Marvel Vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (Arcade, 1998)

 

Time for the fifth game in the series, Marvel Vs Capcom 1. This is where these games went mainstream as Capcom took things up to the next level. They're still holding out on the roster, though. Who cares though, we finally have MEGAMAN. This post is gonna be ALL MEGAMAN ALL THE TIME.

What's really weird is that Thor isn't playable in this OR the sequel. I hope he at least shows up in MVC3. Getting a feeling that, Avenger (and actual deity) or not, Thor wasn't actually a huge deal in the Marvel-verse until the 2010's MCU.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (Playstation, 1998 / PSP, 2007)

 This is one of my favorite games of all time. I played it in early 1998 on the original Playstation, and it was a magical gaming experience. The great soundtrack and the unparalleled atmosphere gave it an edge over other strategy RPGs, while the gameplay and class/ability system were super-compelling and fun. Best of all, it doesn't have that stupid Judge system from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. If you've only played those games, do yourself a favor and check out the original. This one...is where it's at.

It got a PSP remake in 2007, and that's what I'm covering here. With a redone translation and some new additions like cutscenes and optional endgame stuff, this might be my favorite version of the game.

Originally posted March 2016, now remastered for 2025

Xenogears: Perfect Works

 

Whoa, what have I got here? And where are Elly's clothes? Turns out, in Japanese media, it's very common for characters to be portrayed as naked when they're represented in a metaphysical world, since they've shed any Earthly additions.

Every so often I like to look at an art book, and Xenogears' Japan-only art book is a good one. As the cover tells you, it's got all kinds of information on the world of the game. It's a crime that this never got any translated versions in the West, though. As for why that is... well, look at the cover. Is that the outline of a nipple?

Mortal Kombat IV (N64, 1998) + Mortal Kombat Gold (Dreamcast, 1999)

 

MK finally learns to count to four! This is the first one so far that I haven't previously beaten so I won't have any kind of nostalgia or bias.

Wario Land 2 (Game Boy Color, 1998)

Time for the sequel to the game that started a franchise. Is this game worth its salt, or should Nintendo have stopped with the rad-to-the-max first game? Read on to find out what I think.

Rockman and Forte (Super Famicom, 1998)

Time to return to the Mega Man series and cover another classic. This one was released in Japan at the tail end of the Super Famicom's lifespan, too late to get a localization here since the Super NES was getting phased out well before 1998. It eventually got a portable release (as Mega Man and Bass) on Game Boy Advance years later, but I prefer the SFC version.

For a long time this game was incorrectly labeled "Mega Man 9" on the internet, but this isn't the case. It's more of a Mega Man 8.5, a fusion of elements from the seventh and eighth games. ...maybe that makes it 7.5? It also features a surprise guest. You'll never guess who it is: Forte, aka Bass. In any case, let's check it out.

Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Game Boy, 1993) (Game Boy Color, 1998)

I just finished Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the first time ever. It wasn't particularly enjoyable, but it had some good moments. Looking back on it now I don't think that it was a very good -Zelda- game, but as far as games in general go it was solid. I'm going on to Skyward Sword next and I really hope it's better.

Playing Twilight Princess made me want to revisit an older game in the series, so I'm digging into my screenshots from Link's Awakening back in the day. Specifically, the DX version for the Game Boy Color, which added a nice color scheme to the game. I'm not sure whether to label this a Game Boy game or a Game Boy Color game, so I labeled it both. This is probably my favorite original Game Boy game of all time, no joke.

WCW/NWO Revenge (Nintendo 64, 1998)

Here's a game that I've never played before. It's critically acclaimed, and... heh, I like how Raven is just kinda hanging out. Goldberg and Hogan are at odds, and Nash is sorta on Hogan's side staring down Goldberg, but then you have Raven just... there. He isn't on either side, he simply Is. And he sees you. Yes, you, the one holding the box. Raven sees.

Metal Gear Solid (Playstation, 1998)

Get ready, because 1998's game is one of the most iconic of all time. A year earlier, Final Fantasy VII steered the N64/Playstation war toward a Sony win. That game single-handedly drew the massive RPG fanbase - which Nintendo at one time had a lock on - away from the N64. Sony managed to keep them there by, you know, having RPGs (something the N64, for the most part, did not). Nintendo fired back with the awesome Ocarina of Time, but Sony was ready and countered its holiday release with Metal Gear Solid. Nintendo had finally met its match, it seemed.