Streets of Rage is another series with unmistakable riffs that manage to avoid copyright infringement. One of the best Sega Genesis soundtracks too.

Yup, the Disney+ release of the follow-up show is what prompted this review post. I figured it would be a missed opportunity.

Honestly, I was trying hard to not compare Kefka to Sephiroth in the review, but I totally agree- Kefka has Sephiroth beat. But I do still appreciate what Sephiroth did for FF7.

Another thing I enjoyed about FF6 is that the game has some very interesting character moments that you have to dig to find- like the origins of Shadow the ninja. You can easily play through the second half of the game and not discover his past if you don't rest at Inns with the correct party configuration. I love that there are enough layers in the game to warrant a second playthrough.

Dang, that's one awesome physical therapist! Back then, I never thought adults played video games at all. And yes, Square needs to stop screwing around and put that Pixel Remaster on the Switch!

After having played FF3, 4, 5, and 6 back-to-back (more or less), it has really helped me appreciate Uematsu's gift for composing diverse music. That man is an international treasure as far as I'm concerned. I'm happy for you that you got to meet him once :-)

Agreed on all points you mentioned. It wasn't until sometime in the mid-2000s when I discovered Thunder Force III, but it held up so nicely over the years. It's one of the few SHMUPs I can finish without using cheats if I try hard enough. It's a well-balanced game.

And yes, I definitely miss the days when unlockables were built into the game and accessible vs. piecemealed DLC. I shudder to think what NBA Jam or NFL Bltiz would be like if they were released for the first time nowadays.

What kills me is that the image shown on the card was used as the actual cover art in other regions vs. showing a hand holding the tiny card. I never understood why they didn't just do the same thing here.

Agreed.

I've definitely played FF4 and FF6. I haven't played FF9 yet, but I do have an unopened green label version of the game for my PSOne. But I should probably go ahead and get the Switch port since I've heard the battle system in the original game is slow and the one on Switch allows you to speed up the game.

But I've heard it's a really good story that harkens back to the simplicity of the Pre-FF7 games.

Yes, FF5 was more popular than FF6, which surprised me to learn. Although FF6 didn't do badly in Japan at all.

I've always enjoyed Sega arcade games of the 80s. It was such a watershed moment for gaming at the time.

I need to check my Taito Legeds volumes on the PS2 to see if Grid Seeker is on there. I don't think it is, but I could be wrong. Looks interesting though.

Thank you for taking the time to read the review! I know time our time is at a premium these days and I try not to waste the reader's time. DQ 11 is hands down one of my favorites of the series. I originally purchased it on the PS4, but immediately double dipped for the S version when it came out on Switch. I still haven't completed it on the PS4 yet, but I hope to do so this year. Can't wait to star over again on DQ 11 S with that sweet orchestral soundtrack!

That's crazy....Star Ocean: Second Story was the first RPG I ever owned. As a teen, I begged my mom to buy the game for me when she was looking for me in our mall's Electronics Boutique (once again). I remember seeing an in-store video ad for it that mentioned that there were over 80 endings you could discover. I had to have it. And though she was somewhat reluctant, she actually purchased it for me since it had recently been marked down to $20 which was much easier to afford the the original MSRP.

This was a very important game for me because I was brand new to the dicovery of RPGs after a friend showed me the Final Fantasy VII demo about a year prior. Star Ocean was the first PlayStation RPG I could get my hands on and boy I did enjoy that game! That's why it's so ludicrious that I didn't purchase Valkyre Profile much soon than I did.

Valkyrie Profile is one of the RPGs that slipped under my radar, and I've always regretted not having purchased it. Part of the problem was that summer of 2000 was when I got my first job and it only paid peanuts. Of the six months I worked there, the only game I could affter was Crash Team Racing since it marked down to $20.

It wasn't until September 2002 that I got a better job where I could actually afford broaden my horizons. Prior to then, I know I saw Valkyrie Profile on the shelf at my local Electronics Boutique, but I was distracted by whatever I could trade-in or find for under $15. Also, around the time of its release, I had recently started getting into RPGs, since the ocean was too vast for me to narrow my focus and learn about VP at the time.

If I knew how good it was, I would have been alert to at least look for a used copy well before it became hard to find. It did eventually bite the bullet and snag a copy from eBay, but it ain't CIB. Had to take what I could get without taking out a loan.

I'll definitely check out your post about Fanal Fantasy! I apologize for the delayed response but I was out on some much needed time off from work last week.

That's what's great about having so much variety even among gamers who love the same genre of games. Although FF2 may not be every RPG lover's favorite, there's plenty of folk out there who enjoy it for competely valid reasons.

I like both Dragon Quest and FF series for different reasons. I like DQ for it's consistancy in story and battle system. As for Final Fantasy, I appreciate seeing how it's grown over the years leading up to FF VII, where I got formal introduction to the series. Playing the older ones now, I can see how gameplay elements I had taken for granted eventually made it's way to FF7 and beyond.

If I rememebr correctly, LOZ was the first one that I beat, but that was probably around 2003 on the Zelda Collector's Edition on Game Cube. Ocarina of Time was the 2nd Zelda game I completed. Man, such good memories, although it was also on the Collector's Edition and not the original N64. Still, it's about experiencing the game. That's what's important.

I really need to finish that game.

It's reassuring to hear that Twilight Princes and BotW are highly regarded by you. I'm playing through my back log of Zelda games I either never touched or never finished. Currently I'm on Link's Awakening. I may skip Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask since I completed both before.

I'm really itching to get to Twighlight Princes. I first purchased It on Wii, but never played it becuase I really didn't want use motion controls. So I ended up re-purchasing it on Wii U so I can use regular controls. Really looking forward to this.

I definitely want to finish Link's Awakening (although I know how it ends). I started it many years ago, but got stuck a little more than halfway through the game. I think the guide I was following was poorly written. But I found a better one on Zeldadungeon.net and recently started playing again. I love Zelda games.

As a kid, I first saw Knight rider in the early 90s and I wasn't aware that I was watching reruns of a show that had long stopped producing new seasons. Even so, I immediately loved the concept of KITT.

I forgot that Knight Rider had it own Lego Dimension set. I really wish they would bring the show back in a revival that can make it past season 2.

For a while, I couldn't get past the second boss (twin cyborgs). Then one day I kinda figured things out and got past it. Never beat the game, but I did get like 4 or 5 levels in. I currently have EWSAT on the Genesis Classics collection on PS4 and Switch, but I can't make it pst that 2nd boss again. Ugh!

Oh yes, I actually have it on my Game Boy too. It's really good and easier to progress further into the game.

Yeah, it would make for a great bar game. Especially if you've had a few drinks in ya.

Yeah, the game was pretty solid on the NES, all things considered.