1)
Wild ARMs - PlayStation - January 31st
Commentary: An early PS1 JRPG.
Starts out strong but it's generally not as good as say, Arc the Lad II, which came out earlier the same year. Then again, it's also one of Media.Vision's earlier titles, their third one, in fact. And their first one that's not a shooter.
Battle graphics are worse than FFVII somehow, but I didn't mind, field graphics are serviceable.
Grinding is kept to a minimum, unless you want to max out all your
guns ARMs and tbh, why would you? I guess Curse is there for that, if you wanna?
The story is really fucking dumb, tho.
ProJared epic divorce pedo gamer called it confusing, but it's really not, it's just really stupid.
Encounter balance in Ka Dingel was a bit of a pain.
2)
Sonic the Hedgehog - Mega Drive - February 12th (
Replay)
Commentary: it all began in 91, kept on rolling till 95 (because xtreme got cancelled).
The game that started this comedy of errors. It's unrefined and janky as all hell, but I still have a soft spot for it.
Aesthetics are on point, music is on point, level design could be better, but they were still learning. Still a classic all these goddamn years. You just need an arcade-y, "replay the game to constantly hone your skills and do better each time" sorta mindset to truly appreciate it.
This isn't a game of instant gratification like the 2D Marios.
3)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Mega Drive - February 12th (
Replay)
Commentary: Takes Sonic 1 and hammers out all the kinks it has.
Levels are faster, layouts are simplified to keep the essentials, tropes are evolved, bosses are more creative, Special Stages are made somewhat more bearable... One more knocked out of the park.
My one gripe with this game is the the Hill Top to Sky Chase stretch is a bit sluggish. Oil Ocean is still eye-candy however.
Mystic Cave always reminded me of
Frida's theme from Bust-A-Groove. Okay technically, it's the other way around since I found out about BAG later on in life, but you get what I'm saying.
4)
Sonic the Hedgehog CD - Mega CD - February 12th (
Replay)
Commentary: たのしさ∞。
The odd one out.
Takes Sonic 1 as a base and adds exploratory, non-linear nonsense in the mix. Honestly does more to sabotage itself than improve itself. The graphics and music quality are at their highest here (at least until S3&K hit a home run with its sprite work) but the level designs and the way it handles the time travel and Obtaining a Good Future mechanics just don't work.
The Taxman+Stealth remaster fixes stuff in an engine level (spindash, collision), but I feel the game would require a complete makeover to reach its full potential. It's a good game, yes, but it's not a good Sonic game.
Classic Amy is adorable, though. Also, JP/EU music is my preference, but the US music isn't without it's charm. Played the NTSC-J release for this playthrough, worried too much about input lag to play the PAL version with 60hz on Kega.
I still have to beat Knuckles' story in Sonic 3 & Knuckles so please wait a bit more for that one!
5)
Hydlide - NES - March 5th
Commentary: there it is.
Honestly it's just a proto-JRPG, I've played far worse games than this.
It has all the qualities you'd expect from a proto-RPG, and I do mean both the positive and negative qualities. It's just that the negative qualities become more pronounced when it comes to sensibilities of the post-Dragon Quest and Zelda 1 era, which were like three years later.
If you have nostalgia for it, or the resistance to endure archaic mechanics from 1984, it can be a fun ride through RPG history, but if that's not the case, you're just in for a worse version of Ys mixed with the crypticness of Zelda 1, and if you're playing the NES version, terrible looping music.
Also Varalys is fucking bullshit and I savescummed on him.
6)
Dragon Warrior - NES - March 18th (
Replay)
Commentary: The first modern JRPG.
Before bishounen, before Nomura, before anime clichés, there was this. It's a game I feel everyone with an interest in RPGs should play, even those that don't particularily care for JRPGs (it's actually quite WRPG-adjacent).
Although, I'd rather recommend the SNES, GBC or Android/iOS versions (especially SNES) instead of the crusty old NES original, or the MSX port for that matter. Speaking of which, has anyone here heard of the PC98 version?
It exists, and it's likely fanmade!
The gameplay and story are the most basic you can get with a one-member party, instant equipping like FF Mystic Quest, and a plot that boils down to "The Dragonlord has taken over the land with his army of monsters, and Princess Gwaelin/Laura has also been abducted and hidden in a cave by his minions. Go fix shit."
Honestly, I kinda like it this way. It's basically FF Mystic Quest's "RPG lite" concept done right and done earlier. Due to taking more inspiration from Ultima and Wizardry, the game is surprisingly open. You're given directions on what to do, but from there on, you're on your own on what order to do them in and when.
The game has sort of skill barriers with areas having stronger enemies to help point you in the right direction. And the game is never outright unforgiving, as game overing simply means restarting back in Tantegel/Ladutorm with half your gold. It also provides a sort of "Do I start over and keep the money? Or do I keep going, make back my money but keep my EXP?" question whenever you fuck up.
This is a short game, you're meant to savor it, as it encourages you to level as much as possible, keep trying and exploring, to see the ending. This is the make it or break it factor for many people, and it's honestly a good thing that this has been toned down immensely in remakes and later installments.
7)
Kirby's Dream Land - Game Boy - March 25th (
Replay)
Commentary: A simple game for a simple franchise.
Gameplay isn't that special and the bosses are kinda carol-y, but seeing the beginnings of Kirby is always nice. It's a game I can always go back to due to how laid-back it is.
Still can't beat Extra Game, though. i actually did but i forgot about it because i didnt believe in myself ever beating it :)
8)
Street Fighter II (Super Street Fighter II) - SNES - April 1st (
Replay)
Commentary: The game that started the golden age of fighters. Honestly, the arcade SSF2T still holds up.
AI can be a bit annoying, but if you want you can just turn down the difficulty (or turn it up if you're a Spicy Boy (gender not specific)). I like the arcade versions better, so the graphics and music are pretty inferior compared to what I would prefer to play, but I was in the mood for the SNES port for some unknown reason.
The graphics and music and gameplay are all revolutionary, the ideal base for fighting games to develop from.
9)
ActRaiser - SNES - April 2nd (
Replay)
Commentary: A classic from the SNES' launch. The gameplay is pretty basic, on both the action and sim sides, but it's the execution that matters. It's pretty much the one good Christian game.
The feeling of being a loving god protecting his followers from evil is really nice. As simple as everything in this game is, you really start to care for the little towns and their denizens. I actually felt pretty guilty about grinding by destroying the towns to get the biggest amount of villagers. It's dumb, I know, but...
The western version isn't very challenging, but the Japanese version exists for people who prefer more of a punch.
10)
Dragon Quest II - SNES - May 7th (
Replay)
Commentary: This game is great! Until it isn't.
It starts out so promising with an increased difficulty, multiple party members, a larger storyline, a bigger world... Then the map design standards go out the window and reach a level above Final Fantasy II (actual II). It's very sad.
This game has so much promise to it, it tried to be Dragon Quest but better, but it just ends up squandering it all with lackluster map design and encounter balance. I want to say this is due to rushed development but I'm not sure.
11)
Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest - SNES - May 16th (
Replay)
Commentary: I was too harsh on it, my first time.
I was lowkey expecting a AAA blockbuster RPG from Square despite being a beginner's RPG and I was quickly disappointed. I compared it to games like FF4, FF6, FF7, many games that served as people's first RPGs.
Taking a look at it again... It's not the worst thing ever. The idea of westerners needing a simple RPG to ease them into the genre is insulting, but in a business perspective, to attract casual gamers who have never played anything that wasn't action focused... It makes some sense.
The game is a breeze to play. I clocked in at around 22 hours, but like, most of that was me fighting clearing out every map and battlefield just to overkill shit. As a breather between heavier games, it can be nice and relaxing.
The gameplay is solid, music is outstanding, graphics are simplistic but do the job, just the dungeon design could be better, I feel. Ted Woolsey and Yoshihiko Maekawa's translation efforts were solid and elevate this game from "just there", to a memorable, if average, experience. A translation like FF4 SNES' would just bring this game down even further.
This game knows its just an RPG intended for absolute beginners, and it doesn't do anything to prove otherwise. It just has fun with what little it can do.
p.s. rest in piss projared's entire fucking career, hopes and dreams
12)
Ys III: Wanderers From Ys - TurboGrafx CD - May 31st (
Replay)
Commentary: The oddest one out of the Ys games. I had very vague memories of when I first played this years ago, which were soured by my first playthrough in years being of the much inferior Super Nintendo port by Tonkin House.
Hit detection is worse, enemy movement and attack patterns are simplified, boss behavior is gimped, damage dealt by enemies is fixed, making it very skewed against the player by the late game... It's a huge mess of a game. I legit thought Ys 3 was trash.
Then I replayed the TGCD version on a whim and I had a good time the past few hours. It reassured me that Ys 3 isn't a bad game. It was pretty good even! Tonkin House just didn't do it justice. The moral of this story? Hell if I know
13)
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals - SNES - June 22nd
Commentary: It starts off as a humble RPG. Refined compared to its predecessor, but as you go along it shows its true colors as a game that almost ranks up there with the likes of FFVI, DQV and Chrono Trigger, if not through its story (it wasn't very well written, as can be expected from a B-list SNES RPG), but through its gameplay.
The American release is buggier but it doesn't really take away that despite its general simplicity, it's a beauty of a game. The puzzles were quite difficult at times, I had to break out a FAQ more than once. Some were a pain, but others were a great example of complex puzzle design. A lot of people compare it to Zelda when it came to puzzles, but it felt much harder than Zelda.
Difficulty curve is generally pretty balanced, though there are a few spots where grinding for weapon/armor upgrades can help. Generally, if you're well-levelled or you pick your IPs wisely when equipping armor, you'll be good. Music is also stupendous and graphics are a stark upgrade from the first game.
The game expects you to come into this game regardless if Lufia 1's beginning spoiled the ending of this one for you or not, the ending still hits like a truck. Wild ARMs would later come and serve as a sort of spiritual successor to it, with the puzzles toned down by a lot. I'm sure the dev teams were different though.
14)
Lufia & the Fortress of Doom - SNES - June 24th
Commentary:Compared to its successor, it's a pretty blatant Dragon Quest clone, from the grinding to the front-facing battles.
Graphics and music are up to 1993 standards, more or less (this is a B-list RPG), but the movement speed outside of towns mixed with the encounter rate and the amount of grinding you should do (finishing the game with your party in the mid to late 40s to early 50s is best) did make a lot of the game kind of unbearable!
Nevertheless, I persevered, the game is pretty short, the grinding just pads out the time. Characters are extremely flat and sorta there to fill out your party, but their exchanges can be quite amusing at times. Lufia (the character) is lovely, and the twist was honestly pretty surprising (but makes a lot more sense and feels less of a cop-out if you play Lufia II first so woops!).
The ending hit hard again, but the last bit just struck a chord. I'm not spoiling exactly what but, despite it being pretty obvious wish fulfillment, it still warmed my heart. Again, like it's successor, it's a humble game.
I also sorta shut my brain off and binged it the first day.
15)
Final Fantasy - NES - July 11th (Replay)
Commentary: On the translation front, paraphrased from the games playing thread:
"
(...) playing this in Japanese was pretty neat. My lack of skills added a bit of challenge in the "not being able to instantly retain the info on say status screens and whatnot from a mere cursory look due to inexperience in the language" department. Truly, the "5 year old playing video games in English or Japanese despite that not being their mother tongue or having any decent skills in it" experience most of us had. (...) To see that such an early localization (the NES version) managed to retain so much of the original Japanese version (censored as necessary) is marvelous to say the least. They even retained the flavor text for the fountains and Cornelia's well, when they really didn't need to. Worthy of applause."
In terms of gameplay, FF1 NES hasn't aged the most gracefully, but it still can be one of the more approachable NES RPGs. Story is barebones, but still retains that classic FF nonsense plot twist (the time loop or "Time Trip" as it is called in the JP version), liberal use of English words in place of Japanese and the game manages to still have that FF feel despite being basically a bootleg DnD adaptation. No joke, a fuckton of it is taken straight from 1e.
Locales all feel very separate from one another which is impressive for an NES RPG. There's the castle town of Cornelia, the elf kingdom of Elfheim, the rotting, decaying village of Melmond, the mystical, flowering city of Crescent Lake, the shoreside town of Onrac where the mermaids mingle amongst humans, the town of Gaia neighboring a fairy's fountain, the Sunken Shrine at the sea's depths, Lufenia the city of celestials, the futuristic Flying Fortress...
A lot of heart was put into this game and I'm glad the game succeeded, even if the Square of today has glaring problems. I enjoy running through the GBA versions from time to time, but I'll consider trying the PlayStation/WSC versions sometime for that Vancian Magic the NES has.
16)
Arc the Lad - PlayStation - July 22nd (Replay)
Commentary: It's a very simple game.
It's obvious that they were pressed for time, this being the 2nd RPG released on the PlayStation after King's Field. If Arc II is any indication, their ambitions and ideas soared, so they had less time to work on the rest of the game.
The game basically ends as the story starts to truly develop. It's mostly just prologue to set the plot, followed by a "collect the five elemental mcguffins" arc, then it ends after the plot twist is revealed. It can also be cleared in about 7 to 10 hours (15 for me due to grinding). Difficulty balancing is also off, the game non-verbally kind of encourages grinding with its simplistic experience charts (like for one level it's 1900, to the next it's 1950, then 2000 and so on) and slight difficulty spikes.
Story is not out of this world, but it's a very decent "humanity is ruining nature with its avarice" type plot with a bunch of likeable characters (Chongara does lean towards racist greedy merchant stereotype though so). Translation is also surprisingly well made despite Working Designs' somewhat amateurish writing. Some minor details were wrong but outside of that, from what I can tell, it's pretty solid, "Woolseyisms" aren't out of place, lines feel natural. They just feel like they break character a bit at times, like Chongara speaking in broken English (oof) or Kukuru sounding like an airhead at times (just makes her that much closer to Knuckles).
They did tone down Tosh's animosity towards everyone so that's a plus, at least.
Sprite art is superb, really showed what the PS1 could do. Nothing Rayman or, heaven forbid, Sega Saturn level, but it's a noble effort. The 3D CG cutscenes just look awful nowadays. Cool train though, I love the trains in Arc 1&2, they're like mobile fortresses of steel, they're so cool.
Looking at it with the knowledge of what Arc II turned out to be, it stacks up pretty decently. It's jank and pretty meh due to being a first year PS1 game, but it's far from a bad SRPG. A pretty B rank one though. Arc II stacks up far better when compared to say Fire Emblem, FF Tactics, Disgaea or Shining Force in terms of gameplay and story.
17)
Tales of Phantasia - PlayStation - August
29th 30th
Commentary: This game has Problems.
A lot of bosses in Manual mode are just summarized to "find a way to stunlock them, rinse repeat. oh they came out of stunlock? well fuck you" and the final bosses are the worst case of it, it was very clearly added in for the sake of it with no real balancing. Writing is very amateur, difficulty and pacing is off. Like you have normal difficulty curve at one point, then a sudden difficulty spike.
Other times you have to like grind for Flame Charms or Basilisk Scales or Derris Emblems (or get the latter from chests like a sane human being) to progress through the game.
Suzu is also completely pointless, she joins late, has like barely any equipment and has awful stats. Yuffie and Vincent did it right, Gogo and Umaro did it right, Suzu is just "yeah we made this npc playable how's that
" like okay you might as well not put her in????
On to the positives, the music is really good, graphics are stunning, especially in the PS1 version, all the towns feel different, character interactions in the skits are really good, Arche is queen.
Overall it's a pretty decent game that could be a lot better. I really wanted to say this game is borderline perfect, but making the mistake of playing in Manual mode just threw that out the window.
18)
Final Fantasy IV - SNES - September 7th (replay)
Commentary: Still a good game.
It's not very long, not very short, difficulty balancing is pretty decent for the most part, story is generally pretty intriguing. The only issue is the translation which was of pretty subpar quality.
Honestly I'm shocked at how super fucking good it is after all this time. It's a really good gateway RPG and I'm glad this is the one I started with all those years ago (without counting Pokémon). Had to grind a bit near the end for Zeromus, but eh.
Also forgot Odin.
19)
Sonic Mania Plus - PlayStation 4 - October 30th
Commentary: Overall a really strong game, and the amount of callbacks are impressive. This is gonna be a really good way to cap All The Sonics (without counting Forces and TSR). Later stages were a bit too long, but the original games were guilty of this too. A side effect of having S3&K quality level design.
My one issue is that I wish it had a few more original stages instead of just being Generations 2 + a few extras. I also felt that the special stages were a bit too hard too, rationing rings whilst increasing speed just felt more annoying than anything. I'd say they're up there with the Advance 1&2 stuff in terms of being more of a pain than they should, even if I'm good at those.
Nothing will surpass racing Johnny though in terms of crap special stages.
I love the lo-fi PS1/Saturn presentation, but the special stages are kind of a blemish on an otherwise 10/10 game.
Even then, this is pure gold. rao is gonna love this one.
20)
Shining Force: Legacy of Great Intention - MegaDrive - November 2nd
Commentary: Overall, I still prefer Arc the Lad 2, but for its time it's a really fuckin good SRPG. Not having dynamic party sizes - keeping it always as 12 when you have a full party with no choice of choosing fewer units just to speed grinding up - is a bit of a pain.
Story is a bit too simple, but the localization wasn't very good so I don't blame the story all that much. Challenge level is rather balanced. I leveled everyone to Promoted!Lv10 (promoted around level 10 though, not 20) and up and even with all those stat ups it still felt hard at the end, but it's nothing proper strategizing couldn't fix.
I didn't get everyone to join my party (e.g. Kokichi, Jogurt, Musashi, Hanzou) but I seem to have gotten most of them?