I'm so glad I went back to Terranigma. The Quintet trilogy is such a unique and evocative series of games. I can't think anything like them, save for maybe E.V.O.: Search for Eden? I'm frankly struggling to find more words, it was just...pleasant.

Since they're so short, I played through all of the Siactro 3d platformers (Kiwi 64, Macbat 64 and Toree). They've got good vibes and controls, but you really get what you pay for content-wise. Toree 2 turned out to be a pretty good 3d Sonic game.

I got my Steam sale pickups sorted. Might get Lunistice as well if the demo proves interesting. Excited to jump into Valkyrie Profile 3 blind with no context. Weird of them to hide it on Steam like that.

Terranigma balls.

Bless you for reminding me of Rising Zan, Dephoenix. This game is kinda slapdash, BUT IT GOT HEART. And I found elements of DMC, God Hand and Viewtiful Joe in it. Felt like uncovering a a lost species. Covered in questionable design decisions.

Guys, the example Youtube video on Cohost is the same as it is on Destructoid. They know how to build a platform.

The most notable thing about Genji 2 is how average it is. The perfect 5/10. It had some decent bosses, but the framerate is like a third of the original's and the camera is much worse. Didn't like them turning the super attack into a QTE fest either.

Managed to find another Ys game on the cheap. I'm pretty much done collecting Falcom games now, save for the two remaining ones coming this year. Kinda crazy that 3 Falcom games in total are coming out this year.

That giant enemy crab did live up to the meme. One can indeed hit its weak spot for massive damage.

Things are moving fast, so I'll take a moment to shill my Youtube channel. I haven't done anything with it in 5 years, but with the new PC I was thinking of doing let's plays to collect footage for all the blogs I need to convert into videos apparently.

I have seen most of what Valkyrie Profile has to offer. What a rad game. I sorta respect hiding the entire plot unless the player goes looking for it, but good lord was it obtuse. I have also seen the furry faces of death.

Me, having reawakened the tri-Ace brainspider living in my head and looking at the comparison screenshots for the fanmade 4K remaster of Valkyrie Profile 2.

The Sea of Stars demo was delightful. As a very goofy Chrono Trigger follow-up it hit the right spots. Seems to be aiming for more complex puzzles than RPGs usually go for.

Now that I've come to terms with Valkyrie Profile being an unhinged sicko game for freaks I'm enjoying it a lot! It sort of spits in the face of JRPG tradition, but there is a lot of fun to be had in breaking open these obtuse systems.

I'm trying to get back into Valkyrie Profile and reading up on all the obtuse mechanics reminds me why I quit. But I'm gonna stick it out if only for that delicious 90s Sakuraba music. Helps give an unified vibe to VP, Star Ocean and Tales.

Took a small RPG break to go back and finish Rocket: Robot On Wheels. Sucker Punch really knocked it out of the park with their first game. It has limited scope, but every level has so many fun ideas. And it has a physics engine. On the N64!

Next on my RPG hitlist was Thousand Arms. I thought it'd be a middling tactics game, but it's no such thing. It's a very goofy dating JRPG that uses anime cells on top of the 3d backgrounds for certain scenes to great effect. Even has a shoddy 90s dub.

Took me a while, but Armored Core 1 has been bested! I really liked the customization and the progression that followed, plus the bleak and sparse story. The final mission can choke on a lemon however, some of the worst stuff From Soft has ever put out.

Once it let me loose, the FF16 demo quickly activated my SWORDTRICKGUNSWORDROYALTRICKSWORDMASTER instincts, which is about the greatest praise I can offer for an action game. It's not as deep of course, but the fundamentals are stellar.

Impromptu unemployment vacation is the perfect time to knock some 90s JRPGs off my backlog. Guardian's Crusade was very cutesy and fun. It's the sort of short minimalist JRPG we don't get anymore that hits all the important points.

Panzer Dragoon Saga was so rad! The very definition of a lost gem. To have a motion captured 15-hour JRPG with close to full voice acting and open environments on the Saturn is incredible. Somebody rip off this combat system, I beg you.

Shameless Bloodborne clone aside, I feel positive after the Lies of P Demo, barring how easy it is to get stuck on the legs of bosses. What threw me for a loop is that they double-dipped and it's actually a Sekiro clone as well, so parrying is king.

Square Enix is den of flarking clowns. I just beat Guardians of the Galaxy and that scut was awesome! It strikes this balance of being cinematic enough to let the story breathe while also being super gamey for jokes and some really good moments.

I got let go from my second job for similar reasons as my first. Turns out it's hard to break into the programming business when things are planned poorly. My boss was so distraught he lost sleep after failing to convince management to keep me. Yay?

It dawned on me while playing Ishin that samurai action games is basically its own genre that I have made steady progress in. What about you? Played any of these, or know of any I should add to my list?