Uphill Battle

I'm back from yet another round of work and time mismanagement to take yet another dive into my video game backlog.  If this keeps up, I might as well drop everything else and rename this blog the "Gaming Graveyard."  So let's jump in.

Catherine: Full Body--Trial Version (Switch)

The best thing about the Nintendo Switch being region-free is clogging your memory with games from one region that you wouldn't see in yours.  In this case, a demo of Atlus and SEGA's upcoming port is available in the Japanese eShop.  Having missed out the first time, I was very interested in what this title had to offer.

Giving new meaning to the phrase, 'three's a crowd,' Vincent's guilt over stringing along 3 young women manifests into a nightmarish dream world, where the gameplay takes place.

The rest of the game, from what I gathered, is more of a dating sim, with cutscenes animated by Studio 4°C.  Off-topic, I happen to own a 4°C-produced film that I'll cover in the foreseeable future.

The actual gameplay is a mix of platforming and puzzle-solving, where you have to scale and manipulate a tower of blocks.  This is the farthest I've gotten before getting stuck.

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising (GBA)

Part of the reason I got back to playing this one was to try out a Game Boy Micro I've bought off of eBay, and that was because it was the closest I'd get to trying out SEGA's upcoming Game Gear Micro consoles.  Beyond that, it's good to take a break from a game and come back to a tough level with body and mind recharged.

On said level, the naval forces of Green Earth must travel down a narrow reef surrounded by fog and enemies to destroy two of Black Hole's mega cannons.  Though Yellow Comet is here to help, it took quite a few tries before one of my battleships squeezed through and took out the cannons.

The next mission falls on Green Earth's air force, tasked with capturing an island fortress protected by anti-aircraft fire, copters and fighters.  I admit to looking this one up on YouTube and mimicking every move to achieve S-Rank.

On my current mission, standing between my ground forces and the enemy base is an active volcano that rains down lava on friend and foe alike on each turn.

I've just started playing the following games last week to test the Playstation Vita I bought.  Having put so much time into these already, I'm adding them here ahead of my ever-growing backlog.

Dead or Alive 5 Plus:Demo Version

One of several demos I've downloaded onto the Vita, this is technically my second exposure to the DOA franchise after Dead or Alive Dimensions for the 3DS.  Though basically playing the same, DOA 5 Plus holds a few notable features over DOAD.

While the demo lets you try everything except the story campaign, the roster of playable characters is lackluster, making you choose between Kasumi, Tina, Hayabusa and Elliot only.

Beyond that, one can tell right away that this is nearly identical to the home console versions.  While the demo offers cross-save, the full game should let players play, save, and buy DLC between the Vita and PS3.

Though an in-game camera lets you snap pics of the action from every angle, you're better off using Vita's capture feature and sharing your shots however you choose.

In a mode straight out of a mobile app, player's can even use Vita's touch screen to literally poke their opponents to death!


Injustice: Gods Among Us--Ultimate Edition

Having watched tons of Injustice intro and clash videos on YouTube, this game was at the top of my wishlist.  Though this is what I've spent most of my 4th-of-July weekend on, that time went into training and tutorials, preparing for both Story Mode and online, though I question who plays their Vita online these days.

 Being the Ultimate Edition, this version of Injustice features all previously released DLC, including playable fighters like Batgirl and Scorpion.

 Another faithful rendition of home consoles, the game retains the graphics . . .

 All the characters' moves . . .

 And all their supers.

I'm guessing Giganta and Atom Smasher weren't added to the roster for fear they'd 'tower above' the others.

That's all for now.  Next I want to pick up Fire Emblem again some time this year.  For now, I'll be working on my DVR backlog.  Hope to see you next time as I continue button-mashing my way to the Top of the Heap.