(Retro) What have you been playing this week? Vol.2

[Leon Retro]

not as good as Brawl Bros though.

Yeah, Brawl Bros(aka Rushing Beat Ran) is really good. I used to play it a lot back in the '90s. One of the best beat 'em ups for 16-bit machines.

Rushing Beat Shura(aka The Peace Keepers) is also pretty good.

Have you got a wireless controller for N64?

I just use the bog standard controller.

I had a look for wireless controllers and found this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hyperkin-Ad.../dp/B08139YVPG

[Leon Retro]

Double post

[phillv85]

I was a bit disappointed when I first played Shura, I was hoping for better than Ran, but I think Ran is the best of the series. They’re both cracking games though.

[JazzFunk]

I like the fighting feel better in Shura, it's more refined and feels like it connects better but I adore the chunky, brazen look of Run, it's like they polished up the fun but mediocre first one and gave it loads of chocolate to eat.

[samanosuke]

So I persisted with RoLW for MCD on this battle that was killing me. The bit I was stuck on started with a section outside a castle, then inside the castle there were these minotours that were a bugger to kill, and then in the third battle I kept getting smashed by these enemies that would just swarm my party and kill them in a single turn.

It was so hard I wondered if I was missing something or perhaps not playing it right as even to get through the first two battles I’d be constantly buffing the melee characters and even then it was real hard work. In the end I’d just do the first battle and then exit the area thus keeping the exp, rinse and repeat the grind to level up my characters. At around level 13/14 I gained some really powerful spells for Sleyn and Deedlit that could dish out large amounts of damage to multiple enemies over a wide area. Bingo! That’s what I need for the third battle!

Anyway so I managed to get through those battles no problem and faced off Kara who seemed to be a boss character but was surprisingly easy to defeat. Cue a couple of animated scenes and the credits... blimey, I completed it! Overall I found it a decent if not amazing game, but really it all seemed a bit too short especially compared to, say, Shining Force CD which is mahusive. And I still never learnt how to use Woodchuck’s range weapons either!

[Cepp]

Started Parasite Eve. I haven't played it since... 2011? It's still amazing, I'm loving it.

[phillv85]

I’ve been hammering Combatribes on the Super Famicom. It’s not even that good, but it’s so addictive. It’s also short enough to just play again once you get game over.

[ZipZap]

Just a bit! But if it's worth it, I'll add it to my maybe list.

Have you got a wireless controller for N64?

You could almost get an OSSC for the same price, which would also come in handy if you bought any other retro console in the future (although it looks like the EON one has a couple of specific N64 features). Slightly cheaper would be the RetroTink.

[Leon Retro]

I’ve been hammering Combatribes on the Super Famicom. It’s not even that good, but it’s so addictive. It’s also short enough to just play again once you get game over.

It's ok, but nothing special. At least it's better than Super Double Dragon, which is too slow and ponderous. It's been a while since I played Undercover Cops, but I'd say that's the best of the bunch.

[Ghost]

Just started a new playthrough of FFVII on the original PlayStation. Been about 15 years since the last time I played it on a CRT and its been an absolute treat, I’ve played the game more recently on the PS4 and Switch but the colors look washed out and the FMV is really rough, its a better experience imo playing on a CRT.

Also interesting playing this after the remake, I still much prefer the turned based battle system of the original and the pacing is also much better. The remake felt too padded out and most of the additional things added were unnecessary and that new rival soldier was so over the top it bordered on parody.

[fallenangle]

FF VII on the original PS was the first traditional turn based Japanese RPG I ever tried.

I grew to hate the gameplay very quickly and never could bear continuing with any similar game more than a few hours. I have given them a real go regularly over the past 22+ years of gaming. Its the tedious grinding, unavoidable, slow, repetitive battles, storylines and twee characters I've just found suck away any desire to continue playing.

Ones tried have been FF VIII, Alundra, Azure Dreams, Legend Of Dragoon, Chrono Trigger, Grandia 1/2 (DC), Skies Of Arcadia (GC) and others.

However I've really enjoyed hybrid games like Parasite Eve and Vagrant Story along with one tactical RPG: Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance. There are other types of game with RPG elements I have no problem with like Morrowind TESIII which I sunk hundreds of hours into. That's despite the fact it takes hours of work to start to reduce the stupidity of the similarly maths controlled combat system early on. Having to hit a rat 10 times with a hammer to kill it or shooting at a Racer 25 times point blank with a bow and missing 90% of the time is just dumb.

Even Record Of Lodoss War I got into but 'pure' Jap RPGs - no thank you.

[Ghost]

FF VII on the original PS was the first traditional turn based Japanese RPG I ever tried.

I grew to hate the gameplay very quickly and never could bear continuing with any similar game more than a few hours. I have given them a real go regularly over the past 22+ years of gaming. Its the tedious grinding, unavoidable, slow, repetitive battles, storylines and twee characters I've just found suck away any desire to continue playing.

Ones tried have been FF VIII, Alundra, Azure Dreams, Legend Of Dragoon, Chrono Trigger, Grandia 1/2 (DC), Skies Of Arcadia (GC) and others.

However I've really enjoyed hybrid games like Parasite Eve and Vagrant Story along with one tactical RPG: Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance. There are other types of game with RPG elements I have no problem with like Morrowind TESIII which I sunk hundreds of hours into. That's despite the fact it takes hours of work to start to reduce the stupidity of the similarly maths controlled combat system early on. Having to hit a rat 10 times with a hammer to kill it or shooting at a Racer 25 times point blank with a bow and missing 90% of the time is just dumb.

Even Record Of Lodoss War I got into but 'pure' Jap RPGs - no thank you.

I think overall JRPGs peaked during the PS1 and PS2 eras. Most modern ones I just cant get into because of the repetitive quests, constant grinding and the cliched story with over sexualized female characters. Last one I really tried to get into was Digimon Cyber Sleuth and after about 30 hours into the game it became a real slog to continue with it, still not finished it either.

Random battles and grinding is a fair criticism and certainly not for everyone, however after living in Japan for several years I think jrpgs reflect the culture here pretty well. You must always work as a team to overcome any obstacles and to be good at anything takes a lot of time and repeating the same thing over and over until you’ve mastered it, in jrpgs that’s basically grinding enemies, gaining exp and leveling up. With the enjoyment coming from being able to level up your characters so high that you can go back to a previous area that was giving you difficulties and absolutely slaughter the enemies which shows you how far you have progressed.

If you cant get into the turned based games then I recommend giving Panzer Dragoon Saga, FFXII and Xenoblade Chronicles a try. Panzer Dragoon is probably my favourite Sega RPG and in my top 5 games of all time, the story, art direction, music and gameplay are all pretty much perfect and you can finish the game in about 20 hours so theres no unnecessary padding.

[phillv85]

I’ve got Double Dragon somewhere on a boat in the pacific, although I have done my research and it doesn’t review well. Undercover Cops is probably too rich for me these days. Did it ever get re-released? I know a bunch of Sufami games have been (Iron Commando, Gourmet Sentai, Majyuouu etc.)

[chopemon]

Near the end in Silent Hill. I've started it several times but never finished it. This time though, absolutely in love with it.

Really enjoyed exploring the town, the 'dungeons' don't outstay their welcome and it looks incredible.

I found the story and atmosphere in SH2 amazing but all the interior levels were super repetitive with exact same floor layouts. SH3 was the same and I didn't finish it. SH1 has amazing pacing and level design and I'm enjoying it so much.

[samanosuke]

I think overall JRPGs peaked during the PS1 and PS2 eras.

There were some bangers in the DS era too, my favourites being DQ IX, Etrian Odyssey III, SMT: Strange Journey, PS0, Pokemon Black/White, Ni No Kuni and The World Ends With You. This is by no means exhaustive - there are millions of them!