The Video Game Archive

Super Mario Run was initially released on the iOS and then released on Android systems. The free-to-start version of the game only consists of the first world. The full price of the game is Rm39.99. Played it on Samsung Note II with settings set to ‘Low’. Got most of the Black coins for a majority of the levels and done enough Toad Rallys to get the required amount of Toads to unlock new buildings. A constant internet connection is required to play the game. It’s been awhile since I last played a Mario game. Super Mario Bros. 3 was the last time that I sunk in an appreciable amount of time into a Mario game. Super Mario Run feels like Nintendo ’s attempt to recapture the hearts of those who have a nostalgia for Mario games but have lapsed and not kept up with gaming ever since their younger days. Similar to how Pokémon Go served as a way to reintroduce gamers who used to play Pokémon games by appealing to their nostalgia. Which has been Nintendo's strategy for the mobil...

Adventures of Mana is a remake of Final Fantasy Adventure (Gameboy) on the PlayStation Vita. I played the game to completion and got the platinum trophy. I spent half of my playing time on a Vita and the other half on the PlayStation TV. The game is also available on the iOS and Android. As a remake of one of earliest entries in the Seiken Densetsu or Mana series, it’s understandable that Adventures of Mana might not have all of the bells and whistles that one would expect from the later installments. This faithfulness to not change much of the design of the game outside of the UI is both a blessing and a curse as it might be a little off-putting how simplistic the game is and yet convoluted in certain aspects that only serve to annoy the player. You play as Sumo, whose main goal is to become a Gemma Knight , save the maiden and subsequently the world. It’s a light story that’s suitable for a portable game that you play on the Vita or on phones, but I would have liked a sim...