Like all forms of media, games are easily replayable, given the individual's access to the proper hardware. If a particular game happens to scratch that itch you have for a particular storytelling device, or perhaps a gameplay mechanic or motif that strikes your fancy, you can either return to it or hold out for a future title that utilizes similar concepts. Where a film ca utilize twists and turns that can be rediscovered upon a second viewing, however, games are somewhat different. While dialogue can be utilized in games to similar effect, the idea of creating a twist through gameplay is somewhat different. While the amount of content present in games can certainly cause certain segments to be forgotten, the rules of gameplay often give the player all they need in order to tackle new or unfamiliar situations. If gameplay is merged with story, then the memory will likely keep. On the other hand, if a game's aesthetic is repetitive or the story nonexistent, the player must rely...

Having recently played the demo for The Alliance Alive, I have been reflecting on the sheer amount of RPGs I have played on the 3DS. The Alliance Alive is likely to be one of my last purchases for the system, unless Nintendo decides to smash us with some worthwhile new addition late in the system's life. Regarding demos, however, I can safely say that I have not played some RPGs based on the way their demos operate. Sometimes a good demo can highlight the best parts of a game, and sometimes they don't. I recall my time with both the Etrian Odyssey IV and Legend of Legacy demos rather fondly. Both are extremely open-ended due to the nature of the gameplay of their full-retail gameplay motifs and systems, offering a great amount of potential for a player, and a figurative head-start, to boot. On the other hand, a demo can also be an extremely lackluster experience, either failing to sell the concept of a full-retail purchase, or simply because its something of a mediocre effort,...

Death in video games is tricky- it usually serves as a punishment for not playing the game "correctly," although it is more often used as a save-state reload. Essentially, if the player is doing something wrong, death is a way of resetting incorrect or sloppy play and allowing them the chance to approach from another angle. How does this factor into Skipmore, a Japanese independent developer whose three action-RPG titles have appeared on both the 3DS and Switch eShops? Though the small size and simple graphics of Fairune, Fairune II, and Kamiko may look low-budget and lacking depth, there is something lurking beneath the surface of these three titles that allows for continuous revisits and a greater level of complexity. Although Kamiko is much more transparent in the way that it encourages speed-running, these games treat death as a means of complicating their gameplay and encouraging precision and strategy.

Much like its predecessor, the Nintendo 3DS has amassed a number of high quality role-playing games in its library. With its backwards compatibility with Nintendo DS game cards, however, stating the system may have one of the best comprehensive JRPG libraries is not a bold statement. Remastered versions of old classics, new and exciting series and installments, and the occasional singular entry that stands well on its own. Something the 3DS benefits from is its eShop, a place where independent developers could flex their muscles and release smaller titles at affordable prices. In its early days, the eShop was a saving grace for the system's somewhat starved retail library, but as the 3DS grew to prominence, the eShop became a stage for experimentation. Nintendo and third parties could take risks with less-familiar intellectual property and toy with small scale concepts.