Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu (1999)
Honestly, it’s a shame Jade Cocoon didn’t go on to become one of the JRPG standards from the PS1 era, but I have a lot of fond memories of it. I spent what was probably hours playing around with the monster fusion mechanic that let me mix the creatures I captured into something that took on their physical traits, which was mind-blowing to me back in the 90s. But even setting that aside, I was enthralled at a young age by its melodrama. Walking through the village I’d been running around all game after its citizens had been turned to stone was terrifying and has been etched in my brain for decades. I never got around to playing the sequel on PS2, but getting to those final hours in the original was enough to know the series has potential. — Kenneth Shepard
