Updated September 2026, 13 hours ago
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Magicians Dead: Force of the Soul [マジシャンズデッド ~Force of the Soul~] Game Sample - PS4
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![Magicians Dead: Force of the Soul [マジシャンズデッド ~Force of the Soul~] Game Sample - PS4](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bZP1VboWsEc/mqdefault.jpg "Magicians Dead: Force of the Soul [マジシャンズデッド ~Force of the Soul~] Game Sample - PS4
Magicians Dead: Force of the Soul [マジシャンズデッド ~Force of the Soul~] Game Sample - PS4")
![Cyber Daisenryaku [サイバー大戦略 出撃！はるか隊] Game Sample - Playstation](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/c0mg0rjghCE/mqdefault.jpg "Cyber Daisenryaku [サイバー大戦略 出撃！はるか隊] Game Sample - Playstation
Cyber Daisenryaku [サイバー大戦略 出撃！はるか隊] Game Sample - Playstation")
![Multi Turret Academy [多炮塔神教] Game Sample - PC/Doujin](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/c1EpaTqG0ow/mqdefault.jpg "Multi Turret Academy [多炮塔神教] Game Sample - PC/Doujin
Multi Turret Academy [多炮塔神教] Game Sample - PC/Doujin")
![Buchimake! Papillon Land Bravo [ぶちまけ！パピ♡ヨン♡ランド Bravo] Game Sample - PC/Doujin](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ccUXsjE0gm4/mqdefault.jpg "Buchimake! Papillon Land Bravo [ぶちまけ！パピ♡ヨン♡ランド Bravo] Game Sample - PC/Doujin
Buchimake! Papillon Land Bravo [ぶちまけ！パピ♡ヨン♡ランド Bravo] Game Sample - PC/Doujin")
![Galaxy Angel [ギャラクシーエンジェル 盛りだくさん天使のフルコースおかわり自由] Game Sample - GBA](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/coPvihXfPTs/mqdefault.jpg "Galaxy Angel [ギャラクシーエンジェル 盛りだくさん天使のフルコースおかわり自由] Game Sample - GBA
Extreme name, excellent game. Galaxy Angel GBA (or its ridiculously long name thats in line with the zaniness of the franchise - Galaxy Angel Game Boy Advance: Moridakusan Tenshi no Full Course Okawari Jiyuu) is one of several games within Broccolis popular Galaxy Angel media franchise of light novels, mangas, animes and video games, and the only portable entry in the franchise. Developed by Marvelous Entertainment in 2002 as a single player board game, it was no slouch and was marketed as pushing the hardware with 128MB storage (Megabits, not Megabytes), featuring graphics and sound well beyond the average GBA title and with tons of high-res artwork (in the context of the GBA), numerous voice clips and some of the best FMVs of any software on the system outside of the Game Boy Advance Video Pak line (but still some of the best of any actual game). While there are bigger GBA games, GA shines in nearly every regard.
The games, animes and books all differ from one another, with the games being more serious than the rest (featuring male main characters like Tact Meyers / Kazuya Shiranami, more restrained comedy and dating-sim aspects). This game, however, is notable as the ONLY GA game based on the original anime series proper, and takes nods from different aspects of it, but primarily the first two seasons of the original GA. Far in the future, the culmination of Lost Technology, the Emblem Frame is piloted by five beautiful maidens. Known as the Angel Brigade, an Special Guardian Division of the Transbaal Empire military, they are assigned to search for Lost Technology, mysterious items from the past that hold unknown powers. Led by Lieutenant Colonel Volcott, the Angel Brigade travel from planet to planet engaged in missions and are spurred on by a brash AI creature, Normad. Unfortunately, they often mess up somehow and end up getting into all kinds of awkward shenanigans. The characters and episodes / titles are named around food.
As the game is based on the anime, the games humor is readily apparent after a few seconds of booting it up (and the anime itself sort of takes the absurdity of Excel Saga and sets it in space) and it shares the same loose structure of missions and storytelling. The core gameplay involves picking an angel (Milfeulle, Ranpha, Mint, Forte and Vanilla) who specialize at different traits (shooting, fighting, smarts, cooking and luck particularly for Milfeulle and Vanilla) and selecting one of three initial missions. Upon clearing it, each character has a second, character-specific mission (such as catching hamsters, snatching up designer goods, etc.), followed by a third and final mission where you are free to select presets. As the team is nearly bankrupt, they must make money as they go or face the consequences; the game is a little unique as victory isnt just secured by dominating the opposition if you go overboard and bankrupt everyone, you will automatically get a Game Over.
Like a typical board game, you will roll a die, move spaces, acquire goods with money (be careful not to spend too much), and trigger basic events (such as slipping on a banana peel to move an extra space, lose a turn, gain a CG, etc.). You can also spend money to improve your proficiency in different areas (X is bad, O is good, Triangle is average) or hold items that do similar (you can only carry one item at a time). When a character is carrying a key item, you can engage them in Battle, which is one of several mini-games. Each character has a mini-game specific to them (Ranpha can make others fight, Forte can make others shoot, etc.) and others common amongst them, and stats will determine how many attempts you have and the range of your abilities. A common strategy is to intercept enemies which is easier than an average board game. I really like that every stage has a gimmick, whether its rescuing citizens from rising water in a flooded amusement park, flipping switches to throw people off your trail, blowing up buildings to create shortcuts in a tank, etc. There is even a bevy of unlockable extras such as GA MichiMichi, Jukebox, Gallery (over 150 CGs), Theater and more.
While GA doesnt do anything exceptional in terms of hardware tricks or technical wizardry, the game looks and sounds REALLY good because everything was simply done really well. The game didnt compress everything to oblivion and call it a day they meticulously converted elements from the series, added some original bits, and avoided the muffled audio fate that MANY GBA games succumb to with clear vocals and BGMs, showing a keen understanding of the hardware. Supervised by Ryo Mizuno of Record of Lodoss War fame and with expressive character designs by Yuko Ootsuki (Kanan), Galaxy Angel is a 2000s Japanese classic in all its forms, but the GBA game is perhaps the least-known game. The only glaring issue I have is its on the easy side (you can even speed up gameplay).")
![Meru Purana [メールプラーナ] Game Sample - PlayStation](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dJQlCsMJTU0/mqdefault.jpg "Meru Purana [メールプラーナ] Game Sample - PlayStation
Now heres a game that doesnt have much representation on the web: Gusts 1996 title, Meru Purana. While Gust is primarily famous for the Atelier series which continues to draw worldwide success to this day, Gusts Pre-Atelier days are mostly shrouded in mystery; they had very different influences prior to their breakout success, making games with heavy Western and Central Asian influences. Back then, they were a very small company and were originally founded in 1993... Atelier first appeared in 1997 and took a few more years to become popular in Japan before gradually setting roots in other parts of the world with the Atelier Iris and Mana Khemia sub-series. As such, the games they made prior were more than a little experimental and serve as a stark contrast to most of the games theyve put out since.
It is worth noting that MP got a sequel of sorts a few years later in 1999 called Oasis Road, which shifted publishers and development to Idea Factory (former staff at Gust wound up working on Oasis Road). Describing MPs plot is even a bit of a feat, as while there is a general outline and worldview, the narrative is very abstract and broken into many fragments... over 500 to be exact (based on characters interacting with each other). Nevertheless, I will do my best to describe it. During the days of the Ming Dynasty, there were those who emerged on the steppes of Central Asia and subsequently spread throughout the world with the intent of bringing down the hammer of destruction upon all civilizations. Divided into what is known as Indo-European, they were a nomadic group with ancient names in the Caucasus, originating from ancient lands in Central Europe or higher latitudes geographically.
After arriving in various regions, they combined local traditions to form the basis of Greek, Celtic, Persian, and Indian mythology, possessing the primordial experiences of these people. What was life like for these people, who profoundly influenced myths around the world, with their struggles for control of the plains, contact with other ethnic groups, raids on agricultural villages, hunting, and warfare? This will be interpreted based on the traditions of the ancient Aryans, who were Indo people, who traversed Transcaucasia, swept through Balochistan, and invaded Punjab... or so the saying goes. The word Meru is derived from Sumeru, and in Buddhism, it refers to a mountain called Mount Sumeru or Mountain of Stones. In this era, it served as a landmark for nomadic tribes and a popular spot for treasure hunting. However, the truth is that it is part of the Ilavrita Kingdom, Mount Meru, the heavenly city of the gods that appears in their myths. It is the remnants of a civilization that boasted great prosperity with the legends (purana / pranas) associated with this mountain called Meru Purana colloquially. This story reflects the Grama (combat units) and Gramani (Grama Leaders) from their perspectives with some fantasy elements.
Ive gone at length on the story so far because, in truth, MP seems rather complicated on the surface but is in actuality an interesting but repetitive game. MP fits loosely into the RPG, Simulation and Board Game genres. The player picks a starting Grama (1 out of 6 possible) to partake in the story or free battles. The game starts quickly and youre thrown in with the only starting hint being to search for allies to increase your unit to five members. The player gets shuffled different options from searching, shopping, fighting, trading, etc., and each member can execute a command. These commands are influenced by martial prowess, intelligence or charm (charm makes negotiations easier, intelligence helps you figure out enemy stratagems and disables certain acts, strength makes fighting and hunting easier, etc.). Characters on the team will provide input on suggested actions or benefits, and success and trust are affected accordingly (you can tell proficiency by little icons before performing the action).
After exhausting actions or ending your turn, all rivals do the same. You may be asked to assist in a skirmish, the A.I. might barter for items, you might lose comrades through negotiations or get offerings if you have prisoners of war, etc., and the idea is to balance your actions while degrading trust and raising your ranks and fame through combat and other means. Battle is actually kinda cool as its a martial arts fest (literally compared to Dragon Ball by your guide, Mesha) and most options are laid out for you, though you can make adjustments. Combos are formed by picking characters with Links for normal attacks and Adds for special attacks. These are the basics.
The visuals are lower res than normal, assets are extremely limited and all units look the same, but the artwork by Hitoshi Yoneda is lovely (Phantasy Star II / IV, Elemental Gearbolt, etc.) and the music is done by Toshiharu Yamanishi of Thunder Force / Technosoft fame and rules accordingly.")
![Voltige Aerienne [ヴォルチゲ・アエリエンネ] Game Sample PC-88 VA / Doujin](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dNBGH3C3a3A/mqdefault.jpg "Voltige Aerienne [ヴォルチゲ・アエリエンネ] Game Sample PC-88 VA / Doujin
Voltige Aerienne [ヴォルチゲ・アエリエンネ] Game Sample PC-88 VA / Doujin")
![Marionette Company [マリオネットカンパニー] Game Sample - Dreamcast](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dhDwBp9QLSw/mqdefault.jpg "Marionette Company [マリオネットカンパニー] Game Sample - Dreamcast
Marionette Company (MC) is one of several offbeat games developed by the iconic team at Microcabin (best known for the Xak/Fray series, Illusion City and Riglord Saga 1 & 2), being dubbed a Situation Adventure Game. Originally released for PlayStation and PC in 1999, it was released a few months later for Segas Dreamcast and also saw a few re-releases in the early 2000s where it earned a reputation as a rough gem and saw some popularity in South Korea. At this time, Microcabin was unfortunately near deaths door and not the juggernaut they once were during the 80s and early 90s, releasing few games after MC and its sequel (which was not well-received for a multitude of reasons, but thats a conversation for another day).
While all versions have the same core content, the PS game is not as polished as the PC and Dreamcast game due to several QoL additions and improved visuals, and the Dreamcast version includes the Heartful Catch VMU mini-game. First print copies of the Dreamcast game included plastic slides of the main heroine. Long before titles like Detroit: Become Human, games have been exploring the heavier themes of existential robots blurring the line between man and machine with Givro and Enixs earlier Wonder Project J series, Xboxs N.U.D.E., so on and so forth. MC, at the end of the day, is a raising sim thats somewhat comparable to Doukyuusei / True Love 95 but caters to those who want a true Mecha-Musume / Cyberdoll experience as technobabble, inventing and a ridiculous amount of metrics all contribute to the experience.
The Story: The 24-year-old protagonist (a nameless man who works for a foreign company) lives in a world where Marionettes are a part of Japanese society as cutting-edge artificial companions. He had always dreamed of being a Marionette Engineer himself but believed the path to that dream would be too difficult, so he abandoned his ideals until his moms best friend and genius engineer, Yuuki, inspires him to consider it. He ultimately gives in to his desires when an abandoned marionette in the outskirts of town cries for help, where he sympathetically repairs her over a six month period. While her origins are unknown, she is special as she has a heart and develops emotions similar to humans, and the player spends the next six months juggling multiple jobs with Yuuki to determine if hes truly cut out to be a Marionette Engineer.
MC as a whole is a game that is ingenious but burdensome. Ill start with the basic gameplay description. The player has work from the morning until 16:00 (4pm) during weekdays but gets more time during the weekends and holidays for activities. Moving to different areas in the game typically takes 30 minutes (this is skewed if you meet another character or recurring event to 45-60 minutes) but will take longer if theyre limited-time event areas (the beach, amusement park, etc.). The player is forced to retire to bed once you reach or exceed midnight. Naturally, depending on what youre doing, you can take advantage of the in-game clock to get an extra interaction past the normal timeframe. The primary goal of the game is to increase your KIZUNA (bond) with your marionette and gain elements (bits and pieces) to create parts either freely or with blueprints which impact everything from weight, fuel capacity and consumption, endurance, durability, CPU capacity and memory, bust size, hair color and more. All parts are ranked from [E-A], and getting elements and parts all with [A] ranks is highly expensive but have dramatic performance improvements.
The player can kill time in a multitude of ways from taking orders or part-time jobs from Yuuki (elements and blueprints are already provided), traveling around town for events, selling A-Rank parts for profit, etc. The most important use of time is Communicating with your marionette, which covers a multitude of subjects and keywords which expand conversations; doing right by her raises you KIZUNA value and is essential for event flags and multiple endings. There are also three sub-heroines, although only one is truly developed (and Yuuki isnt romance-able, which is criminal). The graphics and sound are mostly typical for the genre but I enjoy the artwork by Madoka Hirayama (best known for Magic Knight Rayearth, Sentimental Journey and Eiyū Shigan: Gal Act Heroism) and the voice of the marionette by Chiaki Maeda (Kaedeko Sakura from Tokimeki Memorial 2 and this are her prominent roles).
That said, this game has a serious problem with RNG which almost destroys the enjoyment; besides the obvious, even item ranks are randomized and as you need multiple parts and going in/out shops consumes time, the game is notorious for save scumming. It is also extremely repetitive and there are few locales (The Temple, Hospital and Community Center mainly serve as flags besides the limited-time events). There are numerous exploits and differences will be pinned in the comments.")
![Space Invaders 95: The Attack of the Lunar Loonies [あっかんべえだあー] Game Sample - Arcade](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eQblKxbIW-U/mqdefault.jpg "Space Invaders 95: The Attack of the Lunar Loonies [あっかんべえだあー] Game Sample - Arcade
Space Invaders 95: The Attack of the Lunar Loonies [あっかんべえだあー] Game Sample - Arcade")
![LarsGadiel [ラースガディエル] Game Sample - PC/Indie](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/enh_R6XcbcM/mqdefault.jpg "LarsGadiel [ラースガディエル] Game Sample - PC/Indie
Ahhh... I needed a little break after being waste-deep in Japan-only imports.
So, we finally get a new game from the folks (led and primarily developed by one guy, Daniel Fernandez Chavez) at Diabolical Mind Games and its... not quite what I was expecting, but its a fun game nonetheless. LarsGadiel is the latest release from DMG (who often collabs with COWCAT Games on console ports of their games, they are best known for Riddled Corpses Xenon Valkyrie and Demons Tier) that serves as a prequel to 2017s Xenon Valkyrie. I enjoyed their previous games for their modern retro vibes and LarsGadiel has been a long time coming since their last major release in 2020. LG was originally in development for the NES but eventually shifted to PC (Steam) with quality of life improvements. Whereas XV was more of a Rogue-Lite Action Platformer, LG veers more in the Metroidvania direction with teleporters, a sprawling map, a town hub and myriad secrets blocked off by switches, varying weapons, bosses, and more.
The story takes place on Lemure, an isolated moon in the solar system where a gang of space piratescalled The Skullbrands have found and stolen an ancient weapon that could threaten the entire solar system. Renna, a moon agent, is eavesdropping on the enemys plan and sends an SOS to the her agency where soldiers get in contact with a reluctant valkyrie, Eloen, to save Renna and the people who inhabit the moon. She is transported to the closest coordinates of Rennas transmission, the outskirts of Gadiel Castle, and their reasoning is that Eloen is the only one alive who knows the terrain well enough to stand a chance... there are a few minor issues with the game right from the outset. Eloen not only does NOT know the terrain very well (the map is blank and you have to fill it in), but shes asked to save the moon and isnt even given a starting weapon... who does that!? Im glad we get to revisit characters from XV and expand on the lore a bit, but the plot has never been a particular highlight of the games.
Anyway, I digress as it wouldnt be much fun to start with a full map and you can find a weapon within the first 5 minutes of gameplay. The game tasks you with exploring Lemure where traps are plentiful and instant-death pits are constant. Eloen can utilize different weapons with pros and cons that grow in proficiency as you use them and level them up, but the most important weapon in your arsenal is a gun that can destroy certain obstacles (it has ammunition which can be refilled at teleporters along with health and healing items, but all enemies will also respawn). There are signposts and cryptic hints scattered throughout and items that will increase your overall health pool (usually guarded by significant traps or bosses) and relics that upgrade your abilities as well, such as granting a double jump and statue to remove your death counter (mainly tied to achievements).
As I bought the game at launch and upgraded to 1.0.2 during recording, some of the glaring issues have been alleviated such as improved play control (centered around iffy collision, improved double jump characteristics and climbing ladders which led to unintentional damage and/or deaths), improved qualities of items such as the Thermal Suit protecting from Acid/Lava and an item to destroy spikes (how the game functioned without these prior is kinda funny, but doable), increased weapon damage and other QoL improvements. While the game has a Map Completion statistic, it follows in the footsteps of games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and exceeds 100% to truly finish everything in the game. Visually, the game is designed, through and through, to be an 8-bit NES/FC game with some anime influences. While there are some who state the game is not possible in its current state to run on an NES, the Steam version added minor flourishes after the fact when development shifted. The game looks fine in this regard and the chiptune soundtrack (using the original NES 8-bit sound chip), while not evocative of the eras best, still gets the job done.
Im not really sure why the game had such scathing criticism at launch, especially centered around its difficulty (Im not sure how many of those people played games from the 80s and 90s, but LG is pretty tame by comparison... some Japanese players even considered it a kusoge), but what I can say is that the game is relatively short if youre of a moderate skill level, about 3-4hrs. At $10, theres better offerings for the money on Steam, but its not a bad way to kill a few hours... there will most likely be a + version in the coming years. This is a video of the game in action. You can get it at:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4341810/LarsGadiel/
Enjoy.
- ADDITION -
Visit Us At: http://www.gamingsanctuary.org")
![Battle Tank SWORD W [バトルタンク・ソードW] Game Sample - PC/Doujin](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fBMXAVPquPg/mqdefault.jpg "Battle Tank SWORD W [バトルタンク・ソードW] Game Sample - PC/Doujin
Battle Tank SWORD W [バトルタンク・ソードW] Game Sample - PC/Doujin")
![Magicians Dead: Force of the Soul [マジシャンズデッド ~Force of the Soul~] Game Sample - PS4 @Vysethedetermined2](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bZP1VboWsEc/hqdefault.jpg)
