Lurker > transience

I don't think I ever played ice hockey. there's a lot of random sports games on the platform, like golf or rbi baseball or whatever, and you just couldn't play them all, or the order you played them in affects what sticks with you. I'm sure there are better baseball games than OG baseball but that's what I played as a kid and it's still sorta fun.

Lopen posted...

Right. Yeah I mean I acknowledge the flaws but I'd rather play it than Double Dragon 1 any day (which imo is a more flawed game but I think people have more patience for it because it doesn't brutalize you on the first level)

Game only has 5 levels! I was mostly curious if you'd gotten through stage 1 (lot of people lose there) and if you'd gotten to the final mummy/witch bosses. (I must have battled that Final boss like 30 times but I finally beat it eventually)

yeah I know I never beat it. people talk up Battletoads but dude, Double Dragon 3

not far! that game is rough. I think when I was younger I got a few levels in, but usually I just get bodied in the first area. I much prefer DD1 and 2

pjbasis posted...

How many of these did you play when the NES was actually current?

probably 60-70? maybe more? I played so much NES in the day. let's see.. of this list I didn't play bucky o'hare, river city ransom and section z as a kid. the rest, yeah.

Humanish posted...

i think your sig dates you more than anything >.>

also, what's your pick for best NES RPG?

we'll get there! I like NES RPGs a weird amount though

gauntlet needs a turbo controller, that thing can really hurt the hands today. I played it last week (as I did all of these, just for a couple minutes to get a feel for them), and I bet it's still fun with friends, but solo it's a bit of a chore. still weirdly fun though!

Humanish posted...

yes i do, i love a boy and his blob

it's so weird! going back to it today, it requires a little more memorization of what each type of jelly bean does than I'm willing to do and I don't totally have the patience for it anymore. but man it's cool to try to figure out this weird little adventure game.

MacArrowny posted...

What's good about Mario Bros.? Playing SMB3 two player as a kid, I always found the Mario Bros. segments pretty lame.

the control is so bad, even worse than Mario 1! that's part of the fun though. this game is a weirdly hilarious play with a friend. I actually spent a lot more time with the 2600 version, which dates me but whatever

yeah, I was never a big fan of it. it feels competent but the light rpg elements just don't feel like they come together - probably because I never played it as a kid? I spent more time with renegade, oddly enough. I bet if I learned what any of the store items did, it'd be higher.

been on an NES kick (my childhood platform) and ended up making a list. I'm just going to post these in batches rather than writing about them because nobody cares about the 84th best game on the NES (which means this thread probably won't get more than 20 posts!). if anyone wants me to talk about any of these, I'm happy to.

100. double dragon 3
99. predator
98. metal gear
97. paperboy
96. duck hunt
95. the simpsons: bart vs. the space mutants
94. bucky o'hare
93. gauntlet 2
92. double dribble
91. renegade
90. baseball
89. section z
88. power blade
87. river city ransom
86. kickle cubicle
85. spy vs spy
84. a boy and his blob
83. final fantasy 2
82. kirby's adventure
81. duck tales 2
80. gauntlet
79. ghosts 'n goblins
78. blades of steel
77. mario bros.
76. rc pro am 2

also coming to mobile, which could be interesting

oh that's cool. you can probably lay the thing next to the tv and not have to run any wires.

is it easy to use multiple accounts or does everything require its own steam login? I'm thinking like the switch where you can create local accounts and have different saves, etc. I'm guessing you can't do that with PC games because they aren't designed for that kind of concept.

oh that's easy. I assume any dock would do too. I'm sure there are millions of recommendations out there for that and how to set things up.

FFDragon posted...

too bad

You can get a dock just like the switch that makes it real easy.

yeah I've seen. but how does it work? is it seamless to get in and out of the games or do you have to have some technical understanding of how the thing works? could a kid operate it easily? those are the things I need to look into, and I don't have the appetite for a thousand dollars right now (I would get the OLED) so it's kind of pointless until I'm willing.

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

When I visited home recently, we hooked up my Steam Deck, everyone brought their Xbox Controllers, and we played Magequit, Duck Game, Nidhog, and a bunch of random couch-multiplayer games I got from Humble with absolutely 0 issues. It was so fucking awesome.

can you just sync an xbox controller to the thing? I guess that would work?

I've been wanting to get one of these for a while now and the price has kept me away. I also think my whole family would want to use it so I'm curious if it's even feasible, if you can hook it up to a TV, what that means for Bluetooth.. I don't want anyone to answer these right now but it seems like it could get real costly and tricky real fast. But, being able to share the cozy types of games my wife likes and then all the various games my kids like and piping it to a TV with an external controller seems super cool. It just doesn't seem friendly to a casual player like your typical Switch or PSP would.

I spent some time with the main game today. there's a career mode where you complete races to get tickets which unlock more levels, and then your standard GP. haven't played the GP yet but the career mode is real good. they even have a tutorial in there that helped me understand the drill mechanic a little bit.

the demo felt great. there are some mechanics I didn't figure out but I was trying to assess game feel and it was there

I haven't done it yet but I'm planning to. any impressions?

I assume Apple funded the development in some way, with the idea of a timed exclusive. Fantasian is a weird thing with its dioramas and honestly works really well with touch control. locking it behind apple arcade is pretty lame though.

ooh I would put the CT/FFX match at least 50 spots higher

no game has distilled JRPGs down to a single screenshot like Fantasian

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/be72ff1c.jpg

both routes are pretty good. neutral isn't a route because no one would willingly pick neutral

Celeste is made by like 6 people. they say it in the intro. the team has grown by a couple of people, but nothing crazy.

I play with my 11 year old and he is so into it. he asks me to play it just about every single day and I might do an act a week just because of the set up/tear down process. you don't realize how much is in STS until you have a physical card for everything.

yeah, I played maybe 10-15 hours of it. I think about it a lot.

on its surface, Sea of Stars has everything I like - beautiful art, interesting locations, fantastic animation, good music... and yet playing it felt like work. it makes me think about how JRPGs have an undefinable je ne sais quoi to them that overrides all other breakdowns of various aspects of the game, and how Crimson Echoes (or Fantasian) has "it" and how Sea of Stars just doesn't. I couldn't tell you why.

1 - Slay the Spire 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krDFltgjLtE&pp=ygUQc2xheSB0aGUgc3BpcmUgMg%3D%3D
Genre: Deckbuilder
Release Date: 2025 (Early Access)
Platform: PC, others eventually I'm sure

Kind of an easy pick. No game has taken me in the last decade quite like Slay the Spire. I have probably close to 2000 hours on the video game and I've been playing a lot of the recently released board game too, which is also a lot of fun. I've squeezed about all I could get out of this game.

What is Slay the Spire 2? They really haven't shown much. It looks surprisingly pretty similar to the first one, and it looks like they haven't thrown out what works. Maybe it's just new characters, cards and events? I'm sure there's a lot more to it, and I'm looking forward to playing a living game that grows from week to week. I'm sure it will grow to be as good as the original. Normally I don't like that kind of iteration, but given how much time I've spent with the original, I'm looking forward to doing it here.

2 - Earthblade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32yYYYxupAQ
Genre: Action RPG
Release Date: 2025
Platforms: PC, Consoles

The Celeste follow-up is taking a while. A few months ago, Maddy Thorson came out and basically said that development was hard and that it definitely wouldn't see release in 2024. It's now been 3 years since it was soft announced.

Earthblade looks awesome: you might call it a metroidvania but they haven't shown enough to really nail down its structure or game loop. Celeste is an absolute masterclass of game design and has some of the best game feel ever, so if they can make a game at scale that translates what made Celeste great but add in RPG elements and such -- well, that just sounds like possibly the greatest game of all time. But we'll see.

3 - Pennyblood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzi3WGzr_yY
Genre: JRPG
Release Date: TBD
Platform(s): PC + Consoles

The Shadow Hearts spiritual successor will probably be on my list for several more years as it goes through the whole Kickstarter/publisher dev cycle. There still hasn't been anything real shown for this game since the Kickstarter, just some very vague concept art and monthly updates that talk about how development is going broadly.

The team has been going down the Eiyuden route and making some kind of ARPG spinoff, which honestly has kind of turned me off. I'm not here for any of that stuff and I want to see what this game might be. But like, it's Shadow Hearts 4. That's extremely exciting and I'll be there the second it releases.

4 - The Plucky Squire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr1YO7nxZLU
Genre: Umm... let's go with "Yes".
Release Date: 2024, supposedly
Platforms: PC, Consoles

This wildly creative and diverse game has gone radio silent for the better part of a year now. Maybe the creative debt of making the uber-game that seemingly touches all styles and genres is catching up with it as it tries to wrap up? Supposedly it's out this year, and I've seen some comments from the dev that they're trying super hard to get it done this year, but it certainly skipped the post-e3 cycle this year. Well, it skipped showing off new content or trailers and instead was playable for press, who had some really glowing things to say about it.

Plucky Squire is just endless possibility, and for that reason I will play it day 1 just to see what it is. There is a joy here that is completely unique. Usually you see Nintendo games dabble in this kind of pure happiness, but Plucky Squire seems on a whole other level. It makes sense, too - the artist behind it used to design Pokemon.

I'm guessing Plucky Squire is not going to be the greatest game of all time, but the experience of bouncing between styles is probably going to be super memorable. The dev is claiming it's 10 hours long, which is more than I was expecting - I figured they would struggle to make more than 3 hours of unique content like this. Hopefully it's all fresh and as full of joy as what they've shown and not reused mechanics, but maybe that's being overly optimistic. I kinda hope they don't show another second of it and just drop a release date, because I don't know that I want any more clues about what's going to jump off the page.

5 - MIO: Memories in Orbit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38tZ9yeyoz0
Genre: Metroidvania
Release Date: 2025
Platforms: PC, Consoles

I feel like people moved right past this thing when it showed up in the Nintendo Direct, which I think is a shame. MIO has a look and feel to it that just immediately jumps out at me. I spent half the Direct just trying to figure out what this was.

What's going on here? Is this Ori in space? It gives off that kind of vibe, especially when they show some of the movement abilities. I can just feel Ori's movement patterns. The somber post-civilization tone of this thing really catches me. MIO is being made by a french developer (Douze Diximes) that had previously made an atmospheric action puzzle game called Shady Part of Me, a game that was well received and looks striking. This game looks to be the same and I have high hopes.

yeah I won my first run fairly easily. I was also playing on easy and it might have been a tutorial run. I didn't really get grabbed by it though

6 - The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94RTrH2erPE
Genre: Action/Adventure
Release Date: 9/26/24
Platform: Switch

Okay, so everyone is talking about finally playing as Zelda, and maybe that's important in some historical way. But like, did you see the stuff you can do in this game? Zelda spawning water blocks to climb vertically or summoning monsters to fight monsters?

This game looks like a natural follow-up to Tears of the Kingdom, a game that at its heart was all about playing with the palette you are given and making something totally unique and yours. A top-down game won't give the same level of freedom as that game, but it also might be a better game for it as you're not trying to glue together random pieces at specific angles.

More than that, this game looks like Link Between Worlds crossed with, of all things, Dragon Quest Builders 2. Builders 2 is one of the best games of the last few years, a weird bastion of creativity where it's just fun to make stuff and use it against your enemies. Echoes of Wisdom looks like it'll have that top-down Zelda whimsy but with a new level of goofiness. I'm here for it. I just hope it's not too much of a pushover because you play as a girl. That recent Peach game had a little too much of that for my taste.

okay I did a few fights in Slice and Dice and I have absolutely no clue what is going on

I bet doing this on PC would make it a little easier

7 - Aero GPX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ3bSj3n46M
Genre: Racing
Release Date: TBD (Early Access: 8/6/24)
Platform: PC

Aero GPX is the most F-Zero game that's been released since 2003. This game kind of nails the feeling that the F-Zerolikes -- Redout, or FAST, or any of those -- just don't have. It's kind of wild that a solo dev just went and made something as seemingly unsolvable as a new GX.

I've been playing the demo that came out recently and maaaan. It's so good! There's everything you'd want from a spiritual successor here and then some new features that feel right at home with an F-Zero sequel. I'm probably not in a place to want to grind a hard as nails futuristic racer as I once was, but if I was, this game would be right at the very top of this list.

I'll take that as a high recommendation

I have not! I just googled it and see it's on the app store so I grabbed it. will check it out soon

8 - Spellrogue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axi1gWa_F8Y
Genre: Deckbuilder
Release Date: In Early Access
Platform: PC

I'm always looking for another deckbuilder -- or Slay the Spire-like, if you prefer. I feel like I jump in and out of them every few months. Spellrogue is one of those and is really easy to explain: it's Slay the Spire crossed with Dicey Dungeons, two games I have spent an exceptional amount of time with. You're pathing, upgrading and making big deck decisions like Slay the Spire, but the gameplay is based around rolling dice and manipulating them.

Spellrogue has been playable for months and some of the gameplay options look pretty cool. I'm just waiting for a more complete version before jumping in. This could easily end up being my bridge game while I wait for Slay the Spire 2.

yeah, that stuff is super cool.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eyh9cSCWYAADtkH?format=jpg&name=4096x4096
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EzB40X8VgAA_2Wn?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

yeah, but if you're doing full remakes and calling it the ERDRICK TRILOGY on the box, why not start with 1?

I agree. I've been trying to figure out what it would be like to finish 3 and then go solo for 10 hours as a new player. and that's to say nothing about dq2.

the dq1 reveal in 3 works so well because you had already played dq1. I don't know that it works in reverse.

Grand_Kirby posted...

Ooh, this was good to know. Explained a lot of features I didn't know about that a lot of other sites dropped the ball on.

I didn't even know it had voice acting!

I just checked this out. wow, Artdink is the team behind this? I was trying to find that out before posting my blurb. Triangle Strategy was great and this gives me hope. at least it's someone who does the HD-2D thing before. I really don't like that style but Triangle Strategy was still good despite it.

9 - Mario and Luigi: Brothership
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5I3DcapElQ
Genre: JRPG (hopefully?)
Release Date: 11/7/24
Platform: Switch

Mario RPG fans are having a moment here! I'm actually playing through Thousand Year Door right now - my first time - and had to choose between getting that or the SMRPG remake. And then this thing dropped. What the heck? I wouldn't think Mario RPGs would be easy games to turn around at the end of a console lifecycle but here we are.

This thing looks awesome. It's got everything you want if you're coming from that 2003 gem. I haven't played it in 20 years, but Mario & Luigi had this fun interplay between the two characters and their abilities, and lots of small little puzzle solving that felt smart. They're almost metroidvania-ish in nature. The trailer shows off a lot of that, but with a glorious art style and some great ability design.

My question is, is this an actual RPG? Like, an honest to god one, and not a Sticker Star/Paper Jam/Origami King type of game where all the character management is abstracted out from the player? I'm not going to pretend that the Mario RPGs had some deep level of customization, but at least there were things to play with that made fighting the enemies feel notable. I would think that them remaking the classics would teach this lesson, but I'm not convinced. I want to know more.

Also, who is developing this? Alphadream is dead. I'm looking forward to their next reveal, or when they show a chunk of gameplay. That'll clue me in on how hyped to be about this.

10 - Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ltsk99E-RY
Genre: JRPG
Release Date: 11/14/24
Platform: Consoles

Oh man, I have so many feelings towards this thing. Let's start with the craziest: this thing is a full priced game. $60 for a remake of a 1988 game that's been remade I think three times before! I don't think I can buy this day 1. That's more than I bought the original game for.

But it also begs the question of, what is this remake? It's been on ice for two years now. It can't just be some visual remake. Fans with careful eyes have been catching details in the trailer - a Monster Master class, possibly some new abilities (a first for DQ3), and even some new narrative elements. Indeed, this game is being branded as part of the "ERDRICK TRILOGY", and with DQ1&2 coming out next year, it makes you wonder how they're going to square this with the archaic (but great) DQ1.

So yeah, what is this thing? Is it DQ's HD2D version of FF7 remake where there's a ton of new stuff? Previews say that it's very faithful, but I'm also skeptical that your big publications can tell the difference between DQ games. It's probably just stuff on the margins but I love the original game and the GBC remake. I'm looking forward to seeing what it is, but not at launch. I can wait.

11 - Winter Burrow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvoNfCazreM
Genre: Survival
Release Date: Q1 2025
Platforms: PC, Xbox

I love this game's vibe. It seems like a Don't Starve-like on its face, but the dev uses friendlier language like 'cozy survival game' and 'play at your pace' when describing the game, which I like. I wouldn't mind diving into a nice little cottage-core resource gatherer with that cool art and controlling that swell little mouse while knitting a sweater to keep warm. Plus, it's a day 1 Game Pass game and this is exactly the type of low-stakes game that's perfect to try out when it hits.

12 - Life is Strange: Double Exposure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOYz4NCFIXg
Genre: Adventure
Release Date: 10/29/24
Platforms: PC/Consoles

MAX. I didn't know I wanted a new Max Caulfield game until I saw this trailer, and I was caught so unprepared that I didn't realize it was Max until the end of the trailer told me. Apparently Max can now pull a Chrono Cross and jump between alternate realities. Neat, I think.

It's weird. I don't know how to feel. The original Life is Strange took over my mindspace in 2015 when these kinds of games felt a little more novel. Since then, Dontnod (and now Deck Nine) have been pumping them out like crazy. Most of them are good -- I played Tell Me Why a few months ago and enjoyed it -- but they're definitely on that Telltale path of saturating the market and I don't know if we're past their prime or if this is a nice throwback. Also, this might be weird to say, but this series has been such a trailblazer in LGBT representation that it almost feels trope-y at this point. Hopefully I don't get struck by lightning for wondering if they're going a little too hard. It's probably a good thing.

A lot of my feelings on Life is Strange are also tied to the Arcadia Bay setting and that's not in this game. I imagine the characters aren't either, though I'm sure Chloe will find a way to appear. So what is this game? I don't know, but I'm looking forward to finding out. I loved that first one. Also, the Ultimate Edition features a Final Fantasy VII Outfit Pack and I can't wait to see how dumb that is.

13 - Hades 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzLOs5JoXQU
Genre: Roguelite
Release: Out in early access, TBD on full release
Platforms: PC for now, consoles later

I'm weird with Hades 2. Hades has to be the best game I can think of where I just don't care about any of the details for an anticipated sequel. I haven't looked at a second of footage and honestly don't even know what the differences are between 1 and 2. I'm just waiting for a 1.0 version and I'll jump in blind. I think that'll be best.

I don't love Hades like others do, but it's damn good.

I've had the Lost Crown demo installed since before it came out and just haven't found the energy to start it for some reason. one day

14 - Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars (what)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNnhBP_FiXM
Genre: JRPG
Release Date: ???
Platforms: PC/Consoles

This thing was announced almost 2 years ago and it's just gone radio silent. I have no idea why. I assume there are like 2 people working on it on Thursdays and it'll eventually come out with no fanfare whatsoever. Feels like a Konami move.

For newer followers, I have an insane relationship with Suikoden 2 that has prevented me from finishing it for 20-plus years. My last attempt corrupted not only my 20 hour S2 save, but every save on my Vita. I am hoping that this rerelease will exorcise the demons and that I can actually, properly finish Suikoden 2. Suikoden 1 is one of my favorite RPGs so I'm hoping S2 is actually as good as advertised. I'm doubtful, but hoping to be wrong!

I played the Gestalt demo the other day but the tone is not for me. I'm not familiar with Crowsworn but it sounds like I should look into it!

edit: hmm, I don't think it would make the list but it's hard to say. it seems far off still whereas these other ones have playable demos and are coming soon. I do have one that's nowhere near ready but the aesthetic matches my taste a lot more.

15 - The Rogue Prince of Persia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GN4ErNC4iw
Genre: Roguelite
Release: Out in early access, TBD for final release
Platforms: PC, but surely coming elsewhere when complete

It's weird. I'm not really a Dead Cells guy (I've done a few runs but that's it) and I haven't kept up with the Prince of Persia series, ever since it went to 3d with Sands of Time -- and yet I'm kind of fascinated by this weird mashup. It's an unholy marriage that feels like fanfiction, and yet the idea of pairing a roguelite with Prince of Persia's rewind mechanics is about as good of a fit with the roguelite genre as you'll find. Even the name feels like an abomination.

I find myself eavesdropping on this game occasionally, just confused that it exists and trying to find some hole to poke in it. You kinda can't though: the Dead Cells devs are as solid as there is when it comes to roguelite action combat. One day this'll hit 1.0 and I'll finally jump in.

16 - Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuvEeX_ljuk
Genre: Metroidvania
Release Date: 7/18/24
Platforms: PC/Consoles

The shorthand for this game is easy: take Hollow Knight's core, give it The Messenger's movement tech and the overall aesthetic feel of Okami. Bo isn't especially original and doesn't shy away from taking inspiration from others, but it looks good and plays well.

If anyone is looking for a Silksong holdover, you could do a lot worse than this game. There's a demo that's pretty good if anyone is looking to check it out.

17 - Fantasian Neo Dimension
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuAAo-S2Hvw
Genre: JRPG
Release Date: Winter 2024
Platform: PC/Consoles

First of all, wow, what a dumb name.

I *love* Fantasian. It's probably my favorite JRPG of the last 5ish years - this or Chained Echoes, but probably this by a hair. It has a throwback PS1 feel that you just don't find in other games thanks to its lovely prerendered backgrounds. The gameplay systems are a ton of fun. The story is interesting, too -- well, up to a point.

A lot of lapsed JRPG fans don't know how good it is because it's been locked behind a mobile subscription service. This is fine by me because I spend a lot of time poking at mobile games, and the game played well there for my tastes. But I can't blame people for wanting a traditional experience with a traditional RPG. For that reason, this thing being unlocked and brought to a new audience is such a huge deal. I hope people give this a real shot when it hits because it's super fun.

But there's one other thing about this version. Fantasian's single achilles heel was that the second half of the game is *brutal*. It's hard on a level that no JRPG dares to be. You have to find every item and play an absolutely perfect fight to even have a chance vs. standard story bosses. It's insane. I kinda liked it because I liked the systems so much, but your random fan who likes FF9 and plays this is going to side-eye it real hard when it demolishes them out of nowhere.

Neo Dimension is adding a 'normal' difficulty mode, and I love that they are calling it normal instead of easy. They're admitting they went way too far and fixing it for the regular people. If you live and breathe JRPG mechanics like I do, then play it on hard because it's rewarding for a certain type of sadist. But otherwise, have fun with this Sakaguchi gem.