Countsmegula
1989
Launch games for old systems were a funny old thing, weren't they? Before companies had even got to grips with the system, some of the earliest launched games had a lot of stumbles and hiccups thanks to the new tech and very rarely do they come out on top. Nowadays, new console launch titles seem indistinguishable from their last gen fare, but still have to shake the bumfluff to really stand out.
Phantasy Star II is one such game, a near-launch title for the Mega Drive that was one of the first major RPGs for the system, which usually consisted of arcade ports and smaller licensed fare. As a game itself, it's one of the more divisive titles in the franchise, praised for its story and bashed for its gameplay, it holds some division in the Phantasy Star fanbase, but not as much as PS3 for instance.
The story, for as much as I can tell without spoiling, consists of Rolf, a young man working on behalf of the Mota government, who dreams one night of previous game's hero, Alis, defeating Dark Force. He goes on missions with Nei, an android girl, and their growing party to fight against crimes in the Algol system, which consists of floating biomes and societies in space who live of the benevolence of Mother Brain (no relation). From there, they encounter plots to destroy star systems and time travel, culminating in having to destroy the very thing that's keeping them alive so that the people of Algol might save themselves from destruction.
I wish I could delve more into the overall plot, but it's something I don't wish to spoil as it is one of the game's high points. It keeps you guessing with multiple twists and nothing feels like it doesn't make sense, it all bundles together quite nicely, which for an RPG is quite something.
Gameplay is pretty typical RPG fare, you choose between physical and magic attacks to defeat your enemies, you level up and get new gear and party members. It's all simple on the surface but once you peel away the layers, things do fall apart. Firstly, you get party members by returning to your home and having them join your party. Doesn't sound too bad until you realize that the game never tells you when party members show up, making it a guessing game when you have to show and it makes their relevance in the plot meaningless, as out of all the characters, Rolf and Nei are the only ones that get any character.
Secondly, the game is hard. Like, really hard. You have to grind and grind to get anywhere and when the game box provides you a physical guide and map, that's usually a sign that this game is not going to be straightforward. You'll constantly be going in circles if you don't follow the guide as barely anything is pointed out to you, and you move so slowly on the overworld, that it takes an age to get anywhere and battles are frequent too, so you'll be just worn down constantly unless you have items to travel between towns.
Sound also isn't great. The compositions themselves are fine, some songs in particular stand out as great, but the instrumentation is pretty poor. That's hardly the fault of the game, as this was a launch title, so the sound is going to suffer as they weren't exactly used to the new hardware, but it does sound a bit weak given the decent track compositions.
Overall, Phantasy Star 2 feels like a game that came out way too early for it to work properly. The sequel would muddle things up even further, but it's kind of sad when a game has a great story and atmosphere and playing it just feels like a chore. If you're going to play this, seek out a translation of the PlayStation 2 remake and just play that instead, as it fixes a lot of this game's issues. You'll thank me later.
Phantasy Star II is one such game, a near-launch title for the Mega Drive that was one of the first major RPGs for the system, which usually consisted of arcade ports and smaller licensed fare. As a game itself, it's one of the more divisive titles in the franchise, praised for its story and bashed for its gameplay, it holds some division in the Phantasy Star fanbase, but not as much as PS3 for instance.
The story, for as much as I can tell without spoiling, consists of Rolf, a young man working on behalf of the Mota government, who dreams one night of previous game's hero, Alis, defeating Dark Force. He goes on missions with Nei, an android girl, and their growing party to fight against crimes in the Algol system, which consists of floating biomes and societies in space who live of the benevolence of Mother Brain (no relation). From there, they encounter plots to destroy star systems and time travel, culminating in having to destroy the very thing that's keeping them alive so that the people of Algol might save themselves from destruction.
I wish I could delve more into the overall plot, but it's something I don't wish to spoil as it is one of the game's high points. It keeps you guessing with multiple twists and nothing feels like it doesn't make sense, it all bundles together quite nicely, which for an RPG is quite something.
Gameplay is pretty typical RPG fare, you choose between physical and magic attacks to defeat your enemies, you level up and get new gear and party members. It's all simple on the surface but once you peel away the layers, things do fall apart. Firstly, you get party members by returning to your home and having them join your party. Doesn't sound too bad until you realize that the game never tells you when party members show up, making it a guessing game when you have to show and it makes their relevance in the plot meaningless, as out of all the characters, Rolf and Nei are the only ones that get any character.
Secondly, the game is hard. Like, really hard. You have to grind and grind to get anywhere and when the game box provides you a physical guide and map, that's usually a sign that this game is not going to be straightforward. You'll constantly be going in circles if you don't follow the guide as barely anything is pointed out to you, and you move so slowly on the overworld, that it takes an age to get anywhere and battles are frequent too, so you'll be just worn down constantly unless you have items to travel between towns.
Sound also isn't great. The compositions themselves are fine, some songs in particular stand out as great, but the instrumentation is pretty poor. That's hardly the fault of the game, as this was a launch title, so the sound is going to suffer as they weren't exactly used to the new hardware, but it does sound a bit weak given the decent track compositions.
Overall, Phantasy Star 2 feels like a game that came out way too early for it to work properly. The sequel would muddle things up even further, but it's kind of sad when a game has a great story and atmosphere and playing it just feels like a chore. If you're going to play this, seek out a translation of the PlayStation 2 remake and just play that instead, as it fixes a lot of this game's issues. You'll thank me later.
2002
Growing up in the PS1/PS2 era, I was introduced to a lot of great games in my youth, many of which I cherish or at least partially remember today. However, one of the series I missed out on until I was a teenager was Ratchet and Clank. Growing up, I was more of a Jak and Daxter guy (Sly wouldn't be on my radar until a bit later), but I had seen this game a few times via kiosks and such at Toys R Us. But when I actually bought the game and its sequels when I was in college, I discovered a franchise I had sorely missed as a kid, and then I fell madly in love.
Let's talk about why.
Our story concerns a creature known as Ratchet, a Lombax who lives alone on his home planet of Veldin, building a starship that may one day let him leave and explore the furthest stars. His little corner of the galaxy is then flipped upside down when Clank, a defective warbot, crash lands on Veldin and is found by Ratchet. When Clank is the missing piece to start the Lombax's starship, they leave Veldin and engage on a planet hopping adventure to stop a tyrannical business CEO from polluting and destroying the galaxy for profit.
The story for many is a sticking point for a lot of players, while the main plot itself isn't the problem, many find issue with the acts of Ratchet himself, and how he acts when betrayed by the heroic Captain Qwark, who's firmly in the villain's checkbook, wanting to make a big comeback through any means necessary. Ratchet from that point of betrayal until later acts like a dick towards Clank, as it was the bot's idea to seek him out.
While Ratchet does act very abrasive, it's not without reason, as this is the first time he's been thrust into this situation, and his very lonely home life hasn't made him good at handling difficult situations. He does loosen up in certain scenes, and even has funny banter between Clank on occasion. He does reel it back once he realizes his revenge on Qwark costs the lives of many innocents in ignoring a bigger threat that Clank wanted to pursue, which makes him a stronger character by the end. In all, he has an arc that begins and ends well, better than the PS4 reboot at least!
Anyway, gameplay, if you're familiar with the Spyro games, then you'll see some familiarity especially with the character and monster design. Ratchet is armed with a giant wrench used for melee combat and solving a few bolt related puzzles, but his main form of combat is guns, and lots of them. Ratchet and Clank boasts plenty of weapons and gadgets to arm yourself with, from blasters, flamethrowers and rocket launchers to name a few. Your main currency to buy these weapons with are bolts, which you get from enemies and boxes, of which there are many around the levels.
Graphics and music are also stellar, the rather futuristic and sometimes bombastic soundtrack can make for great atmosphere, and those shots of landing on a planet and seeing what's ahead as the music builds when you disembark is simply masterful.
While the gunplay is fun, the lack of a strafing feature is one of the game's biggest missteps, something that was realized too late into development, and trying not to get sniped by powerful enemies can be an issue when movement isn't all that graceful. Platforming is good, but in the middle of a pitched battle, it can be hell trying to dodge shots, and this game can be punishing at times. It's not for first time players of the franchise, I'll tell you that for certain.
But in general, while this game absolutely hasn't aged well compared to its peerless sequels, it's an excellent game that can't be ignored. It allows for so much experimentation and encourages replay value, especially with all the skill points and gold bolts to upgrade your weapons with. Ratchet and Clank hit the ground running and in its sequels, it absolutely outshone its competition.
Let's talk about why.
Our story concerns a creature known as Ratchet, a Lombax who lives alone on his home planet of Veldin, building a starship that may one day let him leave and explore the furthest stars. His little corner of the galaxy is then flipped upside down when Clank, a defective warbot, crash lands on Veldin and is found by Ratchet. When Clank is the missing piece to start the Lombax's starship, they leave Veldin and engage on a planet hopping adventure to stop a tyrannical business CEO from polluting and destroying the galaxy for profit.
The story for many is a sticking point for a lot of players, while the main plot itself isn't the problem, many find issue with the acts of Ratchet himself, and how he acts when betrayed by the heroic Captain Qwark, who's firmly in the villain's checkbook, wanting to make a big comeback through any means necessary. Ratchet from that point of betrayal until later acts like a dick towards Clank, as it was the bot's idea to seek him out.
While Ratchet does act very abrasive, it's not without reason, as this is the first time he's been thrust into this situation, and his very lonely home life hasn't made him good at handling difficult situations. He does loosen up in certain scenes, and even has funny banter between Clank on occasion. He does reel it back once he realizes his revenge on Qwark costs the lives of many innocents in ignoring a bigger threat that Clank wanted to pursue, which makes him a stronger character by the end. In all, he has an arc that begins and ends well, better than the PS4 reboot at least!
Anyway, gameplay, if you're familiar with the Spyro games, then you'll see some familiarity especially with the character and monster design. Ratchet is armed with a giant wrench used for melee combat and solving a few bolt related puzzles, but his main form of combat is guns, and lots of them. Ratchet and Clank boasts plenty of weapons and gadgets to arm yourself with, from blasters, flamethrowers and rocket launchers to name a few. Your main currency to buy these weapons with are bolts, which you get from enemies and boxes, of which there are many around the levels.
Graphics and music are also stellar, the rather futuristic and sometimes bombastic soundtrack can make for great atmosphere, and those shots of landing on a planet and seeing what's ahead as the music builds when you disembark is simply masterful.
While the gunplay is fun, the lack of a strafing feature is one of the game's biggest missteps, something that was realized too late into development, and trying not to get sniped by powerful enemies can be an issue when movement isn't all that graceful. Platforming is good, but in the middle of a pitched battle, it can be hell trying to dodge shots, and this game can be punishing at times. It's not for first time players of the franchise, I'll tell you that for certain.
But in general, while this game absolutely hasn't aged well compared to its peerless sequels, it's an excellent game that can't be ignored. It allows for so much experimentation and encourages replay value, especially with all the skill points and gold bolts to upgrade your weapons with. Ratchet and Clank hit the ground running and in its sequels, it absolutely outshone its competition.
1994
Fighting games have never really been realistic, have they? Sure, back in the 80s, one on one fighters tended to have a certain level of realism, if not mixed with some cartoony elements or cues from Martial Arts films, see games like Karate Champ or IK+ for instance. But with the success of Street Fighter 2, fighting games have discarded their realism based roots and gone butternut bananas with fire balls, flying and kicking people so hard they fly across the planet. But Psikyo dared to ask, what if a fighting game could be realistic?
Thus Battle K-Road was developed, a 2D fighting game that takes a more realistic approach to fighting styles, much like the 1993 Sega hit, Virtua Fighter. You pick a character and they represent a certain fighting style, like Boxing, Karate, Muay Thai, Ju Jitsu, mixed Martial Arts and so forth. It's not like in Street Fighter where they crib elements from those styles and make them outlandish, the game makes a valiant effort to represent each fighting style with great detail.
Matches are quite fast, you'll be taking shots at one another as you find the optimal way to hit your opponents, and knockdowns reset your character's positions to the default, so it's all about trying to get your opponent down if you're in a tight spot, and hitting your opponent hard before they can fight back.
As such, it isn't as simple as Street Fighter, as each fighting style comes with its own quirks and tricks to work effectively, it is somewhat streamlined for ease of use, but it may take time to adjust, it isn't an easy to learn game.
Graphics are pretty sharp, characters look good and the backgrounds, while simple, don't distract from the action. Sound is fine, none of the songs are particularly memorable, except for the rather great main theme. The realism angle might be a turn off for some, and would've earned Psikyo more points if it held it for the whole game, but much like Virtua Fighter, it all kinda falls apart at the final boss. I won't spoil it for those that haven't seen it, but just know that Tekken might have pinched him for their own game.
If you're looking for something a bit different with your fighting games, I would recommend it, but it's not the easiest fighting game to understand. A good game, held back by some hampering thanks to its realistic approach. Also that final boss. What the fuck where these guys thinking?
Thus Battle K-Road was developed, a 2D fighting game that takes a more realistic approach to fighting styles, much like the 1993 Sega hit, Virtua Fighter. You pick a character and they represent a certain fighting style, like Boxing, Karate, Muay Thai, Ju Jitsu, mixed Martial Arts and so forth. It's not like in Street Fighter where they crib elements from those styles and make them outlandish, the game makes a valiant effort to represent each fighting style with great detail.
Matches are quite fast, you'll be taking shots at one another as you find the optimal way to hit your opponents, and knockdowns reset your character's positions to the default, so it's all about trying to get your opponent down if you're in a tight spot, and hitting your opponent hard before they can fight back.
As such, it isn't as simple as Street Fighter, as each fighting style comes with its own quirks and tricks to work effectively, it is somewhat streamlined for ease of use, but it may take time to adjust, it isn't an easy to learn game.
Graphics are pretty sharp, characters look good and the backgrounds, while simple, don't distract from the action. Sound is fine, none of the songs are particularly memorable, except for the rather great main theme. The realism angle might be a turn off for some, and would've earned Psikyo more points if it held it for the whole game, but much like Virtua Fighter, it all kinda falls apart at the final boss. I won't spoil it for those that haven't seen it, but just know that Tekken might have pinched him for their own game.
If you're looking for something a bit different with your fighting games, I would recommend it, but it's not the easiest fighting game to understand. A good game, held back by some hampering thanks to its realistic approach. Also that final boss. What the fuck where these guys thinking?
Preschool games have never exactly had the luxury of receiving quality games, as most of them tend to be made on the cheap for kids not yet in school or can barely get dressed by themselves. Such is the case in any Sesame Street game, as most of them fill a niche to market on a popular series, but this game based on the "hit" movie, Elmo in Grouchland, is one I wish to talk about today.
The game's a platformer, fairly standard as you run from left to right and jump occasionally when an obstacle is in the way. There is a lives system, but the game's so easy that it barely is an issue. Controls are standard, you can run and jump better than that bloody vampire can in his counting game, but it's just so standard, it's like talking about how the tides roll in. Occasionally you play a short minigame like catching objects or chasing your blanket around, but they come so quickly, it hardly matters so much.
The graphics don't look great, but it being a cheap-o Game Boy Colour game, that's hardly a surprise. Sound is also a wash, just beeps and blips that don't sound good. It really is a product that was just knocked out on the cheap to capitalize on a movie that I don't remember much about, which is fun because there's barely anything that resembles the movie. Also no Muppets cameos, which is fucking lame.
And do you know the best part about all of this? I played this game on hard mode (because I'm just that good) and do you know how long the game took me to beat?
Nine minutes. NINE. MINUTES.
Heck, with practice, I can get it down to five! I've had longer waits for the bus than this game's length!
So yeah, if you want a lame kiddy game that you can beat in less time it takes to read this review, then go for it.
Otherwise, ignore with prejudice.
The game's a platformer, fairly standard as you run from left to right and jump occasionally when an obstacle is in the way. There is a lives system, but the game's so easy that it barely is an issue. Controls are standard, you can run and jump better than that bloody vampire can in his counting game, but it's just so standard, it's like talking about how the tides roll in. Occasionally you play a short minigame like catching objects or chasing your blanket around, but they come so quickly, it hardly matters so much.
The graphics don't look great, but it being a cheap-o Game Boy Colour game, that's hardly a surprise. Sound is also a wash, just beeps and blips that don't sound good. It really is a product that was just knocked out on the cheap to capitalize on a movie that I don't remember much about, which is fun because there's barely anything that resembles the movie. Also no Muppets cameos, which is fucking lame.
And do you know the best part about all of this? I played this game on hard mode (because I'm just that good) and do you know how long the game took me to beat?
Nine minutes. NINE. MINUTES.
Heck, with practice, I can get it down to five! I've had longer waits for the bus than this game's length!
So yeah, if you want a lame kiddy game that you can beat in less time it takes to read this review, then go for it.
Otherwise, ignore with prejudice.
2015
When it comes to game franchises, Yakuza is one I hold very dear to my heart. I first got into the franchise thanks to Yakuza 5 back in 2014 and I found it to be a very enjoyable experience, kinda bloated in its sheer scale but still very enjoyable. Problem was, I was playing the fifth main game and I knew I'd be jumping into a story I had no idea how it begins.
Then, Yakuza 0 was announced to be a prequel to the whole franchise, and my worries were now unfounded as this game basically sets up all you need to know.
The story goes that Kazuma Kiryu, the yakuza thug who shares the same facial expression as a paving slab and is just as tough, gets framed for a murder during a shakedown on a seemingly unassuming back alley in the fictional city of Kamurocho. Kiryu leaves said yakuza clan to track down the killer and gets himself tied into a bigger mystery over multiple crime gangs all gunning for this plot of land which would give them prime control of the district.
Meanwhile, series favourite Goro Majima is trapped in a gilded cage as the owner of a famous club in the streets of Sotenbori (no prizes for getting what this city is based on), as a "favour" for a yakuza patriarch who owns his ass, but his luck changes when he comes across a blind girl during an assassination hit and gets roped into the empty lot ploy and vows to protect her, as the girl is supposedly the final piece of the empty lot puzzle.
Kiryu and Majima never interact directly during the main story, but you play as both characters during certain intervals, usually two chapters apiece before switching back to the other character. Each character has their own city to explore, tasks to perform, minigames to partake in and many faces to punch and slam into railings.
Gameplay is a cross between Shenmue and Streets of Rage, you explore the two cities thoroughly for story missions, substories and the many things to do, all the while getting into fights with many vile toughs and bad guys. Combat is very visceral and impactful, you feel every single punch and kick you land as your opponents are sent reeling in spectacular fashion. With three different playstyles to use (including a secret fourth style!), you'll definitely find a style that works for you.
…or be like me and use Beast form for Kiryu and Breaker for Majima.
Heat Actions are special attacks which can be performed when you have enough special meter, and the sheer amount of them are insane. You can unlock moves and heat actions with the money you earn in fights and minigames, and some of the actions are completely insane, like the aforementioned slamming a face into railings, or piledriving your foes into the concrete, the amount of violence in this game might seem a bit much, but it's so satisfying completely annihilating your enemies.
Kiryu and Majima can earn the big bucks by fighting or playing minigames, including one major side game unique to each character, which offer fun little distractions to add to the sheer amount of stuff you can do in this game. While Kamurocho and Sotenbori are small, it's so densely populated with stuff like bowling, arcades, karaoke and underground catfight cage matches that you'll never be bored, even after hundreds of hours. Money is insanely easy to get and can be earned in the millions, but given that this game takes place during the 80s, where the Japanese economy was booming to a frankly absurd degree, it all makes sense in relation to the world.
Soundtrack is also a huge bop, helped by one of the main composers for the series being the main composer for F-Zero GX, one of my all-time favourite game OSTs. It's hard to pin down my favourite tracks from this game, but the track used for Majima's sidegame boss fights slaps and the song used for the multiple fights against Kuze bangs so hard, nothing else really compared.
Overall, Yakuza 0 is probably one of the best Yakuza games you could ever play and it being the first story-wise is a perfect match, as it'll bring in new fans like a moth to a flame. A very violent flame that slams you with a bike, but we'll love it all the same.
Now if only I could play Mahjong…
Then, Yakuza 0 was announced to be a prequel to the whole franchise, and my worries were now unfounded as this game basically sets up all you need to know.
The story goes that Kazuma Kiryu, the yakuza thug who shares the same facial expression as a paving slab and is just as tough, gets framed for a murder during a shakedown on a seemingly unassuming back alley in the fictional city of Kamurocho. Kiryu leaves said yakuza clan to track down the killer and gets himself tied into a bigger mystery over multiple crime gangs all gunning for this plot of land which would give them prime control of the district.
Meanwhile, series favourite Goro Majima is trapped in a gilded cage as the owner of a famous club in the streets of Sotenbori (no prizes for getting what this city is based on), as a "favour" for a yakuza patriarch who owns his ass, but his luck changes when he comes across a blind girl during an assassination hit and gets roped into the empty lot ploy and vows to protect her, as the girl is supposedly the final piece of the empty lot puzzle.
Kiryu and Majima never interact directly during the main story, but you play as both characters during certain intervals, usually two chapters apiece before switching back to the other character. Each character has their own city to explore, tasks to perform, minigames to partake in and many faces to punch and slam into railings.
Gameplay is a cross between Shenmue and Streets of Rage, you explore the two cities thoroughly for story missions, substories and the many things to do, all the while getting into fights with many vile toughs and bad guys. Combat is very visceral and impactful, you feel every single punch and kick you land as your opponents are sent reeling in spectacular fashion. With three different playstyles to use (including a secret fourth style!), you'll definitely find a style that works for you.
…or be like me and use Beast form for Kiryu and Breaker for Majima.
Heat Actions are special attacks which can be performed when you have enough special meter, and the sheer amount of them are insane. You can unlock moves and heat actions with the money you earn in fights and minigames, and some of the actions are completely insane, like the aforementioned slamming a face into railings, or piledriving your foes into the concrete, the amount of violence in this game might seem a bit much, but it's so satisfying completely annihilating your enemies.
Kiryu and Majima can earn the big bucks by fighting or playing minigames, including one major side game unique to each character, which offer fun little distractions to add to the sheer amount of stuff you can do in this game. While Kamurocho and Sotenbori are small, it's so densely populated with stuff like bowling, arcades, karaoke and underground catfight cage matches that you'll never be bored, even after hundreds of hours. Money is insanely easy to get and can be earned in the millions, but given that this game takes place during the 80s, where the Japanese economy was booming to a frankly absurd degree, it all makes sense in relation to the world.
Soundtrack is also a huge bop, helped by one of the main composers for the series being the main composer for F-Zero GX, one of my all-time favourite game OSTs. It's hard to pin down my favourite tracks from this game, but the track used for Majima's sidegame boss fights slaps and the song used for the multiple fights against Kuze bangs so hard, nothing else really compared.
Overall, Yakuza 0 is probably one of the best Yakuza games you could ever play and it being the first story-wise is a perfect match, as it'll bring in new fans like a moth to a flame. A very violent flame that slams you with a bike, but we'll love it all the same.
Now if only I could play Mahjong…
1993
Like with Metal Slader Glory, I'm a sucker for a good story. Whether it be in a tightly picked adventure with thrills and excitement like Yakuza 2, or a slow, contemplative story like The House of Fata Morgana, a good story can make any game brilliant. And today, I want to tell you a tale of a little game called The Stories of Ihatovo.
Ihatovo Monogatari as it's known in Japan, is a Super Famicom game released solely there, never seeing an international release. It's not hard to see why, given that it's solely an adventure game with no battles or many puzzles to solve. This isn't your Gabriel Knights or Shadowgates of old, this is a game that has you walk from place to place and discover the strange world around you and its inhabitants.
The game is focused on the works of Kenji Miyazawa, a poet and children's story writer from the early 20th century. Each chapter is focused on his works, and the player character has to find the journals based on Kenji's works and relive the stories they're based on. One such story has you talking to animals and seeing the tale of Hommoi and the Shellfire, or another about Ozbel and the Elephants.
There's no way to fail in this game, the only obstacle is not knowing what to do next, but the game encourages you to walk around and talk to everyone, and you'll get an understanding of what to do, where to go, and the world around you. The town of Ihatovo is very quirky, filled with interesting characters and things to see and do, so you're never truly lost, as most chapters are contained to one area, but some in the town do require some deduction to figure out what to do. If you're familiar with Kenji's fables, then you'll know what to do exactly, but I imagine most aren't so some exploration is needed.
I didn't expect a lot going into this game, except that it was about fables from a Japanese author that have been held in high regard, much like Aesop's fables have been regarded in the West. What I wasn't expecting was a truly thought-provoking experience full of strange, colourful characters and their many weird, wonderful stories.
As said, you don't really affect the world around you much, just see all the little adventures of the world around you, but it's what you experience that makes this game simply wonderful. Also the ending hit me like a ton of bricks, especially coming off a watch of the animated Night on the Galactic Railroad movie, which definitely helped further understanding of the ending.
But besides those small gripes, I hold this game in such high regard. It's truly a marvelous story filled with great characters and a serene, well realised world filled with stories that you'll want to discover. Also the soundtrack is one of the finest in gaming.
You'll be doing the world a favour by playing this truly wonderful experience.
Ihatovo Monogatari as it's known in Japan, is a Super Famicom game released solely there, never seeing an international release. It's not hard to see why, given that it's solely an adventure game with no battles or many puzzles to solve. This isn't your Gabriel Knights or Shadowgates of old, this is a game that has you walk from place to place and discover the strange world around you and its inhabitants.
The game is focused on the works of Kenji Miyazawa, a poet and children's story writer from the early 20th century. Each chapter is focused on his works, and the player character has to find the journals based on Kenji's works and relive the stories they're based on. One such story has you talking to animals and seeing the tale of Hommoi and the Shellfire, or another about Ozbel and the Elephants.
There's no way to fail in this game, the only obstacle is not knowing what to do next, but the game encourages you to walk around and talk to everyone, and you'll get an understanding of what to do, where to go, and the world around you. The town of Ihatovo is very quirky, filled with interesting characters and things to see and do, so you're never truly lost, as most chapters are contained to one area, but some in the town do require some deduction to figure out what to do. If you're familiar with Kenji's fables, then you'll know what to do exactly, but I imagine most aren't so some exploration is needed.
I didn't expect a lot going into this game, except that it was about fables from a Japanese author that have been held in high regard, much like Aesop's fables have been regarded in the West. What I wasn't expecting was a truly thought-provoking experience full of strange, colourful characters and their many weird, wonderful stories.
As said, you don't really affect the world around you much, just see all the little adventures of the world around you, but it's what you experience that makes this game simply wonderful. Also the ending hit me like a ton of bricks, especially coming off a watch of the animated Night on the Galactic Railroad movie, which definitely helped further understanding of the ending.
But besides those small gripes, I hold this game in such high regard. It's truly a marvelous story filled with great characters and a serene, well realised world filled with stories that you'll want to discover. Also the soundtrack is one of the finest in gaming.
You'll be doing the world a favour by playing this truly wonderful experience.
1991
If there was any game out there that I could recommend that I can guarantee no-one in my social circles has played, it would be this one. And I'm going to explain in the next few paragraphs why this game is one of my absolute favourites.
The game begins with Tadashi, a young man who buys a giant worker mech for his business with his girlfriend, Elina. Soon, they discover the mech is actually a 'Metal Slader' , a war mech used years ago in a great space battle. Tadashi, along with his girlfriend and his young sister, Azusa, take it to a moon colony to investigate further. After finding someone who knows about Sladers, they discover the pilot of the mech was Tadashi's late father, and has left a message warning of an oncoming threat, a threat that some of the colony are aware of and are apprehensive to explain. Tadashi soon takes the mech and goes to find what became of his father, what his father's final message means, the lurking intrigue of what the colony is hiding, and what's hiding deep within the unknown…
Being an adventure game/visual novel, gameplay takes a backseat to the story, as most of what you do in this game is talk to people and explore the many areas around you. Gameplay isn't too extensive, using menus and some point and click elements to interact with the environment. Combat does happen sometimes, but it's very rare and it's even rarer to actually fail this game. I counted twice in my playthrough where a wrong choice results in death, and even then you get taken right back to an earlier conversation.
The main draw of the game and what interests me is the many interesting characters, and the interactions between the main three protagonists. Besides a few harem comedy tropes hiding in Tadashi's interactions in the colony's living space, the conversations between him and Elina are genuinely well written and absorbing, showing their history with one another and acting as genuine as a real life couple. Other characters like Azusa are fun too, even if she's a bit of a stereotypical naive young, innocent sibling that you saw (and still see) in many anime today. Children Are Innocent is in full effect here.
What also makes this game really speak to me is its graphics, with truly beautiful sprite work in both character design and locations. The lighting in some of the traveling scenes are particularly beautiful, selling the effect of deep space travel better than most live action Sci-Fi shows and movies. Character sprites are also vibrant and large, rivaling what you'd see on NEC PC games at the time. With the game releasing so late into the Famicom's life, it's no surprise that the game is as pretty as it is, but words really do not do it justice, it looks as good as any game released on the SNES.
I feel anymore gushing about this game would drag this review on far too long, so I'll just close by saying this is a gem of a game that should absolutely be played, even if gameplay does take a backseat to dialogue and story, but it's a great story regardless so it'll absolutely draw you into its many twists and thrills. The game only saw a limited release and even fewer people bought it when the SNES, Mega Drive and PC Engine CD all crowding the market, so copies are super rare. But if you can find a chance to play it, it is absolutely worth your time.
The game begins with Tadashi, a young man who buys a giant worker mech for his business with his girlfriend, Elina. Soon, they discover the mech is actually a 'Metal Slader' , a war mech used years ago in a great space battle. Tadashi, along with his girlfriend and his young sister, Azusa, take it to a moon colony to investigate further. After finding someone who knows about Sladers, they discover the pilot of the mech was Tadashi's late father, and has left a message warning of an oncoming threat, a threat that some of the colony are aware of and are apprehensive to explain. Tadashi soon takes the mech and goes to find what became of his father, what his father's final message means, the lurking intrigue of what the colony is hiding, and what's hiding deep within the unknown…
Being an adventure game/visual novel, gameplay takes a backseat to the story, as most of what you do in this game is talk to people and explore the many areas around you. Gameplay isn't too extensive, using menus and some point and click elements to interact with the environment. Combat does happen sometimes, but it's very rare and it's even rarer to actually fail this game. I counted twice in my playthrough where a wrong choice results in death, and even then you get taken right back to an earlier conversation.
The main draw of the game and what interests me is the many interesting characters, and the interactions between the main three protagonists. Besides a few harem comedy tropes hiding in Tadashi's interactions in the colony's living space, the conversations between him and Elina are genuinely well written and absorbing, showing their history with one another and acting as genuine as a real life couple. Other characters like Azusa are fun too, even if she's a bit of a stereotypical naive young, innocent sibling that you saw (and still see) in many anime today. Children Are Innocent is in full effect here.
What also makes this game really speak to me is its graphics, with truly beautiful sprite work in both character design and locations. The lighting in some of the traveling scenes are particularly beautiful, selling the effect of deep space travel better than most live action Sci-Fi shows and movies. Character sprites are also vibrant and large, rivaling what you'd see on NEC PC games at the time. With the game releasing so late into the Famicom's life, it's no surprise that the game is as pretty as it is, but words really do not do it justice, it looks as good as any game released on the SNES.
I feel anymore gushing about this game would drag this review on far too long, so I'll just close by saying this is a gem of a game that should absolutely be played, even if gameplay does take a backseat to dialogue and story, but it's a great story regardless so it'll absolutely draw you into its many twists and thrills. The game only saw a limited release and even fewer people bought it when the SNES, Mega Drive and PC Engine CD all crowding the market, so copies are super rare. But if you can find a chance to play it, it is absolutely worth your time.
1992
When people talk to me about difficult games, this little beauty I tend to bring up doesn't seem to draw much attention. It seems unassuming, with its 90s shades and jacket wearing cool dude looking like he's being chased by a comic convention for saying Batman sucks the Joker's dick on the weekends, but do not be fooled.
This game is EVIL. I shall tell you why.
You play as the titular 'Kid Chameleon', esq. as he travels through an evil VR game that kidnaps losers into its sinister clutches, collecting gems and platforming his way to the end of many levels. Throughout the game you can pick up the assistance through many helmets that grant special transformations and powers, like the Knight who can scale walls, Maniaxe, the Jason Vorhees look alike that throws axes, and Eyeclops, who can reveal hidden passages with his ray gun. Helmets also grant special gem powers, used by holding Start and pushing the B button, which are different for each transformation.
The game starts out easy enough, with not many enemies and some jumping challenges which do not prove too taxing at first. Levels can be big and are cleared through the flag at the end. Teleporter podiums also dot the levels, allowing access to other levels, side areas and branching paths that take you on entirely different level structures. With the game touting over 100 levels on the box, you only really go through about a third of them on any playthrough.
Your first challenge should come on Hills of the Warrior I, where you meet the 'Murder Wall', a monstrosity of drills and machinery where Kid meets instant death if touched and will chase through the level. Then, when you fight the halfway boss, the Boomerang Brothers, all bets are off.
The game starts throwing more powerful enemies like leaping rock golems, fire spirits, rolling tanks, Lion Lords (no relation to Ruby-Spears Mega Man) and those godforsaken UFOs which fly in erratic patterns and rain death on anyone that runs under it. Helmets always come in handy supply, and some like the Cyclone are OP as they allow for flight, but the game will make sure you don't hold onto it for long.
Soon, you'll start bleeding lives and continues on painful levels like Forced Entry, Ice God's Vengeance, Alien Isle, The Hills Have Eyes, Forbidden Tombs, The Final Marathon and the most painful of all, Bloody Swamp.
Forced Entry and the aforementioned Bloody Swamp are cited as the hardest levels in the game, as the Murder Walls in these stages are faster and the stages come with multiple hitches and dead ends to enrage anyone brave enough to fight them. Forced Entry is hard enough, but Bloody Swamp is a nightmare of winding paths and difficult jumps that unless with pixel perfect memorization, most games end there. While Bloody Swamp is thankfully skippable, Forced Entry isn't. (Word of Advice, whatever you do, DO NOT take the teleporter at Hoverboard Beach.)
Overall, the way I speak of this game makes it sound awful? Truth be told, I actually really like this game. There's a genuine level of challenge that comes with it, and being able to clear this game with plenty of lives and continues is something I've done about three times over now. The controls are right, if a little slippery and the enemies never present themselves as unfair. (except for the little golems and the UFOs. Fuck Alien Isle, fuck it to hell)
If you're looking for a challenge of a game that rewards exploration and skillful platforming, you'll find something to like with Kid Chameleon.
Just be warned of the absolute hell that awaits you.
This game is EVIL. I shall tell you why.
You play as the titular 'Kid Chameleon', esq. as he travels through an evil VR game that kidnaps losers into its sinister clutches, collecting gems and platforming his way to the end of many levels. Throughout the game you can pick up the assistance through many helmets that grant special transformations and powers, like the Knight who can scale walls, Maniaxe, the Jason Vorhees look alike that throws axes, and Eyeclops, who can reveal hidden passages with his ray gun. Helmets also grant special gem powers, used by holding Start and pushing the B button, which are different for each transformation.
The game starts out easy enough, with not many enemies and some jumping challenges which do not prove too taxing at first. Levels can be big and are cleared through the flag at the end. Teleporter podiums also dot the levels, allowing access to other levels, side areas and branching paths that take you on entirely different level structures. With the game touting over 100 levels on the box, you only really go through about a third of them on any playthrough.
Your first challenge should come on Hills of the Warrior I, where you meet the 'Murder Wall', a monstrosity of drills and machinery where Kid meets instant death if touched and will chase through the level. Then, when you fight the halfway boss, the Boomerang Brothers, all bets are off.
The game starts throwing more powerful enemies like leaping rock golems, fire spirits, rolling tanks, Lion Lords (no relation to Ruby-Spears Mega Man) and those godforsaken UFOs which fly in erratic patterns and rain death on anyone that runs under it. Helmets always come in handy supply, and some like the Cyclone are OP as they allow for flight, but the game will make sure you don't hold onto it for long.
Soon, you'll start bleeding lives and continues on painful levels like Forced Entry, Ice God's Vengeance, Alien Isle, The Hills Have Eyes, Forbidden Tombs, The Final Marathon and the most painful of all, Bloody Swamp.
Forced Entry and the aforementioned Bloody Swamp are cited as the hardest levels in the game, as the Murder Walls in these stages are faster and the stages come with multiple hitches and dead ends to enrage anyone brave enough to fight them. Forced Entry is hard enough, but Bloody Swamp is a nightmare of winding paths and difficult jumps that unless with pixel perfect memorization, most games end there. While Bloody Swamp is thankfully skippable, Forced Entry isn't. (Word of Advice, whatever you do, DO NOT take the teleporter at Hoverboard Beach.)
Overall, the way I speak of this game makes it sound awful? Truth be told, I actually really like this game. There's a genuine level of challenge that comes with it, and being able to clear this game with plenty of lives and continues is something I've done about three times over now. The controls are right, if a little slippery and the enemies never present themselves as unfair. (except for the little golems and the UFOs. Fuck Alien Isle, fuck it to hell)
If you're looking for a challenge of a game that rewards exploration and skillful platforming, you'll find something to like with Kid Chameleon.
Just be warned of the absolute hell that awaits you.