Author: Samantha Low

Game Review: Crash Team Rumble packs in the nostalgia, but lacks variety

Crash Team Rumble was released this year to much fanfare and anticipation, particularly from old-school gamers who grew up with classic Crash Bandicoot games. While Crash is best known for his solo platforming prowess, this new entry into the franchise spins off into the realm of competitive team multiplayer and is one of the more…

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Game Review: Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a charming, farming throwback

If real life in the big city is getting too much, you can yeet yourself over to a virtual countryside complete with vast farmlands, adorable barn animals and even the promise of friendship and romance. This is Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, a remaster of the GameCube classic, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life. Back…

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We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie

Game Review: We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie is a rollin’ good time

The cult hit franchise Katamari is back with a remastered take of the much-loved We Love Katamari game from the Playstation 2 era. Titled ‘We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie”, this powered-up version of the original has improved graphics, new features and various additional quality-of-life upgrades. For those uninitiated into the world of Katamari,…

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Game Review: Mato Anomalies feels like Persona with promise

Following in the footsteps of critically acclaimed games with a fiercely loyal fanbase always feels like risky business. But Mato Anomalies by developer Arrowiz has stepped up to the plate, to produce their own take on the much loved visual novel meets turn-based JRPG genre. While the game is far from perfect, it brings to…

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Spider-Man: Remastered PC Review: The wall-crawler sticks the landing

A PC remaster of a game always has a lot to live up to. And when said game is critically-acclaimed, universally-lauded by fans and industry members, multi-time Game of The Year (2018) recipient Marvel’s Spider-Man you know you’ve got some big webby shoes to fill. At minimum, PC punters are hankering for the exact marvellous…

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Cult of the Lamb Review: Worship like a baa-ass

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who already have a real life army of followers dedicated to praising their glory, and those who simply fantasise about it. I’ll leave it to your imagination as to which camp I’m in, but why let cult dreams be dreams when you can act out…

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Death’s Door Review: A Door Worth Knockin’ On

Gaming has always been the past time for a bit of escapism. Now more than ever, the sheer variety of games has allowed us to be whisked away to worlds we would never have even imagined. For one, you can now self-insert as a cute little crow working for the Reaping Commission Headquarters as a…

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Nickelodeon Brawl

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl Review: Smash TV

I never expected my last couple of free evenings to be spent trying to smack, dodge and jump over Michaelangelo against the backdrop of The Flying Dutchman’s Ship. But based on what 2020 and 2021 has shown us so far, anything absolutely goes these days. This is Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, the latest platform fighter that…

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Story of Seasons

Story Of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town Review: Friendship is forever

My first foray into farming simulation games dates back further than Harvest Moon‘s rebrand to Story of Seasons. I’m old enough to remember when it was called Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. That game is now 22 years old. It’s hard to overstate how uncommon slice-of-life narrative games were back then. Today, there are video…

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Genshin Impact

7 Things You Should Know Before Starting Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact has taken the gaming world by storm, but what exactly is it? Genshin Impact is an open-world, action, massively multiplayer role-playing game by Chinese developer, Mihoyo. In the year since its release, it’s become the career launchpad for a huge number of streamers and YouTubers. It’s also given players the ability to explore…

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Danganronpa

Danganronpa, or how I learned to love the Irrefutable Bullet

The last 18 months of life all over the world have been chaotic at best. The undeniable fact is that there’s never been a more opportune time to fall into the embrace of video games. But sheltering at home hasn’t just resulted in me playing more video games. I’m also immersing myself in gaming that…

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Exploring Tokyo’s Tsukiji and homemade sushi with ‘Tours By Locals’

Tokyo and all of its food, culture, nightlife and more can be challenging to explore on your own. And if you’re a traveller passing through, there’s also the added pressure of wanting to maximise each moment of your limited time in the big city. Local guides are a great way to experience immersive travelling. Tours…

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Oya, the Japanese City that turned to stone

It’s not often that pebbles and rocks are the main feature of an attraction, but here in Oya, the proverbial gold really does lie at one’s feet. Oya, known as “Stone City”, sits on the fringe of Utsunomiya. This low-key town has seen a small resurgence in popularity, with a number of modern cafes and…

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A Short Stay in Gyoza City at JR-East Hotel Mets Utsunomiya

Business hotels are one of the most common types of hotels available across Japan, offering no-frills accommodation with a very affordable price tag. But not all business hotels are created equal, and the hotel boom in Japan has left tourists spoiled for choice, with some now offering a few exciting features. JR-East Hotel Mets Utsunomiya…

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Travel to Utsunomiya, Japan’s Gyoza City

Many travelling to Japan may have heard of or been to Nikko, but just an hour south by car lies the prefectural capital city, Utsunomiya. Also within the “Strawberry Kingdom” of Tochigi Prefecture, Utsunomiya offers small city vibes, cultural sights, and as many delicious gyoza as your stomach can handle. Getting there Travel to Utsunomiya…

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Here’s where to find the best one-day hikes around Tokyo

The mountainous terrain of Japan means nature lovers are spoiled for choice when it comes to trekking. Simply embark on a short one hour train, nature-bound and watch the transformation of metropolitan Tokyo to scenic and serene inaka (Japanese for rural countryside). Even if you’re only traveller passing through, I encourage you to block out…

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The top 5 things to do in Hokkaido… besides skiing

Famous for powder soft snow and fun-tastic slopes, Hokkaido is at the top of most Aussies’ summer travel list. Swapping out thongs for ski boots, it’s common for top ski resort areas like Niseko to turn into mini Australian villages with the sheer influx of tourists. But Hokkaido, technically a prefecture, is home to many…

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Review: Tally-ho towards The Stables for more Modern Australian (Sydney)

Paddington, is the ‘Sunday Best’ suburb of Sydney. Boasting equally chic and affluent Australian fashion labels and hole-in-the-wall art galleries, a quick jaunt down Oxford Street is all you need before you find your steps a little lighter, your smile a little wider. It’s also home to some of the best eateries known throughout Sydney….

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Review: the tide is high and bountiful at Barangaroo’s love.fish (Sydney)

Seafood is the ‘S’ word here at love.fish, as is ethically Sourced, Sustainbility and Supports local Suppliers. For a harbour city like ours, there aren’t many restaurants that can attest to being experts of what lies under the sea. The data is skewed at polar opposites of the graph, we have tonnes of fish and…

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Patron saint of seafood, Saint Peter’s Josh Niland, will open Sydney’s very first fish butchery

Get ready to take a piece of acclaimed chef Josh Niland (of the consistently excellent Saint Peters) home with you. April this year will see the opening of Fish Butchery on Oxford St in Paddington. Dubbed ‘butchery’, the Saint Peter team aim to position it as a modern fishmonger, offering dry handled fish, produce that…

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5 things to do in Singapore that aren’t about Marina Bay Sands

With its card deck design, three-acre SkyPark and impressive fifty-five storey height, Marina Bay Sands is by far one of the world’s most unique resorts and is an unmistakable symbol of opulence in Singapore. But when there are queues on a Wednesday night just to go up to the bar, CÉ LA VI, and additional…

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The 8 best cafes in Singapore worth skipping hawker stalls for

Singapore might be known for its South East Asian street food and buzzing hawker centres, but it also has a thriving café culture well worth exploring. Visitors to the lively city can expect to see familiar faces on the menu like avocado on toast and interpretations of the good ol’ big breakfast, but keep an…

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Five fitness trends for 2018 and the best places to try them out in Sydney

All of us living in this hemisphere are plagued with the unfortunate luck of having the silly season to coincide with beach body time. This means no ugly Christmas sweater to hide the festive feasting we’ve partaken all December long. So before you reach for that second mince pie, check out our predictions for 2018’s…

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The Newport welcomes Bert’s Brasserie and Bar this Summer (Sydney)

The expansive grounds of The Newport is set to become even more elegant with the inclusion of Bert’s, Merivale’s newest brasserie and bar. Inspired by grand hotel dining rooms of the 1930s, Bert’s aims to capture the easy air of Sydney’s Northern beaches with a hint of whimsical nostalgia. An all-star line-up of hospitality talent will…

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All-star Merivale team lead the newly reopened Hotel Centennial (Sydney)

The latest piece to the Merivale empire, Hotel Centennial, has finally opened under the tutelage of The Paddington’s Ben Greeno, Fred’s Danielle Alvarez and Head Chef James Evangelinos. With their love of local produce and talent for restrained simplicity, Greeno and Alvarez have crafted a menu shaped by Mediterranean sensibilities. “This is a nod to…

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Icebergs and The Dolphin Hotel collaborate on a new Bondi Beach bar (Sydney)

Bondi Beach Public Bar (BBPB) is opening on Wednesday 20th December, just in time for summer. As the love child of Icebergs Dining and Bar and The Dolphin Hotel, BBPB represents the synthesis of a modern day pub while tapping into the history and vibe of 1907s and 1980s Australian pub culture. “Whenever I am…

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A new pan-Asian patisseri brings leychee crepe cakes, rendang pies and more to Kensington Street (Sydney)

Fusion food often gets a bad rap but most Sydney eateries seem to be able to get the balance in flavours belonging to two different cultures, just about right. The latest player to join this sub-cuisine is Chefs Pastry, an innovative new bakery combining centuries-old French pastry techniques with vibrant pan-Asian flavours. While this might…

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Review: Everyday Espresso brings unconventional brunch to Redfern (Sydney)

Some weekends you’re awake by 7.30 am, have had a run and a kale smoothie by 9 and you’re now ready for a productive day of adventuring. Other weekends, it’s a struggle to remember what happened the night before through the haze of  the world’s best (or worst) hangover and you’re praying Deliveroo does McDonald’s…

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Lotus Group’s Fujisaki makes its debut at Barangaroo (Sydney)

A new refined modern Japanese dining restaurant just opened in Barangaroo and its name is Fujisaki. Heavy hitters in the dining scene that are part of Lotus Group’s new venture include executive chef Chui Lee Luk, formerly of Claude’s restaurant,  sushi chef Ryuichi Yoshii, formerly of Yoshii, and sommelier Annette Lacey. Yoshii pwns the raw…

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Hartsyard 2.0 announced as Newtown favourite plans some big changes (Sydney)

Hardcore Sydney fans and Newtown locals may have to say goodbye to Hartsyard as they know it but the Newtown institution plans on reopening in early January 2018 with Hartsyard 2.0. After nearly six years, chef and owner, Gregory Llewellyn, decided it was time to head in a new direction and change things up. This includes…

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