Cass_role
59 Reviews liked by Cass_role
Bulk Slash
1997
The Sega Saturn has a vast library of creative hidden gems, many being over in Japan. One of those games that was brought to my attention in a Vinesauce Vinny stream of all things was this cute little mecha game titled Bulk Slash. It IMMEDIATELY grabbed my attention from it's seeping Saturn aesthetic and bopping music in conjunction with charming art direction. I had to play this NOW.
Several months later after learning about the fan translation project for this game, I downloaded it and finally gave this game a chance. This game absolutely rocks. The controls are a bit clunky but still fun to learn and master, the missions are all bite sized and good arcade action, and the visuals kept me wanting more the entire run.
The main appeal of the game is while you go through the levels, each stage has a copilot you can find, and they all have different portraits and voice clips. Each copilot also has their own ending image, adding more replay value to the game. I really love this element, not only because they're all unique and charming in their own way, but you actually have to explore the levels to discover them. The gameplay itself is overall fairly simple (and honestly really really easy) but it's super fun flying around and blowing things up while working on your objective. All the levels have their own vibe and aesthetics, my favorite being the nighttime cityscape one, with all the flashing neon colors and holograms of it's leading lady everywhere. The last mission is a bit tedious as it throws a ton of bosses at you, but once you learn the strategy it's fairly easy all things considered.
I also have to give props to the fan translation team for this game. Not only was all the text localized, but they redubbed all of the dialogue alongside making custom box art and a FULL manual for the game, which is some absolute dedication. The voice acting they added itself is obviously not by professionals, but it gets the job done and has this charming homemade quality to it. Definitely check this patch out.
I finished this in about less than an hour, but I'm planning on doing a revisit playthrough at some point to see the other characters endings. I love this game, short and sweet. It's the perfect embodiment of what I find so cool and appealing about the Sega Saturn, and it's made me more interested in trying other mecha games on the system. If you're a fan of some quick and clunky 90's arcade action, you owe it to yourself to try this at least once.
Several months later after learning about the fan translation project for this game, I downloaded it and finally gave this game a chance. This game absolutely rocks. The controls are a bit clunky but still fun to learn and master, the missions are all bite sized and good arcade action, and the visuals kept me wanting more the entire run.
The main appeal of the game is while you go through the levels, each stage has a copilot you can find, and they all have different portraits and voice clips. Each copilot also has their own ending image, adding more replay value to the game. I really love this element, not only because they're all unique and charming in their own way, but you actually have to explore the levels to discover them. The gameplay itself is overall fairly simple (and honestly really really easy) but it's super fun flying around and blowing things up while working on your objective. All the levels have their own vibe and aesthetics, my favorite being the nighttime cityscape one, with all the flashing neon colors and holograms of it's leading lady everywhere. The last mission is a bit tedious as it throws a ton of bosses at you, but once you learn the strategy it's fairly easy all things considered.
I also have to give props to the fan translation team for this game. Not only was all the text localized, but they redubbed all of the dialogue alongside making custom box art and a FULL manual for the game, which is some absolute dedication. The voice acting they added itself is obviously not by professionals, but it gets the job done and has this charming homemade quality to it. Definitely check this patch out.
I finished this in about less than an hour, but I'm planning on doing a revisit playthrough at some point to see the other characters endings. I love this game, short and sweet. It's the perfect embodiment of what I find so cool and appealing about the Sega Saturn, and it's made me more interested in trying other mecha games on the system. If you're a fan of some quick and clunky 90's arcade action, you owe it to yourself to try this at least once.
You know, as much as I hate Super Smash Bros now, I have to admit that it introduced me to some baller franchises. One of many being, you guessed it, Fire Emblem. I’ve spent literal years trying to get in this series but it just never worked out. I either didn’t have the hardware for the games I was interested in the most (FE7) or didn’t have the budget to afford ones for the systems I owned (Path of Radiance, Awakening, etc.). Then, when I eventually was led to the floodgates to the world of emulation, I finally gave the series a shot with Fire Emblem 7. Then I dropped it for some unknown reason. Then a year later, I was randomly enticed in trying this series again so I booted up Sacred Stones, and it all escalated from there.
And you know what? It basically lived up to my expectations. The strategic risk vs reward gameplay style, the dynamic cast of characters, and the simply AWESOME battle animations all culminated in a really fun experience for me. It’s truly a series that deserves it’s iconic place in Nintendo’s vast catalog of titles. Now I can’t compare this game to the other entries because, well, it’s the only one I’ve finished, but I had a good time with everything the game offered.
The story isn’t like peak fiction or anything, but I liked the protagonist duo Eirika and Ephriam a lot, and the villain is really cool because they act differently depending on what route you take, but it’s in a logical sense that fits together in the end. Whenever you save a little town, protect a falling kingdom, or have more heroes join your cause, you really feel that satisfaction of putting the world back together. When one of your units dies because of a miscalculation you made, you really feel bad for your mistake and want to try better next reset. The series in general seems to be great at giving the sense of camaraderie with the player and their units, so it makes me excited to try the other entries that do this even better.
I am… very bad at this genre. This is the first tactical JRPG I’ve ever finished, and it was an absolute struggle for me at some points. Sure, many of those problems are just a literal skill issue, but I mean come on, some of the later maps just CTRL+V enemies all over the place lmao. That being said, it gave me a big feeling of relief when I finally got through each chapter, slowly but surely beefing up my units and putting my brain to the test. I do think some level up methods are rather obtuse (healers in particular take absolutely forever to promote because they gain barely anything from casting spells), but I’d say the level up curve is mostly fair, especially considering how many broken units you can get in this game, Seth being the one who carried literally every chapter I was in, it was kind of ridiculous.
But anyway, that is all I really have to say about The Sacred Stones. It’s a neat game from a neat series I’ve had interest in for so long, and it was worth the wait. Very much looking forward to titles such as Path of Radiance and Shadows of Valentia. Also please block me immediately if I somehow start playing Fire Emblem Heroes.
And you know what? It basically lived up to my expectations. The strategic risk vs reward gameplay style, the dynamic cast of characters, and the simply AWESOME battle animations all culminated in a really fun experience for me. It’s truly a series that deserves it’s iconic place in Nintendo’s vast catalog of titles. Now I can’t compare this game to the other entries because, well, it’s the only one I’ve finished, but I had a good time with everything the game offered.
The story isn’t like peak fiction or anything, but I liked the protagonist duo Eirika and Ephriam a lot, and the villain is really cool because they act differently depending on what route you take, but it’s in a logical sense that fits together in the end. Whenever you save a little town, protect a falling kingdom, or have more heroes join your cause, you really feel that satisfaction of putting the world back together. When one of your units dies because of a miscalculation you made, you really feel bad for your mistake and want to try better next reset. The series in general seems to be great at giving the sense of camaraderie with the player and their units, so it makes me excited to try the other entries that do this even better.
I am… very bad at this genre. This is the first tactical JRPG I’ve ever finished, and it was an absolute struggle for me at some points. Sure, many of those problems are just a literal skill issue, but I mean come on, some of the later maps just CTRL+V enemies all over the place lmao. That being said, it gave me a big feeling of relief when I finally got through each chapter, slowly but surely beefing up my units and putting my brain to the test. I do think some level up methods are rather obtuse (healers in particular take absolutely forever to promote because they gain barely anything from casting spells), but I’d say the level up curve is mostly fair, especially considering how many broken units you can get in this game, Seth being the one who carried literally every chapter I was in, it was kind of ridiculous.
But anyway, that is all I really have to say about The Sacred Stones. It’s a neat game from a neat series I’ve had interest in for so long, and it was worth the wait. Very much looking forward to titles such as Path of Radiance and Shadows of Valentia. Also please block me immediately if I somehow start playing Fire Emblem Heroes.
"You have once again entered the world of survival horror… good luck!”
Horror has never been my forte. As someone who grew up with heavy restrictions on what media I could access, horror content has always been a roadblock for me. The gore, the heavy themes it may cover, or the general anxiety trip it may give a viewer, it always turned me away. That being said, over the years I had always heard about the fabled “Resident Evil”... a revolutionary survival horror franchise that has shaped the medium many times. Despite my fears and anxieties, something about those first four games drew my attention. In 2021 I booted up my DS emulator to play Resident Evil: Deadly Silence, an amazing port of the 1996 classic. It won me over.
The gist of the game is this: You’re an elite police squad tasked with finding survivors of a rumored incident in the Arklay Mountains. However, you and your team are tracked down by terrible dog-like creatures and driven into an abandoned mansion. Your mission? Find the whereabouts of the B.R.A.V.O team, and most importantly, survive. The rest of the story is rather subtly told through optional documents you can find scattered throughout the mansion, adding hints and context to what exactly happened in this place. It adds an uneasy atmosphere as you put the pieces of the puzzle together. Occasionally, you’ll have a cutscene interacting with one of your teammates (either Rebecca or Barry depending on who you play as). I really like this story. It’s very simple across the board, but the way it’s all connected gives so much intrigue to the average player. What are these creatures? Where do they come from? What exactly is happening in this mansion? These questions fill your head as you reluctantly open another door in the mansion, pursuing a way out of this hellish place.
Resident Evil, while a game that visually doesn’t hold up, still manages to keep an amazing atmosphere by making the player uncomfortable. The dated and low budget graphics give an uncanny feel to the visuals, always making me feel uneasy even on repeat playthroughs. There’s something about the barrenness, the lack of detail, the fear of the unknown that makes me feel this way. It’s something only enhanced by it’s inherent datedness. The save rooms have an immaculate atmosphere to them. The relaxing yet melancholy tune rings in the background while you sort out your inventory and plan out where and how you want to approach your next destination. The sequel to this game, Resident Evil 2 is one of my favorite video games of all time from a visual standpoint, but Resident Evil’s lack of production value in terms of presentation is why I love its graphics so much.
This is mixed with the unbearably awful voice acting. I don’t think I even have to elaborate on this, but yes, Resident Evil’s voice acting is atrocious. The script was already bad enough but the deliveries of LITERALLY every line feels awkward or wooden in some capacity, it’s hilarious. But in a way, it really fits the b-movie horror kind of vibe the game has. There’s the anxiety of the horror and action mixed with the inherent campiness of the writing and performances. I could go on for hours on why I love this garbage so much honestly.
And of course, there’s the gameplay. At the time of this writing I am on my SIXTH playthrough of this game, the first four times on DS, a fifth on PS1 (True Director’s Cut), and my unfinished sixth playthrough also on PS1. Resident Evil isn’t a very long game, nor a hard one… after your first playthrough. The first time I played the game I performed so poorly and took FOREVER to finish it, but I did a revisit playthrough the following October and it was so, so fun. Once you start to learn item/enemy placement, optimal routing, puzzle solutions, etc you get to absolutely DASH through the game which I find so fun. I even did a no ink ribbon playthrough as Jill under three hours which gave me the infinite rocket launcher just for the heck of it LMAO. Finding that ammo you so desperately needed, a herb to refill your health, clearing out a room of enemies normally tricky to maneuver, it gives me a similar feeling to Symphony of The Night where it’s just so satisfying.
I get that the gameplay isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok. Survival Horror is a genre with very limited appeal, it just so happened to captivate me out of the gate. But I implore you, if you have interest in this game or series? Try it. Please. I put aside my initial skepticism and anxieties aside to experience this, and now it’s one of my favorite games of all time. I know this is probably a really incoherent or weird review, and that’s fine. I replayed this game twice because it’s October lol, and I plan to do so every succeeding year.
Reddish /06/ True Director's Cut
Horror has never been my forte. As someone who grew up with heavy restrictions on what media I could access, horror content has always been a roadblock for me. The gore, the heavy themes it may cover, or the general anxiety trip it may give a viewer, it always turned me away. That being said, over the years I had always heard about the fabled “Resident Evil”... a revolutionary survival horror franchise that has shaped the medium many times. Despite my fears and anxieties, something about those first four games drew my attention. In 2021 I booted up my DS emulator to play Resident Evil: Deadly Silence, an amazing port of the 1996 classic. It won me over.
The gist of the game is this: You’re an elite police squad tasked with finding survivors of a rumored incident in the Arklay Mountains. However, you and your team are tracked down by terrible dog-like creatures and driven into an abandoned mansion. Your mission? Find the whereabouts of the B.R.A.V.O team, and most importantly, survive. The rest of the story is rather subtly told through optional documents you can find scattered throughout the mansion, adding hints and context to what exactly happened in this place. It adds an uneasy atmosphere as you put the pieces of the puzzle together. Occasionally, you’ll have a cutscene interacting with one of your teammates (either Rebecca or Barry depending on who you play as). I really like this story. It’s very simple across the board, but the way it’s all connected gives so much intrigue to the average player. What are these creatures? Where do they come from? What exactly is happening in this mansion? These questions fill your head as you reluctantly open another door in the mansion, pursuing a way out of this hellish place.
Resident Evil, while a game that visually doesn’t hold up, still manages to keep an amazing atmosphere by making the player uncomfortable. The dated and low budget graphics give an uncanny feel to the visuals, always making me feel uneasy even on repeat playthroughs. There’s something about the barrenness, the lack of detail, the fear of the unknown that makes me feel this way. It’s something only enhanced by it’s inherent datedness. The save rooms have an immaculate atmosphere to them. The relaxing yet melancholy tune rings in the background while you sort out your inventory and plan out where and how you want to approach your next destination. The sequel to this game, Resident Evil 2 is one of my favorite video games of all time from a visual standpoint, but Resident Evil’s lack of production value in terms of presentation is why I love its graphics so much.
This is mixed with the unbearably awful voice acting. I don’t think I even have to elaborate on this, but yes, Resident Evil’s voice acting is atrocious. The script was already bad enough but the deliveries of LITERALLY every line feels awkward or wooden in some capacity, it’s hilarious. But in a way, it really fits the b-movie horror kind of vibe the game has. There’s the anxiety of the horror and action mixed with the inherent campiness of the writing and performances. I could go on for hours on why I love this garbage so much honestly.
And of course, there’s the gameplay. At the time of this writing I am on my SIXTH playthrough of this game, the first four times on DS, a fifth on PS1 (True Director’s Cut), and my unfinished sixth playthrough also on PS1. Resident Evil isn’t a very long game, nor a hard one… after your first playthrough. The first time I played the game I performed so poorly and took FOREVER to finish it, but I did a revisit playthrough the following October and it was so, so fun. Once you start to learn item/enemy placement, optimal routing, puzzle solutions, etc you get to absolutely DASH through the game which I find so fun. I even did a no ink ribbon playthrough as Jill under three hours which gave me the infinite rocket launcher just for the heck of it LMAO. Finding that ammo you so desperately needed, a herb to refill your health, clearing out a room of enemies normally tricky to maneuver, it gives me a similar feeling to Symphony of The Night where it’s just so satisfying.
I get that the gameplay isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok. Survival Horror is a genre with very limited appeal, it just so happened to captivate me out of the gate. But I implore you, if you have interest in this game or series? Try it. Please. I put aside my initial skepticism and anxieties aside to experience this, and now it’s one of my favorite games of all time. I know this is probably a really incoherent or weird review, and that’s fine. I replayed this game twice because it’s October lol, and I plan to do so every succeeding year.
Reddish /06/ True Director's Cut
It's the beginning of autumn. I'm done configuring a fanmade PC port of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It's 2022. Four years. It's been almost over four years since I originally played this game, on my old 2DS system. I have many memories of experiencing OOT, whether it be from it's humble but impactful story, appealing atmosphere, masterful music, and most importantly, seeing if it held up to my expectations. For 20 years (at the time), it was, and still is, one of the most critically acclaimed and important video games of all time. I remember being drawn into the world and story of the game, and it quickly became an all time favorite for my younger self. It's an experience I held near and dear to my heart, and here we are again, four years later. Would the game still be as good as I remembered it four years ago? Or would it be where my memories failed me?
There's something awe inspiring about OOT's sheer polish for the first 3D game in the series. Link controls exactly how you expect him to, he has a handy arsenal of weapons, several means of fast travel the further you get through the game, and has now dawned one of his most iconic designs in the franchise. The land of Hyrule is interconnected brilliantly through many different shortcuts and pathways that tie the cohesion of this world together, it makes it feel like a real place. There's all of these dungeons, while not very difficult in the slightest, are designed so tightly and have a satisfaction to figuring out practically anything in them. Lastly, there's the combat. While simple in terms of control and enemy variety, it works excellently, having no clunk or questionable design choices. I feel that's a great way to describe this game- it all just works. I rarely felt like "what were they thinking???", because it's put together with so much competency.
Ocarina of Time, while not exactly a game that has gracefully aged graphically, puts a lot of effort into giving a heavy atmosphere and mood. Dungeons like the Forest and Shadow temple have so much weight to their feel, especially with the dark and grueling context to the Shadow Temple's history. The lost woods has such a feeling of magical whimsy and mystique with its emphasis on guidance of music and fog. The Final Boss is still one of the most visually impressive things the N64 has EVER pushed out, with the shadows interrupted by lightning to emphasize the horror of the opponent before you, the fate of Hyrule completely on your shoulders. It's immaculate.
The story of the game isn't exactly peak fiction or excruciatingly dense, but there's just something about it that leaves a profound feeling when it's over. Throughout my revisit, I was expecting some bit of emotion due to my past experiences and how time has changed me. I felt some chills here or there from a song in the game I remember loving, sure, but it took the ending to finally break me. A pedestal with the Master Sword, sitting profoundly as it can finally be put to rest for many, many, years. The bells ring as the curtain begins to close. This time, it broke me. The feeling of four years passing finally crushed me and I had to let it out. I cried. I cried for a solid minute. It made me completely shut down as I saw the ending come to a close. But when it was all over, I felt so much better. All that stress just melted away as I knew i had truly experienced something that I loved.
It's no surprise that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a game about growing up. The game taught me this well. I've grown a lot over four years, believe it or not. After Link turns away, leaving the Master Sword behind forever to further his own life, the life he deserved, it connected with me on a much greater level. I still have a lot of things to learn and grow from, but this game definitely reached out to me, and what I'm experiencing. It's simply amazing.
It's Ocarina of Time.
There's something awe inspiring about OOT's sheer polish for the first 3D game in the series. Link controls exactly how you expect him to, he has a handy arsenal of weapons, several means of fast travel the further you get through the game, and has now dawned one of his most iconic designs in the franchise. The land of Hyrule is interconnected brilliantly through many different shortcuts and pathways that tie the cohesion of this world together, it makes it feel like a real place. There's all of these dungeons, while not very difficult in the slightest, are designed so tightly and have a satisfaction to figuring out practically anything in them. Lastly, there's the combat. While simple in terms of control and enemy variety, it works excellently, having no clunk or questionable design choices. I feel that's a great way to describe this game- it all just works. I rarely felt like "what were they thinking???", because it's put together with so much competency.
Ocarina of Time, while not exactly a game that has gracefully aged graphically, puts a lot of effort into giving a heavy atmosphere and mood. Dungeons like the Forest and Shadow temple have so much weight to their feel, especially with the dark and grueling context to the Shadow Temple's history. The lost woods has such a feeling of magical whimsy and mystique with its emphasis on guidance of music and fog. The Final Boss is still one of the most visually impressive things the N64 has EVER pushed out, with the shadows interrupted by lightning to emphasize the horror of the opponent before you, the fate of Hyrule completely on your shoulders. It's immaculate.
The story of the game isn't exactly peak fiction or excruciatingly dense, but there's just something about it that leaves a profound feeling when it's over. Throughout my revisit, I was expecting some bit of emotion due to my past experiences and how time has changed me. I felt some chills here or there from a song in the game I remember loving, sure, but it took the ending to finally break me. A pedestal with the Master Sword, sitting profoundly as it can finally be put to rest for many, many, years. The bells ring as the curtain begins to close. This time, it broke me. The feeling of four years passing finally crushed me and I had to let it out. I cried. I cried for a solid minute. It made me completely shut down as I saw the ending come to a close. But when it was all over, I felt so much better. All that stress just melted away as I knew i had truly experienced something that I loved.
It's no surprise that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a game about growing up. The game taught me this well. I've grown a lot over four years, believe it or not. After Link turns away, leaving the Master Sword behind forever to further his own life, the life he deserved, it connected with me on a much greater level. I still have a lot of things to learn and grow from, but this game definitely reached out to me, and what I'm experiencing. It's simply amazing.
It's Ocarina of Time.
Yakuza 2
2006
AS A MAN, AS A BROTHER
The second and last of the PS2 Yakuza games, Yakuza 2 completely improved upon what the first game established to a T. EVERYTHING has been polished here, the story is more complex but comprehensible, the combat was given polish, there’s more side content, more music, and little quality of life improvements here or there. Unfortunately due to my schedule I wasn’t able to play through this game as consistently as I had for the first game, but regardless I had a great time.
Yakuza 2 expands on the first game, not only in a gameplay sense, but in a narrative sense too. The pre-established themes about not running away from your past and the importance of family isn’t redone to a redundant degree, but feels like a natural progression from its predecessor. Kiryu’s character is pushed to his absolute limit here and his relationship with Kaoru helps further that. The third act of the game exemplifies these themes to a huge degree and sets up for a fantastic finale. I won’t spoil anything, but I do have to say that this game’s story has more variables and factors going on than Yakuza 1, but it’s still fairly comprehensible and easy to get invested in. Of course, the big highlight of this game is the antagonist Ryuji Goda, who is a really entertaining character who constantly has you wondering what he will be up to next, and remains a consistent threat.
However, another important factor as to why I love this game so much is the combat. Yakuza 1’s combat, while good, was rather clunky and could be a bit stupid to work with at times. The sequel pretty much removes the clunk and, like I said with the story, builds upon what was established without fail. Kiryu can now turn mid combo, the heat moves are WAY more brutal and aggressive than before, and generally combat is more dynamic. As HyperBitHero said in his Yakuza video from like 7 years ago, the combat in this game feels very arcade-like and it’s super fun. If I had to give a little flack to fights though… it’s the over reliance on QTEs. The timing for these are WAY too strict, and at first I thought it was just input lag on my emula- I mean PlayStation™ 2 console. But to my shock, I wasn’t the only person to have this issue. Having to mash out of a grab absolutely SUCKS and most of the time I didn’t do it successfully.
The boss fights are great. Some of them can be a bit stupid with the QTE nonsense, but I feel that they are tricky yet satisfying to conquer. I died in this game a LOT more than in my playthrough of the first game, they can get pretty tough! My favorite boss in the game is probably the one that is from Yakuza 1, but now has been expanded in terms of moveset alongside the polished combat working much better for it.
Content-wise, there is much, much more to do here. The added Osaka district is great, and while much smaller than Kamurocho, still offers a lot to do, and has a VERY different atmosphere. Substories have been improved, and you can now check the menu to see which you have or have not completed. In the end, I can really see why this game’s file size is so huge, there’s so much packed in here that it’s insane.
The presentation is also a step up from before. Loading into battles have more dynamic text intros with a snazzy font as a cherry on top. The cutscene direction is also well composed and has a lot of great shots that make it feel like a real movie. The atmosphere of both Kamurocho and Osaka is still unrivaled to the rest of the PS2 library, and for good reason. Lastly, the music here is fantastic. I still prefer a couple tracks from the first game, but come on this soundtrack bangs, no questions asked.
Yakuza 2 is not only an amazing sequel, but just an amazing game period. Absolutely everything packed into this game I love, and as a result it has cemented Yakuza as one of my all time favorite video game franchises, which says a lot considering I am only two entries into it. I’d like to thank pretty much all my friends who recommended this or gave me interest in this series, as it’s already given me so many amazing experiences. Yakuza 3, while not that well received, I still anticipate greatly, and I’ll be excited to share my thoughts on that one when the time comes, that’s for certain.
The second and last of the PS2 Yakuza games, Yakuza 2 completely improved upon what the first game established to a T. EVERYTHING has been polished here, the story is more complex but comprehensible, the combat was given polish, there’s more side content, more music, and little quality of life improvements here or there. Unfortunately due to my schedule I wasn’t able to play through this game as consistently as I had for the first game, but regardless I had a great time.
Yakuza 2 expands on the first game, not only in a gameplay sense, but in a narrative sense too. The pre-established themes about not running away from your past and the importance of family isn’t redone to a redundant degree, but feels like a natural progression from its predecessor. Kiryu’s character is pushed to his absolute limit here and his relationship with Kaoru helps further that. The third act of the game exemplifies these themes to a huge degree and sets up for a fantastic finale. I won’t spoil anything, but I do have to say that this game’s story has more variables and factors going on than Yakuza 1, but it’s still fairly comprehensible and easy to get invested in. Of course, the big highlight of this game is the antagonist Ryuji Goda, who is a really entertaining character who constantly has you wondering what he will be up to next, and remains a consistent threat.
However, another important factor as to why I love this game so much is the combat. Yakuza 1’s combat, while good, was rather clunky and could be a bit stupid to work with at times. The sequel pretty much removes the clunk and, like I said with the story, builds upon what was established without fail. Kiryu can now turn mid combo, the heat moves are WAY more brutal and aggressive than before, and generally combat is more dynamic. As HyperBitHero said in his Yakuza video from like 7 years ago, the combat in this game feels very arcade-like and it’s super fun. If I had to give a little flack to fights though… it’s the over reliance on QTEs. The timing for these are WAY too strict, and at first I thought it was just input lag on my emula- I mean PlayStation™ 2 console. But to my shock, I wasn’t the only person to have this issue. Having to mash out of a grab absolutely SUCKS and most of the time I didn’t do it successfully.
The boss fights are great. Some of them can be a bit stupid with the QTE nonsense, but I feel that they are tricky yet satisfying to conquer. I died in this game a LOT more than in my playthrough of the first game, they can get pretty tough! My favorite boss in the game is probably the one that is from Yakuza 1, but now has been expanded in terms of moveset alongside the polished combat working much better for it.
Content-wise, there is much, much more to do here. The added Osaka district is great, and while much smaller than Kamurocho, still offers a lot to do, and has a VERY different atmosphere. Substories have been improved, and you can now check the menu to see which you have or have not completed. In the end, I can really see why this game’s file size is so huge, there’s so much packed in here that it’s insane.
The presentation is also a step up from before. Loading into battles have more dynamic text intros with a snazzy font as a cherry on top. The cutscene direction is also well composed and has a lot of great shots that make it feel like a real movie. The atmosphere of both Kamurocho and Osaka is still unrivaled to the rest of the PS2 library, and for good reason. Lastly, the music here is fantastic. I still prefer a couple tracks from the first game, but come on this soundtrack bangs, no questions asked.
Yakuza 2 is not only an amazing sequel, but just an amazing game period. Absolutely everything packed into this game I love, and as a result it has cemented Yakuza as one of my all time favorite video game franchises, which says a lot considering I am only two entries into it. I’d like to thank pretty much all my friends who recommended this or gave me interest in this series, as it’s already given me so many amazing experiences. Yakuza 3, while not that well received, I still anticipate greatly, and I’ll be excited to share my thoughts on that one when the time comes, that’s for certain.
Mega Man X4
1997
I've replayed this game too many times, with practically every playthrough I've done never been recorded until a couple months ago. I can't even tell you what the playthrough total is, because I simply just play, but it’s close to 20 or more. Megaman X4, a game I originally thought was good and nothing else, now an absolute gem of borderline perfection in my eyes.
Dramatic opener aside, I love this game obviously lol. It's one of the hardest games to write about for me, because it's a game I don't even know how to explain my affinity for. I wanted to make some huge emotional review about why this is amazing and changed my life alongside some quote in reference to the game. That's what I did for Final Fantasy VII after all, my favorite game of all time. But nah, instead I'm just gonna shill the hell out of this game to you readers.
X4 is one of the most well paced platformers out there with enemy and level design made for dashing through at blistering speed. Many of your opponents you can kill rather quickly with good precision or just jump over entirely to keep up a consistent momentum. I don’t speedrun games, but for this one I borderline do. These level layouts I’ve seen tens of times I find new ways to traverse even quicker, and there’s an immense satisfaction of doing so. You’d think after playing it so much I’d get burnt out, but I really don't. None of these levels are bad.
Of course, if you pick Zero, there’s a whole other strategy to this game. Your offense is much greater and quicker, but much riskier and you have weaker defense to compensate. Zero also has to deal with one of the trickier bosses in the game, that being Iris. I find his campaign to be a much more rewarding experience than X because of the increased difficulty, and he’s my preference when it comes to replays. X is still very fun, of course, but his gameplay pace isn’t as fast as Zero.
The production values for this title seem to be pretty high. The anime FMVs and gameplay environments, sprites etc. are loaded with detail. I’m a sucker for 90’s anime aesthetic and the FMVs here deliver, grain and desaturation intact, amazing. The environments are all colorful and vibrant. While I did like the SNES sprites, the hardware shift gave X4 a overhaul to X and Zero’s sprite sets, which in my opinion was for the better. The proportions are a bit weirder, sure, but that’s what I admire honestly. There’s the maverick intro screens with these gradients at the top and bottom, which look kind of dated but it’s all good. Overall this game just seeps with elements of 90’s aesthetic in many areas, and looks great even to this day.
I’m gonna be real with you, I don’t care about the story in Megaman games outside of Zero, Legends, and the RPGs. Love the characters, but I do not take these plots seriously. X4 has a hilariously stupid and convoluted plot which is funny but I find discussion of it rather grating, as I’m more focused on the having fun part. If you like plot discussion, I respect your opinion, but I’m not covering it here. Sorry.
That being said, X4 has a different atmosphere than the earlier games. I think the music is a major contributor here, it’s not as rock focused as X1-X3. In fact, it doesn’t really have any rock inspired music, aside from a handful of tracks. The CD quality audio soundtrack puts more of an emphasis on synthesizers and electronic instrumentation. It feels more like the music is going for an emotional angle, which is interesting. I don’t know if I’d say it’s my favorite Megaman soundtrack, but it’s definitely up there.
If you haven’t played this game already, you owe it to yourself to at least once. Megaman X4 is an entertaining, accessible platformer that has stayed relevant even 25 years later. It’s stayed in my head for over two years, and I don’t plan on letting it go out anytime ever. I’ve had countless experiences discussing my passion for this game with friends and other fans online, and it fills me with joy every time. If you, the reader, ever get to playing it, I hope your experience was even as good as mine.
NOTE: pls change the box art back to the japanese cover it looks way better bruh
Dramatic opener aside, I love this game obviously lol. It's one of the hardest games to write about for me, because it's a game I don't even know how to explain my affinity for. I wanted to make some huge emotional review about why this is amazing and changed my life alongside some quote in reference to the game. That's what I did for Final Fantasy VII after all, my favorite game of all time. But nah, instead I'm just gonna shill the hell out of this game to you readers.
X4 is one of the most well paced platformers out there with enemy and level design made for dashing through at blistering speed. Many of your opponents you can kill rather quickly with good precision or just jump over entirely to keep up a consistent momentum. I don’t speedrun games, but for this one I borderline do. These level layouts I’ve seen tens of times I find new ways to traverse even quicker, and there’s an immense satisfaction of doing so. You’d think after playing it so much I’d get burnt out, but I really don't. None of these levels are bad.
Of course, if you pick Zero, there’s a whole other strategy to this game. Your offense is much greater and quicker, but much riskier and you have weaker defense to compensate. Zero also has to deal with one of the trickier bosses in the game, that being Iris. I find his campaign to be a much more rewarding experience than X because of the increased difficulty, and he’s my preference when it comes to replays. X is still very fun, of course, but his gameplay pace isn’t as fast as Zero.
The production values for this title seem to be pretty high. The anime FMVs and gameplay environments, sprites etc. are loaded with detail. I’m a sucker for 90’s anime aesthetic and the FMVs here deliver, grain and desaturation intact, amazing. The environments are all colorful and vibrant. While I did like the SNES sprites, the hardware shift gave X4 a overhaul to X and Zero’s sprite sets, which in my opinion was for the better. The proportions are a bit weirder, sure, but that’s what I admire honestly. There’s the maverick intro screens with these gradients at the top and bottom, which look kind of dated but it’s all good. Overall this game just seeps with elements of 90’s aesthetic in many areas, and looks great even to this day.
I’m gonna be real with you, I don’t care about the story in Megaman games outside of Zero, Legends, and the RPGs. Love the characters, but I do not take these plots seriously. X4 has a hilariously stupid and convoluted plot which is funny but I find discussion of it rather grating, as I’m more focused on the having fun part. If you like plot discussion, I respect your opinion, but I’m not covering it here. Sorry.
That being said, X4 has a different atmosphere than the earlier games. I think the music is a major contributor here, it’s not as rock focused as X1-X3. In fact, it doesn’t really have any rock inspired music, aside from a handful of tracks. The CD quality audio soundtrack puts more of an emphasis on synthesizers and electronic instrumentation. It feels more like the music is going for an emotional angle, which is interesting. I don’t know if I’d say it’s my favorite Megaman soundtrack, but it’s definitely up there.
If you haven’t played this game already, you owe it to yourself to at least once. Megaman X4 is an entertaining, accessible platformer that has stayed relevant even 25 years later. It’s stayed in my head for over two years, and I don’t plan on letting it go out anytime ever. I’ve had countless experiences discussing my passion for this game with friends and other fans online, and it fills me with joy every time. If you, the reader, ever get to playing it, I hope your experience was even as good as mine.
NOTE: pls change the box art back to the japanese cover it looks way better bruh
"There's no reason to play this game when Alpha 2 exists"
That's so true! But honestly I still play this game anyway. Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams was pretty much the game to kickstart a whole era of Capcom fighting games alongside Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors. The game introduced a new visual style to the franchise, emphasizing a more anime-like look. It added Alpha counters, more refined chain combos, multi-level super combos, and air blocking. Even with this game being the first to introduce these concepts, I still feel that this entry has a lot of polish to it.
The roster is smaller compared to Super Street Fighter II Turbo, yes, but it's still a fair amount considering every character has been redrawn, including some veterans from Street Fighter (1987) and Final Fight (1989). We also were introduced to the top-tier all powerful shoto to ever shoto, Dan Hibiki, who is a VERY subtle jab at SNK's Ryo Sakazaki. M.Bison and Akuma/Gouki are also present as secret characters and bosses.
It's so funny that this game basically exists because of the Street Fighter II movie of all things. You can see a poster for the film in Ryu's stage, alongside Ryu and Ken's designs being adjusted to look like the flashback scene from the movie. There's a hidden "dramatic battle" mode where Ryu & Ken face M. Bison, and in the Japanese version the music playing is LITERALLY the final battle song, "Itoshisato Setsunasato Kokoro Tsuyosato". This might seem like criticism, but honestly I LOVE this stuff, especially as someone who enjoyed the source material.
Alpha 1 however does have some content technically not in later games. Like I said, there's three hidden boss fights, and the dramatic battle mode, both of which are nice secrets to unlock. NONE of the stages in this game would return in Alpha 2/3 which sucks, especially the loss of the one that is an obvious homage to the Chuck Norris vs Bruce Lee fight. The PS1/Saturn versions also have a jazzy arranged soundtrack that didn't come back in Alpha 2 either.
In my opinion, ignoring a game's existence because something better exists is unfortunate. I like to revisit "games that aren't worth playing anymore" because I respect the legacy and integrity of these titles. Yes, they get improved upon eventually so later entries body it, but I honestly don't care? I will continue to play games/ports of games "not worth playing anymore" for as long as I live. At the end of the day I still prefer Alpha 2/3, but I still LOVE this game regardless. It's a classic.
EDIT: this cover is horrendous. PLEASE change it to the JP cover in some form IGDB ARRRGHHHHH (https://www.mobygames.com/game/playstation/street-fighter-alpha-warriors-dreams/cover-art/gameCoverId,272932/)
That's so true! But honestly I still play this game anyway. Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams was pretty much the game to kickstart a whole era of Capcom fighting games alongside Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors. The game introduced a new visual style to the franchise, emphasizing a more anime-like look. It added Alpha counters, more refined chain combos, multi-level super combos, and air blocking. Even with this game being the first to introduce these concepts, I still feel that this entry has a lot of polish to it.
The roster is smaller compared to Super Street Fighter II Turbo, yes, but it's still a fair amount considering every character has been redrawn, including some veterans from Street Fighter (1987) and Final Fight (1989). We also were introduced to the top-tier all powerful shoto to ever shoto, Dan Hibiki, who is a VERY subtle jab at SNK's Ryo Sakazaki. M.Bison and Akuma/Gouki are also present as secret characters and bosses.
It's so funny that this game basically exists because of the Street Fighter II movie of all things. You can see a poster for the film in Ryu's stage, alongside Ryu and Ken's designs being adjusted to look like the flashback scene from the movie. There's a hidden "dramatic battle" mode where Ryu & Ken face M. Bison, and in the Japanese version the music playing is LITERALLY the final battle song, "Itoshisato Setsunasato Kokoro Tsuyosato". This might seem like criticism, but honestly I LOVE this stuff, especially as someone who enjoyed the source material.
Alpha 1 however does have some content technically not in later games. Like I said, there's three hidden boss fights, and the dramatic battle mode, both of which are nice secrets to unlock. NONE of the stages in this game would return in Alpha 2/3 which sucks, especially the loss of the one that is an obvious homage to the Chuck Norris vs Bruce Lee fight. The PS1/Saturn versions also have a jazzy arranged soundtrack that didn't come back in Alpha 2 either.
In my opinion, ignoring a game's existence because something better exists is unfortunate. I like to revisit "games that aren't worth playing anymore" because I respect the legacy and integrity of these titles. Yes, they get improved upon eventually so later entries body it, but I honestly don't care? I will continue to play games/ports of games "not worth playing anymore" for as long as I live. At the end of the day I still prefer Alpha 2/3, but I still LOVE this game regardless. It's a classic.
EDIT: this cover is horrendous. PLEASE change it to the JP cover in some form IGDB ARRRGHHHHH (https://www.mobygames.com/game/playstation/street-fighter-alpha-warriors-dreams/cover-art/gameCoverId,272932/)
Big thanks to my bro Josh_The_Fourth for mailing this to me!
I actually don't have too much to say on this collection, but regardless it kinda rocks! The best version of SFII and a very competent port of Third Strike, alongside a (heavily edited) cut of one of the coolest video game movies are included. You could say that overall, this was a lazy release, which is fair. It's two pre-existing PS2 ports of these games bundled together with a movie slapped into it to add more value. However, just playing this gave me a smile on my face. Both games have the arrange soundtrack option which are awesome, and are faithfully ported.
Playing Third Strike with a DualShock 2 while seeing that blurry image on my TV gave me such a feeling, a feeling of something I never experienced: a pizza night hangout with friends, playing the game against each other in turns, just pure casualty and fun. That's not really something you can replicate anymore, and despite the fact that I felt I was missing out on such a thing, the thought of it made me feel happy. It made me think of the awesomeness that communities for fighting games can have, both past and present, and it makes me look forward to trying to join one someday.
This is less of a review and more of me having some weird existential feeling about a video game collection from 19 years ago, but it made playing this feel worth it for the joy it gives me alone. Third Strike is a game I want to write up on eventually, and this definitely helped, that's for sure.
I actually don't have too much to say on this collection, but regardless it kinda rocks! The best version of SFII and a very competent port of Third Strike, alongside a (heavily edited) cut of one of the coolest video game movies are included. You could say that overall, this was a lazy release, which is fair. It's two pre-existing PS2 ports of these games bundled together with a movie slapped into it to add more value. However, just playing this gave me a smile on my face. Both games have the arrange soundtrack option which are awesome, and are faithfully ported.
Playing Third Strike with a DualShock 2 while seeing that blurry image on my TV gave me such a feeling, a feeling of something I never experienced: a pizza night hangout with friends, playing the game against each other in turns, just pure casualty and fun. That's not really something you can replicate anymore, and despite the fact that I felt I was missing out on such a thing, the thought of it made me feel happy. It made me think of the awesomeness that communities for fighting games can have, both past and present, and it makes me look forward to trying to join one someday.
This is less of a review and more of me having some weird existential feeling about a video game collection from 19 years ago, but it made playing this feel worth it for the joy it gives me alone. Third Strike is a game I want to write up on eventually, and this definitely helped, that's for sure.
Fighting games are a divisive genre in video games. Many people directly avoid them because of the learning curve or sometimes toxic communities. I used to feel this way about the genre. That being said, one day I saw the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection on sale and decided to pick it up. I had started to become a Capcom fanboy at the time, and Street Fighter was somewhat inevitable thing I had to experience. I thought it would be fun!
This game was so, so hard for me. I always say that I'm mediocre at fighting games, but when I started this game up I was absolutely awful. I didn't know how to do inputs correctly, I didn't understand many basics of fighting games, I basically just winged it and pressed buttons. It was pathetic, and I even thought it was just the game being harder then it actually was. But, eventually, I started to figure things out. Street Fighter became my hyperfixation, with my obsession becoming a joke within my online friend group. It was a fun summer.
Yeah, this game is great. Movement is fluid, it's easy and fun to experiment with move cancelling and seeing the variety of combos to play with. The hidden custom combo system is an entire extra level of complexity to the game and it's absolutely broken in many ways. I love the roster, graphics, music, everything. It's always stuck with me.
Sakura Kasugano was the first character I ever picked when playing this game, and it's stayed that way since. She's remained my fighting game comfort character, because what isn't there to love? She's an upbeat, peppy highschooler who reaches out to challenge and learn from her personal idol. She's a fan favorite for a reason, her energetic and adorable animations and voice clips are timeless and memorable.
I love playing this game with friends, even with our different skill levels it's just such a blast. With the matches being so engaging and short I can never tire of it. If anything, losing is just a learning experience for me to improve slowly to become a World Warrior myself. And that's just an appeal of fighting games for me. You aren't gonna start out great, but dedicating the time to master your abilities feels great to earn. I've even considered learning this game competitively, it's that fun.
This game is what started my interest in fighting games. It's still one of THE most important video games in my life, as cliche as that may sound. Whenever I see that opening start up with Akuma in the flames, man I just know I'm in it for the time of my life. I may prefer KOF in a lot of ways to Street Fighter, but I don't think this game will ever be forgotten by me.
It's fun, it's charming, it's memorable, it's fantastical.
It's Street Fighter Alpha 2.
This game was so, so hard for me. I always say that I'm mediocre at fighting games, but when I started this game up I was absolutely awful. I didn't know how to do inputs correctly, I didn't understand many basics of fighting games, I basically just winged it and pressed buttons. It was pathetic, and I even thought it was just the game being harder then it actually was. But, eventually, I started to figure things out. Street Fighter became my hyperfixation, with my obsession becoming a joke within my online friend group. It was a fun summer.
Yeah, this game is great. Movement is fluid, it's easy and fun to experiment with move cancelling and seeing the variety of combos to play with. The hidden custom combo system is an entire extra level of complexity to the game and it's absolutely broken in many ways. I love the roster, graphics, music, everything. It's always stuck with me.
Sakura Kasugano was the first character I ever picked when playing this game, and it's stayed that way since. She's remained my fighting game comfort character, because what isn't there to love? She's an upbeat, peppy highschooler who reaches out to challenge and learn from her personal idol. She's a fan favorite for a reason, her energetic and adorable animations and voice clips are timeless and memorable.
I love playing this game with friends, even with our different skill levels it's just such a blast. With the matches being so engaging and short I can never tire of it. If anything, losing is just a learning experience for me to improve slowly to become a World Warrior myself. And that's just an appeal of fighting games for me. You aren't gonna start out great, but dedicating the time to master your abilities feels great to earn. I've even considered learning this game competitively, it's that fun.
This game is what started my interest in fighting games. It's still one of THE most important video games in my life, as cliche as that may sound. Whenever I see that opening start up with Akuma in the flames, man I just know I'm in it for the time of my life. I may prefer KOF in a lot of ways to Street Fighter, but I don't think this game will ever be forgotten by me.
It's fun, it's charming, it's memorable, it's fantastical.
It's Street Fighter Alpha 2.
Yakuza
2005
ROLLING EYES FALL
The original Yakuza is a neat little game with themes about family and not running away from your destiny. It's an often disregarded game by the fanbase, due to many "aged" aspects such as the combat and English dub. Many fans recommended I start with Yakuza 0, but I defied expectations and went with the original, as suggested by my bestie Josh_The_Fourth. That, alongside the recent undub mod that released, gave me the drive to give this series a shot, and I don't regret it one bit.
Yakuza has a pretty cool story that makes the game feel like an interactive crime drama. It's not necessarily a deep plot, but it doesn't need to be. The story still supplies plenty of plot twists along the way, and has a great message about family, one of the best examples being Date's character arc. Being paced rather well, I was constantly on my toes wanting to see what happened next, even a few scenes towards the end really pulled my heartstrings. It also helps that the voice acting I picked is really good, I don't know a lick of Japanese but every emotion is conveyed in such a great way. I especially have to give props to Kiryu's voice actor, who is a character you'd think is the generic tough guy protagonist, but he really has a soft side, and his deliveries are fantastic. Once again, while not entirely deep, I love Yakuza's plot and characters.
The combat is always the biggest complaint against Yakuza 1, and I won't defend it entirely to be honest. There's alot of clunk, the lock on sucks, and at times it can be repetitive. However... damnit this combat is just so goofy and kinetic! I love just wiping the floor with petty yakuzas who are just out for my wallet, especially when seeing the pretty hard hitting heat attacks. Enemies with guns are honestly the worst, and in my opinion the lowest point for enemy variety in this game. The bosses aren't necessarily fantastic, but the Majima fights and the final boss are actually kinda great!
Man, this game's atmosphere and presentation though. Kamurocho is a very small hub world overall, but the amount of detail and, dare I say SOUL, is amazing. The fixed cameras of the city help accentuate the scale and detail the city contains, becoming one of the most visually striking games I've seen from the PS2. The cutscenes are well directed with good quality models and animations to accompany the important moments you'll be viewing. Lastly, the soundtrack for this game I adore. It's a rather small ost overall, but damn when music IS playing it absolutely goes hard, especially the battle themes. The emphasis on hard rock and electronica(?) just evokes such a cool feeling that sends me straight back to the 2000's (in a good way.)
Yakuza is definitely a flawed experience, but I had a blast playing this. I've known about the series for nearly 2 years now, but I just never bothered playing them. And now here we are, and I am in love. Can I recommend the original Yakuza? That is a hard question. If you play exclusively modern games, I probably can't, but if you can step out of that comfort zone maybe you'll have something to like! Luckily Yakuza isn't a terribly long game (I finished it with 12 hours of play time), nor is it very difficult with a few exceptions.
Overall, I give this game a nine out of TEN YEARS IN THE JOINT MADE YOU A F-
The original Yakuza is a neat little game with themes about family and not running away from your destiny. It's an often disregarded game by the fanbase, due to many "aged" aspects such as the combat and English dub. Many fans recommended I start with Yakuza 0, but I defied expectations and went with the original, as suggested by my bestie Josh_The_Fourth. That, alongside the recent undub mod that released, gave me the drive to give this series a shot, and I don't regret it one bit.
Yakuza has a pretty cool story that makes the game feel like an interactive crime drama. It's not necessarily a deep plot, but it doesn't need to be. The story still supplies plenty of plot twists along the way, and has a great message about family, one of the best examples being Date's character arc. Being paced rather well, I was constantly on my toes wanting to see what happened next, even a few scenes towards the end really pulled my heartstrings. It also helps that the voice acting I picked is really good, I don't know a lick of Japanese but every emotion is conveyed in such a great way. I especially have to give props to Kiryu's voice actor, who is a character you'd think is the generic tough guy protagonist, but he really has a soft side, and his deliveries are fantastic. Once again, while not entirely deep, I love Yakuza's plot and characters.
The combat is always the biggest complaint against Yakuza 1, and I won't defend it entirely to be honest. There's alot of clunk, the lock on sucks, and at times it can be repetitive. However... damnit this combat is just so goofy and kinetic! I love just wiping the floor with petty yakuzas who are just out for my wallet, especially when seeing the pretty hard hitting heat attacks. Enemies with guns are honestly the worst, and in my opinion the lowest point for enemy variety in this game. The bosses aren't necessarily fantastic, but the Majima fights and the final boss are actually kinda great!
Man, this game's atmosphere and presentation though. Kamurocho is a very small hub world overall, but the amount of detail and, dare I say SOUL, is amazing. The fixed cameras of the city help accentuate the scale and detail the city contains, becoming one of the most visually striking games I've seen from the PS2. The cutscenes are well directed with good quality models and animations to accompany the important moments you'll be viewing. Lastly, the soundtrack for this game I adore. It's a rather small ost overall, but damn when music IS playing it absolutely goes hard, especially the battle themes. The emphasis on hard rock and electronica(?) just evokes such a cool feeling that sends me straight back to the 2000's (in a good way.)
Yakuza is definitely a flawed experience, but I had a blast playing this. I've known about the series for nearly 2 years now, but I just never bothered playing them. And now here we are, and I am in love. Can I recommend the original Yakuza? That is a hard question. If you play exclusively modern games, I probably can't, but if you can step out of that comfort zone maybe you'll have something to like! Luckily Yakuza isn't a terribly long game (I finished it with 12 hours of play time), nor is it very difficult with a few exceptions.
Overall, I give this game a nine out of TEN YEARS IN THE JOINT MADE YOU A F-
The Orochi Saga - Chapter 3
And so the first saga of KOF comes to a close with The King Of Fighters '97. This is the one. This is the KOF game that actually made me invested in this franchise. After KOF '95 being enjoyable to me but lacking an impact, I played '97 during an eShop sale and I was hooked. The gameplay was just.. so smooth, and the visuals were very pretty. Even now I still love this game, and here are my thoughts on it:
This game is where the "advanced" gauge originated from, and damnit I love this mechanic. For the cost of one meter stock you can temporarily deal more damage with attacks, and you can also pull off a stronger version of your super move during this mode, as long as you still have 1 or more bar stocks available. Having multiple gauge tiers caught my attention when I first played this because it reminded me of the 3 level meter in most Capcom games, except now there's more strategy to it! About everything else in this game is identical to '96 but the change to the meter system makes the pace much faster and smoother for me.
I really love the stages here. KOF '97 definitely has more emphasis on warmer colours for its stages, and while I normally prefer cool colours, this is neat. Many of them make me think of a hot summer afternoon, it's a weird almost comfy feeling for me. The best stage is obviously the one for the sub-boss, especially with the music and intensity the arena has as the battle goes on.
KOF '97 goes for a much more atmospheric approach, and as a result many characters do not have musical themes, with a few exceptions being Kyo, Iori, the New Faces team, and Athena, for example. So when the game has music, is it good? I'd say so. Esaka Forever, Cool Jam ~ Arashi No Saxophone 3 and Psycho Soldier Remix '97 were my favorites for this soundtrack. The arrange ost here is... mixed to say the least. Tracks like Rhythmic Hallucination have this annoying static moment which completely stops the song which is rather grating. The remix of Esaka Forever has some rather cheap sounding instruments here or there. But I still like the arrange ost don't get me wrong.
This is an amazing story for a fighting game. The added lore for characters like Leona is very much appreciated, and I like how she is integrated into the storyline. For the true ending you'll need to compose the Sacred Treasures team (Kyo, Iori, Chiziru), so keep that in mind. The atmosphere here is just enthralling, especially during the sub-sub-boss (yes this game has 3 scripted fights in the arcade ladder). This is another plot I don't want to spoil, definitely play these games to see how everything turns out.
I love KOF '97. It's what made me actually care about this series and the characters. This is a KOF game I can easily come back to, anyday. Even the final boss isn't overly difficult, as long as the AI isn't aggressive. It's a fantastic ending to the first arc of this series, and it deserves to still be praised today.
I'm going to take a bit of a break doing KOF reviews so that they don't end up becoming forced and stale, but don't worry I'll definitely do a NESTS Chronicles retrospective. Please be patient. That being said, thank you for reading this review, and see you next time!
And so the first saga of KOF comes to a close with The King Of Fighters '97. This is the one. This is the KOF game that actually made me invested in this franchise. After KOF '95 being enjoyable to me but lacking an impact, I played '97 during an eShop sale and I was hooked. The gameplay was just.. so smooth, and the visuals were very pretty. Even now I still love this game, and here are my thoughts on it:
This game is where the "advanced" gauge originated from, and damnit I love this mechanic. For the cost of one meter stock you can temporarily deal more damage with attacks, and you can also pull off a stronger version of your super move during this mode, as long as you still have 1 or more bar stocks available. Having multiple gauge tiers caught my attention when I first played this because it reminded me of the 3 level meter in most Capcom games, except now there's more strategy to it! About everything else in this game is identical to '96 but the change to the meter system makes the pace much faster and smoother for me.
I really love the stages here. KOF '97 definitely has more emphasis on warmer colours for its stages, and while I normally prefer cool colours, this is neat. Many of them make me think of a hot summer afternoon, it's a weird almost comfy feeling for me. The best stage is obviously the one for the sub-boss, especially with the music and intensity the arena has as the battle goes on.
KOF '97 goes for a much more atmospheric approach, and as a result many characters do not have musical themes, with a few exceptions being Kyo, Iori, the New Faces team, and Athena, for example. So when the game has music, is it good? I'd say so. Esaka Forever, Cool Jam ~ Arashi No Saxophone 3 and Psycho Soldier Remix '97 were my favorites for this soundtrack. The arrange ost here is... mixed to say the least. Tracks like Rhythmic Hallucination have this annoying static moment which completely stops the song which is rather grating. The remix of Esaka Forever has some rather cheap sounding instruments here or there. But I still like the arrange ost don't get me wrong.
This is an amazing story for a fighting game. The added lore for characters like Leona is very much appreciated, and I like how she is integrated into the storyline. For the true ending you'll need to compose the Sacred Treasures team (Kyo, Iori, Chiziru), so keep that in mind. The atmosphere here is just enthralling, especially during the sub-sub-boss (yes this game has 3 scripted fights in the arcade ladder). This is another plot I don't want to spoil, definitely play these games to see how everything turns out.
I love KOF '97. It's what made me actually care about this series and the characters. This is a KOF game I can easily come back to, anyday. Even the final boss isn't overly difficult, as long as the AI isn't aggressive. It's a fantastic ending to the first arc of this series, and it deserves to still be praised today.
I'm going to take a bit of a break doing KOF reviews so that they don't end up becoming forced and stale, but don't worry I'll definitely do a NESTS Chronicles retrospective. Please be patient. That being said, thank you for reading this review, and see you next time!
Yep, that was definitely the first KOF game.
It seems almost any early fighting game franchise starts with a rather rough first entry, and KOF is no exception. That being said, I don't think that KOF '94 is a bad game compared to many other first attempts in this genre.
KOF '94 is very basic with it's gameplay. The only notable things here being you can sidestep (light punch + light kick) which is mainly helpful for dodging projectiles, and you can also charge your super meter. Gaining meter in this game is rather weird, you can get it from blocking attacks or charging it yourself. When you reach low health and your bar flashes red, no matter where your meter is you have access to as many supers as you want, which sounds broken but against the computer it really isn't.
The main thing I like about this game is the presentation. Oh my God this game looks fantastic. Each stage has this opening transition which is really appealing, the psuedo-3D wall in the Mexico stage being my favorite. The character sprites look rather goofy compared to what KOF '96-'03 would establish, but since this is the first entry it makes sense for the art style to look a bit experimental. A visually fantastic game even all these years later.
But man, this game's soundtrack. The arcade ost is pretty good, but the arranged soundtrack? Pure bliss on my ears. For an early CD quality audio video game soundtrack, the actual instruments and such used here sound fantastic, and I believe are real instruments. It's a soundtrack that unexplainably gives me joy and other emotions, please experience it for yourself. The sound design is fascinating too, games on the Neogeo always had this satisfying crunch to it, and this game is a perfect example.
The main turnoff for this game is the difficulty. The AI even on the easiest setting can be absolutely atrocious, and you're locked to teams in this game, meaning you can't create your preferred setup. Some characters may give you more trouble then others, but it's when Rugal steps in that fairness is thrown out the window. Now, if you just crouch block and occasionally attack during his first phase, you'll do entirely fine. But that second phase is a total nightmare. I got extremely lucky and was able to time him out by being very careful with my sidesteps from his projectiles and retaliated accordingly. Some people can take up to an hour on this guy which I can't even imagine suffering through.
And so those are my main thoughts on KOF '94. KOF is undoubtedly one of my favorite video game series, and seeing its roots is fascinating. I would not recommend this game to any casual player, but if you're a decently big fan of the series, you owe it to yourself to beat '94 Rugal at least once.
To everyone who has been supporting my reviews, I give my greatest thanks. I never thought I'd make it this far and I hope that you'll continue to enjoy my reviews. Once again, thank you for reading, and I'll see you when I review The King Of Fighters '95.
It seems almost any early fighting game franchise starts with a rather rough first entry, and KOF is no exception. That being said, I don't think that KOF '94 is a bad game compared to many other first attempts in this genre.
KOF '94 is very basic with it's gameplay. The only notable things here being you can sidestep (light punch + light kick) which is mainly helpful for dodging projectiles, and you can also charge your super meter. Gaining meter in this game is rather weird, you can get it from blocking attacks or charging it yourself. When you reach low health and your bar flashes red, no matter where your meter is you have access to as many supers as you want, which sounds broken but against the computer it really isn't.
The main thing I like about this game is the presentation. Oh my God this game looks fantastic. Each stage has this opening transition which is really appealing, the psuedo-3D wall in the Mexico stage being my favorite. The character sprites look rather goofy compared to what KOF '96-'03 would establish, but since this is the first entry it makes sense for the art style to look a bit experimental. A visually fantastic game even all these years later.
But man, this game's soundtrack. The arcade ost is pretty good, but the arranged soundtrack? Pure bliss on my ears. For an early CD quality audio video game soundtrack, the actual instruments and such used here sound fantastic, and I believe are real instruments. It's a soundtrack that unexplainably gives me joy and other emotions, please experience it for yourself. The sound design is fascinating too, games on the Neogeo always had this satisfying crunch to it, and this game is a perfect example.
The main turnoff for this game is the difficulty. The AI even on the easiest setting can be absolutely atrocious, and you're locked to teams in this game, meaning you can't create your preferred setup. Some characters may give you more trouble then others, but it's when Rugal steps in that fairness is thrown out the window. Now, if you just crouch block and occasionally attack during his first phase, you'll do entirely fine. But that second phase is a total nightmare. I got extremely lucky and was able to time him out by being very careful with my sidesteps from his projectiles and retaliated accordingly. Some people can take up to an hour on this guy which I can't even imagine suffering through.
And so those are my main thoughts on KOF '94. KOF is undoubtedly one of my favorite video game series, and seeing its roots is fascinating. I would not recommend this game to any casual player, but if you're a decently big fan of the series, you owe it to yourself to beat '94 Rugal at least once.
To everyone who has been supporting my reviews, I give my greatest thanks. I never thought I'd make it this far and I hope that you'll continue to enjoy my reviews. Once again, thank you for reading, and I'll see you when I review The King Of Fighters '95.
PaRappa the Rapper
1996
Kick, Punch, it's all in the Mind!
Parappa the Rapper is one of those games I SO STRONGLY want to love in it's entirety, but just can't because the gameplay doesn't click with me. It's one of the most charming and influential games of the PlayStation 1 era (and for good reason too!), and it's impact on video game culture is undeniably profound. This review is just a couple things I wanted to comment on about this game.
God, this game is so charming. The paper-esque art style takes advantage of the PS1 hardware, and to this day really holds up. The UI is simple but appealing, and it gets the point across. Of course, with this being a rhythm game, the music is BOPPING. The actual lyrics are, well, pretty bad, but I'm 90% sure that was the point, it's meant to be cheesy! However, the actual instrumental tracks themselves unironically beat pretty hard, I especially love the Stage 5 instrumental.
Now for my main point of contention with this game, the gameplay itself. Now Parappa is deceivingly easy from footage you may see, but play it yourself and you'll know what I'm talking about. The timing is just EXTREMELY strict, and I swear I've tried multiple different timings and they would never consistently work. There were times where I'd do EVERY note correctly, but I'd lose points, but even WEIRDER is there are times I'd miss like half the notes and EARN points. Is it something to do with how the "freestyle" mechanic is coded...? I don't understand how the game wants me to play it.
I loved the presentation and stuff so much so I TRIED to play all the way through, but after a bunch of failed attempts on stage 5, I just had to put it down, I was so frustrated. I was SO CLOSE, but I felt my head would explode if I played any more. Maybe it's just a skill issue on my behalf, I don't know, but regardless I'm done. Hopefully someday I can finish this game in full, but I have no idea if that will ever come. In short, I love the world, music, characters, and aesthetic of Parappa the Rapper, but I cannot get behind the very punishing and janky rhythm game mechanics. Give it a shot yourself, though, maybe you'll see something I didn't.
UPDATE: I played the PSP version quickly after my completion of Um Jammer Lammy, and SOMEHOW finished the entire thing in a single sitting, and beat my ever so hated stage 5 on my fourth attempt. My feelings here are exactly the same, but I'm glad I finally pulled through. I guess all I had to do was believe.
Parappa the Rapper is one of those games I SO STRONGLY want to love in it's entirety, but just can't because the gameplay doesn't click with me. It's one of the most charming and influential games of the PlayStation 1 era (and for good reason too!), and it's impact on video game culture is undeniably profound. This review is just a couple things I wanted to comment on about this game.
God, this game is so charming. The paper-esque art style takes advantage of the PS1 hardware, and to this day really holds up. The UI is simple but appealing, and it gets the point across. Of course, with this being a rhythm game, the music is BOPPING. The actual lyrics are, well, pretty bad, but I'm 90% sure that was the point, it's meant to be cheesy! However, the actual instrumental tracks themselves unironically beat pretty hard, I especially love the Stage 5 instrumental.
Now for my main point of contention with this game, the gameplay itself. Now Parappa is deceivingly easy from footage you may see, but play it yourself and you'll know what I'm talking about. The timing is just EXTREMELY strict, and I swear I've tried multiple different timings and they would never consistently work. There were times where I'd do EVERY note correctly, but I'd lose points, but even WEIRDER is there are times I'd miss like half the notes and EARN points. Is it something to do with how the "freestyle" mechanic is coded...? I don't understand how the game wants me to play it.
I loved the presentation and stuff so much so I TRIED to play all the way through, but after a bunch of failed attempts on stage 5, I just had to put it down, I was so frustrated. I was SO CLOSE, but I felt my head would explode if I played any more. Maybe it's just a skill issue on my behalf, I don't know, but regardless I'm done. Hopefully someday I can finish this game in full, but I have no idea if that will ever come. In short, I love the world, music, characters, and aesthetic of Parappa the Rapper, but I cannot get behind the very punishing and janky rhythm game mechanics. Give it a shot yourself, though, maybe you'll see something I didn't.
UPDATE: I played the PSP version quickly after my completion of Um Jammer Lammy, and SOMEHOW finished the entire thing in a single sitting, and beat my ever so hated stage 5 on my fourth attempt. My feelings here are exactly the same, but I'm glad I finally pulled through. I guess all I had to do was believe.
Strider 2
1999
Thank you to Josh_The_Fourth for recommending this neat game!
For me, Capcom was absolutely hitting their stride (no pun intended) during the mid to late 90's era. Arcades were booming with all of their Street Fighters, Darkstalkers, and Marvel vs Capcoms. Sega Saturn users were getting a good taste of that arcade action, as well as PlayStation users getting to experience platformers such as Megaman 8 and Megaman X4. A new subseries for the Megaman franchise, Legends, found its footing for the PlayStation userbase, and generally both systems were PACKED with Capcom published titles.However, Capcom wasn't afraid to push out a more obscure and flashy title here or there, and Strider 2 is the one I wanna talk about today.
Strider 2 is a sequel to the classic 1989 arcade game Strider, releasing a full decade apart. Gameplay in this one is tight and appealing, seeing Strider absolutely tear through enemies with his sword is immensely satisfying and quick. Strider also has alot of mobility to work with, which makes his many options for platforming limitless with the player's skill. Levels aren't too long and will probably take you about 10 minutes or less, keeping them lengthy but not overstaying their welcome. Perfectly paced.
This game absolutely oozes that "we made a random unique game for fun" Capcom charm. The slick and eye catching comic book style is very unique compared to many other Capcom games at the time, and does wonders to differentiate itself to the status quo. The mashup of 2D sprites with sweet 3D environments actually looks really great and allows for some awesome camera angles for the spectacle. The music uses alot of instrumentation that sounds familiar many other capcom arcade games at the time, and I love that.
Strider 2 is like that one game you'd rent on a weekend to just enjoy for a Friday afternoon after school in the 90's, if that makes any sense. I never grew up in that era but it really gives that feel. It's some decently lengthy but sweet and appealing arcade style action that I'd recommend anyone to check out, maybe even on a lazy afternoon to enhance the experience.
For me, Capcom was absolutely hitting their stride (no pun intended) during the mid to late 90's era. Arcades were booming with all of their Street Fighters, Darkstalkers, and Marvel vs Capcoms. Sega Saturn users were getting a good taste of that arcade action, as well as PlayStation users getting to experience platformers such as Megaman 8 and Megaman X4. A new subseries for the Megaman franchise, Legends, found its footing for the PlayStation userbase, and generally both systems were PACKED with Capcom published titles.However, Capcom wasn't afraid to push out a more obscure and flashy title here or there, and Strider 2 is the one I wanna talk about today.
Strider 2 is a sequel to the classic 1989 arcade game Strider, releasing a full decade apart. Gameplay in this one is tight and appealing, seeing Strider absolutely tear through enemies with his sword is immensely satisfying and quick. Strider also has alot of mobility to work with, which makes his many options for platforming limitless with the player's skill. Levels aren't too long and will probably take you about 10 minutes or less, keeping them lengthy but not overstaying their welcome. Perfectly paced.
This game absolutely oozes that "we made a random unique game for fun" Capcom charm. The slick and eye catching comic book style is very unique compared to many other Capcom games at the time, and does wonders to differentiate itself to the status quo. The mashup of 2D sprites with sweet 3D environments actually looks really great and allows for some awesome camera angles for the spectacle. The music uses alot of instrumentation that sounds familiar many other capcom arcade games at the time, and I love that.
Strider 2 is like that one game you'd rent on a weekend to just enjoy for a Friday afternoon after school in the 90's, if that makes any sense. I never grew up in that era but it really gives that feel. It's some decently lengthy but sweet and appealing arcade style action that I'd recommend anyone to check out, maybe even on a lazy afternoon to enhance the experience.
I am genuinely astonished at how far this franchise has come from the fun, but very flawed first entry in the series to eventually become this: Danganronpa V3. V3 absolutely knocks it out of the park when it comes to what I like about these games, and generally succeeds in every aspect across the board. This is a bit of a harder review to do, as I have so many things to say but don't know how to accentuate them, but I'll try.
Presentation
This game looks amazing, plain and simple. The new art style I absolutely vibe with, and the sprite quality is very good as usual. The UI has such a unique look and appeal, and I think that you can now see Kaede's facial expressions during first person conversations in the corner is a nice touch. The school is fantastic as well, with the overgrowing grass motif feeling so fresh and original. AND MY GOD, THE SOUNDTRACK IS GOOD ONCE AGAIN, please give it a listen even if you don't play the game I beg of you.
Characters
Guys, this is the one for me. I love this cast so much, even if there's one stinker, even tho she isn't that bad. Kaede is one of my favorite characters and protagonists, and Shuichi just flat out IS my favorite character in this series period. Kaito feels like what Hagakure should've been and he absolutely triumphed at being a character I rooted for. The mage girl Himiko is also a favorite (my Trucy Wright bias could be speaking here tho), and I really enjoy Maki + how her role is integrated into the story. Like I said, Tenko is the only major miss here, I don't know who thought a misandrist character who gets no flack for her behavior was approved. Kokichi is basically this game's Nagito, albeit not as fascinating. Still tho, awesome cast, I would hug about half of them.
Gameplay
I still think Trigger Happy Havoc was the best Danganronpa game in terms of gameplay, but this one feels like a step up from Goodbye Despair. The bullet absorbing mechanic has been replaced with the Perjury system which is MUCH better, and I like it's thematic purpose. Debate Scrum is very easy but that ost do be banging tho, and Mass Panic Debates are solid as well. The only minigame that actually sucks this time is the car one, it's like Logic Dive but WAY longer and more boring. Hangman's Gambit is just ok in this one, definitely a step up from 2's but I think 1 did this minigame the best honestly.
CH1 Twist/Ending Rant (Semi-Spoiler Free, proceed with caution)
I am still in denial that a Danganronpa chapter 1 legit made me cry, especially when I KNEW it was coming from exposure to it online. The way it's executed is fantastic, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Hands down one of my favorite trials in the series.
Alot of people hate this ending but I can get behind it. Ambiguous endings in general I've loved because I like seeing constructive discussion and interpretation of how other players feel about it. Personally with this ending. I do hope this is actually the last game (within this continuity at least, Spike pls), because this is such a fantastic way for the series to go out in my opinion.
Summary
I loved this game. It still falls under several issues that this series just- generally has, but I can't get myself to hate it, I got so sucked in and wanted to see what happened next. To those who have been reading my reviews on this series since my Trigger Happy Havoc one, thank you for joining me on this adventure. However, I'm glad that this was the last one because these games burn me out LMAO.
-End of Danganvelion-
Presentation
This game looks amazing, plain and simple. The new art style I absolutely vibe with, and the sprite quality is very good as usual. The UI has such a unique look and appeal, and I think that you can now see Kaede's facial expressions during first person conversations in the corner is a nice touch. The school is fantastic as well, with the overgrowing grass motif feeling so fresh and original. AND MY GOD, THE SOUNDTRACK IS GOOD ONCE AGAIN, please give it a listen even if you don't play the game I beg of you.
Characters
Guys, this is the one for me. I love this cast so much, even if there's one stinker, even tho she isn't that bad. Kaede is one of my favorite characters and protagonists, and Shuichi just flat out IS my favorite character in this series period. Kaito feels like what Hagakure should've been and he absolutely triumphed at being a character I rooted for. The mage girl Himiko is also a favorite (my Trucy Wright bias could be speaking here tho), and I really enjoy Maki + how her role is integrated into the story. Like I said, Tenko is the only major miss here, I don't know who thought a misandrist character who gets no flack for her behavior was approved. Kokichi is basically this game's Nagito, albeit not as fascinating. Still tho, awesome cast, I would hug about half of them.
Gameplay
I still think Trigger Happy Havoc was the best Danganronpa game in terms of gameplay, but this one feels like a step up from Goodbye Despair. The bullet absorbing mechanic has been replaced with the Perjury system which is MUCH better, and I like it's thematic purpose. Debate Scrum is very easy but that ost do be banging tho, and Mass Panic Debates are solid as well. The only minigame that actually sucks this time is the car one, it's like Logic Dive but WAY longer and more boring. Hangman's Gambit is just ok in this one, definitely a step up from 2's but I think 1 did this minigame the best honestly.
CH1 Twist/Ending Rant (Semi-Spoiler Free, proceed with caution)
I am still in denial that a Danganronpa chapter 1 legit made me cry, especially when I KNEW it was coming from exposure to it online. The way it's executed is fantastic, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Hands down one of my favorite trials in the series.
Alot of people hate this ending but I can get behind it. Ambiguous endings in general I've loved because I like seeing constructive discussion and interpretation of how other players feel about it. Personally with this ending. I do hope this is actually the last game (within this continuity at least, Spike pls), because this is such a fantastic way for the series to go out in my opinion.
Summary
I loved this game. It still falls under several issues that this series just- generally has, but I can't get myself to hate it, I got so sucked in and wanted to see what happened next. To those who have been reading my reviews on this series since my Trigger Happy Havoc one, thank you for joining me on this adventure. However, I'm glad that this was the last one because these games burn me out LMAO.
-End of Danganvelion-