This past week I got a MiSTer. I love it. First game I played is Streets of Rage 2 which needs no review because it’s the greatest. You can check out my playthrough here.
Pikmin: This is a lovely game. Relaxing and frantic at the same time. I prefer it to 2 (the caves suck). I need to dig out the Wii U so I can compare it with 3.
[3]: Mamorukun Curse. Played this to death when I was sick. I definitely feel ‘done’ with it for now.
I’ve never played Pikmin before 3 so I’m interested in checking out the first game, particularly for its time management mechanics.
After over 150 hours I finally put down pokemon sword simply because because there’s nothing left for me to do in it until the dlc drops. Problem with having so many games is I never know what to play next.
The time limit isn’t unreasonable but it adds a lot of pressure to finish quickly. I really like it.
On topic: It had been about 5 months since I played Phantasy Star so I spent around 8 hours last weekend and played through that.
Sounds good. I like how time limits can force you to focus, and use your in-game time to the maximum. It’s a shame that you don’t see the mechanic often these days, I get the impression that because they can cause player frustration it’s unpopular to build ‘big’ games around it now. Atelier RPGs have dropped it, for instance, after flagging series sales.
[4]: Daemon x Machina:
While I wasn’t particularly impressed by the game at first, its positive points start to show once you unlock more parts to equip your mech arsenal with. Upon reaching C Rank the mission designs become more demanding and interesting as well, though I found by B Rank my mech was so powerful that the rest of the game became trivially easy anyway. But the final boss was brilliant - you have to know what you’re doing to stand a chance against it.
[5]: Hero Must Die/Yuusha Shisu again:
Enjoyed this quite a lot, it’s a remake of a mobile game from 2008 developed by Pyramid and designed by Masuda Shoji (Oreshika), and it’s every bit as unconventional as you’d expect from his other work. You play as a hero who beat the demon lord but happened to die afterward, by which you’re then given five more days to live by an Angel, however you get weaker as time passes before your funeral.
So it’s a time management RPG, and the world is compact enough that you can get a good feel for it in the first 5-day cycle that you play through. Actually it took me just three cycles to clear the game, but I think I got lucky in discovering some useful ways to traverse the world faster. For instance, moving between towns can take up to 10 hours, but if you convince Vivi the merchant to join your party you can teleport anywhere instantly at an MP penalty. Or, after a single playthrough you know what items to buy from the get-go, and where you need to go to clear quests in a limited time.
If you’re looking for something different, or maybe a more focused handheld-type game that they don’t really make anymore these days, I can’t recommend this enough.
[6]: Samurai Shodown (Switch):
Really enjoying this one, and while it’s a ‘forever’ game thanks to its competitive multiplayer elements, I feel like I’ve exhausted the single player, finally getting into the top 30 on both Story and Survival Mode leaderboards.
[7]: Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Mega 39’s:
This is another game that I’ll happily keep playing for years to come, and while there’s no credits I would have seen them by now if there were some. I’ve also reached a point where I have no trouble clearing the majority of songs on Extreme or Extra Extreme difficulty, so it certainly feels like I’ve ‘beaten’ the game. It was fun sticking with ABXY button icons instead of changing them to the PS/arcade icons in the menu, it was like relearning the game but at a much faster rate!
TMNT: Hyperstone Heist:
Of all the old school TMNT games, this is my favorite. Even among beat-em-ups, this is up there just below Streets of Rage. TiT is good of course but this one just feels a lot better. I’m a big fan of having a dedicated dash button. I’ve gotten pretty close to being able to 1cc this. Hoping I can pull it off next time.
Golden (Shining) Sun:
It has been ages since I’ve played this – I think last time was on the Wii VC. I just don’t play handhelds much. In fact, I played this on MiSTer. Anyway, I really should put this into more regular rotation. The emphasis on puzzles makes this easily one of my favorite RPGs. It took a while to get through though so I won’t be playing the sequels for a few months (unless quarantine gets me there quicker).
[8]Arkanoid vs Space Invaders: This is a class act, I enjoyed it all the way through its 150 stages. The core mechanics are inspired (plenty of traps around the stages, fun well thought out character abilities, loads of variety in the invaders/UFOs that shoot out bullets combined with plenty of brick types) and it’s one of those games where you can just tell the level designers had a lot of fun putting together stages that would test the player. Best Taito game since Space Invaders Extreme 2.
[9] Crimson Shroud: Forgot I replayed this one from start to end earlier this year!
The dungeon design in Golden Sun is really unsung, great stuff. I was a tad disappointed by how basic and easy the first game was compared with its followup, The Lost Age, mind, that game takes everything the first game does and smashes all expectations with it.
Beat Shining Force last night. I don’t think I have to write anything about how great it is considering my whole back is covered in a Shining Force tattoo (WIP)
Congrats! I only played the GBA remake from Amusement Vision, but never finished it. I remember a map set on a large bridge with a huge weapon on the other side of it being a particular highlight.
Love the soundtrack, there’s some good covers out there that I remember listening to while playing it on GBA a couple of years back:
[10]: Opoona. I’m going to have to do a proper writeup for this over at the Wii thread tomorrow, but this game has had its hooks in me over the past week, and I absolutely adore it. I still can’t stop thinking about the mesmerisingly beautiful and detailed world of Landroll even now, it’s a one-of-a-kind RPG whose best qualities are really hard to communicate in marketing.
I beat Death Stranding in March! it took me like 103 hours lol.
I talked about it in another thread, but I finished Astral Chain on hard mode. Took me 61 hours total to play this game, but I did a full S Rank run on hard!
I’ve completed most of the In Game achievements list, but a lot of the rest of it is grindy >_< after 61 hours I’m done playing lol, so sorry to all the cats hidden in Chapter 12 that I cannot rescue 
Oh damn. These are great.
Since Shining Force I have beaten the following.
Urusei Yatsura (Mega CD):
This turned out a lot better than I expected. I thought it would just be a dumb adventure game but they put a lot more effort into it than they needed. The animation is great and it ended up being almost like an interactive OVA.
Mega Man the Power Battle:
I played this way back when I first discovered MAME. It’s pretty neat as a boss rush but it’s not very satisfying. I wish they had explored what they could do with Mega Man more in the arcade.
Golden Axe (Arcade):
I prefer the Genesis version but that’s not to say this version is bad. It’s still great of course. I’m getting pretty close to 1CCing this one.
Ys (Original version):
Continuing my trend of just replaying the same games over and over again, I played Ys. This is the first time I’ve played the original (normally I play the weird X68000 version). It ended up being a lot harder in certain areas but I think it was easier overall. Dark Fact was a breeze. Either that or I’ve played Ys too much.
Still working on 1CCing Daimakaimura but not as actively as I had been over a week ago. I need a break.
Oh, I forgot to add one. I should really leave the discord and hit the place up more often.
Wonder Boy in Monster World
This series doesn’t get enough love. It’s among the best and I feel like it’s a lot more consistent than Metroid or Igavania. I remember it being a lot harder but I didn’t have too much trouble except with the Sphinx (I played in Japanese and he demanded answers faster than I could read). I think people tend to prefer one of the other games but this is the one I go back to most. I think my biggest complaint would be the lack of a head-bob in the main sprite. It could use a little kick.
[11]: Dead Rising:
This week on most evenings I’ve been playing Dead Rising on X360 for the first time and I just completed it with Ending A.
To put it simply: this game blew me away, it’s hard to believe it was released in the mid 2000s. Capcom was really hitting it out the park that period with lots of new and ambitious ideas.
The game is very economical in its design. I managed to solve the mystery on my first playthrough which I honestly wasn’t expecting to happen from the first day of in-game time, but the more familiar you become with the mall through playing and failing (reloading) the game the more efficient and clever you can be at making the most of the limited time the game gives you, and seeking out scoops in the (equally limited) downtime.
Also: the swarms of zombies still blow me away, I thought they’d get old by day three but the designers kept things fresh by introducing dynamic changes to the mall as time continues, like the cult members and the appearance of the special forces.
[20]: Ys II (original PC version):
Ys II really expands upon the original game with a much grander world and the addition of magic. I’d say Ys I is better though. Magic changes the game too much and nothing is cooler than climbing the tower to beat Dark Fact. I dislike how this game gates bosses behind Adol being a certain level. Without this, it would only be slightly behind the first one.
[21]: Phantasy Star III:
The dark horse of the Phantasy Star series. It’s more a Gaiden than a sequel. I’ve grown to love it over the years. It’s extremely ambitious being the first(?) JRPG with a branching storyline. It has some issues for sure (my biggest complaint is the music when you first start a battle is grating) but it’s a true gem. I really love the music especially how dynamic it is.
[12]: Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Having just finished Dead Rising I just had to play another daringly unconventional Capcom game that came before it and shares a little in common with it.
Needless to say I ended up falling in love with this game. The designers managed to create a gruelling experience which mirrors the game’s similarly-gruelling narrative perfectly. The core mechanics of the game see you juggle time management (if your D-ratio, which increases all the time, hits 100% it’s game over), resource management (items are both hard to come by and you have limited storage) and a rather smart environment-aware battle system (battles take place where you find them, rather than in a separate field, and locations are often cramped) together as one, and it all makes for one of the best RPGs I’ve played. Ever.
I’m a big fan of seeing interesting ideas applied within the genre. That the game was a commercial failure because it didn’t fit the template of what people expected from a post-FFVII RPG is good evidence of how different it was compared to what people were expecting. That the developers managed to execute their oddball ideas so well makes it a must play.
[22]: Streets of Rage 4
Finally a new game. I loved it. I’d put it below BK3 but above BK1. They really understand the genre and what makes a good beat-em-up. My only complaint is that it’s a little long and about half of the music is kinda forgettable. The rest is great but the inconsistency is disappointing. I’ll be playing this a lot in the future
[23]: Dragon Quest 5
Recommended by spice in discord. I can tell why Dragon Quest is eternal and gets so much love. It has a lot of character and is fundamental to the genre. I didn’t really have to grind except at the end and a few earlier parts but I feel like it takes too long to level. One of the really fun things RPGs is seeing your numbers increase but I did the math and assuming no metal slimes it would take dozens of battles level. There’s also a surprising amount of performance issues throughout. It really demonstrates how bad the SNES is. I found myself comparing this to Phantasy Star a lot and while Phantasy Star is a much better series, this was perfectly fine.
Dragon Quest series really is special isn’t it? After I get back my retro consoles in a month or so I intend to continue my leisurely marathon through the entire series.