Visual Novel Review: Neuro-sama - AI Attorney

Neuro-sama - AI Attorney is a humorous parody of Capcom's Ace Attorney visual novels by eddieDevs that stars the AI VTuber Neuro-sama as an attorney who have to defend her programmer turtle creator Vedal against her AI twin Evil Neuro who is prosecuting him on the charge of murdering the gymnast catgirl Fillian.

Beyond the four VTubers mentioned above, the game also features many other characters from the Neuroverse, including witnesses such as their artist foxgirl creator Anny, their adoptive imp aunt Camilla, the friendly hellhound Cerber, and their tomato princess friend Toma. The judge is the shy catgirl MinikoMew, who previously appeared in a courtroom-themed stream that also had Vedal on trial for lesser offenses.

The game has the exact mechanics, backgrounds, sounds, and music from the original Ace Attorney games, with the Neuro's usual Microsoft Asure Ashley text-to-speech voice providing her "Hold It!" and "Take That!" clips and the AI voice of Evil Neuro providing her "Hold It!" clip and the NeuroSynthProject by Superbox providing her "Take That!" clip.

The original character art fits perfectly into the Ace Attorney setting. Neuro takes the defense role with a school outfit that has been modified to include her usual skirt with a Phoenix Wright style suit jacket and tie. Neuro also wears a white blouse and a blue tie that I couldn't help but think would look perfect on Hatsune Miku. Evil on the other hand takes the prosecutor role in aa black skirt suit with a white blouse. She's also wearing a crimson bow tie that is her usual look yet somehow evokes the jabot worn by Miles Edgeworth. The other characters fit the mold well, with all of them having moments of anime-inspired exaggerated expressions.

Neuro-sama - AI Attorney is a fantastic free fan game that is a loving homage to both Ace Attorney and the Neuroverse. The music, backgrounds, and music come straight from the former, while the art of the latter fits the game perfectly. If you are a fan of both, or even a fan of just the Neuroverse, this game is a must download. If you are a fan of just Ace Attorney, you will be missing out on a lot of the injokes and references, but the humor should keep you entertained while you puzzle your way through its short play length of approximately an hour.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 4

Puzzle Agent 2 Review

Puzzle Agent 2 is the sequel to the first of two games in Telltale's pilot program that gave quirky concepts one episode as a trial before other episodes were ordered depending on sales, as well as consumer and media response. Both Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent and Poker Night at the Inventory were popular and well received enough to receive sequels. 

In the case of Puzzle Agent 2, it once again took gamers into the very quirky world of former Telltale artist Graham Annable's Grickle comics and picked right up where its predecessor left off. The FBI had covered up the unsolved case in Scoggins, Minnesota. Nelson Tethers, puzzle agent extraordinaire, heads back to conduct his own unofficial investigation. In his search for the missing Issac Danver, he once again finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy that once again perfectly captures the unsettling nature of the Grickle animations.  

The gameplay is once again based on brain teaser games such as the Professor Layton games. If Nelson Tethers wishes to unlock one of up to four hints on a puzzle, he once again has to search for pre-chewed gum, Telltale's version of Professor Layton's hint coins, to unlock it. The ranking for each puzzle is based on how many hints he used and how many wrong guesses he has made. Solving puzzles advances the story, but puzzle ranks don't do anything other than give the game a modicum of replayability through the freeplay mode that is available once the game is over so you can keep playing puzzles you missed to increase your statistics.

Like most other Telltale games, the music are is provided by Jared-Emerson Johnson. The creepy soundtrack makes the game even spookier, adding to the atmosphere that closely resembles those found in Grickle shorts. The voice actors return from the first game, and once again bring in solid performances that help the player stay invested in the story.

Puzzle Agent 2 has fun puzzles and a suitably creepy story, plus it contains music and voice acting that live up to it's predecessor. It works as an end to the Scoggins mystery while giving our intrepid puzzle agent hints toward more mysteries upon the closure of the game. It originally worked as a possible hint toward a sequel, but at this point, it just serves as reassurance that Nelson Tethers is still out there solving puzzles and solving the weird cases that no one else will touch.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Action Video Game Review: South Park 10 - The Game

Prior to the formation of South Park Digital Studios in 2009, South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker did not have direct involvement in the development of games based on the hit animated series. That gave us some awfully dreadful games such as the Acclaim games from the 1990s. 

However, those early years gave us some inoffensive games that aren't terrible, but they really weren't anything to write home about. One of the latter is the platform game for feature phones using J2ME that was developed by Mr.Goodliving and published by RealNetworks in 2007. The game was created for the 10th anniversary of the cartoon series, which was promoted by Comedy Central through their South Park 10 campaign. That's what gives the game its uninspired title, South Park 10: The Game.

The premise of the game is rather clever, even if the gameplay and level layouts are not. There are ten stages each containing three levels and a bonus level. Each stage takes place within the first ten years of the series, and in each the player takes the role of a character from season represented in any given stage. This takes the form of the usual characters Kyle, Kenny, Stan, Cartman, and Butters, but also several more random characters such Scuzzlebutt, the monster with Patrick Duffy as a left leg, a cow, Starvin' Marvin, and Lemmiwinks the gerbil.

That's the end of the inspired part of the game, however. There is no music and only simple sound for jumping and obtaining items, akin to the sounds in the original Commander Keen games for DOS back way in 1990. 

In addition, the levels are really repetitive featuring rescue missions where you have to scare innocents to an exit in some stages and carry them in others. You have to collect a specific number of Cheesy Poofs in order to unlock the stage exit. The levels are mostly just platforms, some of which are static and some of which move. There are also spikes and enemies in some levels, and that's about it.

South Park: The Game is nothing more than a time waster that has been relegated to time. It has ten playable characters, which make it a bit unique, but the rest of the game from the limited sound to the uninspired level design don't lift it beyond mediocre. This one isn't really worth going out of your way to track down.

Final Verdict:

2 out of 5

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to those who follow the Gregorian calendar!

2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the first iteration of this website. I'm going to try to do a lot of reviews this year to mark the occasion. There are a lot of games on my backlist to review, so there's no shortage of possibilities.

Open World Action RPG Review: Yakuza

Update November 18, 2025: I originally posted this review as a clone of the review for the remake, Yakuza Kiwami. For the past few days I have been playing the wonderful Yakuza Restored patch by Sylwahan for the original PlayStation 2 version of Yakuza. This patch replaces the unfitting English voiceovers with the Japanese ones, removes the curse words that don't match what was originally said in the Japanese subtitles, replaces the weird name changes that were in the original translation to the Japanese names that are used throughout the series, uses the Yakuza font for character introductions, and much more. Because of this excellent version, which I highly recommend using if you want to play the PlayStation 2 version of Yakuza, I have decided to completely rewrite this review. If you want to see the original review, it is available word-for-word in the Yakuza Kiwami review, minus the Kiwami-specific sections.

Yakuza, known as Ryu Ga Gotoku or Like a Dragon in Japan, is the first game in the popular franchise of the same name. It laid the groundwork for the later entries in the series, and contained a great mystery of a storyline that sets itself apart from the rest.

The story starts in 1995 in Kamurocho, a fictionalized version of the real-life Kabukichō red-light district of Tokyo. It centers on Kazuma Kiryu, a yakuza in the Dojima family of the Tojo Clan who is known as the Dragon of Dojima. He is about to become the patriarch of his own family, but is instead expelled from the organization when he takes the blame for the murder of Sohei Dojima, a crime he did not commit.

Kiryu is released from prison ten years later, in 2005. Returning to a Kamurocho that is different from that he remembers, he has to contend with members of the Tojo Clan who seek revenge for Patriarch Dojima's murder. He soon meets a little girl named Haruka Sawamura. She is a target for the Tojo Clan, leaving Kiryu to have to protect her while discovering what makes the yakuza so interested in an eight-year-old girl. This begins a tale of mystery and betrayal, which is engaging from start to finish.

The original release of Yakuza came hot on the heels of Grand Theft Auto III and its follow-ups Vice City and San Andreas, which were a huge success in the West. Because of this, Sega of America localized Ryu Ga Gotoku into something it was not, adding excessive swearing to the script and changing the names of characters in an attempt to better appeal to Western audiences. Kiryu was known by his first name of Kazuma, and Shintaro Kazama became Shintaro Fuma to atempt to avoid confusion over the similar name. The weirdest change is that the Florist of Sai became Kage. This name was not used in any other game, and it negated the meaning of the Florist codename, which is explained by a non-playable character in the game.

Because of the overuse of swearing and awkward line reads, the English version is pretty bad. It's not at the level of the woodenness of Sega's earlier attempts at English voice acting such as Shenmue, but it is bad enough that the original Japanese voices were used in the sequels rather than attempting English dubs again. It's a shame that its voice cast was squandered, as it included such Hollywood greats such as Stat Wars star Mark Hamill as Goro Majima and Bill Farmer as Makoto Date.

The minigames in the PlayStation 2 release include the UFO catcher crane game at Club Sega, baccarat, blackjack, and roulette in the casino, flirting with six hostesses at various cabaret clubs, a batting center where Kiryu can hit baseballs at various levels of difficulty, and pachinko slot machines at Volcano.

The original PlayStation 2 version of Yakuza plays like early 3D games in that it shifts camera direction at load points, with the camera appearing behind or above Kiryu at any given shot. This makes it much different than later games in the series, but, barring a rare errant turn in direction due to the confusing camera changes, the awkwardness is mostly forgotten as the game goes on.

The side stories which became a well known aspect of the series started at the beginning with Yakuza. They are more somber than the off-the-wall humor that would come in substories in later games, but there are some moments of levity. It also contains substories that are not present in the Kiwami remake such as those involving a purse snatcher, an artist near the homeless encampment, and an additional story about a pick pocket. This game also started a series staple, the difficult final boss that is part of an Amon assassin family, which is available after every substory is completed.

Yakuza is a fantastic start to one of Sega's best series. The original English translation is not great, but with Sylwahan's Yakuza Restored patch, the excellent Japanese voiceovers are available to English PlayStation 2 players. The original PlayStation 2 version contained many of the regular minigames in the series, including gambling, baseball, and cabaret hostess flirting. It also started the Club Sega appearances, with the series staple UFO Catcher crane game. The side stories also began here, which were relatively serious here but would become wackier as the series went on. The best part about this game is the story, which allows it to remain as one of the best games in the series.

Final verdict:

4 out of 5

Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise Review

Yakuza Kiwami Review

Point and Click Adventure Review: Simon the Sorcerer

Simon the Sorcerer has had many adventures over the years, but the original still remains the best.

The game follows a British teenager named Simon, who is transported to a magical world when he follows his dog into the attic.  He soon finds himself on a quest to become a sorcerer so he can save the wizard who has seemed to have brought him there.

The game's premise is pretty bare, but it is bolstered by its humorous take on the game's magical world. From the ogres trying to make Simon into a stew to the creatures in the forest, there is plenty of humorous whimsy to be found.  The entire Simon the Sorcerer series is a bit rough around the edges, simply because Simon is a bit of a harsh protagonist.  However, Simon's voice actor delivers his lines in a way that manages to make him a character that you root for, despite his shortcomings. It also helps that Simon's sadism is toned down a lot here compared to his future outings.

Some of the games in the series can get a bit crazy with the logic of its puzzles, but, the puzzles here are quite well done.  This game is often regarded as a classic, and the presentation has a lot to do with that. The art style is fantastic.  The backgrounds have a lot of detail despite their low resolution.  The animations of Simon and the other characters are also fantastic.  The art in this game easily stands up with the best that Sierra and LucasArts had to offer at the time.  The music also helps to set the tone of the game, including a memorable title song that is bolstered by some fantastic credit animation.

Simon's first outing is by far his most welcoming.  The humor can get a bit dark, but it's nowhere near the level of the sadism that Simon shows in later games.  The game's presentation is where it really shines. The art style, voice acting, music, and puzzles are all well done.  Simon the Sorcerer is a game that is worth playing for any adventure game fan.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Open World Action RPG Review: Yakuza Kiwami

Before the release of Yakuza 0, Yakuza was the beginning of Kazuma Kiryu's story. Yakuza 0 proved to be one of the best games in the whole series. With the release of Yakuza Kiwami, which brought the game up to modern standards yet kept the core story intact, the original Yakuza actually holds up quite well.

The game begins in 1995, seven years after the events in Yakuza 0. Kazuma Kiryu, a twenty-seven-year-old member of the Dojima family within the Tojo Clan, has climbed the ranks within the clan. He is just about to become the patriarch of his own family when he takes the blame for the murder of Patriarch Shimano, although he was not the one that killed him.

Ten years later, Kiryu is paroled and he is released from prison. He now has to deal with members of the Tojo clan that want him dead, as well as the usual violent thugs that wander around Tokyo's Kamurocho district. A decade in prison has made his skills rusty, so he has to gain experience so that he can regain his former strength.

In the Kiwami remake of the game, Goro Majima, the Mad Dog of Shimano, vows to help him restore his strength so that he can battle him properly. This is called "Majima Everywhere", and the name is apt since the battles take place all around the city. This is simultaneously both the funniest and the most frustrating part of the remake since Majima will pop up from just about anywhere at any time. The best way to handle this is to keep leveling up, especially health and beast style moves. Defeating Majima will add moves to Kiryu's dragon style. and other than learning moves from Master Komaki, is the only way to do so. Like Yakuza 0, Kiryu can use the aforementioned beast and dragon style move set. Kiryu can also use moves in his brawler and rush styles. Each of these styles can be accessed by pressing a direction on the directional pad.

Kiryu's story picks up steam when he comes across a young girl, Haruka, that is somehow tied to the one billion yen that has been stolen from the Tojo clan. The Kiryu saga of the Yakuza franchise has always been about family, and that is true here as well. Yakuza 0 had Kiryu protecting his adopted father, Shintaro Kazama, and his sworn brother, Akira Nishiyama. Yakuza picks up that trend, as Kiryu does everything he can to protect Haruka, the little girl that ended up in his custody.

In Yakuza Kiwami, the Japanese voices are left in the western versions, but in the original western release of Yakuza for PlayStation 2, the English voices were dubbed by famous voice actors. It pains me to recommend the Japanese voices, as the English cast was amazing. Among others, it included Mark Hamill giving Joker vibes as Majima and Bill Farmer doing his best Sam the Canine Shamus as Detective Date. The English voices are actually really good. It's just the janky script that let them down. Not only is the dialog in the original English PlayStation 2 version clunky. but names of places and people have been shortened or even changed for little reason. To this day, no one but the translator knows why the Florist of Sai was given the name of Kage in English. He certainly never received a given name in the original Japanese version. Thankfully, Yakuza Kiwami has a much less awkward translation with the original names intact.

In the original Yakuza, the minigames were regulated to the UFO catcher, visiting with cabaret club hostesses, hitting baseballs at the batting center, blackjack, pachinko slot, and roulette. Yakuza Kiwami keeps the UFO catcher, batting center, blackjack, and roulette and removes the pachinko slots as well as four of the six hostesses. However, it adds minigames from Yakuza 0, including billiards, bowling. cee-lo, cho-han, darts, a karaoke button-based rhythm game, koi-koi, mahjong, oicho-kabu, Pocket Circuit slot car racing, poker, roulette, and shogi. The Sega game centers in Yakuza Kiwami also contain Battle Bug Beauties: MesuKing,  based on the Catfight Arena from Yakuza 0.

All of the minigames are fun diversions, but the best part of any Yakuza game outside of the main story is the side missions. There are many sidequests, and Yakuza Kiwami thankfully doesn't remove any sidequests from the original. Kiwami also adds a few new ones to tie the game back to Yakuza 0. Like any Yakuza game, some of them can be quite off-the-wall hilarious. There's nothing like the adult baby gangsters seen in later games, but the wackiness the series is known for definitely started here. As with any Yakuza game, the last side mission is an extremely hard fight with a member of the Amon family.

Yakuza is a great game regardless of which game you are playing, even if it is the PlayStation 2 version or the Japan-only Wii U and PlayStation 3 high-definition versions. However, the best way to play is definitely the Kiwami remake. It does remove 2 out of 6 hostesses and the pachislot games, however, it adds 12 minigames, adds three fighting styles, and brings the presentation up to modern standards. In doing so, it restored the original game's status as one of the best games in the series.

Final verdict:

4 out of 5

Yakuza Review

Streets of Kamurocho Review