Top Ten Games/Visual Novels I Enjoyed In 2018

Unlike last year where I separated both games and Visual Novels I decided to keep them together and make one list together. You can find out what I played this year at this location: https://www.giantbomb.com/profile/remilia_seven_fangs/lists/games-played-in-2018/361896/

Hope you enjoy :)

Honorable mentions:

- Season of 12 Colors (Memories of Paper Planes)

This is another hard Visual Novel to do a good favorite and least favorites, since this is short and the characters are not really the main point to the story. The characters are kind of there to help express the story while the story itself is there to help the readers get connected to the characters. Besides the VN being short, and some minor translation mishaps, there really is not anything bad I can say about this VN.

Award: Small Chinese Life Experience Award

List items

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  1. The Alliance Alive

  Favorite/ Least Favorite Character(s): There are very few characters that I dislike in this game. Even the bad guys are slightly hard to dislike. I will list some of the more enjoyable characters.

  Azura: A very close friend of the main character, and the daughter of a rebellion leader, that lives in the Rain Realm. She is a very kind and strong willed person that ends up becoming blinded by a Daemon attack. She uses her magical senses to see the world around her and is one of the better support characters in the game. She also almost looks like Yukari Yakumo from the Touhou series.

  Rachel: Little Red Riding Hood Archer. She is probably the better of the two archers in the game, and has fast action and some very good single or AOE skills. She is a mercenary that tags along with Gene and is always looking for excitement. She does not think about how her actions will affect the future and would rather strike first than wait. She can act a little childish at times, but she does have some moments of maturity.

  Vivian: A Daemon Scholar who is interested in Humans and their culture. She is a noble Daemon and is always guarded by her butler Ignace. She is very airheaded, but also very intelligent. Usually Daemons do not associate with Humans, but she is trying to learn from them and figure out how to make a connection between the two races. She has some great spells and physical attacks and makes for a good balanced character.

  Matilda: One of the Dragon Knights of the Crystal Realm who helps the party out during the Daemon attack on the Crystal Realm. She joins the party after finishing the dragon trials and is a very good spear user and minor support character. She has some unique dragon spear attacks that are very powerful late game (which is when she joins your party). She knows little of the other worlds and is always curious about new things.

  Shiki: A Veteran swordsman from the Snow Realm. He was one of the best warriors of this realm until his daughter was killed by the Daemons. He is drowning his sorrow with sake when you first meet him in the Hakurei Castle, but he eventually joins your team when you rescue all the citizens of the Castle. He is a glass canon that will be very vital in most boss fights. He kind of replaced my other physical damage dealers when he took down enemies in one hit compared to three hits with other characters.

  Grossa: A Daemon Judgement General who does his best to protect Daemon law and stop the humans from interfering with their plans. He blinded Azura when she and Galil were trespassing in one of the ancient temples. He also fights your party a couple other times before he starts to realize that his master is just using him. He only cares to keep order in the world no matter who his ally or enemy is.

  Rouge: His name says it all. He is a wild card Daemon who will do anything to kill his enemies and even allies. He does not care who tries to stand in his way, he will do what he is order to do and even do whatever he wants. As long as he does not go over his masters plan, he is allowed to do as he wishes.

  Favorite Moment(s): Snow Realm, Most Boss Fights, Later parts of the game.

  Snow Realm: I like Asian culture, themes and ideas and this whole realm is based on Asian locations. There is a lot of Japanese and Chinese influence in the area and you even get to play with a bunny that helps you traverse the realms winter storms. This area has some of the most enjoyable game moments and battles and you even get some very interesting characters and allies in this realm.

  Most Boss Fights: While some of the early boss fights are fairly basic, you do get some more enjoyable and complicated boss fights that use your whole party to defeat. I really liked fighting the different Daemons and God creatures that try to halt your progress.

  Later parts of the game: While most of the game is enjoyable, the longer you play the more you start to really enjoy the game. I was enthralled with this game when I got to the latter half and I did not want to stop. I really enjoyed the different realms you get to travel through as well as exploring for allies and hunting down some great equipment.

  Least Favorite Moment(s): Getting lost, Water Demons, trouble picking a team

  Getting Lost: This is probably my fault but I did have trouble figuring out where to go early on and that kind of made a bad impression on me. Yet, once I figured out what to do, I was able to enjoy the game.

  Water Devils: While you can ignore some of these, they do become common and are very hard to deal with. The Water Devil areas actually give combo bonuses that help with gaining experience and rare items, but even with higher level characters these devils are still a menace.

  Picking a Team: Since most characters can use a variety of weapons and they can play many roles, it was hard picking a team. There are many good characters and I wanted to try using all of them, but I had to pick the ones that I felt best matched my play style. I eventually came up with a team that seemed to provide what I needed for the later parts of the game.

  Favorite Local(s): Snow Realm, Daemonia

  Snow Realm: I already explained why I like this in the section above.

  Daemonia: The homeland of the Daemons and the last area of the game. This place has some enjoyable music, wonderful architecture and a great place to end the fight for humanity. While the enemies are all Water Devils, they do give you healing locations that allow you to level up more in order to advance further into the palace.

  Least Favorite Local(s): There really are not many locations that I did not like. Each area was unique and enjoyable in its own way.

  Team: Barbarosa, Azura, Matilda, Shiki, Vivian

  Barbarosa: This high endurance character was one of my best Tanks in the game and allowed me to protect my more fragile characters in the back line. He is a beast folk who owes his life to Azura’s father for saving his life.

  Azura: A human girl, and best friend of the main character, she specializes in healing and protective magic. She ends up going blind from a Daemon attack but can use her magic to sense her surroundings.

  Matilda: A human woman, who also is a dragon warrior in the Crystal Realm. She has some good support magic but is also a master of the spear. She joins the party in order to explore the world and learn what other places exist.

  Shiki: A war veteran from the Snow Realm. He was one of the best warriors in the service of the Emperor; however, with the loss of his daughter he had given up his sword in order to drink away his woes. He joins the party if you prove to him that you are worthy of his help by saving as many (if not all) of the Palace residents.

  Vivian: The Daemon is a little airheaded, but also very brilliant and the best mage in the game. She has many good attack spells, AOE and single target, and can use her skills to take down some tough targets.

  Award: Best JRPG of 2018

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  2. RosenkreuzStilette Freudenstachel

  Favorite Character(s): Freudia Neuwahl, Pamela Arwig, Trauare Wrede, Schwere-Muta Cassasola Merkle, Metal Hero (Luste Teuber), Rafraktia Twins, Strudel

  Freudia Neuwahl: The main character of this game who is on a quest to save her best friend Spiritia. She can be a little cold, besides the fact she is the ice queen, but has a warm heart and is willing to help others out when she can. Her ice magic combined with the attacks she gets from her enemies makes for some interesting game play styles.

  Pamela Arwig: The Holy Knight who is trying to stop Freudia from overthrowing the Pope. She is a strong-willed leader who ends up finding out that she is being blackmailed by Iris. She loses hope at one point in the story only to regain it when Iris tries to take over the world. She can be a little hard to play as, but with a lot of cross tanks and determination you can make it through her story.

  Trauare Wrede: The Water Queen of this game and one of my favorite characters. She has a strong friendship with Zorne, and will do anything to make sure Zorne is happy. She can be a little hard headed at times, but she comes through when her friends and family need her. She gives the best weapon in the game that is a little over powered at times.

  Schwere-Muta Cassasola Merkle: The shy, birthday loving girl who tries her best to stay a good friend with the other members of RKS, she tends to use a lot of traps to fend off any intruders. The battle is pretty much Wendy or Lenny from Mario, but if you have her weakness she can go down before she really uses her pipes to hide. Her squid Mr. Zeppy also lends a hand during the fight and is actually her only friend since she is very shy. She gives a great shield weapon that I use a lot.

  Metal Hero (Luste Teuber): The Hero of Justice, or so she claims, tries her best to be the heroine she was destined to be. She is a little childish and there is a funny moment between her and Pamela about lack of clothing, but she does try her best to help the RKS members. She would rather play and have fun with others than actually fight, but will put forth an effort when someone mentions she could be a true heroine if she helps save the day.

  Rafraktia Twins: The Black Cross Nun Reckte and her identical shadow twin Link have different personalities and tend to be a little conflicting on ideas. Link is upfront and stands up for her sister Rechte, while Rechte is more shy and helpless without her twin. While Rechte may be the only real sister, they both have immense magical power that gives them a chance to show they are no push overs (especially during a speed run). They also have the best level in the game, since I love books.

  Strudel: The Ice Fairy who accompanies Freudia on her quest to save Spiritia. She is actually somehow connected to Freudia, but she does not know about this until later in the game. She tends to be a little clueless and says some things that upset other characters, but she does not actually know that she is being mean. She also has a fondness for big round things, including female breasts.

  Least Favorite Character(s): Zorne Zeppelin, Dark Void Devil, Lady Shirach, Grolla Seyfarth, Iris Zeppelin

  Zorne Zeppelin: I really do not hate Zorne herself, but she is much harder than she was in the first game, and even her stage is a little harder to deal with. Otherwise she is still an enjoyable character.

  Dark Void Devil: Pretty much everyone knows I am not fond of Devil Bosses. This one is no different. It is not exceptionally hard, unless you play as Pamela, it is just kind of annoying to deal with.

  Grolla Seyfarth: I never really cared for Grolla in the first game and I really do not care too much for her in this game. Her stage fits the kind of stuff I like, Vampires, Victorian style, but I still do not care that much for Grolla. She is not super hard, but has some annoying attacks to deal with.

  Iris Zeppelin: She is only on her because she is still the same final “Wily esque” boss of the game. She can be annoying to listen to, but she gets what she deserves in the end.

  Lady Shirach: The bane of my life. This is probably the hardest boss, for Freudia, in the whole game for me. I struggle so much to deal with her and yet, no matter how hard I try, she still pummels me to the ground. She has an annoying earthquake attack that stuns you if you do not jump, plus she has falling rocks and then she throws a huge boulder at you. She also dashes at you to grab you and homerun you to the other side of the screen. This would not be a problem if her weakness was an attack that required you not to get hurt in order for it to be useful. As Pamela I did not have as much trouble, but she is a pain in the butt as Freudia.

  Favorite Moment(s): Beating Iris Again, Iris Castle 1/Count Fight, Beating Pamela’s Story Mode

  Beating Iris Again: She is still a spoiled brat who definitely needed to be taken down again. Hopefully if they make a new game, they have a different final boss; otherwise it will get a bit ugly dealing with her.

  Iris Castle 1/Count Fight: The music in this stage is amazing and I really like it a lot. The quick lasers are not as enjoyable, but unlike actual levels that use quick lasers to cut off you path, this is a level designed with quick lasers as an ordinary obstacle. You can still take your time and move around without worrying about being killed instantly, unless you make a false move. There are some hard spots, but they are easy to overcome. The boss fight against the Count is also enjoyable since you can one hit KO him with Trauare’s OP attack.

  Pamela’s Story: I had a hard time actually doing this. Yet, I was happy to actually beat it since I felt like I accomplished something. It was a long arduous path, but I enjoyed the story they set up and was able to feel good for beating it.

  Least Favorite Moment(s): Ending of Iris Castle 1, Dark Void Devil, Lady Shirach

  Iris Castle 1 Ending: This part is just hard if even with time stop. It kind of requires a lot of precision and a lot of patience. It probably took me like thirty or more tries to finally make it through this part of the stage.

  Dark Void Devil: As I mentioned before, I am not a fan of devil bosses, so that is my reason.

  Lady Shirach: Hard boss battle. Enough Said.

  Favorite Local(s): Doris’ Stage, Iris Castle 1, Iris Castle 2, Grolla’s Stage, Twins Stage

  Doris’ Stage: This is a forest stage and I really love forest areas in video games. I pretty much live in a forest, so this just makes me feel at home and I really enjoy the level. It does have some hard spots, but it still brings me calm.

  Iris Castle 1: Mostly because the music is enjoyable and the boss can be one shot. The idea to use quick lasers as an obstacle instead of path remover is also a plus.

  Iris Castle 2: This is a water stage with some enjoyable music. The stage is actually pretty hard and annoying, but the calming music helps you focus and it actually has some interesting ideas that they use for it.

  Grolla’s Stage: Another Vampire, Victorian style stage that actually uses some darker elements. Though I never plays ghosts and goblins, or the others, but the actually stage and mid boss were enjoyable enough.

  Twins Stage: I love books, so this would be my stage of preference. I really like the old Victorian library style look and having different elements that connect to what a library would be during the day and night back in those days makes for an enjoyable experience. Probably my favorite level in the game.

  Least Favorite Local(s) Iris Castle 1 and 2, Lady Shirach’s Stage

  Lady Shirach’s Stage: This is pretty much an earthquake level where you have to be careful of your footing, when to jump and when not to. It has a lot of hard spots and if you make a mistake or forget to jump, you could end up dying.

  Iris Castle 1 and 2: While I liked these stages for their music and their ideas, they also are fairly hard and can be troublesome in spots. They each have aspects, quick lasers, oil, swimming, that make these stages a little annoying to play through. Yet, with some practice they can be enjoyable to some extent.

  Award: Best Mega Man Clone Sequal

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  3. RosenkreuzStilette

  Favorite Character(s): Luste, Spiritia, Freudia, Schwers-Muta Casasola Merkle, Lillie, Stain Glass Boss

  Luste: The Hero of Justice, or so she claims, is a ditzy, fun loving girl who does not understand what is going on around her and only wants to play. She pretty much is childish and has a similar design to Flandre from Touhou. The stage theme for her is probably one of my favorite songs and I also love the sky theme for her stage. The death card comes from Embodiment of Scarlet Devil and uses Luste’s silhouette where Flandre normally would be. Probably my favorite boss, or close to.

  Spiritia and Lillie: The two heroines of the game who are working to stop their friends from doing something they will regret. Spiritia, or Tia is the first of the Magi RKS group and is trying to stop her group from taking over the world. She actually is thinking about the issue and tries to see how she can help by preventing the revolution from happening. She may also be the strongest in the game, maybe.

  Lillie is the sidekick and fairy of Spiritia who does her best to assist Tia on her quest to stop her friends. She may be clueless at times and even may say some things that hurt others, but she is only trying to help Tia. She may be small, but she has some power to her and is a good aid in the final Iris fight.

  Freudia: The ice queen who is the leader of RKS and probably the strongest, next to Spiritia, of the whole group. She uses her brain to think through problems, but also does her best to keep her instincts when she feels she is on the right path. She is trying to get Spiritia to aid in their cause, but only ends up helping Tia when she finds out that Iris is the one behind all the trouble.

  Schwers-Muta Casasola Merkle: The cutest character in the game, or close to, who has a hatred for her friends and other because they forgot her birthday. She may be the youngest and even the shyest character in the game, but she has a good heart and only wants people to notice her more. She eventually warms up to Spiritia when Tia remembers her birthday and apologizes for not showing up. She also has the longest name and her stage is often based off other game ideas.

  Stained Glass Boss: Probably the coolest idea for a boss fight, this boss is not very hard, when you know its weakness, but can also give you a little headache sometimes. This boss is interesting since it has different shapes and forms and eventually leads to the background with a bleeding statue. This boss may be a little hard, but is still a cool idea and a fun fight.

  Least Favorite Character(s): Death, THE CROSS, Metool(clones)

  Death: Grolla’s Grandfather, Raimund Seyfarth, revived and turned evil, is probably the hardest boss in the game for me. I still have trouble with the fight and have not figured out any good way of beating him without using a few cross tanks. Cool boss fight idea, but worst and hardest boss fights.

  THE CROSS: While I hate fighting Death, this boss also is up there on the list for hardest fight. This thing is based off the Dragon fight from one of the earlier Mega Man games, and the one tile blocks do not help when an energy ord is coming in your direction and hits you, knocking you to your death. It is not an easy fight, even with this things weakness.

  Metool(clones): I do not know what these things are called, but they are white helmets that shoot three ways and only attack when close. This makes them annoying to deal with and they are sometimes hard to dodge. While the design and idea is interesting for this game, I really hate dealing with them. They are pretty much everywhere and they will make you wish you had the original ones instead.

  Favorite Moment(s): Luste’s Stage, Stain Glass Boss, Iris Castle 2, Trauare’s Stage

  Luste’s Stage: I already mentioned that I like the music of this stage and that I like the air base feel of this stage. I just think that this is one of my favorite stages in the game and I will always remember how much fun it is. I just wish it was not one of the first stages to do.

  Stain Glass Boss: I already mentioned how much I like this boss in the Favorite Characters Section.

  Iris Castle 2: While I do not care for Devil enemies in these games, this stage is actually pretty enjoyable. I really like forest areas and the gravity waterfalls add to the fun of playing from ground or ceiling. It adds some new element of gameplay and makes for an enjoyable experience. I kind of wish it was included more in other stages.

  Trauare’s Stage: I also enjoy water stages in Mega Man games. The music is very enjoyable and the stage itself has a lot of interesting moments. It is one of the longer stages in the game, but it also gives you a lot of danger with spikes, enemies and puzzles. It is a very enjoyable stage to play even if the boss can be a bit hard.

  Least Favorite Moment(s): Unbalanced Bosses, Death, THE CROSS

  Death, THE CROSS: I already mentioned how I do not enjoy these boss fights in the game and they kind of go along with the next one.

  Unbalanced Bosses: This game likes to lure you into a sense of security by giving you some easy bosses early on and then throwing some bosses who are hard, even with their weakness. While I understand that they have to give some kind of starting point for the game, but having the game ramp up in difficulty with each boss and then the bosses in the castles, makes the game seem like they intended it for hardcore players. This just makes the game not as enjoyable, but still worth trying.

  Favorite Local(s): Luste’s Stage, Trauere’ Stage, Iris Castle 2

  I have already talked about each of these locations already.

  Least Favorite Local(s): Sichst’ Stage, Zeppelin Castle 1, Zeppelin Castle 3

  Sichts’ Stage: Mostly because the river physics in the game, while pretty much accurate, are annoying to deal with. It is pretty much the ice physics in most other games and those stages are never very enjoyable, especially when you have small tile jumps to make.

  Zeppelin Castle 1: This is a remake of Wily Castle 1 from one of the early Mega Man games and requires the use of item one (Ein). The stage is short, however, if you do not master item one, then you will be dying a lot and restarting the stage or even just giving up completely.

  Zeppelin Castle 3: This stage is not that bad with the exception of the fall bridge section. If you are not fast enough you can end up falling to your death, and there are sometimes enemies in your way that will knock you back into the pit. This is an annoying part of the game, but with some determination, can be overcome.

  Award: Great Mega Man Clone

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  4. A Little Lily Princess

  Favorite Character(s): Sara, Becky, Jessie, The Lascar

  Sara Crewe: The main protagonist of this visual novel and the Lily Princess who goes through school life, maid life and finally love life. She is very optimistic and treats everyone with the respect they earn, and sometimes more. She tries her best to act like a “proper” princess who will not raise her voice or hand against others, even if they deserve it. She may struggle a lot during her maid days, but she always takes every day with an optimistic view and works very hard. Her imagination helps her tell great stories and gets her through even the hardest of time. She is admired by all the other school children and some of the staff.

  Becky: The scullery maid who was hired by the school teacher to keep help take care of various tasks around the school. She has very little education and it shows in her way of talking. She was born on the poorer side of the world and was raised in a workhouse all her life. She becomes Sara’s best friend when Sara falls to maid status and still treats Sara as her princess in rags. I have not read the actual book this visual novel is based on, but I am guessing this path is the actual path the book takes.

  Jessie Abbot: A girl from a moderately rich family that wants her to marry into a rich noble status. She has a love for France, dancing and wants to be a Ballet dancer in France when she grows up. Jessie is the only one who opening admits her love for females and falls in love with Sara when Jessie learns about Sara’s riches and background in France. She hangs out with Lavinia most of the time as a pet, but she begins to open up more to Sara and falls even deeper in love with her. Jessie eventually asks Sara to take her on her adventures around the world, if you so choose this path.

  The Lascar: A servant from India who is aiding his master in the search for Sara. His monkey gets the attic room in the house next to Sara’s and they eventually meet and talk. He finds Sara to be quite interesting and sees how she treats everyone and everything around her with a princess’ respect. He believes Sara to be a proper princess even if she is dressed in rags and lives in such a dreadful attic. He works with his master to help Sara get a better life, only to find out that Sara is the girl his master has been searching for.

  Least Favorite Character(s): Miss Minchins, Lavinia (90% of the time)

  Miss Minchins: The proprietress of the school that Sara is put into, she is very rude and hateful to any student who she does not believe will be a use to her in the future. She does not treat Sara very well when she starts out at the school but eventually starts to use Sara as a bragging right when Sara outshines Miss Minchin in French. When she finds out Sara’s father died and will not be paying for Sara’s debt, she forces Sara into a life of slavery and treats her like trash. This eventually leads to her failure of a proprietress when Sara eventually gets her riches back.

  Lavinia Herbert (90% of the time): Lavinia is a rich noble who acts like a proper lady. She does everything she can to always be the center of attention and wants everyone to admire her. While she does have some nice moments, near the end of her path, she is a very rude and arrogant child. She believes that everyone is below her in value and that no one will ever be able to match her. She always tries to find ways to get people in trouble and makes sure that Sara suffers as much as possible when Sara is a maid. I do enjoy some of her later scenes where she does actually show her true intentions, and even shows Sara they are both the same, she kind of ruins it all with her terrible actions and attitude.

  Favorite Couple(s): Sara x Jessie, Sara x Becky

  Sara x Jessie: These two make such a cute couple and they both share a lot of dreams and imaginations that help them connect with each other. Jessie is not the richest of the children attending the school and even openly admits her love for woman, YEAH YURI, she does her best with what she is given. She may still do some bad things to please Lavinia, but she apologizes each time to Sara and shows that Lavinia is actually the one controlling Jessie’s actions.

  Sara x Becky: Like I said, I did not read the actual book this VN is based on, but I am guessing this is the path it follows. The Lily Princess falling in love with the scullery maid while having to work as a maid herself. Miss Minchins makes it clear that no proper lady should converse with a low life maid and so that leaves Becky to be Sara’s only friend. This friendship blossoms into a beautiful relationship between the two girls. When Sara gets her riches back, she makes sure that Becky comes with her as her partner.

  Favorite Moment(s): Jessie’s Route, Sara’s recovery, Becky’s Route

  Routes: Both Jessie and Becky are not as rich as some of the other girls in the school, with Jessie being better off than Becky, but they both have a decent amount in common. These two paths show a lot of connection with Sara and how they each one would like to escape and see the world with Sara. These two both have wonderful stories to share and they both make cute couples with Sara when you choose that path.

  Sara’s Recovery: Sara loses her father and her riches and becomes a slave under Miss Minchins. She is forced to work dawn till dusk and given very little food or praise for her work. This only makes the scene so much better when Sara gets her riches back and can finally stand up against her proprietress. Miss Minchins finally realizes her defeat when Sara explains that she is above her and can choose whatever path she wants, which is usually leaving the school. This is the best rags to riches recovery moment I have read of in all my years.

  Least Favorite Moment(s): Lavinia (90% of the time), Miss Minchins,

  I pretty much summed up these two in the least favorite characters section. They are both very rude, hateful and just want to cause as much trouble for others. At least Lavinia learns her error during her path and starts to be more acceptable as a character.

  Award: Best Book to Visual Novel Adaptation

• 

  6. Mega Man Legacy Collection

  I will not be doing every game separately, but I will talk about some of my favorite and least favorite characters, moments, events and which games as a whole I enjoyed the most

  Favorite Character(s): Metal Man, Dust Man, Gravity Man, Gyro Man, Centaur Man, Knight Man, Yamato Man, Tomahawk Man, Dr. Cossacks

  Metal Man: He always looked like a doctor or dentist to me, which might be why I do not like going to either one. He also gives one of the best weapons in the series and is not a very hard boss to deal with.

  Dust Man: His stage music is actually really enjoyable, plus there is a remix of his stage that I really like. He is not a hard boss and actually gives a decent weapon which most end game bosses seem to be weak to.

  Gravity Man: He alters the gravity and the battleground making for a unique boss fight. He may not be the easiest to deal with, even with his weakness, but the weapon he gives is so enjoyable that it makes up for most things.

  Gyro Man: He has a really cool design and he gives a very enjoyable weapon. He is not very hard to fight, but he can surprise you with some changes to his pattern.

  Centaur Man: I have a big interest in mythological beings and stories. So it only seems fitting for a half horse half human creature would be on my favorites list.

  Knight Man, Yamato Man and Tomahawk Man: These three represent warrior classes in different regions of the world. They each give some enjoyable weapons that come in handy throughout the game.

  Dr. Cossacks: Dr. Wily tried to frame this guy because Dr. Wily wanted to get rid of Mega Man. Luckily Mega Man rescues Dr. Cossacks daughter and finds out that Dr. Wily was behind all the trouble to begin with.

  Least Favorite Character(s): Clone Machine (MM), Laser Eye Machine (MM2), Ring Man, Darkman Robots, Metall Boss

  Clone Machine (MM): The Mega Man clone that copied whatever weapon you had and did more damage than you did to him. He was annoying to fight.

  Laser Eye Machine (MM2): Let us put a boss in that is only weak to one weapon; add some blocks to block off access to those weak spots and limited ammo for the one weapon. Yes, this boss was very annoying especially when I was recording.

  Ring Man: While a cool idea, I struggle so much to fight him that I just dread having to deal with him.

  Darkman Robots: While these robots are a cool idea for this game, they were not the easiest to deal with and kind of felt annoying to even battle them. They are much easier with Beat.

  Metall Boss: Those lovely hard hat enemies who are immune when hiding and weak when not, turned into a giant boss that creates earthquakes and releases smaller version of it onto your head. This was a pain to deal with.

  Probably More: I do not remember all the bosses, but there were quite a few that I hated to battle, but I forgot about them or they were not as memorable.

  Favorite Location(s): Dr. Wily Stages (MM2), Snake Man’s Stage, Dust Man’s Stage, Gravity Man’s Stage, Star Man’s Stage, Tomahawk Man’s Stage

  Dr. Wily S.(MM2): The famous and well know Mega Man song that is very enjoyable to hear and sing along to. The Dr. Wily Stages are also not bad either.

  Snake Man S.: Man obstacles that look like snakes and even snake enemies to make for an interesting stage.

  Dust Man S.: The music is very enjoyable and the junkyard brings a kind of scary feeling for a robot to travel through.

  Gravity Man S.: Being able to flip from top to bottom of screen adds for some enjoyable moments and interesting strategies.

  Star Man S.: Super JUMP ACTIVATED. Apparently there is a different gravity in this stage so you can jump really high and far, but you still need to be careful.

  Tomahawk Man S.: A wild western landscape with cowboy robots and other western style enemies.

  Least Favorite Location(s): Plant Man’s Stage, Yoku Block Stages, Gemini Version 2

  Plant Man S.: This stage is just annoying with the bouncing springs and enemies jumping from the water, flying through the air and pretty much leading to instant death where ever you go.

  Yoku Block S.: I was never a big fan of these appears and disappears blocks, so whenever I have to deal with them, I try to find ways to use rush powers to avoid them.

  Gemini Version 2: Apparently the second time around for this stage is very hard and gives the player a nice challenge. Sadly you have to go through this stage a second time in order to finish the game.

  Probably More: Again, my memory has faded a little of these levels and there may be more stages that I had trouble with or really did not like.

  Favorite Game(s): MM2, 3 and 5

  I remember playing two and three from my childhood and they were still enjoyable to play again as an adult. They each have good bosses and weapons that make the game enjoyable and even have some unique things that add to the experience.

  I never played five until this collection and I actually really enjoyed it. My friend commented on my videos that I got a lot of lives in this game and I had a lot of fun with Gravity Hold. The game is very enjoyable and I really liked how it played out.

  Least Favorite Game(s): MM1 and 4

  I really hate to call the first game out since it was the beginning of the series. They were trying a new thing and it worked very well. It just plays different from most Mega Man games and is kind of hard in spots.

  Mega Man 4 has some very hard bosses and the very long health bar fill. It felt like I was waiting for a book to print while I waited to start the fight with the bosses. I enjoyed the Dr. Cossacks events, but this game just had some issues that were not well implemented into the final product.

  Award: Great Collection Award

• 

  7. Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon

  Favorite Character(s): Ruenheid, Liliana, Veruschka, Arnice, Christophorus, Vallderossa

  Ruenheid: One of the main character’s best friends and a loyal Knight of Light. She is a member of the Lourdes Order and joins up with the main character to save her friend Liliana. She is a strong physical damage dealer and even acts as a tank to help out when needed. She has feelings for the main character, but is too shy to express them and does everything she can to support her friends and allies.

  Liliana: Another of the main character’s best friends and the Priestess of Time. She was charged with sacrificing herself in order to stop the Moon Queen from plunging the world into eternal darkness. She is a strong ranged, magical character who has the best AOE of all allies and put out quite a bit of damage. She can also be very supportive with her skills and has the only revive in the game (besides a rare item you get late game). She confesses her love for the main character before Ruenheid can and takes on her role of Priestess to save the world with the main character.

  Veruschka: An artificial demon assassin who works with the Lourdes Order and was sent to bring back Ruenheid. She hates demons and half demons and only cares about dying in a glorious battle. She starts to see the light when the main character explains to her what she needs to stay alive to protect those she loves. She is a very strong physical based character with both AOE and Single target skills that make her an excellent choice for missions and boss fights.

  Arnice: The main character of the first game and the Night Lord. She lost her memory after the events of her story and went berserk killing all who encountered her. She eventually gains her memories back and becomes stable after the main character sucks Arnice’s blood. She is a very strong demon who has some great skills, but an annoying to achieve special (revenge attacks). She may not be trusted by her allies because she is the Night Lord, but she eventually proves she is a worthy ally.

  Christophorus: A full-fledged demon who fought Arnice in the first game, but now gives riddles to the main character of this game. She has a jester’s style outfit that goes along with her riddles, but also has a two tone voice to change her mood and riddles. Her light-hearted, playful side is always happy and willing to help, while her dark, menacing side confuses the player and adds riddles to her speech. She is more a guide for the main character and is willing to help as long as her goals are also met.

  Vallderossa: A Spider demon who uses her abilities to manipulate people and demons to do her bidding. She has a beautiful design and her voice actor worked very well to fit the role of a manipulative spider witch. She feeds off the suffering of others and tries to use the main characters allies to break the main character, but eventually fails. She sees that her master is suffering and only wishes for the day when demons can be seen as allies and not monsters.

  Least Favorite Character(s): Eleanor, Pope, Joe

  Eleanor: The chocolate merchant who also sells you supplies for your adventure. She is still a young girl who is trying to make a living, but she is a unique ally. Some of her skills are not very well explained and she has limitations on her AOE skills. The Help menu does not define her very well and kind of makes her not as likable as some of your other allies.

  Pope: The trinity of leaders who run the Curia and are trying to stop the Moon Queen from taking over the world. They have their own hidden goals and actually want to get rid of all demons and half demons. They are not as prevalent in the game, but they do keep in contact with your party and will express their concerns about using artificial and half demons.

  Joe: While not a completely horrible boss, this small parasite leeches off bigger demons to do his bidding. He is not a horrible boss and his voice actor is actually really enjoyable, but he is a little annoying to deal with (especially for a first boss). He comes back later as a stronger demon, but is not as menacing and troublesome as his first form.

  Favorite Moment(s): Liliana’s Confession, Vallderossa Scenes, Malvasia Fight, David Fight

  Liliana’s Confession: The song White Lily (I believe), is a very enjoyable song to listen to and plays during this scene. Also this scene occurs when the main character has made their choice to save Liliana and protect the world. It is a very enjoyable scene and slightly sad when you see Rue missed her chance.

  Vallderossa Scenes: I am not a fan of spiders, but in video games or shows, they are pretty interesting to deal with or watch. Especially when they are half spider and half human with a beautiful art design. She has a very talented VA and plays the part of a manipulative succubus, while also worrying about her master. Her scenes are just enjoyable and worth watching. The two boss fights with her are also enjoyable to play through.

  Malvasia Fight: The Moon Queen does not take kindly to people going against her plans. She is a very fierce warrior and has many phases to fight in. Her final phase gives a great song and she finally opens up her true self to the characters. She may act tough and dangerous, but is still a shy girl who is looking for her true love.

  David Fight: Fighting an actual statue that does not move may seem kind of boring. Well they actually turned it into a puzzle fight with lasers and mirrors and the fight is actually very enjoyable. Instead of the usual hack and slash you have to use problem solving skills to defeat David. It is nice to have changes in a hack and slash game and this fight was worth playing through.

  Least Favorite Moment(s): Opening after completing the game, backtracking, time limit

  Opening: The first time through, this is not a problem since you are still learning the game. However, if you do not get all the trophies or you plan to play multiple times through, you will find this part to be horrible. You pretty much are the weakest character in the game doing like 1-5 damage with each attack and you have very few skills. This can be a little hard to play through after beating the game once, but once you make it through, you will be able to have your skills, abilities and power back. Yet, you will still be level one and have to work your way back up.

  Backtracking: This game has only seven locations and you will be visiting each location at least ten times while doing side quests. This gets a little repetitive, but is not a huge downside. You just have to get used to it and accept the limitations.

  Time Limit: This is only a problem your first time through since you will get enough ability points to raise your time limit up to a very manage time. Most missions and quests can be beaten within 10-15 minutes anyway and are really not a problem. You can beat them even faster if you do not play to fight every enemy on your journey.

  Favorite Local(s): Saint’s Forest, Ruined City, Frozen Moon Palace and Malvasia’s Palace

  Saint’s Forest: I like nature locations including forests and lush jungle areas, so this place kind of feels at home to me. The song that plays in the background is also one of my favorite songs in the game and you can really tell that the DW orchestra helped in making this game.

  Ruined City Eurulm: I like Victorian Style architecture and this place is really beautiful to wander around in. The city is a main part of the game and even your headquarters are located in this city. It is an easy early game location to level up in and gain some affection points with your Lilies.

  Frozen Moon Palace/ Malvasia Palace: These palaces are both connected with the Moon Palace being in the human realm and Malvasia palace being in the Demon realm. Both of these palaces are very well designed and look very beautiful. They have music to match the locations and are some of the more enjoyable locations to explore and play around in. Sadly they are so late in the game that you do not get a lot of exposure to them.

  Least Favorite Local(s): Mine, Ruined City

  Mine: Underground min location. There are some enjoyable parts to this location, but the place is too dark, damp and treacherous for my taste. The boss is enjoyable, but that is about all that I find interesting.

  Ruined City Eurulm: Wait, I just said this was a favorite location. This is pretty much the one location you will visit at least twenty times in your game. A large number of side quests are in this area and they even break up the city into parts for the main story. So you will be exploring this location a lot as you play through side quests and the main story. At least Christophorus keeps the location interesting with her scenes and riddles.

  Award: Best Dynasty Warrior Action Style Game

• 

  8. KARAKARA

  Favorite Character(s): All (For Now)

  Aishia: The upbeat newcomer to the Diner, she has a very huge appetite, has a talent to learn almost everything she sees from a first lesson and is a vampire. She is a little confused at first when she is still learning, but eventually becomes a good part of the Diner’s family. She is very comical and helps to add some interesting moments to the VN, but she does have some serious moments as well.

  Lucia: The motherly figure of the Diner and a cat girl who works as a waitress at the Diner, she does her best to keep everyone together and makes sure that Aishia and Leon do not cause trouble for the Diner’s customers. She has her own problems that lead to some interesting moments, but she always does her best to support the others. She has a liking for Leon and has been his longest worker, but she does not like to admit her interest.

  Leon: The owner of the Diner and one of the few humans who has not undergone some kind of animal connection. He is a fairly responsible individual who has some forgetful moments and does not seem to realize his needs to help his Diner grow. He helps out as an informant for the Police when they are going about their investigations into certain incidents. He is well informed as an individual since his Diner allows him to talk with customers, but his main focus is always on keeping his Diner running and his workers happy.

  Cullen: While little is learned about her through this small sequence of events, she is a Police officer/reporter who is investigating a variety of incidents around town. She goes to Leon’s Diner to learn what Leon may have gathered from his customers and works informs Leon of different information as well. She is also an animal/human combo and uses her animals endurance to get through all the work she is given.

  Least Favorite Character(s): None

  Favorite Moment(s): Lucia/Aisia Contests/Moments

  Contests/Moments: These two make for an interesting duo and they both have a lot of differences that sometimes lead to interesting moments. These two love to cause trouble for Leon and at various moments they ask Leon impossible questions that no man can answer truthfully without getting one of the girls angry at him. These two also connect very closely as sister and whenever one or the other is in trouble, they help each other out to get through whatever the problem is. They both are so close to each other that they almost feel like they have a sisterly bond. They are the best part of this short little project.

  Least Favorite Moment(s): Not very much

  Favorite Couple(s): Aisia x Lucia, Lucia x Leon

  Lucia x Leon: The only couple that is kind of mentioned, but never really connects, these two would be very enjoyable together and actually have a history together. They both go back far in their friendship, childhood, but they never really formed an actual love relationship.

  Aisia x Lucia: These two are not an actual couple, but they have moments where they seem almost like they could be one. They have a lot of moments where they are together and there is even a moment where Lucia tells Aisia that it is her turn to get her blood sucked. They share beds and rooms and tend to almost always be together, but this is just more me being a Yuri interest. :P

  Award: Slice of Life Visual Novel Award

• 

  9. Highway Blossoms

  Favorite Character(s): Marina, Tess & Joseph

  Marina: The lover to the main protagonist of the game, Amber, who is very energetic, kind of ditsy and a little childish. She may like to order childish foods/drinks like chocolate milk, pancakes, shakes and many other sweets. She also has an adult side to her when she keeps Amber calm and provides some connection between Amber’s group and Mariah’s group. She can find a way to connect with almost anyone, which often leads her to be far too trusting of others sometimes.

  Tess and Joseph: Tess is the younger sister of Mariah, a little shy but also the most responsible of Mariah’s group. She gets along well with Marina as they both connect through their common interests of adventure and travel.

  Joseph is the reasonable most reliable person in Mariah’s group and is the most understanding of the whole group. He is often the comedy relief in the visual novel, but he does actually keep his group together and makes sure everyone stays safe during their travels. He may be a lackey of Mariah, but he is the most responsible of the group, next to Tess.

  Least Favorite Character(s): Mariah, Jumbo

  Mariah: They really should have made different names so that people do not confuse Marina and Mariah. Anyway, she is the hard-headed leader of her group that is traveling to find the lost treasure. She does not really get along with many people and even her sister Tess and friend Joseph have some trouble dealing with her. She does have a soft side when she needs to help people in need, but she rarely likes to show it.

  Jumbo: The perverted, truck driver that both Amber and Marina encounter at a rest stop. He tries his best to pick up the girls with his terrible lines, but eventually fails and only leads to his dislike by both girls, and maybe the reader.

  Favorite Couple(s)/Could be Couple(s): Amber x Marina, Cassi x Amber

  Amber x Marina: This is pretty much the only real couple that forms a relationship in the whole VN. Their bond grows so much that they live a wonderful life, hopefully, by the end.

  Cassi x Amber: While there is only one small scene with Cassi, who is a clerk at the candy store, she could have made a wonderful character and even a possible relationship for Amber. This scene does show that Amber is willing to stay true to her girlfriend through all the tough and tempting times.

  Favorite Moment(s): Amber and Marina finally getting together, Amber and Marina Connection Moments

  Connection Moments: These are usually scene where the two girls are out camping or out gathering the treasure or even just exploring the national parks. These scenes are enjoyable since you get to learn about the national parks, a little bit, and even see how close these two girls are getting to each other. They are probably the more enjoyable moments in the visual novel.

  Finally getting together (Both times): The first time just so happens after getting the final treasure and they both kiss at the Land of Fire in the desert. This scene shows how much they have grown close to each other and their trust in each other. The second time, after their fight, shows how much their connection truly is as Amber does her best to catch Marina before she leaves to go home alone. While it is a little sad why they fought, the fact that their bond had grown so much to eventually lead them to be so close to each other, shows how much they each truly love each other.

  Least Favorite Moment(s): Jumbo Scene, Most of Mariah’s Scenes

  Jumbo Scene: I partially talked about Jumbo already, but yeah this scene is not very enjoyable. It does seem realistic, as if it could happen on the road, but it also is not something I would ever want to run into. Most rest stops I have been to were not that bad, but they were also not the best places, and I went during the day, not the night.

  Most of Mariah’s Scenes: She is not the most enjoyable character in the Visual Novel since she is not very kind or caring, but she can have some good moments. Most of the time however, she is not the most enjoyable character and she just kind of ruins the scene.

  Award: Best Road Blossoming Yuri Visual Novel

• 

  10. LiEat

  I will be combing all three games into this content since the Steam version provides all three games together in one package.

  Favorite Character(s): Efina, Leonhart, Neil, Iris, Sophie

  Efina: One of the main protagonists of the game who is a young dragon that has the ability to eat lies. She follows Leonhart around on his investigations and even helps him out in her own way, by either talking to people who will not talk to Leonhart or by eating the lie that manifest from people who are guilty. She is still childish, since she is still a new born dragon, but she has some mature moments.

  Leonhart: The main protagonist of the game who is a con man that changes his name and appearance based on every location he goes. He tries his best to hide his lies from others, including Efina, but eventually his lies catch up to him and he needs to be rescued by Efina before they consume him. His investigation skills are very good and he find out things that even the law enforcement can not find. He may seem a bit standoffish to people, but he does have a kind heart deep down.

  Neil: The captain of the police force and an immortal dragon. He was raised by his human parent and started to take in other dragon kids to help them learn about their abilities. Since humans often turn dragons into slaves, this is Niel’s way of protecting his kind as well as helping them integrate into the Human World. He is very kind to Efina and helps her whenever he can.

  Iris: Another investigator who is also a dragon with the ability to analyze things. She is only seen in the third game, but plays a big role in solving the investigation. She is a little blunt with her responses to others, after analyzing them, but she also has a cute and playful side as well. She is still young and was one of the children that were taken in by Niel.

  Sophie: A human that owns a casino resort and has taken in a dragon child. She is very kind and caring and only wants the best for her employees, customers and her dragon child. She is not very knowledgeable about dragons which lead to her dragon using his powers without knowing about it. She eventually gets the help of Niel and his officers to tame her dragon child and allows her to keep him under her custody.

  Least Interesting Character(s): Levin, Lies, Mr. Wilber

  Levin and Mr. Wilber: These characters are kind of just there and really do not have much conversation wise nor any real purpose. Sure Levin is the assistant to Rosalia, an informant, but he does not talk much and you really only interact with him once. While Mr. Wilber is the owner of a prized possession, he does not really have much to talk about and also has little connection with the investigations once they get started. His maids have more story than he does.

  Lies: These things are pretty much your enemies in the game that you fight. There are very few variations and they tend to be real simple to deal with (especially if you get the legendary weapons). You do not have to fight all of them and most do not even bother you unless you talk to them. They are not pointless, but they just seem to be there for people who want to fight them.

  Favorite Moment(s): LiEat 1, Ending of LiEat 3

  LiEat: This investigation revolves around vampires and kind of sets the stage for the future investigations. It actually was very enjoyable to be able to engage with the people and try to solve a mystery while battling lies that manifested from the guilty party. As I said earlier it also helps set up the other games since you learn early on the mechanics of the game and how to go about investigating. It really made it easy for me to learn what to do and how to play through such an enjoyable game.

  Ending of LiEat III: Mostly because you finally get to beat up your con man partner who has been consumed by lies. He kind of deserved a good beating from Efina by that point in the game.

  Least Interesting Moment(s): Getting Lost, OP Legendary Weapons

  Getting Lost: The games do not hold your hand the whole way and sometimes have to explore rooms multiple times to be able to advance the story. It can get a little troublesome if not annoying to repeat things and backtrack to figure out what you missed. Yet, there moments are not very common and will only last for a short time.

  OP Weapons: While it is hard to actually find these things, who puts an item between a lap-post and a house anyway?, yet if you do they tend to make the battles seem pointless. I actually did not have much trouble with the games and the bosses went down pretty easily with the weapons I did find in the game. They just seem to be there to make the game easy to speedrun or fast achievement hunting.

  Favorite Local/Game: LiEat 1

  LiEat: Again this is because I like Vampires, old Victorian style and small villages haunted by dark forces. This is probably my favorite location in the game, but it was a little too short for me to enjoy enough of it. It was still a wonderful start to a good series.

  Least Favorite Local/Game: LiEat 3

  LiEat 3: While this is the ending to the series, I am not much of a crowd person and having so many people gather for a party is not my cup of tea. I did enjoy the maid investigation part, but there were a few group side events that I had trouble with that I did not enjoy as much (That evil room teleportation puzzle). Otherwise I really can not say I hated this game that much since it was still enjoyable.

  Award: Investigation RPG Award