February 2015 Video Game Reviews

Rollers of the Realm
Phantom Compass / ATLUS
Reviewed on: PC
Also on: PS4, PS Vita
Street: 11.18.14
I’ve always loved playing pinball. As somebody who grew up on 3D Pinball Space Cadet for Windows 2000, there’s something simply addictive about watching your ball of steel ping across the board, ricocheting off walls and bumpers in a thrilling dance of light and chirping sound. Rollers of the Realm takes the classic gameplay of pinball and then gives the point system an actual purpose—yielding gold and experience points for a party of adventurers. Yes, someone has married pinball and RPGs, and the result is so obviously enjoyable, it’s hard to believe that nobody has made this game before. Different characters and classes have different ball sizes and weights, along with special abilities that can help get you out of a bind when you need it most. Every board offers an intriguing dynamic—some even feature enemies that whittle away at your flippers until losing your ball becomes a really serious problem. All told, the game knows how to balance its elements well, and aside from the enemies being a tad tedious, Rollers of the Realm is an absolute blast to play, even if you’re not much of a pinball wizard. –Henry Glasheen

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Capcom
Reviewed on: 3DS
Also on: iOS
Street: 12.09.14
Who would’ve thought that being a lawyer would make such a good game? So good, there are actually several games. Phoenix Wright is a lawyer, and the games follow him fresh out of law school to his transformation into the ace attorney he is now. While trials and investigating doesn’t sound all that interesting, the characters and the dialogue are what make this series fun. It has the quirky, over-dramatic flair that’s typical of anime, and Phoenix has some great faces when the tables turn on him in court. Phoenix and his sidekick, Maya, have some interesting chemistry, which is fun to read. It’s still more of a visual novel, though, so it gets a little tedious at times, especially during the trials. There’s some investigating in between the days of the trial—you do some point-and-click exploring, which gives you a nice break from all the talking. The trilogy has been out on iOS a while, and while the graphics don’t get much of an update from the iOS games, there’s an added layer of 3D that looks great. If you haven’t played the Ace Attorney series yet, this is a great way to check it out. –Ashley Lippert

Pokémon Alpha 
Sapphire
Game Freak / 
Nintendo, 
The Pokémon 
Company
Reviewed on: 3DS 
(exclusive)
Street: 11.21.14
Here’s something that will blow your mind: Pokémon remakes have been around for a decade. They haven’t felt superfluous—they helped evolve the games as much as the new entries. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire’s updated Hoenn looks more like Pokémon live there versus seeing them exclusively in tall grass or cities. While it’s not much of a step up graphically from X and Y, there are more details in the world—the beaches are littered with Wingulls, and you swim past small schools of Luvdiscs and Corsolas roaming around the gorgeous seafloor. Once you’re through the gym leaders, you can soar around the world on the back of a Latias to explore the skies above Hoenn, searching for Mirage spots that are home to some legendary Pokémon. The PokéNav gets an amazing upgrade—you can finally spot some wild Pokémon in the tall grass before they attack you. The Nav will also give you a read on their level and their first move so you can decide whether to bother catching it. Finally, it will tell you if you’ve caught all the Pokémon in your area. It’s easier and more fun to catch ‘em all in this latest remake. –Ashley Lippert