Standard Review: Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation (SNES/DS/IOS)

Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation is in a bit of an awkward position when it comes to the Dragon Quest series. While it is a solid JRPG in its own right, it has the unfortunate distinction as the first in the series to be a step down from the previous entry. In short, Dragon …

NieR Replicant ver.1.2247448713… (PS4/XONE/PC): Absolutely Breathtaking (Detailed Review)

So, it’s been almost six years since I wrote my review of the original English release of NieR Gestalt, released as just NieR on the PS3 and XBox 360 in 2010. Given the lavish praise I heaped upon the original game’s story and upon Automata as a whole, the only question is why I didn’t …

Parasite Eve (PS1): Engrossing, but Frustrating (Detailed Review)

One aspect I will never understand of JRPG fandom is the intense hatred towards Square Enix lately. Well I suppose it is a given that there will be something stupid that comes out of any large enough fan base but still. The thought process of the player base of Squaresoft games is that supposedly “Squaresoft …

Amazing VGM: Dependent Weakling (NieR Automata)

Remember when I posted these weekly? I keep saying I want to get back into posting these regularly, but there’s so much I need to work on constantly. I just got done playing NieR Replicant, and there’s actually a mode where the in-game soundtrack will be replaced by songs from NieR Automata, and this plays …

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES): Shoots for the Moon, Lands Among the Stars (Detailed Review)

Super Mario RPG is a game that, when it was originally released, likely met with a lot of skepticism. Squaresoft’s RPGs are generally known as their huge sweeping tales that were not like anything that most gamers have seen at the time. Mario games, on the other hand, generally had no story beyond the typical …

Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation (NES/SNES/GBC/Ios/3DS/PS4/Switch): A JRPG Legend (Detailed Review)

A lot of us who live outside of Japan don’t realize just how important the Dragon Quest series is to gaming. So many of us are bound to have at least one JRPG among our favorites of all time, yet ultimately aren’t familiar with the series that put this genre on the map. I’ve often …

Bravely Default (3DS): Many Will Play, Few Will Finish (Detailed Review)

Ever since I knew of Bravely Default’s existence, I was hyped up for it. Just about everything I saw was a sign that pointed to this being an amazing game. First of all, it being a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light was a good sign seeing as how I found …

Amazing VGM: World Map Themes (Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line)

Yeah I kinda fell out of the habit of making Amazing VGM Pieces haven’t I? The last one I did was for The Dark Colossus Destroys All from NieR, and that was back in October. Perhaps I should capitalize on the game I just reviewed then? Dragon Quest II it is! Particularly I would like …

Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line (NES/MSX/SNES/GBC/Mobile/3DS/PS4/Switch): A JRPG Codifier (Detailed Review)

Dragon Quest II is often glossed over when discussing the legacy of the series. While Dragon Quest I is noteworthy for being the first game in the series and Dragon Quest III is noteworthy for being motherfucking Dragon Quest III, Dragon Quest II just seems to be known as “that one that’s really really hard …

Dragon Quest (NES/MSX/SNES/GBC/Mobile/3DS/PS4/Switch): A JRPG Pioneer (Detailed Review)

Given the niche of people who read my stuff, I am sure most of you are aware of the impact the Dragon Quest series has on JRPGs as a whole. There is a strange sense of disconnect when thinking about how popular the series is in Japan when comparing its overseas releases. While the series …