Missy's Game Shelf

I am anticipating no other game more than Fantasy Life 2. The most charming and easily my favorite game on 3DS was the first game. It wasn’t the most advertised game, but it was the most entertaining game on that system. I’ve probably replayed it more than the Legend of Zelda or Pokemon games which given what I usually cover aside from indie or other RPGs is astonishing. I have tried writing a review on it only to find that harder to do because I can never get how the game across as much as I’d like. So it was disappointing to hear a delay from October 10th happened and has been slated for sometime in 2025. I’m not all that surprised given there hasn’t been much information on it recently despite the nearby launch. There was a character creation trailer a few months ago, but nothing else and the Switch showcase didn’t update fans at all or have a new trailer ready on it.

I’m pretty split on this it does give the developers more time to make the best they can and potentially bring more eyes on this game, but it also makes the wait longer and sometimes delays are needed. Dragon Age Inquisition had a few delays and that is considered one of the best games in that series, but Fantasy Life is a relatively smaller yet more stable game. I’m going to remain optimistic I know that my expectations are high, and even though sometimes delays don’t help. I can blame my own over excitement after so long thinking the series was cancelled after their small mobile game cut servers, but if this revives the series then a small delay can be forgivable.

Edit: I just looked back and did find an old review I wrote on this game not my best, but feel free to take a look.

I’m going to look over the three games in the trilogy in the remasters for each of these. Both of these are amazing platformers with great mechanics, but which one is better. I need to disclose something both of these games original release are some of the first video games I have ever played so I may be biased in some regard.

Level Design

This is sad to say, but Crash Bandicoot wins this point. Levels are more compact and linear in Crash Bandicoot, but there is something always going on either the challenges or visuals. Spyros levels are big and the largest draw to them is you can go anywhere without restrictions, but while you are rewarded with treasure and collectables the areas are still relatively empty. The good news is that Spyro will add more npcs and challenges in games after this.

Point: Crash Bandicoot

Gameplay

With both these games being platformers the gameplay is relatively the same so the objective is going to be how to jump from area to area and is it fun to do so. The point actually goes to Spyro mostly because to clear challenges it isn’t as limited. Since both these characters get more moves and powerups in later games it is easy to forget how their base move set is different. Spyro has a glide to get across gaps, flame breath and charge to take out enemies and collect gems, and it feels good to look around for the bonuses. Crash is limited to a jump to clear gaps, a spin to take out enemies, and a slide to clear lower areas and in this version of the game a lot of jumps feel heavier and harder to make. This limits Crash and he would get more abilities later along with more challenges supporting that moveset.

Point: Spyro the Dragon

Bosses and Challenges

This goes to Crash Bandicoot a lot of Spyros bosses tend to be holding down the charge button until you hit them or can use your flame breath while they have good designs for them the problem is even with how limited Crash can be his bosses rely on precision and the players skill rather than anything else and are relatively engaging to fight. Challenges for both are great, but arguably Crash is more difficult, breaking all the boxes and staying alive in this game between the newly added Stormy Ascent to the exceedingly difficult clearing Bridge to Nowhere legitimately rather than using the rope glitch it can be close to luck to actually do this. Plus with the Gem challenges theres a lot to do. Spyro is a collectithon to clear this game you need every piece of treasure and all the dragons. You can technically clear the game without all the treasure, but will not get the bonus cutscene Dragons are obtained by clearing challenges and will give advice or just leave.

Point: Crash Bandicoot

So the winner is clear while both games are fun and I’d highly recommend both. Crash Bandicoot is more if you enjoy clear hard challenges, but both follow the fact anyone can clear these games. Fun to play hard to master defines these games and neither are shy about those mechanics needing specific skill to clear challenges. Spyro may fall behind, but only slightly and most of my complaints were near absent in later games.

Moonstone Island was a game I was playing throughout the three showcases and having fun with. It is a mix genre game being a farm simulator and Monster Taming.

Gameplay

You go to different islands to collect plants and sell them to grow them. The combat is a card based system. Monsters cards will line up and a set at the bottom of the screen will come up after picking the best ones to knock down defenses and eventually knocking out the opposing monsters you win and can level up and get better cards. The types of monsters can help in battle certain types have advantages over others. I find the system harder to get used too if you haven’t played something like Slay the Spire to understand the system, but overall enjoyable.

I liked this game and it was fun it hits a good balance between the more relaxing farm simulator aspects and the more chaotic card gameplay. it was a stranger choice but not unwelcome. The characters were memorable, the monster design is good, and good pixel art style.

I know what everyone is thinking EA losing due to greed again. How many franchises and companies have they systematically destroyed due to their actions? I lost count after Maxis and later Bioware games. APEX Legends has long been a game I forgot about. Recently though it jumped into the easiest way to destroy your entire fanbase. In APEX much like other live service games you can pay for a battle pass through real world or in game currency. This allows you to get specific bonuses and clear challenges quickly. Further, since you can buy the battle pass with in game currency if you are patient or skilled enough you never have to spend real money. APEX is free to play and up until a recent update has somehow managed to avoid too much scrutiny. The update removes the ability to buy the pass with in game currency. This was met with backlash several players protested others left over 70,000 negative reviews on Steam alone. Now while it is easy to say EA caused this and its just their usual let a game build an audience and treat players right then greedily take all their money Respawn was asked if this was an EA decision they pushed on the team. Given history with Bioware and other companies it is easy to see why, but in an interview a Respawn spokesperson said this was what Respawn wanted and pushed for and I think that is the most shocking development of all. EA abusing their developers and gamers alike is something that earned them the Worst Company in America vote multiple times over to the point people are used to blaming EA when decisions that are particularly greedy this is the first time in awhile the developer has been to blame. They have tried to walk back the decision, but we all know how these work they will return to using the old system, but make it grindier and harder to obtain currency to the point you will have to use real money and eventually lose majority of their audience if they haven’t already.

Yong Yea. “EA & Respawn respond to Apex Legends battle pass backlash after 70,000+ negative reviews on Steam” YouTube, Jul 26, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W-wxBilDFg

One of my oldest reviews was on the Indie Game My Time at Portia. As of now I have replayed the game on switch and many of my issues were addressed so I no longer see that review as what I think of the game. It was true at the time I played it for the first review, but after they ironed out some of the bugs it is actually much better. Today we are looking at the sequel. That said after covering the recent showcases I wanted to review a small game and while I have been playing Moonstone Island I still need to give that game more time before reviewing it.

Now, this game was at one point a DLC for My Time at Portia before being expanded on to its own game. The gameplay is also the same you gather resources and craft them into tools or machines. RPG mechanics with level up in three catagories Combat improving health, attack, and defensce, Social allowing the benefits of the towns much easier including buying and selling as well as commissions, and Gathering allowing the ease of getting better and better materials or getting more materials. This time though there is a lot of arbitrary rules. The game takes place in the desert so trees are rare, but you still have the need for wood to power your machines and craft, however, the citizens all lose relationship points for cutting trees down. For a game that has its inspiration from Harvest Moon and as a follow up to My Time at Portia your relationship is important in this game high friendship can lead to sales at the shops and the towns residents responses to you. This doesn’t need to exist other than to limit the player from the second major gameplay mechanic.

In conclusion play Portia as this is pretty much the same game with the same graphics and although it has a different story and characters. When everything new and added doesn’t feel new and what does is detrimental to the player or the game itself.