Review: Devil Survivor Overclocked for 3DS

There will be people who spot this review and sneer. "Bit late to the party, aren't you?" they'll say.

That's because Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor has been available elsewhere for nearly four years now, first as a Nintendo DS game and then as an enhanced 3DS edition in 2011 called Overclocked.

In fact, Europe only just received a port last week, but we can sort of forgive Atlus for this tardiness because Devil Survivor Overclocked is brilliant.

I'm a survivor

There's a lockdown in modern-day Tokyo, thanks to strange demons popping up all over the place. Not only that, but clocks have also materialised above everyone's heads, counting down the days until their deaths.

Devil Survivor Overclocked plays out a lot like The World Ends With You, replacing the side-scrolling real-time battles with isometric turn-based play, much like Final Fantasy Tactics.

It's blissful, too, with action that is both hugely tactical and highly engrossing. It's tough going at first, with enemies that will destroy you on a whim - but stick with it and you'll be gratified by how clever the game allows you to be.

That's thanks to a wide range of active and passive skills that you can put into play to turn the tide of battle, along with engaging auction and fusion options that give you the ability to purchase and mix together your own demon army.

This is the sort of game in which even losing is enjoyable, because it allows you to see where you're going wrong and build up your skills. You know that when you're having a blast getting annihilated, the game is probably doing something right.

Clock off

The story is typical of your modern day-setting JRPG, with oodles of mystery and intrigue swimming in a vat of OTT facial expressions and exclamations about life. It's an appealing tale that will have you playing until three in the morning, all so you can see what the next day has in store for our demonisers.

Of course, Overclocked is an enhanced edition, so is it worth forking out extra for over the original DS version?

Well, it comes with an entire extra day which is pretty neat - we're talking a few hours of extra content - and full voice acting. And, of course, if you're in Europe you've got no choice.

But in reality this isn't a huge step up from the original. The visuals are slightly enhanced, but there's no stereoscopic 3D whatsoever (except in the intro video), and there's also a couple of pretty awful bugs that can cause the entire game to crash.

If you've never played Devil Survivor before, Overclocked is well worth picking up. But if you've already played it on DS there's no reason to repeat the experience on 3DS.

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This week on the 3DS eShop: Witch & Hero, Alien Chaos 3D, and Mega Man 3

If you own a Nintendo 3DS and you live in Europe, you might find this week's new 3DS eShop offerings of interest.

There's nothing huge in store for you, I should stress, though a couple of smaller titles may well be worth the punt.

If you own a Nintendo 3DS and you live in the US, however, then tough luck.

'Dire' is probably the word.

Onwards, peeps...

European eShop releases



Circle Entertainment released the enjoyable Crystal Adventure earlier this year, so I'm excited to see how its Witch & Hero game plays out.

It's an 8-bit-styled adventure game in which you fight against Medusa with only a set-in-stone witch for company. It costs £3.60. Expect a review of this up on PG soon.

Alien Chaos 3D has a terrible name, but wait: it might actually be good. It's a sort-of sequel to Mama & Son: Clean House on PC, which was pretty fun. Let's hope this follow-up for 3DS is, too.

In Alien Chaos 3D, you're running a cleaning and demolition business (a great combination, obviously) when robots suddenly kidnap your mother. £3.59, my lord.

Monster High Skultimate Roller Maze is a roller skating game based on the Monster High dolls franchise. Yes, it really is called Skultimate. It costs £24.99. Skultimate.

Furthermore, Mega Man 3 has been added to the Virtual Console section, which is a bit exciting. This slice of classic (and hair-wrenching) gaming history will set you back £4.49.

Oh, don't forget to update your Letter Box this week, by the way. You can now take photos and record sounds from within the app. Aces.

US eShop releases



This week, Americans will find Real Heroes: Firefighter 3D in downloadable form on the eShop. It's somewhat rubbish, though, soleave it!

There's also Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove 3D, which is an average-looking rhythm game. Used to be a retail-only game. Not any more.

You can now find the original Game Boy version of Castlevania on the eShop, too.

There are also some DLC and sales to consider. Both Colors! 3D andPokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity have been updated with additional content. With extra dungeons in the latter's case.

And escapeVektor is on sale this week, down to $4.99. That's your lot, sadly.

See you next week!

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Professor Layton publisher receives US trademark for 3DS adventure RPG Fantasy Life

Although it's gearing up to bring theProfessor Layton series to its conclusion, Level-5 is showing no signs of slowing down with its other titles.

Nintendolife reports that the publisher recently secured a US trademark for its 3DS open-world RPG Fantasy Life, which sold out in Japan shortly after its release.

Although there's no official announcement of a localization for western gamers, the presence of both US and European trademarks is quite promising.

Get a job

Fantasy Life is best described as an RPG sim of sorts that lets you take on a fantasy life and explore the world around you.

Siliconera reports that players can choose a career like magician or hunter and bring their pets out with them as they go off on quests.

If hunting and magic…ing sound a bit too fanciful, you can always choose to become a chef, miner, or lumberjack instead.

Fantasy Life quickly won acclaim in Japan for its gorgeous animation and music, but we'd expect nothing less from a game that incorporates the work of Final Fantasy legends Yoshitaka Amano and Nobuo Uematsu.

We'll keep you updated on news of this game's (hopeful) localization as soon as we know more.

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Incoming! The most exciting 3DS and PS Vita games for April

April is an exciting time to own a Nintendo 3DS or a PS Vita. Why? Well, because there are some gorgeous-looking games heading their way over the course of the next few weeks.

We're expecting sequels, enhanced ports, completely new releases from our favourite studios, and long-awaited gems. April madness!

So, what precisely should you be looking forward to, then? We've done some homework and rounded up all the big handheld releases scheduled for April... so that you, basically, don't have to.

Note that this isn't a comprehensive list of games coming out in April on 3DS and Vita. There are plenty of download-only games set to surprise us all each and every week on the eShop and PSN Stores.

Dillon's Rolling Western: The Last Ranger
By Vanpool - coming to 3DS on April 11th



In the original Dillon's Rolling Western, released just over a year ago, Vanpool merged tower defence action with real-time battling, as you aimed to keep villages safe from incoming monsters.

Well, Dillon the armadillo is back again, and this time around he's got some friends on his side.

In The Last Ranger, you'll be able to recruit allies, though much of your time will be spent looking after a train. Busy boy.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
By Atlus - coming to 3DS on April 16th in the US



In this 1997 Sega Saturn title, players band together with demons to fight other demons.

Not for the first time, Atlus will be delivering an enhanced remake of aShin Megami Tensei game in the form of Soul Hackers on the Nintendo 3DS this month.

This port will boast improved visuals, voice acting, and 3D dungeon exploration. Unfortunately, there's no word on a European release yet.

Fire Emblem Awakening
By Intelligent Systems - coming to 3DS on April 19th



Yeah, yeah, you Americans have had the new Fire Emblem since February. Well done. Have a lollipop. We Brits have had to wait long enough to get our hands on it, but it'll no doubt be worth the wait.

Put it this way: we don't often hand out Platinum Awards, yet this tactical RPG undeniably deserved one. Yes, it's that good.

If you're a fan of Japanese RPGs, you're going to need to pick this one up. It's the sort of game that should carry the subtitle 'essential' on the box.

Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins
By TT Fusion - coming to 3DS on April 21st in US, April 26th in Europe



The Wii U version of Lego City Undercover has been received well, with reviewers praising the combination of the typically brilliant Lego game experience and the GTA-style gameplay.

This Nintendo 3DS spin-off is a completely different game - you know, like the handheld versions of the Lego games usually are.

It's a prequel to the console version, and follows the story of Chase McCain as he works his way up the police force food chain.

Guacamelee!
By Drinkbox Studios - coming to Vita on April 9th in US, April 10th in Europe



There are a multitude of reasons why we're excited about Guacamelee!

First off, it's from Drinkbox Studios, the team responsible for the excellent Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack.

Second off, it's a Metroidvania side-scrolling exploration game, so our thumbs are already prepped and willing.

And that's without even considering the gorgeous game art and the comic Mexican setting. Counting down the days...

Thomas Was Alone
By Bossa, Curve, and Mike Bithell - coming to Vita on April 24th in Europe, April 30th in US



This minimalist PC release, in which players shift solid rectangular blocks around to find an exit on each level, was a huge hit in 2012.

Now, this BAFTA award-winning title is getting the PS Vita treatment, and will ship with an extra prologue mission about a square who has a jet pack.

It's the narration that really elevates this game to superstar status, mind, with British comedian Danny Wallace lending his voice to Thomas's story into the unknown.

Soul Sacrifice
By Marvelous - coming to Vita on April 30th in US, May 1st in Europe



How long have we been waiting for this one, eh? Overseen by Mega Mancreator Keiji Inafune, Soul Sacrifice is gruesome with a capital 'G'.

As far as the story goes, you're about to be sacrificed by a powerful sorcerer when a demon pops up out of nowhere and throws you back in time, allowing you to take part in all the battles the sorcerer has previously faced.

This is no doubt a huge release in the eyes of Sony, and one that the Japanese giant hopes will help it to shift many, many more Vitas in the West.

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Review: Super Black Bass 3D for 3DS

Super Black Bass 3D is not a game I have enjoyed.

It requires massive amounts of patience to make it through any portions of the game, it rarely telegraphs what you're doing wrong, it's a technical disaster, and there's a minimal sense of reward.

If that sounds like your idea of a good time, and you really enjoy fishing in real life, then I still wouldn't recommend it, as there are better games to occupy your time.

A sinking feeling
The whole idea of the game is that you're a fisherman, and you want to catch a whole load of fish. You'll enter tournaments to do so, and there's a freeplay mode where you can visit any body of water you've previously unlocked and cast your line to your heart's content under whatever conditions you like.

You earn money through entering tournaments and selling the fish you catch, and you can spend this on better equipment. Want a boat to head out to deeper areas? You'll need to save up for that. Want some better lures and lines? Ching ching.

Casting your line is easy enough via the inbuilt motion controls of the 3DS. You have to pull back slowly then flick forward to put out a long line, or flick back once for a shorter cast. The A button reels the line back in, and tilting the 3DS left and right moves the tip of the rod in the corresponding direction.

Generally, this all works just fine, but occasionally you'll get a bite, flick up to begin the reeling process, and the game won't recognise the input. It's very annoying, because you don't get the attention of fish all too often.

In one session it took me 35 minutes to catch just one of the little gits, only to be told it was too small by tournament organisers, and that I was going to release it. This situation isn't uncommon, either - it will take you hours to rack up the points needed to win a tournament.

There's a mid-game save feature, and thank cod for that because you'll need it. But it doesn't alleviate the sheer boredom of looking at a screen on which nothing is happening, reeling the line a bit, getting the attention of a fish, the fish too getting bored, and then you going back to looking at a murky lake.

Fish food
It won't surprise you to learn that this looks atrocious. Your character model seems to be a visual representation of what five generations of human inbreeding might look like, the fish move stiffly, and the environments feature low resolution textures everywhere. The water is flat and unresponsive. The frame rate begins at "slow", and at times flirts with "slideshow".

If, somehow, you were to become invested in Super Black Bass 3D then there are online leaderboards to conquer, and records to top. This, coupled with the fact that it's not broken (i.e. the game boots up and doesn't crash), is the highest morsel of praise I can offer.

The major flaw underlying all this is that it just doesn't emulate the pastime effectively. If this was a super-detailed, very realistic-looking fishing game then it could net an audience. If it was a fast-paced action game with cartoon visuals, it might find a home.

But Super Black Bass 3D is neither of those things. It's a basic fishing sim that aims for realism but hits tedium. Don't let it waste any of your time.

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Review: HarmoKnight for 3DS

Having a legacy in the games industry must be a terrible thing. If you're an individual creator then you'll always be remembered for one game above all others.

And if you're a company that wants to branch out from what you usually produce, people will always compare what you make with the series you're known for.

On which note, here come the people that made the mind-bendingly successful Pokemon franchise with a rhythm-action game calledHarmoKnight. Lacking in ideas, and missing any sense of identity, this is one for traditional rhythm-action fans only.

Cubones, Dugtrios and HarmoKnights
Game Freak has made plenty of other games that aren't Pokemon-related before, of course, but HarmoKnight lacks the conviction you typically see from seasoned developers. There's just no innovation in any of its ideas.

You are Tempo, a guy with a magic wand that you use to bat bad guys out of his your as you automatically run from left to right towards an exit point. With a tap of the A button you swing your golf club-like device and batter the creature that stood in your path, and this action is accompanied by a note that adds to a larger musical score blasting out of the 3DS's speakers.

Other actions contribute to this tune, too, such as jumping across ledges, striking the flora that pass by, and bouncing on trampolines. When you meet new characters in the story you'll occasionally tag out to let them tackle a section, and their movements also add to the symphony.

Once in a while you'll take part in a special encounter, usually a boss fight, at which points the game morphs into an exercise in memorising a sequence of inputs and then repeating them in time with the rhythm, a la PaRappa the Rapper.

Only in these boss fights will you struggle to succeed on a level first time, and only because there are beats that - even if you haven't missed a single one previously - spell instant failure if missed.

Icons

Game Freaks never expands on its central idea beyond making the tempo faster or more complicated, or obscuring your view momentarily. Where Elite Beat Agents, Groove Coaster, and Theatrhythm Final Fantasyhave moved the genre forward, HarmoKnight languishes in game design from the mid-'90s.

The game's technical elements are all over the shop. Tracking of your actions is precise, so when you do occasionally fail it never feels like you can blame the system, and the in-game engine has some very pretty action sequences to show you. The music is cheerful and dynamic, making it perfect for a music game.

But the overworld map, character design, and cinematics are embarrassingly poor. It looks like a particularly talented seven-year-old has drawn them, rather than the team that brought you something as iconic as Pikachu.

And here we are, back to Pokemon. Indicative of how little faith Game Freak has in this game being a success on its own merits is the fact that the bonus unlockable stages are Pokemon-themed, even though the game has no narrative ties with that series.

Game Freak had clearly attempted to branch out, and it's made a decent enough fist of the rhythm-action genre, but HarmoKnight's gameplay and presentation sadly belong to another time.

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This week on the 3DS eShop: Luigi's Mansion 2, HarmoKnight, and Code of Princess

Over here in Europe, we've gotten used to the fact that our friends on the other side of the Atlantic get games before us.

It's just the norm now, for example, that the North American eShop gets more games than its European equivalent, and gets those games faster to boot. We've grown used to it. We're not too bothered anymore.

But when the European store explodes with games - like this week - we're still take aback.

Scroll down to find out exactly what we're talking about.

European eShop releases



If you own a Nintendo 3DS, you need to buy the wonderful Luigi's Mansion 2: Dark Moon this week. Go on, go buy it. I'll wait here.

Got it? Well, you can grab it from the eShop for £39.99 if you so choose, although that's perhaps a little too pricey - best to head to your local game store and pick it up for slightly less there.

There are some older 3DS games on the eShop this week too. Resident Evil Revelations, for example, can now be downloaded for £24.99, whileSplinter Cell is £17.99. You'll probably want to avoid that latter one - it's a bit rubbish.

Heroes of Ruin is £19.99, which is a fantastic price for a fantastic game. And talking of great prices, you can now grab Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D for just £8.99.

And there's more! HarmoKnight is out this week, for a cool £12.99. It's a rhythm game from the guys who made Pokemon - expect a review from us soon.

Code of Princess is out this week too, combinig side-scrolling beat 'em ups with the character progression of an RPG. That's £24.99. Again, a review is in the works.

How about 50 Classic Games 3D? It packs together games like Chess, Tic Tac Toe and Sudoku for £4.49.

We're not done yet. The original Harvest Moon for Game Boy Color is now on the Virtual Console for £4.49, while shooter escapeVektor is half price right now, down to £4.49.

US eShop releases



First off, Americans also get HarmoKnight and Resident Evil Revelations this week. The former is $14.99, while the latter is... well, I'm not sure, Nintendo hasn't said.

There's also Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, which is a cut-down version on the brilliant console racer. It's still pretty decent on 3DS though.

Finally, you've got Legend of the River King on the Virtual Console. Unfortunately, it's not very good.

And that's your lot. That's right - us Europeans got more than you this week. Makes a nice change, doesn't it?

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