Reviews
Apr 20, 2019
This article is a review of the Nintendo Switch version of Little Dragons Cafe.
Little Dragons Cafe is a game that was made by the creator of Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, and Little King’s Story. With that in mind, before the game even came out there were high expectations for it. It was released on Nintendo Switch back in August of 2018. This game has a delightful story and brings a refreshing spin on the usual game formula.
Story
Little did I know when I started to play Little Dragons Cafe that I’d become so invested in the story line and characters. A small family of a mom, brother, and sister run a cafe together. One day, mom gets sick and you find out that she’s half dragon. An old man appears and tells the brother and sister that if they run the cafe together and raise this baby dragon well, their mom will be cured. Along this journey, they meet some interesting characters which you’ll quickly find yourself wanting to hear all about. The strongest part of this game is the wonderful story it tells you with almost every brand new in-game day. Some times I would sleep through a day just to get to the next part of the story!
Different foods given to your dragon will change its color. My dragon, Vincent, is purple! Gameplay
The gameplay has three different modes in a way. One is where you’re running your cafe, another is a cooking mini-game, and then the third one is exploring and gathering ingredients. Rinse and repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
One of the interesting customer’s you’ll meet at your cafe. Running your cafe was my personal favorite part of the game. Your cafe becomes most busy during lunch and dinner where you can help out by taking orders, delivering meals, and cleaning dishes. Even though this was a very small part of the game, I enjoyed it and enjoyed the role playing aspect of this part. Running your own cafe is such a lovely thought. The only downside to this part of the game play was that it ultimately didn’t matter. If you let your employees slack and leave your customers disappointed, there was no negative effects. There was really no reason to go back to your cafe and help run it. I feel like they could’ve integrated this quite a bit more to make it have more meaning.
Picking and choosing your recipes for the menu is a nice customization option. The next part of gameplay is the cooking mini-game. In order to make any sort of recipe in-game you need to cook it by doing this. This mini-game is just a quick few seconds of following a rhythm and hitting the keys at the proper time. Nothing new but always fun to do.
Getting all “Excellent” in the cooking mini game can be quite the challenge! The third part of the gameplay is 90% of the game and I felt the most lacking and repetitive. Gathering ingredients. For this part of the game, you run around the world shaking bushes, shaking trees, fishing, slaying some animals, collecting chickens, and so forth. This got repetitive within the first couple of in-game days. However, this is the most crucial part of the game and you MUST gather ingredients. There are some features in the game to make this part easier but overall, they didn’t help fix the repetitiveness of this.
Sound & Music
There is some great music in the game that I enjoy listening to but the sounds got annoying fast. The dragon sounds absolutely adorable the first couple of times he squeaks at you. However, a lot of these noises are used so many times within the game that they go from cute to annoying. I was constantly trying to avoid my dragon so I wouldn’t hear him squeaking at me. I also ended up muting my game when I was going around exploring and whistling for my dragon to come help me.
On the other side of the noises becoming annoying after a while, the music is absolutely wonderful. It was such a pleasant experience to be sitting in-game watching a beautiful sunset while listening to the serene music play.
Enjoying the music and ambiance of the game with my pet dragon. Final Thoughts
Besides the fact that this game can get very repetitive, very fast, this game has some very promising features to it. It was a refreshing style of game with very different graphics than is commonly seen. The music is beautiful and who can say that the baby dragon isn’t crazy adorable?
Little Dragons Cafe is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PS4. For more games similar to this one, stay tuned to myPotatoGames! Happy Gaming!
- Apr 19, 2019
Alchemy Story is a wonderful farming simulation game where all the villagers have been turned into animals and it is up to you to turn them human again. Éloïse Laroche, the creator, was kind enough to give us an early access copy so that we can share with you everything that has been developed so far. You can follow her on Twitter as Confused Hamster and get caught up with the most recent updates with us here. You’ll love the adorable art style, brewing potions, and completing quests for the townsfolk! See below our sneak peek of what’s to come with video playthrough.
Story
Play as Arabella, training under the professor and alchemist Edward, and arrive to a seemingly deserted town. Edward explains that he believes the Witch has cursed all of the villagers and turned them into animals! He has prepared a transmutation circle in his basement to reverse the spell but first we must find the villagers and help them remember their names. The story in Alchemy Story is very promising and I can’t wait to play more!
Talk to Edward to begin the story Main Quest
Edward instructs you, via a letter from your mailbox, to find the first “person” which is a shepherd’s dog. You need to talk to the dog a few different times before you can progress the main quest. You can only talk to everyone once per day so you’re required to go to sleep in your bed. When the dog remembers his name, start searching for the mementos around their farmstead. All three items will be listed in your quest log so you know what to look for. Once all three items are found, go to Edward’s house, use his lift to the basement, and perform the transmutation.
Edward’s transmutation circle Noah
You can now find and meet a shepherd named Noah returned as a human at their farm. Talk to Noah and receive your first farm animal as a gift! He also now sells cows, sheep, chickens, and rabbits, with different colors on different days. Go back to your farm and find an egg in your coop and hatch it. The most adorable baby chick with a red bow will come out and you can use the action button to jump for joy! Music notes will burst from you and the chick displaying that you are happy to see each other. I would like to be able to see an animation of petting but that may be still in the works.
Noah’s human form Jasmine
The next in-game day, you will receive another letter from Edward telling you to find someone else. A lonely fawn can be seen wandering around another farmstead. Speak to it and repeat the same earlier instructions. This time, find different mementos that are important to this villager remembering who they are. Again, once you have performed the transmutation, you find a girl name Jasmine wondering her farm. She sells you items such as bugs, that you will need for potion-making, and another interesting addition to your farm; beehives! Purchase beehives and you can harvest honey. Jasmine is also the Fairykeeper; friends to all fairies. When you have given her the required items, you will unlock access to the Forest.
Jasmine’s human form The Forest
Inside the forest, there will be many trees that you can chop up with your axe to receive lumber and other items. Every action with your axe will take up energy that is displayed on your screen. Once at 0 energy, you will no longer be able to cut down the trees but there doesn’t seem to be any other penalty.
Chopping wood in the Forest Occasionally, a key will be among the items you gathered from the chopped trees so that you can unlock the next level of the Forest. Sometimes there will be a bench in the further areas that will replenish some energy. It’s unclear what other mysteries lay in this Forest but I’m excited to find out.
Side-Quests
One character you will be able to speak to from the beginning is Charlotte. Charlotte sells flowers that you can multiply in your garden or use for potions. She also sells garden plots so you can plant more things. She and Edward will begin to send you letters asking for you to bring them specific items. You can chat with them when you have said items in your inventory and they will automatically thank you. You will also receive money for your troubles. Completing a quest for them, chatting to them, and giving them a gift will display a smiley face. Quests and their favorite gifts will have a wider smile icon appear.
Chatting with Charlotte Foraging
Items can be found everywhere around the town such as in trees, the grass, and even on fences. They are all helpfully surrounded but swirling stars so they immediately stand out. Every day you can collect more items. However, some of the items Edward will request for his potion-making, such as Dark Water, will only be purchasable through him. It’s a little odd that he is asking you for an item he already has but it isn’t a big deal. Everything you need and the amount will be viewable in your quest log.
Foraging a butterfly and maple leafs Your Farmstead
Every morning you will start inside your home near the bed you have just slept in. The bed is to save your game and start a new day. Normally I would want the ability to save separately from sleeping but there doesn’t seem to be any consequences in skipping to the next day or things that are missable.
When the next day is loading, it briefly tells you what day it is but it doesn’t appear on your screen when walking around or on the calendar. The developer just recently implemented a Day/Night Cycle so perhaps this is merely unfinished. Furthermore, do not stay up past midnight as Lutins will steal some of your money! I do appreciate the fact that once midnight hits, your character is sent home automatically. It saves me from walking all the way back.
On your farm, you will have a barn, a coop, a field with garden beds, a mailbox, and an adorable owl that will do some shipping for you. As a side note, I wish there was a mini-map on my screen as it took me awhile to recognize places and know where to go. However, I absolutely appreciate that all the farmsteads in the town have different colored roofs that I can see from afar. Another helpful feature would be that the name of the person’s farm appears, once you have uncovered it, when you enter the area. I’m just particularly bad with navigation and directions.
Your farmstead Potion-Making
Inside your home is a cauldron where you can practice your alchemy and make some money or enjoy the effects the potions give you. You will start off with two recipes that give you a list of items required to make them. Brew them and bring them to the owl just outside your home and you will receive money. What potions can be shipped at the time will change daily. New recipes will unlock by completing the aforementioned side-quests.
Your cauldron for potion-making 
The shipping owl
Your Farm Animals
So far, there is one trough on your farm that will feed all of your animals once per day. Approach it to select up to 3 of the listed items from your inventory that you have foraged such as plants and acorns. I can see why the items only pop up when you hover over them and then disappear so as to get out of the way, but I would prefer to see everything all at once. I’d also like to know what those items are worth and how many I own so as not to give away something too precious.
The developer has said that the more you feed your animals, the faster they grow. I gave my single chick 3 items every day for a couple of days and it turned into an adult! Seeing the adorable baby animals a little longer would be nice but perhaps other people would like to be able to receive their produce a lot faster. I skipped a couple days of feeding my chicken and there doesn’t seem to be any negative effects, for now. My preference is that my animals don’t get sick or die and to be able to take care of them at my own leisure.
My adult chicken Your Garden
To plant anything in your garden you must first interact with the most adorable gopher you have ever seen. It’s not obvious at first because it is hiding in a hole. There are a total of 9 plots which is a good amount for the items you get. Select items from your inventory like flowers can be fed as a snack to your friendly gopher and it will plant everything for you! In just a few short days whatever you planted will be multiplied by 4 and ready for harvest. Bugs such as butterflies may even appear on top. As of now, there’s no need to water your plants but there is a fishing well and bucket nearby so that may change.
The gopher in your garden Graphics, Controls, and Sound
Everything is in 3D with vibrant and beautiful colors. With regards to scenery, details are even added such as ponds, paths, and lights. When speaking to characters, they seem more alive as they continue to move and give facial expressions. It was great to see that our main character has lines and the dialogue box that appears will let you know who is currently speaking. Moreover, I have to make a special mention of the animals in this game because they are the cutest things to look at. I love that you can zoom in and out to take a closer look.
A tutorial box at the beginning of the game will clearly tell you what keys to use to play. I used a mouse which controlled the rotation of my camera and clicking on my menu and text. Everything worked pretty seamlessly for me.
The music is nice and relaxing and will change depending on what time of day it is. That was a feature I enjoyed as I never really found myself needing to constantly check what time it was. Hopefully, there will be sound effects added for the animals that make them just that much cuter. They will however walk right up to you when they see you which is already too much cuteness for my heart to handle.
Sheep, chick, and chicken I truly enjoyed playing this demo and can’t wait for the full release which you can wishlist on Steam here. There’s a release date noted of the summer of 2019. Stay tuned with myPotatoGames as we continue to follow the developer’s progress with an eventual final rating. For now, watch our video playthrough below for alchemy Story Demo Gameplay Part 1 and continue to watch for Part 2!
- Apr 15, 2019
My Time At Portia has officially been released on PS4, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch! In this article, we are going to look at the key differences between the PC and Console versions as of the initial launch. Even though the two versions are very similar, there are some very noticeable differences on the console.
This review is based on an early Playstation 4 Version of My Time At Portia.
No Voice Acting
When I first sat down with My Time At Portia for PS4, I noticed a HUGE difference between the two games – NO voice acting. When you go into the character creation on PC, there is an option to choose your voice/accent but on console there is none. None of the characters have voices in the console version which is an interesting change.
Having played the game for over 40 hours on PC, I ended up reading everything in the voices I know and love. Even though I noticed no voice acting, I honestly preferred it. In the PC version, the voice acting isn’t complete and whenever a text box isn’t voiced, I feel like it takes me out of the game. With not having to worry about switching between the two and just sticking with no voices, I felt like this was a very good decision made my the developers.
My in-game husband Arlo has an Australian accent on PC but is now a silent, mysterious type. Even More Breathtaking Graphics
In the PC version of My Time At Portia, there is major fog filter. I personally ended up modding the game to get rid of this fog which made the game a lot more crisp, colorful, and beautiful. The great thing about the console version of My Time At Portia is that there is LESS FOG! When I started up the game, I noticed that the colors on PS4 are way more vibrant than the PC.
Controls
As with any game switching from PC to console, there are major differences in the controls. Even though the controls were confusing at first, I quickly became familiar with them.
As of right now you are not able to change the key bindings on the controller. Jumping being “Circle” takes a little time to get used to as it doesn’t feel natural. It would be nice to change some of the keys as they were a little different than what I’m used to in games.
All the controls are conveniently labeled. Long Loading Times
Unlike the PC version, the game on console has extremely long loading times whenever you enter/leave a building. These loading times can take you out of the game. However, as of last week the developers announced improved loading times on Nintendo Switch which may help. Hopefully they will be announcing the same for PS4 in the future.
Pre Order Bonus
As of right now, the PC version doesn’t come with the Housewarming gift set that came as a pre-order bonus for the console versions. The developers have mentioned adding something similar into the game so everyone can have access to the items in the future but there is no further information as of now.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I was very impressed with the PC to console port of My Time At Portia. They made some really great decisions on eliminating voice acting and lightening the fog filter. These few differences have made such a big impact in the game that I would highly recommend switching to the console version.
My Time At Portia is available to purchase on the PS4, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch e-shops. It is also available for purchase on Steam for those that want to stick with the PC version. Have fun exploring the beautiful world of Portia and Happy Gaming!
- Apr 15, 2019
Fun! Fun! Animal Park is a 2-player party game developed by Nippon Columbia and published by Aksys Games exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. A game I thought would be so much fun because it says so twice in its own title. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer many hours of gameplay with extremely repetitive mini-games. This is definitely geared toward a younger audience in terms of its simplicity but may take a few tries to get used to the motion controls. However, if you want to challenge your family members (or yourself with high scores), want to have a good laugh, and love adorable animals, then this game is easy to pick up and play at any time.
The Mascots
There is not a story to speak of in Fun! Fun! Animal Park but you are accompanied by two mascots; a lion and a rabbit. If playing with a partner, the left joy-con will get the lion as a coaching partner and the right joy-con will get the rabbit. As an adult, they get quite tiring quite quickly as their high pitched banter will never end. Thankfully, the developers have added a fast-forward button to speed through the slow moments and the talking moments. However, you should listen to your animal friends for the explanations of how to play in case you can’t or do not wish to read. This is a great way to keep children involved or to keep their interest while watching!
Lion and rabbit mascots To Start Playing
As your first time playing the game, you will only have access to Tour Mode with the selection of the Laid Back Course. That course suggests that it will be a playtime of 10 minutes. Since you are playing with the motion controls you cannot use the joy-cons together or with a pro controller. Separate the joy-cons and grab a partner and begin playing tournament style. You will be given 3 short mini-games to play and if you win, collect the amount of Director Medals. The amount you will receive is displayed for that specific mini-game before entering. You then get to spin a roulette wheel for the chance to multiply the amount earned. Once the tournament is over, all other modes and mini-games will be unlocked.
30 medals to win 
spin the wheel
Mode Selection
Now back at the menu screen you have 3 modes to choose from; Tour Mode, One Match Mode, and Solo Mode. Tour Mode now gives you 3 more options of length of the tournament; Thrillseeker Course for 20 minutes, Nail-Biter Course for 30 minutes, and Extensive Course for 40 minutes. For One Match Mode, it is still a competition but you play only one mini-game at a time. All 30 mini-games can be completed in roughly 1 hour if you take your time.
Modes 
Courses
About the Mini-Games
Overall, the mini-games showcase about a total of 10 different safari animals; ostrich, cheetah, penguin, giraffe, meerkat, macaw, lemur, kangaroo, panda, and chameleon. Then there are a few pet/farm animals; cat, dog, pig, owl, squirrels, and sheep. They do have adorable animations and the graphics of them are quite nice. You get to play with the animals in all the mini-games so there’s a lot of interaction with them.
In terms of the mini-games becoming repetitive, there are really only about 4-5 types of games. There are races, where you have to shake to joy-cons as quickly as possible and some with obstacles. My partner really enjoyed playing the mini-game that had you curling with a penguin. I enjoyed taking the quick pictures of animals running around and trying to have them center frame. Then, there are balancing games, games that have you counting, and games that have you taking pictures.
Penguin Panic Finish 
Safari Photoshoot
Some challenges are even exactly the same but with an added difficulty (i.e. counting or taking pictures of more animals). This would be a lot more acceptable if there were way more than 30 total mini-games to play. However, unlike some luck-based games in the Mario Party series, I did enjoy that all of the games were based on skill. It is a lot more rewarding to win and a lot funnier when you fail spectacularly.
Panda Balance Fail 
Doggie Catcher Fail
Controls
This may be just me, but the controls weren’t as obvious as the tutorials made them out to be. I was using the left joy-con and tried to replicate what I was seeing on my screen, so I didn’t think at first to put the controller in my right hand as that’s my dominate hand.
Controls demonstration All motions would be shown with the buttons facing you, even though some challenges required you to have the joy-cons with the buttons facing upward. Once I started getting the hang of always keep my joy-con that way, other mini-games have you putting the joy-cons back upright. You can also play with the joy-cons flat, buttons facing upward, but you have to hold it either vertically for some games and horizontally for others.
Some of us handled each mini-game with ease however and someone kept winning…We won’t mention who fails at this game. To be fair, a lot of the commands are not as responsive as other games. Also, the controls become a lot easier after practice which you can do before starting a real match.
Tutorial 
Practice
Fun! Fun! Animal Park provided a solid 2 hours of gameplay for me and can be replayed a countless number of times when you want to have a good time with friends or family. A lot more content could have been added and controls a little more refined but none of those things really soured the entire experience. If you want to purchase the game, go here. You can also download this cute Family Fun Party Pack from Aksys Games for free which includes bingo cards, fact cards, recipe cards and word searches.
- Apr 12, 2019
My Time At Portia and Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles are two very similar games regarding gameplay. People often wonder which game they should be playing and I’m here to help! Even though both would be a good recommendation, below you can find a small comparison of the two games to possibly help aid in your decision.
Crafting
In both games, you get amazing items through crafting that make the games a lot more fun. The crafting gameplay can become a little tedious in both but is still an enjoyable experience. In Portia you need to run to and from each device to craft your items whereas in Yonder, everything is done the your bag menu. If you like the simplicity of it, Yonder has a good system but Portia has more roleplay and realism with using the devices.
Fishing
Fishing in Portia and Yonder use very similar mechanics. The notable difference that I noticed was when comparing the two’s Fishing Tournament. Portia’s fishing tournament is great as it is one where you feel the suspense as you watch the number of fish go up from the other competitors. In Yonder, there is absolutely no competition. The quest giver calls it a “tournament” but there seems to be no other people to compete with. Even though Portia has a better fishing tourney, Yonder seems to have an easier fishing mechanic.
My Time in Portia fishing Townsfolk
The most notable difference between the two games for me was the townsfolk. Portia comes to life with the range of people you meet and their personalities. Yonder’s characters seem to be a blank slate filled with opportunity for more story but they just don’t have it. You can also have relationships with the people in Portia and even get married!
Music / Sounds
Music in both games are another aspect that are quite similar. They are both relaxing and add to the feeling of the game. Nothing stands out too much.
The opening scene from Yonder is breath taking and memorable with perfect music queues. Sounds in Yonder seemed to win me over rather than Portia. The reason being was just the volume. Sometimes in Portia you run into trees that have birds chirping extremely loud in your ear and the mixing just seems off a lot of the time. Even though I also experienced trees with loud birds in it in Yonder, this issue was not as bad.
Graphics
The visuals between both Yonder and Portia are quite different. I have seen comments saying people prefer Yonder and other people prefer Portia. To each their own when it comes to the graphics between the two.
The only takeaway that I have here is that Portia has a sort of fog filter which makes distant views look more distant. I feel like this fog takes away from the graphics. (Side Note, there is a mod you can download to get rid of this fog!) I also feel like Yonder has a similar issue where night is too realistic and dark. I wish there was an option/mod to play only in daytime!
My Time in Portia has some stunning distant views. Customization
Customizing your character in both Portia and Yonder seem to be a little limited. However, where the customization excels is through the buildings that you’re able to put in your farms. Portia has much more customization than Yonder in this field but Yonder comes in with a close second.
Final Thoughts
Which game would I recommend to people? Both! My Time in Portia has a lot of depth when it comes to building up your workshop and relationships which makes for a more interactive game play experience. On the other hand, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is a more laid back game about exploration and taking in the scenery. Depending on what you’re in the mood for, either of these games are fun and worth the time to play.
By clicking the title here, you can purchase your very own copy of My Time at Portia or Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles on the Nintendo Switch.
- Apr 3, 2019
ToeJam & Earl was originally released in 1991 for the Sega Genesis. Fans of the series were excited to hear when HumaNature Studios announced back in February of 2015 that they were making an updated version of the game. Four years after the game’s announcement on March 1st, 2019 the game was released for PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.
Story
The game follows a simple story line. Aliens fly in a spaceship while listening to music, someone pushes a button they shouldn’t, and then they crash land on earth. Once they warped earth into an unrecognizable land, they aliens try and fix things and get back into space.
Due to this game being very simple and seems to be geared towards a younger audience, this short and simple story line is perfect.
Gameplay
Back in the 90’s, games were a lot more simple yet still enjoyable! Either coop (local and online), or by yourself, you explore the funk-inized styled earth. You collect presents along the way which give you items that’ll help on your adventure. Dodging weird and strange humans to make it to the next portal. After you go through the portal, you go to the next level. Rinse and repeat. This game is perfect for a lazy gaming day or for younger kids.
I never felt frustrated while playing this game even when a present/item I used ended up torpedoing me down 5 levels and me having to run back. It was actually rather funny. This game will cause you to burst out laughing at all of the chaos it can cause!
You can play local coop with 2 people or online with up to 4! Sound & Music
The sound and music in this game is a mix between old skool and just plain funky. It fits the theme of the game very well and I constantly found myself rocking out with it and just enjoying it. The sounds are silly and enjoyable and give me major nostalgia. Yes, the sounds can sometimes be a little “tinny” and low quality but I believe that’s on purpose.
Final Thoughts
If you played the original ToeJam & Earl, you will absolutely love this game. Younger kids will also be a fan of this game for its simplicity and silliness. Grab a can of Surge or Crystal Pepsi and enjoy your flashback to the 90’s! Happy Gaming!
- Apr 2, 2019
Yoshi’s Crafted World is a side-scrolling platform game developed by Good-Feel and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. The theme of the game is that everything looks like cardboard. It looks like a child made an arts and crafts project and it’s visually stunning. This is like how the previous title, Yoshi’s Woolly World, was made to look like a world of wool. The adorable Yoshis are now back with their “ho-hum” and oh-so-cute licking sound effects and all.
The Story
The last game I can remember that had Yoshi as the main playable character was Yoshi’s Story for the Nintendo 64 back in 1998. Many enemies from then make a comeback, such as Ravens and Burt. That was a nice dose of nostalgia for me. Yoshi’s Story was an excellent game that also let you choose between different colors of Yoshi. It also had a very similar plot to what we see in Yoshi’s Crafted World. Those Yoshis had a Super Happy Tree, a fruit-bearing tree that gives joy. This made Baby Bowser jealous, so he steals their tree and transforms their island to a storybook.
Burt – a boss fight. Yoshi’s Crafted World is about a Sundream Stone that can make anyone’s dream come true. Kamek and Baby Bowser see that this stone is in the possession of the Yoshis and begin to fight them for it. This causes all five of the Dream Gems inside to scatter across several different islands. Yoshi games have never had elaborate stories so this is fine as the gameplay is where the focus of the game lies.
Kamek and Baby Bowser taking the Sundream Stone. You travel across 45 levels collecting 254 total Smiley Flowers in order to advance. However, not all of those Flowers are needed to access all the islands. You can do all the levels over again on the Flip Side – more on that later – in 40 Poochy Pups Courses (minus the bosses) to get 160 Smiley Flowers total (4 in each level). You can pick two Yoshis to go with you, if one of them will be your Player Two in a local cooperative mode.
Gameplay
Most levels are exactly what you’d expect when you compare this game to others from the series. There’s a lot of jumping around from platform to platform and avoiding falling to your death. You can stomp on the heads of most enemies, eat them to make eggs, hit them with those eggs, or ignore them all together. Eggs are very much needed in this game to not only kill certain enemies, but to also grab certain items.
Making an egg out of an enemy information. You can walk toward the background in specific areas but not everything you see is reachable with your character. You’ll have to keep an eye out in the distance and aim your eggs at fishy cardboard objects for extra coins. This may also yield important red coins or Smiley Flowers. It feels almost like a shooter with how important this element is in the game. You can get more eggs from certain blocks but you still need to use those eggs sparingly.
Hitting things with eggs in the background. The Goals
Before you enter a level, you’ll be able to see just how many Smiley Flowers there are to collect which will increase in number as the game becomes more difficult. Three other Smiley Flowers will be awarded at the end of the level if you managed to get 100 or more coins, full 20/20 health (hearts) and all 20 red coins. Having these goals to accomplish in every level makes it a lot more fun and engaging. Everything is hidden so you have to fully explore every nook and cranny before exiting the level. Sometimes there will even be little puzzles to solve and other missing items to gather to assemble larger objects.
Mini-Games and Other Fun
Unfortunately, a lot of levels felt repetitive with just new scenery (i.e. forest, beach, sweets) even when they tried to break things up by adding different mini-games. I will say that there was one level in particular that threw me for a loop and frankly did not belong in a Yoshi game. That was the level where the information block gave you this message: “If he sees you, run away…” Then you promptly get bombarded with creepy axe-murdering clowns that chase you around.
Look at that terrified Yoshi face. Poochy and Vehicle Rides
Some levels have Poochy who you could ride on to traverse lava or rivers, or just to bulldoze enemies and reach higher platforms. Then there were levels that let you ride vehicles. You could ride planes and trains and shoot fast-moving targets from them. There was even a level where you had to race to the finish line and one where you could ride a pirate ship and shoot cannonballs. There were interesting levels that let you use extra objects like the Go-Go Yoshi; a giant Yoshi machine that let each player control a boxing-type arm to punch obstacles out of the way. Also, a level where you used a skeletal dinosaur head to break boulders.
There were levels that were once unique but in the end I found repetitive. Those where the ones where you are being chased by something (i.e. skeletal dinosaur, lava monster). It just felt like a recycled idea when the developers could have thought of something else to do in the level.
Running away from the skeletal dinosaur. The Flip Side and Side-Quests
Instead of just adding more levels or content, they also created the Flip Side to every single level. These levels were the exact same but everything was backward. You were seeing everything from behind with the duct tape on cardboard to keep it together. It was cute at first until you realized you were just doing the same thing over again but with less beautiful things to look at. They did add three Poochy Pups to find in these levels however with a time limit if you wanted to attempt that challenge for an extra Smiley Flower.
Poochy Pups Courses – finding three Pups. You could repeat every level because a character in the hub world wants you to find a hidden cardboard item and hit it with an egg (i.e. 5 cardboard seagulls). That would have been a lot more fun if I could do it the first time around but the game waits until you finished each level before you can do this.
Finding more items as per request. Adorable Costumes
A feature in the game that I quite enjoyed was the fact that there were costumes that you could collect. You had to purchase them with coins from a vintage gumball vending machine except there were Yoshi eggs in them. Inside each egg was a randomized selection of the costumes. Costumes not only looked incredibly adorable and hilarious but also gave you added protection against enemies.
The vintage gumball vending machine. Green eggs are Normal costumes with three health bars, red eggs were Rare costumes with four health bars, and golden eggs were Super Rare with five health bars. Once you depleted all of the health bars by taking damage, you would lose the costume only for the rest of that level. This gave you a great reason to collect coins in every level beyond the 100 that give you a Smiley Flower.
Wearing different costumes. Playing Two-Player
Normally, I absolutely love playing local co-op but there was one element in this game that soured my experience; the ability to jump on your partner’s back to then be carried around until you jump off. The reason for my hatred of this is because it happened by accident all of the time which can ruin the current move you or your partner where performing. When you are on each other backs, only the person on top can shoot eggs and the person on the bottom can lick or jump.
Jumping on your partner’s back. Aside from performing a stronger ground-pound, there wasn’t much benefit to this action. All the developers had to do was make this a button choice rather then something that could just happen by jumping. I also hated the fact that you can accidentally swallow your partner, when your intention was to swallow the enemy. This not only interrupts them but causes them to lose all of their eggs. My partner and I spent so much time yelling at each other out of pure frustration that we made sure that our Yoshis were separated as far as the screen would allow.
Partner getting in the way of a shot. Mellow Mode Vs. Classic Mode
The game offers two modes; Mellow and Classic. Mellow gives you the addition of wings on your Yoshi which makes the game very easy – maybe a little too easy. With the wings, you can jump and then stay hovering in the air or continue to float up even higher until you reach the top of the screen. It can give you a huge advantage to overcoming certain difficult bosses but if you use it the whole time during levels, you miss all of the puzzles that were designed to make you figure out how to get to new heights.
Flying away from the creepy axe-murdering clowns in Mellow Mode. It honestly felt like cheating the game although this may be more fun for children. You also get more health, enemies hit less hard, and enemies give you two eggs instead of one. Something that’s very handy is an alert for when Smiley Flowers are nearby and the fact that the amount you have to find is visible. It shows you which Flower you collected in which order.
Extra levels at the end of the main game for an added challenge. Other than the few issues I personally had with the game, the overall experience was a good one. Next time however I hope we get something a little more creative or innovative with the Yoshi series. Like what Nintendo did for the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Mario Odyssey. The graphics, music, and costumes were all part of what made this game great as well as certain levels that stood out from the rest.
Unique Ninja level – playing with silhouettes. For more reviews on cooperative games go here for Chocobo’s Mysetry Dungeon Every Buddy and here for Unravel Two. To purchase Yoshi’s Crafted World, go here.
- Mar 29, 2019
Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy is a remake of Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon released on the Wii in 2008. This new and improved game is available now on the Nintendo Switch and the PS4, the latter being the version used for this review. Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy remains largely the same compared the previous game.
The minor differences are that some story scenes have changed, some dialog has been removed, the card-game has been removed, the dungeons have gotten a little better and there are new classes and challenges. The most significant addition has been that of the Buddy system which allows you to play cooperatively with a friend! Another player can now take control of monsters that you encounter and acquire with enough points! You will also gain human allies throughout the game that you can bring along with you in place of a monster.
The Story
You begin the game as Cid and Chocobo, treasure hunters, who are looking for a mysterious jewel called the Timeless Power which is said to be located at the Tower in the Sands. When it is just before their reach, they are suddenly transported to a long-forgotten town called Lostime. The mayor tells them that no one in this town has their memories because the Bell of Oblivion will erase them every time it rings. A girl named Shirma gives us a safe place to stay and helps us along our journey. Back at the town square, a beam of light emerges from the sky and leaves behind an egg on the ground. It hatches and a baby named Raffaello is now in our care. It seems that Raffaello can create dungeons within people’s minds so that we can enter them and recover their lost memories.
Cid and Chocobo at the Tower in the Sands. As you continue to help more townsfolk, new shops and areas become accessible, such as a flower shop and item shops. The Storage facility becomes available quite early on in the game where you can go to Noiroo to buy and sell spellbooks (i.e. Blind or Poison), and go to Blaroo to deposit and withdraw gil and items for safekeeping. If you chose Normal mode (instead of Hard), you still lose all of your money if you die in a dungeon but you only lose all of your unequipped items. To be clear, that means you keep your equipped items. You will always be able to return to Stella’s Farm to get letters and to ask the animals for gameplay tips (yes you can talk to all animals).
The shops and villagers in Town of Lostime. Gameplay
When you enter a dungeon you have to find the stairs on that floor to continue down a set number of floors. Once you get to the last floor, you will battle a boss. You then find Raffaello and can leave the dungeon. You can leave at any time with the Teleport Wings item but when you return, the layout, enemies and items will change.
In every dungeon you need to be prepared before you enter. Gysahl Greens are needed to replenish your stamina as every time you walk around, it depletes. If you get to 0%, you start losing HP. You will need Potions to refill your HP and Ethers to refill your SP which allows you to use special abilities. Your Chocobo can equip two items that will remain in your inventory; talons and saddles. Talons will boost the stats of you attacks and saddles will boost the stats of your defense. There are also other items like the Appraisal Glasses that will come in handy to identify unknown items right away. Remember that you have a carry limit with your items and you will need to purchase bags to extend that limit.
Playing Two-Player
At the start of every dungeon and before moving forward, you can access a crystal. The crystal will allow you to change your Job and access the Buddy Registry. Each Job has different abilities and stats, as well as weaknesses and resistances. When you defeat enemies, you will gain Job Points to increase the level of your current Job which will in turn give you new abilities. You will also occasionally receive Buddy Points to access more monsters. The points go towards the monster type that you defeated.
The crystal at the start of each dungeon. When you bring a second player along with you, that player will gain levels when you gain levels. If they die, you can get them back after advancing to the next floor. They have HP and SP but will not have stamina so they can move as often as they like except with enemies. They also cannot be given any items or wear any equipment. It is therefore safer for them to be ahead of you at all times, although they cannot uncover the map as they walk.
Personally, I cannot imagine doing a dungeon alone as they can get very long, redundant and tedious. You can push or swap places with your Buddy at any time. It is possible to accidentally skip your Buddy’s turn if you button mash too fast. When you “miss” the words will display on your screen. You can also technically miss the enemy if you aren’t facing them properly.
Battling
The way the game works is on a grid of squares. Every time you move or attack, the enemies get a turn to do the same. This is not to say that you are “locked into battles” but you are free to roam the dungeons as you please with the exception that enemies don’t always stay where they are unless they are sleeping.
It is best to strategize by taking one step at a time when approached by enemies and to not get cornered or surrounded by them. You can always take steps backward and heal a bit while doing so. This also heals your Buddy at the same time. You not only encounter enemies and items in the dungeons, but traps and buttons as well. Certain buttons when stepped on could either deplete your stamina or wake up certain monsters. I recommend using the D-pad to move as the joystick is harder to control and can jerk your character in weird directions.
Forging
Once you unlock the blacksmith and their Forge in town, you can upgrade your saddle and talons. You can Hone, which adds a level to your equipment, you can Fuse equipment together to strengthen them, or you can Unbrand them. Some items will have brands which have special effects such as elemental properties or negative effects. You can only use the Honing option up to five times before you have to advance ten floors in a dungeon to regain that ability. Dungeons will start to get excessively longer as you progress the game but there will be checkpoints. At checkpoints you can leave and go back to the town, then return to the same said checkpoints.
Unlocking Freja’s Forge after regaining her memories. There are four Oracles and Guardian Beasts that protect four elemental crystals which have an effect on the town. Those elements are: fire, water, darkness and light. Every time you fight one of the Guardian Beasts, you receive a magicyte which allows you to summon them. Every magicyte can only be used once.
Phoenix; first summon available. Graphics
The graphics in this haven’t improved very much but are still quite charming. They show off how adorable your Chocobo is by letting you play out scenes in certain parts of the town map. You can go to the playground and slide, swing, and go on the see-saw with another Chocobo friend. Square Enix also animated your Chocobo going to sleep on a bed and swimming in a pond. Once you get a fishing rod there are even three areas where you can go fishing. It’s all very playful and cute and a nice little extra feature.
Playing on the see-saw with another Chocobo. Unfortunately, the aesthetics of the dungeons aren’t so amusing. Every floor is flat and various shades of brown. The edges will vary slightly depending where you are (i.e. Fuego Mines has fire below) but has not much else to offer in terms of scenery. The paths change directions on different floors and the stairs are always in a different area of the map but it is always just a massive square that you navigate.
Fire enemies and the fire levels. Music
The music isn’t much better either inside of the dungeons. If you add a Buddy as Player Two, the same music will be playing on repeat unless they die. Then when you’re alone, it’s either the music that was supposed to be playing in the background all along or it triggers only because your partner has fallen. I’m unsure because this has only happened to me once and the tone shifted to a serious and dramatic music rather than the happy cherry music I was just listening to. There are however other familiar songs in town and during scenes such as Memories (get it) from FFIX which is nice for nostalgia’s sake. There is a remastered Original Soundtrack CD which will be available on April 24th, 2019 which includes arrangements from both old and new versions of the game.
If you enjoyed the game on the Wii, then you have to try this better version. If you’re a newcomer to the series, it’s worth it to play as an adorable Chocobo. You can purchase Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy through the Square Enix store here. If you are interested in games that involve dungeons, check out our newest announcement of ReadySet Heroes here.
