Toki wo Koete: A Triple Feature Review of Super Robot Wars 1, 2, and 3 (GB/FC/SFC)

 Introduction

From the outside looking in, the Super Robot Wars series may seem rather intimidating, and well, it is. The series has been ongoing since April 20th, 1991, with 48 entries and 10 spinoffs, and the games have their own respective timelines and lore; some are isolated entries, while others have two or three sequels. I swear, if you want to give yourself an aneurysm, I’d recommend searching up and trying to follow some of the full series timelines that fans post online. And that’s not even mentioning the references and appearances of the individual mecha anime series that appear in these games, some of which are very niche.

That said, as a series that I consider one of my favorites, I wanted to take it upon myself to review the lesser-discussed games that started said series. I see very little discussion of these first three games online, let alone reviews of them, so I prepared a special triple-feature blog post to shed some light on the unique mechanics of these games, talk about their significance to the overall series, and talk about how they laid the groundwork for the series we know and love today! 

StrikeForce Squad!! Stardust Memories: Revisiting Kirby Flash Animations

 Introduction

In an era long, long ago... Before monetization, before algorithms, and before advertisers, there was a time when passion-driven fan content thrived prominently in fandom spaces on the early internet. Many series captivated viewers and inspired a generation to show off their own creativity. Much of this independent art was crafted using nothing but talent, personality, and Adobe Flash. While there are hundreds of different series I could talk about today, I wanted to focus on one particular genre of content that shaped my childhood—one that involves Kirby fan characters, sprite sheets, and early 2010s internet humor.

Characters portrayed from left to right: Aege (DestructionSeries), Kirby (HAL Laboratory lol), and Saito (LoneAlchemist). 

Logo created by LoneAlchemist, character art and background edited by myself.

A Fantasy of Cosmic Proportions: A Review of Cosmic Fantasy 2 (TurboGrafx CD)

 Introduction

From being one of the first RPGs to feature fully animated cinematic cutscenes, to being the game that initially put Working Designs on the map, to being labeled as Electronic Gaming Monthly’s Best RPG of the Year in 1993: it's Cosmic Fantasy 2. Developed by Nihon Telenet, Cosmic Fantasy 2 is an RPG for the TurboGrafx CD and is seen as a cult classic in the niche gaming market. It was one of the best-selling games on the console and was popular enough for NEC to consider making the game a pack-in title for the TurboGrafx CD.

In addition to everything else I just mentioned, it also recently received the honor of being played by me. And while I can see why it was very well-received back in the day, my thoughts on the game as a complete package are a little more complicated. So let’s not waste any more time and start talking about Cosmic Fantasy 2!

Die Legende von Zwei Schwertern: Eine Rezension von Der Langrisser (SFC)

 Introduction

Over Yeless' sky, far above the cursed land of Velzeria, a red star of ill omen has risen: it heralds the arrival of an ambitious man. Not too long after this, Bernhardt of the Rayguard Empire stands in the face of the legendary blade of darkness, Alhazard. Legends say that this sword is the key to infinite power, and so, the driven man pleads with the sword to give him its power. And use said power to conquer the shattered continent of El Sallia... or perhaps… the world?

The man crowned himself as the Kaiser of a new Empire, and together with his trusted knights, he sought to conquer the lands with his unparalleled strength. The armies of the Kaiser left a wake of devastation as they blazed across the continent—bodies piling like victims of a wrathful god.

Little did the Kaiser know, the ravages of his war lend power to an ancient, dormant darkness. One that awaits a day of chaos and destruction. The ancient Glory of Darkness, "Alhazard," will rain terror on the people and bleed the land dry... The blade's true nature seeks only to lay waste to the land. In the grip of evil, humanity will be choked into ancient darkness. The end can only be prevented with the Might of Elthlead, "Langrisser." 

Into the Boundaries of Time: A Review of Exile (TurboGrafx CD)

 Introduction

Today, I want to take you back to the distant past, all the way to the 12th century, and talk about a little-known game called Exile. Exile is part of a side-scrolling Action-RPG series, XZR, developed by Telenet and Riot. The series originated on the NEC PC-88 platform and eventually made its way to home consoles such as the Turbografx and Sega Genesis where it dropped the “XZR” moniker, and went by the name “Exile.” 

The Ice Wall and the Spirit of Duel: A Review of Xak - The Art of Visual Stage (SFC)

Introduction

Today, I wanted to talk to you about a game I recently played. A humble game known as Xak: The Art of Visual Stage. It’s an Action-RPG that was originally released on the PC-88 in 1989, and developed by Micro Cabin. The game was later ported to numerous systems during the 16-bit era. Today, I wanted to record my runthrough of the Super Famicom version which was developed by Sunsoft and Tokai Engineering in 1993.

 

From Zeroes to Heroes: The Story of Mario Kart Zero

 Introduction

In our current era, there are only three video game series that I can confidently say have the status of being legit household titles: Super Smash Brothers, Pokémon, and Mario Kart. Since its debut in 1992, the latter series has remained a perennial favorite, appealing to audiences in both competitive and casual play. Despite that, within the Mario Kart community lies a slightly more obscure subset of fans—the hacking community. Right now, Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart Wii boast some of the largest modding communities, with Mario Kart Wii, in particular, featuring thousands of custom tracks, additional game modes, and even third-party online servers, a decade after the official one shut down. However, this article aims to shine a spotlight on a lesser-known hacking community, the Mario Kart DS hacking community. In addition, I wanted to talk about the history and coverage of one of its most influential hacks from 2012. So, rev your engines, buckle up, and join me as I explore one of my favorite ROM hacks growing up—Mario Kart Zero.