Wisps

@Greatluigi I think that was the major gimmick of classic Mana series (they kinda lost their identity as time and online games went on). Cool to see it coming back in one way or another.

Thanks for making this article! I really like the writing style and knowledge of this writer on JRPGs reviews/soapbox opinions, so it was great that they allowed her to share what many of us feel with Toriyama contributions to not only manga/anime but also games.

Baldur's water is Zelda gate compared to my tears. That's just my kingdom opinion tho.

For people who don't know too much about this franchise (so the majority lol). SaGa games characters are never that exciting, so dont get discouraged if you thought the ones shown here (or the random plot) were a bit meh. SaGa is all about the gameplay and until you play one, its really hard to describe the amazing loop and depth they have. I am excited waiting for this one!

@libersolis A bit of both compulsive shopping addiction and hoarding. I will also add fear of missing out of the conversation on social media platforms. All of these things are well known for advertisement and they take advantage of it for sales.

And here I thought that only Unicorn Overlord was going to sweep in my wishlist... now this too! Thanks for the interview! First time hearing about this game and feels like made for me.

This game looks, reads and sounds amazing. The focus on gameplay, tactics and strategy is the trilogy of things that I care the most about games. Graphics, story and characters are fine but you won't convince me with only those. I need a in-depth gameplay loop. Day 1 for me for sure.

I am getting EGGCONSOLE Ys PC-8801mkIISR, which HAS TO BE the weirdest name ever given to a game (Its just the first Ys game that was on the PC-8801 console lol). It feels like an antique collection and I am excited to travel back in time.

@RobotReptile individual launch screens

@Milton_Burle By impatient you mean you enjoy or not the Story/RPG elements ? I am not sure which one but Dungeon Drafters has little plot, its mostly a gameplay based experience. Its already on Steam but will be coming to consoles on March 14th.

This is the best place to call to attention to other underrated quality deckbuilder games for those interested.

Give yourself a favor and get these:
1) Steamworld Quest
2) WildFrost
3) Dungeon drafters.

You can thank me later!

@Serpenterror Yes! A fellow Crosscode and SteamWorld Quest fan! They were my personal GOTY for their respective years!

@GutayS5 The comparison between both was a quick one to make when sea of stars came out. I think they complement each other in good ways.

Chained Echoes goes into playing like jRPGs such as Final Fantasy (6 and 7), Xenogears and Breath of Fire. Sea of Stars on the other hand, emulates Chrono Trigger, Lufia and Golden Sun much more.

It depends on which games you like from those which one you think will be better in the long run, but given that you said that time is a limiting factor, I would suggest Sea of Stars. The game is way shorter (around 25-30 hours) compared to Chained Echoes (which goes for 40-50.. and more if you wanted to do sidequests).

@Rainz I really liked the game but it fits a niche of retro JRPGs feel. Because of that, it will always be really sweet for some people and just average or not interesting for others. I think its a fine balance and not every game has to be a massive hit for all gamers audiences (especially for an indie!)

One of my favs franchises. Cant wait to play this one since SaGa Scarlet Grace was a blast to play!

@Cia In my dream scenario. I like to imagine a coop game where you control both Link And Zelda. It would be more puzzle involved (rather than action) but you swap between both characters to open doors, press switchs at the same time, lower boxes for the other to pass, etc.. A bit like resident evil 0 or 5 partner mechanics if you like but better implemented (and with no zombies lol).

@Purgatorium I think the images do not do make justice in this case since it looks better in movement. Regardless of that, the whole aesthetic of the game is supposed to be a bit dreamlike (the soundtracks goes for the same vibe) so its very niche in its style.

@Diowine I would do some research before you make the purchase if you are looking for a well crafted JRPG challenging game. The original Mario RPG was meant to work as a bridge for players who used to play Mario games to get into RPGs. It definitely has tons of charm, humor and really fun moments to enjoy but difficulty was never the main selling point of this game.
Just to make it clear, I do love hard difficult RPGs (shin megami tensei and SaGa games are among my favs) but just to keep those expectations in check with the mario rpg franchise which is always more welcoming than the usual.

I loved this game back then. Definitely recommend it to any first time RPG players and those who want to have a fun time! I will be getting it mostly for nostalgia, to hear those re-arranged soundtracks and the best part for me: to explore those post game challenges!? I cant wait!

Good list and as others pointed out it does not include 3rd party games also being released next year. Personally, I am hyped for SaGa Emerald Beyond (from squeenix), Eiyuden Chronicles (Suikoden spiritual sequel) and Unicorn Overlord (From vanillaware).

The switch has become a massive library of RPGs. We are eating so good.

I will also grab some popcorn but before that:

1- Kudos to Aonuma, he has given us so many good moments with the Zelda series! Always good to appreciate art in different forms.

2- I agree.. Tears of the Kingdom was a bit of a snoozefest. (Puts on Hyrulean Flame Shield).

@themikestur87 I imagine its a combination of being the one least played (so people vote for the ones that they remember/liked) and also there is an argument against the GBA soundchip which makes the classic tunes a bit... chirpy. Anyways, they are all quite close!

@VoidofLight I do love me some of NieR games! And the music... those feels!!

But I think I like both games in this case. To me Sea of Stars goes for a more retro inspired SNES feeling. Its clearly driven by nostalgia and that cozy feeling (unlike NieR games which have so much of the quality of Yoko Taro writing) that was the main driving force of pixel style turn based JRPGs.

Games that inmediately come to mind are Lufia, Breath of Fire, Golden Sun, Lunar, Mario and Luigi RPG, Quintet Trilogy and many others that kinda had this easygoing but fun approach to them! However I definitely agree that if you are expecting a huge grandiose story that blows your mind, Sea of Stars is not going to make it. It is a bit overrated in the sense that its not like the next-step in evolution of the genre but rather a nice nod to the nostalgia of games before it.

Just reading the comments and seems the game reception was way more mixed than I thought. I can see what some people say but I definitely had a blast with the game. Its sweet, short and fun for its content. I am too tired of 100 hour RPGs that overstay their presence so Sea of Stars was definitely a nice surprise. To me what really elevates the experience was the music. Its so good!

@samuelvictor I was a bit afraid when I started reading your comment thinking it could be off topic or overly controversial but I am 100% with you. In a world where DNA/blood is by no means a guarantee to any love at all (sadly). The old fashioned sentence of unwanted stepchild makes little to no sense.

Congrats on your family! Hope it grows full of love and care!

Having played these games back then. Front Mission itself is an exercise in frustration, but at the same time it's a compelling and genuinely entertaining experience.

If you are a player who likes SRPG, this is a must have imo. While it won't convert modern players to the genre, its a love letter to the fans of it. Its quite unique and the combat is addictive fun. I don't agree with the focus on the story that this review goes for. Don't be misdirected, you want to play this game for the long fun battles, not for the story (which is typical tropes one after another). The fact that they reviewed this game for the plot but didnt get a grab on the gameplay speaks by itself on how this game did not appeal to them.

As I did for front mission 1, wait for a sale and enjoy!

I appreciate the help in promoting the business of your friends, but this reads, sounds and looks like a big advertisement . Good for the ones who find this interesting, but as for me it all reads like marketing fluff (lot of things and words that sum up to little).

@Cashews. I really like your comment. Its introspective and makes you think about the value of art itself. Some people might think that no matter the path, the result is all that matters (like getting children to know Van Gogh art). But I am more inclined to agree with you in the sense that mass commercialism devours art of its essence and makes it a generic product.

I suspect this is not the case, but don't get discouraged by people that say that you have a pessimistic or sad view of things. Asking questions and doubting what we see and think is one of the wonders of art.

@LadyCharlie I forgot to mention Latines so thanks for bringing it up! Latines would be way better suited for a gender-neutral word that some (but not all) latinos and latinas can get behind. It also sounds much better in our phoneticl But latinx is just too divisive and you won't find too much support from even the people who you are trying to encourage representation for.

I like the idea on this article and I believe widening the voices and views on a subject can only add to the richness of a media/entertainment!

Having said that, the term latinX is really a detriment to support the topic. This word is controversial to say the least and while it comes from a good place in the english speaking community, it definitely does not only sound weird to us latinos (we dont have an X in any word like this) but it also redirects the whole point to cultural appropiation and mislabeling other communites usage of correct language. I would remove this term while keeping the same intention of the article.

I love survival modes! I feel like this option is one of the few old school arcade feelings that games still have (imo games are getting too easy compared to before). Given how TMNT has its roots in the 90s with the arcade glory, its very fitting.

@-wc- Mostly because it was Dark Souls and not Demon Souls the one that started the cult following of this series. Demon Souls had many unfortunate events that led to it not being as known during its release. While it was the one who started the trends, they were pretty much nailed on Dark Souls (to the point that going backwards from Dark Souls to Demon Souls is a bit harsh).

@Captain_Toad Kkarai originally appeared in the comics that the show was based on, but she didn't appear on TV until the show was rebooted in 2003. Her only appearances in the 80's shows continuity were through the video games. This particular version of her is heavily based on the SNES TMNT fighting game.

Same as with Pokemon Stadium 1, I am in the minority in which the lack of gameboy transfer options is something that doesn't affect me at all. It made the game too easy and I like the challenge (which is unfair but fun) that rental team provides! There is so much strategy, luck and good planning involved when you have to adapt with what you were given, instead of stomping with your perfect moveset and teams!

I cant wait! I will be playing this along with Chained Echoes and Live a Live Remake for the perfect triforce of new retro goodies!

I have put so many hours in the DLC Survival mode of Streets of Rage 4 that this is sweet news for me. I didnt play too much of TMNT because the single player mode is a bit easy, but this will definitely change when I try to make it throught the super punishing endless survival battles! Day 1 purchase!

@Lizuka Its going to be around 100 hours now since they announced a 3X speed feature and no encounters toggle. Seems like all remasters have these things now...

Unless I missed it here but does anyone know how they will get around when players get too split apart between each other? Will this have a bubble kind of mechanism like the new super mario bros series?

Oh and if by lucky chance anyone knows how this exact issue is solved in sonic generations. I am just craving for 4 player coop games but always worried how they deal with this.

I do see what the writer of this opinion article says. The modern dungeons do work for BOTW and TOTK where you have no item tied to them. However, the classic dungeon of Zelda is still infinitely better to me. It is hard to describe but the progression of getting into a real dungeon (with what that word implies) where you have to slowly progress thru different floors of puzzles in unrivaled to me. The moment you step on them, with no map, no compass, and no way to know how to unlock most of its gimmicks is just too good. Just typing this makes me nostalgic for them

EDIT: This is only for the dungeon design. The bosses in TOTK can be easily categorized with the older bosses of zelda games. A much better improvement than the boring bosses of BOTW.

@Jprhino84 I only replied to the original post which did mention darks souls and difficulty (and I think he also replied to someone else... so in fact there was another guy who started that discussion ).

Good points but as I mentioned I wont go into detail in this discussion thread since its not about that. I would be happy to debate on this whenever Nlife makes a different topic but lets not throw more wood into the bonfire (I wanted to make a souls joke but I failed).

Oh btw what @Piyo was mentioning about color blindness... so true. My cousin suffers from Deuteranomaly and he did in fact mention that the combination of the green grass with the red miasma in TOTK is extremely hard for him to see. I think when it rains it is even worse since it all becomes a similar tone of color.

@Jprhino84 I respectfully disagree. I think it depends a lot on the game design and philosophy. Some games are great the more difficulty options they have but others are similarly good when they restrict these same options. No general rule applies for all games is my personal take on it.

But I really do not want to make this about difficulties and dark souls since I think the major point of this article is the need for accesibility as the things the author of the article mentioned, which I strongly believe is important and I completely agree that they should be part of all games by now.

@Hilliard Good points man (And thanks to the effort in replying to so many people! please dont do it too much haha.. unless you really enjoy it).

Having said that, please for the love of Solaire... don't add an easy mode to Dark Souls... is one of the few bastions of unique challenging experiences that we still have (This will eventually happen anyways but I hope I can at least delay the inevitable haha).

This is the kind of accesibility options that developers should start pushing more and more as we get more information about all different types of player experiences. Accesibility options in things like button remapping, font sizes, subtitles and things that only add to the gameplay are welcome additions. The only exceptions which I don't quite agree is when they call lowering difficulties or allowing cheat modes as features that should be in all games to make them more accessible (since they heavily affect the gameplay core by themselves), but what the person wrote here? All my support.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake. While the game has won awards and it certainly has quality design. I think it was dirty of the developers to call it a remake and then subvert expectations with the game playing it more like a reimagination/sequel. I still dont know exactly where it fits but marketing it as full remake was a misleading move.

Everytime they post an article about this game franchise, they insist on reminding of their hot-take with Front Mission 1 experience. Since myself and others were quite enthusiastic disagreeing with that review, I will remind this for people that are reading this news without context.

Do not disregard this franchise or get shy of the randominess combat or battle as they mention here. Its nothing you can't beat with proper planning and strategic gameplay! I prefer FM1 to FM2 but this game is great if you wanted more of the first one.

This was a good article to read but I seem to disagree on most of it. The comparisons to FF and Resident Evil included. (FF really has lost their identity from a long time now and Resident Evil only regained it after going back to its horror roots in resi7).

My opinion on Botw is that its a great game, really one the most creative and fun games I have played! But it is not a great Zelda game. The lack of themed dungeons tied to key items that worked as mini puzzles is what I find lacking in Botw. Again not a bad game, just not a good example of why I like Zelda in general.

@BlackenedHalo I am glad to read someone mentioned this! I guess we are in the group of purist that they mention in the review! The rebalance (especially for FF1-3) makes the games a cakewalk compared to their original versions.At least now they allow us to reduce the EXP/GIL/ABP gained to make it closer to the originals... but still... FF3 having save points and consumable items to restore MP makes for a really different experience compared to the OG.

The new music is the big win for the pixel remaster. I would buy them just for that purpose.

@GamerGrandpa Yeah, I also do not get the constant gripes with the NSO pricing. Its fine (not the best but just fine). As many people have said in the comments, the pokemon fandom has a group that is constantly asking for bigger and harder challenges. I don't think pokemon should always cater to that (Side note: Go for Shin Megami Tensei if you crave that in a similar pokemon style), but both pokemon stadium 1 and 2 can do it with the rental only challenges. Its amazing imo.

I am part of the audience that is defined by challenging gameplay. I get the issue with some people disliking the fact that you cant transfer your own team into Pokemon Stadium. But for me, the joy and fun of this game is the rental only challenge!! Its so creative and fun when you put limits on what you can (or can't use). It makes for a very strategic and unique gameplay based on what you have rather than what you want.

I am definitely playing this game with that in mind but I am even more excited for pokemon stadium 2 when they did the special stat split (Sp. Atk and Sp. Def).

@its_luke_c I agree man but each to their own I guess. I just hope they realize that the older FF games are all about battles and level progression. There is no juicy plot or cutscenes to rush to. Hopefully they do not get dissapointed for this.