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First 50:

51. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III - Switch

Trails of Cold Steel III serves as the beginning of a payoff to all the underlying plot threads that have been laid across all the Trails games (in the Sky, Cold Steel, and the two unlocalized games). And it does a great job at that. But I will warn you; it is only the start, as it ends with a massive cliffhanger that frankly makes me regret having picked it up without the fourth game having been localized. It's coming, but it's going to be painful to wait that long.

Gameplay-wise Cold Steel III is an incremental improvement on the first two. There are a lot of quality of life changes; almost all of the hidden quests now provide map markers to get you started, as well as a bunch of hidden items also having map indicators. Recipes are now learned from restaurants as a special menu item, so they are easily acquired (rather than from random NPCs). You'll still need a guide to truly 100% if that's your thing, but for the most part you won't feel like you're being locked away from rewards because you aren't obsessive at talking to every damn NPC in the game.

Another noticeable gameplay change is that your ARCUS unit now lets you equip two master quartzes (and you lose a regular quartz as a tradeoff). The second master quartz provides a fraction of the normal stats and only gives you its primary passive, but you still get all the spells. And more importantly, this system lets you create some absurdly powerful combinations. Rather than choosing from between a handful of "this makes your physical attacker awesome", pick the best two and watch as you steamroll everything in your path. The game also rejiggered some of the calculations arounds arts, so creating a mage is worthwhile again.

There are some changes in battles now. They've made enemies not instantly notice you, so you can get back attacks more frequently. But now those are only double advantage; to get a triple advantage you expend a resource. But this resource also works on the extra strong mosnters, so it's best saved for that. There's a new system of orders, where you can activate a passive bonus for the team for a limited number of player turns at the cost of the same resource that powers your link attacks. But these can be incredibly strong. Which leads into the final change; the break system. The devs finally nerfed delay into oblivion, so you'll basically never push enemies down the turn order (both chance and amount are drastically reduced). But there's a new system to stop enemies from getting turns. Every enemy has a break meter which goes down when they take damage. It is related to but independent of damage; a given hit that does more damage will do more break damage, but some attacks will do more or less break damage and you can specifically buff it. When an enemy's break meter is depleted they lose their upcoming turn as if they took a basic action, then their next turn is just them recovering from the break status. While in break status EVERY hit triggers a follow up. And there is a specific quartz that increases your damage against broken targets. You'll want to lean hard into break damage, as fights are always easier when enemies don't get to act.

On the story end of things the game plays out similarly to the first game; you're now an instructor at the academy and lead your students in the same sort of activites; free day on campus, then training battle, then go do a field exercise in a remote town and do a bunch of plot stuff. There are less chapters but each chapter is much longer and meatier than the original game. Additionally, the game tosses out the main antagonists at you quickly, whereas the first game was much more about subtle machinations going on before it all blew up. From the start it's clear that the main plans are about to kick off. And there are a lot of things going on with these plans; the true depths won't be revealed until the end of the game, at which point it ends on a cliffhanger akin to as if Final Fantasy VI ended with the final cutscene at the end of the Floating Continent and then went "To be continued".

Cold Steel III continues to carry forward a strong series and has a lot of payoffs and fun nods to previous games. If you've been following the series up until now this game is essential, though you may want to wait until after the fourth game is localized. It again has a Backstory option at the start to catch you up, and while you need to have played previous games to fully appreciate all the nods and references the nature of the story does allow you to start with it.

The First 50:

51. Kid Dracula (Switch)(Platformer)
52. Castlevania (Switch)(Platformer)
53. Akumajō Dracula (Switch)(Platformer)
54. Akumajō Dracula [Castlevania IV](Switch)(Platformer)

Yes, the same title as the original Castlevania release in Japan, but this time I played through the NTSC-J release of Castlevania IV. With the same name, the same intro screen, the same style, and some quality of life improvements, Akumajō Dracula feels more like a pseudo-remake than a proper sequel. You still move through 2D levels in a linear fashion, climbing stairs, evading traps, and fighting monsters. Bosses still punctuate each level, though this time there is a massive number of levels when compared to the original game.

As for the quality of life improvements, some are things brought about simply by being on a new console, such as the special weapon command being remapped to a shoulder button. I'm far less likely to accidentally fire something off this way than I am when I have to tap up on the d-pad to do it, because I'm often also trying to do that while getting on stairs and dealing with flying medusa heads and bats. Another huge quality of life improvement is the flailing whip, which I can now attack with in new directions and hang down to hit enemies below me repeatedly or use as a makeshift shield. But the biggest improvement over the original? The ability to jump onto stairs. This is a game changer for navigating levels, and with controls that already feel more fluid, Simon Belmont now moves with an urgency he never showed before.

As for the regional differences, truth be told it's mostly cosmetic. The Akumajō Dracula logo drips blood, and there is a bit more blood throughout the game. There are some nude statues, and a few crosses that were edited out of the NTSC-U release. Other than that, they're effectively the same game. I don't recall the final boss rush being quite as difficult, but then it's also been years since I last played Castlevania IV, so that might just be me not remembering correctly.

I've always enjoyed this entry in the original series, so for me, this was a fun comparison. I don't believe seeking out the import is necessary, though if you have the option for a cheaper Super Famicom cart, there's no reason to say no either. For anyone who has never ventured into the 16-bit Castlevania realm, this is also a good entry to start with if you prefer the first of the three NES titles. Don't expect the non-linear gameplay, leveling, or additional characters of the later titles, just revel in classic goodness.

You guys have been killing it with the reviews. I’ve been reading all of them, and it’s always great to get a fresh perspective on a classic game.

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First 40

41. Tcheco in the Castle of Lucio (Switch)
42. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Switch)
43. Stories Untold (Switch)
44. Boxboy! + Boxgirl! (Switch)

Stories Untold is an episodic first-person, adventure-horror game focused on obsolete technology. In the first-episode (“The House Abandon”), for example, you assume the role of someone playing a very creepy text-adventure game with consequences outside of the CRT monitor on which you view the game. Another episode has you using microfiche and a short-wave radio to crack codes under increasingly desperate circumstances. It’s overall pretty solid, and since each episode lasts about 30-45 minutes, you can complete it in a single sitting. Unfortunately, the last episode is pretty weak, from both a puzzle-design and story perspective and left me with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. It doesn’t ruin the experience, but it does sour it somewhat. Hesitantly recommended.

Boxboy! + Boxgirl! is undoubtedly the best game in HAL’s Boxboy! series, and I played it compulsively until I had achieved every goal for every level. It has a great single-player campaign, a challenging co-op campaign with puzzle mechanics similar to the ingenious BoxBoxboy! (and that, thankfully, can also be played with a single player), and a bonus campaign where you play as Qudy, Quby’s rectangular brother. It has a secret ending, bonus games, unlockable features, scaling difficulty, etc., and everything about the game is just so well-designed. If someone is going to play only one BoxBoy game, this is undoubtedly the game to play. Unfortunately for me, however, I’ve played the other three, and I think I’m a bit burned out on the series. Accordingly, and while I wholeheartedly recommend this fantastic game, I think I’ll skip any subsequent entries in this charming series.

First 50:

51. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III - Switch
52. Star Control Origins: Earth Rising - PC

Earth Rising is the post-game expansion for Star Control Origins that follows up your efforts to help humanity take its first real steps into becoming a spacefaring race; no longer will it just be you in the stars. Like the aliens you have met, Earth needs a multi-star presence to take its place in the galaxy. Since this takes place in a post-main game storyline the humans are ascendant, having completely upset the balance of power. The expansion is divided into four chapters of quests; each chapter focuses on a main thread with several supporting quests (because no task can be simple in a game like this). The game also introduces a ton of new ships for you, several of which are actually decent (unlike about half the ships in the base game). The expansion also plants the seeds for a possible sequel storyline; there is something lurking in the darkness that is shaping up to be a bigger threat than the Scryve were. And while you start laying some groundwork for how you might handle it, there are a lot of open questions (as well as some more backstory being filled in). It's another 8-10 hours worth of content, so if you were a fan of the base game I recommend picking it up.

prfsnl_gmr wrote:44. Boxboy! + Boxgirl! (Switch)

I keep forgetting this game exists! XP
I've loved the other 3 games and I soooo gotta get this one

17th August 2020 - Final Fantasy XII (PS2, emulated on PC with PCSX2)

I haven't posted anything here in what feels like an age, because I was playing Final Fantasy XII and it took me about 55 hours to get to the end.

I've been trying to clear my backlog, and decided to actually reduce my gaming library. I've never been one to hold onto a lot of possessions, and I felt suffocated by trying to get through every game I had. I therefore went through all those that I hadn't completed and pretty much all were not physical. I then closed my Humble Store, GOG, and Playstation Network accounts, and deleted several games from my Steam account.

That left me with the core of what I was absolutely sure I wanted to play. Now, having finished FFXII, I just have Okami, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Front Mission: Gun Hazard to go through (barring games that you don't really beat like the awesome occult pinball simulator, Demon's Tilt).

What's remarkable for me for FFXII is that I played through it entirely on a low end, 4gb ram, core i3-7020u laptop with integrated graphics. I ripped my PS2 disc and tried emulating, not expecting much, but I was able to run it at a stable 50fps (PAL version) at half-native resolution, without many problems. There was occasional stutter when loading, but nothing that really affected gameplay. Despite the low resolution (960x540) it looked pretty great on my laptop's 14 inch screen.

Having become fed up with JRPGs' horrible tropes of extreme padding of gameplay with grinding and their often slow pace, I started off in FFXII expecting to feel like it would be a chore to beat, but as I started to get immersed in the story and atmosphere I gradually started having more and more fun. I'd now say it's my favourite Final Fantasy of all time, having played through IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, X-2, and Tactics. I think the plot was somewhat badly received by the "hardcore" weeb crowd at the time as it's not all childish emo nonsense like FFVII, and it felt like it was much more grounded in "reality" than some of the others. I also liked the fact that the characters weren't the only focus - I found the political events and scheming behind the scenes that led to the events in-game very interesting to follow too. I even found not-the-main-character-but-shoehorned-in-to-appeal-to-youthful-audiences Vaan to be not as annoying as the more vocal detractors of the game would have made me believe - his youthful exuberance won me over and I thought his interactions with the rest of the cast were enjoyable to watch. I thought he did also receive some appropriate character development - maybe not that much, but let's face it - this is Final Fantasy, not Charles Dickens' David Copperfield.

Taking into account the year it was released, FFXII's graphics looked absolutely stunning to me, with great solidity of the characters and environments. Even though a lot of the locales are, gameplay-wise, just mazes for you to get lost in and grind against enemies, they all had a great consistent feeling "place". The atmosphere too was something I didn't really expect, with the game's opening city of Rabanastre really feeling like a huge melting pot, and there was a brilliant contrast between the appearance of the affluent upper part of the city and the poor ghetto of lowtown. I really often felt like I wanted to get lost in the environments, even just exploring the city locations without any combat. Also, looking at the different costumes of the various NPCs, and seeing the different species all living in the same places but looking so diverse, felt really cool. Sound was also great, with significant contributions by Hitoshi Sakimoto to the score which helped to draw out the mystique each time I entered a new area.

Much was said about the gambit system at the time, with the way that the game plays more like an MMO than a traditional JRPG, and how setting up gambits means that the game plays itself - and much of it's true. However, the satisfaction came from exploring the system and eventually finding a good setup to allow my party to survive, support each other, and beat down enemies. I know that others love grinding, but I fucking hate sitting there pressing the X button over and over as I try to force myself through the latest meaningless random encounter with the same enemies that I've seen for the 50th time, so the gambit system was really a breath of fresh air. The only thing I didn't really like, and which felt like meaningless padding, was the need to not only unlock the Licenses to let my characters use new techniques, and magic, but then to have to go and actually buy the techniques and magic before being able to use them. Weapons I can understand, of course, but the other two didn't really hit a high note for me.

Overall though, I REALLY loved playing through Final Fantasy XII, and would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a fun, moderate-challenge, and visually-arresting JRPG, which has an utterly consistent and enjoyable atmosphere.

46. Infiltrate (Atari 2600)

Infiltrate is an old Atari 2600 platformer. It was released by Apollo, one of those drive-by developers who dumped a handful of games onto the 2600 (and nowhere else) in the early 80s, and then immediately went bankrupt once the video game crash hit. Apollo is also responsible for such "hits" as Skeet Shoot, Space Cavern, and Lost Luggage. Their cartridge labels are (usually) blessed with some great artwork, I'll give them that.

The platforming action is conducted within a single unchanging screen, comprised of six horizontal "tiers" and a series of connecting elevators. It's a common motif of the era, and the game bears a passing resemblance to Donkey Kong, Kangaroo, and so forth. The player controls a gun-toting secret agent, tasked with collecting top-secret documents. When the game begins, the documents are located on the top floor. Once collected, a new set appears on the bottom floor. And so on. The bobbing elevators (of which the player has no control over) are used to travel up and down, and the secret agent must also contend with a duo of armed alien(?) adversaries. The player can shoot, with a press of the Atari joystick's lone button, and duck at any time to avoid enemy fire. Destroying an alien will cause it to respawn soon after.

I've always found it easy to identify a bad NES game, even when simply analyzing screenshots or video footage, as they typically showcase subpar visuals and questionable audio. With the Atari it's a bit trickier. At first glance this doesn't look much different than, say, Kangaroo. The graphics are standard Atari fare, with the stereotypical "rainbow" striping taking center stage, and the sound design (of gunshots, explosions, and victory jingles) is competent. The sprites are drawn well enough, though the enemies resemble the old McDonald's Fry Guys for some reason. But, the devil, as they say, is in the details. Infiltrate plays rather poorly. The secret agent scuttles about a bit too quickly. That is, until confronted by elevators, which are mounted and dismounted in a rather clunky and lethargic manner. You can't shoot while traveling on an elevator (though you can still duck), which is incredibly irritating. Stepping off an elevator causes the secret agent to "shift" left or right in a dramatic manner -- if there's an alien hovering even remotely close you will hit it. But the biggest issue has to do with enemy respawning. Unlike Pac-Man, where the ghosts respawn in a designated spot, the Fry Guys of Infiltrate reappear randomly, oftentimes right next to the player. It's maddening. Even the scoring system is broken. Collecting documents will grant a large point increase, naturally, but it's actually safer (and faster) to accrue a high score by standing in one corner and repeatedly sniping aliens. And no, there are no point bonuses for completing a stage or besting a time limit, as neither element is present.

In some ways, this is the worst type of 2600 game. It's technically playable and functional, but just so blasé and forgettable. Infiltrate isn't bad in a broken-down "funny" way like Fire Fly is. No, this one just putzes around until the inevitable tedium sets in and the console is powered down. There are some really memorable platformers on the 2600, this isn't one of them.

That's a shame, Bone. It looks like it wouldn't automatically be bad. I'm a little curious why the "secret agent" has a cowboy hat, but then there seem to be a lot of questions. Also, does the level ever reset? Like, after getting so many documents, does the level change at all, like elevators relocating or anything?

No. It goes on and on and on until all your brain cells are depleted.

Ugh, that blows. Such a shame.