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Post by Ex on Mar 7, 2023 16:02:32 GMT -5
Yeah I love me some pool/billiards. I've played a lot of it in real life. I don't own a full size table, though I own a nice mini-table. Adding RPG/adventure elements instantly makes any game funner for me. Normally I wouldn't be all crazy about SCUBA games, but the ones that add that stuff take it to 11 for me. - Sticking to hard mode (i.e. not listing Japan-only games) another western released PS1 game I like (though haven't beaten yet) I never see anyone write about: Gungage is a Konami developed/published third person shooter with platforming elements. It's arcade-y and fairly fun as a shooter: This one was only released in English in Europe. Didn't come to the USA.
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Post by toei on Mar 7, 2023 16:27:15 GMT -5
Oh, that looks good and arcadey as hell. Added to my list of games to check out. There's a number of PAL-only PS1 and PS2 games worth playing.
One Japan-only game I don't mind mentioning here, because it has no story text, is Abalaburn (PSX). In its main mode, it's a typically mediocre 3D fighter from Tamsoft of Toshinden fame, however the single-player mode is a full-fledged 3D platformer/3D fighter hybrid. The bosses are characters from the game. I finished it a few years ago, it's actually pretty cool.
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Post by Sarge on Mar 7, 2023 16:32:58 GMT -5
I have heard of this one, but never played it. Interesting. Here's one I don't see mentioned too often - Sword of Etheria. Also a Konami game that didn't make it out of Europe. It's a bit of an odd bird - combat revolves around setting up juggles between you and your other teammates, which builds up a special meter for powerful super moves. I'm not great at the game, but maybe I just needed to give it more time.
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Post by bonesnapdeez on Mar 9, 2023 17:15:19 GMT -5
As the resident Atari / Golden Age / gen 2 fan... what immediately jumps to my mind is that a lot of notable ancient (late 70s / early 80s) games ended up spawning entire series that no one gives a shit about. Sometimes it's because the sequels were crappy and low-quality, or they at least give off that cheapo appearance. They were often made by random developers too, not the original creators.
For example....
Space Invaders sequels, like the 16-bit console games, the fifth gen Space Invaders X, the GameCube Space Raiders, and MANY more.
Everyone knows the original two Pitfall games, but there was also the "other" Pitfall II (arcade, SG-1000), Super Pitfall, The Mayan Adventure (which is hilariously on the Genesis, Sega CD, and 32X), plus some random 5th/6th gen stuff.
The first two Defender games are well-known, but there's also Defender 2000 on Jaguar plus a sixth gen multiplat reboot.
No one talks about Galaga 3 or Galaga '88 (which is humorously also known as both Galaga '90 and Galaga '91 due to delayed localization).
etc etc etc............
A few others that come to mind.....
Zeliard -- okay people here know about this. Game Arts PC-88-to-DOS Metroidvania, published by Sierra. Fun but hard as balls in parts.
Blaze & Blade: Eternal Quest -- admittedly clunky ARPG by T&E Soft (the Hydlide folks). Originally on PSX but only released in the US (in 2000) as a big box PC game.
Seiya Monogatari: AnEarth Fantasy Stories -- I always rave about this one. I see it mentioned here and there on the internet but it's mostly unknown. It's the "Chrono Trigger / Phantasy Star IV" of the PCE (CD), basically. One of the best JRPGs ever made; no one has ever played it. No fan translation is a big part of it.
Also, Xak, another thing I mention constantly lol.
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Post by toei on Mar 9, 2023 17:53:33 GMT -5
Isn't Seiya Monogatari more like Tales of Phantasia? Looks like that's where the Tales battles system originated from, anyway.
I remember reading about those 16-bit Pitfall games in magazines as a kid. I thought the screenshots looked kind of cool, but even then, they complained about how pixel-perfect the jumps had to be. And that was a European mag! They were used to dealing with bullshit in Euro games. Zeliard is pretty dope, it even has a banking system with investments and all. The only other old-school (though not as old-school) Japanese RPG I can think of that has something like that is the Dungeon Mode from Ehrgeiz, which has a Wine Market where you can speculate on wine. It can be a really good way to make money, but it's risky. And that's true, all those Space Invaders/Galaga sequels always looked completely useless from the outside. I messed with Blaze & Blade a bit via the PAL PSX release. I guess it was mostly notable for being multiplayer. It seems very empty and barebones, though, the early game is just this big green plain with almost nothing in it.
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Post by Sarge on Mar 9, 2023 18:06:52 GMT -5
Oh, man, The Mayan Adventure was on so many systems! Outside of the ones mentioned, it's also on SNES, Jaguar, and PC, and later got a GBA port!
Galaga '88 is really cool. I do know about Blaze and Blade and Seiya Monogotari, although I've not really played either much. Rooting for a translation for Seiya along with a ton of other PC Engine CD RPGs.
I know folks around here know about them, but it doesn't feel like the Arc the Lad games get enough love. AtL2 in particular stands tall with Shining Force, and Twilight of the Spirits on PS2 was great fun as well.
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Post by bonesnapdeez on Mar 9, 2023 19:02:10 GMT -5
The AnEarth battle system looks similar to that of Phantasia but isn't nearly as developed. In any event, my comparison to PSIV and Chrono was more about quality than mechanics. AnEarth is the best JRPG on the PCE. (Well, the pure ARPG games like Ys and Xak are a touch better, I guess). Very little info on the game in English. Here's something a bit worthwhile. Wonky page cuz wayback machine tho. web.archive.org/web/20160214045834/http://www.m1sz1.com/anearth/intro.htmlI need to get into Arc the Lad eventually. Got the games on PSN cuz that massive old compilation is too pricey now.
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Post by Xeogred on Mar 9, 2023 19:10:34 GMT -5
I need to get into Arc the Lad eventually. Got the games on PSN cuz that massive old compilation is too pricey now. Arc the Lad 2 >>>>>>>>> FFT.
Arc 1 is only about 10 hours if you just main line it too, kind of like a prologue to 2 being a bigger and expansive game. The whole crew from 1 comes back even, I love when some sequels back then were capable of pulling that off with huge story arcs and stuff.
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Post by Ex on Mar 9, 2023 21:16:21 GMT -5
I need to get into Arc the Lad eventually. The first Arc game is short (~10 hours), simple, and streamlined. It's a fun introductory SRPG. My complaint with it is how cake easy it is. That's probably why I haven't touched its sequels yet. I like my SRPGs to be HARD.
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Post by toei on Mar 9, 2023 22:06:36 GMT -5
Ex Play the first two Langrisser games, then. And not remakes. Der Langrisser has extra routes, but it also changes a bunch of things in the standard routes, and it's a lot easier in general, so if you want a challenge, play Langrisser 2 on the Genesis and nowhere else. As for the first game, it's a little primitive in some ways (mostly aesthetically), but it's also harder than average.
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