Sword of Mana (GBA; Completed 1-10-21) [First Time]
Notes: This game is... honestly, very strange. A competent remake -- or perhaps, more accurately, re-imagining -- of Final Fantasy Adventure, it takes some strange turns in terms of gameplay, having lots of detailed systems that either serve no real purpose and are thoroughly unnecessary and/or tedious, or, inversely, let you get *too* powerful. It's not terribly hard to get a high-end crafting material early on, at which point everything just becomes a total cakewalk. There's just nothing strong enough to warrant maxing out weapon/armor stats, either, especially with how time consuming it is. Despite it all, Sword of Mana is a fairly decent action RPG, with pretty graphics and fantastic music... it just has a lot of fluff, as well.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA; Completed 1-14-21) [Replay]
Notes: This replay was done using an "Anarchy" mod, which removes laws from most of the game (a few optional missions still have them). It's not quite as game-breaking as you might expect, but it's definitely a lot more convenient not having to time your attempts at missions to when the laws are favorable, nor do you have to worry about forgetting about laws and accidentally breaking them. You can also still *introduce* laws via law cards, so if you were taking advantage of that, it's still an option. Since I never felt like the law system added much to the game, this was just overall a much better, more pleasant experience.
Radiant Historia (DS; Completed 1-28-21) [Replay]
Notes: While I'd played this game once, it was *only* once, and so long ago that I didn't remember a whole lot about it. Back then, I considered it quite possibly the best RPG released for the DS, and this replay... well, honestly, it didn't do much to change that view. It's a truly fantastic game, and probably the closest thing we were going to get to a new entry in the Chrono series. One of these days, I'd like to try the expanded remake for 3DS.
Ico (PS2; Completed 1-31-21) [Replay]
Notes: Like Radiant Historia above, I'd also played this game only once, and also so long ago I barely remembered anything in it. It's short, only about six hours long, but it's a fun little puzzle/adventure/platform game with some genuinely great atmosphere.
Trials of Mana (PC; Completed 2-12-21 - Second Quest Completed 2-20-21) [First Time]
Notes: Square does have a knack for taking games I'm not especially fond of, and remaking them into something I love. As was the case with the FF4, I wasn't a huge fan of the SNES original, due to many issues I felt held it back. Well, this 3D remake, like the one they did for FF4 years ago, addressed nearly all my complaints, the biggest of which being that the unavoidable, overpowered full-screen enemy (counter-)attacks are gone. The class system is also more balanced, stat boosts at level up are reworked to be more sane, items are cheaper and more useful (so you don't desperately *need* someone with healing magic), and the newly added skill system allows for some fun customization. I only played through a single path so far, but plan to do the others in NG+ at a later date. Defeated the Black Rabite and the postgame super boss, natch.
Cat Quest (PC; Completed 2-21-21) [First Time]
Notes: Another game pholtos had been nagging me to play for a while. And... it's pretty fun. Simplistic; you can tell it was originally a mobile game, but that didn't bother me much. I *think* I did all the sidequests, did all the dungeons, and found all the equipment, but as there's no in-game log or anything, I'm not 100% sure. Meow!
Assassin's Creed (PC; Completed 3-12-21) [First Time]
Notes: For such a simplistic, janky game that feels underbaked and very much like a tech demo, I actually had a lot of fun with it, in that brainless sort of way. I never could properly get used to many of the more stealth and finesse-oriented combat mechanics, so I role-played Altair as a hothead who kills indiscriminately, and doesn't care who sees him. I'll definitely take the time to improve on later games, but in this one, there's just no real penalty for doing it the way I did... so hey. I even did all the side stuff, such as killing Templars and collecting all the flags, pointless as that was.
Dragon Quest 9 (DS; Completed 4-12-21) [First Time]
Notes: Like all Dragon Quest games, it took its sweet time getting to the good part, but once it finally picked up, it definitely showcased why many consider it one of the best DS RPGs. I could've done without all the silly "online" stuff, but at least I had a save editor handy to unlock all the DLC and other online/connectivity bits, so there's that. I actually didn't *fully* complete the game, as there are quite a number of quests I never did, and there's the extensive grotto exploration postgame, but I'll just be picking at those over time. Regardless, good game.
Final Fantasy 7 (PSX; Completed 5-15-21) [Replay]
Notes: Decided to give this game a replay, using a fan retranslation. It was... all right. The story text made more sense, and at times, felt like what Square itself might have done had there been a re-release for, say, DS or PSP. Other times, it felt very much like your typical up-its-own-ass "I know better than the actual localization team" nonsense you'd expect from an amateur retranslation. Things from ignoring established English canon (using D&D spellings such as "Sahuagin" and "Otyugh" instead of the ones Square itself uses, "Sahagin" and "Ochu"), to leaving things in Japanese that didn't need to be, to going their own direction entirely (I've *never* seen Poisona or Esuna localized as "Poison Null" and "Status Null", for example), and it just felt unfocused. Add to the fact that it also felt the need to tweak the gameplay (mostly bug fixes, but this includes beneficial ones, as well as completely breaking the Junon marching minigame, and a seemingly failed attempt to force you to fight for the materia you need chocobos to get that just starts a battle and freezes the game), and it... wasn't quite what I was expecting going in. On the plus side, it did re-implement some unused things, such as an updated materia shop in Junon that exists in the code, but was never called. So there's that. Otherwise, FF7 is FF7, love it or hate it.
Gato Roboto (PC; Completed 5-22-21) [First Time]
Notes: A cute little monochrome Metroidvania starring a cat in a mechanized battle suit. :3 Not especially long or difficult, but it had some interesting mechanics at work, such as being able to get out of the suit, where you're more mobile and can reach places you can't in the suit, but can't attack and are a one-hit-point-wonder. I only managed 97% completion and have no idea what I could have missed, and reloading an endgame save basically just puts you in a small, enclosed area with nothing to *do*, so I couldn't even go back and explore... the ending also felt very abrupt and left some questions unanswered. Still, it was a fun little romp.
Alundra (PSX; Completed 5-29-21) [Replay]
Notes: And yet another game I'd played, but not for a long time. Probably my favorite Zelda-like, though why Working Designs felt the need to up the difficulty, I'll never know. Game isn't exactly *easy* as it is. Still, it's good. I actually 100%'d it this time, which I never had before. So yay!
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition (PC; Completed 7-19-21) [First Time]
Notes: After years of hesitation, worrying about missable content (that was, frankly, largely overblown, as it turns out), I finally tackled this game, and honestly ended up loving it. While neither its plot nor gameplay were as interesting as Tales of the Abyss, in my opinion, the characters were considerably more likeable, and I had enough fun with it that I basically 100%'d the game (aside from one stubborn sidequest that refuses to admit defeat). Took quite a while, but I enjoyed it a lot.
Hero Core (PC; Completed 7-27-21) [First Time]
Notes: Another retro-styled Metroidvania, this one looking like something out of the Atari 2600 era, which is also part shmup. The game is quite short, taking only a couple hours to beat, so I attempted Hard Mode after finishing the normal game, but the reduced health and sheer amount of crap on screen put a halt to that one after a while. There's nothing *amazing* about the game, overall, but it's a fun way to spend a lazy afternoon.
Magical Starsign (DS; Completed 8-18-21) [Replay/First Time]
Notes: I actually attempted to play through this game a few years ago, but I lost interest like... near the very end of the game. This time, I completed it. While a pretty standard JRPG, Magical Starsign shines in terms of just sheer charm. The graphics are bright and vibrant, the music is varied and catchy, the characters quirky and likeable, the dialogue is quite funny, and the plot, while mostly lighthearted, takes some pretty dark twists late in the game. Combat is pretty standard and simplistic, though there is a decent bit of strategy to it nonetheless. I'm not entirely sure why the game solely used touch screen controls, as it didn't use them in any particularly novel way, but it's nothing major. There *is* a bonus dungeon, which I haven't finished yet, but it's a bit of a slog, so I'll poke at that over time. All in all, a pretty good DS RPG, and I'm glad I finally played through it all the way.
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising (GBA; Completed 8-29-21) [First Time]
Notes: It wasn't until recently that I remembered... hey, I never actually played Advance Wars 2, despite playing through 1 and DS. So I did that. And it is good. Probably the easiest of the three; many maps *looked* daunting, and sometimes had me hesitating for a good week before finally trying them, but then they turned out to be a lot easier than I expected. I didn't go for perfect scores for every map, and I only did the normal campaign, however. And fighting Hawke is annoying.
Dual Hearts (PS2; Completed 9-13-21) [First Time]
Notes: I've heard this game described as "a spiritual successor to Alundra", but honestly, it feels to me like it has more in common with Psychonauts, both of which are relatively light-hearted jaunts into sometimes surreal mindscapes, and both are collectathon platformers. It's cute, colorful, has some genuinely funny writing, and some great music. The controls are a tad clunky, and the boss fights can be repetitive... but it's a nice little underrated gem.
Final Fantasy 5 (GBA; Completed 10-6-21) [Replay]
Notes: Because sometimes you just want to replay games you enjoy. (Also, I wanted a 100% save file on emulator. Hoohoo.)
Wild Arms 5 (PS2; Completed 11-10-21) [First Time]
Notes: Mechanically, an improvement over Wild Arms 4, though I felt the game was a tad less strategic. Nevertheless, it was quite the ride; one of the better games in the series. On the good side, an interesting plot, a fun, fast-paced battle system, great music, a large world to explore, lots of hidden secrets, cameos from the playable characters of 1-4, and the triumphant return of Millennium Puzzles/Puzzle Boxes, which were sadly missing from 4. On the down side, dungeons could get repetitive at times, and some of the puzzles were nonsense. Overall, though, I'd say this is my second favorite game in the series, after 4.
Phantasy Star 3 (Genesis; Completed 11-18-21) [Replay/First Time]
Notes: Continuing the theme of finally finishing games I'd been wanting to for a long time, here's one I'd tried and failed to complete numerous times since I was like, 12? This time, I finally did it. It's... all right. Old school. You could do worse. But man, the ambush rate is silly. Anyway, I did the Ayn->Sean route.
Chocobo's Dungeon 2 (PSX; Completed 11-27-21) [First Time]
Notes: I don't normally play Roguelikes/Mystery Dungeon games, but watching pholtos stream this game, it looked fun. It helps that it's a lot easier and more forgiving than your average entry in the genre, so it made a perfect "gateway drug" for me, I suppose. Unlike the first game, this one has as a definitive ending; I beat the game and the bonus dungeon, but there's some other postgame content I may take care of at a later date. At any rate, I liked it.
Scurge Hive (DS; Completed 12-4-21) [First Time]
Notes: An isometric love letter to Metroid Fusion, essentially, with a tad of Alien thrown in for good measure. While a tad formulaic, and lacking in the usual Metroidvania-style collectables, it was a fast paced, frantic little romp. Sort of like if a game was based off a summer blockbuster action movie, except without the action movie. Too bad the ending didn't really explain or resolve anything, and the game ended on a "To be continued...", and given how much time has passed, any sort of planned resolution will probably never happen. Oh well.
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64; Completed 12-15-21) [First Time]
Notes: Another short, sweet game. Outside of collecting a few crystal shards with sub-optimal power combinations, the game was easy, and it didn't last long, but I had fun. It's adorable, the music's great, and I loved the power combination mechanic. I laughed a good solid two minutes straight at the Needle+Needle combo. Good stuff.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS; Completed 12-27-21) [Replay]
Notes: The DS Castlevanias are awesome. 100% run, natch.
/Switch
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i am the only person with good taste in fictional men 
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