Ys book 1 & 2 was ported to the Turbografx CD in 1989 and was received very well by most, even as a masterpiece by some. Because of Ys 1 & 2 being regarded that highly, people were a bit disappointed with the sequel. Ys III: Wanderers From Ys which departed from the first game in similar ways Adventure of Link departed from the 1st Original Legend of Zelda game. Even though Ys III has a phenomenal soundtrack the rest of the game failed to live up to its predecessor and has since often been called the “black sheep” of the series.
People were livid when they saw that Ys IV: Dawn of Ys was going to go back to the originals’ roots (Much like “A Link to the Past” did) and were starting to get hyped only to find out that the game would not be released outside of Japan. This was because of the Turbografx16 and its CD peripheral not doing very well in the western markets and were close to discontinuing the system.
Ys IV and the PC Engine did great in Japan though, so the game was released with critical acclaim. Many years later a fan dub/translation was done so us westerners could finally enjoy the game.
I speak fluent Japanese so i played the game like 50% in Japanese and 50% in English just for comparison. Read and see how I felt about Ys IV!
Continue reading Ys IV: Dawn of Ys (1993 PC Engine/Turbografx16)
Phantasy Star IV(1993 Sega Mega/Genesis)
I did a Phantasy Star 1 review the other day. I found it revolutionary but a bit dated, so also check that out if you are interested. The reason of I got into Phantasy Star(PS) at all is because of a friend who grew up with the Sega Mega and insisted that Phantasy Star IV was just as good or even better than other JRPG greats like Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger.
Alright, I’ll try it…… And even though I was told by many that I did not need to play any of the other PS games to enjoy PSIV I am so happy I did!
I played PS1 and PS2 beforehand and saw that PSIV was the final chapter or climax for the story of the Phantasy Star Universe and it was great! Not only was the interwoven story really good but the gameplay and presentation of PSIV are at an A+ level! Continue reading Phantasy Star IV(1993 Sega Mega/Genesis)
Little Samson (1992 NES)
Back to the good old NES! After a crazy session on the more obscure video game systems of the good old era, we go back to the basics with a review for an NES game. The game itself though is a bit obscure, or at least a lot lesser known NES game compared to established franchises like Mega Man or Castlevania. This game is “Little Samson” which was released in 1992 by Taito. A big reason for its obscurity might be the fact that it was released very late in the NES lifespan and at a time where the Sega Mega and SNES had already started out their all-out war.
The reason we are going back to the NES is that I got this 150 in 1 Chinese multicart on Ali Express with all sorts of hidden gems along with a bunch of the all-time great titles(Look it up!). So look forward to reading about some lesser known NES goodies starting with Little Samson! Otherwise, this game has become to me annoyingly known as THE hidden gem and it’s going for like 500$ on eBay which is ridiculous. Everyone mentions this game when it comes to hidden gems or as an example how NES collecting has become ridiculous so I just had to try it 🙂
Continue reading Little Samson (1992 NES)
Top 10 Co-op Console Side-Scrolling Beat ’em ups (retro)
We have been playing so many games in this genre it wouldn’t make any sense not to make this list. We are absolute addicts for 2 player co-op side-scrolling beat ’em ups and we have played almost all of them since we have always actively sought them out.
I realize this list may be a bit of a rehash from out other system co-op list but it includes a few original games we have never mentioned before 🙂
Continue reading Top 10 Co-op Console Side-Scrolling Beat ’em ups (retro)
Cadash (1991 Turbografx16/PC Engine)
Cadash by Taito brought a very welcome action-rpg sword and sorcery kind of atmosphere to the arcades in 1989, and thankfully we Turbografx/PC Engine fans got a home version 2 years later. The game caught my eye because…. Yes… You guessed it…. Because it is a co-op game and well, just look at that brilliant cover art. How could I not check it out?
Continue reading Cadash (1991 Turbografx16/PC Engine)
Top 10 Turbografx/PC Engine games
Holy hell these past 2 months have been heavy on the Turbografx/PC Engine. I got a PC Engine Duo-R in Japan a few months ago and I have been extremely happy with that purchase. Being from Europe I never even heard of the system until the Wii shop became live. Back then I didn’t give the system the respect it deserves and now I see how much of a waste that it was because this system is packed with great titles and may be the most underrated, unappreciated video game console of all time.
Cousin Gaming 