One of the most extraordinary facts about Mega Man 2 is that it almost didn’t happen. Sales of the first Mega Man were low, and it was only with the special permission of Capcom’s vice president that development was allowed to proceed. But there was a catch. The staff had to work on it concurrently…
I never thought my favorite part of a Hironobu Sakaguchi game would be the battle system, especially since Final Fantasy and Lost Odyssey are renown for their compelling stories and dramatic character arcs. But in The Last Story, the combat was not just the best part of the game. It represented a refreshing evolution of…
There were so many great games in 2017 with fantastic stories and equally great characters. Persona 5’s entire ensemble added something to the gripping narrative and I found myself sympathizing with all of their plights. Nier: Automata had an amazing cast of robots who were memorable and fascinating, even if most of them ended up…
Nier Automata is cruel to its characters. An action role-playing game from Square Enix, very few games have made me react as strongly to the story as Automata. While Yoko Taro’s games have always been disturbingly provocative as they dig at deep existential questions, the optional sidequests from the Machine Village exemplify what makes Automata…
In Final Fantasy VI, the villains triumph. It’s one of the most shocking moments in gaming. As devastating at the moment is, the journey the protagonists take to defy the overwhelming odds against them is a message of hope during bleak times and represents what I most love about the series. Warning, spoilers abound!!! Celes’…
There’ve been lots of difficult games in my life. Shining in the Darkness was one of the hardest in my 16-bit era experience. A Sega Genesis game that was part dungeon crawler and part JRPG, Shining had a relentless enemy encounter rate and a Labyrinth that was very easy to get lost in. At the…
Streets of Rage 2 is one of the greatest 2D action brawlers ever made and joins the pantheon of classic games like TMNT, The Simpsons, Double Dragon, and Final Fight. While Streets 2 has smooth controls, gritty bright environments, and outstanding music, it’s the narrative that gets expressed through the levels that makes it compelling…
A few weeks ago, Kotaku’s community-run blog, TAY, had a theme week with a question, what is your favorite video game world? I’ve always loved the world of Phantasy Star II. It’s a utopian vision of a future where everything is provided for. A big AI computer called Mother Brain has created peace and harmony…
I don’t think a game ever made me laugh so hard. Conker’s Bad Fur Day was developed by Rare in 2001 for the N64 and felt like a satirical middle finger to gaming and film that revels in mocking many of its tropes. It could only come from the creator of platforming classics like Banjo…
Every David Cage game is an experience, from the eerie Indigo Prophecy to the twisted murder mystery of Heavy Rain and the flawed but ambitious Beyond: Two Souls. Released in 2013 for the PS3, Beyond is an interactive drama action-adventure game about Jodie Holmes (played by Ellen Page) who has supernatural powers. This is largely…
The journey of StarTropics was as varied as it was challenging, taking players from the tropical islands of the Coral Sea to the spaceship of an alien conqueror. In many ways, the game is what you’d get if there was an 8-bit version of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker fused together with Indiana Jones,…
Gamers often talk about the convergence of film and games. But in Life Is Strange, some of my favorite moments are the literary allusions because they make the world feel richer and more authentic. That starts with Max’s last name, Caulfield, which is a reference to Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye, the…
Gunstar Heroes is side-scrolling shooting sublimated, chaos synchronized into a bullet symphony that makes the game feel very addictive. Created by Treasure, a cove of ex-Konami developers who wanted to develop unique games and follow the philosophy of “anything goes,” Heroes covers the adventures of the Gunstars as they fight against an evil organization that…
In Persona 3 and 4, reality outside of the world of shadows was high school life, social links, and excursions that, for the most part, were enjoyable and light-hearted. In Persona 5, every day life is bleak. Warning, spoilers abound. High School Blues From the opening, the main protagonist is threatened, talked down to, and…
There are many scenes in Terranigma that challenged my notions of morality and how even our well-intentioned decisions can impact a society in ways we couldn’t imagine. It’s arguably one of the most compelling JRPGs ever developed because of those ambiguities, standing as the finale in the Quintet trilogy that includes Soulblazer and Illusion of…
Super Mario Galaxy 2’s gameplay is superb, having some of the most creative level design I’ve experienced. Discovering the new rules and parameters of each galaxy is a joy. Yoshi is back. There’s a variety of suits that are available like the Cloud Mario and Rock Suit that mix up the control scheme and the…
When gamers talk about Earthbound, it’s usually about the quirky nature of the game and how it’s a refreshingly unique take on the JRPG. It definitely exudes charm in its eclectic interpretation of American culture from the vision of writer and director, Shigesato Itoi. But there’s one scene that resonates with me and made Earthbound…
The PS1 had some of the most innovative JRPGs ever developed. Vagrant Story was at the top of its class. Directed and written by Yasumi Matsuno, it’s a role playing game that defied categorization, mixing genres while telling a complex story that blended seamlessly with the gameplay and art style. It’s by far the darkest…
It was midnight and I was alone in my room, talking with the Seaman on my Dreamcast. Seaman was asking about my love life and I felt embarrassed to admit I didn’t have one (this was many years ago before I was married). Seaman wondered, “Ok, I want to ask you something. This one is…
Child of Light is a beautiful game and a mesmerizing experience that crafts a perfect fusion between RPGs and platforming. In many ways, it encapsulates what I love most about JRPGs, which are wondrous worlds with engrossing mechanics and a charming cast. On top of that, the art is sublime as the hand-painted environments and character…
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