[21/1000] [PS1] Dragon Quest (Warrior) VII

Platform: PS1

Release date: August 26, 2000

Developer: Heart Beat Inc.

Publisher: Enix

Genre: RPG

Battle System: Turn Based

Difficulty: Normal

Setting: Fantasy

 

 Dragon Quest 7 has reputation as one of (if not) the longest games in series, with story only can take up to 100 hours and after playing it myself, I can say that's it's not true. It's definitely long, much longer then previous entries, but not 100 hours long. Maaaaybe if I beat post game and level all jobs to maximum it might took 100 hours or even more.

 It's the first (and only, not counting the remakes) mainline DQ game on ps1 and it's the first one to use 3d graphics, other than that game looks and feels like previous entries.

I'm 27 now!

 Today I became a year older. 27 years for a jrpg character considered already old lol, and I just started actually playing trough my backlog. Hope I can beat all 1000 rpgs until I die :). As most chronically online nerds, I have no friends so I'm celebrating my birthday alone playing Dragon Warrior 7 on ps1. This is also a reason for having no updates on my blog - this game is too long but I think I'm almost done with it. I also don't plan to do any postgame. 

I have some more ideas for blog posts outside my game journal so I think I'll write about anime too. Oh and I also want to write about gaming consoles in my collection. So much to do...

So Happy Birthday to me I guess. I know nobody reads this but if you do, first of all: thanks! And I hope you'll stay with me on my 1000 games journey :) 

[20/1000] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

 

Platform: Switch, PS4

Release date: November 28, 2019

Developer: Vanillaware

Publisher: Atlus (Sega WW)

Genre: Adventure/TRPG

Battle System: RTS-like

Difficulty: Easy

Setting: Science fiction

 

 Oh I love mecha, especially super mecha who fight giant monsters with beams, swords, tomahawks, etc. When I first read about 13 Sentinels it looked like a huge fanservice for old school sci-fi and mecha fans and... it is! There's a ton of references to classic movies like Matrix, Terminator, Godzilla as well as references to Madoka Magica anime and War of the Worlds novel. 

[19/1000] Makai Toushi SaGa

Platform: WonderSwan Color

Release date: March 20, 2002

Developer: Square

Publisher: Square

Genre: RPG

Battle System: Turn Based

Difficulty: Varied

Setting: Mixed

 

A WonderSwan Color remake of the first SaGa game which was originally released for Game Boy. It's also known in west as Final Fantasy Legend but it has little to do with FF series though there ARE some references. SaGa series is known for it's unique gameplay and open world structure and this game is start of the series.

The backstory Makai Toushi SaGa is that there's a huge tower leading straight to paradise and a lot of adventurers tried to do it but failed. Now you - one of adventurers also going into tower to climb to the top. 

[18/1000] Final Fantasy 4 Pixel Remaster

 

Platform: Switch, Xbox, PC, PS4, Mobile

Release date: September 8, 2021

Developer: Square Enix

Publisher: Square Enix

Genre: RPG

Battle System: ATB

Difficulty: Normal

Setting: Fantasy

 

Final Fantasy 4 was the revolutionary rpg for it's time. It's epic story, characters no longer a bunch of nameable dummies but a real characters with personalities (although FF2 had this earlier but still kinda barebones: characters had very small amount of dialog) and new strategic battle system. This game was also second FF released in the west as "Final Fantasy II" because real FF2 and 3 never left Japan up until FF2 release for PS1 and we got 3 just about a few years ago as Pixel Remaster (again, I'm not counting 3D remake, it's completely different game).

[17/1000] Final Fantasy 3 Pixel Remaster

Platform: Switch, Xbox, PC, PS4, Mobile

Release date: July 28, 2021

Developer: Square Enix

Publisher: Square Enix

Genre: RPG

Battle System: Turn Based

Difficulty: Normal

Setting: Fantasy

 

 

It seems to be the first time FF3 got properly released overseas (not counting 3D remake) and it's a shame that we haven't been able to play this game up until now, unless you find a famicom rom and translation patch. 

Here you play as four kids who wandered inside the cave near their village. Inside they find a crystal which gave them it's power and task of restoring balance to the world. 

[16/1000] Final Fantasy 2 Pixel Remaster

 

Platform: Switch, Xbox, PC, PS4, Mobile

Release date: July 28, 2021

Developer: Square Enix

Publisher: Square Enix

Genre: RPG

Battle System: Turn Based

Difficulty: Normal

Setting: Fantasy

 

How do people usually start talking about FF2? Oh yeah, "Final Fantasy 2 is a 'black sheep' of the series and all of that, ending with saying that this game isn't good or not the best ff". Personally I really like this game. Story here is about evil empire wanting to conquer all world and heroes are a rebel group opposing it. This story will became a stable in later ff games even referencing "Wild Rose". FF2 was also first game to introduce chocobos, Cid, Ultima magic and dragoons all of which appears in every ff game after this one. Also comparing to other rpgs of it's time ff2 was the first to have a polished dramatic story with twists and actual characters with their personalities and traits.

[15/1000] Daikaiju Monogatari

 

Platform: SNES

Release date: December 22, 1994

Developer: Birthday

Publisher: Hudson Soft

Genre: RPG

Battle System: Turn Based

Difficulty: Normal

Setting: Fantasy

 

Daikaiju Monogatari looks like another DQ-clone but it's actually a very good game. Story-wise there's isn't much to tell: evil Demon King Fat Badger (yes it's really his name) wants to take over world of Shelldorado and it's inhabitants call for a hero from another world (aka player). And now hero travels through Shelldorado in order to defeat Fat Badger, eventually finding out about existence of a much more dangerous enemy from outer space! 

[14/1000] Eien no Filena

Platform: SNES

Release date: February 25, 1995

Developer:  Tokuma Shoten Intermedia

Publisher: Tokuma Shoten

Genre: RPG

Battle System: ATB

Difficulty: Normal

Setting: Fantasy

Eien no Filena is a game based on a light nover series with the same name. The story here follows Filena, a girl whose home was destroyed by Devis Empire and she was a lone survivor. Filena was raised as a boy by her stepfather and was forced to fight on arena as a battler in gladiator-like battles for amusement of empire's people. Before her first fight she met Lila, one of slaves who empire forced to sleep with battlers before fights in order to increase their morale. Filena teams up with Lila to escape arena and start their fight against Devis Empire. 

[13/1000] Nekketsu Tairiku: Burning Heroes

Platform: SNES

Release date: March 17, 1995

Developer:  J-Force

Publisher: Enix

Genre: RPG

Battle System: Turn-based

Difficulty: Depends on scenario but mostly easy

Setting: Fantasy

 

Burning Heroes isn't a good game. While it may look and sound like one, it's actually not. 

When you start the game you're given a choice of eight scenarios. Four are unlocked at the beginning and four more will unlock later. I like games like this, when you can see the story from different perspectives or play as different protagonists but here all stories have almost no connection between them. All eight scenarios start differently but starting from midpoint they're all become exactly similar. Unlockable scenarios even have same events order as initially available ones, only differences are main character and dialogs! Since all scenarios share same world that means all dungeons are same and you have to go through each one four times minimum if you beating game with all eight characters, set of final dungeons same for everyone so you'll play through same content eight times. So in the end all differences in scenarios are player character, text and order of dungeons.

[12/1000] Lennus II: Fuuin no Shito

 

Platform: SNES

Release date: July 26, 1996

Developer: Copya System

Publisher: Asmik Corporation

Genre: RPG

Battle System: Turn-based

Difficulty: Normal

Setting: Otherworldy

 

A direct sequel to Paladin's Quest, this game retains all the features of the first game along with some QoL changes. This time, the game takes place on Eltz, the second moon of the planet Raiga. You play as Farus, a supposedly god-like being who awakens from a deep sleep and is tasked with finding four gems in order to trigger the Great Unification. 

[11/1000] Paladin's Quest (Lennus: Kodai Kikai no Kioku)

 

Platform: SNES

Release date: November 13, 1992

Developer: Copya System

Publisher: Asmik Corporation (Enix in US)

Genre: RPG

Battle System: Turn-based

Difficulty: Normal

Setting: Otherworldy

 

Paladin's Quest is strange. It's got strange world, strange characters, strange gameplay. The game takes place on Lennus, one of the moons of planet Raiga. Having this alien setting means everything is going to look otherworldy. There's even a lot of different races which are completely original and not your default orcs and elves! 

 

[10/1000] Secret of the Stars (Aqutallion)

 

Platform: SNES

Release date: November 5, 1993

Developer: Tecmo

Publisher: Tecmo

Genre: RPG

Battle System: Turn-based

Difficulty: Easy

Setting: Fantasy

 

I heard A LOT of hate for this game and after playing it for myself... it's fine. It's definitely not a masterpiece but I don't think it deserves all hate. Secret of the Stars is an average DQ clone, there was tons of them back then.