The collecting, battling, and evolving monster games pool was a bit crowded and roughly half of those titles made into the 2010s and 2020s. What set Monster Rancher apart from other games in its early entries was the ability to pull monsters physical CDs. Some CDs in your CD binder or shelf could feature a powerful monster that you couldn’t train yet.

That leads us to what really makes this my favorite of the Pokeclones: the life-sim aspect.

Monster Rancher Went Further with Monster Training

There was a lot going on with Monster Rancher mechanics-wise that I love. Most of it would be pretty applicable to Pokémon if the in-game time was treated differently from real time or “Earth time” as Final Fantasy XIV calls it. See, Pokémon always felt like the longest summer ever because you could catch monsters, train them, collect gym badges, and spank the Elite 4 in pretty short order.

You’re not going to spend months going through a Pokémon title doing the core game even if you have other things to do. That isn’t the case in a Rancher game, either. Depending on the game, you could go through the ranks quickly. The main difference is that the monster you’re raising and the way you’re raising it might not get you to the top.

Time Was Everything

That’s because of the life simulation gameplay in the series. Players have to feed their monster, let them get rest, give them treats, encourage them for great results, choose their training regime throughout the month, breed them other monsters, watch their weight, and enroll them in battles and tournaments (some which determine the monster’s ranking).

All of this is managed by a very simple in-game calendar. Matches and tournaments are scheduled and if the monster’s rank is high enough, they’re able to enter that competition. In the games on GameBoy Advance, the calendar featured Official tournaments hosted by the organization in the game that allow for rank promotion to the winner.

Tying all of this together is that each monster has a lifespan. The crushing part in a Monster Rancher title is that sometimes when a player thinks their monster can advance in rank, it can kick the bucket. So, the game gets some longevity and replayability by requiring the player to summon and raise another monster.

Then again, if a player wants to avoid dealing with a dying monster they can retire the monster, get them registered as a trainer, and have them on the ranch training the next potential champion.

What Happened with Monster Rancher?

The franchise is still around and as of 2022, Koei Tecmo has released a game for Nintendo Switch in a crossover with the Ultraman franchise. The method of summoning or generating monsters has even been modernized since CDs aren’t used much now.

On that note, the game’s success is pretty easy to determine since it didn’t get much buzz after being released and the franchise’s peak in the West was between 1999-2000 when the animated series was on broadcast television.

Monster Rancher is the pokeclone that has simply always been around. The games maintained a consistent level of quality but never garnered buzz with the newer releases like Dragon Quest Monsters would with the Joker series and Devil Summoner games on Nintendo DS.

If you played the Monster Rancher games, which were your favorites and monsters? I was never a fan of Suezo and always preferred Tiger of the Wind or Zan. Also, what were your thoughts on the short-lived animated series?

Share your thoughts below!

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

It’s a slower burn but Little King’s Story even eased that to where it was manageable for players not familiar with RTS. The Wii was meant to reel in all kinds of gamers despite experience, genre preference, or free time. Little King’s Story was somewhat different in that RTS aren’t exactly “I’ll play a bit and come back to it later.”

No, like RPGs, simulation games, and strategy games; once you start it up, you’ve pretty much accepted that you’re going lose time in that day. Again, this game dropped in 2009 and was well-received, so where are the sequels?

Where’s Little King’s Story?

LKS was developed by Cing, a defunct indie developer that went under in 2010, just under a year after releasing this title. Most their titles were on the Nintendo DS with a run of roughly seven years. You could say they got a lot done before shuttering.

Their work included games in the Another Code and Hotel Dusk series as well as the DS debut of Monster Rancher. Of their games Little King’s Story and Monster Rancher DS were the two I played the most.

It was an interesting time in gaming with the Nintendo printing money despite having a home console that was underpowered and lacked the expected features of that period, an approach that has continued into the Switch 2. If anything, Cing should’ve made money as well due to its close working relationship with Nintendo starting in 2005.

An issue could’ve been the pace at which Nintendo released games (which is still on the sluggish side) but that’s mainly with its first party games. The company takes its time for Mario and Zelda for quality reasons. Think how long it was between Metroid Prime 3 and the fourth entry release in 2025. In that 19-year period, we saw a number of remasters, spinoffs. Mind you, Prime 4 came out roughly four years after the previous main installment Metroid Dread, which is a solid amount of time between main games in a franchise if there are no other major titles being developed.

Again, all of that is for a first-party game being developed by Nintendo’s own development teams. Cing was an indie developer who happened to have a regular working relationship with Ninty. The fate of Little King’s Story was up in the air.

The Game Ended on a Cliffhanger

With Cing shut down, the rights to LKS fell to Marvelous, which published the game in Japan on the Wii. On paper, that looks fine since Marvelous is still putting out games regularly and working on titles in known properties. They’re active but they have a lot on their plate with their own titles and others.

While LKS is one of their titles and proved to be a popular title, that was in 2009-2010. Gaming has changed a lot since then and a title like Little King’s Story might appear dated or unpredictable in performance compared to its tried and true titles Rune Factory, Story of Seasons, and Senran Kagura as well as handling Monster Hunter Stories, No More Heroes, and Valhalla Knights.

Now, I regularly bring up titles that I’d like to see revived and believe that developers technically have a new franchise in an older one if we haven’t seen anything from that franchise in decades. I’m still waiting on Capcom to drop another Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance. However, LKS like Beat Down has gone too long without anything new or fresh to get a franchise going.

It’s unlikely that a Little King’s Story 2 that continues from the game’s ending is developed and we likely won’t see a reboot. It would take Marvelous having a “what’s old is new again” approach similar to TV and film studios with these sitcom revivals and continuations.

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Gaming gives us that and simulation games apply that to occupation and business simulators to great effect. It’s essential to gameplay and keeping players hooked. But this isn’t about status screen UIs or human improvement, we’re looking at three simulators worth diving into right now.

All games but the second are available on PC and console.

Drug Dealer Simulator (Byterunners)

Currently, this has been my primary jam. It’s also my weekend stream starter before getting into some Cyberpunk 2077 shenanigans. Drug Dealer Simulator puts you in the role of a dealer, smuggler, street pharmacist, trafficker, and businessman all in one.

The player is dropped into a city under heavy lockdown with a hard stance against drugs. Eddie, the player’s mentor and plug trains the young trapper on how to do business, get drugs, launder money, and keeps him abreast of story-advancing developments. The narrator fills the player in on more granular aspects while giving an abrasive and humorous take of the trapper’s rise.

While a major aspect is giving out samples and making enough for sales and to hand off to your dealers, I find that the most enjoyable part is actually growing and cooking. Then again, I love crafting in games.

Byterunners have released Drug Dealer Simulator 2 and it looks great but for those who can’t play the sequel, the OG DDS is still a time-eating blast to dive into.

American Truck Simulator (SCS Software)

Honestly, either American Truck Simulator or European Truck Simulator 2 are a great pick for your simulation game session. It exists in this realm of having time limits on deliveries, fines for traffic infractions, and needing to gas up but also being extremely chill.

The most stressful parts tend to come from falling a bit behind on a delivery. Even worse when is cutting it close, being at the destination but being unable to get the truck and trailer in the loading area exactly.

Beyond that, the player mainly  manages their trucking career, handles their skill points, purchase trucks and upgrades. As the game advances and the player makes more cash from deliveries, they can invest in their own trucking company and hire drivers NPC to do deliveries.

There’s also an online mode where players join other truckers for convoys. It’s not a mode I’ve explored heavily but it was fun doing deliveries through Nevada and hearing my fellow trucker lamenting about traffic up ahead.

Of the games in this list, I’d say American/Euro Truck Simulator has the best music. It uses streaming radio in-game and it works perfectly as traveling music with a lot of variety. This is also the game with the most longevity. The games are all addictive and the player might have fun in restarting or advancing their businesses further but the Truck Simulator titles are different in that it’s as close to a perfect balance of chill and challenge.

That goes a long way for simulation games and replay value.

Gas Station Simulator (DRAGO Entertainment)

Now this is a game that increases the stress of cops chasing the player in DDS while also having a chill approach like the Truck Simulator games. Sure, placing and stocking shelves is easy (as someone who has done it, it depends) but keeping the store clean and seeing that tour bus pull up to the gas station is another story.

Most of the week, it’s basic dead end gas station in the desert business. Yeah, there’s an element of shadiness going on as far as cash flow but business is steady and manageable. However, the weirdest things go down in the gas station once the bus rolls in but the player is going to make a wad or two with the bump in business.

Managing inventory, store cleanliness and tending to the service at the pump are the player’s initial duties but eventually workers can be hired to manage that. There is stronger storyline here than in the other two entries and exploration plays a part in that. There are also a few other activities to get into outside of pure business.

What are some of your favorite simulation games and are there any you’re currently playing? Share in the comments!

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

Gaming since 1989 and headbanging since 1999, James is a talented writer, podcast host, and lifelong comic book fan who loves all things old-school and retro. His passions include RPGs, wrestling, and classic gaming culture. You can also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

It should be noted that the studio had another big project in that decade with the highly acclaimed Red Dead Redemption II. So, Rockstar hasn’t been idly twiddling their thumbs while Online printed money. Work was being done in that time and on the Grand Theft Auto front, a lot has been done.

There Was Another Trailer on GTA VI Day

Although, Rockstar was giving a lot of time to GTA Online—especially during the COVID-era boom for GTA V with FiveM and player servers keeping the game active. It’s just that there were players not on Online doing things they’d like to do in Online. Yes, GTA roleplay.

The GTA VI trailer gave us a cinematic look at the iconic Vice City from the 2002 titular game—40 years into the future. Rockstar has a real talent for capturing American mainstream culture in specific periods of time. The present day seems to be easiest but I recommend a quick jaunt to 1984 Vice City and 1992 Los Santos.

That aside, this trailer was a great drop on a day where the only trailer that I was aware of is the new expansion for Destiny 2. Actually, my brother was considering getting back into Destiny 2–as was I for the summer—when he sent me a text that the GTA VI trailer had dropped…the same day as the trailer for “The Edge of Fate” trailer.

This is Grand Theft Auto VI we’re talking about. There’s going to be about 13 years between the two main series titles. It’s smarter to just move your trailer release date if you want to snap up some more casual players or those not familiar with your game or series. Then again, it was a well-received surprise drop.

Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate Trailer

With that said, Destiny 2’s trailer was also great. Bungie tends to really deliver with their trailers with one important inclusion: combat gameplay. When looking games on the PlayStation Network, you’ll find a lot of trailers are cinematic in nature. That’s fine, that’s a developer choice but if it’s anything but a business or trading sim—show the combat in the first trailer!

Yes, we’re in a time where the writing is more layered and gives more lore but we’re also in a time where developers really want you to see these mini-movies. Not only the reveal trailer but also the follow-up. You can be three or four trailers in before the devs actually focus on gameplay and combat—if available.

Not Bungie. Oh no, they mix cinematic cutscenes and story cues with in-game combat. Oh and they show off the new guns and abilities. The studio knows what we mainly show up for and they whet your whistle for it because to be honest: at a certain point in the season, you can dip out and play something else. It’ll be a bit before the next chapter in the story is released and if you feel you’ve done enough that season, why not?

The main thing about the trailer for “The Edge of Fate” and Destiny 2 in general is it’s a title very much for the hardcores. If you’re a fan of Destiny or maybe even Bungie’s work, the trailer is geared towards you. You’ve likely followed the story actively, you might live in PvP, your sole goal in the game might be to hunt down the best rolls on weapons you enjoy using—but you know your sh** about Destiny. Myself, I exist between casual and hardcore for the series. I’m in it mainly for the gunplay, loot in PvE, and slamming in PvP—the trailer did its job.

From what I see from the two releases, the GTA VI trailer hit harder because of the amount of time between the two games and the release date reveal. That combination will always do it for an acclaimed series. With Destiny 2, it would probably take announcement of Destiny 3 to get a similar—but not exact buzz.

That and Rockstar not announcing a new Bully or Manhunt.

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

A Lot of Work for a Playable Commercial

Now, it’s basically a super-involved tie-in for the soda. You’re playing a long commercial here but it’s more enjoyable because it’s a game and not an ad interrupting the show or film you were watching. That’s not the main reason it’s enjoyable—far from it—but it a bright point because who would care about playing as the Cool Spot?

In the early 1990s, there were cooler cartoon mascots for snacks, fast food, drinks at the time. Chester Cheetah sits at the top of the heap, Andy Capp, and so on. They all had pretty mid games that were definitely games by they games that could be avoided or skipped over. That isn’t to say they were awful but developers could’ve not made them.

But Cool Spot—this game was anything but mid. The platforming was in-line with other platformers of the time such as Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island and Sonic the Hedgehog in that it keeps things simple as far motion, enemies, and navigation. However, it leans more in the direction of games like Vectorman, Boogerman, and Earthworm Jim.

On that note, this title was released on Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis and I played it on the Genesis. Now, relating it to those three games, I always felt that Cool Spot was more of a Sega game than a multi-platform title. It just seemed like it was made for the Sega Genesis and it player better on that console.

In reality, it was really good on both consoles.

What Made the Game Fun?

For our retro gamers, if you remember the Army Men franchise, there is an element of that game here. In Army Men, the player controls the green plastic Army men against tan plastic Army men in battlefields such as the front yard, backyard, and different rooms in the house. The characters are all scaled to toy size and the levels are all rooms or outside environments.

Cool Spot is similar. The first stage is the beach where crabs and smaller creatures are your main enemies, debris, beach chairs, umbrellas, and sand castles are the natural obstacles you’ll have to navigate. There are hazards that wouldn’t be out of place at the beach as well.

My favorite level happens to take place inside a wall where you have wall studs, spiders, mouse traps, and so on to deal with and navigate. Best of all is that all of these obstacles are placed in a way that you could see this being a harrowing adventure for the sunglasses-wearing Cool Spot.

Outside of the setting and level design, the gameplay was tight for a platformer that wasn’t going to compete with the bigger names—which it could’ve done with more support or a major advertising push. It featured responsive controls, the abilities or powers of our hero is a simple fizz blast, and most importantly—and my favorite—the blind leap of faiths in this game made for some fun platforming action. In Sonic games from the period, you knew where you were going and where you would fall. The same with the Super Mario World where the jumps were risky but not blind jump risky.

That seemed more of a screen-scrolling thing but it worked here. That was actually the main risk or threat in the game: the jumps and watching Cool Spot dive for a ledge ala Prince of Persia.

Outside of that, it’s a pretty straightforward platform game but a very well-crafted one. If you remember Cool Spot or played it, what are your memories of it?

As always, let us know in the comments!

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Legend of the River King Made Fishing Games Extremely Fun

Prior to playing this, I’d played a few other fishing games such as Sega Bass Fishing but that was more of an arcade-style game. It wasn’t even a fishing sim—which I would later play and found them enjoyable enough. However, it wasn’t something I was going to finish.

Legend of the River King had the appeal of being a Natsume game off the bat. I was playing Harvest Moon 64, a hard game to find at the time when I saw Legend of the River King GBC being mentioned along with Harvest Moon GB 2. I was planning to play that HM game but LRK was intriguing.

Getting into it, I found that it had a sliver of story—just enough to get you started on your adventure. Honestly, Harvest Moon was similar because after a while, the reason for you being there to take over the farm doesn’t really matter and it’s mentioned every now and then.

It drives you to straighten up the farm but its not an ongoing story for the game. That was the same case in Legend of the River King. You just have to retrieve a legendary fish to prevent natural disasters on this island—if I’m remembering correctly—but it won’t be easy at all.

You’ll make a lot of progress in the game with money and you have to catch fish to sell. As the game advances, you run into more methods to make money. The next one is in combat—which is somewhat odd that something that isn’t fishing-related made this one of the most enjoyable fishing games.

Before moving into the next method, the combat in this game is simple and works. Players just have to stop the moving fish on an enemy—usually wildlife—or their weak spot. That’s it! It’s the combat and leveling that move this game into RPG territory.

I mean, otherwise it would’ve been a slog of a fishing game. There’s also diving, a very profitable way to make money and deep-sea fishing. Once you get the hang of the fishing and combat mechanics, this game is pretty self-explanatory.

It’s also a game that came before the lengthy tutorials we find in-game now, so you’re diving right into the mess right after the brief opening. Then again, the mechanics in this game aren’t complex at all. If you’ve visited a store and upgraded your gear in any game, you’ll know to upgrade your stuff here as well.

Worth a Reboot?

The situation with Natsume Inc and Marvelous Inc saw a bit of a licensing situation over the Harvest Moon title resulting in two game franchises. The Legend of the River King series continued into the Nintendo DS era but following Legend of the River King 2, the combat was taken out and it became just a fishing game.

The PlayStation 2 entry was fine but I maintain that LRK2 on the Game Boy Color was the best in the franchise. If anything, I think a reboot going back to the GBC games would be great otherwise let it remain dormant. It’s just not worth it for a light fishing game with no conflict or leveling elements to me. If the combat is gone, perhaps it should be more of a fishing sim.

Have you played any of the Legend of the River King games? If so, did they stand out to you? Is it a game where you could see a reboot happening? Let us know!

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Discovering American Truck Simulator

I first found out about ATS after watching others play Euro Truck Simulator 2 on Twitch. What sold me on the franchise was how much fun the streamers were having in just driving from point A to point B with no actual competition, no combat, and seeing some of the same environments over and over again. In addition, some streamers were actually using steering wheels to play which adds to immersion.

Every game has a degree of repetitiveness in it but Euro Truck Simulator 2 worked off of it. There’s only so much you’re going to be able to do when “truck” and “simulator” are in the title, after all. When someone in chat mentioned that there was an American Truck Simulator, I sought that out to see who else was playing it.

There’s very little difference between the games outside of the brand of trucks available and locations. However, I figured I’d give ATS a good when was on sale on Steam—and I haven’t been disappointed.

Gameplay

The game seemed simple in execution. You operate a big rig, take on delivery jobs, and drive the distance to your cargo’s destination. Along the way, you’re to respect traffic laws and speed limits while also making sure not to damage your truck too much. You also have to fuel up when needed.

It all seems simple enough but you have deadlines, the maps show that every city’s road system can be confusing, there’s management of your own trucking business, and a few other things that add difficulty.

I’ve been playing American Truck Simulator for two years and driving in first-person view has its own difficulties. Meaning, I tend to forget to check my mirrors for cars and trucks rolling up on me. You’d think the solution is to drive in third-person but it’s just weird and a little unwieldy when it’s not a car you’re driving.

Now that I think of it, big rigs in most games are bother to drive in third-person. Doing the one mission in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas comes to mind. That and the flying school missions were the most annoying in that title. As for ATS, you get used to it if you keep in mind that there’s something connected to the back of your vehicle when turns come up.

Chill Factor: 8/10 (Crisp)

American Truck Simulator is a true chill game. I play this, Stardew Valley, or Starbound when I get too heated from playing more action-oriented games or when I’m stomped in business management sims. ATS really allows me to get my head straight by just traveling between cities, seeing the landscape, and listening to the in-game radio stations.

There is a very mild degree of anxiety when falling behind on a deadline but for the most part the game isn’t punishing if you fail. You have one main objective and when there’s not a ton of things going on, it’s easy to focus and take it easy in a game.

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

What Is The Trail?

Developed by 22Cans and released by Kongregate last year, The Trail is the latest game by Peter Molyneux, creator of Dungeon Keeper, Fable, and Black & White. You might be thinking “Oh, so it’s a god game or something like that.” No, that’s what Godus is for on mobile. This is something different, something new that we should’ve gotten a very long time ago.

The simplest explanation I can give of The Trail is that it’s Oregon Trail on foot. Oregon Trail, the educational classic that has been in schools every decade since 1974, required you to guide a wagon of settlers from the east coast all the way to Oregon.

Being that it takes place in 1847, you had to deal with illnesses, determine how much supplies you need, and determine how you should cross rivers. Trust me, Oregon Trail is harder than it sounds. Your best laid plans will falter at least twice.

The Trail takes that concept and have you play as a new pioneer in a strange land. You could is to reach Eden Falls, the first and only settlement for about 10 miles. Needless to say, your trek will be a difficult one.

Gameplay

Number one: the game plays in portrait view. Perfect since I dread starting up a game that shows screenshots in portrait and I see the picture flip sideways. My lazy side kicks in like “You mean I have to use both hands to play this?!”

That’s not the case with The Trail. As a matter of fact, one of the selling points it lists in the description is that it can be played with one hand.

The mechanics in the game are pretty simple. Your character walks along a path that leads through the land. Terrain changes as you march through and the resources vary. In some you might find bountiful hunting while hunting might be lax or nonexistent elsewhere.

Trade takes place at rest stops, which can be revisited, so hunting for furs and meat and logging are important. Gathering will also prove useful since all quests require it. See, you’re given a backpack that makes use of some interesting physics. By “interesting” I mean everything bounces and jostles about and you’ll need to be good at stuffing everything you pick up.

Crafting and Such

Crafting is probably the most important task. The quests open up more recipes and can determine your specialty the more you do in a quest. You could be an explorer meaning you get better stamina for trekking, a hunter, a trader, or lumberjack.

Just like a number of games now, you’ll need to make your own clothes, a larger backpack and other gear. You’ll need to craft gear regularly since your gears’ durability is determined by how many kilometers it’ll last before breaking. There been no shortage of players traveling in underwear with a backpack because of this.

In addition to this, you’ll make money by crafting and selling whatever you don’t want to carry. You’ll need money to buy your plot of land in a town or to pay river tolls. Once you reach Eden Falls or any town with available plots, you’ll take an occupation and contribute to the wealth of town. Players handle the governance and prosperity of the town.

If townspeople (players) pitch in “favors”—premium currency that you can purchase in bulk or just collect over over a few days—other stuff like town elections can be unlocked.

Verdict

The Trail is 100-percent a chill game. It’s a player versus environment game but you don’t fight anything. The distance between towns and rest stops and your stamina are your enemies. I would say this is a time waster but you’re going to want to continue your trek to see if you can make it to the next or just to gather and craft.

This title is simple in execution but it presents a fun challenge. In-game chat would be fun but as is, this is a unique sleeper game. There really isn’t anything like The Trail available.

RATING: 8.5 out of 10 (Highly Recommended)

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Kairosoft: The Motorhead of Mobile Developers

However, there’s a saying I tend to spam when a company, franchise, or whatever runs with the same formula and rarely changes it up—to great success. Kairosoft is the Motorhead of mobile game developers.

Motorhead was a metal band whose front man and founder Lemmy Kilmister stuck to one approach when making music: over the top. Everything had to be louder than everything else and just as fast. The band took this approach from 1975 when Lemmy left the psychedelic space rock band Hawkwind until 2015 when he passed.

The music worked since WWE legend Triple H has always gotten Motorhead to do his theme music.

Kairosoft’s approach is light, easy, mildly challenging, and with RPG elements. Each and every game, it’s the same approach. Even down to the sprites and settings used Kairosoft keeps it simple and just changes the theme and objective.

You would think “Well that is boring, change it up at least” but it works! I can’t exactly put my finger on it why but it simply works! My closest guess is that the company changes up themes and the same approach might be used if the game is a business sim. Then they twist it just enough to work for a town building sim or an RPG.

It’s a genius approach when you consider other developers break their necks trying to do something new with a sequel and get reactions that range wildly. Kairosoft fans know exactly what to expect and it ain’t reinventing the wheel.

So, I was going to do a review of several Kairosoft titles but it would be difficult for the reason above: the titles are all very, very similar. Instead, let’s go into three games you must play from this developer!

Game Dev Story

Originally released on Windows in 1997 and on mobile in 2010, Game Dev Story is the game that brought Kairosoft to the attention of Western mobile gamers. The premise of the game is to run a small video game developer and build it up into a powerhouse that can develop its own consoles.

In the beginning you’ll take on jobs from publishers to make their game and you have to manage workers, their training, employment and firings, and upgrading your studio. You’ve made if your games end up in the Hall of Fame or you do well at the year-end awards. In execution, Game Dev Story is pretty simple compared to a few of the later Kairosoft games but it still delivers a challenge on the first play through because bankruptcy is always around the corner.

This is the ultimate Kairosoft game and it’s now available on the Nintendo Switch. It was a major inspiration for the Greenheart game Game Dev Tycoon.

The Manga Works

Released on mobile in 2016, The Manga Works is pretty much identical to Game Dev Story except that you play as a mangaka who makes comics. You must develop your skills to create better series and get recognized by several of the larger publishers. The bigger the publisher, the longer your series will run and more you’ll have to develop your character’s skills.

On top of this, you have to upgrade their home so that you can get more assistants, manage a life outside of manga to get inspiration, and meet deadlines for your series. It’s a game that makes me wish that there was a Western comics version.

Grand Prix Story

Hitting mobile marketplaces in 2012, Grand Prix Story puts you in charge as the manager of a racing team. It sounds familiar, right? Exactly! It’s Game Dev Story put to racing! You also have to handle research of new car parts, building new cars, winning races, altering cars for certain terrain, and performing well to gather sponsors.

There are several other Kairosoft titles that put you in charge of a hot spring resort, a sweets store, as a landlord, a high school, and a ninja village to name a few. This company really took two-and-a-half engines and spun-off several games that are all a lot of fun. Check them out and let us know which ones you enjoyed!

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

For a 3D mobile game going with the isometric approach, Last Day on Earth: Survival plays extremely well. That’s not a knock on other games that tried the same, it’s just that this game is so smooth even on the highest graphics setting. Little lag and choppiness—none of that. The game plays and you get to enjoy it with little instances of rage because the game had some hiccups.

Last Day on Earth: Survival’s Gameplay

Now, I tend to play it on a lower setting just because I’m used to it and you really get zero lag. This is important in any game but in relation to this game—where you have to be very fast with the attack button—you’re good to go.

That brings up another thing: combat and movement. Both are pretty easy, this is actually one of the first 3D mobile game I’ve enjoyed that used the virtual thumbsticks and I wasn’t enraged because something didn’t register. Kefir! really did their work here because it would’ve been the make or break element for the game.

Last Day on Earth: Survival has a number of mechanics that you could find in The Outlived, a similar game also on mobile. LDoES takes from mobile strategy games where you’re assigned a spot in a serve’s game world and you have an energy bank but those are where the similarities end. Scavenging, crafting, and construction are key since you need a sturdy dwelling when a zombie horde runs through your spot.

There is a leveling mechanic here where you get points towards crafting as well as the opportunity to learn survival skills while out scavenging at different sites. Just like in The Walking Dead where humans are the most dangerous predator, other players can be extremely threatening—especially if they’re armored and armed to the teeth.

Lastly, the first feature you’ll run into is the character customization. It’s not the most extensive feature but it’s definitely better than The Outlived’s attempt at this and gives players some uniqueness while running about the wasteland.

Verdict

Last Day on Earth: Survival is a rock-solid survival game that doesn’t go full into hyper sci-fi territory. There are some minor issues here and there such as an annoying energy bank that limits what you can do in a sitting.

I swear that thing replenishes at a snail’s pace too. The thing is, you won’t have to use any energy if you just select “Walk” instead of “Run” when moving from location to location. Of course, that’s easy to say before you find out that other players can enter the same location and scavenge. That means all that work and energy you wasted going back and forth to clear out zombies could be snagged easily.

That aside, the game looks good, combat is easy and hits are responsive, and the time you sink into it is rewarded. On top of that, there really isn’t a tutorial. Normally, this would be a bit of problem but since tutorials range from extremely skimp—where LDoES dwells—and hand holding, this game went with the right end of the scale. It drops you into the zombie apocalypse and expects you to make your own way by making most of the mechanics as self-explanatory as possible.

Kudos Kefir!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 (Highly Recommended)

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.