#shadow hearts ps1

[savingthegeneration]

Business? What can you possibly accomplish in your condition?

[mugenfinder]

The "Inverse" from Koudelka are such a good design, they were made into an enemy-type in Shadow Hearts.

[partially-controlled-chaos]

My mother has absolutely fallen in love with Gale and it’s the single funniest thing I’ve seen in a while.

So for some context:

My mom is in her late 60’s and can’t live alone so she lives with me. She enjoys watching video games as an alternative to tv (this woman played the hell out of the PS1 so I’m not surprised). She always gives me her reviews on the games I play and loves some more than others. With that being said…

She hates Baldur’s Gate 3. Hates it. Despises it. “Worst game you’ve played by far.” She doesn’t like fantasy genres and doesn’t like a whole lot of combat. Now admittedly she didn’t start watching the game until Act 2 (health issues) so she missed the entire opening and Act 1 and had NO idea what was going on. I tried explaining as best I could but she didn’t fully understand.

Now she doesn’t like anything remotely spooky so the shadow lands was a nightmare for her to watch. Hated it. Hated the characters.

Astarion was too mean. Didn’t like Wyll’s horns and red eye. Karlach was too loud and didn’t like the horns. Shadowheart was too gloomy. Lae’zel was too creepy looking and mean (still haven’t won her over in Lae’zel). Halsin was “creepy looking” (I don’t get it either). Hadn’t met Jaheria or Minsc yet.

Now admittedly I hardly used Gale in my first play through so she never saw him or knew he existed until Act 3. But the second she saw him? Heart eyes. Put on her glasses to look at him better. Rizzard of Waterdeep got her GOOD.

Loved him to the point where she asked if I’d play it again JUST to romance Gale so I agreed because I was going to romance him at some point anyway. And when I tell you that woman is SMITTEN.

Every day I get home from work and it’s “when are you going to play your game? I want to see Gale.” “Kiss Gale. Do a kiss. There’s different kisses? Do them all I want to see the kisses.” “HE HAS A CAT??”

Very quick to tell me on what romance dialogue options to pick. I have no say in the matter they’re all her choices.

Oh and Mystra? Hates her. Can’t stand her. “Blast Mystra with your fireball thingy.” “Can you kill her? You should kill her.” “Gale better be praising you and not Mystra.”

I mean it’s a complete turn around and this is now her favorite game simply because of Gale Dekarios.

And if you’re curious, here’s her ranking of most to least favorite characters.

Gale (and Tara by extension)

Karlach

Astarion

Wyll (was very upset when I had to reject post dance kiss)

Halsin

Boo (not Minsc, just Boo)

Jaheria

Shadowheart

Lae’zel

Withers (genuinely afraid of him)

[salazarsrighthand]

Alright so I'm on the train to college now and I've had some time to sit with my thoughts on Shadows of Rose. Here are some thoughts. Spoilers ahead, obviously.

- the twist that "Michael" is Ethan was so obvious that I don't know if it's even worth calling it a twist

- "Do you... resent him?" Hit me like a knife in the heart

- me: [exploring Ethan's house and crying like a bitch]

- Eveline:

- the Masked Duke calling the clones of Rose "Rabbits" was very interesting to me because-

- the story starts with Rose falling into a dream world, chasing a "Rabbit" and has an extended section where she's shrunk to the size of a doll. Big Alice in Wonderland vibes but not enough for me to be sure it was intentional.

- the puzzles in Castle Dimitrescu felt very PS1 era RE, complete with themed keys and painting puzzles.

- the lack of a merchant or enemy loot drops is also very classic RE. I get the impression that it was intentionally a return to the old format.

- Mia is mentioned maybe twice throughout the DLC and I don't think it's ever by name. Kinda weird, Rose even says she hasn't seen her mom in ages. What's with that? They didn't really explain it.

- Eveline continues to be an extremely tragic character. She just wants a family!! She just wants to be loved!!

- House Beneviento once again provides some of the best content in the entire game. When the creepy Mia mannequin started chasing me I was like "lmao okay I can walk backwards cool" then there were TWO. Then more!! And you're in these tight corridors, not knowing if one's gonna be behind you but you can't turn around in case you lose sight of the ones chasing you. Then you're shrunk and there's the hide and seek, which honestly feels like an infinitely more exciting version of the Scarecrow stuff in Batman: Arkham Asylum.

- Rose's character was interesting, we get to see her being ashamed of who she is because of her... unique circumstances and the bullying she received as a result. Unfortunately it's largely a very generic story about self acceptance and like... yeah obviously she's not going to give up her powers by the end. I'm familiar with this kind of story and know how it's gonna go. Honestly her relationship with Ethan and her rapport with him as "Michael" is the best part of her character, which is a shame. I would've liked to get a better sense of who she is outside of that aspect.

- some people think that the ending implies that Ethan was secretly still alive in the end, since he's walking on the road beside the car. Personally, I think that undercuts the story and doesn't work. I do believe that he's still somewhere in the megamycete network, watching over Rose the same way he had been for the past 16 years.

Overall, final thoughts, I had a lot of fun with the DLC. I really like Rose's character but I'm not keen on the franchise having a massive time skip so I think I'm okay with leaving her where she is at the end of the game. Her arc has a satisfying conclusion to me. She's made peace with herself, accepted her powers, reconnected with her father and got the chance to say goodbye to him. It's not a great self contained story, not a full fledged campaign like Separate Ways was for RE4, but it's an effective epilogue that lets the Winters Saga end on a much more optimistic note.

[pennybloodfanficweek]

What is Penny Blood?

It has come to my attention that perhaps throwing a fanfic challenge out there for a very new IP without any sort of context on the IP itself was not a good idea. Well, I'm here to fix that now! So, what is Penny Blood, you ask? Penny Blood is a dark/horror JRPG IP created by the team behind the Shadow Hearts series, more dark/horror JRPGs that released on the PS2 between 2002 and 2006, themselves having spawned from a survival horror/JRPG hybrid know as Koudelka, released on PS1 in 1999.

Penny Blood itself is a spiritual successor to the Shadow Hearts series, and was successfully Kickstarted in August and September of 2022 alongside a Wild ARMs spiritual successor, Armed Fantasia. (The week of the event actually starts on the anniversary of the Kickstarter's opening!) Since then, updates have been rolling out, giving backers and anyone else interested a look into the characters, world, monsters, and mechanics planned for the game. As of 2024, Yukikaze Ltd. and Studio Wildrose have been having trouble securing a publisher for Penny Blood, but are working to find one, as well as creating for other Penny Blood projects.

In December of 2023, Penny Blood: Hellbound was announced and a close beta phase was opened to Penny Blood backers. Penny Blood: Hellbound is an action roguelike set in the same universe as Penny Blood, with the main game's villains, the Hellhounders, as playable characters. As of March 2023, the game has been released on Steam Early Access, with a full release planned for the Summer (Northern Hemisphere) of 2024.

Relevant Links and information: - Armed Fantasia & Penny Blood Kickstarter (The Kiscstarter can no longer be backed, but updates are still being posted monthly for both games.) - Penny Blood Official Website (Contains information on the game and dev team, trailers, archived Kickstarter updates, and press kit.) - Penny Blood on Youtube (Trailers, interviews with the creators, Creators' Radio, and Hellbound trailers) - Penny Blood: Hellbound on Steam - Penny Blood Wikia (Run and updated by the same lovely people as the Shadow Hearts Wikia!)

[jayshorrorgaming]

🎮 Today Jay Plays the Terrifying Nun Massacre! | Night Of The Nun Horror Game 😱

A chilling letter arrives, shrouded in mystery—your daughter is gravely ill at her boarding school. As you step into the night, you must navigate the dark halls while evading a PSYCHOPATHIC nun who hungers for BLOOD! Will you survive the NUN MASSACRE, or will you become her next victim?

Join me as I dive into this spine-tingling PS1-style stealth horror game, where every shadow could be your last. Prepare for jump scares, heart-pounding moments, and a gripping story that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more terrifying gameplay!

LIKE & SUBSCRIBE TODAY

Don't forget to hit that like button, share your thoughts in the comments, and subscribe to Jay's Horror Gaming for more thrilling horror game experiences! 🔔🎮

Make sure to check out my other 2 YouTube Channels! Jay's Horror Gaming & Jay's Horror SHORTS!!

[linuxgamenews]

Fear the Spotlight horror story revolves around two friends

Fear the Spotlight third-person survival horror adventure game launches on Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Thanks to Cozy Game Pals for their amazing work and dedication. Available now on both Steam and itch. Plus 100% Positive reviews. Remember those old-school PlayStation 1 graphics that had a charm of their own? Well, Fear the Spotlight brings back those memories but with a modern twist. This third-person survival horror adventure isn't just about nostalgia; it's an interactive game. One that also draws inspiration from legends like Silent Hill and Resident Evil. The Fear the Spotlight story revolves around two friends - you and Amy. After being intrigued by supernatural mysteries, you both decide to delve into the unknown. So you perform a séance in your school after hours. But as you might expect, things don't go as planned. Suddenly, you find yourself apart from Amy, and you're going into an eerie part of the school. Which has also been shut off for years due to a heart wrenching fire incident. What makes Fear the Spotlight stand out is its attention to detail. It takes inspiration from a bygone era, the settings have a detailed design. The dilapidated hallways, rusting lockers, and the omnipresent foggy setting. Due to make you feel like you're truly there. Making your way through the ruins, with an obvious sense of urgency.

Fear the Spotlight | Launch Trailer

One of the unique features is the point and click mode. Unlike a typical horror title where you run and gun, here, you'll find yourself solving puzzles and interacting with the setting to find clues. Think of it as a clever blend of classic adventure meets suspenseful horror. Now, if you're used to battling monsters head-on, Fear the Spotlight offers a different kind of challenge. Instead of fighting, you'll need to strategize and sneak past these terrifying creatures. Since this adds an adrenaline pumping tension, as each step you take might be your last. Trust me, it's exhilarating! Try the Linux Demo on Steam. A special mention goes to the surreal soundscape that adds to the story. The subtle noises, echoing footsteps, and ambient music don't just play in the background. They also become a character in their own right, enhancing the overall mood. If you're wondering about its credibility, Fear the Spotlight was featured on the 2022 Haunted PS1 Demo Disc. An honour that only quality games get. Now, you might be thinking: such a comprehensive title must have be the creation of a big team. Fear the Spotlight is the brainchild of just two talented people. The passion and dedication are evident in every corner, every shadow, and every puzzle you encounter. Since they crafted this third-person survival horror adventure, with love. Dive in, unravel the mysteries, and embark on a nostalgic yet fresh journey. Fear the Spotlight is available now on both Steam and itch (plus a Steam code). Priced at $9.95 USD / £8.29 / 9,78€ with the 17% launch discount. Along with support for Linux, Mac, and Windows PC.

[outoutdamnspark]

*holds up ‘Twelve’ and shakes them*

Y’ALL WANT SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT MY TV-HEAD-SONA?!

📺 Twelve’s pronouns are They/Them (very rarely he/him) and when they “speak” they actually refer to themselves in plural. (I.e. “We/Us”) Very “We Are Legion” but without the sinister implications.

📺 This is because they’re the embodiment of the Midnight Channel from Persona 4, which is a collective of people’s subconscious desires. Twelve spawned because that collective needed a physical form, and before Twelve’s creation the Midnight Channel was just a vast open space with individual dungeons. With Twelve, the Channel has a form, and the rest of the TV world can more easily be organized into separate parts to accommodate individuals. A “person” to populate the space.

📺 They hang out in the P4 Backlot near the entrance, often sitting on top of the stack of tvs that leads to the outside world.

📺 They’re actually quite friendly, and are mostly Chaotic Good. They’re curious about the world outside the TV and are easily enamored by animals, but they also enjoy utterly fucking with people. They’re a gremlin at heart.

📺 They don’t speak with a physical voice; when they try it comes out like TV static, or like that horrible, multi-layered “voice” you hear when skimming through radio stations. Instead, they communicate through sound clips and symbols on their face screen.

📺 When flustered, Twelve will often make a computer dial-up noise. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, and no one knows why they do that.

📺 They also tend to make the PS1 startup sound as a greeting. (Know one knows why they do this, either.)

📺 Twelve actually has a mouth. Their screen face can split open. looking like a huge, jagged crack in the glass that resembles a jack-o-lantern smile. (Description by my Wife~) It’s their only actual facial feature, since they usually don’t emote any sort of eyes. They do, however, have a fucking tongue. Why? No one knows. They sure as hell don’t use it to speak. It’s long and prehensile and looks like it’s made of thick metal cable; segments and all. They also - for some inexplicable reason - drool a watery, oil-slick-like substance that is believed to be liquid Shadow. There doesn’t seem to be a purpose for it, other than Twelve may very well be part Shadow, since they’re the embodiment of subconscious wants - which can evolve into Shadows when suppressed.

📺 Sadly, Twelve is bound to the TV world and can’t leave; every time they try, they’re dragged back by living power line cables. As of yet, they haven’t been able to properly meet any of the humans that frequent the TV world (the Investigation Team), though they would dearly love to help in the cause; Twelve wants the corruption banished just as much as the humans do, and, given the chance, would happily act as a summon-able ‘Persona’ for the Investigation Team’s leader.

📺 Twelve’s main magical element is Zio (thunder.) They also know Mudo (darkness) and Dia (heal), but usually don’t get the chance to use them.

📺 (If they had parents, they would 100% be the spawn of Kanti from FLCL and Primadonna from ‘Echo’ by CrusherP.)

[shinysamurott9]

2024 Games: Mega Man X6 Tweaks

After playing X5’s improvement project, I felt it was only fair that I give X6's a go as well. X6 Tweaks is a sort of like a custom tweaks patcher allowing you to alter several elements of the game to your liking, including how the characters play, certain specific elements of level design, elements of the game’s presentation and a lot of stuff being tracked under the hood.

Before going into that though I feel I should talk about my opinion on base X6.

I hate it.

I really do not like base X6. I have played a majority of the side scrolling Megaman games, not all of them but most of what could be considered main series games and I genuinely feel X6 is the worst Megaman game, of the one's I've played at least, I've heard many bad things about BN4. But with X6 itself I feel like there were a lot of good ideas and some genuinely fun things to mess around with, but between the massively inconsistent difficulty, poor executions of it's ideas like the Nightmare Effects, bad design decisions with things like the secret boss areas and all armour pieces being required to use an armour again and of course it's infamously bad level design. Any good or sensible idea X6 had, is ultimately either undermined, falls over itself or is lamented for being stuck in this game.

So what exactly does Tweaks do to fix these issues?

In short, quite a lot while also adding a number of miscellaneous additions for fun and QoL, but at the same time, not doing much to fix arguably X6's biggest issue.

With my playthroughs, for the overall important changes, I opted to disable the Nightmare Blindness, leaving the other nightmare effects on. Aside from that, I activated incomplete armours, made it so the Exit Stage button was always available, unlocked aerial moves like double jumps and dash, fixed the translation, added the custom mugshot graphics, and tweaked the damage tables to make a few things more tolerable, like the donuts.

These changes did do a lot to make X6 more tolerable which did allow it's better qualities to shine through. The game is a lot more open with your routing, probably at least in part because every stage needs to be revisited anyway. The armours are fantastic, I'd argue they're some of the best armours X ever got and with the updated script, I can at least appreciate what the story was attempting. The script does even have some stuff that is genuinely interesting or funny.

Nightmare Zero actually has lines that read like he is Wily, I genuinely did not know that til now.

MF actually pulled the "I got better" card,cannot believe this.

Zero canonically hates puzzle games lol

They even added unique dialogue for Zero in the intro stage and against Nightmare Zero should you use the cheat to unlock him from the start which is a fantastic touch.

Some other fun additions include letting you change the Ultimate Armour’s palette to any of the three from the PS1 Trilogy as well as a fixed version of the X6 colours to match the portrait and a colour palette for the Legacy Collection Ultimate Armour which I think was updated to make it look better.

Unfortunately, at it's core the game us still X6 and it's main issue, the level design is still very much a problem. Scaravich is still a random layout , leaving the armour, boss portal and heart tank up to RNG. Mijinion still has his really annoying secret area, and his main area still throws literally everything at you, and of course, Heatnix is still just donuts. Would you believe me if I said someone actually told me they thought this was not only fun, but better than an actual level? Course the Gate stages are still just as bad too, but hey you can actually beat them without parts now. Bringing Shadow Armour to Gate is actually a reasonable idea now, as one of the few changes the hack does make to level design is adding a platform to the infamous jump. An air dash for No Armour and Shadow Armour is also available.

Sadly, like X5 Improvement, the hack ultimately does very little to fix the overall level design and the more problematic sections. But to be clear, I can't really blame the hack creators for that as the only real solution would be to just completely scrap the existing levels and completely redesign them from scratch, something well beyond the scope of a rom patch. So overall while it is an improvement over X6, I'd really only recommend it to someone who's familiar with X6, the bullshit it throws at you and the ways you can cheese it.

I'd say it helps the stromg qualities of X6 stand out enough to get B tier, but a pretty low B if I'm honest

[easternmind]

Old rumors

Seeing social media light up with praise for The Last Guardian this week reminded me of a curious episode that took place ca. 08 on a Team Ico dedicated forum, where I and many others engaged in healthy speculation about project 'Trico', years before the PS Lifestyle leak.

One anonymous poster claimed to have had access to early footage from the new game, alleging that it was to be a reworking of an earlier Ueda project for the PS1. He posted screenshots from this CGI sequence. Many were intrigued. Some even thought it could be the genuine article.

Once seeded, the doubt did not last long. I could easily identify that these were captured from the 1996 PS1 game Kaijū Senji, by Produce!. The horned hairdo aside (the exquisite cover art is by Jun Okutani), the game had no verifiable connection to Ueda or any known team member.

Produce! was the studio behind some cult RPGs such as The 7th Ark, Mystical Quest, Brain Lord and Farland Story. As for the game, itself, it is a rather trite turn-based strategy game set in a fantasy world, musically accompanied by a somewhat incongruous techno soundtrack.

The game also features a song theme interpreted by voice actress and pop singer Hiroko Kasahara, who has been involved in dozen video game projects over the years, including Burning Rangers, Shadow Hearts and Ever 17 - The Out of Infinity.

[averydavery]

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Inbetween of the Playstation 2

Intro

To me, the Playstation 2 is the best video game console ever. Period. Its catalogue is undeniably strong but I am definitely very biased as well, not to mention that the dualshock remote looks almost exactly the same from PS2 to PS4... But mainly, there is a reason many iconic titles from famous series are from this system and era of video game history. The PS2’s time in the spotlight (1999- 2011) was the real start of the hayday of video games.

So, in honor of my love for the system, here is my rankings for the games i’ve played so far and why!

***I will only be judging games that originally launched on the system, including bridge games, NOT PS1 games that are backwards compatible. So sorry MGS1 and FFVII

From Top to Bottom

1. Shadow of the Colossus

5/5 stars. One sentence review: I’m sobbing.

2. Metal Gear Solid 2

4.5/5 stars. One sentence review: “No, that is NOT the real Solid Snake!”

3. Resident Evil 4

4.5/5 stars. One sentence review: Fixed camera and gun controls making me want to get the Las Plagas fr.

4. God of War

4.5/5 stars. One sentence review: I don’t know what’s more unforgiving: the game itself or playing it on the PS2.

5. Bully

4.5/5 stars. One sentence review: I really wish people gave Bully more attention than GTA.

6. GTA Vice City

4/5 stars. One sentence review: For some reason my PS2 had a hard time running Vice City and this game is significantly smaller than others on this list.

7. Onimusha

4/5 stars. One sentence review: I really enjoyed this story and I would’ve loved it a lot more if the controls didn’t feel like I was committing a felony.

8. Devil May Cry

4/5 stars. One sentence review: “I should’ve filled yoUR DARK SOUL WITH LIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!!”

9. GTA III

4/5 stars. One sentence review: Just didn’t do it for me story wise as much as the others, i dont know.

10. God of War II

3.5/5 stars. One sentence review: Least favorite God of War game besides Chains of Olympus, not that it’s bad it’s just okay.

11. Crazy Taxi

3.5/5 stars. One sentence review: Very fun but only for about ten minutes.

12. Yakuza 2

2/5 stars. One sentence review: I’m a diehard Yakuza/RGG/Like A Dragon fan but I stg this is the worst game in the series, I never even beat it.

13. Devil May Cry 2

2/5 stars. One sentence review: Bad mechanics and bored me.

The Superlatives

The Best Title in a Series

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

An easy pick for this category and a game that is second only to Shadow of the Colossus, is Metal Gear Solid 3. It is a fantastic game as much as it is a great entry in an amazing series. For those who don’t know, MGS3 is a prequel for the entire series and takes place even before the old 8-But Metal Gear games. MGS3 follows Naked Snake who becomes the infamous Big Boss, the notorious antagonist for the rest of the series, and is the first game in the series to really perfect the stealth combat with the addition of an over the shoulder camera and new camouflage mechanics. Other notable aspects of MGS3 are that graphics for the game still hold up today, the characters are some of the most memorable in the series (I LOVE YOU BOSS!!!!), and the boss fights are engaging. Not to mention that if I had to guess, you’re probably humming “Snake Eater” to yourself right now.

MGS3 is such a good MGS title that I believe it sort of set Kojima up for failure with every game that came after it.

The Best Game You’ve Never Played/My Personal Favorite PS2 Game

Blood Will Tell: Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo

The only reason Blood Will Tell isn’t number one is because I felt bad putting Shadow of the Colossus as number 2. I fucking love this game with my whole heart and soul, I really don’t know where to begin. The title of “the best game you’ll never play” isn’t one that I came up with myself, many people refer to Blood Will Tell by that superlative and you’re probably wondering why that is. Blood Will Tell was released by SEGA in 2004 and flopped in the Americas despite many looking back on the title fondly, as a result of its recent popularity (largely due to the 2019 Dororo anime and rise of the collector’s market) and little supply, it became an incredibly rare game with the highest selling price for a PS2 game I have ever seen. Blood Will Tell goes for anywhere between $400 to $700 USD, for reference: Silent Hill 2 goes for about $100. Which is why I don’t give this superlative away lightly, even the copy I own isn’t legitimate. There’s no way I’m spending that much money on a game without playing it myself.

So this brings to the second superlative I gave it: my personal favorite PS2 game. It’s the best game you’ll never play for a reason, there is a demand for it for a reason. While the dub is laughably bad, the game itself is incredibly rich. The goofy voice acting adds to the game’s charm and, in my opinion, makes a fantastic game more enjoyable. The gameplay is addictive and one of the most fluid for the 20 year old console, Blood Will Tell is a hack-n-slash that feels like a mix of Sekiro and Ghost of Tsushima to me —which is funny because both of those games came out the same year and fought for the GotW award. You play as Hyakkimaru, a boy with swords for arms who is cursed after his father gave away all 48 body parts to demons in a deal for power. Now it’s your job to get your body back, piece by piece. This plot allows for incredibly unique visual story telling that is astounding for the time it came out in. For example, in the beginning chapter Hyakki is blind. They show this by making the world entirely black and white until he gets his sight back in which color floods your screen in a beautiful way. Since he can’t speak he has a filter that makes it sound like he’s talking in his head… etc. Even some of the 48 bosses are hidden and optional, something I didn’t expect to see in a game this old. On my first playthrough, I missed some bosses because the map is deceptively big. I think my only critiques besides the silly voice acting (personally, I like it) are that Dororo’s sections of the game aren’t great but they don’t drag on either so I don’t mind them and that the music is stale and repeats.

All in all, I can yap about this game all day because I love it so much. If you are unwilling to spend $700 on Blood Will Tell, I highly recommend that you buy a cheap repro or emulate it on your computer. If neither of those are options for you consider watching a playthrough on youtube or, better yet, reading/watching all the other adaptations of Dororo! Blood Will Tell is based of the 1963 manga Dororo by Osamu Tezuka (the mangaka of Astroboy and Black Jack) and there are many versions of this story!

The Best Adventure Game

Okami

I like to call Okami “the game that raised me” because it pretty much did. I first remember playing it in sixth grade and have played a run through of it probably once a year since. I’ve played it on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, and Playstation 2… and I’ll honestly say that it plays best on Switch. When Okami came out it originally launched on the Wii, which is why it plays so well on Switch as well. The reason for that is because of its unique, never before seen gameplay. Okami’s premise is that you play as Okami Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun in the form of a white wolf, who is resurrected in order to save the world from darkness. Ammy’s special ability is that she can manipulate the Celestial Brush, which has 13 different techniques that allow the player to literally play God by painting onto their surroundings to summon things like wind, water, fire, and vines or to literally stop time or cause nature to bloom. This Celestial Brush is why it plays so well on Nintendo consoles, which is actually why I recommend playing this game on one instead of on PS2. Okami has been remastered and really has no reason to be played PS2. In addition to why it isn’t fantastic on the PS2 is that Okami is most known for its visuals. The entire game is done in a painterly style with cell-shaded brush strokes that outline everything decoratively to aid it’s themes of traditional Japanese mythology… And one thing that makes that style look even better is when it is not played in low poly on the PS2.

So to put the kebash on this one, Okami was the best adventure game on the PS2 despite not being suited for the console itself. So please, play the remaster to enjoy the story even more!

The Best Fighting Game

Yakuza

I know a lot of you might disagree with me on this but please know I am only going off games I have played and that I also don’t care about what others think. I love this series. There are 8 Yakuza games, 10 if you count Like A Dragon 8: Infinite Wealth and Gaiden, 13 if you count Ishin, Ishin (Remake/Remaster), Kenzan!, and Dead Souls, 15 if you count Kiwami 1 & 2, and 17 if you count the Black Panther games… but it all started with this one game. Yakuza is a beat ‘em up that was advertised as “Japan’s GTA” which I think is an apt description only for the street fighting you do. In actuality, Yakuza is a game that follows the ex-yakuza Kiryu Kazuma as he fights to save the people he cares about and struggles with his loyalty to his former life a made man. The combat is fun and engaging with its use of combos and cinematics, however the controls are a bit finicky but nothing that will drive you up the wall. Another drawback of this title is the voice acting for the same reason as Blood Will Tell, it is a horrendous English dub. But I think it’s enjoyably bad, Mark Hamill and John DeMagio jumpscared me when I first heard their voices.

Although, I don’t necessarily recommend Yakuza to anyone who doesn’t have a PS2 at all, really, and that is because Yakuza Kiwami exists —which is a remake for modern consoles of this game with a million new things, better graphics and combat, and no English dub. This remake highlights everything that was so good about the original.

The Best Horror Game

Silent Hill 2

I think I can keep this one short because Silent Hill 2 is a game that needs no introduction. It practically invented the psychological survival horror genre as we know it be today and still is an amazing game that manages to always unnerve me. From its multiple endings to its atmospheric environment, Silent Hill 2 sets the bar for what should be a good horror game and inspires many series still. But above all else, Silent Hill 2 has the best soundtrack out of any game that I’ve mentioned so far. Akira Yamaoka is a genius songwriter.

The Worst Game I’ve Played So Far

Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir

I love Fullmetal Alchemist (if my account was any clue into that haha) and I thought that my love for that series was going to help get through this game. But I was so wrong and I should’ve listened to my gut. FMA works really well as video game if you actually try to make it one or else it doesn’t work, the ingredients are there you just have to follow the recipe. But Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir takes this way too seriously. Not only does it harp on the most boring episodes of the original series, it does so in the worst manner possible. The game itself looks like plastic, it’s cellshaded blandly. The music is loud and at times annoying, the fighting is stiff and uninspired when alchemy could be so much fun if done right, and it follows a clunky visual novel style in cutscenes for no reason. Even in the menu you can see that it was trying to be an RPG but never committed and I think this game could’ve shined if it was one, instead of the lame fighter it is now. The only benefit I see in this game is that the voice acting is all the original cast. So that’s nice… everything else? Not so much.

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions for me to play!

[gabrielandworms]

It's Day 247 of the migraine that never ends, and any plans I had to clean or maybe (finally) finish the painting I have sketched out on my drawing table's surface are just not happening. I'm going to be lying in a pile of blankets playing one of the lower energy rpgs I have. I might even get some real writing done if I can trust my brain enough with any of my drafts.

But I realized I can probably trust my brain enough to rec some of my favorite rpgs for sick days like today. Something without a complex plot or a need to stay focused. Something with fun design and, if you're really lucky, big numbers.

Also some (one? two?) of these are on the 3ds. It's probably a good idea to look into them now since the shop is closing permanently towards the end of the month.

So here's my little list of suggestions. This definitely isn't just an attempt to get people playing things I like. It's also an attempt to get people to suggest their own preferences.

Dragon Ball Fusions (3DS): I know Fighterz is the crowning achievement of Dragon Ball games, but I don't like fighting games. Meanwhile this a fun little rpg where you can make your own OC and get other fighters to join you with one of the most enjoyable combat systems I've ever played. The fusion mechanic is also really goofy and a delight to mess around with.

Legend of Mana (PS1): Well, originally a PS1 game. I think the remaster is pretty much everywhere. It's always been my favorite Mana title, and I'm glad to see it getting attention now. Unlocking every quest is a pain that requires a guide, but the combat is very "no thoughts, head empty" and the game's backgrounds are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Also I haven't watched it yet, but there's an anime adaptation of one of the major arcs now. Story is a bit heavier than the others here though as it digs into "love can both nurture and destroy."

Fantasy Life (3DS): There's a second one coming, but if you don't want to wait the first one was a lot of fun. The class system in this game is a lot of fun, and I think it's the only game I've played that let me even run around trying to become a Master Cook. You can also have your friends jump into your game and run around together, but that might be restricted to local play now.

Pokemon: Heart Gold and Soul Silver (DS): Or any Pokemon title, really. Heart Gold is just my favorite, but I also thought the Sun/Moon titles were underrated. Pokemon's base line has never been complicated. It's just running around with little magical animal critters, and maybe if you're lucky you're playing one of the gens that lets you pet them. Or have them follow you around.

Magical Starsign (DS): Legend of Mana's younger sibling, and a great deal more linear. But it has a lot of the same visual charm paired with a setting both fantasy and sci-fi. Like Legend of Mana, it also gets a bit heavier with its story. Some of the subplots do not end on happy notes.

Okage: Shadow King (PS2): Maybe the least "head empty" of the bunch, but grinding is an option, and grinding is one of the most "head empty" things you can do in an rpg. I wanted to include it though because it's visually fun and has a wonderful little sense of humor. As a bonus, it's available for digital purchase on the sony store. A lot of these are old and only available in physical versions unless you put in the effort to find other, Totally Legal methods.

Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood (DS): Look, I'm going to be honest. I remember nothing about this game. I had the flu in college and fever-induced delirium wiped out my memory of the whole damn time. But apparently? I played this? And according the save file I completed it? Which means this has to fit the criteria of an rpg you don't have to think too hard about. Which it's a Sonic game, so I can't imagine the plot is complex.

Fable 3 (Xbox 360): I know it's the unfavorite Fable for people, but I had a lot of fun with it. It also looks like it's available digitally. This game doesn't demand much, and honestly it's pretty easy to sidestep the instance when it does try to make hefty demands. I don't know how accessible co-op is now, but this is a game made better when you're running around causing chaos with friends. It also let me marry a pink-haired cannibal, and how many games even have that option?

[redspectragamecorner]

RSGC0015 - Release Your Old Games, Japan!

I love Japanese video games. They're the reason why, even though I'm in my late 30s, I'm still utterly captivated by the medium. Through rigorous refinement, Japanese game makers helped shape the industry as we know it today. As a result, they have left a lasting impression, a legacy, in the hearts and minds of fans worldwide.

But, for quite some time, it felt as if these companies didn't understand this impact, as they've let some of their lesser known works slip between the cracks. This can be due matters of licensing or other litigious obstacles. Other times its a lack of interest from the mainstream; a poor reception. But more often then not, simply, someone "fumbled the bag" so to speak. 

Let's discuss. 

Chapter I: Namco X Not Releasing A Bunch of Their Old Games

When Bandai Namco released their most recent Museum compilation for the Nintendo Switch it was surprisingly threadbare; it was just 12 games. Twelve. Of course, it included Pac-Man - the game that made them a household name in the 1980s - and other staples such as Dig Dug and Galaga. They're undisputed classics, sure, no argument there. Deep cuts, however, they are not.

Namco's catalog has dozens of fantastic games, most of which would remained elusive if I didn't dive deep into retro gaming (and, by extension, collecting). One example of these is 1985's Baraduke, a 2D shooter with lite maze-runner gameplay. It's pretty rad, but somewhat under-the-radar these days. What if you want to play it right now, on real hardware?

Unless you own a prohibitively expensive Sharp X68000 computer along with the sole port of the game; an arcade PCB; or a copy of Namco Museum Vol. 5 for Playstation, it's highly unlikely you're going to be flying through rooms, blasting Octies any time soon. Out of the aforementioned options, the most feasible one is buying Namco Museum Vol. 5. Again, this is to play the game through legal means.

This was, in fact, the main inspiration for this post. There were 8 or so Namco compilations for the PS1. Why is the most extensive collection of Namco classics locked on an almost 30 year old console? Does Namco not value their older IPs? Do they think we just want Pac-man, Dig Dug and Galaga for our shiny current-gen game boxes and to Hell with obscure titles like Youkai Douchūki (aka Shadow Lands)? Or what about the esoteric hack-n-slash Genpei Tōmaden (aka The Genji and Hieke Clans)? Certainly everything that's been previously available (and then some) can fit on a Blu-ray disc or a Switch cartridge, no? Its frustrating, as someone chomping at the bit to own and experience such things. Sadly, Namco is not alone in this regard.

*EDIT (this is old lol) I started writing (and now rewriting) this post about month before the announcement of the Namcot Archive (a collection of Famicom Namco games) for the Switch. It's a neat set but my point, for the most part, still stands.*

Chapter II: The Virtual Console was Disappointing.

Nintendo needs no introduction. Their name is synonymous with video games, built on the fact that they dominated the home console market in the mid-1980s with their Family Computer (aka Famicom) in Japan. A few years later they expanded Westward with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) to similar acclaim. While they didn't quite hold the same market share they secured in the 80s into the 90s and beyond, Nintendo still shaped generations with their games.

With Nintendo's fifth console, the Wii, they entered the realm of online game distribution. It was called the Virtual Console and it debuted in November of 2006, with it coming to the 3DS in 2011 and the Wii U in 2013. At launch, NES, SNES, Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games were available with Turbografx-16 following a few days later.

Eventually, the service would offer western gamers titles that never got released outside of Japan. The first of these was Sin & Punishment for the Nintendo 64, an on-rails shooting game from Treasure. The most notable instance of this, however, was Konami's Akumajō Dracula X: Chi no Rondo (aka Castlevania: Rondo of Blood), a highly sought after title. At the time, it must have been incredible to finally play this without the need to purchase a costly secondhand copy of the disc or an expensive PC-Engine CD Turbo Duo console.

VC had its drawbacks, though. Most notably that when the service had come to other platforms, users were unable to transfer their purchases as the Wii, 3DS and Wii U eShops were separate entities. This lead to customers paying fees to re-download their titles or having to outright buy them again. This was, for lack of a better term, shitty on Nintendo's part. The lack of a universal pricing model, for what were essentially ROMs, didn't help either.

The 3DS and Wii U eShops also offered less games, 184 and 267 respectively, than the original VC's 398. 

Between the slow-drip of re-rereleases at launch and anti-consumer practices, VC ultimately squandered its good will and potential. 

Chapter III: Sega Does What Ninten-does, Too?

If there's one thing that Nintendo and one-time rival Sega have in common is that, like clockwork, they churn out the same classic titles over and over again. We saw this when the Virtual Console came to the Wii U and were hooked into the slow-drip of Mario Bros. 3, some random black box game, or a re-release of a third-party offering.

Sega is no better. I own Genesis compilations across at least 3 console generations. Their game lists are nearly identical. Golden Axe. Ristar. Phantasy Star II. I can go on. All are fantastic games in their own right, no doubt. I'm a fan. But like so many other Japanese game companies, they’re holding out on us. Yes, many will be placated with the likes of the current-gen Sega Genesis Collection's value (53 games for less than $50) but, I don't know, I can only attempt to play through Comix Zone and Phantasy Star III so many times; I'm sure many others share in this frustration.

A bright spot in Sega's history, however, was the Sega Ages line. The project started off as 3D budget (¥2500 at retail) remakes of their biggest hits that, thankfully, evolved into a series of definitive collections. This was due in part to the work of M2, a company who's MO is masterfully porting older games to modern consoles. Case in point, their 3DS Sega Ages port of Outrun was, at the time of its release, the best way to experience it. Again, as with Namco Museum, the bulk of the Sega Ages line is locked to the Japanese PlayStation 2 library. To further exacerbate this issue, most of later releases have started to become expensive on the secondhand market and Japanese auction sites. Bummer.

Conclusion 

It's not all doom and gloom. Publishers like Johnny Turbo's Arcade are keeping classic Data East games alive and, more importantly, available. Price wise, it's pretty fair too. For example, less than $10 USD nets you a download of Night Slashers, a 3-player horror-themed arcade-only beat-em-up from almost 30 years ago. While, no, it isn't the pinnacle of the its respective genre, I absolutely welcome its availability with arms wide open.

We also need to acknowledge the efforts of Hamster Corporation's Arcade Archive. Through them, we have whole bunch of Neo Geo games (well, except for Tengai Makyō Shinden aka Far East of Eden: Kabuki Klash but that's more a Konami problem) and most then arcade-only obscurities available for download on every console, mobile and PC marketplace. It's wonderful time to be alive unless of course you love Tengai Makyō-flavored Samurai Shodown clones, I guess. Hopefully, that'll change soon.

[luxwing]

I don't know how to describe the vibes of like late era N64/PS1 and early era playstation 2 RPG games. Games like Shadowgate 64, Eternal Ring, Okage, Dark Cloud, Shadow Hearts, Hexen, King's Field, Drakengard, the first .hack series...idk but they all just have Vibes that I can't place but I Know Them

[hamstermastersamster]

I started the FFVII remake recently, finally, and while I’ve been largely enjoying it, the switch to button-mashy combat instead of a nice turn-based RPG made me and my currently hurty right hand very sad. Can we stop making everything an action RPG, please? ;A;

I haven’t finished it yet, but this week, a Shadow Hearts track popped up on my Eternal Master Playlist I’ve Been Adding To Since I Was A Teenager and that compelled me to want to play it again (just 1 and 2 . . . 3, I’m not really a fan of for various solid reasons).

BUT my brain unearthed some ancient trivia that I must have learned when I originally played it - Shadow Hearts is actually a sequel to Koudelka, a relatively obscure survival horror RPG on the PS1. I’ve never played this, but on remembering this little factoid, decided that I had to. So I got an emulator running and started playing it for the first time.

I love it, honestly. Think old-school Resident Evil with pre-rendered backgrounds, fixed camera angles, and a big creepy location to explore, BUT combined with random battles and an obscure turn-based battle system with some weird experimental mechanics that is basically never explained in-game ever (thank you, gamefaqs). The soundtrack and sound design are great, the monster designs are pretty unique and horrific, and the characters are fun. A scantily-clad psychic, an adventuring ruffian and a judgemental prick of a priest, and all three of them seem to hate each other, which leads to some hilarious cutscenes with them arguing about poetry and abominations and it’s just funny. It’s not your typical JRPG, that’s for sure.

I think all these characters are meant to be British, considering they reference British locations constantly and the game is set in Wales, but none of them have British accents, of course. For its era, the voice acting is nonetheless actually pretty great, so I will forgive this sin.

Anyway, the game is fun to play in its own right, but I’m looking forward to enriching my understanding of Shadow Hearts lore with it, too.

[gorematchala]

I've been playing a ton of shit and not talking about it but

Star Ocean 2nd Story (PS1) is already one of my favorite RPGs just like First Departure R was. I'm kinda leaning toward not liking Claude but its probably because I'm playing as Rena so I'm not getting his internal monologue. But based on his intro in the 2nd Story R demo and how he's acting about Dias I'm like youre kinda a dumbass huh. But not in the lovable heroic way Roddick was. But I think its fine if he kinda sucks, there's room for that

Umihara Kawase is another game that is like instantly on my favorites of all time list. I'm on stage 5 and I'm like okay top 3 SNES game. Could be top 1 but Hebereke and Star Ocean are on there too hehe. But its like a physics based grapple platformer and its so cool. I need to go look at the new one again even though its kinda uggy

I bought Mushihime-sama because I'm still trying to expand my shmup horizons but I haven't been on my Switch much because I'm playing Star Ocean 2 and Pokemon Ruby but from the 2 seconds I played it was really good

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days, I'm giving so much leniency because I want to like Xion and I wanna experience her story. So far I've only done the tutorial with Axel and its a DS game so I dont expect much from it in terms of performance or visuals or whatever, its fine. My problem and why I'm having to exercise patience is that the writing of that series is so frustrating. The idea of that game is flawed. The whole thing exists to make the organization seem lamer. Like the mysterious shadow guys that were a big threat in chain of memories and 2, those guys all get together for meetings where xemnas assigns them busy work and they groan and complain about it even though i always forget theyre supposed to be emotionless. Vexen doing the Nagatoro crazy eyes all the time doesnt come off as hollow to me. It just makes me mad because its like FF7 where it could be great but a man named Tetsuya Nomura was handed a pen and paper and now we're here. But I will do it for her

I played 20 minutes of Izuna Legend of the Unemployed Ninja and I basically did the intro and then died to the 3rd enemy in the first floor of the dungeon but that game shouldve been more popular. It's really good but unfortunately it released on the same system as Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. Izuna sucks so bad I love her. The first thing she does is go to a shrine that says "this gem keeps the gods from being mad at us do not touch" and shes like hehehe all for meeee. Then the inn keeper is like I'm charging you 300x the rent till you fix this and shes like "we cant afford that, I will pay it... with my life" and she takes out a matchlock pistol and puts it to her head, and the inn lady is like yeah alright do it, and then you hear a click noise and Izuna is like damn out of bullets. I was like this is an insane way to introduce this character but shes my fail girl and we're gonna solve this curse together

The other fun thing has been playing Dark Souls 1 with my brother alongside his co-op playthrough of Smellden Ring with his partner, cuz DS1 is a good game and Smellden Ring is so bad that he has fully admitted I was right when i was bitching like a year ago or whatever. Cuz he took faith this time and now that theyve hit the wall of Mohg and Malenia hes like why the fuck is everything in this fucking game INT. And I'm like yeah dude, idk!!! But then like, we just did Sen's Fortress in DS1 and that place is so mean and fucked up but I was having a chill time just walking through all the traps and snake men and kicking my feets under the desk. DS1 is fully relaxing to me just like Bloodborne and most of DS3. Next time we play is O&S though so I'll get back 2 u on that statement