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'The World Ends with You' shines on Nintendo Switch
The World Ends with You is one of my favorite Japanese role-playing games. It was released for the Nintendo DS in 2007, when I was a moody teenager trying to make it through college. I loved the graffiti-inspired art style, eclectic soundtrack and unique touch-and-button-based combat. Most of all, though, I was enamored by the game's depiction of Tokyo. While many JRPGs take place in a fantastical land, The World Ends with You is set in modern Shibuya. Sprinting across the 'scramble' crossing and diving into ramen bars was a welcome escape from my daily bus rides.
Stylish JRPG 'The World Ends With You' heads to Switch this October
Over a decade ago, the Nintendo DS action RPG The World Ends With You debuted, placing players in a fantastical version of Tokyo's famous Shibuya shopping district. The youth culture-infused game harnessed the handheld's twin screens, and was adapted for smartphones starting in 2012. Nintendo announced at the beginning of the year that its idiosyncratic cult classic would be coming to the Switch, and now we have a US release date: October 12th, 2018.
'Persona 5' took me back to Tokyo
Two years ago I took my first trip to Tokyo. The city exceeded my wildest expectations, an addictive blend of ramen, neon nightlife and tranquil parks. I spent a fortnight exploring the place, absorbing every street, shrine and video game store that wandered into my peripheral vision. It was a glorious adventure, and I would give anything to go back there.
Daily iPad App: The World Ends With You Solo Remix for iPad brings a modern classic to iOS
The World Ends With You is one of the best role-playing games of the last five years. It was originally released by Square Enix on the Nintendo DS, and it not only made great use of an original setting (it's based in the highways and byways of a mystical version of Tokyo's biggest shopping district), but also featured some very innovative touchscreen combat controls. Now, almost five years after its initial release, Square Enix has brought the title over to Apple's iOS platform, and the game fits very well on Apple's larger screen. If there's one complaint I have about The World Ends With You, it's that the game is somewhat slow -- the story crawls along a bit too close to a snail's pace for my taste. Also, the characters, to my mind, aren't especially likeable. But that doesn't mean the game isn't great -- the combat especially is really well-designed, and the iPad's bigger screen space (along with the game's updated graphics) makes using pins and swiping across the screen to attack a lot of fun. There are a number of gameplay systems too, from upgrading pins and dressing in certain brands to making sure your characters are syncing up well together. The game is complicated, but it's all smoothly explained (even if I think it could have opened up a little bit faster). At any rate, especially if you've never played this one before and are ready to dive into a huge modern Japanese RPG, The World Ends With You Solo Remix is a great update of what's sure to be a classic game, and is even worth the $19.99 price (it's two dollars cheaper on the iPhone, but I think this is a much better experience on the iPad). Square Enix does post sales on apps occasionally, but if you want to play through this one, now's the time to grab it, and if you stick with it, odds are you won't be disappointed.
