1999
Most recounts of this game focused on it being a strong representative of what the dualshock controller was capable of, and by that extension what console gaming would homogenize into over the course of the next two decades.
Playing through the game, I don't think that's necessarily true, in the sense that the control scheme would still keep one foot in antiquated design. I didn't care though because the game was still really well put together. The camera never got in the way. The right joy stick didn't feel weird to use. They seemed to compensate for a lack of control with level design that makes it so you never have a hard time seeing what's going on. For whatever influence this game might have had, it more deserves a legacy of being a colorful and engaging platformer that goes down smooth.
Playing through the game, I don't think that's necessarily true, in the sense that the control scheme would still keep one foot in antiquated design. I didn't care though because the game was still really well put together. The camera never got in the way. The right joy stick didn't feel weird to use. They seemed to compensate for a lack of control with level design that makes it so you never have a hard time seeing what's going on. For whatever influence this game might have had, it more deserves a legacy of being a colorful and engaging platformer that goes down smooth.
2001
Charlie Blast's Territory except you got rid of the fat guido (Charlie Blast is Italian-coded) and replaced him with this whatever. A frustrating puzzle game that's presentation manages to be less of a hook than games 15 years older than it. Could you seriously not get Charlie Blast back?
1997
Even graded on a curve, this is rough. There are elements of the game that are undeniably cool, and within the context of the game's release, having a mech game like this that leaned away from the simulation elements of games like Battletech was a good call. It was a frustrating game, but also one that has enough ways to be broken that the frustration doesn't prevent progress.
Also it gave Kota Hoshino a job. He'd go on to do much better stuff, but you can see his style of composition at work already. The mech designs/settings/atmosphere in general are better than I expected, even if what would come after would stick with me more.
I can't suggest playing this game unless you're a completionist of the series, but going back to the game will be easier than you expect (although a guide will save you a ton of time).
Also it gave Kota Hoshino a job. He'd go on to do much better stuff, but you can see his style of composition at work already. The mech designs/settings/atmosphere in general are better than I expected, even if what would come after would stick with me more.
I can't suggest playing this game unless you're a completionist of the series, but going back to the game will be easier than you expect (although a guide will save you a ton of time).
There is a two month period between September 9, 1995 and November 8, 1995 where buying this game at retail, probably for $49.99 USD, could be justified. From that point on, and going forward till the time of this posting, I refuse to believe anyone has given a shit about BAT. Show me the Mizuumi page for any game in this series and I'll delete this post.
Sometimes a synapse fires in my brain and I confuse the title of this game for "Bomberman Race Fantasy". While this game is totally acceptable and I ended up enjoying it more than Chocobo Racing, the Bomberman series missed a great opportunity to talk about haplogroups.
1999
You get exactly what it says on the tin. If I bought this game for $10 when it was released and played with friends, I probably would have had a decent enough time. A resounding financial success for Tamsoft, because this game looks like it was made for $500 USD including the manufacturing costs.
2001
It's a disc that came with 6 card games on it, and there's no multiplayer component. Direct downgrade from a deck of cards. You can place bets and win fake currency to decorate a small room from a limited selection of furniture. Nobody knows that but you and me, let's keep this our little secret.
2001
Right after you beat Big Man (distant cousin of the Burning Rangers character Big Landman), your skydiving troupe has to skydive in a sandstorm and wins by forming a swastika. The music was forgettable.
1997
Quintet's worst release, including their Inuyasha PS2 JRPG. I think that the setting for the game was really cool, with the closet comparison I could think of being Skies of Arcadia, and their combat system makes sense as a continuation of their previous ARPGs. The anime cutscenes also look nice for what they are.
Nothing else works in the game for me. I played this game for 20 hours and I couldn't tell you the main character's name. There's so much in this game that's either feels like an unenthusiastic adaptation of an existing property (that doesn't exist) or is outright frustrating like the input reading combat. There's bad music in a Quintet game! It's so hard to divorce this game from what their previous games managed to accomplish, but even when I do put those games out of my mind this still isn't a game I had a great time going through. Couldn't recommend even to diehards of the company, and it really sucks to say that.
Nothing else works in the game for me. I played this game for 20 hours and I couldn't tell you the main character's name. There's so much in this game that's either feels like an unenthusiastic adaptation of an existing property (that doesn't exist) or is outright frustrating like the input reading combat. There's bad music in a Quintet game! It's so hard to divorce this game from what their previous games managed to accomplish, but even when I do put those games out of my mind this still isn't a game I had a great time going through. Couldn't recommend even to diehards of the company, and it really sucks to say that.
A bottom 10 PSX game.
Whatever "magic" video games have for me is so far gone with this game that I don't have the ability to have an emotional response to this game. Anyone reading this can do a cursory examination of the franchise and see exactly how this came into being. Nobody involved with production "wanted" to work on this game as an artistic expression. The one redeeming quality of this game is that I could put it into a PS1 and rest assured that this probably helped someone pay the bills 20+ years ago.
Whatever "magic" video games have for me is so far gone with this game that I don't have the ability to have an emotional response to this game. Anyone reading this can do a cursory examination of the franchise and see exactly how this came into being. Nobody involved with production "wanted" to work on this game as an artistic expression. The one redeeming quality of this game is that I could put it into a PS1 and rest assured that this probably helped someone pay the bills 20+ years ago.
An early Dimps fighter, and for being clearly a mercenary project used to make a quick buck off a hot property, the game's fun. It's very accessible, probably not gonna get a ton out of this that you could transfer to other fighting games, and considering it is an incredibly late PS1 release, it looks and sounds very faithful to the source material, if not pretty heavily compressed.
It's the game that gave us Sango's Boomerang Bone, which might be the worst move in a fighting game. There's value in that.
It's the game that gave us Sango's Boomerang Bone, which might be the worst move in a fighting game. There's value in that.
This game made me disassociate so fucking hard I don't think I can really play it. I'm not the first person to have this issue with YDKJ.
2000
Tragic game released at the wrong time. Despite the Simple Series appearance, this was developed by Cotton alumni and it shows, because even if you were to strip out all the thematic elements of the game, it still handles great and a ton of care was put into the game design.
If this game was released three years earlier, it would have held the same respect as something like Einhander. If it was released today, the stylish presentation and D&B/Jungle influences on the soundtrack would shoot this game to the moon, or at least get decent Steam sales. It just got lost in the shuffle as a late-era PS1 release with a budget price and label.
If this game was released three years earlier, it would have held the same respect as something like Einhander. If it was released today, the stylish presentation and D&B/Jungle influences on the soundtrack would shoot this game to the moon, or at least get decent Steam sales. It just got lost in the shuffle as a late-era PS1 release with a budget price and label.
This game needs to be 10 hours shorter, and then it's a very easy recommendation. The pacing is what does this game in, otherwise as far as anime adaptations go this is one of the better ones, especially from the time of it's release. The characters are basic but enjoyable. The plot's easy to follow while still being captivating enough to stay on the relatively linear path. It's pretty and the soundtrack doesn't get in the way of the experience.
But, this goes on for 30~40 hours, with weird difficulty jumps. There also isn't a ton of customization of the party in the way other SRPGs from the time allowed for. The fights are also slow and if you do play this, emulation would be preferable just to speed up the fights so it doesn't take 10 min for a full turn of every character. There's a ton here to like, and if I played it at the time of its release or was the target audience, this game would have been great instead of "above average".
But, this goes on for 30~40 hours, with weird difficulty jumps. There also isn't a ton of customization of the party in the way other SRPGs from the time allowed for. The fights are also slow and if you do play this, emulation would be preferable just to speed up the fights so it doesn't take 10 min for a full turn of every character. There's a ton here to like, and if I played it at the time of its release or was the target audience, this game would have been great instead of "above average".
Budget Parappa but instead of freestyling or an overarching plot, you get to play a bunch of Lupin music. That doesn't go very far, and the later stages get relatively hard for the type of rhythm game this is trying to be.
It's a rhythm game with decent music that doesn't have awful hit detection, even though they cranked this game out in two weeks, there's still some enjoyment to be had based on that.
It's a rhythm game with decent music that doesn't have awful hit detection, even though they cranked this game out in two weeks, there's still some enjoyment to be had based on that.