Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow and the Weird New JRPG

What makes Qlipah bold is not strictly its combination of genres but how those genres are combined

Descendants of Wizardry: Elminage II

These array of systems in combination with the game's approach to dungeon-crawling ultimately means that Elminage II invites players to enjoy its sandbox world.

Tokyo Nanpa Street and the Eroticism of Montage

From the outset, erogē became a particular genre rife with visual experimentation.

Can Can Bunny and the Appeal of Characters

Eroge, such as Can Can Bunny, were just one avenue for illustrators to explore the artform of computer imagery.

Roads to Lord and the Japanese Fantasy TTRPG

Tsukuda Hobby may have been the most reliant on adapting franchises, but they would also be the company to perhaps produce the most successful domestic TTRPG out of the crowd of early titles, Roads to Lord.

Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle and the Good New JRPG

There are a number of origin points for the RPG including performance, wargames, cybernetics, and literature. It’s this last element that I briefly want to focus on. Following the release of TSR’s D&D (1974), various game developers began producing their own takes on the RPG genre, adopting different rules and settings, such as Game Designers’ … Continue reading Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle and the Good New JRPG →

Xenon: Mugen no Shitai and the Erasure of Self

Xenon represents a crucial stepping point in the trajectory of Kanno’s career.

Unlimited SaGa and the Perils of Akitoshi Kawazu

As development of Unlimited SaGa neared, Akitoshi Kawazu approached the height of his executive powers at Square.

7: Molmorth no Kihetai and the End of Childhood

Few games truly ask players to think about the consequences of their own actions in relation to time.