Intelligent Systems

Why ‘Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows Of Valentia’ Eclipses Its Predecessors

by Josh JacksonJune 25, 2017

Fire Emblem Gaiden was seen as the black sheep of the Fire Emblem series. Released on the NES exclusively in Japan, Gaiden followed the examples of other early Nintendo sequels like Zelda II, Super Mario Bros. 2 and Metroid II: Return of Samus by being so drastically different from its predecessor that it became generally shunned by those who played it. By adding towns, extra battles within dungeons, two protagonists with two different armies, and the ability to level grind rather than needing to strategically fight story battles evenly amongst your troops, many felt like Gaiden lost its edge with these new inclusions. But in a post Awakening world where making the series more accessible has led the once fledgling franchise to become one of Nintendo’s most profitable series’ someone at Intelligent Systems thought it was a good idea to bring Gaiden back in the form of Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, a full remake for the 3DS. While it does lose some of the charm that made Awakening and Fates international hits, the once controversial changes add so much to the game that I’m comfortable in saying that Alm and Celica’s adventure overtakes its predecessors to become the best Fire Emblem game on Nintendo’s handheld.

Celica, my heart.

Rather than focus on one protagonist, Echoes splits the story amongst its two leads, Alm and Celica. These childhood friends become separated by mysterious circumstances, growing up in separate parts of the land as Alm continues his training as a swordsman and Celica grows to become a powerful priestess. However, fate calls for them to be reunited when an evil empire attempts to take over Valentia, forcing Alm to take up arms and defend the kingdom as Celica investigates the apparent disappearance of the goddess Mila. But as their paths intersect, the pair may not stay on the same side of the conflict.

From the opening moments teasing a shocking death as soon as you hit the start button, Echoes sucked me in immediately with its connection between its two main characters to the point of making me tear up within the first ten seconds. Staying true to its original format, the game removed the dating simulation aspects found in the other 3DS entries and replaced them with defined relationships between the cast. This might be disappointing for those who enjoyed putting their own relationships together, but the result is a much more focused set of interactions between most of the characters. Fighting alongside certain teammates will give you brief interactions between them, giving you a bit more insight into what their motivations are. Most character exposition however, is found when exploring towns, which acts as a type of investigation mode found in games like Phoenix Wright. Aside from discovering side missions from the townsfolk or usable items to help you on your journey, speaking to party members gives them deeper backstories than the somewhat trope ridden characters in Fates or Awakening. Unfortunately, this also means that the interactions are much fewer, since only characters relevant to each other’s stories can speak with each other, rather than everyone having the potential to explore their relationship. Even then, the dialogue on the battlefield can often be short to the point of being useless. It’s not perfect, but in the end, the result is tighter, more meaningful storytelling.

Alm charges into battle as the game shows off its new art style.

Despite these changes, the core game play is generally the same, but with some bold tweeks that change how battles need to be approached. The game still uses a grid based turn based strategy format, where certain types of units have strengths and weaknesses to others in a type of feudal rock-paper-scissors. Except the weapons triangle has been done away with, performing like a more traditional RPG where stats are king. Weapons and spell books don’t break anymore, and instead have an unlimited amount of uses. Sticking with the same weapon type over time will unlock more skills, allowing you to use Arts on command at the cost of some HP. Most games in the series make these special abilities random as you battle, but allowing us to use them at will was balanced out by making them much weaker than what we’ve come to expect from our armies’ strongest attacks. I found them to be less beneficial than just using regular attacks in most cases, essentially rendering them useless.

The biggest change in combat however, has to be how mages are handled. Rather than losing their spells over time, casting spells now costs HP, making an already fragile character type even more susceptible to being killed on the battlefield after a bad move. Thankfully, they come off as much more powerful than normal in most cases, which makes using them a high risk, high reward type of unit. But if this isn’t your style, Alm’s side of the army allows you to customize your first few units any way you want. You’ll just want to be careful and avoid creating weaknesses in your composition, since these choices will follow you through the rest of the game.

Once you have your armies in order, you’ll have numerous opportunities to put them to the test. Lengthy story battles, optional battles on the map, and full 3D dungeons for you to explore each give you opportunities to raise the strength of your soldiers. Dungeons in particular add a few unique mechanics, allowing you to attack enemies on the field in real time, destroy objects for hidden silver, (which never gets old), and a fatigue system where fighting multiple battles without leaving leads to your characters to slowly dip in strength. These areas were the highlight of Echoes’, giving us something new to do in between the constant battles. Hidden items, well springs that let you raise particular stats, and side quests that lead to some powerful gear make you want to explore every inch of these dungeons, giving you the opportunity to get stronger while you’re at it.

Celica summoning her flame to explore is one of my favorite animations.

Which is why story battles can have severe spikes in difficulty, which is one of the game’s most glaring faults. I’ve said it before in other games, but there’s little more frustrating than being able to steamroll one army, then get completely destroyed by the next one. Echoes can be especially bad at this, where at times, a single boss unit can wipe out your whole team right after they mopped the floor with his cronies. Using the ability to level grind as a type of crutch makes moments like these a chore to get through, especially when you’re anxious to see the next page in the story turn as opposed to fighting pointless battles for a few hours before you can advance. Not to mention that the dreaded random stat boosts return with a vengeance, meaning your characters can be rewarded for that hard work with next to no benefit. In a series that already has issues with having little to do outside of constant battles, forcing the need to grind only makes the problem all the more apparent.

Luckily, Mila’s Turnwheel, a new item that allows you to rewind time when you screw up a turn, can be a literal godsend during these overwhelming moments. What will surely be the new big controversy among the portion of the fanbase who thought that adding a casual mode that eliminated the game’s trademark permanent death mechanic hurt the franchise, the Turnwheel allows you to rewind time so you can redo multiple turns. Giving you step by step reminders of what happened during each move, the game makes it really easy to find where your error was and make a different move, whether or not it was one turn ago, or ten turns ago. You can only use it a limited number of times per battle, keeping it from being completely overpowered, but if you ask me, this can only be an improvement for the series going forward. Making it all the way to the end of a battle only to miss an attack or have the opponent hit a critical at the last second, eliminating an hour plus of progress, was one of the most frustrating parts of playing Fire Emblem, so allowing us to rewind single turns instead of having to start all over is a huge plus. Besides, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to use it. It’s a win-win!

Mila’s Turnwheel has saved me more than I care to admit.

Controversies aside, Echoes‘ biggest flaw is its map design, which often consists of big, open fields during the first half of the game. As a problem that Awakening had while Fates was much more consistent when it came to decent maps, it’s disappointing to see such flat areas that end up coming down to which army makes the first stupid mistake. This becomes less of a problem late game, with some incredibly taxing layouts that can take an hour plus to complete. Yet, once you’re able to start taking down fortified castles full of snipers, armored knights and summoners, then work your way up to the castle’s boss without any losses on your side, it’s an amazingly rewarding experience. It just takes about 10-15 of the game’s 40 hours to get to that point.

You’ll have to sift through some plain maps before getting to more interesting ones like these.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia still comes off as an experimental mixed bag of ideas, many of which remain bold choices in the face of popular entries like Awakening. Not everyone will like the removal of marriages, children, the weapons triangle or the more detailed interactions among the entire cast. But what we gain in the process is a more focused story, better developed characters in most cases, a variety of side quests and extra areas that aren’t usually found in the series, and full 3D dungeons that break up the monotony of constant fighting. It isn’t without its flaws, namely its insistence on level grinding and some poor map design in the early game, but overall, Echoes brings enough common sense ideas to the table that make it the best entry on the 3DS. If the upcoming Switch entry can keep a Mila’s Turnwheel-esque mechanic to let us redo turns, bring back more detailed dungeons to fight our way thorough, and figure out a way to have the openness of the relationship system without constraining the story, and Fire Emblem fans will have plenty to look forward to in 2018. Until then though, Shadows of Valentia is an engaging substitute. It’s safe to say that Alm and Celica’s adventure has risen out of its black sheep status to stand tall as one of the series’ finest.

tl;dr

+ A much more focused, engaging story.

+ The inclusion of dungeons provides a much needed break from combat, with secret items and areas to discover.

+ Mila’s Turnwheel keeps unlucky moves from being a demoralizing mess.

+ Victory is as rewarding as always.

– The early game is full of flat, boring maps.

– Side character interaction has been severely dumbed down.

– Difficulty spikes seemingly come out of nowhere.

– The changed combat systems are more trouble than they’re worth.

Final Score: 4/5

Geekscape Presents: The Top 16 Gaming Waifus Of 2016

by Josh JacksonJanuary 20, 2017

We owe so much to our waifus, who often give us sad, lonely gamers love when reality shuns us. Pay your respects by checking out our lists from years past!

2014

2015

But anyway, off to the present!

WARNING: Potential spoilers for every game listed. Unless you’ve finished them or don’t care, skip the entries you’re worried about before you yell at me.

2016 has drawn to a close, which means it’s time to evaluate all of the top gaming waifu candidates for the past year. We at Geekscape take this process very seriously, which is why this year’s list has made its way to your screens a little later than in previous years. Because we always aim to deliver as the authority on all things waifu, (and because of how indecisive I am), this year’s list is the biggest one yet! Upping the tally to a massive 16, this year was a fantastic year for female characters, memorable companions and the downright freaky. Ranging from the sweet to the sadistic, the gamers to the inanimate objects, and from mechs to movie stars, here are the top 16 gaming waifus of 2016! But first…

Honorable Best Girls:

Ayane (Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 / Senran Kagura: Estival Versus)

Ayane will always hold a special place in my heart as one of my favorite video game characters of all time. Brought up as an outcast who was forced to live in the shadow of her half sister due to being a child born from rape, her resentment reflected through her relentless tactics as a master ninja. Often aiding Ryu Hayabusa throughout his missions, she’s shined as a co-protagonist in the Dead or Alive series over the years. I’m not the only person she’s left an impression on, appearing in both Dead or Alive Xtreme 3, and Senran Kagura: Estival Versus as a guest DLC character! While she had no prominent roles throughout the year, her growing popularity makes her worthy of a mention. Now if only Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water had released in 2016, that might have been enough to push her into the list proper as a guest in that game as well, but unfortunately, butt bumping and volley ball can only get you so far here.

Marie Rose (Dead or Alive Xtreme 3)

Speaking of Dead or Alive, I can’t mention 2016 without the unprecedented rise of Marie Rose. A newcomer to the DOA scene, she gets a tip of the hat due to her winning a fan poll that not only got her into Xtreme 3, but got her the cover of the game itself! It’s impressive enough as a new character, but considering she’s the only “Justice” character in a game full of “Plot”, it’s great to see such diversity shine through in the formerly rigid world of Dead or Alive.

Elena Fisher (Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End)

Elena *SHOULD* have been on the main list. She’s brave, daring, doesn’t take any crap, and manages to keep a carefree soul like Nathan Drake in line… Most of the time. But boy, did her chances fall apart when she forgave Drake so easily for lying to her about going on another adventure despite the two settling down after all of ten minutes. C’mon, at least punch his face in or kick him in the dick! Anything other than what happened. So we still love you, Elena. Just don’t take any more crap!

Shantae (Shantae: Half Genie Hero)

Shantae is FAR too kind to the citizens of Sequin Land. As their guardian genie, she’s always protecting its citizens for little thanks, to the point where the mayor is constantly trying to fire her. Half Genie Hero is a more personal adventure for the half genie, as she tries to find ties to her mother in the Genie Realm. While it hurts not to put her on the list, she really needs to put her foot down and stop letting herself be mistreated. Maybe we can impeach the mayor? Can you do that to a mayor?

UltraDimension Neptune / Big Neptune (MegaDimension Neptune VII)

More Nep is always a good thing, especially when you have two in one game. This dual blade / pistol wielding version of our 2014 runner up has all the personality of Nep proper, but without the CPU powers. This means as a human, she can age and grow in order to earn her nickname of Big Nep. She can hop dimensions and catch bugs with the best of them,but she’s not on the list because of her convoluted plan to infiltrate the bad guys from inside their group, which in typical Neptune fashion, fails spectacularly. This led to me being forced to fight her outside of non-cannon material, and I NEVER want to have to fight Nep if I can help it. She’s far too precious, and I don’t appreciate the trauma.

And so, without further ado…

16. Iris Amicitia (Final Fantasy XV)

Yes, I know that Final Fantasy XV hammers home the idea that Noctis and Luna are destined to be together, and in a way, that’s true. But for the short amount of time that she’s with you, Iris is much higher on the quality waifu scale than The Oracle ever was. She can’t die in battle, she constantly keeps you healed when your friends are bumbling around taking pictures, she gives you items that distract enemies, and she apparently becomes a bad ass monster hunter, (off camera!) Oh, and she’s cute as all hell!

But aside from her cuteness, she’s a go-getter who takes what she wants. I mean, some might call her a homewrecker for blatantly flirting with a guy who’s on his way to get married, but I call her assertive! In retrospect, considering that Luna was destined to die and knowingly led Noct into a situation where he would also be killed, all under the guise of him getting married to her, he was better off with Iris. Even if that meant having that asshole, Gladio, as your brother in law. And you know what? I felt more than justified when I took a picture of her to admire in the afterlife to distract me from being stick with Luna for all eternity. And she’d be much higher on this list if she had more screen time.

15. Those damn stained glass mirrors (The Last Guardian)

The Last Guardian could be an insanely frustrating game to play, mostly because Trico was literally programmed to only listen to your commands when he felt like it. But there was one thing that your dog / bird / snake… thing, would stop in its tracks for. Those stupid stained glass mirrors!

Your character claims that Trico was “scared” of them, but when’s the last time you saw someone blow kisses out of fear? Much like when your best friend meets that new girl, these are constantly getting in between your bro time with your companion. However, it might be a bit of an overreaction to cope with this new life change by shattering your competition into a million pieces, but it’s not like anything else makes sense in the game. Besides, if you saw Trico make that kiss face where he grows lipstick with his pink eyes, you’d do what you could to make it disappear as fast as possible.

14. Chun-Li (Street Fighter V)

Let me start out by saying that without Chun-Li, there probably wouldn’t be a waifu list. As the first character I picked in Street Fighter II back when I was five years old because of how unique she looked compared to the otherwise all male cast, she became my very first “main”. I also ran into my first “rage quitters” in the form of high schoolers that would poke me as a distraction until I lost to Sagat because I kept beating them in our matches.

Anyway, I would love nothing more to strap a rocket onto the self proclaimed “Strongest Woman in the World” and launch her up the list simply because she’s still my primary pick in Street Fighter V all these years later. But with all things considered, she’s pretty terrible in the game’s story mode, constantly getting beaten by characters she should be able to handle. Hardly fitting for a character of such caliber, but at least she enjoyed the top tier for awhile!

13. Mai Shiranui (The King of Fighters XIV / Dead or Alive 4 Last Round)

It pains me to put Mai above Chun-Li because she’s the antitheses of everything Chun is. Mai was also the first lady of Fatal Fury, but rather than being noticed for her martial arts skills or interesting backstory, she’s mostly known for her uncontrollable breasts that may or may not be independently living entities. (En-titties?) Anyway, I won’t let my personal distaste for her character get in the way of the scientific process of determining the top waifus of the year, and Mai had an incredible 2016. As one of the characters leading the revival of the King of Fighters franchise, her strong loyalty to Andy Bogard still holds true. But while being a character in an ensemble fighting game may not be enough, being a guest character in Dead or Alive, a game that might not exist in its current form if Mai never “busted” onto the scene all those years ago, helps things come full circle in a way. Not to mention that she’s always been fun to play!

So enjoy your time in the spotlight, Ms. Shinarui. You’ve earned it!

12. Ditto (Pokemon Sun / Pokemon Moon and Pokemon Go)

Despite being an E rated game geared towards children, Ditto is the one that trainers around the world go to when they want a good time. As the most accepting waifu on this list, Ditto can be anything you want it to be. Do you want a beast? Field? How about a Water 2? If you want it, Ditto’s got it, regardless of whether or not you “get along,” or “don’t like each other very much”. This trait is both a blessing and a curse for the purple blob, making its reliability a sought after trait, while its promiscuity is something we’d rather avoid. When you have a waifu who would reproduce with its own kids if given the chance, you might need to be a bit careful around this one, even if you owe your competitive team to it.

11. Arnice (Nights of Azure)

Arnice is a holy knight who ironically became half monster. Partaking on a mission to an isolated land that’s overrun with monsters, she takes up the task of ridding monsters from the land by employing the assistance of monsters herself. But one doesn’t just invade a beast infested land for the hell of it. Arnice uses her strength to protect the one closest to her, who in this case, is her best friend, Lilysse. Often hinted at having a relationship that is more than platonic, their story tilts towards the tragic side, considering Lilysse is a saint who’s destined to be the key to eliminating the blue blood that fuels the monsters by destroying it’s source. Except Arnice also carries the blood of the Ruler of the Night, so doing so would destroy her as well. Knowing that each enemy slain is one closer to her potential death, Arnice marches on, setting her safety aside for the benefit of her friend.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Arnice has one of the best designs out of anyone on this list, so that always helps!

10. E-Sha (MegaDimension Neptunia VII)

Gold Third is a group of four humans that were given power that rivals the Goddesses of Gamindustri. Each one represents a major third party, consisting of C-Sha, (Capcom), K-Sha, (Konami), B-Sha, (Bandai Namco), and S-Sha, (Square Enix). So where does E-Sha come into play? As you learn more about S-Sha’s past, it turns out that she’s made up of two former rivals who fused in order to ensure both of their survival. As a parallel to the stoic and cold S-Sha, (who shares her attacks, design and quotes with famous characters like Cloud and Squall), E-Sha is much more caring and compassionate. After all, it takes a special kind of girl to keep their biggest rival alive when they’re knocking on death’s door.

She was too pure for this world… So she left it.

As an obvious parallel to the real life merging of Squaresoft and Enix to form Square-Enix, E-Sha ends up being an underappreciated member of the cast considering S-Sha’s usually the personality in control. Still, with such a selfless attitude and some hilarious Dragon Quest inspired attacks to boot, we’re making sure that Ms. Enix gets her due.

9. Renka (Senran Kagura: Estival Versus)

Senran Kagura is a bizarre game to explain. As most probably know by now, its premise is to have high school ninjas fight as their clothes come off in creative and absurd ways. Yet, the narrative of each game tends to be more and more serious, somehow asking you to form an emotional connection with these characters as they stand around nude.

However, Renka manages to do a good job making a connection despite her tattered outfit. As one of the new characters introduced in Estival Versus, Renka is the eldest of the three Mikagura Sisters who serve as priestesses with the power to help bring people back from the dead. Competing against the Hanzo, Hebijo and Crimson Squads in the hopes of getting their wish granted at the end of the festival, the trio secretly wants to draw out a mysterious figure who led them to a cave right before their village was slaughtered, leaving them as the only survivors. But when she’s not carrying that uncharacteristically heavy burden, Renka was easily the most fun to play with, using electric taiko drums as her key weapon. When she’s not squaring off with dangerous ninjas, she’s drawing faces on her stomach and dancing to entertain her firework obsessed sister to keep her from literally exploding.

The game leaves that tidbit about the village slaughter and the mystery person up in the air, so I’m hoping we see Renka and her sisters down the road.

8. Lusamine (Pokemon Sun / Pokemon Moon)

Lusamine is someone who loves hard. Way too hard, some might say. So hard that she’ll abandon her children, create what’s surely a multi-million Poke ~~yen~~ dollar research organization, absorb a criminal gang into said organization, and use all of her resources to draw out otherworldly beings that could potentially destroy the planet just for the chance to see the object of her affection one more time. But in the end, after assimilating with a jellyfish monster and trying to kill her son, daughter and their friends, it all came from a good place! She just became a tad obsessed after her researcher husband vanished while investigating the Ultra Beasts. Now that’s real dedication! I mean, who needs THE world when YOUR world is no longer in it?

Thanks, Lusamine. Most people see you as an evil and neglectful villain, but I appreciate you.

7. BT-7274 (Titanfall 2)

Much like Ditto, BT isn’t necessarily a male OR female, so I’ll just draw my own conclusions. Turning the tables as what most would consider from a waifu, BT protects YOU, who is the one that is too pure for this world. It’s a nice change of pace to have your smile protected for once. This abandoned Titan who’s pilot was killed during a pivotal battle quickly takes you under its wing, adapting its abilities to help protect you while either giving you direct control, or fighting alongside you as true partners in arms. As the only waifu on this list that you get to be inside of, BT also doesn’t take kindly to other Titans moving in on you, who has the somewhat concerning habit of tearing their insides out and taking their abilities so it will be everything you might have loved about them. When push comes to shove though, BT cares the most about your well being, which is why it pulls an Iron Giant during the final moments of the game while taking his spot alongside Terminator X John Connor as one of the greatest robot and human ships in all of fiction. But like a long lost ex, it seems like BT will find a way back to you if the post credits scene means anything.

6. Athena Asamiya (The King of Fighters XIV)

The ultimate idol of the SNK universe, Athena has always been one of my favorite characters ever. Once again referencing Chun-Li, Athena was my King of Fighters equivalent, serving as my main for 22 years now. This hasn’t changed in King of Fighters XIV, with such a wide variety of moves that constantly keep opponents guessing. But when she’s not fighting, singing, or hitting fans with Psycho Balls in the face as a contest prize, she has so much more significance. As the reincarnation of the goddess Athena who starred in her own game back in the 80’s, this version of Athena has starred in its follow up, Psycho Soldier, and a lesser known survival horror game. Her profession as a singer comes from her game being the first one to feature vocalized lyrics in video game history, making her somewhat of an icon in the industry.

But that has nothing to do with 2016. What DOES have to do with it is how strong of a fighter she still is after all these years, all without having aged a day. And I mean this literally, since I’m pretty sure she’s been in high school for 30 years now. Either that, or she’s far more interested in fighting than studying.

5. Marie (Splatoon)

It’s unprecedented for a waifu to make this list twice in a row, but Marie earned it. Last year, she landed at the number two spot alongside her partner, Callie. This year, a rift came between the Squid Sisters, asking players to choose between the two for the final Splatfest. When the ink settled and all the ~~kid~~ squids went home, Marie barely edged out her sister to become the ultimate victor. The sarcastic bad cop to Callie’s overabundant good cop took the win graciously, alongside other milestones such as having her own amiibo made and her return announced, (possbily alone), for what would eventually become known as Splatoon 2. Apparently, the final Splatfest was like Highlander, where there could be only one since Callie has yet to be seen. Anyway, I may have voted for the purple squid, but if this Splatfest would have happened a few months later, I would have been Team Marie all the way! But more on that later…

4. D.Va (Overwatch)

Some waifus become waifus because they have incredible personalities, a strong resolve, an undeniable cuteness, or make perfect companions. Others are designed specifically as waifu bait, carefully crafted to specifically appeal to the sad, lonely gamers of the world. D.Va falls on the latter side of that spectrum, and I took the bait hook, line and sinker. She’s a young, attractive professional Starcraft player who’s skills landed her a gig in the South Korean military as one of the only people in the country with the reflexes to fight the perceived Onmic threat. And did I mention she fights by piloting a mech that’s sponsored by Blizzard?

But sometimes, you and your waifu just click, and that’s what happened when I first hopped into that bunny robot and captured my first point in Overwatch. With 53 hours and counting, 440 wins under our belt, and all the obnixious voice lines I could purchase, this is a relationship that keeps on delivering. We did well even in the dark ages of D.Va, when her Defense Matrix wasn’t togglable and her Self Destruct Ultimate killed her if she was in its blast radius, but every since Blizaard decided they no longer wanted to sponsor someone so vulnerable, they used their pull to boost her up. Now, we can protect teammates, eat damage, rush the point and push the payload in ways that surely frustrate our foes to no end. And even without the mech, Zero Suit D.va is no slouch herself, becoming a medium range shooter that can deal the damage quickly. Sure, I may have dabbled a bit with my side chicks like Mercy and Pharah, but I always come crawling back to Queen B.Va when it’s time to get serious. So while “WaifuWatch” has plenty of incredible female characters, making this list was easy mode for the gaming goddess.

3. Uzume Tennouboshi (The Neptunia Series)

As the newest CPU on the block, Uzume already had her foot in the door by being the Neptunia representative for the Dreamcast, one of my favorite consoles of all time. But even without being loved by association, Uzume has something special that even the best CPUs seem to lack. Her combination of toughness, her strong sense of duty, and the fact that in her world, she’s the only goddess left alive while protecting Gamindustri all by herself, what you’re left with is one of the best characters out of any game in the franchise. Alongside her companion / Seaman knock-off, Umio, the two have rounded up the remaining monsters and serve as their protectors while Ms. Tennouboshi does all she can to find a way to restore peace to Planeptune.

Obsessed with all things cool, this attitude hides the fact that she’s a girly girl at heart. As with the rest of the goddesses, her true nature shines through when she transforms into her CPU form, Orange Heart. While she may take up a much sweeter personality, her powerful fists and trusty megaphone still get the job done, and eventually saves her world not once, but twice over the course of the game! When your main antagonist ends up being the bitter version of yourself that formed when people didn’t accept the Dreamcast, it goes to show that your awesomeness can’t be contained in a single body.

Then again, whether or not Uzume survives the conflict is up to the decisions you made throughout the game. But even if she bit the dust in your playthrough, that wouldn’t be the last we saw of Orange Heart this year. Appearing in three different games, this just might be the most appearances for a single character in their debut year! MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune vs. Zombies brought her into the action game realm, while SuperDimension Neptune vs. Sega Hard Girls had her literally square off against Dreamcast in the Vita’s crossover RPG. But no matter how you played as her, we’re really hoping we see the return of Planeptune’s crimson savior again in 2017.

2. Tsubasa Oribe (Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE)

Imagine that one day, you’re a normal high school girl who wants nothing more than to enjoy her latest Kiria album while trying to win a talent contest to become a Japanese Idol, all to find clues on the whereabouts of your missing sister. Then all of a sudden, you’re pulled into an alternate universe where entertainment is a source of energy, and you fuse with an ancient Pegesus Knight to become a warrior that protects the world from this Mirage threat under the guise of a singer. Sounds like a normal day in Japan, but this was the start of what would become one of the most creative game premises of the year.

But between traversing dangerous dungeons and teaming up with legendary Fire Emblem characters while teaching them the virtues of song and dance, this game was mostly about Tsubasa’s growth as a performer and as person. She’s klutzy, she’s not the most reliable and she can be a bit dim. But each and every time she was thrown into the deep end in an industry that she had zero familiarity in, she pulled through when it mattered the most. Whether she was asked to become an all star model, a television actress, or star in the latest soda commercial, the pressure of knowing that the world could end if you failed would break weaker waifus.

Tsubasa’s growth makes Tokyo Mirage Sessions a pleasure to play though.

Tsubasa isn’t a weaker waifu. Even if that meant she had to endure verbal abuse, face down towering monsters and fight side by side with those she looks up to, she always found a way to push through. Even when that included learning how to be seductive by talking to a stray cat. And in the end, she stood tall as a peer next to titans of the industry, all while fighting alongside Caeda, her high school friend, Itsuki, and by extension, Marth, to put the Shadow Dragon down once more. But what’s most impressive about Ms. Oribe is her ability to be laugh out loud hilarious, incredibly sincere and extremely dedicated, to the point where it felt so rewarding to finally see her come into her own as an artist. Seeing her go from her debut performance:

To her final performance:

It feels like the culmination of a long journey that you took alongside her, even if she technically went from an unknown to a national superstar in a few months. With all this considered, I had a hard time deciding who would be numbers two and three on the list, but with these factors in mind, Tsubasa’s perseverance more than deserved to stand above all the rest. Well, all except one.

We’ve counted down fifteen incredible waifus, showing that 2016 had no shortage when it came to some fantastic female, (and not so female), characters. But there can only be one who sits on the top shelf, so this year’s Best Girl deserves nothing short of an introduction worthy of Hollywood. So here to present our winner is 2015’s Waifu of the Year, Nepgear.

So without further ado, the 2016 Waifu of the Year goes to…

1. Eleonora Yumizuru (Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE)

What can I say about Ellie that can encompass how beyond exceptional she is in almost every way? In battle, she’s a powerhouse who can use her expert archery skills to instant kill entire fields of enemies, even when caught in a normally difficult Savage Battle. Story wise, she acts as a mentor for her less experienced peers despite being slightly younger than they are age wise. And there aren’t many people out there that can provide better advice when it comes to all things acting, considering that she’s a consummate professional who takes her career aspirations very seriously.

You see, Ellie is often misunderstood, with her no nonsense attitude often mistaken for the stereotypical “tsundere” trope often found in anime and games. But much like every aspect of Tokyo Mirage Sessions, it takes these cliche ideas and adds enough depth to make you really feel for these characters. Ellie might be the best example of this, as you get to know her through your mock “dates” as she prepares for more romantic roles. Unforunately for her, she stands out in Tokyo as a biracial actress, which makes her feel uncomfortable in her own skin. As someone with comes from a mixed background, this resonated with me far more than I ever expected from a silly game about singers fighting demons. But something about her interactions felt so real, because it’s not like being biracial even hinders her. She’s not discriminated against… In fact, it’s implied that she gets more opportunities because of how “beautiful” and “unique” she is. Hell, even the character designer said she was his favorite character to design since she has this air of beauty and elegance about her. But the experience doesn’t have to be negative or malicious to make you feel like an outsider. Sometimes, it’s when you know that the person isn’t trying to hurt you that hurts most of all.

It’s hard to explain without living through it, but just knowing that someone sees you as different because of something you can’t control just makes you feel… Wrong? Always on the outside looking in? So she works so hard to become recognized as an actress to the point where she’s obsessed with Hollywood. Because she sees Hollywood as a land of opportunity with so many different kinds of people that she’ll just be “normal” once she becomes a big Hollywood actress. Not half Japanese and not half Scandinavian, but just an actress. So she drinks their smoothies, she accepts nothing but perfection, and she won’t allow herself to ever be second best. And yet, through all of that, she always takes the time to lift those up around her to be as great as she wants to be, even if that means she has to push herself harder. When you wrap up her side missions and you see her dreams come true, finishing the battle against the Mirages so she can star in her Hunger Games knockoff in Hollywood with no regrets, I was so proud to see success for this fictional girl that I had known for about 30 hours.That’s not just top waifu material, but top character material, so while Ellie is admittedly relatively unimportant to the main plot, her path to acceptance and the eventual realization that home lies less with where you are and more with who you are with is one that will stick with me for a long time.

I’ve been struck by cupid’s arrow. <3

Part of the reason why this article is later than in past years is part of me felt weight under the idea that this entry was more than just a silly waifu blurb, and was instead a deeply personal attachment that I don’t think I’ve ever felt in any form of fiction before. Because I saw myself and some of my own life experiences in her struggles, so I feel like I’ve been there before. Looking back… I think I did as well as I could have! So here’s to you, Ms. Yumizuru. Here’s to hoping we meet again down the road.

So there it is! After a full year, more games than I’ve played in a long time, and 5000 words, here is your 2016 waifu of the year! To celebrate this grand occasion, here’s an extended cut of Dream Catcher, the collaboration between Ellie and Tsubasa where the pair do their best Callie and Marie impressions to the tune of Splatoon‘s Calamari Inkantation. The top two waifus of the year dressed as 2015’s runners up singing a song reminiscent of the final boss theme from 2015’s game of the year? What better way to send us off?

Special thanks to the talented FantasyGodiva, who put this extended cut together. Make sure you check out her channel for even more videos and walkthroughs!

Share your waifu picks below and tell me how much you hate my list! I’m not scared, I’ll protect my waifus to the death.

So Tsubasa, Eleonora… Play us off!

Alm And Celica Amiibo Are Launching Side By Side With ‘Fire Emblem Echoes’

by Josh JacksonJanuary 19, 2017

For fans of Fire Emblem Gaiden, they’ll have more to look forward than just Fire Emblem Echoes. Launching alongside the game on May 19th, Alm and Celica are getting their own amiibo set!

Launching as a double pack like the Callie and Marie amiibo from last year, these two figures look absolutely gorgeous. Which probably means that they’ll look like McDonalds toys when they hit the shelves. Regardless, we’re more than happy with seeing more Fire Emblem characters get the toy treatment. I’m just hoping Nintendo releases more than a dozen this time around.

Is it too early to make Celica waifu of 2017?

How they will function in Echoes or any other games is currently a mystery, but I’ll be perfectly happy just keeping them on my shelf. Is anyone else planning on grabbing this pair? Let us know in the comments, and keep up with the rest of our Fire Emblem news, including more info on Warriors, Heroes and the upcoming Switch game!

A New ‘Fire Emblem’ Game Is Switch Bound!

by Josh JacksonJanuary 19, 2017

To the surprise of many, Nintendo is all in on Fire Emblem, with four games releasing within about a year’s time! Rounding out the release schedule is Fire Emblem for the Switch, which will mark the franchise’s first home console appearance since 2011’s Radiant Dawn on the Wii.

All that we know is that the game is scheduled for a 2018 release and will be exclusive to Nintendo’s upcoming console / handheld hybrid, which sounds perfect for the type of game play we associate with the series. That leaves plenty of room to speculate, such as whether or not it will continue the story of Ike or Micaiah like the previous console games, or if it will be its own story. We won’t be disappointed to see either return, but recent trends make me think it will be a standalone story.

Could their return be around the corner?

But what say you? What do you hope to see in what will be the first non-handheld release in seven years? Comment below with your ideas, and check out the rest of our coverage on Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Echoes, the new amiibo and Fire Emblem Warriors!

‘Fire Emblem Heroes’ For Android & IOS! Here’s Everything You Need To Know.

by The_aczJanuary 18, 2017

Earlier today Nintendo held a special Fire Emblem themed Nintendo Direct for fans eager to know more about the series future in the next year. Nintendo delivered on a lot of announcements, but one of the more interesting ones was the announcement of Fire Emblem Heroes for mobile.

While they didn’t give too much detail into the story, the game will feature an all new original story for both fans and newcomers. Gameplay seems to remain the same, but on a smaller level and some things have been tweaked and changed. One example is that allies who fall in battle will now be resurrected after that encounter is finished.

As per usual mobile game, you’ll also be able to summon other Fire Emblem characters via orbs you can obtain both in game and through the traditional micro transactions. It is a bit different though, as you will be able to choose what kind of class hero you’d like to summon, the character however is still random.

Fire Emblem Heroes will be launching on Android in 2 weeks on February 2nd with IOS to follow later. You can pre-register the game right now on Google Play if you’d like to. Also available is a special Fire Emblem Heroes: Choose Your Legends Event. This event allows fans to select their favorite character from the FE series, and once done, the top results will appear in the game as part of a special outfit event. You can vote right here!, and if you log into My Nintendo while participating, you’ll be rewarded with 200 platinum points! Tell us what you think of the game in the comments below!

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Paper Mario: Color Splash’

by The_aczOctober 6, 2016

Frustration. That is the word that comes to mind when talking about Paper Mario Color Splash. While the game is easily an improvement from the embarrassment that was 2012’s Paper Mario Sticker Star, the game still struggles with a lot of the issues that plagued the previous title, which results in slow paced, boring, and overall disappointing experience.The game starts off promisingly enough. Beautiful visuals and a very catchy soundtrack help get you in a good mood. Even the trademark humor that was completely absent in the 3DS predecessor seems to be back in some form, and the initial opening is very reminiscent of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. All seems to be fine and dandy.That is until the gameplay is introduced. Once again, the series has forgone its traditional turn based RPG roots, in favor of a more gimmicky based battle system. Throughout the game you can find, buy, and sell special cards which you use in battle. These are used by selecting a card in your hand via the Wii U gamepad, coloring it in, and then flicking it. While it was amusing the first couple of times, it quickly wore out its welcome. Now, I’m not opposed to changing up how encounters work. In fact, I very much enjoyed the real time battle system in Super Paper Mario, but what the game fails to do with its battle system is find ways to properly incentivize fighting.The game tries to fix this problem by adding hammer scraps. Every time you defeat enemies, you’ll collect scraps of a cardboard hammer, and of you collect enough, you’ll be able to increase your max paint you can use. This however, still does not really work out as the game often forces you into battles rather than the originals which made you want to battle in order to level up. Add to the fact that enemies are already ridiculously easy, and there’s really no joy to the combat at all. I often found myself constantly running away from battles just to preserve my cards for the impending boss fights. Sadly, those are also very flawed. All main bosses will need a specific set of cards in order for you to beat them. If you lack the proper cards in battle. you’ll never beat them. This makes them feel more like extended and tedious puzzles than actual showdowns.
Sadly, the rest of the gameplay also fails to provide anything resembling fun. Most of your time will be spent running back and forth between different levels in order to find specific items and collect paint stars to open up new areas. Progress is often slow, and tedious. I’m not kidding when I’m telling you that you’ll be spending a good 5-7 hours at the start of the game just trying to get to the first boss. This is the main part of the game, and it’s really frustrating that it artificially extends itself out. Not only that, but the game can be very cryptic at times, so you might spend a good hour or 2 mindlessly wandering a level because you missed a small piece of paper sticking out of a bridge that’s integral to beating that level. After a while, not even the music or visuals can keep you going.In conclusion, Paper Mario Color Splash may seem like a step in the right direction, but is still a ways off from the original 3 entries. The biggest problem is that developer Intelligent System seemingly ignored all criticism leveled at Sticker Star and simply just tried using a handheld style approach for a console. It seems like this new team just doesn’t understand what made the series so beloved in the first place. What does the future hold for our paper mache plumber? Who knows? Hopefully, it’s better than this.

Final Rating: ★★/5 Stars

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE’

by Josh JacksonSeptember 14, 2016

In 2013, Atlus and Nintendo announced a collaboration that we had no idea we wanted so bad up until that point. Promising a crossover between the legendary Shin Megami Tensei series and the comparably popular Fire Emblem turn based strategy games from Intelligent Systems, fans of JRPGs around the world were abuzz over what possibilities such a partnership could deliver. What kind of game would it be? How would the two drastically different tones come together in one game? In what way will the game play be consolidated to make fans of both series’ happy? Those questions came and went… And we had no answer for nearly two years, with the project getting pushed to the wayside.

When Atlus was finally ready to show off the game in action, what we got was something resembling neither property. Replacing the dark, desolate world of SMT and Fire Emblem‘s feudal Japan setting with a bright, bouncy version of modern day Tokyo, with a plot line revolving around Japan’s idol obsession. Similarly to the infamous GameCube reveal of The Legend of Zelda, only to seemingly bait and switch the realistic looking tech demo with the toon shaded Wind Waker, many who were looking forward to the potential crossover felt cheated in a way. On the surface, it’s the opposite of what was expected, so it’s no surprise that the game was met with a certain level of negativity. But after playing the game, I can say with certainty that what we ended up with was something better, because rather than plugging two series’ into each other and being tied down to the conventions of both, Atlus was faced with the challenge of creating something that resembles both while creating something brand new. Something better. The final result is Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, a role playing game that masterfully blends old school RPG conventions with some exciting new game mechanics, an unforgettable cast of characters, and some nostalgia fueled call backs that proves that a little creativity can go a long way.

We may not have asked for an RPG about idols and singing, but I’m sure glad we got one.

Placing us in modern day Tokyo five years after a mass disappearance led an entire concert hall full of people to seemingly vanish, we follow Aoi Itsuki, your run of the mill high school boy. Tokyo is holding a massive open audition to choose the next big idol, and after finding his way inside, he bumps into his childhood friend, Tsubasa Oribe. As the younger sister of the lead singer who performed during the disappearance, she hopes to become part of the music industry so she can find out the truth about what happened during the incident, (even if she is clumsy and dense.) It isn’t long before this audition turns out to be a ruse orchestrated by a group of monsters called Mirages, who feed off of the creative energy of humans. After lucking into running into two friendly Mirages, Chrom and Caeda, they lend the teens their power, giving them the ability to fight off this new threat. Now classified as Mirage Masters, the pair are recruited Maiko Shimazaki, the head of Fortuna Entertainment who was a former model herself. Serving as both a talent agency and a defense force against the Mirages, Itsuki finds himself trying to find a way to fit in with all these wildly different talents with no talent of his own, while trying to save the world from the growing Mirage threat. You know, typical Japanese high school stuff.

On the surface, the game plays very closely to your standard Shin Megami Tensei spin off. Once battle starts and your team takes the stage, (literally, since combat takes place on a concert stage with an arena of monsters cheering you on), the bright and bubbly aesthetic hides some punishing combat. The core mechanics involve your party taking advantage of enemy weaknesses, which will put those taking the damage at a huge disadvantage. In TMS, it takes the typical elements like electricity, fire, force, light and dark, and throws in the weapon triangle from Nintendo’s series, throwing swords, axes, bows and lances into play. Once an enemy is struck with their weakness, unlocking skills through leveling up triggers a Session, where your non-active party members will jump in and create a chain of attacks for huge damage. If done right, your whole team can attack in a single move! As your party grows and your ability list becomes longer, you’ll be rewarded with free money, items and a potential chance to wipe out the enemy party during a single turn at no cost to the extra participants. Keep in mind though, that your party has their own weaknesses too depending on their pre-set class, such as Itsuki’s familiar Lord class, and Tsubasa’s Pegasus Knight for example. If an enemy hits your weakness and a Session starts, chances are you’re getting one hit killed. Thankfully for us, you can swap party members in and out mid battle to adjust for weaknesses with the exception of Itsuki. Even if he is a damage dealing monster late in the game, the early chapters can be frustrating when he keeps getting KO’d and can’t do damage.

Itsuki constantly finds himself in trouble early on, regardless of how great his Lord form is.

Itsuki aside, that’s the brilliance of the game play, because while playing smart is always going to be the key to victory in an RPG, you’ll really need to prioritize your moves here. Each character and enemy’s turn order can be seen at the top, so planning ahead during tough battles can make or break your run. Leveling up to higher levels will eventually max out the amount of active skills, passive skills and Session skills you can hold. When you create a new weapon with its own set of abilities, it’s often more advantageous to equip a weaker weapon so you can unlock better abilities. The choice can be nerve-wracking when you’re asked if you have to choose between being immune to sleep or raising your attack for example, which is why making your whole team balanced plays such a big role.

Each attack skill has a set amount of EP to use special attacks, with an SP bar that the party shares. By spending SP, each character can unleash a tide turning special attack, with effects such as starting a guaranteed Session, removing enemy resistances and reflections for the turn, or healing your party. Tying back to the musical theme, unlocking songs for your team of performers during the story gives them a chance to randomly use an Ad-Lib Performance if the right attack is used. Here, the standard attack will be replaced with a short cutscene, mirroring their performance outside of battle while delivering a powerful version of your chosen ability. Even dozens of hours in, the unpredictability of combat constantly keeps it exciting. Even when you think you have the mechanics down, each chapter typically introduces a new challenge to take on, and a new mechanic to add that bit of depth as you proceed. Once all the cards are on the table, pulling off those massive Sessions is insanely rewarding, (even if there is no way to skip or fast forward extra long Sessions).

Sessions, Duo Arts and Ad-Libs are the bread and butter of a great offense.

Unfortunately for my sentimental self, sometimes I would go against my strategic interests in combat, because I would stubbornly stick to certain characters that I was attached to. Thanks to how incredibly well characterized the cast is, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the entirety of the party, with one glaring exception. Much like the Persona series that this game has been so often compared to, the strongest aspects of the narrative are not the main conflict, but the party members that you interact with. As your team becomes stronger and you advance through the game, you’ll be able to take on Side Stories, which give you more background on your Fortuna co-workers. While not nearly as depressing and rife with conflict compared to what you’d find in Atlus’ other friend simulator, completing missions and tasks will help them come to terms with their own insecurities while making them better performers in the process. Plus, you’ll often unlock Duo Arts upon completion, skills that will randomly be offered mid-Session where two party members act out a scene while extending the Session, delivering huge damage, healing the party, or inflicting status ailments in the process.

What makes them stand out so much is that much like the game play, or even the initial reveal of the game itself, it gives you an expectation, then either flips it on its head, or immediately gives you a reason why they’re the way they are. Touma for example, comes off as the typical “bro” character who always has your back. He’s desperate to star in a super hero show after many failed auditions because of his troubled childhood, and is extra loyal because of it. Eleonora on the other hand, seems like a snooty brat who is overcompensating for the fact that her TV show is doing poor ratings by coming off with an air of arrogance and an obsession with Hollywood. Yet, she’s always kind and sincere, never letting her perceived ego make her think that she’s above her colleagues. When we almost immediately learn about the her trouble coming to terms with how she’s viewed as a bi-racial actor in Japan, this light touch on xenophobia and the awkwardness of feeling like an outsider makes her instantly sympathetic. And she’s not the only one… Despite not being playable, Tiki serves the very important function of being able to unlock new abilities with the Performa and items you find for your cast, creating new weapons for your Mirages, or performing late game class changes. As the team’s “vocaloid”, her existence as a non-physical entity gets played up to incredible heights, making her one of the saddest characters in a game this year. Even Itsuki, who serves as the bland player insert, is far from the typical silent protagonist, with his own charm with how oblivious he is to all that is going on around him. Barry, the resident American who is obsessed with Japan on the other hand, is the exception, and gets worse as his story goes on. Going from drill sergeant trainer to creepy and obsessed was unfortunate, and the final result is flat out strange. And unlike the rest of the game, not in a good way.

Oh, Ellie. You’ve shot me with Cupid’s arrow.

To be frank, the core story is a bit of an afterthought. After the first chapter is completed, the main plot line gets pushed aside until the third act in favor of some often hilarious character development. Each stage in the middle is like those Nephrite episodes of Sailor Moon where someone extra talented is possessed by a monster, lures in unsuspecting citizens who want to work with them, and drains their energy, (or Performa in this case), while building their own to feed their master. But throughout these chapters, we learn that these challenges are the catalysts to fast track Tsubasa’s growth as a performer, taking her from every aspect of what life as an idol is like. Despite Itsuki being the player’s character, this is very much Tsubasa’s story, displaying her evolution from a clumsy, insecure and ditzy kid, to a national superstar. Away from Ms. Oribe however, one of the more compelling mysteries is how characters like Chrom, Tharja, Virion and Tiki came to be in this timeline, and what their purpose is in modern day Tokyo. Once that question is finally answered at the end of the game, I couldn’t help but get chills, and I’m not even the biggest Fire Emblem fan! If you have any attachment to the series and can accept how silly the concept is, these moments really can’t be missed.

If there’s a pattern to any of this, it’s that from concept to completion, Atlus has taken a game and balked at expectations at every turn. The final result is what might be the best game of the year so far, with a 50 hour plus story, and plenty of extra content when the New Game + rolls around. When the curtain fell and my time was Fortuna Entertainment had come to an end, I felt empty, like I didn’t want it to be over. I haven’t felt that way about a game in a very long time. It’s hard to say if it was because of the rewarding combat that blends classic mechanics with a modern flair, the incredible cast of characters, the stylish interpretation of Tokyo and its many locales, (which would suffer some minor slowdown when the population is high), the concerts rendered with the gorgeous Fire Emblem cutscene style, how well the music plays into everything that takes place on screen, or how cleverly the two franchises that inspired this game were brought together to create something so special while being so original, but one thing is for sure. If you love RPGs, if you love J-Pop, if you love Fire Emblem and especially if you love something that turns genre conventions on its head, do yourself a favor. Pick up Tokyo Mirage Sessions. There’s really no better way to say it.

tl;dr

+ A beautiful interpretation of modern day Tokyo, with a unique style that makes everything from dungeons to character designs pop from the screen.

+ An unforgettable cast that baits you with their on the surface tropes, then hits you hard with their depth and motivations.

+ Challenging, yet rewarding combat. Knowing when to make the right moves, (and avoid the wrong ones), will get you through with little to no level grinding.

+ The music! Everything from the remixes to the original songs and the music videos will stick with you long after the game is over.

+ So much to do! From the requests, side stories, and a New Game +, you’ll be playing this for a long time.

– Sessions can’t be fast forwarded, making it repetitive to sit through them every battle.

– Being unable to switch Itsuki out of battle can handcuff your choices in battles where he’s ineffective.

– Barry’s side story gets borderline creepy.

– Minor slowdown during crowded battles and in the streets of Shibuya.

Final Score: 4.75/5

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Code Name S.T.E.A.M.’

by Derek KraneveldtMarch 11, 2015

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. first revealed its unique third-person, turn-based strategy, alternate history, comic book style (whoah) all the way back at E3 in 2014, and today you can finally get your hands on it. It’s going to sell a lot of copies based on the fact that it’s Intelligent Systems first strategy game since 2012’s acclaimed Fire Emblem: Awakening, and as a brand-new IP, the game definitely stands out as a quality release, albeit with a few major annoyances.

The game is all about Abraham Lincoln (yep, that Abe Lincoln), who brings together heroes from classic literature and American folklore to fend off an alien invasion. The S.T.E.A.M. in the title seemingly has many meanings, but it actually stands for Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace. Steam is also the technology that our heroes will use to defeat the aliens; steam boilers strapped to their backs give them super-human abilities. All of the weapons are steam-powered, of course, and all of the characters and the world itself have a decidedly steampunk styling. Yep, that’s a lot of steam.

The first thing that you’re likely to notice about the title (aside from, yep, all of the steam) is its gorgeous comic-book art style. The game actually opens with a kid (who owns a damned Marth Amiibo, which is sitting on his desk taunting you) diving into a Code Name S.T.E.A.M. comic book, and from time to time you’ll actually see cutscenes flipping between panels, sound effects will pop up the relevant onomatopoeia, you’ll see comic style voice bubbles all over the place, and of course the game’s cel shading makes it look as though the characters are popping right off of a wonderful 3D page (for the most part). From each cutscene, to running around the game’s many, many maps, presentation in Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is stellar.

Now, those wonderful visuals would be nothing without great sound to go with it, and Code Name S.T.E.A.M. delivers here too. Sound effects are high quality and varied, and the game’s commendable score is definitely headphone worthy. The game also features more voice acting than I’ve ever heard in a 3DS game, and it’s well acted on all counts, and with the limited storage space of the 3DS cartridges, I really have no idea how Intelligent Systems could possibly have fit it all in there, but I’m really, really glad that they did. Seriously, the audio is an absolute treat.

With the game’s outstanding presentation, and the history of Intelligent Systems, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. must kill in the gameplay department as well, right? At first glance, it looks like a third-person shooter, and rather than simply selecting which square you want your characters to move to as in most strategy titles, you can actually move your characters around in real time. Basically, each unit has a certain number of ‘steam’ that they can spend each turn. Moving, attacking, activating special abilities, etc. all use different amounts of steam, but certain actions, moving included, aren’t finalized until you shoot or activate an enemies Overwatch attack. This allows you to really play around with different strategies and visualize multiple vantage points before deciding on what to do each turn, and it’s a welcome and intuitive addition to traditional strategy mechanics. Throughout the game, you’ll unlock different team members, abilities, and equipment, which let you really customize your team, and thus have vastly different experiences.

The Overwatch ability is another mechanic that keeps Code Name S.T.E.A.M. feeling fresh. Both players (well, most characters) and many enemies have access to the ability, and its existence makes you really think about every action you could possibly take. Basically, if you end your turn with a certain level of steam left over, your character can automatically attack an enemy should an enemy come into range. It’s risky, of course, as that steam can always be utilized during your turn, and there’s no guarantee that saving it will lead to an attack, but when utilized correctly, Overwatch can be the difference between winning a map, and having to go back to the previous checkpoint. Enemies may also take advantage of Overwatch, which can leads to one of the biggest issues and strangest oversights in Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.

Aside from some lacklustre multiplayer, which is worth mentioning about as much as it’s worth playing, there are two big, glaring issues with the game. The first is one that I didn’t know could even be an problem in a strategy title: the lack of an overhead view. Your only viewpoints are those of your character’s, which amount to a tight third-person view that can make it impossible to see beyond obstacles. This means that you’re often moving blindly around obstacles and activating more enemy Overwatch attacks than I can even count. As I mentioned above, you can typically keep moving, figuring out the most efficient turn before locking it in, but being noticed by an enemy or activating their Overwatch makes your actions up to that point permanent. With no overhead view, and no map whatsoever, you’re getting hit, and you’re getting hit often, because you simply can’t see your enemies. It can happen pretty constantly, leading to a lot of replayed levels, and a lot of swearing at your 3DS.

Next up. In a game like this, your team is typically outnumbered. In most strategy titles that I’ve played, when it’s an enemy’s turn, you’ll see those turns played out at high speed. In Code Name S.T.E.A.M. you… stare at your characters while what amounts to a ‘loading’ bar fills across your screen. What. The. Heck. Sure, you can move the camera around your character, but why the heck would I want to do that? Unless you’re near an enemy and can actually see them moving (or you’re getting attacked), the enemy turns essentially amount to a loading screen to get to your next turn. Did I mention that this takes forever? This is an Intelligent Systems game, and a Nintendo published title, and in all my years of gaming, I can’t recall ever seeing such a polished game with a mechanic like this. It’s definitely not a means to pad out a short experience, as Code Name S.T.E.A.M. offers hours upon hours of gameplay, but I definitely find myself playing the title less knowing that more than half of the experience will be me waiting for my next turn.

Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is jammed pack with awesome content (including Fire Emblem Amiibo functionality that I wasn’t willing to open my NIB Amiibo for), and features some of the best presentation I’ve seen in a 3DS title. From its voice acting, to its gorgeous cel shaded art style and beyond, the game is a treat for the senses. Unfortunately, a few major questionable design choices ground Code Name S.T.E.A.M. as just a ‘very good’ 3DS title, instead of another gem from Intelligent Systems and Nintendo.

Code Name S.T.E.A.M. scores a steam-powered 3.5/5.

tl;dr:

+Top-notch presentation.

+Unique mechanics make the turn-based gameplay feel fresh.

+A ton of varied content.

-No overhead view means you’re staring at your characters through enemy turns.

-Enemy turns happen in real time. Meaning that you’re kept waiting… and waiting for your next turn.