Recent reviews by NanoDesu

Good challenge, more features unlocked in NG+, acceptable story line, cut content was included.
Controls like a 3DS, hard to use touchscreen while controlling character.
All in all, solid game.
8.5/10"Take a leap of faith, into the deep unknown~"

Video Game Showcase: Azure Striker Gunvolt

Good game, recommended for anyone who has played the US 3DS version.
This one includes a lot of cut content that was in the original Japanese version. Just make sure to pick the language choice with the Japanese Voice Mod!

For those who have not played this game before on the 3DS, think Megaman series. If you do not like that type of side-scrolling shooter, However, please do not actually directly compare the two games. It's like comparing all bullet shooters to Touhou.

Now, with that introduction out of the way, let's get to the finer details.

STORY
Well, my opinion changes depending on whether you are talking about the English version, or the English version with Japanese Voice Mod. The former...is rather lacking. Alot of content was cut in the US release, and that is exactly what you are getting with the English version.

Now, if you switch towards the English with Japanese Voice Mod, you suddenly have a lot more dialogue, voices(duh), and more content that was cut. Without spoiling the plot-line, I'd have to say that, it was far more enjoyable, and actually allows you to see the relations and character development through the story.

Or, to use comparisons, the 'cut' version is basically something along the lines of, 'Oh, he did this. He did that. That's the result. The End', whereas the full content version has the details within, that actually allows the player to understand the characters.

Granted, the story may seem a little short, but, after all, this is a game that came over from the 3DS.

GAMEPLAY
Oh...damn....where to start with this....

For those of you coming over from the 3DS, you would somewhat feel a familiar position, or a deja vu, as you play this games. The controls seems to emulate the ones found on the handheld, which would be fine, if it wasn't awkward utilizing the touchscreen simultaneously. Trying to figure out the keys was another problem. I had spent about ten minutes hammering at every key, and I still haven't found all the keys yet. What is the left and right bumpers anyways?!

The gameplay itself is solid, a side scroller that would bring nostalgic memories of the days of the old, with 8-bit side scrolling, platforming, and the like. Granted, the same, slightly odd control scheme from the 3DS hitched a ride on the port.

However, while a player can rush through the game, easily and beat it quickly, I don't suggest doing that, as if you can keep you combo, or Kudos, Lumen will sing for you~!

Graphics
It's a port from the 3DS, and without a 'Remastered' or an 'HD' tag, don't look to high for 4K quality. Although, for a mobile console based game, the graphics aren't too bad, while the art is quite nice, fits the characters' personas quite well.

Audio
Probably the best part in regards to this games, especially when Lumen starts to sing. There isn't much I can say, except that I've enjoyed them. The only probably downsides in regards to the music, although this detriment should be mentioned in the DLC section, is that it does not include the two English version of two of her songs.

DLCs
The two DLCs that one can get, is extremely nice. I HIGHLY recommend the Phosphorescence, it's where all Lumen's songs can be obtained. The other one only has the BGM of the rest of the game, also worth noting.

Conclusion
Read my [tl:dr Review] at the top.

Nice gameplay, free, good for entering the world of Bullet Hells.
Familiar gameplay, unusual but good music.
9.5/10"Includes Three Sizes"

Video Game Showcase: Jigoku Kisetsukan: Sense of the Seasons

Good game, nice, almost nostalgic feel for those who play Touhou. Whether the art, or music, or the patterns of the bullets itself, this game is enjoyable. Not only that, but this game, unlike many of the other bullet hell games on Steam, is free. Let me repeat that. FREE. That's right, you can get this game, whether to enjoy a familiar game as a bullet hell fanatic, or if you're trying out the genre for the first few times, this game will take you through that no problem.

STORY
Now let me get into more details. While it may appear that I've only played about an hour or so on this game, I can clearly say that I've enjoyed the story. At least, one of them. I've played through Tenshi's route, and from what I can tell, alongside the achievements, each route/character, has their own story, that overlaps slightly with each other. Though it may seem that just playing through a single route taking an hour isn't alot of time, this game has a good amount of replayability, with optional twists.

GAMEPLAY
There are interesting achievements to gain, that one would not think of doing on a normal basis for a Bullet Hell genre. Like the 'Pacifist', where you do not shoot/kill at all during any route. To not shoot? In a game like this? This is basically a challenge run! It's interesting. However, there isn't much one could do in regards to changing too muhc in terms of gameplay mechanics with the bullet hell genre. Bomb to save yourself, collect drops, move to the top to collect all drops, etc, etc

Graphics
Now, for the art and characters. The sprites are, well, extremely nostalgic, but that's to be expected. The characters are varied, in both personality and appearance, and even species. The art representing the characters also seem to fit well with the characters, unlike some games where you have the appearance of the character clash hard against their profile/persona. Oh, an added bonus: The girls' three sizes are noted *winks*

Another thing regarding art, or at least, a 'form' of art. The bullet patterns. For those who played Touhou, though we can't exactly tell you which pattern is derived from wher, what we can say, is that a good amount of those patterns are very familiar with us. Something of a nostalgic poke for old-timers(and not-so-old-timers)! For those unfamiliar with the series, don't worry, you won't miss anything but the experience we have~! Although, this part really, really should be in the gameplay section. But oh well.

Audio
The music, was unusual. It seemed a tad bit odd to me, using chip music for a bullet shooter. However, you end up becoming quite attached to it, and at one point I was killed since I was tapping the left and right in tune to the beat!

DLCs
Not Applicable

Conclusion
Read my [tl:dr Review] at the top.