Dragon Quest VI (Super Famicom, 1995)

 

DQsmas continues with me bringing back DQ6 from the dead. I never finished covering the original version so it's my one remaining loose end in the first six games of this series. Covering it the same time as the remake was an experiment and it didn't work out great for the original. Regardless, I'm re-editing the first 60-70% or so that I did, then covering the last 30-40%. Let's go.

I've never been that crazy about this game and definitely put it in the bottom half of the series quality-wise. I've only played the SFC version once before, in 2001, so it'll be interesting to revisit it after all this time. This version never got an official US translation (all of the US releases were based on the remake) so I'm playing it on the same fan-translation from 2001.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, Part 7 (Finale) - End of the Beginning

"Considering as we have the ancient disease of pride which has caused innumerable homicides, the people of Alefgard agreed that no other house should be built higher than the towers of Zoma's Citadel." - Thomas Aquinas, probably

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, Part 6 - Merry DQsmas

 

Previously on DQ3: Our heroes defeated Baramos, only to have Zoma appear with an army of Mystery Drones and fly them menacingly over Aliahan, prompting our heroes to climb down to Hell.

The Crow (2024)

 

A rare movie review, because for some reason I actually had a lot to say about this movie. The original is one of the most atmospheric movies of the 90's, with a powerful performance by Brandon Lee (his last, mind you, which makes the movie even more impactful). It wasn't something that needed to be remade to begin with, and they bungled this one on every level to boot.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, Part 5 - Descent to Avernus

 

Today on Dragon Quest: I sail the Santa Maria de la Inmaculate Concepcion to new lands and take on Baramos in what is definitely the final battle of DQ3.

Super Earth Defense Force (Super NES, 1991)

 

1991 gave us two massive cultural touchstones that completely shook the world: Highlander II, and this space shooter from Jaleco that I never heard about until recently. Thought it was related to the Earth Defense Force series from 2005+, but nope, totally unrelated it seems. Trying it out anyway, as Jaleco usually makes good games. Also, "Jaleco" is like the most rad-to-the-max 80's/90's video game company title.

This is without a doubt the most attention this game has gotten in a long, long time.

Romancing SaGa 2, Finale - Live on in Song

 

This is it, the final episode of this very strange, but very good game. Unfortunately, the final boss is horrible.

Romancing SaGa 2, Part 8 - Rocbouquet and the Final Emperor

Previously on RS2: I finally unlocked the Final Emperor, AKA the guy I named at the beginning.

Now, some queen is trapped and our heroes have to save her. Unbeknownst to them but knownst to us, the "queen" is actually Rocbouquet of the Seven Heroes.

In other news "Rocbouquet" is probably the coolest goddamn name I've ever heard

Eighteen Games That Were Huge Letdowns (Updated for 2024)

Today I'm going to look at nine eighteen games that I had high initial expectations for, expectations that were shattered once I got ahold of them. This is a bit different from my Games I Tapped Out On Midway Through and Games I Didn't Enjoy But Still Finished lists in that, whether I finished these games or not, they didn't live up to the hype in any way.

Note: There are a few "no-brainer" entries that won't be on the list (for instance, No Man's Sky) because I haven't played them. Also, there are some games that very much deserve to be on this list (Fable) but won't because I played them well after release (aka after I knew better than to expect anything). In short, this list is limited to things that I played while the hype was still strong, only to find them to be a huge letdown. Also, nothing on this list is necessarily a bad game. Some of them might fall into that category, while others might just be things that didn't jive with me personally.

Note 2: Previously posted in January 2018 with nine entries. Updated with nine new ones.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, Part 4 - Nothing Good Ever Happens At Zero

 

Today on Riverdale: Boy, this latest season sure has gotten weird.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, Part 3 - La Santa Maria

 

Today on DQ3, I get a boat at last, and sail from Portoga to the New World.

Romancing SaGa 2, Part 7 - Subier and the Sea Ship

Next Empress is the descendant of Andromeda, and basically the same character copypasted. Look at all those damage-type resistances I'm piling up.

With all of these remakes and revivals, is it possible we may some day see Cheetahmen 3?

Romancing SaGa 2, Part 6 - Bokhohn and the Sand Ship

 

Next generation choice contains Ruby Soho and AN ACTUAL BEAR. (Note: Not an actual bear)

If a furry gets eaten by a bear, is that cannibalism?

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, Part 2 - Kandar's Hentai Empire

 

Realized something after the first post. Where was Ortega? Almost no mention of him, and no intro cutscene of him falling into a volcano. Instead it's just "he went missing". Curious. We'll see what happens.

Romancing SaGa 2, Part 5 - Dantarg and the Maze of Memory

 

Today on RS2! The third of the Seven Heroes, the fearsome Dantarg. Also the sprawling new side-dungeon added specifically for this remake.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (Nintendo Switch, 2024)

 

Funny coincidence here: In the past I played Dragon Quest 3's SFC remake at the same time as Romancing Saga III, and now history is basically repeating itself with me playing this while writing about RS2. In any case, this just came out for a bunch of systems, and I'm playing it on Switch. DQ3 is probably my #1 NES game of all time*, which is a pretty high accolade from me, so let's see how this remake turned out.

* - While DQ4 is a better game overall, I give this one the nod because you have more control over your party. Between that and the classes, this is the one I'm more likely to go back to.

Romancing SaGa 2, Part 4 - Glistening Mermaids

Next is some sort of cliff-based dungeon. I don't even know what this is for, and just kinda wandered into it. They should call this game "Wandering SaGa"

Romancing SaGa 2, Part 3 - Southern Lands

 

RS2 continues with more Emperors! More roaming around the discombobulated landscape! And the party battles the second of the Seven Heroes.

Romancing SaGa 2, Part 2 - Liberation of Avalon

 Our heroes return to Avalon to find the place sacked by monsters, who have defeated Victor. Towns look REALLY nice in this HD port, I gotta say.

Romancing SaGa 2 (Super Famicom, Nintendo Switch, 1993/2017)

 "And lo! Even as he laughed at despair he looked out again on the black ships, and he lifted up his sword to defy them. And then wonder took him, and a great joy; and he cast his sword up in the sunlight and sang as he caught it. And all eyes followed his gaze, and behold! upon the foremost ship a great standard broke, and the wind displayed it as she turned towards the Harlond. There flowered a White Tree, and that was for Gondor; but Seven Stars were about it, and a high crown above it, the signs of Elendil that no lord had borne for years. And the stars flamed in the sunlight, for they were wrought of gems by Arwen daughter of Elrond; and the crown was bright in the morning, for it was wrought of mithril and gold."