Tag: Game

Review: Rival Stars Horse Racing

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Developer: PikPok
Publisher: Prodigy Design Limited T/A Sidhe Interactive
Genre: Management, Sports
Price: FREE (Micro-transactions)

Ever since I played The Legacy of Rosemond Hill, I have been on a seemingly hopeless search for a game that can measure up to it. I want a little bit of stable management, horse management, mystery, competitions, and character story/development. Alas, I have found nothing and Rival Stars Horse Racing is not quite there either… but almost.

Your family is a well known horse racing family but due to a fatal tragedy you have all given up the horse business, that is until now. A manager of the stable pleads to you, saying he still believes in your legacy and requests that you come back which you of course do with the option of choosing your own gender, ethnicity, name, and racing gear.

After confirming your identity you are tasked with facility and horse maintanence and upkeep. Your first order of business is to get a horse because without it you cannot race and earn the money you need to evolve your ranch. You get the option to name it, however, there are a few restrictions to the naming if you want the commentators to shout out the horse name during races. The randomize button gives a few opportunites for giggles as the two-word name suggestions can turn out ‘Free Flattery’ and ‘Complete Goat’.

Rival Stars Horse Racing is a good mixture of management, competition, and play. You get to breed your horses for the best possible stats, train them, race with them in races against other players or AI, and even save pictures of your best horse. It does have a story, but it fails to capture my interest as it seems to be the staff around the ranch simply telling some tidbits about themselves or what they think you should do. I would have loved if the player had been involve and active within the story as they are completley left out of it as it stands at the moment.

Despite the lack of story, Rival Stars Horse Racing is the best game out there if you want a game with horses. It is a good managment game, but what sells it is the polished graphics and a well done horse niche. However, if you are into racing and managment games I would give this one a try to see if you can breed and train the best racing horse there ever was.

Review: Tapsonic TOP

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Developer: Neowiz Games
Publisher: Neowiz Games
Genre: Music
Price: FREE

Ever wanted to be a Music Producer? In Tapsonic TOP you can. Starting off with a humble cast of musical talents you are set out on an adventure to create the best possible line up and get the best high scores on several different songs available for free, mostly.

The gameplay in Tapsonic TOP is to ‘score points by tapping the screen as the notes appear with rhythm and beat.’ To maximise this score it is vital to choose the right stars for the song. Stars are divided into three categories: Vocal, Dancer, and Session. Within those categories are subcategories, which can be considered as specialisations, such as Tap Note, Slide Note, and Flick Note. Finding the right cast can be fun and if not for the higher score then for trying to make a viable group out of the many different stars to choose from. I have sacrificed score for a cute cat star several times.

As a producer it is up to the player to level up, train, rank up, and awaken the stars. This can be done by sacrificing another star, put a star on a schedule using staff, or use the star when playing a song. The better the star, the better the score.

Aside from simply playing songs on different levels ranging from easy to expert, the player can test their mettle against other producers in the Music Grand Prix where a set of songs get available each day of the week and by the end producers get their total score measured against each other. Everyone is a winner at the Music Gand Prix, but the prize gets drastically reduced the further a producer’s placing is from the top. It is a simple, yet nice way to test yourself against other players and see if you can tap as good as you think.

The songs may be of varying quality; some are good, some are bad, some are annoying, some are catchy. However, the gameplay is rewarding and fun which have made the most annoying song bearable to sit through if it shows up in the Music Grand Prix a Monday morning. The songs are challenging enough and the difficulty levels available provide ample room to learn. Sometimes the expert option felt too easy or too difficult, but that was mostly in regards to the general difficulty of the song

The initial pricing of the game is free, though the game allows for micro transaction to gain stars and staff. It is not, however, required to access and play the game. The player can happily play through all content and see most of it without making a single transaction.

If you love music games and cannot ever get enough of cute, quirky anime characters then Tapsonic TOP is definitely a game for you. However, if you are looking for an amazing music journey with a fantastic story then I would advise you to move on as the little story that exists in the game is beyond rescue.

Review: Tsuki Adventure

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Developers: HyperBeard Games
Producers: HyperBeard Games LLC
Genre: Family, Calm
Price: FREE

Tsuki (Moon in Japanese) is a rabbit who moves to a small village to become a carrot farmer. The village is calm with slow moving villagers who enjoy the days as they come and go. Tsuki has some old friends in this village but can also make a few new ones. It is the player’s choice to interact with the villagers and slowly build up a relationship in form of a heart colour. With each small conversation the colour comes closer to red and an opportunity to earn a special item.

The game tells the player early on that Tsuki is not a pet, Tsuki will live however a rabbit sees fit without the players constant watch. The things the player can affect is who Tsuki talks to and what items Tsuki use as well as when to farm the massive carrot in the backyard. Doing any of the mentioned can change scenery, allow interaction with new characters, or new interactions with old, and make more items available for Tsuki. Overall, it could be said that the goal of Tsuki Adventure is to collect memories.

If a calm, almost tranquil, experience is what you are after Tsuki Adventure surely delivers. The game is not like having a pet that constantly demands attention but more like reading a story about the adventures of a rabbit in a small village that will forever be the same no matter how little, or much, time you spend on the game. It is a comforting escape from a hectic life.