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Post by toei on May 15, 2023 17:01:23 GMT -5
Inspired by a recent exchange with Ex. I thought we already had a thread dedicated to this, but I can't find one. The purpose of the thread is to get into why these games are particularly interesting, in a time where we have so many options. Its secondary mystical purpose that only the true HRG initiates will understand is to use our word magic to redirect the river we know as the HRG Effect so as to irrigate our preferred gaming fields.
I will start with:
Hissatsu Ura-Kagyou (PS2)
Genki, 2005
This is an assassin game set in feudal Japan, with one particularity; it's divided into adventure and stealth phases. During the day, you go around town under an assumed identity, talking to NPCs and collecting information about your target, then at night, you carry out the hit, stealth-like. I don't know whether other stealth/hitman-type games have used that concept since, but it sounds very interesting to me, and the setting is a plus. The game is inspired by the Hissatsu! tv series, though it's not actually licensed; in Hissatsu, the assassins follow a code according to which they only go after bad people (though they still do it for money; they view themselves as bad people as well, or at least, as being forever tainted by their work). They trust the handful of intermediaries who offer them jobs to make that determination, but oftentimes, while surveilling the target, they will investigate them as well, and confirm their guilt. (Should the go-between lie or fail in his previous verification, he becomes the target). I wonder if that aspect is in the game?
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Post by Ex on May 16, 2023 9:49:27 GMT -5
The post of mine toei was referring to: hardcoreretrogaming.boards.net/post/61452/thread- If I really sat down and thought about it, I could easily come up with dozens of games I wish would receive full English fan translation patches. Really only the 3rd and 4th gen have been well represented in that regard. There's still loads of 5th gen and up games that remain Japanese only. But I'm not going to list dozens, I'll just start with these two: King's Field: Additional I (JP, 07/20/2006) / King's Field: Additional II (JP, 08/24/2006)
These PSP exclusives are obviously part of the King's Field franchise, but they are unique from the main series in some ways. The main difference is instead of being real-time 3D, rather the Additional games are incrementally grid based, very much like Wizardry. So what you've got here are old school grid based dungeon crawlers, except King's Field flavored. There's a town to shop in, there's a casino, and NPCs to converse with. The combat is still real-time based around a strength meter that must be balanced between defense and attack tactically. Also what few English reviews I've found concerning these two games, all say that they are HARD. Which makes sense given the Wizardry influence. And there's no party either, like KF proper it's still a sole protagonist against the monsters. For my own personal tastes these grim dark dungeon crawlers look like a fun time. Because of the amount of NPC text and event text, English translations are needed here.
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Post by anayo on May 16, 2023 12:22:06 GMT -5
Nanatsu Kaze no Shima Monogatari (Sega Saturn)
The graphics are beautiful and look like a storybook. Also, it requires reading skills to play. You can't just pick it up and ignore what everyone's saying, like Bulk Slash. If nobody ever translates it, then I'll just go at it in Japanese.
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Post by bonesnapdeez on May 16, 2023 13:16:00 GMT -5
Redundant as I've already mentioned some of these but...................... Seiya Monogatari: AnEarth Fantasy Stories (I'd prefer PCE CD but Saturn would be okay) -- as I've said, in terms of quality this is the Chrono Trigger / PSIV of the PCE. Fantastic, polished JRPG with no leveling system(!), plus a really unique story and character selection. Essential. Xak I + II (PCE CD) -- This is ARPG perfection alongside Ys Book I & II, SoM, and Zelda (hehe). One of the best OSTs of all time too. Xak is fun everywhere but extremely elevated on the PCE. Other forgotten 16-bit JRPGs, mostly on the PCE, including (but not limited to) Blood Gear, Dragon Knight I, II, III, Efera & Jiliora, Farjius no Jakoutei: Neo Metal Fantasy, and Mashou Denki: La Valeur. All solid unknown titles that would be quite accessible minus the language barrier. Dragon Knight 4 (Super Fami version) would be great too, to round out that series. A specific cluster of classic Japanese adventure games, including the original FDS Famicom Detective Club titles, classic Jake Hunter and J.B. Harold, Hokkaidou Rensa Satsujin, and Toki no Tabibito. I love this kind off stuff, and it feels like we're in the "home stretch" as most of it has been translated. The remainder of the fifth gen Yarudora games. These are cool interactive adventure VNs, all with similar gameplay but independent plots. The first one (Double Cast) actually was fan-translated (though it's the PSP port). Would love to see the three others in English (the post-PSX games don't look as good). Another Mind (PSX) -- PlayStation FMV adventure game... by SquareSoft! Looks like it could be cool.
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Post by toei on May 16, 2023 13:35:55 GMT -5
I second a lot of bonesnapdeez 's choice. Xak I & II would be great - the SNES Xak 1 is translated but it's such a terrible port, with insane amounts of grinding and the slowest battles compared to the PCE-CD version. And those old MSX translations with 75% of the text cut and the choppy scrolling... no thanks. All those other PCE-CD RPGs... This is the untapped console from that classic era, we barely have any in English. I'm still really waiting for those two Legend of Xanadu games, though. Top-down towns with Ys-style combat in the overworld and action side-scrolling levels? They look so great. There was a project for one that was supposed to be advanced a million years ago, and I think I remember Sarge saying it was still going a good while back, but I'm still worried about the fact they want to dub it. All amateur dubs and most professional dubs for anything RPG are atrocious. I tried playing PoPoLoCrois on the PSX with the amateur dub and I just can't take it seriously as a game. I understand that they're ambitious and all and maybe that stuff is fun to put together, but please keep that stuff optional. I thought those PSP King's Field games were Make-Your-Own-Dungeons!-type games, but now I see the appeal a little more. Not for me, but they look as mean and cold as a dungeon crawler gets. In a good way.
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Post by Ex on May 16, 2023 13:57:55 GMT -5
mean and cold as a dungeon crawler gets I'll play them someday. Even if I have to use Google Lens to translate them as I play them. Of course right after I beat both then the English translations will release.
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Post by Xeogred on May 16, 2023 14:34:34 GMT -5
If those KF's were maybe more like the original 4, it wouldn't be too hard to try and brute force your way through things. But it definitely looks more RPG/NPC heavy in a way like yeah, you extra need to know what you're doing or what NPC's are saying to help. Big one for me... xenosaga.fandom.com/wiki/Xenosaga_I_%26_IIThat's... a lot of changes. Also considering the issues that Xenosaga 1 and 2 (PS2) have gameplay wise, with entirely different battle systems, etc, it sure is enticing even from a gameplay perspective that this exists and is maybe a smoother more cohesive experience. There's surely a chance the combat in these is more fun than the PS2 games.
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Post by bonesnapdeez on May 23, 2023 14:46:02 GMT -5
Still no English fan translation for The Legend of Heroes II, right? Another one I think a lot of people would get into, especially now that the series has exploded in size and popularity. I've played it on Super Famicom and PCE CD. Not a bad game!
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Post by Sarge on May 23, 2023 14:48:00 GMT -5
Still waiting on Legend of Xanadu as well. Dunno if we're ever going to see them at this rate. Guess I should pop over to the PC Engine Bible forums and see if there's been any update. I know elmer has been very busy with personal life.
As far as dubbing goes, I think they did a solid job with Ys IV, certainly better than what we saw in official releases back in the day with Ys III. Oof.
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Post by toei on May 23, 2023 14:57:18 GMT -5
I don't like the Trails games but the Turbo CD LOH was good, I'd absolutely play the sequel. I'd take the Genesis version too, it's the only one without the menus taking up a bunch of screen space so there's that. Though they left the choppy movement in for some reason.
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