Better keep a notepad and pen nearby... this game's plot is mind meltingly insane, with some wild reveals and plot twists throughout its runtime. It can be a challenge to keep up unless you are fully invested in the story - you shouldn't put this down or take a break from it once you start playing.
If you liked the original 999, I feel you'll like this one too.
If you liked the original 999, I feel you'll like this one too.
This was my introduction to both of these wonderful games.
I originally borrowed this from a friend in 7th grade, to play Final Fantasy IV at his request. Funnily enough, I got distracted by Chrono Trigger and played that through to completion first. I did get to FFIV though eventually. :)
Ironically though, this is by far the worst version of Chrono Trigger you can play anywhere. The load times are absurd when comparing them to any other version on the market.
From what I recall, Final Fantasy IV on the PS1 still holds up though, and didn't have the insane load times that CT had.
At the end of the day, this still contains 2 amazing JRPGs, albeit with all the other remasters in the last 20 years, you should play them elsewhere now.
Ranking on this one is a bit bias as to my original experience - for a more comprehensive review of CT/FF4, see my SNES reviews for them.
I originally borrowed this from a friend in 7th grade, to play Final Fantasy IV at his request. Funnily enough, I got distracted by Chrono Trigger and played that through to completion first. I did get to FFIV though eventually. :)
Ironically though, this is by far the worst version of Chrono Trigger you can play anywhere. The load times are absurd when comparing them to any other version on the market.
From what I recall, Final Fantasy IV on the PS1 still holds up though, and didn't have the insane load times that CT had.
At the end of the day, this still contains 2 amazing JRPGs, albeit with all the other remasters in the last 20 years, you should play them elsewhere now.
Ranking on this one is a bit bias as to my original experience - for a more comprehensive review of CT/FF4, see my SNES reviews for them.
1989
It's classic Tetris...nothing else needs to be said.
2009
I don't care what anyone says about this game - playing RE5 is a damn good time.
It's cheesy, hilarious, not scary in the slightest, doesn't feel like Resident Evil at all, but somehow, someway, it doesn't matter. You play this game cooperatively with a friend or family member, and you'll have a blast. I mean, it is essentially RE4 co-op. What's not to love?
OK, I get it... I've never played this game solo (and I never will), so I don't know what that single player experience is like at all. I'm sure it is frustrating relying upon an AI partner, and not nearly as fun...so my advice is don't play it solo!
Instead, grab a friend, kick back a few brewskis, punch a couple boulders, and have a great time!
It's cheesy, hilarious, not scary in the slightest, doesn't feel like Resident Evil at all, but somehow, someway, it doesn't matter. You play this game cooperatively with a friend or family member, and you'll have a blast. I mean, it is essentially RE4 co-op. What's not to love?
OK, I get it... I've never played this game solo (and I never will), so I don't know what that single player experience is like at all. I'm sure it is frustrating relying upon an AI partner, and not nearly as fun...so my advice is don't play it solo!
Instead, grab a friend, kick back a few brewskis, punch a couple boulders, and have a great time!
Where the actual fuck is a remastered console release for this Square-Enix!? Jesus Christ... how long has it been!?
To put it bluntly, this is one of the greatest games of all time, relegated to an extinct, dead portable device... and it doesn't quite run all that well on said device either! Slowdown and lag are introduced when casting spells or using abilities, and the sound effects sound terrible in comparison to the original.
I LOVE the much-improved script in this one though! No more "Geronimo!" found here - instead the script is written and presented in such an elegant, flowery, quasi-Shakespearian way. I just love the old English dialogue, and have even "nerded" out before, by just reading the entire script online... I mean, look at these two lines as an example!
---- "You, no less human than we? Ha! Now there's a beastly thought. You've been less than we from the moment your baseborn father fell upon your mother in whatever gutter saw you sired! You've been chattel since you came into the world drenched in common blood!"
---- "All such tales of gods and their miracles are false. Those who would lead prefer that history suit their needs, and rewrite it to see that it does. And why shouldn't they? The fault lies not with them. The reeking masses yearn for gods and miracles. It is their opiate, and they consume it greedily. The people do not endeavor towards greatness, but rather mire themselves in their petty strifes - shackles on the feet of man. Their leaders give them no more than that for which they clamor. It is history's oldest and most oft-repeated tale. Do men exploit this weakness to dominate their fellows? Mayhap they do. But they succeed only because the people are eager to know such dominion. Gods are only illusions born of man's fear. It is they who see this charade for what it is and join in the pageantry who are to blame."
Tis beautiful, and could bring a tear to one's eye... the localization team really did excellent work here.
I hope that Square eventually pulls their head out of their ass when it comes to Tactics... I hated those stupid as shit Tactics Advance games. Throw those in the damn garbage bin, and let's get this masterpiece on PS5 soon dammit!
See my FF Tactics PS1 review for more thoughts on the game itself.
To put it bluntly, this is one of the greatest games of all time, relegated to an extinct, dead portable device... and it doesn't quite run all that well on said device either! Slowdown and lag are introduced when casting spells or using abilities, and the sound effects sound terrible in comparison to the original.
I LOVE the much-improved script in this one though! No more "Geronimo!" found here - instead the script is written and presented in such an elegant, flowery, quasi-Shakespearian way. I just love the old English dialogue, and have even "nerded" out before, by just reading the entire script online... I mean, look at these two lines as an example!
---- "You, no less human than we? Ha! Now there's a beastly thought. You've been less than we from the moment your baseborn father fell upon your mother in whatever gutter saw you sired! You've been chattel since you came into the world drenched in common blood!"
---- "All such tales of gods and their miracles are false. Those who would lead prefer that history suit their needs, and rewrite it to see that it does. And why shouldn't they? The fault lies not with them. The reeking masses yearn for gods and miracles. It is their opiate, and they consume it greedily. The people do not endeavor towards greatness, but rather mire themselves in their petty strifes - shackles on the feet of man. Their leaders give them no more than that for which they clamor. It is history's oldest and most oft-repeated tale. Do men exploit this weakness to dominate their fellows? Mayhap they do. But they succeed only because the people are eager to know such dominion. Gods are only illusions born of man's fear. It is they who see this charade for what it is and join in the pageantry who are to blame."
Tis beautiful, and could bring a tear to one's eye... the localization team really did excellent work here.
I hope that Square eventually pulls their head out of their ass when it comes to Tactics... I hated those stupid as shit Tactics Advance games. Throw those in the damn garbage bin, and let's get this masterpiece on PS5 soon dammit!
See my FF Tactics PS1 review for more thoughts on the game itself.
2003
Not only one of the greatest arcade basketball games ever made, but one of the best sports games ever created!
This game perfected the "Street" format. Gameplay is silky smooth, hype as hell (especially when you achieve a Gamebreaker) and a whole lotta fun. The announcer kills it, and the game's soundtrack and its overall style are legendary.
A perfect game for any NBA fan.
This game perfected the "Street" format. Gameplay is silky smooth, hype as hell (especially when you achieve a Gamebreaker) and a whole lotta fun. The announcer kills it, and the game's soundtrack and its overall style are legendary.
A perfect game for any NBA fan.
Gran Turismo is the king of racing games. This was the first one I played and it lived up to its namesake.
2001
"In my restless dreams, I see that town... Silent Hill."
Once upon a time, I considered this to be the best survival horror game of all time. And upon further reflection... it still is up there for me, even after damn near 20+ years!
First things first... this is a game you play that you aren't necessarily going to have "fun" with. This is a very dark, depressing, psychological horror game that touches upon many horrific subjects. Also, its base gameplay is pretty terrible, if I'm being completely honest, but it makes up for it with a great setting, exploration, world building, lore, creature/enemy design (Pyramid Head is iconic and is truly a nightmare made manifest) and puzzles.
Between the two iconic, survival-horror titans, Resident Evil and Silent Hill, I always considered SH to be superior in its approach to horror, while Resident Evil was the more "fun" game to play. Some could claim, as I do, that is the point though... James Sunderland isn't a S.T.A.R.S. member or some badass who can handle himself... and with him being woefully unprepared for the horrors of Silent Hill, it elevates the terror of playing even further.
The atmosphere is dark, haunting and as oppressive as its bleak, foggy landscape... its music, as infrequently as it plays, fits the tone perfectly as well. I recommend playing in small chunks at night - lights off, headphones on, etc. (as I do with ALL survival horror games).
Promise (Reprise) - may possibly be my favorite song from a survival horror game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N_PXTGdlGw
When I played this for the first time, I got the "In Water" ending. The trauma still hasn't left me...
Even if you don't consider yourself a fan of the horror genre, this is a must-play title. This is in my top 25 games of all time.
Once upon a time, I considered this to be the best survival horror game of all time. And upon further reflection... it still is up there for me, even after damn near 20+ years!
First things first... this is a game you play that you aren't necessarily going to have "fun" with. This is a very dark, depressing, psychological horror game that touches upon many horrific subjects. Also, its base gameplay is pretty terrible, if I'm being completely honest, but it makes up for it with a great setting, exploration, world building, lore, creature/enemy design (Pyramid Head is iconic and is truly a nightmare made manifest) and puzzles.
Between the two iconic, survival-horror titans, Resident Evil and Silent Hill, I always considered SH to be superior in its approach to horror, while Resident Evil was the more "fun" game to play. Some could claim, as I do, that is the point though... James Sunderland isn't a S.T.A.R.S. member or some badass who can handle himself... and with him being woefully unprepared for the horrors of Silent Hill, it elevates the terror of playing even further.
The atmosphere is dark, haunting and as oppressive as its bleak, foggy landscape... its music, as infrequently as it plays, fits the tone perfectly as well. I recommend playing in small chunks at night - lights off, headphones on, etc. (as I do with ALL survival horror games).
Promise (Reprise) - may possibly be my favorite song from a survival horror game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N_PXTGdlGw
When I played this for the first time, I got the "In Water" ending. The trauma still hasn't left me...
Even if you don't consider yourself a fan of the horror genre, this is a must-play title. This is in my top 25 games of all time.
1988
I'm not a huge Mario fan, but I would argue that this is the best Mario has to offer on the NES. Vastly improved from the first 2 games - I should try to beat this game some day..
1995
One of the greatest games of all time, and the best JRPG on the SNES. This game has everything - a great story, characters, gameplay, music, side content, mini games, etc. The time travel mechanic is still not replicated, nor bested to this day.
I've played Chrono Trigger multiple times - on the SNES (emulated), PS1 as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles, and the Nintendo DS. Each and every time, it is an absolute blast.
Also, this is the first game I've ever experienced that has multiple endings (12 to be exact), and even a New Game+ option. For a game released in 1995, this game was so far ahead of its time... Not only does it still hold up today...but it still reigns tall as one of the greatest JRPGs ever released.
I've played Chrono Trigger multiple times - on the SNES (emulated), PS1 as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles, and the Nintendo DS. Each and every time, it is an absolute blast.
Also, this is the first game I've ever experienced that has multiple endings (12 to be exact), and even a New Game+ option. For a game released in 1995, this game was so far ahead of its time... Not only does it still hold up today...but it still reigns tall as one of the greatest JRPGs ever released.
Yet another example of the 2nd game of a classic NES title, where the sequel attempts to do something radically different...and they don't necessarily succeed, or reach the heights of its predecessor. Considered to be the "black sheep" of the Zelda franchise for good reason.
The idea of having a relatively open and less straightforward Castlevania, with towns, shops, and NPCs, a day/night mechanic, and multiple secrets was ahead of its time... but unfortunately, it wasn't executed all that well.
It is yet another victim of many NES titles, and 90's games in general - a poor translation, incredibly obtuse, and almost impossible to complete without a copy of Nintendo Power (or a guide nowadays).
The game gets an extra half a star, just for the song "Bloody Tears" alone... "What a terrible night for a curse..."
It is yet another victim of many NES titles, and 90's games in general - a poor translation, incredibly obtuse, and almost impossible to complete without a copy of Nintendo Power (or a guide nowadays).
The game gets an extra half a star, just for the song "Bloody Tears" alone... "What a terrible night for a curse..."
1998
"I'm just a man who's good at what he does. Killing."
One of the best games of all time, and the greatest MGS title. The original Metal Gear Solid on the PS1 perfectly balances its gameplay between its story/cutscenes, unlike its sequels (which I still love).
MGS1 also finds that "sweet spot" between taking itself seriously and knowing when to "let go" and have fun with the premise. Unlike, its remake on the GameCube, Twin Snakes, which went "all-in" on the over-the-top, ridiculous moments, becoming a parody of itself; the original has self-restraint. It consistently keeps this flair and sharp edge to it, and dives into its supernatural elements with "gusto" while also keeping its gritty and "down to earth" feel to it all.
This game is everything you loved about those classic 80's action movies with the badass lead. Solid Snake, voiced by the legend, David Hayter, I'll always have up there with the best of them - Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, Sylvester Stallone as Rocky/Rambo, etc. And what a job all of the voice actors/actresses do on this game! In an era, defined with poor translations, bad localizations, and some of the worst voice acting of all time (looking at you Resident Evil), this game was leaps and bounds ahead of its time. The voice work was stellar, and still holds up today.
Incredibly influential in its design, this game brought with it a cinematic and film-like quality, proving games and movies were not so different. It also brought stealth/action gameplay to the forefront, elevating the genre to never-before-seen-heights.
The boss fights are legendary, and the main, ragtag group of villains, FOXHOUND, are one of, if not my absolute favorite group of antagonists in not only video games, but all of fiction.
The music, especially the Encounter, Duel, and Escape songs/sequences, feel like you have been dropped into your favorite Hollywood action movie. Even the more mellow and ambient songs knock it out of the park.
All in all, this is a momentous achievement in video game history, and is a Must Play for anyone who enjoys gaming and has appreciation for the classics.
One of the best games of all time, and the greatest MGS title. The original Metal Gear Solid on the PS1 perfectly balances its gameplay between its story/cutscenes, unlike its sequels (which I still love).
MGS1 also finds that "sweet spot" between taking itself seriously and knowing when to "let go" and have fun with the premise. Unlike, its remake on the GameCube, Twin Snakes, which went "all-in" on the over-the-top, ridiculous moments, becoming a parody of itself; the original has self-restraint. It consistently keeps this flair and sharp edge to it, and dives into its supernatural elements with "gusto" while also keeping its gritty and "down to earth" feel to it all.
This game is everything you loved about those classic 80's action movies with the badass lead. Solid Snake, voiced by the legend, David Hayter, I'll always have up there with the best of them - Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, Sylvester Stallone as Rocky/Rambo, etc. And what a job all of the voice actors/actresses do on this game! In an era, defined with poor translations, bad localizations, and some of the worst voice acting of all time (looking at you Resident Evil), this game was leaps and bounds ahead of its time. The voice work was stellar, and still holds up today.
Incredibly influential in its design, this game brought with it a cinematic and film-like quality, proving games and movies were not so different. It also brought stealth/action gameplay to the forefront, elevating the genre to never-before-seen-heights.
The boss fights are legendary, and the main, ragtag group of villains, FOXHOUND, are one of, if not my absolute favorite group of antagonists in not only video games, but all of fiction.
The music, especially the Encounter, Duel, and Escape songs/sequences, feel like you have been dropped into your favorite Hollywood action movie. Even the more mellow and ambient songs knock it out of the park.
All in all, this is a momentous achievement in video game history, and is a Must Play for anyone who enjoys gaming and has appreciation for the classics.
"Ghost star, wonder where you are,
Ghost star, are you very far?
All night long, I will sing your song if you watch over me."
When Jedi: Fallen Order dropped in 2019, I immediately disregarded it for multiple reasons:
1. It's an EA game.
2. It's Star Wars... a universe I used to love unconditionally, but as we all are very much aware, is in a rough state right now.
3. It's a member of the populated Souls-like genre - I prefer the "real thing" that From Software releases over many of the knock-off games.
However, after a year of it being out, and all the good reviews and word of mouth, I eventually gave it a shot... and wow, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed my playthrough of it, and how wrong my initial assumptions ended up being...
Firstly, to counter my original 3 detracting points - this may be an EA published game, but it shows the developers over at Respawn Entertainment have it in them to still craft a great single-player experience. This also brought my love of Star Wars back; demonstrating that I still love this universe, when in the hands of a competent team of writers. And lastly, even though I can see the "Souls-like" influences, I'd consider this to be more of a 3D Metroidvania than anything else... which is another genre I'd consider to be one of my favorites.
So fast forward to 2023, and its subsequent sequel Jedi: Survivor. It is bigger and better in every conceivable way to its predecessor. Now a fully-fledged Jedi Knight, Cal is equipped with the same abilities as he is at the end of Fallen Order. This makes the traversal and combat much more fun and satisfying right from the very beginning.
The worlds are much bigger, there is good enemy variety, the customization is lightyears better (goodbye ugly ponchos, and hello Jedi/wanderer robes - oh, and long-hair/goatee Cal >>>>> all. I had my Cal looking like a prime Obi-Wan Kenobi out here), the cast of characters are great, its music fits Star Wars perfectly, and I enjoyed the direction the storyline took - so much so, that I am very curious as to where they take Cal's character in the final game...
Now one thing I should mention is that I didn't play this title immediately on release. And from the sounds of it, this may have benefited me from a technical issue standpoint greatly... (a sad trend of modern AAA gaming that I hope doesn't continue, but it feels like is here to stay in an era of Day 1 patches and releasing broken games.) There are still some technical hiccups, visual/audio glitches, and pop-in here and there, especially if you start going overboard with the garden like I did, but all in all, I never experienced a game breaking bug in my 60-70 hour 100% run.
One last thing I'll bring up that I loved - Pyloon's Saloon! Running into characters across the world and having them brought back to the "main base" of operations, talking with everyone each revisit to the cantina to see what they had to say, the DJ/music, mini-game Holotactics, and seeing the place come alive as you progress further in the game... all of it was right up my alley. Easily one of my favorite parts of the game.
Now I sit here eagerly anticipating the final game in this planned trilogy... when it finally drops, I will be there to see how the journey of Cal Kestis reaches its conclusion...
Ghost Star (Kata's Lullaby) Emotional Cover by "Jeremy Brauns Music"
I absolutely adored this little song when it played in the game...and this is a great addition to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wzq6RR_9Mk
--Be careful of spoilers if you haven't played the game. The song/video doesn't contain spoilers, but you have to watch out for Comments/Recommended Videos.
Ghost star, are you very far?
All night long, I will sing your song if you watch over me."
When Jedi: Fallen Order dropped in 2019, I immediately disregarded it for multiple reasons:
1. It's an EA game.
2. It's Star Wars... a universe I used to love unconditionally, but as we all are very much aware, is in a rough state right now.
3. It's a member of the populated Souls-like genre - I prefer the "real thing" that From Software releases over many of the knock-off games.
However, after a year of it being out, and all the good reviews and word of mouth, I eventually gave it a shot... and wow, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed my playthrough of it, and how wrong my initial assumptions ended up being...
Firstly, to counter my original 3 detracting points - this may be an EA published game, but it shows the developers over at Respawn Entertainment have it in them to still craft a great single-player experience. This also brought my love of Star Wars back; demonstrating that I still love this universe, when in the hands of a competent team of writers. And lastly, even though I can see the "Souls-like" influences, I'd consider this to be more of a 3D Metroidvania than anything else... which is another genre I'd consider to be one of my favorites.
So fast forward to 2023, and its subsequent sequel Jedi: Survivor. It is bigger and better in every conceivable way to its predecessor. Now a fully-fledged Jedi Knight, Cal is equipped with the same abilities as he is at the end of Fallen Order. This makes the traversal and combat much more fun and satisfying right from the very beginning.
The worlds are much bigger, there is good enemy variety, the customization is lightyears better (goodbye ugly ponchos, and hello Jedi/wanderer robes - oh, and long-hair/goatee Cal >>>>> all. I had my Cal looking like a prime Obi-Wan Kenobi out here), the cast of characters are great, its music fits Star Wars perfectly, and I enjoyed the direction the storyline took - so much so, that I am very curious as to where they take Cal's character in the final game...
Now one thing I should mention is that I didn't play this title immediately on release. And from the sounds of it, this may have benefited me from a technical issue standpoint greatly... (a sad trend of modern AAA gaming that I hope doesn't continue, but it feels like is here to stay in an era of Day 1 patches and releasing broken games.) There are still some technical hiccups, visual/audio glitches, and pop-in here and there, especially if you start going overboard with the garden like I did, but all in all, I never experienced a game breaking bug in my 60-70 hour 100% run.
One last thing I'll bring up that I loved - Pyloon's Saloon! Running into characters across the world and having them brought back to the "main base" of operations, talking with everyone each revisit to the cantina to see what they had to say, the DJ/music, mini-game Holotactics, and seeing the place come alive as you progress further in the game... all of it was right up my alley. Easily one of my favorite parts of the game.
Now I sit here eagerly anticipating the final game in this planned trilogy... when it finally drops, I will be there to see how the journey of Cal Kestis reaches its conclusion...
Ghost Star (Kata's Lullaby) Emotional Cover by "Jeremy Brauns Music"
I absolutely adored this little song when it played in the game...and this is a great addition to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wzq6RR_9Mk
--Be careful of spoilers if you haven't played the game. The song/video doesn't contain spoilers, but you have to watch out for Comments/Recommended Videos.
1985
Everyone's favorite plumber in his first adventure on the NES. This game didn't age well though, and even as a kid, I wasn't a huge fan of the controls. Mario controls like he's on ice throughout the game, which leads to so many unnecessary deaths and moments of frustration.