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3. Pier Solar and the Great Architects HD (Wii U)
Current Release Date: Q1 2014
WaterMelon’s Pier Solar has gained quite the cult following as a one-of-a-kind JRPG when it was released in 2010. The game’s release was a complete anomaly in this day and age, as it was originally available on the Sega Genesis and was neglected on modern platforms. Thankfully, Pier Solar is now going to be released on Wii U, and it’ll be completely remastered in HD! Even if you want to experience the game as it was originally released, there’s an option for you to switch between HD and 16-bit graphics, leaving the visuals of the game entirely up to the player.
The combat in Pier Solar is pretty standard as far as turned-based JRPGs go, but it also adds a new command to utilize called gathering. When you select gathering, characters can power-up either themselves or other party members, but consequently leave themselves defenseless in the process. This adds a whole new layer of strategy to the game, as choosing when to gather and when to play it safe will determine the outcome of decisive battles. Pier Solar was already a massive game, clocking in over 50 hours of gameplay, but WaterMelon is expanding the game even further with even more story elements, new minigames, and different areas to explore. Being that this game is jam-packed with content, Pier Solar HD should undoubtedly satisfy anyone looking for a solid JRPG experience on Wii U.
Two things. First, if they were further along in development I’d add the Kickstarter projects Hyper Light Drifter and Paradise Lost–and fairly high up–but since they’re really still at the stage of hopeful we can just keep them in mind for a similar list this time next year. Second, if you made a list of the top ten anticipated major studio games, I’d be hard pressed to say which I’d rather play, especially if you excluded games like Zelda U and X, which are similarly not far enough along (so far as we know). I hope that says more about indie gaming than it does the major studios.
Really anticipating Two Brothers, that game has a lot of potential and makes me happy to see a developer showing appreciation for Game Boy’s graphical stylings; GB games are often unceremoniously slammed for their graphics, which is a real shame.
Interested in 5 out the 10 listed… including a couple that I hadn’t heard of before this article. Not bad!
Lots of indie games don’t live up to the hype, but there have been enough really *really* good ones to make up for any disappointment. 3DS eShop has been by far the best part of that console for me, and it looks like Wii U has a lot of great content coming before long too. Awesome!