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Fire Emblem Engage: The First Hour

 FIRE EMBLEM ENGAGE SYSTEM: SWITCH        GENRE: STRATEGY RPG     Fire Emblem Engage is the latest title in Nintendo's long running franchise. It dials back some of the social aspects of its predecessor, Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Most of the fun I've experienced so far is in the neat innovations and quality of life changes in combat.       The Engage system really spices things up. The Engage system allows characters to call upon the strengths of legendary Fire Emblem characters, such as Marth or Sigurd. It allows characters to use skills and weapons that they normally do not have.      The graphics are quite astounding, and the colors really pop. It is every bit as enjoyable to look at as it is to play.  
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Pokemon Violet: The First Hour

POKEMON VIOLET SYSTEM: SWITCH          GENRE: RPG      Pokemon has always been charming. There's something about exploring the world and adding to your collection of small critters that really sets off the endorphins in my lizard brain. Scarlet and Violet are the newest iterations of the franchise, and are oozing charm and impressing with new innovations. My impressions are based on the Violet version, and was not sent to me for review.     Taking place in the Spain-inspired region of Paldea, you take the role of a new student enrolled at Uva Academy and are quickly paired with your new Pokemon partner. I chose Fuecoco, the new Fire type starter. He looks like a doofy little crocodile. We also meet our rival, the already champion Nemona, who is LOVELY but also thirsty for Pokemon battles. That's her main trait, she is just down bad for battles.     Quickly it is easy to travel around these large open areas and capture all the P...
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Panzer Dragoon Orta: The First Hour

 Game: Panzer Dragoon Orta Platform: Xbox Genre: Rail Shooter Year Released: 2002     Panzer Dragoon Orta is the sort of game I started The First Hour for. It debuted on the original Xbox at a time when I still thought the Console Wars were a thing and believed the PS2 had the Xbox and Gamecube beat. How foolish this twelve year old was! Deep in my heart, I was always a Sega fan, my first console being the Sega Genesis, but it wasn't until this game had released that I'd even heard of a "Panzer Dragoon".       The series began its' life on the Sega Saturn with Panzer Dragoon, followed by its sequel, Panzer Dragoon Zwei and finished its tenure with the experimental RPG, Panzer Dragoon Saga . Another four years and a company paradigm shift would pass before Panzer Dragoon would find new life on Microsoft's green and black powerhouse, the Xbox. Panzer Dragoon Orta is a return to form for the series, playing much more like the first two games in ...
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Location: Reno, NV, USA
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Mother 3: The First Hour

 Game: Mother 3 Platform: Game Boy Advance Genre: Role-Playing Year Released: 2006     Shigesato Itoi is a mad genius. Having released two prior entries in the Mother series, those games being Mother for the NES and Mother 2 (Better known as Earthbound stateside), he sought to finish the series with Mother 3. Mother 3 was delayed a number of years, having started production in 2000, and switching development off of the Super Famicom, N64 and finally unto the GBA, was finally released in Japan in 2006. Unfortunately, no one outside of Japan would be able to experience Itoi's masterpiece until 2008, when the community on Starman.net and one Clyde "Tomato" Mandelin released a fan  translation. It is using this fan translation that I used to experience my first hour with Mother 3.     Mother 3 begins on the Nowhere Islands some undetermined time after the events of Mother 2/Earthbound.  We are introduced to a small family: Twins Lucas and Claus, their...
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Introduction

 Hello, friends.  Yes, It's true. I am forming a new blog. Welcome to The First Hour: A First Impressions Blog, a new experiment of mine in which I take a video game (everyone knows it's my favorite pastime!) and experience the first hour of said game, and then give my impressions of that first hour. I have so many games in my possession that have barely been touched or even been played, and I want to fix that. So, I wanted to explore two things I love (writing and video games) in this fusion format. A hour gives me long enough to start a game and experience it at its basest state. Ideally, I'll be posting after every hour of a new game I play. I want to supply pictures, maybe a video or small podcast, but I am also realistic and know that most of the time, I'll only be writing. That will also be as the opportunity presents itself. This is a labor of passion, and all opinions stated in this blog is my own. Please join me on my journey as I experience the first hours of ...
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Location: Reno, NV, USA
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