Peter Tieryas

What Is Your Favorite Game Sequel?

There are great sequels. And then there are all the crappy ones that seem like little more than cynical cash grabs. I’m going to focus on the former. Sometimes, the best sequels take a classic formula and evolve on them. I loved Final Fantasy II (IV in Japan), Uncharted II, Mass Effect 2, Super Mario…

The Brilliant Use of Verticality in Minish Cap’s Palace of Winds

There are so many great, memorable levels in the Zelda series, from Majora Mask’s Stone Tower Temple to the Arbiter’s Grounds in Twilight Princess. But a level that’s always stayed with me from the series is the Palace of Winds from the Minish Cap.  Developed by Capcom and Flagship, The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap…

A Plague Tale Is One Of The Most Disturbing Games I’ve Played

It’s been so long since a game has truly scared me that A Plague Tale: Innocence caught me completely off guard. Tense, terrifying, and meticulously crafted, Plague Tale excels at making you feel utterly helpless. Set in late 1349 in Aquitaine, France, the medieval setting is one of the game’s strengths, distinguishing itself with the…

Romance Of The Three Kingdoms XIII Is A Flawed, But Addictive, Entry Into The Series

The very first time I was a guest writer for Kotaku, I wrote about Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV, which was my favorite in the series. I’ve played ROTKIV too many times to count as its strategy gaming at its best. I did play many of the games after IV, but missed IX-XII. With…

Princess Peach Was The Best Character In Super Mario Bros. 2

Whether it’s Link in Link’s Awakening, or Mario in Super Mario Bros. 2, Nintendo characters have strange dreams. The dreamish landscape of Subcon is a surreal romp with some of the strangest enemies in the series. Influenced by Arabian themes, the second Mario game didn’t start off as the sequel to Super Mario Bros., a…

An Ode To Video Game Pockets

Hi Kotaku! It’s Ben, Narelle, and Peter back as your guest writers for the weekend. We have a variety of articles planned; Narelle will be writing about Breath of the Wild with her sister and some of the fun quests in Dragon Quest Builders 2; Ben shows some love for the Game Boy and Tony…

Hi Kotaku! I’m signing off for the weekend, but wanted to give a big thanks to all the readers for taking the time to read some of my retrospectives and leaving some really cool comments. I learned a bunch and also found some new portable games I want to play! Also, big thanks to the…

What Game Would You Most Like To See Remade?

For the longest time, I’ve been telling people how special Link’s Awakening is. I had to explain that even though it was for the original GameBoy, it’s one of the best Zelda games Nintendo made. Similar to Super Mario Bros. 2, it was part of a dream world, but that was what made the game…

How The Choose Your Own Adventures Of 428: Shibuya Scramble Reminded Me Of My Past

I’ve visited Shibuya before, but never like this. 428: Shibuya Scramble, which was developed for the PlayStation 4 by Chunsoft, released in September 2018 outside Japan. It’s kind of like those old full motion video (FMV) games. But instead of telling the story through badly compressed and grainy video, it uses a series of high…

The Cruel, But Cute, World Of Pikmin

Pikmin is a weird, but beautiful, 2001 game for the Nintendo GameCube where you play as a villainous alien intruder, Captain Olimar. Olimar is from the planet of Hocotate and has crash-landed on a strange planet that has high levels of oxygen. Unfortunately, oxygen is poisonous to the captain and his life support will fail…

Ghost Trick Brilliantly Turned Regret And The Supernatural Into A Game Mechanic

Ghost Trick is what you’d get if the film Ghost met Groundhog Day. Directed by the creator of the Ace Attorney Franchise, Shu Takumi, Ghost Trick makes death a puzzle you can play over and over a la Edge of Tomorrow. The core mystery at the heart of the game is your main character’s death.…

Where, When, And How To Watch Summer Games Done Quick 2019

Summer Games Done Quick is back! Speedrunners will be playing through a mix of modern and retro games and doing amazing things all around while racing against the clock. This year’s event just started with Spyro Reignited Trilogy and will run from today until the 30th where the event will end with a speedrun of…

Root Letter Is About Catfishing Gone Terribly Wrong

Root Letter made me miss Japan. Developed by Kadokawa Games for the PS Vita and PlayStation 4, the visual novel adventure takes place in the city of Matsue within the Shimane Prefecture. The protagonist, referred to as Max, is looking for his high school pen pal, Aya Fumino, after he finds a 15-year old letter…

What I’m Most Looking Forward To Re-Experiencing In The Final Fantasy VII Remake

I bought the original PlayStation just so I could play Final Fantasy VII. Until then, all I’d had was a SNES and a Genesis, so I was in awe when the opening cutscene for FFVII began. The rest of the game was equally stunning, the visuals beyond anything I’d thought possible in a game. I…

Elite Beat Agents Is About Saving The World With Music And Dance

The world is in ruin, relationships are in tatters, and dreams are being crushed. How to help all these people? According to Elite Beat Agents, it’s through the power of love- er, music. Released in 2006 for the Nintendo DS and developed by iNiS, Elite Beat Agents is a wacky rhythm game revolving around a…

Speedrunners Helped Me To Better Understand The Weird Games Of My Childhood

Summer Games Done Quick starts this Sunday at 11:30AM CDT and will be livestreamed on GamesDoneQuick’s Twitch Channel here. The event runs from June 23rd to the 30th and is raising money for Doctors Without Borders. I’m honestly in awe of speedrunners. The dedication, skill, and stamina they show in their playthroughs is impressive. There’s…

Neon Genesis Evangelion Is About The Cost And Trauma Of Existence

Neon Genesis Evangelion’s characters suffer a lot. I learned about the series from one of my co-workers back in my LucasArts days. I’d seen some mecha anime, but nothing like Neon Genesis Evangelion. On the surface, it seemed to hit a lot of the trope checklist with a frustrated young pilot, Shinji Ikari, who’s essentially…

What Is Your Favorite Game On A Portable System?

Up until recently, I didn’t play many portable games. Even when I did, I liked to play them on a TV screen, which is why I used the Game Boy Player for my GameCube to play many of my favorite GBA games like Metroid Fusion, Astro Boy: Omega Factor, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish…

Final Fantasy V Reminds Me Of What I Loved About The Series

Talking about Final Fantasy has become complicated. A lot of my favorite Final Fantasy memories are from games in the series that are over a decade old. I’ve played through most of the main series Final Fantasy games, aside from FFV and the online ones. I genuinely enjoyed most of them (even XIII), though none…

A Wishlist For The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sequel

How do you improve the seeming perfection of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? Breath of the Wild took everything that was great about the Zelda series and made it grander and more epic. Like the clever puzzles that make up their dungeons? How about 120 shrines that distill them into their purest…