30-ish Criminally underrated games

Here we have a short list of video games that far too many people have never heard of, and even fewer actually care about...but I adore them none the less.

I feel a certain sadness when genuinely good games miss out on commercial success, it seems a crime that all the love and effort the developers put into it is wasted. What makes me even more irate is that these gamers are often over looked because some generic piece of turd has just been released and given a massive advertising campaign to the convince the hordes that they must buy it.

Anyways, listed below are 30 games that I feel deserved more recognition from Joe Public, so without further ado...

Lost in Shadow/A Shadow's Tale - Nintendo Wii

Whilst ICO has (rightly) taken the plaudits as the critic's moody and artistic game of choice, this little gem has had to be content with watching (aptly) from the shadows...which is a shame because it's a cracking game.

The game is played from the unique perspective of a shadow and so, the majority of the action takes place in the background. The graphics and ambient soundtrack are wonderful and you actually feel empathy for your poor character's plight.

Unusually for a Wii title, this has depth and character in abundance...which shows what the little white machine can do in the right hands.

Earthbound - Super Nintendo

When I first laid eyes on Earthbound as a kid, I remember thinking that compared with Final Fantasy VI and Secret of Mana et al, it looked pretty shoddy. Years later, when I realised what a blind little whelp I had been, I finally got to play the game and was totally blown away.

There are few RPGs I've ever played which can match Earthbound's humour, sentiment and sense of morality. It is a wonderful journey that any RPG fan should experience, and shows that the Japanese can do 'American' better than even the Americans themselves!!

It's quirky, basic and looks a bit old fashioned...and I just don't care.

Terranigma - Super Nintendo

I'll come clean now...Terranigma is my favourite RPG of all time, and my thoughts are probably best summed up in this blog rambling about it.

This game is cruelly unknown to many SNES and RPG fans alike, it suffered the terrible fate of never receiving a north American release, and as such has never gained the reputation it deserves. In my eyes the world missed out a piece of unadulterated majesty because of this, it's literally nigh on perfect.

Please, I beg of you, do anything you can to play it.

Ico - Playstation 2

ICO is the game that probably best defines this entire list, when it was originally released back in 2001 it was largely ignore by a public that was more interested in the likes of FIFA and Grand Theft Auto.

The importance of the game simply cannot be understated, it really kicked off the whole "games as art" movement with it's stunning vistas, minimalist dialogue and huge emphasis on the intense relationship between it's two main characters.

Mercifully, thanks to a HD re-release ICO is now starting to garner some of the success it deserves.

Shenmue II - XBox


After the hype, furor and commercial disaster that was Sega's incredible Shenmue, many eyebrows were raised when Microsoft ploughed yet more dollar bills into releasing Shenmue II for the XBox, complete with brilliantly comedic voice actors.

Although it too never sold well enough to even begin paying back the investment, I personally couldn't care less because it gave me the chance to experience more of one of gaming's finest works of art.

Shenmue II carries on where the original left off and thrusts the player into the bustling world of Hong Kong. Words don't really do this one justice, so just try your best to play it...please?!

Rez - Dreamcast


Being released on the Dreamcast meant Rez was never going to have much of a life in the public eye, and even though Sega's wonder machine was years ahead of it's time, the fact it didn't say Playstation on the lid meant it was doomed.

Still, Rez is one of those games that when you eventually play it you wonder how you've only just heard of it. It's a kind of on the rails shooter with mesmerising visuals and a barn storming techno inspired soundtrack. Probably one of those games that you have to play to realise just how amazing it is...so go on!!

Also, playing Rez on a massive TV with a good pair of headphones on really is one of life's little pleasures.

Beyond Good and Evil - Playstation 2


Another game that was released into the fickle world of the PS2 with no hope of grabbing the attention of the public.

Time has at least been kind to Beyond Good and Evil though, and over the years it's reputation has only grown. A recent HD remake should also ensure that it experienced by many who missed it first time round.

Combining (with great skill) adventure, stealth, fighting and driving along with a wonderful story and high class soundtrack, Beyond Good and Evil is definitely worth the meager few pounds it can be picked up for these days.

Paladin's Quest - Super Nintendo


A bit of a strange one this, if you like your console JRPG's then it's definitely worth a portion of your time...if you don't, then steer well clear.

Asmik's attempt at a SNES Dragon Quest clone wasn't very well received back in 1994 but being a pointy hat fan, I loved it. It's got really bizarre visuals and an innovative battle system that really help it to be different, don't get me wrong, it's a bit basic and it'll never rock the boat of Chrono Trigger et al...but it's a blinder in my book.

Bahamut Lagoon - Super Famicom


Underrated probably because it never received an official translation or release outside of Japan, but these days, thanks to the efforts of ROM hackers, this genre defining tactical RPG can now be sampled by those of us who can't read Kanji.

Boasting a story and graphics that rival any of Square's other legendary SNES offerings, Bahamut Lagoon is an absolute must for anyone interested in RPGs. It's easily 60 hours long and has such an intense battle system, that you can find yourself losing hours in it.

A marvelous fan translation also keeps the plot riveting.

Jet Set Radio - Dreamcast


Another of the Dreamcast's pioneer titles that shone briefly before being forgotten.

Jet Set Radio is possibly (still) one of the greatest looking games I've ever played, making perfect use of the then revolutionary cel shading technique. Add in lovable characters, a stomping soundtrack and gameplay that aims to get you spraying graffiti tags all over Tokyo...you can soon see why this was a special game.

It's amazing that a game so old can still have that wow factor, and I can never help but be amazed every time I fire this thing up.

Shadowrun - Super Nintendo


A unique RPG for the SNES which was based around the world of cyber-punk...which is cool as we all know.

Shadowrun took a radically different approach to the majority of other role playing games of the era by being gritty, violent and very dystopian in appearance.

You start the game on a slab in the morgue(!) and after coming to, you have to find out who fried your head and basically seek revenge.

For being so original, this game deserves a portion of any gamer's time, be warned though, it's hard as nails to beat.

Front Mission - Nintendo DS


Another game that was deemed unworthy of an official release in the west back in the 90's. It's hard to see why though, it's got big robots, awesome characters, and looks stunning...and that's before you even get to the brilliant combat system.

Square realised their error (finally) when they re-released Front Mission on the DS many years later. Now there's no excuse not to play this mecha masterpiece.

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom - XBox 360


A fairly new offering from Namco here, and one that's suffered greatly from the influx of FPS games into the console markets...this is a particular shame because it's a glorious action adventure title that has lots to offer any gamer.

It's a bit like a cross between Shadow of the Colossus, the new Prince of Persia games and Metroid Prime. You must help Tepeu restore peace to the kingdom by enlisting the help of the Giant Majin...much graphical finery ensues and a thoroughly enjoyable adventure unfolds.

As a result of consumer indifference, you can pick Majin up on Amazon for buttons these days.

Astonishia Story - PSP


This game really is a personal pick on my part and even I won't try and pretend it's not riddled with faults (which have made it the butt of many a joke).

However, for anyone who is a fan of traditional 16bit RPGs, you can do far worse than Astonishia Story. It looks like an uprated SNES game and has beautifully drawn and animated characters, a decent grid based battle system and a fairly lengthy story...that is let down terribly by a ropey translation.

Definitely not for everyone, but those willing to part with a few pounds and put in the effort will surely see the rewards.

Magical Hat Flying Turbo Adventure

A platformer from the glorious 16bit era, when I first laid eyes on it's wacky appearance I was hooked, but luckily there's also a really tidy game underneath the insanity. I get the feeling it's based on an anime of some sorts but I'm not sure, what I am sure about is that it's one of the most imaginative games I ever played on the MegaDrive

Magical Hat was boringly re-branded as 'Decap Attack' for it's western release and consequently lost 90% of it's charm. So if Japanese games are your thing, then this game is a must.

It also remains to this day, the perfect excuse for taking a file to your Megadrive and performing some home modification to the cartridge slot!

Legend of Mana - Playstation


When Legend of Mana was released for the PSX back in 2000, the entire industry expected a proper sequel to Secret of Mana (to make up for the Secret of Mana 2 debacle). What we got instead was a game that rather than spinning a long epic story, took the path of scores of smaller intertwining tales.

This direction was met with much apathy and as a result, Legend of Mana was consigned to the missed opportunity bin.

In my eyes though, it needs to be looked at as it's own game rather than any sequel, if you do this, you soon realise that it has boat loads going for it.

Stunning water-colour style visuals, epic soundtrack and a solid battle system...without doubt one of the best ARPGs on the PSX. No it's not as good as Secret of Mana, but then what is??

Wild Arms - Playstation


When the PSX was first released, the world was infatuated with the likes of Ridge Racer and Tekken, so much so that Wild Arms with it's 16 bit roots kind of went unnoticed to all but the keener eyed gamer.

Those who did take a punt on it though were rewarded with what must be one of the generation's greatest RPGs. Taking the direction of wild west meets cybernetics, Wild Arms shied away from Final Fantasy VII style cut scenes and instead relied on brilliant story telling and well crafted characters.

I've yet to meet anyone who played this game and didn't enjoy it. Being rare these days it can get pricey, it remains however, a worthwhile investment.

Vandal Hearts - Playstation


Another of the first wave of PSX RPGs, and another to go largely unloved. Konami's first tactical RPG offering stylishly combined classic story telling with an addictive battle system and lashings of violence.

Although probably largely overshadowed by the (superior) Suikoden duo, it still remains one of the PSX's unknown gems and provides a stiff challenge in comparison with many of today's games.

Xandra's Big Adventure - Super Famicom


A classic platformer from the early days of the SNES featuring what looks like a green jelly baby wielding a pitch fork as it's lead character (although he's actually from another Namco series).

Xandra's Big Adventure combines great controls with a ball breaking learning curve, it can get pad smashingly hard, but it's worth the effort.

Xandra himself remains one of the best obscure lead characters I've ever seen. His animations are top notch for the time and his facial expressions are hilarious.

Neo Geo Battle Coliseum - Playstation 2


For a fighting game fan like myself, I was astonished to see this game languishing in the bargain bin so soon after it was released.

Neo Geo Battle Coliseum pits some of SNK's most famous (and some not so) fighters against one another in classic 2D arcade style. A massive roster with tag team play, loads of team combination attacks and some sweet unlockables make this game one of my all time favourite PS2 fighters.

Perhaps not as good as Capcom vs SNK, but a very close second.

Fighters Megamix - Sega Saturn


Fighters Megamix came on the scene around the time that Tekken ruled the fighting game kingdom with an iron fist, and while it probably never matched Namco's behemoth, it was a corking game in it's own right and really appealed to fans of Sega's AM division fighters.

Bringing together characters from Virtua Fighter, Fighting Vipers and some of Sega's less predictable series (Virtua Cop anyone?), Fighters Megamix proved the misunderstood Saturn could indeed handle a fantastic 3D brawler.

It's also got a fighting palm tree...what more can you ask for?!

Einhänder - Playstation


Square's first (and only I think) foray into SHMUP territory was something of a graphical and sonic tour de force. Einhander came along when Square were at the peak of their powers and it really shows just how much they were able wring out of the PSX.

Anyone familiar with the shoot 'em up genre will be instantly at home with this game. It's usual mix of legions of enemies topped off with a huge over the top boss at the end of the level.

It's not particularly revolutionary and doesn't last forever, but it's certainly a stand out PSX title for me and will keep you coming back for more if you enjoy beating high scores.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade - Nintendo Wii


Probably one of the prettiest games to have graced the Wii, Muramasa is a glorious hark back to the old school values of vivid 2D graphics and addictive gameplay.

As the name and box art probably suggest, Muramasa is very Japanese in appearance and is essentially an action RPG with platform elements thrown into the mix. It really goes against the now accepted grain of "realistic is best"...and for this I salute it.

There is no doubt that there are games out there with deeper plots, but as a package Muramasa is one of the Wii's best offerings for real gamers and fans of quality hand drawn visuals.

Body Harvest - Nintendo 64


Before they were famous worldwide for the GTA series, DMA (now known as Rockstar North) were busy making brilliant but unknown games like Body Harvest for the N64.

The objective of Body Harvest is to travel through time to various periods of human history and fight off an invasion of aliens looking to harvest humanity for their own evil gains. Perhaps a blueprint for the future GTA games could be seen here with it's liberal approach to violence and open world feel.

Graphically, it lacks the panache of the likes of Goldeneye and Ocarina Of Time but it's still very much worth a bash, and takes it takes an age to beat.

Body Harvest went against Nintendo's then stringent anti violence policy and showed the world that the N64 could quite happily produce a "grown up" title full of gore.

Mischief Makers - Nintendo 64


Another throw back to simpler times, Mischeif Makers was a rare beast indeed...one of the N64's few 2D games, and a true platform classic. Developed by Treasure, long time purveyors of the gaming world's most uniquely obscure (and usually rare) games.

Mischief Makers was no different from the the Treasure norm, with bizarre and colourful graphics and a cast that could have only been dreamed up by a Japanese studio...it was a gentle reminder that 3D and polygons were not the be all and end all.

If you retain any interest in platform games, then this is definitely worth some of your time. It's insane, funny and really well put together.

Final Fantasy Adventure - Gameboy


One of the very first RPGs available in the west for the Gameboy and one never got anywhere near the amount of attention that it warranted (thanks to a certain Link getting stranded on Koholint Island).

Final Fantasy Adventure is actually the first game in the legendary Mana series, Square thought a little name change would help get it noticed outside Japan.

It's easy to see the Mana lineage at work here, Square crammed a great little story into this little cart along with a large, interesting world that was ready to be explored. The gameplay is basic compared with it's SNES brother but it's solid and for a Gameboy title is pretty amazing.

The GBA remake of this game is also glorious, but the original has the innocent charm that you just can't capture in a remake.

Opoona - Nintendo Wii


Opoona has often been (unfairly) referred to as an introduction to RPGs for the younger gamer, but this really unfair in my eyes. Sure, it is nowhere near as complex as Xenoblade or as good looking as Twilight Princess but it's got a certain magic to it...almost like an old Enix game.

This may be because many of the heavies responsible for the Dragon Quest games were involved in it's conception and development.

Opoona offers a light hearted and novel approach to battles and the ability to take on a number of jobs which helps to open up the world...classic RPG stuff.

Graphically it's a little bland but crisp, and some brilliant character design from Akira Toriyama saves the day, musically it's pretty good too, with tunes that you soon start humming to yourself.

It's certainly not a genre defining title or anything but Opoona is really surprisingly deep RPG.

Tobal No.1 - Playstation


Tobal was Square's first attempt at breaking into the fighting game market, and recognising that they had no chance of dethroning the likes of Tekken and Soul Edge, Square decided to take a different route.

Tobal combines traditional fighting game mechanics with RPG style adventuring. Whilst in adventure mode, the player can engage in battles against other characters from the game. Tobal also gave us a fairly comprehensive counter attack system, which heavily influenced a lot of games released after it.

it's a little obscure and probably lacks the overall quality of something like Street Fighter EX, but it has a certain charm to it that makes it worth a look.

Monster Max - Gameboy


Anyone familiar with Rare's classic Head Over Heels from the C64/Spectrum days will be instantly at home with Monster Max. For those not familiar, it's an isometric puzzle platform game that was released for the Gameboy in the early 90's.

If you like this sort of game then it's genuinely addictive with devious traps and puzzles waiting to do you in at all times. It also happens to have what is probably the greatest soundtrack of any Gameboy title.

If you want to know what Rare were upto before the likes of Perfect Dark and Donkey Kong Country the here it is.

Hanna Barbera's Turbo Toons - Super Nintendo

On the face of it, this game is appalling. It's got not very good graphics, and the gameplay is so basic that I could have programmed it myself. However, it remains one of the most addictive games I've ever come across.

All you need is a multi-tap and 5 players and this unassuming game becomes of the funniest things you're ever likely to play.

The basic premise is to race one of your Hanna Barbera characters (Yogi, Top Cat etc) around a static track against 4 opponents. I know it doesn't sound much like fun, but it's really one of those games that needs to be played rather than talked about.

In my eyes, this is even better than Micro Machines V3 for multi-player madness.

So there we are, for anyone bored of the likes of FIFA and Call of Duty, you could do much worse than give one or two of these runts a look in. They're not all triple A admittedly, and won't appeal to all tastes but there should be something there that everyone will enjoy.

This list can also be found in it's original form over at Listal.

Twist and go?

Looks amazing...but is it any good?

I recently treated myself to a little bit of retro indulgence, and got my mitts on a quirky little number from the early days of the Playstation...Namco's elusive NeGcon controller (which is actually pronounced 'neh-gee-con'...apparently).

Released in 1995 during the initial hysteria of the PSX, this curious looking thing was in fact the first analogue controller available for the fledgling console, pre-dating Sony's own (terrible) DualShock controller by a couple of years. Designed almost exclusively for racing games (Ridge Racer et al), Namco's little hybrid of controller and steering wheel found real favour amongst hardcore fans of the genre, due to the vastly superior level of control on offer when compared to a standard d-pad.

The premise of the NeGcon is fairly simple but also genuinely clever, for anyone who's not familiar, it works like this:

The two halves of the controller are connected by a joint that swivels, allowing one half to be twisted relative to the other. In a racing game, this would be used to steer the car and the amount of turn is dependent on how much the controller is twisted. This design enables the NeGcon to be held like a regular controller or more importantly, like an actual steering wheel, depending on preference of course.

The overall layout is similar to the regular PSX controller, but with a few big differences. The X and square buttons have been replaced with I and II, and are actually analogue (this was so far ahead of it's time), and are used predominantly as accelerator and break. Triangle and square are replaced with a and b, but remain digital, and are used mainly as option and select buttons. L2 and R2 have been removed completely, leaving just one shoulder button each side, the L button has also been made analogue, giving a nice balanced feel.

It all sounds a bit counter-intuitive but frankly, it's brilliant.

For some reason I've always had a soft spot for weird controllers and accessories, (sounds strange I know) and having sadly missed out on the NeGcon back in the day, I’ve been determined to finally pick one up for quite a while. Recent time spent replaying Ridge Racer and Ray Tracers further rekindled my desire, but having never even seen one in the flesh (so to speak), I assumed it would be hyper rare and needlessly expensive. Surprisingly this was not the case and I managed to snag one (brand new at that) from Amazon for a mere £5.50 (postage included)...happy days indeed.

So what’s it like to use then?

Well my first impressions were pretty dire actually. As soon as it arrived I excitedly fired up Ridge Racer and set off...power sliding straight into the wall at the first turn. Hmm, looks like all those years of "thumb hard down" d-pad shenanigans have me conditioned to the point where I just couldn't get the knack of twisting through a power slide. It seems Ridge Racer was just never going to work without serious practice...

No time for that at the moment though, then I remembered that Wipeout was supposed to be particularly responsive to the lil NeGcon...so on went 2097, and after a couple of minutes it all started to make sense. The control you start to have over your ship is immense and the ability to make the tiniest of corrections almost seamlessly really does take the game onto a new level, in fact it's possibly akin to learning the game afresh.

The NeGcon is one of those peripherals that you really do need to practice with, the more you use it though, the more of a rapport you build with it, and the more confident you become when using it. After just a few hours I tried to going back to a regular Sony DualShock controller and that was when I really realised just why Namco's little oddity is so highly thought of. The d-pad and even the analogue sticks on a DualShock don't come close to providing the feel and precision that the NeGcon does, and you soon start wondering how you ever raced without one.

Surprisingly for a peripheral that sold in such few numbers, the vast majority of racing games (and even some that aren't - Ace Combat for example) on the PSX and the PS2 support the NeGcon, which to me, shows just how good it is.

In my eyes the NeGcon is no match for Nintendo's N64 controller (the generation's true star), but it showed early on that analogue was indeed the way forward, and (in racing games at least) rewarded gamers with a totally new level of design and control. Although I'll probably never use it as much as it deserves, I'm chuffed to have finally added to it my collection. It's a quality little product that was light years ahead of it's time and it's a shame it was shunned so much when released. And the fact that it was produced by a third party makes it even more of a marvel...big congrats to Namco.

In other obscure controller news...I also managed to grab the NeGcon's equally reclusive little brother, the JogCon at the same time, and it was bundled in with the brilliant Ridge Racer Type 4...not too shabby.

Those are a few my favourite things...

Much assorted finery...reads like a who's who of 90's gaming

I've been playing video games for many years now (since about 1986 in fact) and consequently, having played literally hundreds of fine titles, I tend to shy away from trying to decide which are my 10 absolute favourites. Never the less, it is something that I've been mulling over for a while now and it's probably time I had a go at it. By the by, this is not my take on the 10 greatest games ever...I'm not that brave.

One thing that really strikes me when I look at this list, is that for all I bang on about loving obscure Japanese games, pretty much every title below is a mainstream AAA effort. Which I guess goes to show that when it comes down to it, big studio know how really does rule the roost.

Anyways, here goes...

1. Street Fighter II Turbo
   Without a shadow of a doubt my favourite game of all time, and one which I've spent a disgraceful amount of my life playing. Graphically amazing, and surely the most balanced and playable game from all of time, SFII Turbo is still the greatest fighting game to grace any system, and will probably always remain so. Glorious SNES home conversion is just edged out by the arcade perfect PSX version (from Capcom Generations 5) in the console world. As close to gaming Nirvana as I've ever been...total perfection from Capcom.
2. Terranigma
   My blog entry for this game probably conveys best how I feel about it, but to recap...in my eyes this is by far the greatest RPG on the SNES, and therefore the greatest greatest RPG ever. Majestic in just about every way, and vastly superior even to many games from subsequent generations, it pushed the SNES to it's limits and rewarded players with an epic and harrowing tale, the likes of which is all too rarely seen. Lack of US release means it remains an underground classic and is ruinously expensive.
3.  Super Mario 64
   In the world of video games, the word 'revolutionary' is often incorrectly banded about, however in this case it certainly couldn't be more apt. As well as selling bucket loads of N64 consoles, Mario 64 totally redefined the way we looked at gaming and dragged every developer into a glorious new age. This game kicked started gaming in the third dimension and brought it to the masses, and amazingly to this day, has still to be bettered (even by Nintendo themselves). Quite probably the greatest game of all time.
4. Super Mario World
   One of two games at the centre of an age old Nintendo debate: Mario World or Mario 3? For me there is only ever going to be one winner here...the faultless Super Mario World, the greatest 2D platformer of all time. Launched alongside the Super Nintendo, Mario World showcased Shigeru Miyamoto at his insurmountable best, and is probably still to this day, the most playable game I've ever experienced.
5. Final Fantasy VII
   An absolute benchmark in the RPG genre, the importance of this game simply cannot be understated. When Square finally deemed the world ready to experience it's flagship series, it was for many in the west, a first glimpse of just how special a mere role playing game could be. Released during what were without doubt, Square's golden years, it boasted unparalleled CG sequences, unforgettable characters, and a story that made grown men cry. Although it is far from perfect and has developed an unhealthy fan boy base, you simply can't ignore this behemoth and for me it remains far and away the most memorable title on the Playstation.
6. Final Fantasy VI
   The undisputed (in my eyes) king of the Final Fantasy series. Final Fantasy VI completely rewrote the RPG rule book when it came along back in 1994, and will live forever in my memory for being pretty much perfect in every way. A ridiculously in-depth story, backed up by the most memorable cast ever seen in a video game was coupled with jaw dropping visuals and a soundtrack that embarrassed some Hollywood movies. All this made Square's masterpiece the jewel in the Super Nintendo's crown. Criminally, it was never released in Europe until it's little brother became popular, but Final Fantasy VI is now beginning to gleam the worldwide recognition it so richly deserves. 
7. Tekken II
   The King of the Iron Fist for me, is also the King of 3D fighting games. Tekken II simply blew me away, with it's beautiful high res graphics, super tight controls and a moves bible longer than your arm. It could be picked up in an afternoon but would take a lifetime to master...trust me, this was another title that I spent a disproportionate part of my life hammering away at. It also happened to boast one of the most characterful rosters of any fighting game and to this day, it is still the only fighting game that can give Street Fighter II Turbo a run for it's money.
8. Shenmue
   Another title that I've previously waffled on about, Shenmue represents everything that is magnificent about gaming in my book. It's massively intricate, stupidly detailed and unfathomably gorgeous in every way. It truly is a rare gem thanks to it's unrestrained beauty, and so, makes me feel a lil bit sad, because in today's cut throat world of throw away gaming...there's little chance we'll ever see it's series finale. Still, let's rejoice at the fact that it even exists in the first place. There's no disguising it's obvious flaws, but they can't come close to spoiling what is a true work of art.
9. Goldeneye 007
   Perhaps a left field choice given my quite vocal disdain for the FPS genre and the fact that it isn't Japanese. But with Goldeneye, Rare somehow managed to capture the very essence of what makes gaming fantastic and sprinkle it over an entire N64 cartridge. Perhaps the fact that it took me completely by surprise has helped into this list as did the fact that Goldeneye is one of the finest multi player games of all time. Technically awe inspiring, it proved that FPS games could work on a home console, and so to any console FPS zealot who's reading this, you have Goldeneye to thank for the fact that FPS games are the force they are today.
10. Championship Manager 97/98
    Another British entry (gasp!), and it's quite hard to sum up how I feel about this game...it is so addicting that it should probably have been banned. The chance to take the reins at your boyhood club, and steer them to world domination is one that's too good to refuse. In terms of hours ploughed into a game, this comes second only to SFII Turbo. My favourite thing about "Champ Man" though was the chance to get Robbie Fowler a (much deserved) Premier League winners medal.

So there we have it. Looking back over this list I have to admit to being fairly pleased with my selections, all are without doubt totally brilliant in some way. I'm also quite proud of how varied the list is, and that it's not totally dominated by the SNES (much to my surprise). 

Honourable mentions go out to: Super Mario Kart (SNES), Super Metroid (SNES), Earthbound (SNES), Secret of Mana (SNES) and Suikoden II (PSX). Any of these five could easily have made it onto the list and on another day...they probably will.

Gaming's great intros part II: Secret of Mana

Anyone who is fan of the RPG genre will doubtless have heard of the Mana Series, and anyone who is a fan of Secret of Mana will no doubt remember the first time they fired this game up and witnessed Hiroki Kikuta's orchestral masterpiece.

From the second you hear the haunting cry of the wolves, you know you're in for a real treat, and this feeling is only amplified when the screen finally stretches fully open and you are treated to the sight of the Mana Tree in all her crowning glory. As the epic story scrolls on by, the glorious musical score (performed by actual instruments - then a first on the SNES) weaves a tale all of it's own and shows how Square were quite simply on a different plane to everyone else. When the music finally reaches it's angelic crescendo, accompanied by a  flock of birds flying across the screen, you get the feeling that what you've just seen is beyond epic.

The most amazing thing about Secret of Mana (or Seiken Densetsu II to coin it's proper name) is that as good as the intro sequence is, the game is even better. Released in the UK way back in 1994, Mana went a long way to satisfying a rabid hunger that had grown within British gamers. With competition being thin on the ground, and coming mainly in the shape of the vastly underrated Soul Blazer and the near perfect Zelda III, Square aimed for the top with their long awaited ARPG and achieved it with consummate ease. Boasting a story that would put most traditional RPGs to shame, an ingenious battle system and the ability to have two friends join you for the ride, Mana literally wiped the floor with anything that came sniffing for it's crown.

Visually and sonically stunning in every way, Mana showed it's true class by remaining one of the greatest games on the SNES for the entire life span of the little 16bit wonder, and indeed it was only usurped as the little grey box's finest ARPG by the eventual release of Enix's majestic Terranigma in late 1996.

Perhaps the greatest testament that I can pay this incredible piece of cinema though, is that even by today's standards, it still looks and sounds genuinely inspired. And while Hiroki Kikuta may have never topped his work on Secret of Mana, he can rest assured that there is a place in the history books reserved for him and his piece of audio perfection.

A more in depth look at Square's finest action adventure game (to be released in the west anyways) is on it's way, but for now...help yourself to a look at one of the finest pieces of video game cinema ever conceived.

Lennus: The little RPG that (almost) could

Blue trees, pink buildings and a guy called Chezni...small wonder it bombed in the US

Time now to dive into the surreal (and very pastel) world of Lennus, a much maligned and in my opinion, misunderstood RPG for the SNES. Published by Enix in the US inexplicably as 'Paladin's Quest’ (there are no mention of Paladins at any point in the game), Asmik's Lennus is at first glance your bog standard Dragon Quest and Phantasy Star imitation. However, as is sometimes the case, if you delve a little deeper and look past the obvious flaws, you'll find a sweet little game just waiting to be loved.

Anybody who has read my homage to Super Play will know that when I was a youngster, I generally only bought games that received favourable reviews in the magazine. However, there was something about Lennus that that interested me from the first time I saw it way back in 1994, and even though it received just a meagre 62% in it's review, it charmed it's way into my head, and there it stayed for almost 17 years.

This year I finally got round to giving Lennus a long awaited play through...at this point I should clarify that I'm going to carry on calling the game by it's original title, not the meaningless name of 'Paladin's Quest' that Enix fobbed it off with.

To this day, I still find it strange that Enix decided to bring Lennus to America as one of it's first SNES titles. I can see why they were drawn to the game, because it is possibly the closest thing the SNES had to Sega's Phantasy Star, but given the relative lack of interest in RPGs at the time in the west and the game's decidedly strange 8bit graphics, it seems like an ill conceived decision, and ultimately was. Lennus was pretty much dismissed out of hand by magazines and gamers alike, the result of this complete lack of interest from the American press and public, extinguished any slim hopes the game had of making it to shores of Blighty (just for a change).

And that’s something of a shame because Lennus is a curiously unique little thing that actually has a lot going for it.

The story, though in no way revolutionary is full of quality touches and despite being held back by the translation from Japanese to English, it certainly has a unique style that can get very dark at times. There are overtures of love, loss, insanity and more than a smattering of racial prejudice and contempt...and of course, there's the maniacal dictator trying to take over the world (obviously). Large portions of the plot are left open to interpretation, although I suspect this may have been unintentional.

The plot centres around 13 year old Chezni; the game's main protagonist (thankfully you can change his name) who is a student at the famous Magic School of Naskuot, and who also happens to be unusually adept at controlling Spirits (casting magic). After caving into some peer pressure at the school, Chezni enters the forbidden Tower of Ganbid and subsequently activates Dal Gren; an ancient machine with awesome destructive capabilities...in true RPG style, the tower was neither locked nor guarded! This results in mass chaos for most of the world, and forces Chezni to set out on a mission to correct this (pretty almighty) gaffe. Along the way he meets Midia, a young girl who has an unspoken bond with our hero, and together they must discover their lineage of the heroes of lore; Kormu and Sophie and rescue the world from impending darkness.

The world of Lennus is made up of a vast ocean and a land mass that is split into two continents by a large equatorial river. The story begins on the northern continent of Naskuot, which is your (almost) typical fertile and hospitable RPG country, complete with beautiful (albeit blue) forests, fields and mountains. As well as being home to the grand Magic School, Naskout also boasts the resplendent city of Juryan and the Skuruu camp (literally a village in the sky).

Saskuot on the other hand is (predictably) a harsh and barren land, full of jagged mountains and snow covered tundra. It is also under the rule of the megalomaniac Zaygos, who's seems intent either on ruling or destroying the world, naturally this has made it's inhabitants pretty hostile toward anyone from the north.

The two continents are linked (as are some of the major towns) by the sprawling Rope Network System. This is a neat way to get about the world of Lennus, and is basically a large cable car that connects the (very) spaced out populace of both continents. It can be somewhat of a godsend when you're fed up of walking long distances with nothing but innumerable random battles for company.

Visually Lennus really is out there on it's own. At first glance, it looks a bit like a NES game on steroids, but when you step out into the world, you get a taste of what the designers were going for. Apparently the graphics are inspired by a famous Japanese artist, I've no idea how accurately they represent his style but I like them a lot. Everything looks very alien and otherworldly, right down to the mountains and trees, and even the buildings seem organic somehow...as if they were grown rather than built. What stands out most to me though is the near total absence of primary colours. Just about everything in the game has a pastel colour to it, there are liberal uses of cyan, pink and purple and this just adds to that bizarre feel.

The inhabitants in the world of Lennus also benefit from this crazy graphical direction, and there are a myriad of bizarre species to interact with, each with it's own colourful and unique make up .

This appearance really appeals to me and even though the visuals do look a tad basic, you can tell that the developers at least tried to do something different, and shy away from the usual rolling green hills and grey castles found in most other RPGs of the period. Lennus genuinely does look unlike anything I've ever seen on the SNES.

For me, music is where Lennus excels most and is what really makes it stand out from it's contemporaries. This is no doubt thanks celebrated composer Kōhei Tanaka (of Patlabor, Gunbuster and Alundra fame) who created a soundtrack that has real class to it. While you do have to put up with some of the obligatory RPG fodder, most of the tracks (although short) are atmospheric and convey a wide range of emotion. It's best offerings are easily amongst the best I've heard on the SNES (high praise indeed), with the soothing town theme and the hauntingly beautiful Godom Lullaby being the pick of the bunch.

Gameplay in Lennus will be instantly familiar to anyone who's ever played a console RPG, but there are some quite intriguing twists to help set it apart from it's then rivals; titles such as Magic Knight Rayearth (in Japan) and Mystic Quest (in the US).

Whilst wandering the world map or a dungeon, enemies are encountered at random; the battles are fought in the traditional turn based manner and viewed in the first person (ala Dragon Quest). The system itself does take some getting used to, the commands are laid out in such a way that each button (or direction on the d-pad) corresponds to an action, and it can be operated using one hand (perfect for the lazier gamer!). I read many complaints about how this system is cumbersome and hard to navigate, but to be honest I found it quite intuitive and refreshing. Either way, after a short while (unless you're retarded) you’ll find yourself flying through it with relative ease.

For the majority of the game you will only have two permanent members in your party out of four available slots, the remaining slots can be if you so choose, filled by mercenaries. These characters can be hired from almost every town in the game (usually in the local taverns), the majority will demand hard cash for use of their services, but there are a few that will ask to join your party for more personal reasons (revenge, repaying a debt etc). The mercs, while controllable, come pre-equipped with spells and weapons etc, that cannot be altered, this therefore adds an extra dimension to the way you play through the game. Do you take a chance and spend the money to hire help, or struggle through with Chezni and Midia and gain more experience in the long run?

Another oddity which really adds to your tactical planning in battle is a total lack of magic points (MP) within the game. Whenever a character casts a spell, they do so by using their own life force, therefore reducing their hit points (HP). This also means there is no generic healing magic to call upon (although there is one spell to heal the entire party...at the cost of the caster's life). Healing is achieved through the use of bottles which can be found throughout the quest and filled up (with a healing potion of sorts) in shops throughout the land. Though bottles vary in size, getting larger as the game wares on, they are only good for 9 uses each, it sounds pretty basic, but it makes you think twice about steaming into a new area without first checking things out and getting prepared.

Perhaps predictably, magic is not learned in the traditional manner. The characters gain Spirits (a bit like Secret of Mana) and by combining two of the eight available, the player can cast a variety of spells. There is no leveling up the spells as such, instead the character gains more of an affinity with a certain Spirit the more it is used.

It is worth baring in mind that Lennus is one of those RPGs in the traditional Japanese style...there are parts where levelling up relentlessly is essential in order to progress through some sections. While I don't mind this, I can understand how for some, it's like having teeth pulled out.

Despite all the things Lennus does well, there is no disguising the fact that this game has some biblical flaws, and in the cold light of day, it isn’t hard to see why the general reception in the west was so poor.

For it's American début Lennus was given to Enix for translation, and unfortunately (and unusually for Enix) it seems that the translators either really disliked the game or had all been replaced by brain damaged apes, because the translation is nothing short of abysmal.

It appears to me, (but I could be wrong) the English characters used in the translation were too wide for the original text boxes and, as a result anything classed as a name gets restricted to just six characters! Rather than correcting this within the game's code, it seems Enix just decided to abbreviate…everything. This is actually worse than it sounds because it has a catastrophic effect on not only the story but also (more crucially) items and spells, which are a massive part of this game. The result is that the names of the majority of spells and items are completely unfathomable unless you refer to a walk through or go with trial and error. I found this to be an unbelievable ball ache, and I was playing on an emulator with save states…so I can only imagine how much rage this would have caused back in the day when you got killed in battle because you ended up casting twelve incorrect spells.

As mentioned, whoever translated Lennus seemed to do their best to ruin it and it definitely shows in some of the game's dialogue. It often sounds like conversations are deliberately rushed or drastically shortened. Other than being generally annoying, the worst part of this awful "localisation" effort is that it butchers the story...you can almost see a brilliant little tale trying to force it's way out from behind the mediocre and sluggish sentences. I know RPG's were (and probably still are to an extent) a niche genre back then but that's no excuse from a company who's 'bread and butter' was in RPG gaming.

My other big complaint concerns the character development (or lack thereof). Other than Chezni, Midia and Zaygos there isn't really anyone else in the game who gets a decent amount of back story and padding out. For me, they missed a trick here because it would not only have expanded on the game's potentially decent plot but also added a few hours extra to the play through time (which is less than stellar). RPGs are about stories and their characters, a chance to get closer to some of the game's more interesting denizens would only have been a positive in my book.

Having said all that, I feel a genuine affection for Lennus; it's an honest little game that tried hard to break away from the generic RPG formula, but retain that familiar feel. It leaves you with a warm glow inside when you play it and a tinge of sadness when you finish it...a sure sign of a good game in my book. And the fact that is a good game, in my opinion makes it even more of a shame that it got sold short, if Enix had only bothered to spend more than half a day on the translation, then it would have easily enjoyed success Stateside and possibly (eventually) made it’s way over here. It would never have troubled the RPG cognoscenti, but it was more than capable of rubbing shoulders with the likes of Lufia and Mystic Quest...and that would have been more than welcome here in the UK.

Probably the biggest tragedy borne out of Lennus’ failure though is that if the game had made an impact on its release stateside, then we may well have seen it's awesome sequel (imaginatively titled Lennus II) released in an official capacity in the west too. Luckily, there is a solution on this front though; Lennus II is available to play in English thanks those ROM hacking heroes over at Dynamic Designs. I for one still hold a faint hope that one day; they will step in and give the original game the proper translation it has always deserved.

Although Asmik were never renowned for wowing the world with their SNES offerings, in Lennus they really did produce a little gem. Sure, it’s rough around the edges and the visuals don’t do much to push the system, but I think it has more than enough in it’s locker to stand out in the vast crowd of SNES RPGs. Anyone who considers themselves a pointy hat fan or has a soft spot for the traditional console RPG really should give it a whirl. It will never reach the bar set by the Chrono Triggers of this world, but it will provide a good 20 odd hours of solid gaming enjoyment.

Can't really argue with that can you?

Super Play...'superest' of them all

Genesis...only without the annoying Phil Colins...or Jesus

There are a great many things in life that help shape who we are as people. Pretty much day in, day out we all encounter situations, make decisions and meet people that influence and change us in some small and subtle way...truth is though, it’s rare that we even notice it happening. But, every so often something appears right out of left-field, and has such a profound effect on us that it fundamentally alters who we are and it’s repercussions can be everlasting (I know this is getting a bit far out here but bare with me). These experiences can range from the grandiose, to the small and seemingly insignificant.

This brings me to one of the more "seemingly insignificant" experiences that came crashing into my life; it was a  magazine…a magazine called Super Play. To say it changed my life is honestly no understatement, and it's something I still hold in almost holy regard to this day. It's thanks to Super Play that I discovered a love for Japan, it's thanks to Super Play that I fell in love with the RPG genre and it's thanks to Super Play that I sampled some of the finest games to ever grace the SNES. I now intend to cast a wistful (and no doubt rose tinted) look back at what made this publication so great, and why I loved it so dearly.

Super Play was a monthly Super Nintendo magazine that ran for 47 issues, spanning November 1992 to September 1996. Throughout it's (almost) four year run, the magazine received virtually constant critical acclaim from readers and industry bods alike, and consistently outsold all other single format SNES magazines. Although it was probably most famous for extensive coverage and championing of RPGs, anime and generally all things Japanese, anyone who was a regular reader could've told you that was just the surface of this uniquely wonderful magazine.

My love affair with Super Play began (later than I would've liked) on a balmy Saturday in May 1993. When aged just 12 fledgling years and drunk with affection for my beloved SNES, I found myself perusing the magazines in my local newsagents. Unsurprisingly it was full of the usual (and frankly dull) suspects; Total, Games Master, NMS etc, but then, amidst this sea of mediocrity I caught my first glimpse of Wil Overton's glorious anime art work sitting atop issue 8 of Super Play (pictured), and from that epiphanous moment, even at such a young age, I could tell that my outlook on gaming would never be the same again.

Now, for me, trying to explain exactly why Super Play was so fantastic is a bit like trying to explain why your favourite colour is red, or why you love your wife...but here goes.

I'll start with what everyone already knew, and what was undoubtedly my favourite aspect of Super Play; the of unashamed love of the RPG. It's no secret that the staff at who worked at the magazine had more than a soft spot for this genre, and to me this was so alluring because at the time (in the UK at any rate) the RPG was something of an unloved and untapped niche on the SNES. I would often gaze in wide wide eyed wonderment at the 'Fantasy Quest' section of the magazine, drooling over the gorgeous looking and exotic sounding Japanese RPGs that we were never going to see here in the UK. It was never a surprise to see two or three pages devoted to the newest Square masterpiece or extensive information on the latest RPG sweeping Japan. Quite how they managed this in those days before the web was fully matured is still something that astonishes me.

Right up there with a love for the RPG was a burning passion for anime (which in Japan, is intrinsically linked with gaming), and this passion was something else that I connected with instantly. Growing up watching nothing but cartoons (live action never really did it for me), it was almost a revelation to discover a world where animation didn't have to be cutesy and American. I found myself quickly immersed in the world of Manga Entertainment et al and was simply blown away, and it was thanks to Super Play's Anime World that I was introduced to the likes Venus Wars, Area 88 and Akira to mention but a small few.

Encompassing this love for both RPGs and anime was a generic affection for all things Japanese, it's almost embarrassing (from an education point of view at any rate) to say that  I learned more about this magnificent country from this one magazine than anywhere else when I was a kid!! To this day it remains that place in the world I'd love to visit most. To dedicate a whole section every month specifically to what was going on there was ballsy but ultimately inspired. The only downside of this was knowing I'd never even see let alone own half the stuff on display!!

I also discovered that my enjoyment of music from the games I played did not actually make me a strange cat, as I once feared...I would sit for hours sometimes just playing the music in the option modes! Reading Super Play showed me the scale of the popularity of the video game music scene and eventually opened my eyes to some of the greatest tunes gaming had to offer. These days, amazing tracks like Bordering another World (Chrono Cross), Green Continent Campbell (Bahamut Lagoon) and Smiles and Tears (Earthbound) are regulars on my iPod, whilst composers such as Yuzo Koshiro, Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu rival some of my established heroes like Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller and Simon Fowler. You'd have never gotten that in an issue of Super Action let me tell you.

Aside from these unique qualities, probably the most significant factor that elevated Super Play way above it's peers was the fact that the writing staff really did know what they were on about. The magazine was renowned for being tough when handing out scores, so you knew that if a game was awarded 80% or above, it was genuinely worth buying. Unlike some of the lesser magazines around at the time, you would never find a real turd of a game receiving a score of 90%, and then, on the next page, find a competition giving away 10 free copies (like a certain NMS did with THQ's very average Olympic Summer Games). This was especially helpful given that in the mid 90's, the average SNES title cost an eye watering £50...big money when you're a mere school kid. Nintendo's policy of pricing meant that I personally would get no more than four or five games per year...so they had to be stormers, and if I'd ended up with Home Alone or Pit Fighter, I'd have been suicidal.

Being an impressionable youth, I count myself lucky to have been able to call on the guidance of such wise old heads, and their willingness to rate every title on it's merits (rather than hype) meant that I was able to also sample some of the lesser known gems on the SNES. Titles such as SimCity, Smash Tennis and Soul Blazer may not have grabbed the headlines like Mortal Kombat and Mario did, but they were certainly not lacking in quality.

At a time when most British magazines were obsessed only with what was happening in over here, and their idea of an import review was trying a Madden game from the US, Super Play ploughed a lone (and brilliant furrow), and pursued a uniquely eastern flavour. Right down to the outstanding anime inspired covers, drawn by artist Wil Overton. And you would never see a potential gem dismissed out of hand, just because it was "too Japanese". Too often were these games ridiculed and more often than not just ignored by other magazines.

Many established magazines in the UK would dismiss the likes of FEDA: Emblem of Justice as “ just another wacky game from those crazy Japs…it's written in some foreign text, so we’ll mark it down" or (more often) "not bother with it at all”. Super Play's fondness for games that were, back then classed as obscure and gimmicky, often led to the magazine being unfairly dubbed the “RPG” or “anime” magazine. But Super Play sought (and fought actually) to address and solve the problem with the very perception of Japanese games in the west.

Indeed where it not for Super Play, I sincerely doubt that I, and thousands of other gamers would ever have heard of the likes of Ogre Battle, Front Mission and Xandra's Big Adventure, and there's a good chance that (in my life anyways) the sterling work of fan translation groups would have gone unnoticed and AAA titles such as Bahamut Lagoon, Lennus 2 and Seiken Densetsu 3 would've just completely passed me by.

There was also a  refreshing lack of the almost juvenile behaviour you would often witness in other video game magazines of the period. Never would you have to put up with cringeworthy quotes such as "this game is so awesome, go and buy that sucka" etc, or reel at the use of swear words to cover up a pitiful grasp of how to write in basic English. Super Play was written properly, and was probably the only magazine around back then that engaged it's readership as adults and more impressively as equals (actually, there was also Edge, but their tone was often a bit too austere for me). Super Play had that very rare gift of employing passionate gamers who could actually write too. Proper facts and well placed humour don't sound like they would be hard to achieve, but in the 90's, a lot of writers seemed not to know this.

There's no doubting that the very feel of Super Play must be credited to the magnificent staff that worked there, and it was very rare to find such an array of talented, dedicated and genuinely funny people working so well together. But the likes of Jonathan Davies with his dry and witty writing style, Jason Brookes with his frankly amazing knowledge of all things SNES, Zy Nicholson with his affinity for all things RPG...and sweet Lisa Nicholls for...the obvious, made the magazine an unbridled joy to read. Reams of credit must also go out to Matt Bielby though, for possessing a vision that was this revolutionary, and for having the skill to execute it.

The word unique is often (wrongly) banded about in all walks of life, but with Super Play it honestly was apt. I mean, what other magazine would devote whole sections of their monthly print to the latest anime news and life in Tokyo...not to mention an entire (and outrageous) section of the magazine just to cover Final Fantasy VI?! You could almost hear the NMS and Total readers asking "what's Final Fantasy again?"

Looking back through my old collection, it's clear to see just how quickly Super Play infiltrated my life. A large majority of the Japanese games featured in those early issues have stars marked in pen next to them, denoting I'm sure, a desire to play them all at some point. I've still got some to get through, but I'm getting there!

And so it's a crying shame that we eventually arrive at the age old adage that 'all good things must come to an end'. Although at the time, Super Play's rather abrupt demise hit me like a freight train, looking back through those last few issues, it's easier to see (perhaps with older eyes) that the end was nigh. Even I, the most staunch supporter of the SNES was looking forward to the upcoming N64, and newsworthy SNES stories (for the UK especially) were becoming increasingly thin on the ground. Even so, I can still remember the moment when I arrived at the end of issue 47 and read the obituary to this institution which had been my rock in the gaming world...the news shocked me almost to tears.

Whilst certain aspects of Super Play did live on into the next generation as part of it's unofficial successor; N64 magazine, and although that was a fine publication it's own right, it never quite caught the imagination in the way that Super Play did.

I think Super Play's legacy to the world is that it's relentless optimism and influence are still being felt from beyond the grave to this very day. The decision by some of the world's biggest software houses to (finally) start releasing proper flagship RPG titles in the Europe was in some way down to the constant exposure UK gamers were given by Super Play. It's doubtful we'd have seen the releases of Final Fantasy VII, Suikoden and Wild Arms if wasn't for Super Play and it’s readership.

It's a testament to the endearing quality of Super Play that to this day, I still own (and regularly read) my collection, and even more so that it still gives me inspiration to play new games. This year alone after reading Super Play, I've blasted through Tactics Ogre, Mystic Ark and Front Mission Gun Hazard!! On a joyous note, I also recently completed the Super Play set (after 'just' 18 years). A purchase of the fabled Super Play Gold from eBay set me back a cool £20...which is a tad expensive for what is essentially a 'best of', but then that's the price we pay for love I suppose.

Summing up then, I guess that my undying love for this magazine is deep rooted in the fact that it broadened my horizons in such a way that I discovered wondrous new worlds, and that it steered me onto the righteous path of gaming, ensuring I would never be one of the idiots who would rush out to buy the latest big movie tie-in or new FIFA game. Although it doesn't come close to repaying what Super Play gave me...I offer my humble thanks.

So when it comes to Super Play I'm unashamedly a fan boy, preacher and possibly even a zealot...but you know what? I'm all the better for it. It's certainly true when I say that in gaming terms at least, I am who I am today because of this magazine. I will never forget the tingling of anticipation I would get every month, walking to the newsagent, hoping to see the shiny new issue waiting for me. And perhaps in today's world of the digital press, where news is reported almost as quickly as it is broken, it sounds strange to claim that a product of the now dying world of printed media actually changed my life...but there you have it.

RIP Super Play, the world is definitely a duller place without you.

スーパー プレー

The Creation of Heaven and Earth

...yours is the Earth, and everything that's in it

Anyone who is or ever has been serious about gaming will tell you that whilst there have been many fine titles knocking about through the years, every now and again, one comes along that is different...and it grabs you in such a way that it never lets go and you never forget it.

In my life, there have probably been five such gems:

•  Street Fighter II Turbo
•  Final Fantasy VI
•  Super Mario 64
•  Final Fantasy VII

And this one...Terranigma.

For many people, this game may be a touch obscure so let me lay some background down.

Terranigma (or Tenchi SoZo: The Creation of Heaven and Earth, in it's native Japan) is an action RPG for the Super Nintendo. Released in the UK in December 1996, it was the last Enix game to be developed by the mighty Quintet studio (of ActRaiser fame); it was also far and away the greatest. In fact, my adoration for this game is such, that for me it's not only the greatest RPG on the SNES (sorry Square), it's also the greatest RPG there has ever been. I will now try to quantify this seemingly outrageous statement...

A brief warning though, the following text will discuss the game's plot and be potentially ruinous for anyone yet to play through it. It will also probably get a bit mushy...but what can you do?

Ok, the formula for a successful role playing game is not a difficult one: charismatic lead character(s), involving story, interesting none player characters (NPCs), memorable music and many hours of game play...that's it, it doesn't even need to have particularly brilliant graphics (though obviously, it's beneficial). Think of Earthbound as the perfect example of this.

Action RPGs (or ARPGs) are even easier to strike gold with, because unlike their turn based, menu driven brethren, they don't even need to rely on burdensome and complex storylines, a fine example of this being the timeless Legend of Zelda III.

So, not too difficult then. Never the less, the ARPG genre has still managed to inflict upon us some of the most humdrum tripe in video game history. The likes of Lagoon, Lord of the Rings (every version of it) and The Warriors of Might and Magic are all timely reminders of just how wrong things can go if the formula is not adhered to.

Luckily, during the development of Terranigma, there was no chance Quintet and Enix would dare drop the ball.

This was due (in no small part) to the fact that Terranigma was the final instalment in the much celebrated 'Soul Blazer Trilogy', succeeding Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia. Whilst these three games are not directly linked to one another, it is evident that they share a common bloodline and heritage. As with both Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia, the mantra adopted during the development of Terranigma was unique, the intricately woven story just as integral as the epic action, and in true Quintet style, both come together seamlessly to produce stunning results. The plot has such depth and intensity in fact that it comfortably surpassed many offerings from the established 'proper' RPG series, such as Capcom's Breath of Fire, Sega's Phantasy Star and even Square's Romancing Saga.

By the time Terranigma was released, the hallowed SNES was nearing the end of it's life span, and in order to give the trilogy the send off it deserved, the proverbial boat was pushed out...far. Boasting a 32mb cart (surpassed in size only by Namco's Tales of Phantasia), Terranigma pushed the system to it's limits, demonstrating just what that little grey box could do in the hands of genuine miracle workers. Showcasing some of the most impressive visuals and music the 16bit era had ever produced, Terranigma also managed to put many PSX, Saturn and indeed N64 games to shame.

Onto the game itself then, and sometimes it's clear within 30 seconds or so of just turning a game on that it's going to be a bit special...Terranigma certainly belongs in this category.

The introduction sequence tells of a foreboding tale, about how the two opposing wills of the planet (light and dark) were locked in a raging and never ending battle, and how they were eventually to become known as 'god' and 'devil'. And although, the will of the lightside enabled the evolution of life and rapid technological progress, the will of the darkside bred constant disharmony and fear. This cycle of rise and decline continued until the culmination of the age old battle, which subsequently wiped out all life on the surface and even sunk the continents. These scenes, accompanied by a glorious musical score, give the player a brief glimpse into the colossal tale that is about to begin.

Our epic saga actually begins, strangely enough, on the inside of the planet (and actually in a fairly standard way), in a small village called Crysta. You take control of Ark, an adolescent boy with a penchant for mischief (albeit the lovable kind). He sports the obligatory RPG spiky hair and outlandish threads and spends his days idly causing trouble for the village’s inhabitants. I must mention at this point that Crysta has, without doubt the most wonderful theme music of any RPG village...honestly, go have a listen. Anyways, Ark's mischief making and curiosity eventually leads him to open the village's archetypal forbidden door, freeing a strange pink blob like creature (called Yomi) and mysteriously freezing the entire population with the exception of Ark and the village Elder...Pandora's box is now open.

What happens from this point on propels Terranigma onto a level that most game designers don’t even know exists...it's honestly that good.

Armed with nothing more than a spear and a magic box, Ark must leave his home and embark on an epic quest that will not only restore life to his friends but eventually to whole world.

After moseying about the underworld for a bit (which has one of the most epic map themes ever by the way), Ark then journeys to the surface to begin the daunting task of resurrecting all life on earth.

It's worth me mentioning at this point, that Terranigma never received a release in North America. I think the official reason given was that Enix had shut it's offices there in 1995 due to dwindling sales and so there was no one to publish it...however, when it came to Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Nintendo actually published the game themselves. This brings us to the real reason for a lack of US release: the content of the story. Terranigma's plot covers issues such as religion, reincarnation and the resurrection of life, gods and demons. As we all know, this kind of subject matter never goes down well in the US, hence Nintendo's understandable reluctance to publish it in the territory.

Now far be it from me to preach to anyone about what they should believe in, but I find it a genuine travesty that so many gamers will have missed out this masterpiece, and mostly because of a stubborn and unwavering belief in something as archaic and broken as Christianity. Rant over.

Moving on...

When you arrive at the surface you're greeted by a barren, red wasteland (think Mars from Total Recall), and the scale of the task in hand is revealed. After resurrecting the Ra tree (the giver of life to plants, trees and all things horticultural), the world is once again carpeted in the glorious green of life (at this point it also gains what is the most epic of map themes), and it really exemplifies the contrast between the surface and the underworld...the lush greenery and vibrant life is certainly a far cry from the frozen tundra and rivers of magma that surround Crysta.

You then proceed with the resurrection of birds and animals, and Ark has the really neat ability to speak with all living creatures (even down to the plants!), along the way this capacity sparks some genuinely amazing scenes. For instance, because there are no humans about yet, Ark must make use of the birds to get from continent to continent. This means we are treated to a wonderfully sweeping mode 7 map complete with Ark being carried half way around the world by a seagull! You must also accompany the future king of beasts (Leim the Lion) while he attempts to pass a trial that will prove he is worthy of his soon to be inherited mantle...small touches like this actually make you care about the NPCs that you encounter during the game, and what happens to them later on.

The resurrection of humans is next on the agenda, and this is where the story really opens up. You have the ability to (literally) shape the course of human evolution...a bit like a god, no? Travelling around the world (to real countries and continents no less), and nudging the humans in the right direction by assisting the greatest minds and personalities (such as Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Henri Matisse and Sven Hedin), Ark's mission is to push the fledgling human society to achieve further growth and prosperity.

Once humanity is back on the map, there are so many ingenious ways to interact with it's populace and help them to progress the civilisation. Check out this unique little list for starters:

• You can actually vote in the Loire elections, voting for the right candidate means the city will prosper, leading it grow and expand
• Help to build a bridge across the Colorado River, thus encouraging foreign trade in America
• Get directly involved in the development of ground breaking technologies such as the camera, the telephone and the aeroplane! 
• Actually buy your own home...and furnish it (my personal favourite)

Obviously as the human race progresses, the effect it has on the world around it is profound (just as in reality), and this is shown in the game's strong sense of conscience. For example, if you assist the town of Sun Coast with it's quest for expansion and thus greater tourism, you will then find then find a zoo that has become home to all the wild animals that you once befriended (including a certain king of beasts). Because the growth of the city and the thirst for greater exposure has taken the animals' natural habitats away from them, they are now forced to live in captivity...a young child even remarks that they look "sad" (heartbreaking I know). You actually have to weigh up the consequences your actions will cause, do you aid human evolution (benefiting you also, in terms of supplies etc) and help them to achieve their goals, or do you ensure the freedom of the creatures that you once called friends and comrades? This plethora of moral decisions made Terranigma truly revolutionary amongst it's peers.

After all this has taken place, there are then some fairly shocking events and revelations which edge the world back toward disaster once again. The true identity of both Ark and the evil that threatens the earth once again is revealed...but I won't spoil that for anyone. It's something that has to be experienced first hand.

The issues raised and discussed in Terranigma always fascinated me, and are made all the more impressive when you consider that Final Fantasy VI, Square's 1994 flagship SNES title (from a series known for it's unrivalled story lines) was lauded at the time of it's release for broaching subject matter such as (amongst others) teenage pregnancy, genocide and slavery. If we take a look at some of the topics covered in Terranigma, a 'mere' ARPG, we find: life and death, ecology, love, grief, betrayal, politics, economics, sacrifice, religion, rebirth and insanity. To me, this was truly staggering, and the emotions that such content can produce are frankly remarkable, especially when you consider that it was all done back in 1995.

This kind of thinking was actually a common theme amongst Quintet/Enix offerings at the time (though usually to a lesser extent), and the often harrowing scenes depicting the eternal struggle between the light and the dark, won both companies an army of die-hard fans along the way. In fact it is a point of view not disimilar to that found in many films by Studio Ghibli, insofact that the characters are never just black and white (take note Disney). The protagonist will often also harbour a darker side to them and vice-versa for the antagonist, this is an attempt at paralleling real life, and one which struck a cord with many gamers.

I genuinely struggle to translate my love for this game into mere words, there are so many parts of it that leave me completely speechless. From the vibrancy of Evergreen with it's enchanting soundtrack (a place that I tend to stay in for hours) to that final day in Crysta, which has to be the most bitter-sweet moment in gaming that I can think of...with what is by far the sweetest music of the entire game (if not of any SNES RPG). I defy any gamer to play Terranigma and not be at least slightly moved by it's emotional majesty.

The afore mentioned final day in Crysta is one of those rare moments in gaming that you simply do not want to end. And for me it is up there with the death of Aerith (Final Fantasy VII) and the resurrection of  Gremio (Suikoden) as one of gaming's biggest 'lump in the throat' moments.

Because I don't wish to totally ruin the ending, I'll just say that the credits sequence beautifully caps off this momentous quest, and it is tinged with a sadness that you only get when you know you're at the end of a very special journey. What happens after the credits finish rolling is very much open to interpretation, but I know what I think...

And so, even after all this written meandering, I've only barely scratched the surface of what Terranigma really is...and it must surely go down as one of the greatest RPGs of all time. The biggest tragedy when I look back is that it was never experienced by more...but then I guess that makes the lucky ones (me included) even luckier.

Given it's lack of release Stateside, and that it performed poorly in the rest of the English speaking world, Terranigma is now considered to be very rare. I've seen complete examples push £150 on auction sites, so it is a pricey investment...however, once again, I implore those who can to go and get a copy. For everyone who can't drop that kind of money, I would advise turning to the emulation community for help, it may be a more nefarious way of experiencing this game, but trust me, it'll be totally worth it. It is no understatement to say that this game did for the action RPG what Final Fantasy VI and VII did for the traditional RPG...and you can't say fairer than that.

Good luck with the resurrection of the world.

So, what's the deal with 'Squenix'?

A marriage made in heaven? Only for the shareholders...and possibly those emo types

Ok, so this one is a bit of a rant.

During what I would consider to be gaming's 'golden age' (the 90's), there were many developers and publishers I greatly admired. The likes of Capcom, Konami, Namco and Rare etc, all treated the world to some pretty mind blowing titles. However, being a big RPG fan, there were two companies in particular that I held in the highest of regards: Square and Enix.

Purveyors of the two biggest RPG franchises in Japan (Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest), these two behemoths of the role-playing scene could seemingly do very little wrong. Indeed a brief foray into the back catalogues of both is like pouring over a who’s who of the iconic Japanese RPG, and a list that includes the likes of Chrono Trigger, Valkyrie Profile, Illusion of Gaia, Xenogears, Secret of Mana, Ogre Battle and Bahamut Lagoon...is a stark reminder of just how good things were.

A healthy rivalry between the two houses kept fans delirious, and the games fresh and innovative. Even differing approaches to developing games, fielded similarly dazzling results. Whereas Square would develop the majority of their titles in house, Enix would work closely with outsourced developers; these included the likes of Chun Soft (Dragon Quest), tri-Ace (Star Ocean) and, the mighty Quintet (Terranigma, ActRaiser, Soul Blazer). And even though their titles were often vastly different in execution, they were united by the fact they were usually of a very high quality.

As the 90's wore on, Square's determination to crack the US and European mainstream became more apparent. They eventually achieved this in 1997 with the resplendent landmark that was Final Fantasy VII; this was then followed up by an aggressive campaign, which saw the release of probably the biggest and finest batch of translated RPGs western gamers had ever seen (Square's 'Summer of Adventure' from 2000 for example).

The news was not however, all good, the culmination of this campaign was 2001's commercially suicidal 'Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within' CG movie (which I actually quite liked to be honest). The film cost a 'Shenmue-esque' amount of money to create and bombed horrifically. This mistake put a not insignificant dent in Square’s coffers, and put their film making exploits on a hiatus, until the release of 2005’s ‘Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children’.

Square’s blueprint was in complete contrast to Enix, who had employed a more 'Japan-centric' strategy throughout the 90's (and had actually decided to shut their North American offices between 1995 and 1999). However, big delays in 1999's flagship title; Dragon Quest VII meant the company's finances took a heavy beating, this, coupled with the purchase of Game Arts (of Grandia fame) also left Enix in pretty bad nick fiscally.

All this economic uncertainty eventually led to rumblings that a merger between the two companies could be on the cards. These rumblings eventually turned to roars and on 1st April 2003, the two companies did merge to form Square-Enix...which I have lovingly dubbed 'Squenix' (cute I know). Apparently this deal had been mooted since early 2001, seems abundantly clear to me though that it was mutual monetary woes that really forced them into bed together.

Being honest, this day should have been one of the greatest in the history of video gaming, and I for one was overjoyed at the time. Convinced that we would see some of the most monumental cross overs of talent since the immortalised Chrono Trigger 'Dream Team of Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball animator), Hinoboru Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy creator), Yuji Hori (Dragon Quest creator) and Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger soundtrack), I awaited the oncoming storm of brilliance with baited breath. It never really appeared though...

In the years that Square Enix has existed as a sole entity, they have undoubtedly released some great games on a variety of platforms, but for me it just seems like most of the magic has disappeared (especially in the past 3 years or so). In the home console market, the company appears to have become little more than a glorified publisher of mediocre offerings, aimed at a very Americanised market ('Nier' I’m looking at you). My other (and perhaps more serious) bone of contention is the business strategy that Squenix refers to as ‘polymorphic content’. This is explained (by them) as “getting all the juice possible from a jackpot”. I prefer to call it 'cash cowing', and it's a practice that pleases me not. I mean, just how many Final Fantasy/Dragon Quest remakes and add-ons can they actually throw at us?!

Having said all that, Squenix has still released some fantastic games, and the handheld world in particular has benefited immensely from this.

We saw a wonderful remake of Seiken Densetsu (aka Holy Sword Legend, aka Final Fantasy Adventure) called Sword of Mana on the Gameboy Advance. A gorgeous graphic and musical overhaul combined with some much-needed padding for the story really helped to bring this title alive. It was a wonderful reminder of just how great this terribly underrated little gem was (and still is).

The sublime 'The World Ends With You', which gives a modern day take on the action RPG genre, took everyone by surprise. With visuals supposedly inspired by the youth culture of Shibuya, it had the potential to be one of those cringe worthy attempts at making a game ‘trendy’. As it turned out, it was pretty refreshing, well executed and a genuine break from the castles, inns and mountains we often see in RPGs. It was also fitted the DS youth demographic perfectly and probably helped to introduce a whole raft of new gamers to the RPG genre.

Let us also not forget, the ever-graceful Final Fantasy Tactics series, which seems to have now found a perfect home, away from the glare of the brutally fought pixel power wars (PS3, Xbox 360). The series is now revelling in the cosseting RPG laden communities of the DS and PSP formats. It remains in my eyes, one of the few bright stars in the modern day Final Fantasy universe, with fantastic characters, story and battle system very rarely bettered (though much borrowed).

Straddling both the home and handheld console markets is Kingdom Hearts, a series that looked like nothing more than a cynical (albeit pretty) Disney tie in, has actually turned out to be rather special. It has that warmth to it that you don’t often experience these days, but will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has played earlier Square titles such as Legend of Mana or Dewprism. Imaginative use of well-known characters from both studios’ vaults makes it instantly appealing to younger players, but it also has an underlying challenge to it that will keep veteran gamers entertained in equal measure.

We then arrive at what was probably the finest title ever to grace the PS2…Dragon Quest VIII (Journey of the Cursed King); this glorious game somehow managed to capture everything that is or ever was good about Squenix. It boasted sumptuously cel-shaded visuals that surpassed even the likes of the gorgeous Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and, (dare I say it) the pioneering Jet Set Radio. It was easily one of the finest looking games of the entire 128-bit generation. Brilliant voice acting (for a change), fantastic story and 80 plus hours worth of game play make this one of the all time great RPG experiences…if you can, go and buy it immediately (seriously, it’s only about £10 these days)!!

Honourable mentions also go out to Dragon Quest IX (DS), Radiata Stories (PS2), Star Ocean: The Last Hope (PS3 and 360) and a brilliant (though slightly cynical) re-release of Chrono Trigger on the DS.

Once again though, I unfortunately find myself drawn to what are numerous and momentous disappointments and letdowns.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles…oh dear, a game that showed so much potential, and even the possibility of (finally) replacing the legendary Secret of Mana (in terms of being multi player action RPG at least). It actually ended up being nothing more than a cynical ploy from Squenix by attempting to appease Gamecube owners for the lack of a 'real' Final Fantasy title on the machine (PS2 owners were treated to Final Fantasy X). I can even imagine the board room discussions going on at the company at the time; "How can we extort some money out of those childish Nintendo owners? I know, a slow, sluggish and not very fun multi-player game will be just what they're waiting for" (well, kind of like that only more, you know, Japanese). This game even reached new levels of not being fun by requiring one member of your party to permanently carry an urn which was essential to your staying alive...seriously.

The shafting of Nintendo owners continued with Squenix publishing the unbelievably bad Major Minor's Majestic March. Now, for those (fortunate ones) who've not heard of this, it's a musical rhythm game from the creators of PaRappa the Rapper...sounds fine so far no? Well, as with many Wii games (this isn't just Squenix to be fair) it wasn't finished properly and as a result, the controls just don't work that well. Sure, it looks nice, and fans of PaRappa may actually be lured in...but honestly, you'd have more fun giving the money away instead.

This stream of awfulness doesn't just extend to Nintendo's fans, oh no, feast your eyes on this slew of mediocrity:

• Quantum of Solace (PS3, 360)
• The Last Remnant (360)
• Gyromancer (360, PC)
• Supreme Commander 2 (PC, 360)
• Just Cause 2 (PS3, 360)
• Mindjack (PS3, 360)

Now I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but if you contrast that little list with the likes of Chrono Cross, Front Mission, Tactics Ogre, Vagrant Story and Mystic Ark...it doesn't really stack up too well.

There also seems to have been an inexplicable shying away from really well received and much loved franchises in recent years. Still no new Chrono game, no continuation of Xenogears (I know Xenosaga is a spiritual successor but it's not a direct follow up), no real successor to Seiken Densetsu 3 and, come to think of it, still no (official) English translation. You'd have thought that whilst pillaging the back catalogue, they'd have found time to sort this one out.

Then we have the rather depressing (in my eyes at least) acquisition of Eidos. Now I do understand that for a company to be truly multinational and have global appeal, it needs to cater to all audiences...but I'm sorry, Eidos were never more than pushers of over hyped and underwhelming (Championship Manager apart) titles in the first place. Little has changed since they became part of the Squenix family either and at the risk of sounding like a bit of a zealot here, I've no interest in seeing the company plough money (and lots of it) into the likes of Tomb Raider and Deus EX.

And finally, onto the one that hurts the most...just what has happened to the once glorious and infallible Final Fantasy series?

Ignoring the multitude of spin-offs and remakes, the series that is beloved by probably anyone who has ever enjoyed a console RPG has been going down hill since it’s 10th (X) instalment ended. In my opinion, the trouble started with the quite greedy release of Final Fantasy X-II. A direct sequel to a Final Fantasy game is something we hadn't seen before and it seems to have been what kicked off this idea of 'polymorphic-cash cowing-robbery' that has since plagued the series.

We were then treated to instalment XI...an MMORPG (which should be depressing enough), this never really worked on anything other than a PC, so that's a good way to treat loyal console fans. In fact, in Britain, I don't think there was even a network to play the PS2 version on, great stuff.

That entry was kind of a blueprint for XII, which did have a lot going for it, but it felt strangely like a PC game to me that had been dumbed down for console use. For all it’s glamour, the game left me feeling cold and uninterested. Unusual aspects such as not being able to talk to all the NPC's added to this cold feeling too, as did the updated battle system, which again felt like something lifted from a real time PC game (I realise that one does make me sound like I'm actually tied to the 90's).

This brings us neatly on to XIII, which I'm actually slightly embarrassed to say I've never even played, such has been my recent apathy for the series. Even a glowing recommendation from one of my great friends who is an RPG and Final Fantasy connoisseur couldn't help muster any enthusiasm for it's overly emo (seriously, those haircuts annoy me), and just plain moody lead characters. As it's now standard practice, this game is also due to spawn a sequel which, will no doubt be full of funky haired but very emotionally retarded teenagers who can't decide whether love is more important saving the world.

Strangely though, that little tirade isn't what annoys me most about the Final Fantasy series these days, it's this remake-itis that seems have gripped the whole of Square Enix. They're at it with most of the big franchises, Dragon Quest, Star Ocean, SaGa, but with Final Fantasy, they've taken it to another level. What's properly baffling to me though is that they've stopped at number 5 (V). Now, I'm sure Squenix will have some elaborate excuse ready as to why this is the case but lets be honest about this, the real and only reason why VI and VII haven’t yet been remade is because the company is scared…scared of messing them up.

When it comes to Final Fantasy VI and VII, we're talking about the two most revered games in Square's history, adored by millions, and immortalised by critics worldwide. It doesn't take a genius to imagine the uproar it would cause if they got these two wrong...we'd probably be talking about some sort of insurrection at Squenix HQ in Shibuya. It's not good enough though, they need to grow some balls, don't remake Romancing SaGa 3 on the DS, in fact, don't even make Final Fantasy XIV, just plough that money made from woeful American games into remaking VI and VII. And if they can't muster that, then at least VII should be given a proper translation (long overdue as it is).

Overall, I can't help but feel sad when I think of Square Enix these days, and bitter at the fact that it makes me feel sad.

Maybe I'm being too harsh on them though, because the cold fact is that these are troubling times for Japanese video game companies on the world wide stage. Nintendo no longer commands the respect of the third parties that it once did, and Sega has dropped out the home console market completely (and will probably never get back in). In addition to this, recent years have seen a huge shift in the power base from Japan to America. We now have a western population that is much happier shelling out it’s hard earned on the likes of Halo, Call of Duty and FIFA rather than Mario and Sonic et al. Realism and (more specifically) war are now the order of the day, and these two styles of video game are not something that Japanese producers are historically good at or interested in. The likes of Dragon Quest, King of Fighters and Ridge Racer will always do well in Japan, but perhaps no longer on western shores.

That said, I’d be much happier having a Squenix that was worth a lot less in yen and was producing games of real quality than one that rakes it in from peddling shite...alas, this romantic notion will never catch on I fear.

So, please forgive me if these are the ramblings of a grumpy old man, unhappily pining for things to be the way they once were (indeed, maybe it is). It does though seem certain to me, that there has been a considerable change in the landscape at Square Enix. Originality, boldness and creativity have given way to greed, monotony, caution and perhaps desperation. It is blindingly clear in my eyes that this marriage is one of convenience rather than love...and in these eyes that is what’s known as a sham.

If only I'd been present when they asked "if anyone objects to this union, let him speak now"...