Freemium Perdition: Magikarp Jump

Magikarp Jump
Click the Screen
1 Player
System: Android
Developer: The Pokemon Company
Year of Release: 2017

In the wide world of Pokemon, one in particular has always risen to the top. From competitive tournaments, to contests, to popularity, truly Magikarp reigns supreme. Maybe not exactly, but Magikarp has always had a certain appeal, usually due to his evolution. Magikarp Jump goes out of it's way to put the titular Pokemon in the lime light.

Freemium Perdition: Dandy Dungeon Legend of Brave Yamada

Dandy Dungeon Legend of Brave Yamada
Dungeon Crawler/Life Sim
1 Player
System: Android
Developer: Onion Games
Year of Release: 2017

Endearing is a strange way to describe a game with a plot revolving around a thirty-six year old recluse who is fawning after his sixteen year old neighbor, after losing his game development job, after being too distracted making his own video games to bother showing up. And yet here we are. Yoshiro Kimura is the man behind this odd little thing, and after looking back at his previous work, such as Chulip the kissing RPG for PS2, it makes a bit more sense.

Freemium Perdition: DC Legends

DC Legends
Turn Based Combat
1 Player
System: Android
Developer: WB Games
Year of Release: 2016

I randomly stumbled upon an article that was announcing DC Legends, at first glance I thought it was a straight up Marvel Future Fight clone, which I was not at all opposed to. I'm a massive DC fan, much more so than Marvel, and immediately I, uh, "pre-ordered" it, for lack of a better term, which just let me know when it came out and gave me a bonus character. The game is quite a bit more simple than Future Fight come to find out.

Freemium Perdition: Magic the Gathering Puzzle Quest

Magic the Gathering Puzzle Quest
Match-3 "RPG"
1 Player
System: Android
Developer: D3PA
Year of Release: 2015

I didn't think I would wind up writing another Freemium Perdition, then something comes along and proves me wrong. I think it's telling that instead of keeping me engaged for a few months, and even longer (though in shorter bursts), this one only held my interest for a few weeks. Although I think I'll continue to play sporadically. Magic the Gathering takes two franchises I'm a fairly big fan of. Magic the Gathering is a rich universe that's been around almost as long as I have, I've been playing off an on for sixteen years now (I hate already being able to feel old) and for anyone who's a fan of tabletop games it's well worth checking. I'll never advocate for organized play, but getting a decent collection and playing with customize decks against friends is ideal (for my friends and I at least). Mix that with Puzzle Quest, which made match-3 puzzle games appeal to me on a grander scale (although the series basically died for me personally after the first when none of the sequels seemed to keep up with it's lofty ideas), and you've got a great idea.

Freemium Perdition: Pocket Mortys

Pocket Mortys
Morty Collecting RPG
1 Player
System: Android
Developer: adult swim games
Year of Release: 2016

Rick and Morty was one of the many shows I was regrettably late to the party on watching. Luckily this meant that I had two full season to indulge myself with in one massive sitting. It was lovely. Season two didn't quite live up to the first for me (why did Rick stop stuttering so much?) but I'm here to talk about Pocket Mortys, not the show at large. This is a brilliant idea for a game based on this property. Rick travels through dimensions forcing his Morty to fight other Rick's (and various other aliens) going around collecting their own Mortys to fight with. Not only is it heavily inspired by, but it basically just rips off Pokemon wholesale. And it works well.

Freemium Perdition: Dragon Quest Monsters Super Light

Dragon Quest Monsters Super Light
Super Light RPG
1 Player
System: Android
Developer: Square Enix
Year of Release: 2015

I should not be able to play this game. It was released in Singapore, meaning it has a full English translation, but isn't officially released. Of course it is free to play, and if you can find the apk files for it you can easily install it on your android device and give it a shot. It's a strange feeling getting to play a new Dragon Quest in English, especially when even with a full English translation they still don't give it to us. Square Enix, you guys are scum bags. I speak for the entire West when I ask that you stop holding Dragon Quest games hostage, but of course you won't listen. Damn.

Freemium Perdition: Marvel Future Fight

Marvel Future Fight
Supremely Simplistic Beat 'Em Up
1 Player
System: Android
Developer: Netmarble
Year of Release: 2015

Another free to play game, and so soon. Sheesh. As a tie in to Age of Ultron Marvel released a simplistic beat 'em up called, you guessed it, Marvel Future Fight. In this game you control a small squad of three heroes and you go through incredibly basic maps beating up bad guys leading to a stronger boss character with all of your actions controlled by a stamina bar and progress being slower than molasses. As far as free to play games are concerned, you could do worse.

Freemium Perdition: Final Fantasy: Record Keeper

Final Fantasy: Record Keeper
Turn Based Battle Simulator
1 Player
System: Android
Developer: DeNa
Year of Release: 2015
Beaten: April 11th, 2015

Final Fantasy: Record Keeper is a free to play game for smart phones. The basis of which is that you play the titular role of the Record Keeper (or work for him, honestly I skipped a lot of the introduction), but things have gone awry. Now it is up to you to team up with heroes throughout the multiverse to fix problems and keep the records straight. This is a weird game to write about. I quickly learned my lesson in regards to free to play games, so a game has to offer something unique or very interesting to lure me in while toting "premium currencies" or the like. For the most part Record Keeper doesn't abuse this payment model, as is so easy to do. Which is good because for a game with a premise like that to be squandered on ridiculous fees would be a shame.

Too bad being designed for phones does it no justice.