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Casino Kid (NES) Playthrough @NintendoComplete
![Legend of Mana (PlayStation) Playthrough [1 of 2]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qHHOPJVixp8/hqdefault.jpg "Legend of Mana (PlayStation) Playthrough [1 of 2]
A playthrough of Squares 2000 action-RPG for the Sony PlayStation, Legend of Mana.
This is the first part of a two-part video. You can find part two here: https://youtu.be/TmR64mcAMtY
I complete all sixty-eight story events over the course of this playthrough, and I unlock the secret stuff thats made available when you have save data from other Square games (Chocobo Racing, Saga Frontier 2, and Final Fantasy VIII) on the memory card.
Legend of Mana was the first spin-off in the Mana (Seiken Densetsu) series. It was also the first Mana game to see a stateside release since 1993 when Secret of Mana (https://youtu.be/dSwf9DJz_dA) hit the SNES. I remember there being a fair amount of hype surrounding its launch in the summer of 2000 - I was certainly excited for it - but I also remember it drawing a lot of raised eyebrows from the gaming press.
At first glance, Legend of Mana could be mistaken as a traditionally-styled entry in the mainline series. Just like Secret/Trials of Mana, its a 2D action-RPG with storybook-like visuals, experience-based leveling systems for weapons and magic, and it supports drop-in co-op play.
But once you dig beneath the surface, youre met with something thats far more exotic and experimental in nature. You can build the world however you like with artifacts that you find, and instead an overarching story, the game plays out over a loosely connected, semi-linear series of chapter-like events. You are free to decide the path youll take through the game, and the decisions you make dictate which events youll see in any given playthrough.
The games underlying mechanics also mark a huge departure from the series roots. The sheer complexity and depth of some of its systems is absolutely staggering. You could sink dozens of hours into experimenting with equipment crafting, robot building, pet raising, and vegetable planting, only to find that what youve seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg.
My dad bought this for me when it first came out. At first, I loved it, but the more I played, the more I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. I really tried to understand it - I even had the strategy guide - but the game doesnt explain itself well at all. It overwhelmed me, and I eventually gave up. It was years before I went back to it, and once Id given up on trying to understand everything, I came to like it a lot. Legend of Mana is a game with a lot of meat on the bone, but a lot of it feels like complexity for complexitys sake. You can ignore most of those systems and still enjoy the game just fine.
(Many of the people involved in this game had previously worked on the Saga games, and boy, does it show!)
But the rest of the game is excellent. The writing is good, the combat system flows nicely, the graphics are top notch, and the Yoko Shimomura soundtrack is a masterpiece. (Ever notice how much it sounds like her work from Super Mario RPG? The Domina town theme has always reminded me of SMRPGs forest maze tune, right down to the samples.)
If youre the type who loves (or loves to avoid) obsessing over small the stuff, Legend of Mana could make for a good time.
And for everyone else, therere a few genuinely funny dick jokes peppered throughout. Thats something, right?
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!")
![Dragon Quest I (SNES) Playthrough [English]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qUWFKwDJb4Y/hqdefault.jpg "Dragon Quest I (SNES) Playthrough [English]
A playthrough of Dragon Quest I as it appears in Enixs 1993 compilation for the Super Famicom, Dragon Quest I & II.
Since this version of the game was only released in Japan, I used a fan-made translation patch in this video. You can find the patch at https://www.romhacking.net/translations/6127/
Dragon Quest I & II, released between DQ5 and 6, packages together 16-bit remakes of two NES JRPG classics, Dragon Quest 1 (https://youtu.be/J392i9NKvvo) and Dragon Quest 2 (https://youtu.be/onNy0JlNgi4), for the Super Famicom.
The core game remains much the same as the originals, but this version brings with it many quality-of-life improvements (many of which were also seen in the Game Boy version: https://youtu.be/4AsOkrDBcgk) over the 8-bit original. The graphics have been competely overhauled, the music has been fleshed out with orchestra-style instrumentation, the menu system has been streamlined, and the difficulty has been rebalanced to cut down on the amount of time spent grinding for gold and experience. The game can be completed in half the time that it takes on the NES.
Its a classy update for one of the Famicoms biggest hits, and its well worth checking out if the original release is a bit too old-school for your tastes.
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!")
