Their most recent batch of efforts comes with a series of made for eShop games, the sequel to the hit Guild01 collection, Guild02. The new series of games got off to a somewhat inauspicious start with The Starship Damrey, a game with some great atmosphere and some good ideas that lacked in execution and the value proposition, but they seem to be back on track somewhat with this newest game.

Notice I say somewhat. Like its immediate predecessor, Attack of the Friday Monsters is a game with an incredible atmosphere, and a nice story to tell. Also like its immediate predecessor, however, it is a $7 game that would barely last you a full three hours. That, when all is said and done, is its biggest failing, because everything else, the game does exceptionally well.

It’s a charming game, that recreates the atmosphere of 1970s Tokyo almost disarmingly well, and lulls you in with its lovely graphics, its great soundtrack, and its wonderful characters, as you try and figure out the central mystery of the eponymous Friday Monsters. The game has all the wonderment and the sense of discovery that everyone probably remembers from childhood, as you begin to wander around rural Tokyo one summer afternoon, discovering the full city as your playground, making new friends, and trying to cope with the simple task that every child must eventually tackle- drawing the line between one’s imagination and one’s reality.

" The feeling of discovery, of amazement, of wonderment, of there being something more, possibly sinister, just beyond the surface, are all recreated wonderfully well in this game."

The game’s plot is replete with pop cultural references that you probably wouldn’t understand unless you lived in Japan in or around this specific time period, and the story might often be slowed down or get confusing as a result, but the core themes, the underlying themes are themes that all of us should identify with strongly, as they speak to our childhood. The feeling of discovery, of amazement, of wonderment, of there being something more, possibly sinister, just beyond the surface, are all recreated wonderfully well in this game.

The actual gameplay part of the game is sparse, like The Starship Damrey. Most of the game consists of conversations, that enhance the game’s excellent characterization so much, and there is also a nice card based battle system to engage your attention, even though the actual battle system is a pretty simple rock-paper-scissors system that relies on pure guesswork more than anything else. Like the actual rock-paper-scissors game, you have to make your own selection, and guess what your opponent will select. There’s not a whole lot of skill, then, like I said, but it does make for a nice change from all the walking around and talking to people that the game otherwise entails.

It’s probably just as well, then, with a gameplay foundation so thin, that Attack of the Friday Monsters doesn’t last more than two to three hours- how would the game’s gameplay mechanics possibly be able to support a full length game? The game would become unbearably shallow and repetitive, in spite of its oodles of charm.

"As it stands now, it is still a great game, but it is, after all, up to you to decide whether you want to spend $7 on a game that is barely longer than the average Nolan blockbuster."

And on the whole, I agree with that premise; I just wish that the game had actually been priced accordingly as well, because $7 is too steep a price considering how little is on offer, even if that little is incredibly well don. It’s disappointing, especially considering the value proposition of other eShop games, such as Crashmo and Level 5’s own Crimson Shroud. It’s disappointing that they have then, slipped up twice since then, first with The Starship Damrey, and now with Attack of the Friday Monsters.

The difference between that game and this, however, is that while The Starship Damrey was a fundamentally flawed game, Attack of the Friday Monsters is not. It is a sweet, charming game that is a great experience, and at a lower price would be recommended to all 3DS owners without hesitation. As it stands now, it is still a great game, but it is, after all, up to you to decide whether you want to spend $7 on a game that is barely longer than the average Nolan blockbuster.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo 3DS.

Let’s start from the beginning though, because chances are you probably haven’t even heard of Crimson Shroud. What is it? It is a 3DS exclusive JRPG made by Yasumi Matsuno, the legendary maker of games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, and Vagrant Story, as part of a collection of full fledged games called Guild01 published by Level 5. Level 5 has decided to, against all odds, localize the Guild01 games by bringing them over to the west, but keeping them eShop exclusive only. So yes, the latest from the maker of Final Fantasy Tactics is a game you can only get over the 3DS’s eShop.

As you can see, the game has a lot of pedigree behind it, and a lot of heritage. The question now is whether it rises to its pedigree and justifies it, to which the answer is a resounding yes. Crimson Shroud in one of the best JRPGs in years, and everything about it, from its focus on old school tabletop games that is both cosmetic and mechanical, to its battle system, stand out. It’s a bit rough looking, the story can get confusing and overwhelming, and the game is definitely on the shorter side, but it’s definitely still one worth a purchase, especially at the asking price of $7, which feels like a steal.

It tells a story- a story about an ancient power, the titular Crimson Shroud, and a band of characters with different, mysterious, not altogether noble, pasts, getting together to find it. There is intrigue, as the entire story is told via a framed narrative that suggests that something is wrong, very wrong. The story itself is backed up by some great voice work, a nice translation job, and some lovely music, courtesy of Hitoshi Sakimoto. But overall, the story- which I will still refrain from spoiling for those of you who are interested in it- remains the lowest point of the game, as you find yourself stop caring around Chapter 2, and begin to treat it as nothing more than an excuse to move from one exciting encounter to the next.

And exciting they are. Battles in Crimson Shroud can be long, tense, and often drawn out affairs. They’re turn based, and you have control over every character in your party, each of whom comes with a specific ‘role’ (such as healing/support). The outcome of your actions- your attacks, magic spells, the effectiveness of a surprise attack, special powers- all of it is determined by a very literal dice roll. As in, you are presented with a set of the relevant dice on the bottom screen, and you have to roll them by touching them. It’s an incredibly nice touch, and an even nicer throwback to tabletop role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. Suddenly, Crimson Shroud straddles the great east/west divide, and finds itself appealing to fans of old school JRPGs, and old school WRPGs, all of which were derived from Dungeons and Dragons.

The throwbacks to old school tabletop games don’t end there. Everything about the game is essentially a nod to that style of gaming. The characters all appear on the field as well sculpted figurines, stationary figurines, that, if and when they die, are knocked over. In a neat little detail, you can see the Level 5 insignia on their bases when they do fall over. Excellent stuff.

You’ll be traversing dungeons, deep and dark; you’ll be having lots of conversations that expound on the game’s lore; you’ll be coming across treasure and loot; you’ll even have some choices to make. But in the end, it will all be about the game’s battles, and how it handles them, and you will come away satisfied. At less than a full dozen hours long, this is hardly Matsuno’s most epic or extensive game, but it might just be the one with the most heart behind it. If you have a 3DS and any appreciation for any kind of an RPG, I insist that you go and check out this gem of a title now. It’s brilliance won’t fail to disappoint you.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo 3DS.