Gaming

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of Champions review

A fun anime game that feels more like versus fighting than football

Published

September 10, 2020

GadgetMatch

Captain Tsubasa Rise of Champions encapsulates the concept of fun and dumb!

When I first opened up Captain Tsubasa: Rise of Champions I’ve been jaded with the same old football games that come out year after year. I have been playing other football games every year since 2010, I remember enjoying every novel idea those games had to offer. However, as the years went by I grew tired of a lack of proper game innovations that didn’t involve the word “lootbox”. In comes Captain Tsubasa.

Become a superstar

Although Captain Tsubasa: Rise of Champions is a soccer/football game, it’s core mechanics are anything but. The game feels more like an anime fighting game, in the same vein as jump force. There are combos, special moves, power meters to enjoy.

Every action feels involved, we are told to wittle down the opposing goalkeeper’s “spirit” by peppering him with shots, until his spirit is broken and he allows a goal. Other ways to secure a goal exist, such as the titular Captain’s “Drive Shot” — a super kick from the half way mark, that when shot with a full super meter, will always secure a goal.

Attacking is incredibly fun, but, defending is another matter. Defending feels like you’re playing a henchman about to get beat by a superhero. When you try to steal a ball, it makes sense to aim for a ball, right? Wrong, you have to run towards the opposing player and to knock them back.

This lack of intuition is shared even with the AI, as the game will automatically switch your defending character without warning and with no sense, allowing your opponent to score an easy goal.

Experience the anime

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of Champions follows three major arcs of the 2018 Captain Tsubasa anime to a tee. I mean, they really follow those arcs.

In this game is a 30 hour story, complete with gameplay, romance, drama and everything a person might love from the anime and more. This game has a rich story with characters you can root for. Instead of giving us a generic main character with a generic story, like some “journeys” out there, Captain Tsubasa gives us a whole roster of iconic characters to engage with.

Just when you might feel like you could just watch the anime to experience the story, the game also gives you the opportunity to affect the story, as Rise of Champions, gives you your own created character to rise through the ranks.

The game lets you increase his stats through training, playing well and forming bonds with both teammates and enemies alike, letting you choose how you play your own superpowered football star.

The issues with the game also start and end with the anime. The story is as cliché as it can get, and it doesn’t really you give you anything other than try your best and achieve your dreams. Don’t expect shakespeare coming into this story.

Test your skills around the world

Once you finish the story you can either play through the story again to make more football stars, or you can jump online. Online gameplay lets you use any of the teams you’ve encountered in Story Mode, and you can use them in any way you want. You can tweak formations, tactic. I used my team to mimic my favorite team Liverpool football club and it works wonders.

Then, when you really want to test everything the game has to offer, you can create your own custom team featuring the players you’ve made and completed the game with. You can take this team to online tournaments and battle it out to see who’s the next world champion superstar.

A beautiful rendition

The art style of game is incredible, and although Yoichi Takahashi’s art style may seem dated to modern anime fans, the game beautifully renders it with such stunning detail and dynamic particle effects you’ll feel like every kick feels like breath style from Demon Slayer or a Kamehameha from Dragon Ball.

The sound design is also well done, featuring soaring orchestral music to match the highs one can feel when achieving victory.

**Does Captain Tsubasa: Rise of Champions soar?**

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of Champions is one of the better anime games I’ve played in a while. It’s not to the level of Persona 5 but it definitely stands head and shoulders above its peers. As a football game I’d say it’s so different from the standard affair to even compare.

In the end if you like anime, and anime games you owe it to yourself to give it a go, this game is fun and ridiculous. If you’re a football fan looking for an alternate to PES and FIFA, I’d say give this game a hard pass.

This game was reviewed on a PlayStation 4 by David Martin. He is an avid anime and video game fan who loves to work hard and play harder.

Gaming

Nintendo might be working on an Ocarina of Time remake

It will reportedly launch in the second half of 2026.

Published

March 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

What is the greatest game of all time? There’s a substantial chance that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be on the board. Even beside the Switch’s critically acclaimed Breath of the Wild duology, the Nintendo 64 title is one of the most quintessential games you can ever play. That said, it’s pretty dated. But maybe, not for long.

According to Nintendo insider NatetheHate, the company is working on a rerelease of Ocarina of Time. The title is scheduled for launch within the second half of 2026.

The wording is important here. “Rerelease” can mean anything. To be fair, NatetheHate, through his latest podcast, says that it’s likely we’ll get either a like-for-like remake or a full reimagining of the essential game. However, he does not discount the possibility that it’s just an HD remaster for the new consoles. Either way, Ocarina of Time is coming back this year.

If you can’t wait, the title isn’t exactly missing from the shelves. You can play the original from the list of available games through Nintendo Switch Online. The game also got a remaster for the 3DS.

There is no shortage of Zelda-related news lately. The franchise is getting a live-action adaptation next year, which now becomes a worthy follow-up to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie coming early next month.

Gaming

Life is Strange: Reunion now available on consoles and PC

Max and Chloe return for an emotional finale

Published

March 27, 2026

GadgetMatch

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and Square Enix have officially launched Life is Strange: Reunion, the latest entry in the narrative adventure series. Developed by Deck Nine Games, the title is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. A physical PlayStation 5 edition is also available across Southeast Asia.

The launch comes with an official trailer, marking the return of one of the franchise’s most beloved storylines.

A long-awaited reunion

Set 11 years after the original events, Life is Strange: Reunion brings back Max Caulfield and Chloe Price as they reunite to solve a new timeline-spanning mystery. This time, the stakes center on a devastating inferno threatening Caledon University–Max’s workplace as a photography teacher.

Returning from a trip, Max discovers the campus engulfed in flames, with lives lost across the university. She survives only by using her Rewind ability, a power that allows her to reverse time.

The situation takes an unexpected turn with Chloe’s sudden arrival–an outcome tied to the timeline-merging events of Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Now dealing with fractured memories and an unstable sense of reality, Chloe once again finds herself relying on Max.

Dual perspectives, new gameplay dynamics

For the first time in the series, players can take control of both Max and Chloe, switching perspectives as the story unfolds.

Max’s Rewind power lets players revisit decisions, reshape conversations, and manipulate environments to solve complex, time-based puzzles. Meanwhile, Chloe brings her signature Backtalk ability, allowing her to push conversations in her favor and access situations Max cannot.

This dual-character approach expands both narrative depth and gameplay variety, offering different ways to uncover clues and influence outcomes.

A character-driven finale

Life is Strange: Reunion continues the series’ focus on grounded, emotional storytelling, with choices that carry meaningful consequences. The game builds toward a dramatic climax that aims to close out Max and Chloe’s journey.

As the final chapter in their story, Reunion positions itself as both a continuation and a conclusion–tying together years of narrative threads while delivering a new mystery shaped by time, loss, and choice.

Gaming

Nintendo will make it cheaper to buy digital games than physical

Physical releases will have the same price.

Published

March 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The days of lining up for a newly released game are well and truly over. Though some games still experience shortages in brick-and-mortar stores, such as the widely successful Pokémon Pokopia, gamers can get their titles digitally. Now, Nintendo is making digital releases more enticing by offering a tempting discount on the eShop.

Starting in May, Nintendo will start charging different prices for the physical and digital releases of first-party games. While physical releases will still have the same prices going forward, digital releases via the eShop will enjoy a discount.

The discount, of course, will likely depend on the title itself. Nintendo has already given the upcoming Yoshi and the Mysterious Book as the first example. The new platformer will cost US$ 70 from retailers. However, it will cost only US$ 60 on the digital eShop.

The company says that the new pricing scheme “simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format.” With the prices of chips skyrocketing, it’s no surprise that the physical release is more expensive than the digital one.

To be more technical about it, Nintendo has started skipping a physical game card for a while now. The physical release of Pokémon Pokopia, for example, has only a game-key card or a code to download the game. In this format, physical releases are just pretty cases you can display on your shelf.

Also, digital releases do carry the added risk of getting delisted on the whims of the developers, the publishers, or Nintendo itself. It is, however, still a cheaper option, especially in a world where getting any discount is a welcome thought.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo sues the United States