notice that their handheld focus would be their best choice, it seems they are wanting to focus on both home console and handheld. While it may all be good on pen and paper, we all know in recent years that Nintendo hasn’t done the best in moving units since the Wii U struggled to break even 10 million units while their amiibo’s have been the largest selling product of theirs since the Nintendo DS/DSi and Wii. While Nintendo’s chances of coming back as a mainstream console developer is possible, their future outlook might just depend on how well their handheld sales do if the console ends up being like the PlayStation 4 and Vita ordeal. Till then? I will still enjoy both my Wii U and NN3DS while they’re current.

Stay tuned for our upcoming news as we get it about the Nintendo NX.

 

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

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SEGA Announces SEGA 3D Classics Collection

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Sega_3D_Classics_Collection

Ever get the urge to rip out those classic games such as Altered Beast, Sonic the Hedgehog, Power Drift, maybe even a puzzle game called “Puyo Puyo 2” for those who like quirky Japanese puzzle games? As of today, SEGA has announced for the price of $29.99/CA$44.99 on April 26, 2016. Fans can grab these games along with five others on the Nintendo 3DS! So lets take a look at the list of games below.

  • Power Drift – This sprite-based circuit racer puts you head to head against other AI racers in a twisting, turning, jumping, looping race to the finish.
  • Puyo Puyo 2 – This head-to-head competitive puzzle game is simple to learn, hard to master, and compellingly addictive. Compete against the AI or friends in local multiplayer. Note: because of the quirks of trying to localize a game hard-coded in Japanese, the game has been left entirely in its original language. English instructions are available in the included digital manual
  • Maze Walker – Originally designed for the SegaScope 3-D glasses on the Sega Master System, Maze Walker comes to life on the 3DS, faithfully reproducing the sense of depth as players try to escape the mysterious, twisting maze filled with unknown dangers. Originally released as Maze Hunter for the Master System in the West.
  • Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa – The sentient space ship Opa-Opa is back to defend its bases from evil (but cute!) invaders in the classic scrolling shooter. For SEGA history buffs, this version ofFantasy Zone II is the original Master System version.
  • Fantasy Zone II W –Fantasy Zone II W, which was originally created for the Master System, is the version of Fantasy Zone II upgraded to the graphical capabilities of the System- 16 arcade board with added 3D effects. You can enjoy it in 2 game modes with different rules.
  • Sonic The Hedgehog – The evil scientist, Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Robotnik), has snatched the animals of South Island, turning them into robot slaves. Only the famed blue blur can defeat Dr. Eggman and rescue the animals from his vile clutches in the game that started it all for the fastest hedgehog – Sonic!
  • Thunder Blade – In Thunder Blade, players control a helicopter and use guns and missiles to destroy enemy vehicles while flying between buildings, through caves, and into enemy bases. The re-mastered version boasts stereoscopic 3D visuals and adds a host of new features.
  • Galaxy Force II – As the star pilot of the Space Federation, it’s up to you to strap yourself into your TRY-X fighter and turn the tables on the invade forces of Halcyon and the Fourth Empire in this 3D shoot ’em up.  This remastered version has upgraded graphics with double the resolution of the original for a more pleasing aesthetic.
  • Altered Beast – Summoned from the dead by Zeus, players in Altered Beast must shape shift into various beasts and fight off hordes of demons to rescue the captured Athena from the clutches of Neff. Offers local co-op multiplayer.

With all these games releasing on one 3DS cartridge, it’ll be hard not to take up the offer and enjoy these great classic throwback titles! Now we just need to hope for more of the classic games as future releases.

 

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Nintendo Renovates their Rockefeller Plaza Store

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Are you one to visit Rockefeller Plaza in New York and just happen to like visiting Nintendo World Store? Well don’t make plans to head their any time soon. Recently Nintendo has announced that this iconic store has been closed temporarily so that they can renovate it to bring in new immersion, more fun, and an updated interior design as they power-up their store with this new look.

The new store will have new Wii U and Nintendo 3DS demo units, a 15-foot gaming screen as well as more elements and surprises when the store reopens on February 19th, 2016. Ontop of these new changes, the store will feature a new large bronze coin installed at the stores entrance with a tagline: “Where everyone comes to play,” a quote we are sure that the late Satoru Iwata would approve of.

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During the stores new weekend of reopening (February 19th to the 21st), Nintendo will host a series of reopening activities at this store. These activities include giveaways (while the supplies last) and appearances by costumed characters like Mario and Luigi. The store will also be selling exclusive souvenirs that can only be purchased during that weekend, including a limited-edition T-shirt that will feature Mario or Link. Fans of you who want to  get these items and try out some of the latest games as well as new and upcoming titles for Wii U and 3DS? Your chance will be there as well.

“Nintendo is constantly evolving its experiences for fans,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “The new Nintendo NY store is a must-see location for anyone that has a memory of Nintendo, or who wants to see what Nintendo has in store for the future.”

The store is located in the famous Manhattan Rockefellar Plaza,the Nintendo store is a gigantic, two-floor space dedicated to everything Nintendo. The store has brought fans together from around the world as they search to purchase cool Nintendo gear, but also to play some of the latest upcoming games as they prepare for release. The original store opened in 2005.

For more information about the Nintendo NY store, visit http://www.NintendoNYC.com, or keep an eye on Nintendo of America’s social media channels for updates throughout the renovation process.

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Review: Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson – Where Tattered Crimson Cloth Flows

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

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Pros:
+Hilarious dialog that truly brings the game to life
+A rather decently enjoyable soundtrack
+Higher frame rate than its predecessors
+Better quality character models
+Smoother combat and gameplay

Cons:
–Short game without DLC to expand on the title
–Character side stories removed
–Lack of actual clothing variety to keep things unique and changed up
-Predictable plot, pointless camera controls
–Cooperative play is unlocked through the progressing in the main campaign

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Breasts, bazongas, hooters, jugs, tits, etc: When it comes to Senran Kagura, this pretty much sums up its reputation among the gaming community. However, for those willing to give the series a shot, they’ll discover a competent brawler with decent visuals and delightful characters. The latest entry in the series, Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson, looks to expand upon the success of its predecessors but some shortcomings may prevent this title from truly standing out on its own.

Following the lead of the previous two entries, Deep Crimson is a story about Good, Evil, and Friendship. Taking place during the ending events of Burst, we join Hanzo Academy’s shinobi group led by Asuka as they storm Hebijo Academy’s castle to prevent one of Hebijo’s sponsors, Dogen, from summoning Orochi. Waiting for them is Hebijo’s own elite squad led by Homura. Both groups clash, eventually earning mutual respect and in the end, it’s up to Asuka and Homura to finish off Dogen. This is where Deep Crimson’s own story starts, and begins to fill in the events between Burst and Shinovi Versus.

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Plot wise, the story breaks down into Homura’s group coming to terms with becoming Renegades and Asuka’s group struggling with orders that leave them questioning what it means to be Good Shinobi. The first two chapters act as a recap and tutorial, allowing the player to become acclimated to the combat system. It isn’t until the third act that the plot begins to pick up, with an invasion of Yoma in Japan and the introduction of two new characters, Kagura, a reincarnated god-like being and her bodyguard, Naraku. In order to restore Kagura’s dormant powers, the duo harvests Red Orbs from the slain corpses of the Yoma Generals. Once Kagura has absorbed enough of these orbs, she’ll have enough power to wipe out the Yoma, which will result in massive devastation to the surrounding area and the loss of her life until she is reincarnated after another 100 years. If Kyoto is to be saved, Asuka and Homura must team up to stop Kagura.

Obviously, this isn’t the strongest plot out there and much of the story becomes predictable, with battles dragging on as they’re used to string along the plot in between bouts of dialog. I went into Deep Crimson knowing the story would be barebones but I was still disappointed with just how lackluster it was. Unlike previous entries, Deep Crimson lacks the extra side stories for each girl, which was useful for expanding backstory and explaining their motivations. Even with missions and the Yoma’s Den, the game can be completed in about fifth teen to twenty hours, barring how challenging you find replaying the game on higher difficulty levels.

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The saving grace of Deep Crimson is the writing and character interactions. Many times throughout my play through, I found myself audibly laughing at the various hijinks and shenanigans. My favorite sequence takes place at the beginning of chapter three, where Homura misplaces the bullet train tickets and her group has to stowaway on the train’s roof. Homura, being the leader she is, insists that they continue training which results in Yomi and Mirai’s clothing being blown away, causing them to go temporarily insane. Sadly, not all the writing is up to par. As I mentioned in the first impression, some of Mirai’s dialog is rather salty.
It only occurs a few times but when she does drop an F-bomb, it is a little bit jarring. It still feels out of place even if this is an M rated game.

Visually speaking, Deep Crimson is a step up from its predecessor. In-game models seem to be split between player controlled, low polygon count models and higher quality models used for special attacks and in-engine cut scenes. The transition between the two during combat segments is fairly smooth, with beautifully choreographed partner animations. Special attacks are colorful and vibrant making them stand out from the usually bland backgrounds. Speaking of character animations, the rumors are indeed true as breast physics are now approaching Dead or Alive levels of absurdity. Clothing destruction also received an upgrade as far as shredding fabric, but the ability to fully strip your target did not transition over from Shinovi Versus.

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Of course, you can’t discuss a Senran Kagura title without mentioning the Dressing Room. As with Burst and Shinovi Versus, the Dressing Room allows players to customize their favorite characters with various clothing and accessories. I was disappointed that the costume selection is only marginally better than Burst. Much of the selection is simply a palette swap of the same design, with each girl having four colors available for their attire. The worst offender is the selection of “swimsuits” available. Every pair of the 390+ (not including streetpass) available swimsuits consist of the same bottom and occasionally different top. This is minor in the grand scheme of things but is still a letdown when compared to everything offered in Shinovi Versus. Whether this is due to censorship on a Nintendo platform, hardware limitations, or simply a design choice is up for debate but the hope is additional DLC will correct this.

Another new feature to the dressing room are AR photos. Using the Question Block AR card included with the purchase of your 3DS, you can project your favorite characters into the real world. The use of AR is always intriguing but as neither the 3DS nor Vita have a high resolution camera, the blend of game assets and real world backgrounds is usually underwhelming.

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One thing Deep Crimson has in its favor is the music. The sound track really runs the gambit, with fast paced battle anthems, bubbly and cheerful mood music only to follow up with some of its more somber tracks for the occasional serious moment. For the most part, the collection is average but there are several tracks I found myself humming later on. Of note, “Pride of a Good Shinobi,” and “A Sharp, Quiet Mind,” by Mutsumi Ishimura are worth a listen. The voice acting is top notch as usual, with the Japanese cast nailing their roles. You can really hear each characters own personality come through, even if you can’t understand the language.

When looking at Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson, combat is the name of the game and this game does an admirable job in delivering that aspect. The core gameplay is still that of a button masher, utilizing Light and Heavy attacks in various combinations. If you’re not opposed to mindlessly power leveling, you can mash your way through the majority of the fights, however, later battles will become much more challenging, requiring the use of Ninja Arts. These powerful attacks are broken into three categories that target different sections of your enemy: top, bottom, and both. By pressing the Left shoulder plus X, Y, or B, your character jumps into a flashy animation, usually dealing high levels of damage to single or multiple enemies.

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Deep Crimson also introduces the new partner mechanic. In a nutshell, you’ll have two characters to manage on screen but control only one at a time. By tapping A, your other character teleports next to your current position and you gain control over them. The more you use the characters, the higher their affection level grows. Mastery of this tag system is key towards the end of the game, where you’ll need to balance the damage you’re dealing with the damage you’re receiving. As with solo missions, your two characters can perform new Secret Stacked Ninja Arts, where both attack in tandem. The higher the aforementioned affection level is, the more devastating these attacks become. Depending on the character level and their partner’s affection level, it wasn’t uncommon that I would take out nearly a third or sometimes half of a bosses health bar.

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Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson – Nintendo 3DS [Reviewed]
Developer: MARVELOUS
Publisher: XSEED Games
Price: 39.99 USD
Released: Available now exclusively on Nintendo 3DS

Over the last two weeks, I’ve had time to reflect on Deep Crimson. The game was fun, being at its best when played in short bursts, but in the end, Senran Kagura 2 is a flawed title. While the presentation and gameplay received improvements, the lack of costume variety, loss of character side stories, and short single player campaign, makes the game feel more like an expansion rather than a sequel. The series in general has a decent foundation thanks to Burst and Shinovi Versus, but without the additional narrative, the game simply falls apart. And in an age where anything could be found online, focusing on fanservice will only work for so long. Hopefully Estival Versus will return the series to a proper balance of Plot and “Plot”.

Our review is based upon a pre-release of the final version that was given to us by the games publisher.  For information about our ethics policy please click here.

 Final Score: 6 out of 10

About the Writer:

Greg_F_Heisenberg

Greg F. is an RPG enthusiast whom absolutely enjoys the niche titles that come across from the East. When it comes to beat-’em-up brawlers such as Senran Kagura, Greg knows the titles just about as good as anyone else, but his passion not-so-secretly sits with his love for retro games from the NES and Sega period. In his free time Greg contributes to B.A.T.G.R. with his knowledge of such feedback.