Two years down, too many to go

In the past two years I have learned, among other things, how much more there is to learn.

First, from meeting and talking with Jay and co. here at videolamer, I learned about all the great RPG, strategy, action and adventure games on the various Sega systems I missed out on. I even tried out Phantasy Star 1 (a mistake, as I have grown soft and weak with puffball RPGs) at Jay’s suggestion, and bought a Sega Saturn, a mod chip, and a few games as well. In fact, don’t tell him, but with a bit more nudging I might start looking for a Dreamcast soon. Due to similarly sinister influences, I have found the “new old Sega console” – the underdog of the last generation, the Gamecube, and will be working on remedying the last 4 years of missing out on an entire system’s worth of good games.

Second, from looking around at various forums and stores I have found dozens of interesting-looking games that never made it over the Pacific. First, admittedly a little over 2 years ago, I had my close encounter with Jesus. Then I found games such as Legend of Cao Cao and Genso Sangokushi, both based in one of my favorite settings. Through my experiences with Jesus and other games I came across the community dedicated to not only bringing over many of these games, but also creating hacks to modify or improve upon their various favorites.

Third, I have found fresh and entertaining games that came out for newer systems. Not just RPGs like Persona 3, but games like Shadow of the Colossus and Steambot Chronicles have broadened my horizons – increasing my expectations and hopes for the entire industry. Even games like Okami and Godhand, which are cool takes on existing genres, have given me hope that some genres will see a host of improvements in the coming years.