(Here are the rest of the notable games from April 2013 to June 2013!)
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Apple Virtua:
Dead Midnight: Resurrection
Capcom actually released an Apple-exclusive Dead Midnight game before, in the form of 2011's Dead Midnight: Double Shot, which focused on Damien and Alix and mixed up the series somewhat. It was a commercial disappointment, but critics received it well, and the company immediately decided to try again on the Virtua, this time with a game focused on Raya Mystic, the legendary agent who was killed in a previous title. The game is much the same as Double Shot, with dual wielding third person shooter controls and less of an emphasis on stealth, but with a new coat of graphical polish and a more streamlined main campaign. The game is a prequel (so Raya isn't actually brought back to life in canon), and focused on a mission where she finds herself behind enemy lines, forced to extract a double agent whose loyalty she's unsure of. She eventually finds and rescues him, and falls in love with him, but he betrays her, forcing her to fight her way back to a friendly base. This game features some of the smoothest controls of any Dead Midnight game, and since it's a stand alone title, it isn't caught up in any of the series' convoluted lore. Though it's not a blockbuster like the series used to be, it's a fairly well received game upon its release in June 2013, becoming one of the biggest early hits for the Virtua, with sales significantly exceeding those of Double Shot, and critical reviews in the mid 8s. Dead Midnight continues to slowly crawl its way back to respectability, and Capcom wants to do something with the series, but may need to outsource it to a different studio...
Google Nexus:
Shadowrun Tactics
A sort of compliment to Shadowrun: Archaica released at a budget price on the Nexus, Shadowrun Tactics features the characters and settings of the popular sci-fi series in the frame of an SRPG, comparable to games like the XCOM series. Filled with lore and references to previous works in the franchise, including books, tabletop games, and other video games, Shadowrun Tactics is considered one of the best SRPGs of the year, and at a price of just $19.99 at launch, it's considered a must buy for fans of the franchise, even moreso than Archaica. The biggest disappointment about Shadowrun Tactics is that it's a Nexus exclusive, but it does eventually become playable on any Android device for just $9.99.
Imaginary Friend
A fully 3-D action adventure for the Google Nexus, Imaginary Friend tells the story of a young boy named Jacob who befriends a young girl. Only Jacob can see or hear the girl, whose name is Bethany, and though he's not at all convinced she's real, her arrival coincides with his acquisition of strange powers and some pretty momentous events in Jacob's life. The game's animation technique is a sort of hand-drawn 3-D that gives the game a sort of dream-like feel, making even the mundane seem extraordinary, and it's a technique the game receives heavy praise for. As Jacob explores his town, he opens doors to mysterious realms that the girl guides him through, while events from those realms spill into real world spaces in his school, his town, and his home. His powers include the ability to shoot out energy balls, to switch lights on and off, and a form of limited telekinesis and telepathy. As the game plays out, we learn Jacob and Bethany's life stories, and how interwoven they are with one another. Eventually, Jacob battles a cruel person who has similar powers but stronger, and learns that this person is also talking to a mysterious friend that only he can see or hear. We also learn that Bethany is indeed completely imaginary, and is the result of Jacob's brain trying to cope with his new powers. He manages to defeat the cruel man and dispels all the dangerous and weird things in his town, and finally realizes that he has to let Bethany go in a bittersweet ending. Jacob has managed to make some new friends and improve things with his family, so even though Bethany is gone, she still had a profound effect on Jacob's life. Imaginary Friend is considered one of the year's best Nexus exclusives, praised for its unique story and simple but strong gameplay, and it manages to score excellent sales, both at launch and later on after word of mouth spreads.
Fated To Awaken
The third and final game in the Fated trilogy of action adventure titles comes exclusively to the Google Nexus in 2013. While featuring much of the same action-adventure inspired gameplay as its predecessors, including the use of different weapons and elements in battle and the use of context sensitive attacks in combat, much of the elements of Fated To Fall, including the Metroidvania-style gameplay and the QTEs that seemed to define the previous game are gone. Fated To Awaken is a more linear quest, taking Fate and his friends from world to world, one step behind the galactic conquests of Evincar. The game is slightly less grimdark than its predecessor as well: it starts out fairly dark, but as Fate and his friends rally more of the galaxy to their side, it transforms into a more hopeful, optimistic adventure. The game has received a graphical overhaul, with improved graphics despite the lower budget, thanks to the Nexus' capabilities and the game's more limited scope. There are more boss fights (18 in all) than Fated To Fall, and a more action oriented style of gameplay, with less RPG elements and more beat 'em up elements. The game's voice cast has gotten an overhaul as well. Andrew Garfield, who voiced Fate in the previous game, is now too famous and expensive to hire, and Drake Bell was brought back to voice Fate a second time (he previously voiced him in Fated To Rise). Mae Whitman replaces Susan Chesler as Karina (who does indeed return) while Jason Isaacs returns to voice Evincar. The game itself sees Fate and his surviving friends launching an attack on Evincar and the New Sanctia forces as they try to conquer a new world. They fail to stop the conquest, but gain a valuable new ally in the process in the form of Chana, a soldier who once fought for Evincar but now seeks to join Fate's rebellion, disgusted with her master's actions. From there, Fate and friends continue to fight Evincar across the galaxy, learning that his ultimate goal is to unlock the Sleeping Star at the center of the universe, which grants its holder the power of a god. The only way to stop him, Fate eventually learns, is to restore Karina's essence, as she is still the holder of the Wheel of Destiny, which can seal off the Star. At first, Fate doesn't want to believe he can save Karina, thinking he'll just lose her again, but he eventually regains hope. The game briefly tries to trick the player into thinking that Karina won't be brought back after all, but in the end, Fate uses his own life force to restore Karina to life, and she uses the Wheel of Destiny to keep him alive as well. The two unite with their old and new friends to stop Evincar from getting the Sleeping Star, which instead lends its power to Fate and Karina for the final battle. They defeat Evincar, saving the galaxy at last, and while New Sanctia is destroyed, its people are able to find a new home on a new world crafted for them from the Sleeping Star's power, with Fate and Karina ruling as the benevolent king and queen. Fated To Awaken gets mostly good reviews, though they're worse than those for the last two games, averaging in the low 8s rather than the low 9s. It's criticized for its more linear and simplistic quest progression, but longtime fans enjoy the game and all the fanservice. Sales of Fated To Awaken are fairly disappointing, less than a million overall, but the game manages to make a small profit, and the trilogy itself is fondly remembered by its loyal fans.
Nintendo Connect:
SOCOM: No Easy Day
A squad-based first person shooter for the Connect, SOCOM: No Easy Day is essentially just a SOCOM game optimized for handhelds, with a set of new missions for players to complete either in single-player mode or with friends online. It sees a team of Navy SEALs deployed to four different locations around the world, battling warlords and terrorists and rescuing hostages. It doesn't innovate much from previous games in the series, though it's quite visually impressive for a handheld game, and apart from the single player campaign being a bit short, doesn't do anything truly wrong per se. It's just a solid handheld shooter, and has a decent online community, being one of the games that popularizes the Connect's voice chat client (the Connect has a built in microphone, enabling players to enjoy the voice chat without a headset, though they can certainly use one and that's probably the optimal way to play). Sales are solid, as are reviews, and more handheld SOCOM titles will find their way to the Connect in the next few years.
Forever War
A tactical RPG title mixing elements of games like Valkyria Chronicles, Fire Emblem, and Advance Wars, Forever War is a sort of spiritual successor to the latter (made by the same company) with a more realistic twist and a neat “connectivity” element which allows the player to build armies by connecting the game to different electronic devices. The game is meant for online competitive play but has a robust “career” campaign mode in which the player is able to build up an army by acquiring points and territory in single player missions. Forever War is a very well reviewed game and an excellent new IP launch, eventually selling three million copies across its lifespan.
Apple Gemini:
Mega Man Battle
A sort of Smash Brothers-like game in which various Mega Man characters battle it out in massive, hazard-filled arenas, Mega Man Battle features over 50 different characters from across the franchise, each bringing their own unique weapons and skills to the table. Mega Man and Mega Man X appear, as do characters like Roll, Protoman, Sigma, Cognus, Melody, Vile, Zero, and Bass, and of course there are lots of Mavericks and Robot Masters from across the series, with Capcom picking not just fan favorites but obscure ones as well. The combat is a bit simpler than that of Smash Bros., and not quite as over the top wacky, but the game has its own unique charm, and also includes an extensive single player adventure mode. There's also DLC released later on that will bring 18 new characters to the game, with 6 of them coming free and the remaining twelve released across four different packs with three each. Mega Man Battle is good, simple fun and an homage to the series' history, and most Mega Man fans agree that it's a must buy, making it one of the most popular Gemini titles of the year.
Valkyria Chronicles III
Valkyria Chronicles III comes to the Gemini as an exclusive, being released in Japan in 2012 and getting a Western localization in 2013. It continues somewhat the story of the previous game, taking place a generation after the devastating war that ravaged the continent in Valkyria Chronicles II, and though it mostly features new playable characters, many characters from the last game return, either as NPCs in high ranking positions or as veteran soldiers. Much of the same gameplay systems from the previous game return, and the graphics are pretty much identical to the last game (as the Gemini and iTwin are quite similar in power). However, there are a few new gameplay mechanics present, including the ability to command aerial units in certain situations, the ability to customize weaponry, and a more detailed love/friendship simulation system for characters outside battle, which directly impacts their combat abilities and growth. The game's plot sees the continent recovered from the war, but the old political grudges and loose ends from that war returning with a vengeance to spark a new, more destructive war. General Loxar remains alive and imprisoned, and one army's quest to free him is a major point of conflict for the first two-thirds of the game. Eventually, Loxar is freed by the enemy army, only to be executed by the new villainous commander, Strategus. Strategus, who served as an infantry soldier in the previous war and was badly injured, now holds a grudge against the world for causing his personal pain, and he hopes to use the fires of war to purify those he deems unworthy of life. He eventually manages to conjure up an ancient evil force to amplify his army, making him a threat to the entire world and forcing the allied nations to defeat him. He is eventually defeated and killed in battle, and though some of his former soldiers idolize him, most of the world is glad to see him gone. Valkyria Chronicles III seems to tie up all the loose ends from previous games, and it's implied that the series' plotlines will start fresh in the next game. Reviews and sales for Valkyria Chronicles III are excellent, though the game sells the vast majority of copies in Japan, with North American sales merely decent. The series remains one of Apple's most successful and popular exclusive RPG franchises, and the series is poised to continue on the Gemini, though a possible Virtua installment also can't be ruled out.
Multiplatform:
Profoundly Mystified
(Authors' Note: The following idea was sent to us by the reader Goldwind2!)
Profoundly Mystified is a comedy/satire RPG developed for the Connect and Gemini, with a somewhat similar tone to games such as OTL's Citizens Of Earth. Its protagonist is a gardener who serves a family of snooty nobles to help pay his sister's way through sorcery school. One day, he notices a group of druids trampling his prized plants, and decides to pursue them, hoping to beat them up and turn them in to the authorities. However, the gardener isn't too bright, and is aided in his quest by the son of the snooty noble family and his sorceress sister, along with a few other comedy relief characters who join the quest later on. As the group ventures around the world, they see the druid dancers trampling more plants with their dancing, and become even more determined to stop them, even while getting into other adventures along the way. Eventually, they learn that these dances are actually cult rituals aimed at summoning forth a powerful demon, and the gardener's quest for revenge becomes a quest to save the world (though only the sorceress sister is fully aware of the cultists' plans, with nearly every other playable hero being somewhat dimwitted and oblivious). The game's art style is somewhat of a throwback to classic 16-bit games, though it utilizes full voice acting (from a cast of mostly obscure unknowns and anime dub specialists) and its combat system is fairly modern, a turn-based combat system combining timed hits and combo attacks. It's a very well received game in terms of reviews, averaging solid mid 8s, though sales are fairly low and it's more of a cult classic than anything else. It's still considered one of the best handheld games of the year, pushing out about three times as many copies on the Connect as it does on the Gemini.
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Top Selling New Console Games In North America (in terms of sales over the first four weeks of release):
April 2013:
1. The Avengers (Nintendo Connect)
2. MLB 13 (Google Nexus)
3. MLB 13 (Apple Virtua)
4. SOCOM: No Easy Day (Nintendo Connect)
5. Mega Man Battle (Apple Gemini)
May 2013
1. Prince Of Persia: Parallel Legends (Apple Virtua)
2. Prince Of Persia: Parallel Legends (Google Nexus)
3. Imaginary Friend (Google Nexus)
4. Forever War (Nintendo Connect)
5. Shin Megami Tensei: Lucid (Apple iTwin)
June 2013
1. F-Zero: FIRESTORM (Nintendo Reality)
2. A Song Of Ice And Fire (Google Nexus)
3. Crime Stories: The Written Tragedy (Nintendo Sapphire)
4. Crime Stories: The Written Tragedy (Apple iTwin)
5. Remember Me (Google Nexus)