2026 Special - Psycho Dream

There are some games out there that I have to appreciate, simply because of the bizarre energy that emanates from them. Psycho Dream is a classic example. Back in 1992, Riot put out a platformer that looks and sounds like it was ripped straight out of the subconscious. The perplexingly beautiful music is like a caterpillar that crawls into someone's ear, turns into a butterfly, dies, and is reborn again; all in the span of seconds. Visually, it's not quite as surreal, but still unlike most anything on the Super Famicom. I can't say I'm surprised that such an experience has continued to resonate with the community. Psycho Dream has seen multiple rereleases for modern platforms. Even Retro-bit has a cartridge version in the works. Preorders end in a month. Sadly, I lack both a shelf and the willingness to decorate it with Collector Editions of games I don't enjoy playing.

Sometime after the collapse of Japan's Bubble Economy, a virtual format known as D-Movies hit the scene. Why settle for watching a movie when you can live in it. With little hope of attaining financial stability, teenagers sought refuge in the unreality. Many of them would spend the rest of their lives in fantastical worlds where a better tomorrow was guaranteed. I don't have to tell you that foregoing the essentials of food, water, rest, and activity drastically decrease one's lifespan. In an effort to save people from becoming "Sinkers" - individuals whose bodies die while they're trapped in D-Movies - the government created Diamond Dogs. In Psycho Dream, two agents have been sent into the mind of Sayaka, a chronically ill woman caught in virtual reality's thrall. Take control of either Ryo or Maria, run through six tracks with multiple chapters apiece, then get frustrated with the cheap final boss and quit. 

Since it's the 2026 Special, my interest of course lies with Maria Tobari. As much as I'd like to question her questionable attire, I have to recognize some harsh statistics. Out of the 40 odd games I've covered so far, less than 10% of their protagonists wear pants. Also, she has a whip. The leather boots and leotard might as well be packaged in. One other thing, if I was even slightly bothered by how Maria's dreamworld persona dresses, I wouldn't have even attempted to recreate it in Soul Calibur VI. It sounds like I'm getting sidetracked, which yeah that's kind-of true, but mainly I want to get across that I like pretty much everything about the game. Just don't make me play it.

Maria Tobari in Soul Calibur VI. The guy she's bullying is Roy from Irem's Blade Master.

However, I can only ignore the basic concept of a video game review for so long, so let's talk about this hot mess already. Judging by the familiar-looking health meter and the whip-slinging heroine, you'd almost expect to be playing a Castlevania. Don't hang onto that first impression for very long, because it'll get Maria killed. Yes, I'm going to say it right now: forget about the melee weapon, ignore the purpose of the 2026 Special. The instant that Maria enters Apocalypse City - the D-Movie Sayaka is trapped in - you'll want to start hunting for crystals. These color-coded gems tend to drop from mutants scurrying about the ruined metropolis. If you see a blue crystal. Fantastic. Pick it up immediately. If the crystal is yellow, then wait a moment for it to turn blue. 

I'm being completely serious when I say forget about the melee weapon. Whips and claws aren't much good in this virtual world of lousy hitboxes. Maria is such a large target that getting anywhere near a mutant or their projectiles will result in cheap pain. Anyway, that blue crystal changes Maria's weapon to an arm-cannon. Grab a second one for spreadshot, and a third to make the bullets home in on nearby fiends. Relentless mashing of the fire button will solve 95% of problems. It's not deep or rewarding, but it is tolerable, and that's the most I can ask for out of Psycho Dream.

Crystals of various other colors can be picked up. Green offers a temporary shield, purple gifts the protag a screen-clearing bomb to use at their discretion, and magenta replenishes some health. Last and definitely not least is the red crystal. It only appears if Maria's claws or arm-cannon are at maximum level. Collecting the crimson shiny will unleash her overdrive form. She'll be a spinning, hovering, and bullet-spewing maniac, an abomination that no mutant could ever overcome. The catch is that if Maria is hurt three times, then the overdrive is gone, and she's stuck with the miserable whip again. Bosses will go from fodder to frustrating the instant this occurs. If you don't like taking risks, then stick to the homing spreadshot. Less firepower, but it's harder to lose, so not a bad trade-off.

Whether you decide to approach this game as a subpar Contra or an awful Castlevania, know that there are even more issues to contend with. Psycho Dream is rife with slowdown, and not the helpful kind that helps with bullet-dodging. It's not like Maria is dodging a whole lot with her dominatrix-sized hurtbox. Instead, what all this slowdown does is chew on your inputs. If you ever get the feeling that something is nibbling on the fire button or swallowing those jump-button presses whole, then that's the slowdown doing its "job". Maybe Telenet could've pretended it was intentional; made a claim in the manual that the hardware Diamond Dogs are using to dive into these Dmovies has a weak CPU. Let's pretend that whatever has Sayaka trapped is sending static signals to futz with the connection... or something. 

I suppose it doesn't really matter because 95% of the game is easily dealt with. Mostly, your purpose is to soak in the weirdness and piece together a story that's told almost entirely through symbolism (and what's printed in the manual). The developers were clearly invested in giving the Super Famicom something that defies the norm. Still, I have to wonder how Psycho Dream would've turned out if it was envisioned in another era, genre, or medium. Imagine if this was Survival Horror, a light-novel series, an 80s OVA, anything besides a Super Famicom platformer that's a few years too early. 

Oh, and of course there's the remaining 5%, which outright stinks. The finale is usually where all of a game's faults congregate to summon a bugbear of an experience. Surprise! That's exactly what happens with the final boss. Dodging bullets is already difficult enough when you can see them coming, but Maria doesn't even get the luxury, because her arm-cannon is useless in this fight. If you can manage to destroy the arms, then the second phase begins, bringing a load of input-eating slowdown with it. A terrible end to a bad game.

There's nothing else for me to say. Psycho Dream is a fascinating piece of media, a feverish little adventure. I still think about it from time to time. But yeah, with any luck, I'll never have to play it again.

Sega Genesis Look - MUSHA

MUSHA is one of those games. You know what I mean; the kind of games that are so awesome and beloved by all that it's impossible to come up with anything significant to say about them. How am I just going to say "Oh hey guys! Any of ya'll heard of this MUSHA game? It's really neat!" without utterly demeaning myself. Next week I'll post a Playstation Hidden Gems video, and the first game in it will be Final Fantasy 7. Point is, everyone knows that this 1990 Compile shmup rules, so I'd have to come up with something extremely thought-provoking that'd make readers see one of their favorites in a new light. 

So... yeah... it looks like I'll be sitting here mindlessly tapping my desk and rustling nonexistent papers for quite some time. Mentally, I'm not where I need to be to take on the herculean effort of saying something nice about a game that hasn't already been said a hundred gazillion times over. Last night was... rough... slightly more-so than usual. While working the same pizza delivery job I've had for too long, somebody ran a red light. I was about a whole second away from getting struck, driver-side, and spending this morning dealing with whatever inconveniences that would've arisen from it. A lifetime of Florida-living has produced more near-misses than Dodonpachi and ESP Ra.De mashed together, so all I can do is brush this incident away. Nothing happened; that's something that I have to hold onto, even though it also means carrying the guilt. 

Several real-world minutes have passed since I typed out that last paragraph. My thoughts are currently overwhelmed by the many neighbors, co-workers, and acquaintances who have perished in car accidents. An unshakeable image of a fatal accident I had personally witnessed over fifteen years ago just resurfaced, as well. Right at this moment, my mind is replaying every horrid detail and I can't stop it. Apologies to everyone who just wanted a MUSHA review, but I think (hypothetical) long-time readers have gotten used to the fact that I treat games-writing as an excuse to offload some accumulated depression. My free-trial therapist ended last month and there's not enough in the budget to justify a subscription. 

Anyway, this is the part where I ugly transition into describing how the game works and what the controls do. Players take on the role of Terri, the sole survivor of a squad obliterated by offscreen lasers. She pilots the Metallic Uniframe Super Hybrid Armor, an incredibly advanced and highly sophisticated piece of machinery that doesn't explode in a single hit, provided that she's carrying a sub-weapon. This mobile suit's main method of attack is a cannon that spits out energized shuriken. Grabbing enough power-ups will strengthen it multiple times over. Those same power-ups also add to the option stock. Options fire star-shaped bullets in whatever direction you need them to. It's a lot like Battle Garegga, though not nearly as surgical. 

If you're not already well-aware, then I'm going to tell you right now that MUSHA is not a complicated STG. It's a power-fantasy through and through. Enemies do not serve some broader function, wherein you chain them together or utilize some mechanic to turn their bullets into priceless jewelry. Their purpose is to be blasted into dust a second or two after they appear onscreen. This game is designed around instant action, the kind where all players have to do is hold the fire buttons down and react to whatever happens next.

Something that I've often said about this game is that it's the perfect pick for anyone curious about shmups, but doesn't have any idea on what to start with. It's a statement I still stand by, well... sort-of. Hell of a time to get a case of the wishy-washies, huh? Seriously though, I'm a bit more hesitant to wholeheartedly recommend this to potential newcomers than I used to be. Mainly, it's because there's so much here that players might end up taking for granted. Being able to take a hit while carrying a sub-weapon, as if it's Sonic the Hedgehog's last ring, is already huge in a genre defined by the one-hit-kill. Shockingly, there's more. Terri's mecha is also special in that it has small hurtbox. I'm not just talking "small by 1990 standards" either, because this thing is tiny! 

Forgive the poor editing.

That... that right there almost feels illegal. Having a miniscule hurtbox means that players will be able to get away with a lot. Memorization isn't nearly as important as in other shmups, simply because reacting is enough to guarantee survival. Actually, I have to take that back. There are a handful of instances that can be considered "memorization-checks". Enemy homing missiles come in two flavors: white vanilla and black licorice. Vanilla is curvy, fluffy, and easy to get rid of. Licorice however must always be treated with respect. One of the sub-bosses in the final stage alternates between both flavors, creating what is probably one of the most important teaching moments in the entire game. 

Still, having to get that far just for a teachable experience is going to create expectations that clash with the norm. Consoles tend to house shmups that are far more forgiving than what's in the arcades, but MUSHA is one that I'd consider on another level. Back in the day, my ten-year-old self flew through it with relatively little trouble, and he was the type of gamer that couldn't get past stage five in Life Force with the 30-lives code! The way I'm speaking right now, you'd almost get the impression that I'm teetering on the edge of not wholeheartedly recommending this game... and God no... I'm sorry for even suggesting such blasphemy.

I sincerely believe MUSHA is one of the best Mega Drive games ever made. It's the essence of effortlessly playable. Compile was one of those developers that could capture lightning in a bottle, then smash that bottle and recapture that lightning just to prove a point. They had an innate knack for piecing together all of the necessities to make a great shooter. I think this is one of those times where they did exactly what they needed to do, then made the right call to step away and move on. It's the restraint that brings everything together, making for a shmup that even the most hardened of hardened veterans can find joy in. Being the gold-standard in terms of presentation certainly doesn't hurt. The action is bolstered by an immense soundtrack and a visual direction that hasn't aged a bit. 

Sadly, and not the least bit shockingly, I don't have anything else to add. This STG is one of those rare cases where the developer made it look so easy that false ideas start to formulate. "Why isn't everyone making games this good?" said I from another time, completely ignoring the thousands of moving parts and at-times otherworldly influences that make a product more than just avoiding bullets and blowing shit up. In their toying with a genre built on friction, Compile created what I can only describe as a lightning unicorn. It's so smooth, so breezy, so reassuring, so many things that I'm not supposed to love, and yet... Damn. Like I said, there's nothing I can say. 

Super Nintendo Look - Secret of Mana: Climate Crisis (Turbo)

Good news, everybody! It's that time again when I drop everything to devote all of my attention to a random game. I may have written about Secret of Mana before and probably shared some strong words that weren't especially positive. Whether or not that's actually true is irrelevant, because I know for a fact that 1993-1995 me was obsessed. It was, alongside Final Fantasy "III", one of the only Super Nintendo games I actually owned. Both saw an unholy number of playthroughs, far more than anything since. 

Actually, let's skip past the nostalgia waxing and move onto the topic of today's look. Secret of Mana: Climate Crisis (Turbo) is a romhack that extensively rearranges the Squaresoft classic. The synopsis is roughly unchanged. While the wounds of a cataclysmic war struggle to heal, a young man stumbles upon a sword, and his destiny is changed forever. Forever in this case is closer to the next 20 to 30 hours, but you know what I mean. Anyway, the World of Mana, as if it didn't have enough problems, is now suffering with climate change. Due to forces both known and unknown, the lands that our heroes call home has been trapped in an eternal winter. Rivers running through Pandora have been contaminated by The Empire's wastewater. The one land you'd expect to see constant ice and snow has turned to mud. Every region is on the verge of catastrophe. 

I mentioned that this is an extensive rearrangement, and this becomes noticeable the instant Jema tells "Sword Boy" (Let's call him Larz) to visit Luka, the guardian of the Earth Palace. We won't actually be visiting the Water Palace until close to the end of the adventure. Fear not, healing spell fans, for that duty has been transferred to Luna. We'll recruit that spirit in the Upper Lands. As you might've ascertained, spells were moved around quite a bit. "The Girl" (Flan) still specializes in support magic, and "The Sprite" (Victy) in attack magic. Sidenote: Yes, I named the third main character after the Kangaroo in Bare Knuckle 3. Multiple spells had their properties enhanced, and a couple of others were discarded entirely. Saber spells are still around, and they're almost exclusive to Larz. They're far more significant than in vanilla Secret of Mana. If you see a boss that's strong against Gnome cast stone saber on your party, then you'd better undo that immediately.

Oh, right, I've already gotten this far into the review and haven't even acknowledged the (Turbo) part. This romhack has multiple variations. Most change the difficulty, increasing enemy parameters and all that. Turbo though, that's what caught my attention. Its big feature is excising one of the combat system's central mechanics. You know how when playing Secret of Mana, you had to wait for the gauge to reach 100% or else your weapon attacks did very little damage? That's gone *poof*. Every attack that lands will do the full amount. Charged moves have also been rebalanced. The meter moves faster, increasing in speed as the heroes obtain level-ups. The Speed-Up spell also affects the charging rate, so consider training it if you want to see more level 8 special moves.

Turbo is, quite literally, a gamechanger. Secret of Mana has some pretty interesting mechanics that go unnoticed due to all of the wait time. Monsters have various "states" that they can be in. Some can't be hurt during a stun animation, while others have attacks that can't be interrupted. It pays to be aware of all these different properties, though rushing in while mashing the attack button also works fine. Due to the shifts in charging speed, special moves are more prevalent and should be incorporated into everyone's strategy. Something that I like to do is have my lead character focus on stunning and pushing enemies around, setting them up to get devastated by my allies' huge attacks. Altogether, battles are less stilted, more dynamic, and creates a greater degree of player expression. Just about every weapon feels better to use. Their strengths are more pronounced, allowing players to do more than just crush everything with the highest possible numbers.

This romhack does a great job of expanding the scope of the game world. There are not only more dungeons to explore, but a handful of them have been reworked to be more compelling. One of the more interesting reworks has to be the Platinum Island. Originally, this was Gold Island. Getting into its tower palace required a short detour to grab a key. Now that detour is an entire dungeon. On the outskirts of Kakkara, there's a palace being swallowed up by a void caused by the Mana Fortress. The heroic trio will have to raise this palace out of the darkness, reach the Mana seed, and rescue a few friends along the way. The many side-characters play a larger role in the narrative, which is really nice to see. I also appreciate that all of the added content isn't a detriment to the pacing. This is still very much a game that moves quickly, never allowing a single location to wear down its players. Clearly, the team behind this hack knew exactly what made the original so beloved and did an impressive job expanding upon it.

I must also show some love for the changes made to boss battles. They're noticeably more pronounced and effective than before. Tropicallo is - would you believe it - actually a bit of a threat. Tougher, more climactic bosses were moved to different locations. The big boss at the end of the Emperor's Castle isn't that guy with a speeder bike. Due in part to Turbo doubling everything's HP, battles tend to be much more involved than stacking spells. Since bosses respond to practically every instance of damage, you'll want to hit them as hard as possible, i.e. with charged moves. Weak hits provide them more opportunities to counterattack, and that can get devastating if the party is under-levelled. That said, I'd be really surprised if you were anything besides over-levelled for each boss. Experience is doubled in the Turbo version. Something to keep in mind though is that a handful of bosses ramp up the intensity, even going so far to engage in spell-stacking of their own. Even if every fight ends up being pretty easy, there's still enough to them to warrant the player's focus. 

Considering that I dropped everything to play a game I thought I had enough of decades ago, it's easy to see that Secret of Mana: Climate Crisis accomplished exactly what it set out to do. This is a really thoughtful and enjoyable hack of a SNES classic. A lot of love went into breathing new life into the dated combat mechanics and wonky balancing. Oh, and Turbo mode? Amazing addition. I'm really glad to see it as well as a wide range of difficulty options. 

Definitely check out this new spin on an old favorite.

2026 Special - Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

It's impossible for me to explain how much of an impact Shutaro Iida had on Metroidvania, but for the sake of a programming legend, I have to try. Though Castlevania: Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance were admirable efforts, it was Aria of Sorrow that felt like a true Symphony of the Night successor. Everything from Soma's movement to enemy behavior to all the subsystems and underlying mechanics was brilliantly adapted. Without a doubt, it was Iida's work as chief programmer that made Aria an all-time classic. The same can be said about the Nintendo DS trilogy. Rather than just repeat what worked on the GBA, Iida and his team created new, more ambitious systems. Part of what makes these games so magical is how seamlessly they weave their complex action and RPG elements. You could play Soma & co. as another vampire hunter that swung a weapon and jumped a lot, or you could transform them into the back-dashing army-summoning force of nature that makes the screen explode. Both are valid and incredibly well-realized. 

While I decide on what to say next, there's an itch somewhere in the back of my mind that needs a scratch. Calling these games Metroidvanias is starting to sound... wrong. I know Igavania exists. I've used it a few times myself. I just get the feeling that we as a gaming community have stuck with what's basically the lack of a better term for decades. Bloodstained and its ilk are practically a subgenre unto themselves compared to Hollow Knight, or Guacamelee! or Rabi-Ribi or countless others. Even Team Ladybug's titles like Deedlit in the Wonder Labyrinth and Blade Chimera aren't quite the same, despite featuring level-ups and rare-drops. Of course, I say all this, yet I'm unable to come up with a term of my own one, at least not one that's respectful to some of my favorite games ever made. They're dense, comfy, effortlessly juggle a hundred moving parts, and with the tragic passing of Shutaro Iida, we may never see them again. 

There's a ton to be said about Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, but I'm going to start with a few of the little things that I love. I love Miriam's dive-kick. The way she can leap off of a candle whilst collecting its contents owns my heart. My adoration for how she summons Buers to use as stepping-stones is immeasurable. Oh, and you'd better believe I love that a significant portion of the castle is filled with enough strategically placed candles and demons for Miriam to play a "The floor is Lava" minigame whenever she wants. You know what else I love? Finding that sweet spot where Miriam gets a lot of distance with her dive-kick, while avoiding the frame-wasting crouched state that occurs upon a landing from too high. There are so many details surrounding just one aspect of our heroine that it creates an irreplaceable feeling of comfort. 

Much like the handful of vampire hunters that preceded her, Miriam is skilled in the ancient art of backstep-cancelling. It's her primary method for getting from one room of the castle to the next. Sure, she could jog to the next destination, eyes forward and all that, but what gives these games their enigmatic beauty is rapidly alternating between L1 and down presses to move at exceptional speed. Adding utmost execution to the most rudimentary of tasks is a great way to draw me into a game. My only complaint is that five minutes of back-step cancelling can be considered the equivalent to one cigarette... if a wrist could ever take up smoking. Let this be a reminder to everyone out there to do their exercises. Carpal tunnel is merciless.

What other talents does Miriam have besides a dive-kick and a (wrist-destroying) alternative to running? Ah right... she's a Shardbinder. The demons she destroys have a chance of (rather violently) bestowing their powers to her. Basically, it's the soul system from the Soma duology, but with some significant enhancements. Grabbing multiples of the same soul increases its power, while tossing the requisite crafting materials at it will improve its coverage, versatility, damage output, whatever. While there are some clear winners - such as Summon Hellhound and its ability to scorch everything for an instant 1200+ damage - I can't think of many losers. Oh, sure, Summon Chair might sound useless, but it's doing exactly what it's supposed to. 

Part of what makes shards such an effective tool is that players don't need to invest heavily to make them useable. A Flying Dagger or Shuriken is going to kick butt even if it's rank & grade are never improved. That inclination to drop everything and bring the game to a screeching half just to get some farming done doesn't materialize as often as one would expect. Then again, I'm probably the last person who can express such a thought. Nearly seven years after Bloodstained's release, I still farm demons, their rare drops, and all things in-between for as long as it takes to transform Miriam into an incredible warrior goddess. 

Though I haven't discussed it lately, I'm still a firm believer in "Making the game yours." This mantra is a perfect fit for Ritual of the Night. A Shardbinder without any shards is still a force to be reckoned with. Miriam is skilled in all sorts of weapons. Mastering the techniques hidden within them will give her even more ways to lay waste to her enemies. Gosh. I never even attempted a playthrough with just guns. It's probably because making the most of them requires special ammunition capable of exploiting weaknesses. Special, limited, ammunition that has to be crafted. Well, maybe I'll give it a shot someday. 

As far as castles go, The Hellhold really isn't bad at all. It could've been a little larger, or a mix more complex, but seriously I'm glad it's neither. Each area has the expected assortment of obstacles and beasties dotting its halls. Mainly though, I'd say that the level-designer wanted smooth pacing, with a little open-endedness. Miriam is allowed enough space to strut her stuff, or wriggle around the danger and keep moving. If I had to pick favorites, then I'd go with the Sorcery Labs. There's something about the tight corridors and emphasis on nasty traps that deserved a deeper exploration. Glacial Tomb is rather weak though. Ending the game in an ice-themed area just seems anticlimactic (the last several enemies being reskins doesn't help). 

Where Hellhold really shines is in Randomizer mode. Fantastic inclusion, by the way, especially for the console crowd who can't access mods. While players are free to set the ending conditions that work for them, I always go with "Defeat All Evil". Basically, Miriam has to explore the entire castle until she obtains Zangetsuto and Dimension Shift. This is a mission I've made significantly more complicated by choosing to have key items appear anywhere. Anyway, since traversal powers are randomized, the heroine's path through the castle can change. There's enough connective tissue between each area that players who end up with Deep Sinker instead of Double Jump still have access to nearly half of the castle. Also, any opportunity to test out a new shard combination is welcome. 

I don't discuss traditional "comfy" games on this blog, because none of them actually interest me. Instead, I look towards games that feel comforting to play, something that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night absolutely excels at. The way Miriam's movement evolves from simply holding the d-pad in a direction to a series of arcane inputs? That's my Animal Crossing. Speeding through the castle with a maxed-out Accelerator while trying to avoid every demon is how I get my "warm fuzzies". All the little quirks that define the rarest weapons, such as the Andromeda whip's slight homing properties, create joy out of violence. Investing so much time into building the ultimate demon hunter only to start a fresh file and do it all over again is something that I've done across three different ports of this game.

Look, I don't know the first thing about programming, so take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt; write it off as the rantings of an old man even. I can't understand why anyone would use LLMs to help them code video games. Slamming together an amalgamation of stolen data and then prying out whatever is keeping the game from functioning sounds so inelegant. My unshakeable belief is that there is a mysterious beauty found in the programming of all games, good or bad. It's the artistic contributions of the often-unsung heroes of development. We're too quick to trade away our identities for the illusion of convenience. Yeah, I said illusion, because somehow this culture-destroying, world-decaying, livelihood-ruining technology isn't really doing a whole lot to make anyone's jobs easier. Actually, let me cut this rant short, because that's not what this write-up is supposed to be about.

After all of these years spent on game reviews, I still fail to recognize the achievements of the people who are able to create magic from nothing. Shutaro Iida is responsible for creating works that I've loved and cherished for over half my life, yet I never even knew his name until after he was gone. 

... I think I've said about all I can. Would you believe that my eyes are watering too much for me to continue writing? Because that's what happening right now.

2026 Special - Monster World IV

I probably should've reviewed Monster World IV ages ago, but it just kept slipping between the cracks. Actually, let me be frank. Up until the night before, I had never actually finished a playthrough. Whoa, seriously? "Mr. Mega Drive" couldn't scrounge up a few hours to complete one of the more significant titles in the console's library? Yeah, I guess that's what happened. Get ready, because my reasoning as to why is going to sound silly. 

...This game subverted my expectations a little too often. After Wonder Boy in Monster World, I was all set to explore new lands, visit some towns, and acquire powerful artifacts that would aid Asha's quest to rescue the four elemental spirits and become a hero. Ultimately, I led myself to believe that the game would be a 50/50 split of action and adventure, when it's clearly a 90/10. The linearly structured world-design and almost complete elimination of backtracking left me in a realm that's somehow both unfamiliar and too familiar. 

Though I tried to reach out, it never felt like there was anything to hold onto. Shortly after clearing the first couple of stages, Asha is introduced to Pepo. Again, I led myself astray thinking that the heroine's cute companion would acquire new powers as the story progressed. That... isn't really the case. Just because the blue Pepologoo eats a fruit that causes instant growth doesn't make him a floating collection of Metroidvania mechanics. If anything, his usefulness is almost entirely circumstantial to the surroundings. He solves tasks when he's needed, but the game treats him as more of a friend than a tool. In fact, he's not even around for almost a third of Asha's journey. 

Instead of finding legendary weapons and armor in the realms surrounding Rapadagna City, Asha has to rely entirely on good ol' capitalism. All equipment must be purchased. It's expensive too, dauntingly so once I realized the strength of a monster doesn't affect how much cash they're carrying. The impression I get is that due to previous locations being locked away once Asha has accomplished the necessary task, Westone didn't want to create a situation where players could miss out on essential items. To counter this, most treasure takes the form of gold bars or blue droplets. Bars are traded to the mythical benevolent billionaire for the cash necessary to buy a big equipment upgrade. Acquiring ten blue droplets raises Asha's maximum health by one. There's 150 of them, so all but the most diligent guide-users are guaranteed to miss a few. Anyway, the intention behind these collectibles is that they provide a necessary means for Asha to improve her chances of success, without creating an "all-or-nothing" approach where the player is denied the ability to defeat the final boss because they missed a shield in the Ice Pyramid or whatever. 

It's here that I find myself questioning whether I'm really in it for the journey or the destination. Years upon years of "the norm" has led me to believe that the destination is a rare weapon in a treasure chest. What does that make the journey then? Becoming a true hero and saving the world is just an excuse, a free pass into the dangerous places where nobody else is allowed, just so I can hoard all the fantastic armaments. Whether intentional or not, Monster World IV challenges a philosophy that I've resigned myself to. It has incentives for players to explore; the process is just a little more involved. The blue droplets add up over time, making the heroine a far more powerful warrior than if she had just found a sword that was rendered obsolete a couple of dungeons later. That said, buying the legendary sword will trivialize the final dungeon, but that's only made possible by the ample funds provided by the lady with the gold bar collection. The prices she'll pay for bars rises as she recognizes the threat facing the world, so keep it mind.

Since I have "lovely down-stab" written in my MW4 notes, let's get on with discussing the controls. Here's an instance where I'm 100% ecstatic that expectations were subverted. Unlike Shion, Asha walks, runs, and fights like she's serious about this world-saving business. Her every move is 100% spot-on perfect. What makes her down-stab so lovely is that it's plenty strong for cracking skulls, yet it's also not super-maneuverable. There's a real purpose in learning when to best utilize it. Pulling off a down-stab at the right time against a boss can lead to them inadvertently cornering themselves, getting jabbed all the while by the heroine's sword. This game makes a point of designing levels that feature enemies attacking from above; as fine a reason as any to put the up-stab to use.

The shield is another essential part of Asha's repertoire. Since both melee and ranged attacks can be blocked, get in the habit of pressing down when uncertain of what the next enemy will do. Positioning is also important, since a shield in the front won't protect the back or head. One of the trickier aspects of the game is that the sources of healing in each stage are unusually inconvenient. Think vending machines instead of healing fountains. If Asha's health is in a really bad state, then a trip back to town or the last save might be necessary. Memorizing which enemies drop hearts can help, but mostly it's a matter of playing carefully and defensively. Enemies aren't overly aggressive, nor are they damage sponges or hit like freight trains, but they all serve a purpose.

Monster World IV is a very lean, very focused game. Gone are the optional excursions that might've occurred once or twice in the past. Let me break it down to the basics. After the introductory opening and tutorial dungeon, there are four "main" dungeons, each of which are also broken up into two parts. Afterwards, there's a final enemy / mini-boss rush and the big bad itself. There isn't any fluff, which is a little disappointing for me. Without any fat, the portions of the game I dislike don't get enough time to fade from memory. The statue puzzles of Ice Pyramid, the flying carpet ride, and Sky Palace's conveyor belts all happen back-to-back in an almost unbroken sequence.

Puzzles aren't uncommon in the Wonder Boy & Girl universe, but I think what this entry does with its Ice Pyramid went a little too far. Basically, the pyramid is broken up into three sections. The goal of each is to acquire all five statues and then place them in the correct order. Clues to this order are made purposefully scant, so it'll take a little critical thinking to fill in the blanks. If a mistake is made, then it's no big deal. All Asha has to do is go repeat the entire section and reacquire every statue! That's an excessive punishment for a puzzle that isn't solved with a simple yes/no answer! If the player isn't already nose-deep in a guide trying to get all 150 blue droplets, then they're going to pull one up just to get the solutions. Anything's better than an instant headache. 

Conveyor belts have been a platforming staple since ancient times, but in most cases they're just a mild hurdle. Monster World IV's Sky Palace made them extra spicy, and I'm of two minds about that. I appreciate that these particular belts must be approached with utmost care. Players are required to pay attention to which direction the belts are moving in before they make the jump. I'm reminded of the final section of the Demon King's Castle in the previous game, when it becomes a series of moving & falling platforms that have to be nearly perfected in order to move on. The catch of course is that missing a jump means redoing everything. Taking that concept and distributing it across an entire dungeon is an impressive feat. The punishment for missing a jump is mostly negligible. Losing a hit-point isn't so bad when Asha has 20+ to spare. Still, with precious few opportunities to recover health, landing in spikes repeatedly will take its toll. 

I don't have to explain my reasons for disliking the flying carpet ride. It's a vehicle section. 

Even at its most aggravating, this game has an unfathomable level of charm. Everything Asha does is so... Asha! From the way she climbs ropes to how she slides across ice; there isn't a single thing she doesn't that isn't wholly unique to her. As far as least-talkative protagonists go, she's got the most personality, and there's no way this game could ever happen without her. Pepo is also fantastic. The duo's combined interactions bring a lot of life to each dungeon. It really sells the adventurous spirit when the main characters react to what's happening around them. 

Despite a handful of complaints, I'm really glad that I finally made time for this one. It's a special little game that wasn't afraid to ditch the "It has to be bigger" adage that sequels are so often forced to commit to. Westone took the last Monster World game in many unexpected directions, some that were even a little disconcerting to folks like me who claim to have played everything. In retrospect, this was the right decision. This final journey is a personal one with a lot of meaning behind it.

2026 Special - Afterimage

When I started up Afterimage for the first time, it asked me whether I'd like to play on the Normal or Advanced difficulty. Knowing next to nothing about this Metroidvania by Maximum Entertainment, I decided on Normal, with the (honest) intention that I'd tackle the harder setting in the next playthrough. Now, at this very moment, I'm debating whether or not that was the right call. The only teeth Normal has is those found on a playful kitten. Enemies of all shapes and sizes fling mildly damaging attacks every which way, but the odds remain stacked in Renee's favor. I should've pushed myself further instead of settling for a fluffy adventure where I never had to pay much mind to the opposition. However, there is an argument that ignoring Advanced was the right call. Afterimage is already the definition of excess. Throwing in excessive damage and excessive retries might've broken my psyche, which is already a glass jar tumbling around inside a sack full of doorknobs. 

Admittedly, I'm not the same person I was 20, 10, or even 5 years ago. Morning Ketsui: Kizuna Jigoku Tachi sessions haven't been on my schedule in a long time. It's not that I don't appreciate a challenge anymore, but I have to set limits. Launching myself face first into a brick wall for hours on end doesn't feel as good as it used to. Chalk it up as another casualty of trying to survive increasingly harsh years with outstanding debt as my sole companion. Now, as easy as it might be, I can't blame myself for everything. Afterimage is one of those games that wants to have it all. It wants to be the Dark Souls x Bloodstained x Hollow Knight epic that plunges its players into a massive, interconnected world. Each of its many locales is bursting at the seams with shortcuts, secrets, and bosses. If you're on a tight budget - and who isn't in this economy - then you could certainly do a lot worse than a game that controls well and guarantees 20+ hours of playtime on a first playthrough. However, there's just so much content for the sake of it that even thinking about a second playthrough is exhausting. 

Damn if it doesn't play smooth as heck though. Take control of Renee as she attempts to solve all the problems surrounding Engardin. Apparently, the "Razing" that wiped out 99.999999999% of the world's population wasn't enough, as what little that remains is under attack from every kind of evil imaginable. There's chaos everywhere Renee turns, but at least she never has to worry about tripping over her own feet. "Controls well" is an understatement on my part. What I mean to say is that it feels like warm silk in a cold house. The heroine moves with a floatiness that's actually really satisfying and only gets better as her traversal abilities improve. Unlike, oh I don't know, Samus in Super Metroid, Renee's talent for wall-climbing isn't contingent on the player's mastery of some relatively tricky inputs. Provided it's not a wall of spikes, she can hurtle her way up as fast as the jump button is mashed. Speaking of, navigating Engardin's many obstacle courses is no sweat. Wall-jumping and air-dashing around spike-filled mini-labyrinths comes so naturally that you'd swear you've been doing it all your life (and all your past lives as well).

It won't be long until our sword-swinging heroine is introduced to an entire suite of weapons to play around with. Afterimage does a remarkable job of providing a something for every playstyle. I love swinging a greatsword while in mid-air. It's got a lot of range, perfect for clipping flying foes or slashing earthbound enemies from above. Scythes and whips are also pretty remarkable. If I had to pick a favorite, it'd be the blade. This katana got a lot of love, because as far as I can tell it received some of the most powerful and exciting techniques. Judgment Cut is a wonderful counter for those who dare to swing their weapon wildly. Its mid-air attack is also quite spectacular. Magic happens when it's coupled with the Renee's pitch-perfect mobility. Be sure to explore every area and complete every task, because the hidden weapons usually have some nice abilities that'll help players find the exact build that suits them. One that comes to mind is Scorching Judgment. Its ability to unleash devastating explosions every five or so seconds makes it a good secondary. 

Admittedly, I didn't use spells very often. There's no shortage of magic books and staves lying around, but whatever capabilities they might have were always the last thing on my mind in a pitched battle. Still, I see the value in having them available, as they can deal damage from long-range, give Renee a temporary boost, and do just about anything that suits the player's current needs. 

Engardin, dangerous as it tends to be, looks just incredible. This is a world that exudes wonder and beauty. Each location has eye-catching vistas and gobs of intricately crafted flora. The level-design tends to do it a disservice though. I believe the main issue is that while there are a ton of biomes, exploring them is handled in a way that gets predictable. The excitement of reaching a new area doesn't last as long as it should, because exploring them tends to be a rote and... "gamey" process. Expect to run into lots of walls that are fortified in only one direction, usually indicating a puzzle-platforming section is nearby. Credit where its due, most bios have one or two elements wholly unique elements, but they're so large that all the details blur together. Afterimage is also so afraid of dead-ends that it causes problems for the interconnectedness. When I'm not sure what my destination is, having a stopping point is a big help. It tells me that I should head in a different direction. Getting the wall-jump, double-jump, and dive-smash opens up close to 90% of the entire world. From a surprisingly early point, players are free to go just about anywhere, perhaps even stumbling into endgame lairs long before they're supposed to visit. The amount of freedom is as impressive as it is overwhelming.

This massive world houses quite a lot of bosses, so many in fact that killing 30 of them is only worth a couple of achievements. These battles are entertaining, but they also highlight my one issue with this game's combat. Both Renee's hurtbox and the great many hitboxes she has to avoid are a little clumsy. Something has simple as avoiding contact damage can take an uncharacteristically long time. Almost every attack is huge and a couple of frames too early. Players will adjust in time, but usually that time doesn't come until after the boss is defeated. Maybe it'll be different for you or someone else, but on my Normal playthrough, Renee never saw death. She took a lot of punishment; I mean a lot. Death, however, is kind-of essential to learning bosses, how to react to their many abilities, etc. There was a very clear adjustment period that I practically skipped, all because I didn't choose Advanced mode. 

Even knowing what I know now, I can't... or at least shouldn't wholeheartedly recommend starting with the harder difficulty. I feel this way because most of what occurs outside of boss-battles is breezy. Afterimage is not a game where every inch of progress has to be earned in a trial by fire. Renee is like the wind itself, weaving through any obstacle placed in her path. The importance of a good challenge can't be understated, but at the same time, this is a 20-hour game when everything goes right. Players are going to be exhausted if every boss is an unyielding stone wall. I don't know the exact count, but I'd wager this game has at least a Dark Souls 2 number of bosses. It's a lot to deal with under the best of circumstances. On the plus side, difficulty can be changed midgame.

Too much like the worlds that inspired it, Engardin gets a little obtuse with side-quests. I managed to stumble through most of them, but that might've been because they were intentionally designed that way. I won't complain too much, because there doesn't exist a Souls-like that I haven't used a guide for. Still, Renee's mission could've been made a little more obvious. A couple NPCs allude to the importance of memory shards, and one of the better endings is only attained by finding 13 runes, but that's the sort of information I need stapled to my forehead. Also, if a truly final dungeon exists, then I'll probably never know unless I look it up. 

Considering Afterimage is often subject to staggering discounts, there's not a good reason why it shouldn't be in as many libraries as possible. I know my review hasn't exactly been a deluge of unanimous praise, but seriously, I respect this game's dedication. It's just so big, like those games I'd dream about making when I was a kid. Engardin is a massive world that's dense with lore and characters. It's got the deserts, forests, mountains, the sea, an abandoned ghost village, and all those other wondrous or scary places a healthy imagination would travel to. Really, it's quite something to experience, even if its full potential feels unrealized.

Oh, and there's a world map too. Sheesh!

Sega CD Look - Shining Force CD

After sleeping in for most of the day, as is my wont, I finally dragged my sad carcass out of bed. In the bathroom, while shaving the weeds that had taken root on this gruesome face, I accidentally knock over my toothbrush. Without fail, it landed brush first into a sea of hairs and Florida water. It was at this moment I stared into the mirror and mouthed out the words "Finally! Some goddamned fucking inspiration!" Though I'm unquestionably a subject deserving of endless criticism, I would rather distract myself by poking into the failings of others, especially when they're already well-documented. I'm a screwup who never learns from his mistakes, but that doesn't mean anyone else is allowed to be.

Back in ancient times, Sega was the first of several companies who tried to combat Nintendo's dominance over handheld gaming. Their hopes were binned - I mean pinned - on the Game Gear. More power! More colors! A backlight so you could actually see what's happening! That last point ended up being the handheld's undoing. It was the early 90s and LED lighting had just seen a major breakthrough, but it was already too late. Sega opted for a power-hungry fluorescent bulb, turning a handheld that could've gotten 30 or so hours of gametime out of the required six double AA batteries into one that lasted 3 to 5 hours. I'm sure Energizer and Duracell were thrilled by this battery-chugging behemoth. Everyone else... nah. 

I shouldn't have to tell you that developers had to make several concessions if they wanted to put games on the Game Gear.  If a game was too long and didn't allow for frequent passwords or the ability to save progress, then who's going to play it? Yeah, the player could just use the AC charger and sit hunched in a corner for hours, but let's be realistic here. Average people are going to be on the bus fuming because the system dying mid-game cost them a ton of progress. RPGs with save-anywhere options went a long way towards mitigating the issue. For some genres, this problem isn't so easily resolved. Any fan of Sonic! Software Planning's Shining Force series has probably experienced the pain of a freak outage ruining a battle that they've spent 30 minutes trying to complete. Knowing this, the developers of Shining Force Gaiden opted for short skirmishes with a low TUFE. 

TUFE stands for "Time Until First Encounter". If you've never heard this in Shining Force communities, it's because I made it up a minute ago. Basically, it's a measure of how long it takes the player to make contact with an enemy in a particular battle. Battles that take place on huge maps with large tracts of deserts and hills will have a higher TUFE than in the basement of some warlord's lair. Since the Gaiden games are on a platform with dreadful battery life, TUFE is very low. Shining Force CD is a remake of the first two handheld entries plus a bonus chapter, but the developers didn't implement any drastic changes to the map structure or pacing. In other words, if you're looking to try the series, but aren't quite ready to commit to the Genesis & Saturn entries, then this duology is worth checking out.

For anyone out there who might be wondering, yes, I'm familiar with this SRPG series. Let's take the wayback machine to the early 90s. Though the first Shining Force had caught my interest, strategy games were not really something I could get into. Warsong aka Langrisser was my first experience, and it was not a good one. Quality game, but its decision to put newcomers on the backfoot with an unwinnable first battle was a questionable one. Also, since both armies acted when combat was initiated, I always felt like I was doing poorly when some of my guys got killed in the scuffle. 

Much like Shining in the Darkness, Shining Force opts for the Dragon Quest approach. Experience is retained even when the main character falls and the battle is lost. If the player feels like they're struggling, they can restart battles with the Egress spell and get some more training in. More personally, I think I just really like SRPG battle systems with instant gratification and delayed consequences. When I choose to attack the enemy, I want to feel like I'm making the right decision... at least for the moment. Now, obviously I'll kick myself a little bit later when the character I just moved is double-teamed by a couple of monsters and wiped out, but I took a chance and learned why it was a mistake. I won't claim that this is the ideal way to design strategy games, but I think it's a good hook for drawing in newbies. They won't get stuck in decision-paralysis, feeling like every move is a bad idea. 

Eventually, I start putting together what works and what doesn't. My moves become more sensible, and I start making use of each unit's strengths. For example, a flying character ignores terrain, allowing them to cover more ground in less turns. However, ignoring terrain means ignoring the "Land Effect" bonus, which can increase defense by as much as 30%. Also, winged creatures boast higher evasion but are more susceptible to ranged weapons, meaning I have to be selective about when and who I attack. The idea is that I learn as I go, and the game never halts unless my tactics are completely idiotic. Besides, worst comes to worst, grinding a few extra levels can make a difference... except the subject of today's discussion is Shining Force CD.

Right, I suppose now's the time I talk about what sets this entry apart. Besides the smaller-scale and faster-paced battles, one of the most notable changes is how level-ups are implemented. Generally, levels 1-10 provide the largest stat-boosts, with levels 11-20 being slightly diminished. 21 and beyond? The chances that a character will receive any gains besides a +1 to their name are exponentially reduced. I can't say that there's no chance, because there absolutely is, it's just not feasible for someone who just wants to see this game's three stories to their conclusion. 

Less effective leveling / grinding has the knock-on effect of further limiting the player's "Force" options. The Force consists of up to 12 characters, with a handful left on the bench. While other installments are no stranger to balance issues, with several units landing somewhere between superfluous and useless, Shining Force CD's "soft-cap" ensures that players can't afford to stick with whomever they like. The Force has to be optimized. Weak links aren't allowed. This also means a larger emphasis is placed on tactics, especially if the player intends to tackle the harder difficulties. I mean, that's closer to a good thing, but what got me into this series in the first place was having more RPG features, not less.

Battles feature a solid variety of scenarios and monsters to contend with. I have to again praise how quickly these battles develop. There's always a reason to keep moving, a purpose to each location, and a strategy besides "find the leader and kill them". Book 2 is geared even more towards instant action. Several battles start with both sides within coughing distance of one another. This also means it takes less time for players to reach the point when their fortunes turned, and the battle ended in failure. It makes Shining Force 1 almost frivolous. So much of that game feels wasted leading troops around without so much as a goblin to stab.

It's not all good though. A couple of the climatic encounters can end up feeling overwhelming or gimmicky. Iom, the final boss of Book 2, has a ludicrous amount of defense. His demon breath can easily cleave 30 HP from anyone caught in its 13-square area. Even the hardiest heroes aren't going to have much more than 60 HP. This leads to a finale where everyone is thrown at Iom, single file, until the big jerk is defeated. It's made extra annoying by an endless supply of minions that have their own defense-ignoring AOEs. It's my pick for worst battle in the game. Well, maybe second worst if I had any inclination to tackle the secret battle. Fighting Iom again, plus every other boss (including the handful exclusive to Book 3) just doesn't sound like much fun. I enjoyed it in Shining Force 2, but that game has several godlike characters with incredible stats.

Altogether, I like Shining Force CD's take on the series. It's all fundamental, back-to-basic, no-nonsense game design. Maps are appropriately designed, so the 50 battles across the first three books don't require an absurd time investment to complete. You'll definitely need a guide though. Most of the secret items and every hidden character is in an unmarked location, and you can't go back to previous battles if you missed anything. But hey. It's a small price to pay for a good SRPG. 

The flashing screen effects are pretty obnoxious too. I wonder if the Mega Drive Mini 2 version fixes them.