Giantsazando
1994
I played the original Breath of Fire about a month ago, and while I did enjoy it, I found it to be a bit average, and at times unpolished. However now getting around to Breath of Fire II, I really enjoyed it! It improves a lot upon what the original did, especially in gameplay. However it definitely feels like for every 2 steps, they go one step back.
Gameplay still feels quite similar to the original Breath of Fire, but it's massively overhauled to feel more balanced, while also just more polished. The major rebalancing I want to mention are the Dragon Abilities and Fusions. In the original Breath of Fire, Dragon Abilities are in-battle transformations that change the main character's form and abilities in battle, while Fusions combined multiple party members together to create powerful new characters. Though these were fun, they were way too powerful, and removed any challenge the game originally had. Breath of Fire II improves upon these mechanics though! The Dragon Abilities now take the form of powerful spells, though I personally wish they didn't require ALL of the Main Character's AP. While on the other hand, the Fusion, in the guise of the Shaman System, doesn't require specific combinations to create the more powerful fusions, and even then they aren't as powerful as the ones in Breath of Fire I.
The story is also a lot better than the original, I feel. Breath of Fire I's story is a typical fantasy story, and I'm gonna be honest while I'm typing this, I can't remember many specifics. Breath of Fire II's story is a lot darker than its predecessor, and especially the later half of the story was really remarkable.
But as I said prior, for every 2 steps forward, Breath of Fire II takes one step back. I think the biggest issue with this game relates to managing your party members. In Breath of Fire II, you can only change your party members either at the TownShip, or at certain Dragon Statues. The problem is that the game requires you to switch specific party members into your party to do certain actions only they can do. One example is that only one character can traverse through forests. This would be fine enough, as it would be an annoyance sure, but only that. The other issue though is that in this game, characters not in your current party do not gain XP, which means while your main team may be level 40, the one character you need to progress may still be level 10. I feel like the issue is that while the game requires you, it doesn't incentivize you to switch party members, so you come across this situation multiple times, which I found to be an issue. And I wouldn't be making a big deal out of this if it wasn't for a fact these issues were not present in the original Breath of Fire.
I also want to mention, I did a bit of research before deciding which version of Breath of Fire II. I heard that the GBA version gave triple the regular amount of XP, that's the version I chose. And believe me, I can't imagine how grueling the grind on the SNES version could be, the battles are already quite lengthy as is.
But with that aside, I still really enjoyed my time with Breath of Fire II. While it still has its issues, it's definitely a step up from the original. I really can't wait to get into Breath of Fire III though, I've seen screenshots of the game and it looks gorgeous.
Gameplay still feels quite similar to the original Breath of Fire, but it's massively overhauled to feel more balanced, while also just more polished. The major rebalancing I want to mention are the Dragon Abilities and Fusions. In the original Breath of Fire, Dragon Abilities are in-battle transformations that change the main character's form and abilities in battle, while Fusions combined multiple party members together to create powerful new characters. Though these were fun, they were way too powerful, and removed any challenge the game originally had. Breath of Fire II improves upon these mechanics though! The Dragon Abilities now take the form of powerful spells, though I personally wish they didn't require ALL of the Main Character's AP. While on the other hand, the Fusion, in the guise of the Shaman System, doesn't require specific combinations to create the more powerful fusions, and even then they aren't as powerful as the ones in Breath of Fire I.
The story is also a lot better than the original, I feel. Breath of Fire I's story is a typical fantasy story, and I'm gonna be honest while I'm typing this, I can't remember many specifics. Breath of Fire II's story is a lot darker than its predecessor, and especially the later half of the story was really remarkable.
But as I said prior, for every 2 steps forward, Breath of Fire II takes one step back. I think the biggest issue with this game relates to managing your party members. In Breath of Fire II, you can only change your party members either at the TownShip, or at certain Dragon Statues. The problem is that the game requires you to switch specific party members into your party to do certain actions only they can do. One example is that only one character can traverse through forests. This would be fine enough, as it would be an annoyance sure, but only that. The other issue though is that in this game, characters not in your current party do not gain XP, which means while your main team may be level 40, the one character you need to progress may still be level 10. I feel like the issue is that while the game requires you, it doesn't incentivize you to switch party members, so you come across this situation multiple times, which I found to be an issue. And I wouldn't be making a big deal out of this if it wasn't for a fact these issues were not present in the original Breath of Fire.
I also want to mention, I did a bit of research before deciding which version of Breath of Fire II. I heard that the GBA version gave triple the regular amount of XP, that's the version I chose. And believe me, I can't imagine how grueling the grind on the SNES version could be, the battles are already quite lengthy as is.
But with that aside, I still really enjoyed my time with Breath of Fire II. While it still has its issues, it's definitely a step up from the original. I really can't wait to get into Breath of Fire III though, I've seen screenshots of the game and it looks gorgeous.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep was a game I was nervous about going into it. I was afraid it was going to be something akin to Chain of Memories, as I heard it had a card mechanic. But god, I was proven wrong almost immediately, and while it may not be my favorite Kingdom Hearts title, it's definitely up there.
The game's combat was definitely the thing I was most nervous about, however I ended up really loving it! It features the same general combat as KH1&2, but the spells are replaced with cards. And each card has a cooldown before they can be used. The spells you can get during the game as well are really cool! Though in the end I sorta relied only on Thunder Surge, and didn't really go out and experiment. And on top of that, there's so many interesting mechanics I never actually tried out, such as the Shotlocks or the D-Links. Even though I never fully utilized all assets of combat, I absolutely love the amount of customization and options in battle. And on top of that too, I like the subtle differences between the 3 main characters. Ventus is the allrounder, Terra is slower but stronger, and Aqua is a glass cannon. Overall there's so many unique aspects to combat to really love it.
I also really want to point out the bosses too. The bosses are really interesting, though I'd say about 75% of them were cakewalks. I've always loved the presentation of bosses in Kingdom Hearts, and those 25% of bosses that were challenging to me were really good. I think specifically to the final boss of Terra's story, which made me have to drastically change my playstyle. Stuff like that is really memorable to me.
The story is well... complicated. I can't say in good faith that I properly understood it, but I love it all the same. As a prequel to the games, it's interesting to see how things eventually lead to the main events of KH1 and 2, and see how some things are the way they are. Ventus, Aqua, and Terra especially are such well written characters, and there's some absolutely raw moments in the later half of the game. It's hard to describe certain aspects of the story that I like because they're so integral to the entire story of Kingdom Hearts. But regardless, I still can't say I fully every aspect of the story, but I love it all the same.
This brings me to the one negative aspect of the game, which is the method you need to unlock the Final Story. Of course, you'd need to beat all 3 of the main campaigns, but what the game doesn't tell you is that you also need to collect all the Xehanort Reports. And on top of that, you can only ever have one save file of the Final Story. If you go back to try and get the missing reports, you'll have to beat the final boss of that character's story before it's fully registered, which is the part I'm most miffed about.
But that aside, I really loved my time with Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. The gameplay and story are amazing, and I'm relieved that it wasn't what I was fearing it was. I'm glad I finally got around to playing it.
The game's combat was definitely the thing I was most nervous about, however I ended up really loving it! It features the same general combat as KH1&2, but the spells are replaced with cards. And each card has a cooldown before they can be used. The spells you can get during the game as well are really cool! Though in the end I sorta relied only on Thunder Surge, and didn't really go out and experiment. And on top of that, there's so many interesting mechanics I never actually tried out, such as the Shotlocks or the D-Links. Even though I never fully utilized all assets of combat, I absolutely love the amount of customization and options in battle. And on top of that too, I like the subtle differences between the 3 main characters. Ventus is the allrounder, Terra is slower but stronger, and Aqua is a glass cannon. Overall there's so many unique aspects to combat to really love it.
I also really want to point out the bosses too. The bosses are really interesting, though I'd say about 75% of them were cakewalks. I've always loved the presentation of bosses in Kingdom Hearts, and those 25% of bosses that were challenging to me were really good. I think specifically to the final boss of Terra's story, which made me have to drastically change my playstyle. Stuff like that is really memorable to me.
The story is well... complicated. I can't say in good faith that I properly understood it, but I love it all the same. As a prequel to the games, it's interesting to see how things eventually lead to the main events of KH1 and 2, and see how some things are the way they are. Ventus, Aqua, and Terra especially are such well written characters, and there's some absolutely raw moments in the later half of the game. It's hard to describe certain aspects of the story that I like because they're so integral to the entire story of Kingdom Hearts. But regardless, I still can't say I fully every aspect of the story, but I love it all the same.
This brings me to the one negative aspect of the game, which is the method you need to unlock the Final Story. Of course, you'd need to beat all 3 of the main campaigns, but what the game doesn't tell you is that you also need to collect all the Xehanort Reports. And on top of that, you can only ever have one save file of the Final Story. If you go back to try and get the missing reports, you'll have to beat the final boss of that character's story before it's fully registered, which is the part I'm most miffed about.
But that aside, I really loved my time with Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. The gameplay and story are amazing, and I'm relieved that it wasn't what I was fearing it was. I'm glad I finally got around to playing it.
2007
The best thing I can say about God of War II is that it's better than the first one. By the time I actually beat the game, all I felt was relieved that I didn't have to play this game any longer.
God of War II's gameplay is very akin to the first. The Blades of Athena are the exact same as the Blades of Chaos, and because of that the majority of combat is fun. And the addition of new subweapons like a spear and hammer are fun additions, even if I rarely used them. The enemies as well are a lot better balanced than the original, rarely ever feeling like damage sponges.
The bosses were undoubtedly one of the most lacking aspects of the original game. Though they weren't bad, the original game had a total of 3 bosses. It was such a low number for the type of game God of War is, so it's nice that this game more than doubled the number of bosses. On top of that, the bosses were easily some of the best parts of the game, and all felt unique in their own right.
However, with the positives aside, there's still issues with the game that keep me from properly enjoying the good. The platforming and puzzles are still iffy, and even though there are less frustrations than the original, I'd say they haven't much improved. They did another "push a block to the other side of the room while enemies continuously spawn" type of puzzle, which is just more annoying that anything else.
And I feel like I'm just going to repeat myself here, but god, the QTEs in these games are the parts I hate the most. They may not be as bad as the original game, but the issue still stands. There always feels like there's too little reaction time when it comes to them. And I do have to say, it was an inspired choice to make the last phase of the final boss just a series of QTEs, it soured what was otherwise an amazing boss fight for me.
And much like the first game, I don't know what I'm supposed to take away from the story. Is it trying to say something about violence and the lust for revenge and how that destroys someone? Because if so, why is violence so glorified? It feels like if there is a message, it's drowned out by the game's lust for violence and gore. And if there isn't a message, than the violence for violence's sake just isn't something that vibes with me. You could say I'm looking to into things, and you'd be right. That's just the type of person I am.
Ultimately, I think God of War II is fine. It's better than the first game, but even then I still don't like it. God, I'm dreading playing God of War 3, but I need to play the original trilogy before getting to 2018.
God of War II's gameplay is very akin to the first. The Blades of Athena are the exact same as the Blades of Chaos, and because of that the majority of combat is fun. And the addition of new subweapons like a spear and hammer are fun additions, even if I rarely used them. The enemies as well are a lot better balanced than the original, rarely ever feeling like damage sponges.
The bosses were undoubtedly one of the most lacking aspects of the original game. Though they weren't bad, the original game had a total of 3 bosses. It was such a low number for the type of game God of War is, so it's nice that this game more than doubled the number of bosses. On top of that, the bosses were easily some of the best parts of the game, and all felt unique in their own right.
However, with the positives aside, there's still issues with the game that keep me from properly enjoying the good. The platforming and puzzles are still iffy, and even though there are less frustrations than the original, I'd say they haven't much improved. They did another "push a block to the other side of the room while enemies continuously spawn" type of puzzle, which is just more annoying that anything else.
And I feel like I'm just going to repeat myself here, but god, the QTEs in these games are the parts I hate the most. They may not be as bad as the original game, but the issue still stands. There always feels like there's too little reaction time when it comes to them. And I do have to say, it was an inspired choice to make the last phase of the final boss just a series of QTEs, it soured what was otherwise an amazing boss fight for me.
And much like the first game, I don't know what I'm supposed to take away from the story. Is it trying to say something about violence and the lust for revenge and how that destroys someone? Because if so, why is violence so glorified? It feels like if there is a message, it's drowned out by the game's lust for violence and gore. And if there isn't a message, than the violence for violence's sake just isn't something that vibes with me. You could say I'm looking to into things, and you'd be right. That's just the type of person I am.
Ultimately, I think God of War II is fine. It's better than the first game, but even then I still don't like it. God, I'm dreading playing God of War 3, but I need to play the original trilogy before getting to 2018.
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil is a damn good platformer. I already loved the original Klonoa, but I feel like Klonoa 2 really improves upon every aspect of the game.
Much like with the original game, I love the 2.5D platforming. Being isolated to a singular plane, while being able to interact with objects in the foreground and background, I just love it. Much like the first one, I didn't find much difficulty throughout most of the game, and I'm fine with that. I probably didn't find much difficulty since I knew how the game played from having played the first one. The new board levels are also really fun, and I had a blast going through them.
And in a similar vein, the puzzles are some of my favorite parts of the game too. The game has some really fun puzzles based upon its grabbing mechanic, and it felt so good being able to figure them out. I loved the ones where you had to beat a certain amount of enemies to make an orb a specific color especially. I'm just an absolute sucker for videogame puzzles.
The bosses as well I feel are an improvement on the original. Much like it, the bosses in this game are still rather simple, with noticeable patterns and openings, but I think it's in part due to the presentation of each boss. One additional point is that each boss is in its own respective level, so if I ever game over'd, I wouldn't have to go through a whole level just to try again at a specific boss fight.
I haven't even talked about the story of this game yet, and I absolutely adore it. Klonoa feels like he's really grown from his original entry, and how this new Klonoa interacts with the characters around him is interesting because of it. And I'll avoid speaking about it, but much like the first game, the ending is absolutely wonderful.
I absolutely love Klonoa 2, it's a charming and damn good platformer. I'm glad I finally got around to playing it proper. I mean, I knew I would probably love it since I enjoyed the first game so much, but I'm glad it got proven to be true.
Much like with the original game, I love the 2.5D platforming. Being isolated to a singular plane, while being able to interact with objects in the foreground and background, I just love it. Much like the first one, I didn't find much difficulty throughout most of the game, and I'm fine with that. I probably didn't find much difficulty since I knew how the game played from having played the first one. The new board levels are also really fun, and I had a blast going through them.
And in a similar vein, the puzzles are some of my favorite parts of the game too. The game has some really fun puzzles based upon its grabbing mechanic, and it felt so good being able to figure them out. I loved the ones where you had to beat a certain amount of enemies to make an orb a specific color especially. I'm just an absolute sucker for videogame puzzles.
The bosses as well I feel are an improvement on the original. Much like it, the bosses in this game are still rather simple, with noticeable patterns and openings, but I think it's in part due to the presentation of each boss. One additional point is that each boss is in its own respective level, so if I ever game over'd, I wouldn't have to go through a whole level just to try again at a specific boss fight.
I haven't even talked about the story of this game yet, and I absolutely adore it. Klonoa feels like he's really grown from his original entry, and how this new Klonoa interacts with the characters around him is interesting because of it. And I'll avoid speaking about it, but much like the first game, the ending is absolutely wonderful.
I absolutely love Klonoa 2, it's a charming and damn good platformer. I'm glad I finally got around to playing it proper. I mean, I knew I would probably love it since I enjoyed the first game so much, but I'm glad it got proven to be true.
2009
Having now just beat the game, my only thoughts can be surmised as a resounding "eh". I wouldn't say that Resident Evil 5 is a bad game, it's far from the worst experience I've had in a game. But let me be clear, at the end of the day, this game is just okay at best.
I think I can describe the gameplay in just a single sentence. It's just worse RE4. It basically repeat a lot of RE4, and changes some stuff to be worse, and for me, primarily the inventory system. RE4 introduced one of the best inventory systems in any game I played, and removing it in RE5 just felt wrong. As well, the boss fights were a mixed bag, either being pretty decent, to just somewhat annoying. I particularly hated the boss fight in 5-2.
And of course, the most notable thing about RE5 is the Co-Op. And I gotta say, for the portions of the game I was able to play in Co-Op was really fun! I played with some random individual, and it was a genuinely fun experience. We figured out ways of communicating, and were able to stay on the same page even though we couldn't talk to each other directly. It was easily the highlight of my time with the game. However, with that in mind, I can't recommend playing this game alone. The partner AI can be a little weird at times, especially when you're trying to manage inventory. The game is so much better with someone else playing with you.
Resident Evil 5 has one glaring issue with it though that just keeps it from being as good as other Resident Evil titles. There's a lack of overall substance that keeps this game from really being interesting to me. Barely anything really felt remarkable to me, and a lot really blurred together. Which makes it worse when the second half of the game (Specifically 4-1 to 5-3) dragged on for a while. And the game doesn't really have much of a style to substitute for its lack of substance. So aside from a few moments, this game just felt wholly unremarkable.
I don't hate Resident Evil 5, and I don't love it either. I had some fun, but ultimately this game just felt like one of the most average games I've ever played. I'm just glad I was able to punch that boulder.
I think I can describe the gameplay in just a single sentence. It's just worse RE4. It basically repeat a lot of RE4, and changes some stuff to be worse, and for me, primarily the inventory system. RE4 introduced one of the best inventory systems in any game I played, and removing it in RE5 just felt wrong. As well, the boss fights were a mixed bag, either being pretty decent, to just somewhat annoying. I particularly hated the boss fight in 5-2.
And of course, the most notable thing about RE5 is the Co-Op. And I gotta say, for the portions of the game I was able to play in Co-Op was really fun! I played with some random individual, and it was a genuinely fun experience. We figured out ways of communicating, and were able to stay on the same page even though we couldn't talk to each other directly. It was easily the highlight of my time with the game. However, with that in mind, I can't recommend playing this game alone. The partner AI can be a little weird at times, especially when you're trying to manage inventory. The game is so much better with someone else playing with you.
Resident Evil 5 has one glaring issue with it though that just keeps it from being as good as other Resident Evil titles. There's a lack of overall substance that keeps this game from really being interesting to me. Barely anything really felt remarkable to me, and a lot really blurred together. Which makes it worse when the second half of the game (Specifically 4-1 to 5-3) dragged on for a while. And the game doesn't really have much of a style to substitute for its lack of substance. So aside from a few moments, this game just felt wholly unremarkable.
I don't hate Resident Evil 5, and I don't love it either. I had some fun, but ultimately this game just felt like one of the most average games I've ever played. I'm just glad I was able to punch that boulder.
Wario Land: Shake It! Is a really interesting title to me, especially knowing that (at the time of writing this) this is the last of the Wario Land series. And while I'd argue there's a couple of issues here and there, I really enjoyed what this game had to offer!
One thing that was immediately noticeable was the art style. This was the first Wario Land title to release on a home console, if you ignore the Virtual Boy title. I love how the art style changed to be like a cartoon, and the fact that it's also hand drawn is just icing on the cake. I'm a sucker for good hand drawn animation.
My only real reference of Wario Land gameplay at this current moment is Wario Land 4, and while Shake It! definitely improves in some aspects, I also think in some areas it lacks. I think Wario's general movement is honestly a bit better, it's basically just refinements to how he moves around in 4. However, I don't really think the levels were as well crafted in comparison to 4. In Wario Land 4, each level was crafted in ways to really incorporate every aspect of Wario's movement, but I don't feel like Shake It! really has that in comparison. That's not to say the levels are bad though! I really enjoyed each level in Shake It!, and trying to find the treasures and complete challenges in them were really fun.
I think one of my few issues came with the addition of the wii controls. For the majority of the game, you'll rarely have to use them, aside from shaking. So whenever you get to a point where you have to move the wiimote around it's a little iffy for me. It doesn't make the game unplayable, I just think the game would be better off without the motion controls.
The boss fights were also really fun! Though, they're not really too complex. Most of the time you can figure out how you're meant to deal with a boss 5 seconds into the fight. I do think though that a pervading issue with the boss fights, especially the later ones, is long patterns. It made the final boss just tedious for me. If I wasnt able to get enough hits in, I had to go through a long attack pattern before I had another opportunity.
Wario Land: Shake It! Is a really gorgeous and interesting platformer. It may be the last Wario Land title we ever receive, and I did enjoy this game a lot. I wouldn't say it's my favorite Wario Land title, but it's still pretty damn good.
One thing that was immediately noticeable was the art style. This was the first Wario Land title to release on a home console, if you ignore the Virtual Boy title. I love how the art style changed to be like a cartoon, and the fact that it's also hand drawn is just icing on the cake. I'm a sucker for good hand drawn animation.
My only real reference of Wario Land gameplay at this current moment is Wario Land 4, and while Shake It! definitely improves in some aspects, I also think in some areas it lacks. I think Wario's general movement is honestly a bit better, it's basically just refinements to how he moves around in 4. However, I don't really think the levels were as well crafted in comparison to 4. In Wario Land 4, each level was crafted in ways to really incorporate every aspect of Wario's movement, but I don't feel like Shake It! really has that in comparison. That's not to say the levels are bad though! I really enjoyed each level in Shake It!, and trying to find the treasures and complete challenges in them were really fun.
I think one of my few issues came with the addition of the wii controls. For the majority of the game, you'll rarely have to use them, aside from shaking. So whenever you get to a point where you have to move the wiimote around it's a little iffy for me. It doesn't make the game unplayable, I just think the game would be better off without the motion controls.
The boss fights were also really fun! Though, they're not really too complex. Most of the time you can figure out how you're meant to deal with a boss 5 seconds into the fight. I do think though that a pervading issue with the boss fights, especially the later ones, is long patterns. It made the final boss just tedious for me. If I wasnt able to get enough hits in, I had to go through a long attack pattern before I had another opportunity.
Wario Land: Shake It! Is a really gorgeous and interesting platformer. It may be the last Wario Land title we ever receive, and I did enjoy this game a lot. I wouldn't say it's my favorite Wario Land title, but it's still pretty damn good.
Having just now beaten the game, I feel like I've fulfilled a dream I had ever since I was a child. Back then, I loved playing Explorers of Time, but I really struggled with it. While I was able to beat it, the victory didn't feel earned. For the longest time now, I've wanted to play through it again, and this time, earn that victory. And playing through this game again, nostalgia hit me in waves, and I remembered how much I loved these games.
I've never actually played Explorers of Sky until now, so I didn't really know much about it. I only ever had Explorers of Time, so that was the one I was used to. The changes they've put into this game though are really nice! I absolutely love the new pokemon you can have to play as. I was a Vulpix, while my partner was a Riolu. The Cafe and the Recycling Shop were also really nice additions, bringing just more life to the whole of Treasure Town.
And in comparison to the original Rescue Team games, the nitpicks I particularly had with those games have basically been entirely removed. Being able to recruit pokemon while having a full party, and reviver seeds not having to be held to be usable. Those small changes provided a lot for me, and I really am glad that they changed them.
And god, the story is just so good. I love the exploration theming of the game, digging into the lore of the world, discovering ruins, etc. While it's not much longer than the original Rescue Team games, I feel it's paced better. And much like the first games, the ending really fucking hits. Once the credits begun, I just had to sit there and take it all in.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky is absolutely amazing. I have no doubt in saying that this will be my favorite of the Mystery Dungeon series. I havent even talked about the outstanding music! But at the end of the day, I love these games, and I'm glad I finally got around to (what I assume is) the definitive edition of the Explorers games.
I've never actually played Explorers of Sky until now, so I didn't really know much about it. I only ever had Explorers of Time, so that was the one I was used to. The changes they've put into this game though are really nice! I absolutely love the new pokemon you can have to play as. I was a Vulpix, while my partner was a Riolu. The Cafe and the Recycling Shop were also really nice additions, bringing just more life to the whole of Treasure Town.
And in comparison to the original Rescue Team games, the nitpicks I particularly had with those games have basically been entirely removed. Being able to recruit pokemon while having a full party, and reviver seeds not having to be held to be usable. Those small changes provided a lot for me, and I really am glad that they changed them.
And god, the story is just so good. I love the exploration theming of the game, digging into the lore of the world, discovering ruins, etc. While it's not much longer than the original Rescue Team games, I feel it's paced better. And much like the first games, the ending really fucking hits. Once the credits begun, I just had to sit there and take it all in.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky is absolutely amazing. I have no doubt in saying that this will be my favorite of the Mystery Dungeon series. I havent even talked about the outstanding music! But at the end of the day, I love these games, and I'm glad I finally got around to (what I assume is) the definitive edition of the Explorers games.
1999
Chrono Cross is a bizarre game, that's really the best way I have of describing it. If I knew nothing about this game and just sat down and played it, I wouldn't have known it was a sequel to Chrono Trigger until maybe 10 hours into the game. But yet, I really think that works in this game's favor. Chrono Trigger is one of the most influential JRPGs out there, so a making a sequel similar to it would be hard to get right. I think Chrono Cross going in an entirely different direction really works well, though I'd still say it's not as good as Chrono Trigger.
To get through with the story first, I don't really know what to say of it. I feel it's one of those games where the less you know about the story, the better. It's this maze of distortion and bewilderment, but I do think it works well in the end. I don't really want to go into anything specific because of that.
The combat is really interesting! It takes more of a turn-based approach than its predecessor, and I really like the systems it has. Nigh fully customizable movesets for each character, and so many ways to approach enemies in general. Rarely did the game ever challenge me, but those moments that they did were really memorable because of it. One integral aspect of the combat that I really loved at the end of the day was the leveling system, or in other words, the near lack of. Levels only really happen after each major boss fight, and you rarely gain stats from generic enemies. Sure, that means that there's no way of getting stronger through simply level-grinding, but at the end of the game, that really felt like a nonissue. The game felt properly balanced to where you don't need any grinding at all as long as you understand the combat mechanics enough.
Another major part of the game is just, how many playable characters there are. Though unable to obtain them all in a single playthrough, this game touts 45 playable character total, which is absurd. I remember getting I think 36 characters? So you can get a generous amount in a single playthrough, especially since you can only use 3 in battle at a time. And while I really liked trying to obtain every single character I could, I ended up really not using many of them, and sticking to a main set of three.
While I don't think it's as good as Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross still ended up being a fantastic JRPG. In fact, when I first planned to play this game, I thought it was PS2 game, so I was surprised to see that it was a PS1 game instead. Chrono Cross is definitely weird, and I'm unsure if many would like it as much as I would, but I'd at least recommend trying it out.
To get through with the story first, I don't really know what to say of it. I feel it's one of those games where the less you know about the story, the better. It's this maze of distortion and bewilderment, but I do think it works well in the end. I don't really want to go into anything specific because of that.
The combat is really interesting! It takes more of a turn-based approach than its predecessor, and I really like the systems it has. Nigh fully customizable movesets for each character, and so many ways to approach enemies in general. Rarely did the game ever challenge me, but those moments that they did were really memorable because of it. One integral aspect of the combat that I really loved at the end of the day was the leveling system, or in other words, the near lack of. Levels only really happen after each major boss fight, and you rarely gain stats from generic enemies. Sure, that means that there's no way of getting stronger through simply level-grinding, but at the end of the game, that really felt like a nonissue. The game felt properly balanced to where you don't need any grinding at all as long as you understand the combat mechanics enough.
Another major part of the game is just, how many playable characters there are. Though unable to obtain them all in a single playthrough, this game touts 45 playable character total, which is absurd. I remember getting I think 36 characters? So you can get a generous amount in a single playthrough, especially since you can only use 3 in battle at a time. And while I really liked trying to obtain every single character I could, I ended up really not using many of them, and sticking to a main set of three.
While I don't think it's as good as Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross still ended up being a fantastic JRPG. In fact, when I first planned to play this game, I thought it was PS2 game, so I was surprised to see that it was a PS1 game instead. Chrono Cross is definitely weird, and I'm unsure if many would like it as much as I would, but I'd at least recommend trying it out.
When I played the original Sly Cooper, I had an awful time. Mini-games with some of the worst controls I could conceive of soured my entire experience playing it. However, Sly 2 really improves on many of the things I had issues with, alongside adding a lot of things that I really appreciate.
I really love how this game grants more of a spotlight to Bentley and Murray. Allowing you to play as them in the hub areas is really nice, and their levels in this game felt a lot better than in the first game. I love how each character has their own abilities, levels, and movesets. It allows them all to really feel unique, and fit their specific niches. Though that aside, there were still a small handful of levels that I just despised going through. Particularly the tank level in Episode 5, and the grappling hook level at the end of Episode 7. Ultimately I feel like the reason why they were so dreadful to me were just the controls. However, those are only a small handful of levels I had issues with. A majority of levels were really damn good, and stuff like the hacking mini-game were really fun!
I also think the bosses are all generally improved from the first game as well. A lot of the bosses were really fun, though a little weird at times (I specifically think of the Episode 1 boss for that). I do like how each characters gets a boss of their own to fight, though that's to mixed results. While most bosses were manageable, I hated the Episode 3 boss in particular. That aside, most of the bosses, especially the later ones, were really fun!
Easily my favorite parts of the game, and most obviously are the best, the stealth and platforming levels. I already loved them in the first game, and the second is at the same level of quality, if not higher. The new gadgets Sly gets like the ice hooks or the glider allow for some really fun movement that I adore. I also do really like the structure of the game. Instead of just getting keys to unlock something, each level feels like it's preparations for the actual main heist.
While I still had a couple issues, I'd say ultimately I really enjoyed my time with Sly 2. It's way better than the first one in all aspects. Now I'm actually excited to eventually get to Sly 3.
I really love how this game grants more of a spotlight to Bentley and Murray. Allowing you to play as them in the hub areas is really nice, and their levels in this game felt a lot better than in the first game. I love how each character has their own abilities, levels, and movesets. It allows them all to really feel unique, and fit their specific niches. Though that aside, there were still a small handful of levels that I just despised going through. Particularly the tank level in Episode 5, and the grappling hook level at the end of Episode 7. Ultimately I feel like the reason why they were so dreadful to me were just the controls. However, those are only a small handful of levels I had issues with. A majority of levels were really damn good, and stuff like the hacking mini-game were really fun!
I also think the bosses are all generally improved from the first game as well. A lot of the bosses were really fun, though a little weird at times (I specifically think of the Episode 1 boss for that). I do like how each characters gets a boss of their own to fight, though that's to mixed results. While most bosses were manageable, I hated the Episode 3 boss in particular. That aside, most of the bosses, especially the later ones, were really fun!
Easily my favorite parts of the game, and most obviously are the best, the stealth and platforming levels. I already loved them in the first game, and the second is at the same level of quality, if not higher. The new gadgets Sly gets like the ice hooks or the glider allow for some really fun movement that I adore. I also do really like the structure of the game. Instead of just getting keys to unlock something, each level feels like it's preparations for the actual main heist.
While I still had a couple issues, I'd say ultimately I really enjoyed my time with Sly 2. It's way better than the first one in all aspects. Now I'm actually excited to eventually get to Sly 3.
I absolutely adore this game. I already loved the original Paper Mario, so I knew that whenever I actually got around to its sequel, I would love it even more. And of course, that's just exactly what happened.
Everything feels upgraded from the original game. Combat, story, characters, puzzles, etc. Every aspect of the game is truly and wholly better than the original.
Combat and battles were already really fun in the original game, but it's downright addicting to me in this one. Action Commands being given from the start is perfect, and every single mechanic with the stage is so fucking good. I really felt like I was actively learning and getting better as I played. On top of that, all of the partners you can get are really fun to use. I found myself actively switching the partners to adapt to the enemies I was facing, which I loved.
I really love how this game leans a bit more into the "paper" aspect of the name. Many of the bosses feel like 3D cutouts, and mario gaining abilities to fold into paper airplanes or boats. I absolutely adore it! On top of that, the unique partner abilities outside of battle allow for a ton of fun puzzles.
Finally getting to them, I really love the characters met throughout the game, especially the partners. I feel like a lot of the characters left a much stronger impact on me than in the first game. And same with the story too! I loved going around rogueport, searching for the crystal stars, and stopping this convoluted end-of-the-world plot. I adore it all.
There's so much in this game that I absolute love. It'll probably end up being my favorite of the Paper Mario series, but I've yet to ensure it. I'm glad I finally got around to playing it.
Everything feels upgraded from the original game. Combat, story, characters, puzzles, etc. Every aspect of the game is truly and wholly better than the original.
Combat and battles were already really fun in the original game, but it's downright addicting to me in this one. Action Commands being given from the start is perfect, and every single mechanic with the stage is so fucking good. I really felt like I was actively learning and getting better as I played. On top of that, all of the partners you can get are really fun to use. I found myself actively switching the partners to adapt to the enemies I was facing, which I loved.
I really love how this game leans a bit more into the "paper" aspect of the name. Many of the bosses feel like 3D cutouts, and mario gaining abilities to fold into paper airplanes or boats. I absolutely adore it! On top of that, the unique partner abilities outside of battle allow for a ton of fun puzzles.
Finally getting to them, I really love the characters met throughout the game, especially the partners. I feel like a lot of the characters left a much stronger impact on me than in the first game. And same with the story too! I loved going around rogueport, searching for the crystal stars, and stopping this convoluted end-of-the-world plot. I adore it all.
There's so much in this game that I absolute love. It'll probably end up being my favorite of the Paper Mario series, but I've yet to ensure it. I'm glad I finally got around to playing it.
I have a bit of history with Oracle of Ages in particular. I first played this game years ago on the 3DS virtual console, but I was always stuck at the final boss. I just couldn't beat it. Now because of a challenge I've started, this game was selected to be the one I played, so I knew what I needed to do.
Before anything else, I want to add I didn't do the game link stuff. I want to do that when I play Oracle of Seasons, as it feels more fitting to do it when I play the other game. But regardless.
I think Oracle of Ages is really interesting! Being a puzzle-oriented game, this is definitely up my alley. And a lot of the puzzles are really fun, I definitely got stuck a couple times, but I was able to eventually figure things out. The time travel mechanic allowed for such interesting puzzles too, switching back and forth between past and present, and seeing what actions in the past effect the present. It's all really fun!
The bosses as well definitely feel like puzzles too. And while for the most part none of the bosses are too annoying, I didn't really care for the Crown Dungeon boss. Funnily enough though, the one boss I couldn't originally beat was among the bosses I beat on the first try this time around.
I feel like certain parts of the game soured my whole experience of it though. It doesn't ruin the game by any means, but it just makes it not as good as it could've been. For one, once I got the Mermaid Tail, the swimming controls were terrible. They were fine for general movement, but for precise movement, which is sometimes necessary, it was terrible. And god, the entire Goron segment was terrible. Most of the minigames were fine, and on their own passable, but that damn Goron Dance. It's the only minigame you have to do twice, and even though it's a basic memory game, somehow the timing you need is just off in some form. It just became really damn frustrating.
Oracle of Ages is an interesting game. It's far from my favorite Zelda title, but it's not a bad game for the most part. I really do wanna see a remake for this game if possible, alongside its sister title. It could definitely touch up the rough edges this game has.
Before anything else, I want to add I didn't do the game link stuff. I want to do that when I play Oracle of Seasons, as it feels more fitting to do it when I play the other game. But regardless.
I think Oracle of Ages is really interesting! Being a puzzle-oriented game, this is definitely up my alley. And a lot of the puzzles are really fun, I definitely got stuck a couple times, but I was able to eventually figure things out. The time travel mechanic allowed for such interesting puzzles too, switching back and forth between past and present, and seeing what actions in the past effect the present. It's all really fun!
The bosses as well definitely feel like puzzles too. And while for the most part none of the bosses are too annoying, I didn't really care for the Crown Dungeon boss. Funnily enough though, the one boss I couldn't originally beat was among the bosses I beat on the first try this time around.
I feel like certain parts of the game soured my whole experience of it though. It doesn't ruin the game by any means, but it just makes it not as good as it could've been. For one, once I got the Mermaid Tail, the swimming controls were terrible. They were fine for general movement, but for precise movement, which is sometimes necessary, it was terrible. And god, the entire Goron segment was terrible. Most of the minigames were fine, and on their own passable, but that damn Goron Dance. It's the only minigame you have to do twice, and even though it's a basic memory game, somehow the timing you need is just off in some form. It just became really damn frustrating.
Oracle of Ages is an interesting game. It's far from my favorite Zelda title, but it's not a bad game for the most part. I really do wanna see a remake for this game if possible, alongside its sister title. It could definitely touch up the rough edges this game has.
No More Heroes 2 is an odd game. It's not a bad hack n' slash by any means, but it feels far from a good sequel to No More Heroes.
NMH2 changes a lot from the first title, but not many of the changes really feel worthwhile. Easily the biggest disappointment I had was the realization that I could no longer explore and walk around Santa Destroy. Sure most of it was empty, but I liked being able to actively go to each location, and not just magically warp there. I also don't really like most of the minigames. Sure, the NES Sprites are cute, but they don't have the same vibes as the ones from the original game. There's something to be said about the menial task of simply mowing a lawn. Also, some of them felt terrible to play in this game, but that might be because it was originally meant for a wiimote. I definitely think another big change that I don't really care for is that there isn't a price to pay to do a rank fight. It feels a bit too streamlined for me, and I didn't feel like I had to work to even proceed to the next segment of the game. Sure, it's convenient, but sometimes I don't want convenience.
Story wise as well, I can't deny that there are some really good moments in there. But it takes until about halfway through the game before it really gets there. And even then, the good moments are simply sporadic. At times it feels a bit like a watered down repeat of NMH1, and the actual ending kinda just sucks, I feel. So while there's some great highs, there's so many low lows.
But god, combat is super fucking fun. It's easily the one thing that has remained as good as the original, and at times, better. Truth be told, that's why I'm ranking it at 7, it's still a fun hack n' slash. I like how each beam katana had its own playstyle, it allowed me to alternate weapons to adapt to certain situations. Whenever there were heavy enemies around, I'd bring out the Peony for example. And boss fights were really good, the penultimate one especially. Though, while the final boss isn't the worst thing ever, it could've been so much better as well.
So, I'd say No More Heroes 2 isn't a bad game, but it's definitely a step down from the original. Missing a lot of what I loved, and having a far weaker story, but still having the amazing combat. I'm at least glad I played this game, but it's ultimately just alright.
NMH2 changes a lot from the first title, but not many of the changes really feel worthwhile. Easily the biggest disappointment I had was the realization that I could no longer explore and walk around Santa Destroy. Sure most of it was empty, but I liked being able to actively go to each location, and not just magically warp there. I also don't really like most of the minigames. Sure, the NES Sprites are cute, but they don't have the same vibes as the ones from the original game. There's something to be said about the menial task of simply mowing a lawn. Also, some of them felt terrible to play in this game, but that might be because it was originally meant for a wiimote. I definitely think another big change that I don't really care for is that there isn't a price to pay to do a rank fight. It feels a bit too streamlined for me, and I didn't feel like I had to work to even proceed to the next segment of the game. Sure, it's convenient, but sometimes I don't want convenience.
Story wise as well, I can't deny that there are some really good moments in there. But it takes until about halfway through the game before it really gets there. And even then, the good moments are simply sporadic. At times it feels a bit like a watered down repeat of NMH1, and the actual ending kinda just sucks, I feel. So while there's some great highs, there's so many low lows.
But god, combat is super fucking fun. It's easily the one thing that has remained as good as the original, and at times, better. Truth be told, that's why I'm ranking it at 7, it's still a fun hack n' slash. I like how each beam katana had its own playstyle, it allowed me to alternate weapons to adapt to certain situations. Whenever there were heavy enemies around, I'd bring out the Peony for example. And boss fights were really good, the penultimate one especially. Though, while the final boss isn't the worst thing ever, it could've been so much better as well.
So, I'd say No More Heroes 2 isn't a bad game, but it's definitely a step down from the original. Missing a lot of what I loved, and having a far weaker story, but still having the amazing combat. I'm at least glad I played this game, but it's ultimately just alright.
This game was a major part of my childhood. It was one of the few Wii games I ever owned, and it was the first game I ever 100%'d. After over a decade since originally playing it, I really wanted to go back and play through it again.
Pokepark is such a cozy game. You just explore fun locations, play minigames, and try to befriend the pokemon around you. It's one of those games where it's just a soothing time, it never really gets intense. Throughout the entire time I played this game, I felt tranquil, and that's just nice.
The minigames were rather nice too! They're very much wii minigames, requiring you to move the controller around in some way, but they were rather easy to complete. And for a game like this, the minigames never bothered me one bit. I also love trying to befriend Pokemon, the little games you have to do are really fun too. Hide and Seek was a rare one, but I love whenever it appears. The combat ones are also fun as hell too.
Overall, Pokepark is just a nice and cozy time. It's one of those games that you can really just sit back and relax too, especially if you need to just chill. Though, I do hold a lot of nostalgia for this game, so that might just be me.
Pokepark is such a cozy game. You just explore fun locations, play minigames, and try to befriend the pokemon around you. It's one of those games where it's just a soothing time, it never really gets intense. Throughout the entire time I played this game, I felt tranquil, and that's just nice.
The minigames were rather nice too! They're very much wii minigames, requiring you to move the controller around in some way, but they were rather easy to complete. And for a game like this, the minigames never bothered me one bit. I also love trying to befriend Pokemon, the little games you have to do are really fun too. Hide and Seek was a rare one, but I love whenever it appears. The combat ones are also fun as hell too.
Overall, Pokepark is just a nice and cozy time. It's one of those games that you can really just sit back and relax too, especially if you need to just chill. Though, I do hold a lot of nostalgia for this game, so that might just be me.
2012
I first played this game years ago, and I was mesmerized by it. It was such a beautiful game, with amazing puzzles, and such a great story. And for the longest time now, I've been meaning to replay it properly. And now that I have, I feel like I have an even greater appreciation for it.
As I said prior, the game is so beautiful. The best way I have of describing it is that it's a living painting. Everything has this amazing style to it, and how every line feels like unique brushstrokes. I noticed that shadows were brushstrokes as well. Okami is a game where its beauty will last to the end of time.
I fucking love the brush mechanics. Being able to draw specific patterns to solve problems is amazing. I love how each brush ability has the power to interact with the environment, and I love seeing how they interact with random things, such as trees or NPCs. I definitely struggled with some of the puzzles, but that's because I'm a bit stupid, and I forget that I have certain abilities. On the other hand, the combat is really fun too. It feels like a typical hack and slash's combat, but that in conjunction with the brush abilities allows for it to be so much fun.
The story as well is another beautiful aspect of the game. It feels so much like an actual myth. I feel this in both its pacing, and the general events that happen within the story. That aside, the characters are all unique, and the game really got me to care about all of them. And god, I won't go into details, but that ending feels so much more powerful now than it did when I played it years ago.
Okami is a timeless game, and still one I find beautiful to this day. I'm so glad I finally got around to replaying Okami again, it was so worthwhile.
As I said prior, the game is so beautiful. The best way I have of describing it is that it's a living painting. Everything has this amazing style to it, and how every line feels like unique brushstrokes. I noticed that shadows were brushstrokes as well. Okami is a game where its beauty will last to the end of time.
I fucking love the brush mechanics. Being able to draw specific patterns to solve problems is amazing. I love how each brush ability has the power to interact with the environment, and I love seeing how they interact with random things, such as trees or NPCs. I definitely struggled with some of the puzzles, but that's because I'm a bit stupid, and I forget that I have certain abilities. On the other hand, the combat is really fun too. It feels like a typical hack and slash's combat, but that in conjunction with the brush abilities allows for it to be so much fun.
The story as well is another beautiful aspect of the game. It feels so much like an actual myth. I feel this in both its pacing, and the general events that happen within the story. That aside, the characters are all unique, and the game really got me to care about all of them. And god, I won't go into details, but that ending feels so much more powerful now than it did when I played it years ago.
Okami is a timeless game, and still one I find beautiful to this day. I'm so glad I finally got around to replaying Okami again, it was so worthwhile.
1994
I've been meaning to start up the Marathon trilogy for a while now, and now I've finally started it up. And honestly, I had a whole lot of fun with this one!
I really like the combat and gunplay of this game. Each gun feels really good to use, and the flamethrower is easily one of the best guns in the game. I was never perfect at it, but dodging enemy fire was really fun. I also found the ambushes genuinely terrifying, which was thrilling, and it made that combat encounters tense, which was great.
Movement as well was something I had to get used to as well. It was a bit weird at first as it was movement I've never really seen. But when I got used to it, damn, it just felt so good. I love the fast paced movement, and the low gravity is really good too!
I know there were some segments in the game that people had issues with, and I can see why people have these issues. I think of "Colony Ship for Sale, Cheap" especially, I wasn't really that bothered by it, but I can see why people would be annoyed. I also enjoyed getting lost in the maze of the Marathon, even though yet again, I see why people wouldn't like it.
The story is so interesting, too. I definitely didn't see everything, but there's a crazy amount of world building here. So many philosophical ideas, and every moment with Durandal is amazing. I also think it's interesting that 90% of the story could completely be missed. Sure, that would mean some people would miss out on the story, but I really think there's something to be said about it.
I really loved my time with Marathon, and I definitely gotta play through its sequels at some point. I hear it only gets better from here, and I'm so damn excited.
I really like the combat and gunplay of this game. Each gun feels really good to use, and the flamethrower is easily one of the best guns in the game. I was never perfect at it, but dodging enemy fire was really fun. I also found the ambushes genuinely terrifying, which was thrilling, and it made that combat encounters tense, which was great.
Movement as well was something I had to get used to as well. It was a bit weird at first as it was movement I've never really seen. But when I got used to it, damn, it just felt so good. I love the fast paced movement, and the low gravity is really good too!
I know there were some segments in the game that people had issues with, and I can see why people have these issues. I think of "Colony Ship for Sale, Cheap" especially, I wasn't really that bothered by it, but I can see why people would be annoyed. I also enjoyed getting lost in the maze of the Marathon, even though yet again, I see why people wouldn't like it.
The story is so interesting, too. I definitely didn't see everything, but there's a crazy amount of world building here. So many philosophical ideas, and every moment with Durandal is amazing. I also think it's interesting that 90% of the story could completely be missed. Sure, that would mean some people would miss out on the story, but I really think there's something to be said about it.
I really loved my time with Marathon, and I definitely gotta play through its sequels at some point. I hear it only gets better from here, and I'm so damn excited.