The endless tide of Match-3 RPG hybrid titles seems to have slowed down of late, and attempts to really dive into a blend of the two that goes beyond ‘Match-3 that resembles combat’ have become rare. The original Gunspell was released on mobile and Steam in 2014 and stood out in the crowd of anime-styled titles by have a strong WRPG vibe and modern supernatural fantasy setting. It’s sequel arrived early 2020 and looks to build on that formula. Continue reading
Once upon a time there was an amazing game called ‘Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes’ that showed the world that match-3 RPGs could not only be good, but they could be exceptional. After seeing an original release on the DS it was given the HD makeover treatment in a lush edition for PlayStation 3 and was subsequently ported to iOS, Android and Steam. Sadly, despite being a paragon of the genre, a sequel was never made. Enter King . . . Continue reading
It’s hard to take the rules of a card game as successful as Magic: The Gathering and turn it into a thrilling experience outside of its original medium. Direct versions for mobile exist that follow the games design to the letter of the law and manage to be dry, lifeless and overly-complex experiences. Compared to games such as ‘Elements’, which does much the same but allows for the benefits of its medium, there’s not been a really great Magic game.
Nintendo test the water of Freemium games and mobile gaming in general with the release of Pokemon Shuffle (Mobile) a game which saw release onto the 3Ds’ virtual store not too long ago. Following on from the variable quality in the official app for the ‘Pokemon Trading Card Game’, it looks like the first of Nintendo’s big franchises has arrived.
There’s two ways you can experience this game, through the pixel-perfect retro grade lens of the DS or in stunning high definition redrawn artwork on the Playstation 3 (a port later used for the X-Box 360, PC and mobile devices). Both are excellent, but how does a series like Might and Magic make the jump from epic fantasy RPGs to puzzle hybrid?
Spellfall is part of the new wave of Puzzle RPGs that started with Puzzle Quest before passing the torch to Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes then finally coming to rest securely in the mobile market. Whilst the app stores are now flooded with the little blighters, Backflip Studios has managed to produce a hidden gem.
My Boxed Universe 