Playstation : Xenogears Moments ~ Fei & Elly Make Love A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2026-09-20 | Playstation : Xenogears Moments ~ Fei & Elly Make Love
SNES : Eien no Filena (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-12-03 | Eien no Filena (永遠のフィレーナ) or Eternal Filena is an RPG that developed and published by Tokuma Shoten Intermedia back in 1995, exclusively for the Super Nintendo/Famicom home console system and the Japanese market. It's the videogame adaptation of Takeshi Shudo's anime & manga, Eternal Filena.Filena is the only survivor of the royal family in the ocean kingdom of Filosena. At a very young age, she is brought up as a boy slave, trained hard to be a gladiator in order to enter the gladiatorial games designed by the Empire of the conquerors to keep the masses happy. Filena befriends Lila, a slave assigned to be Filena's sexual partner before her first gladiatorial fight. Quite soon she will set off on a journey to free her homeland from tyranny and discover her true past.Eien no Filena is a traditional style, turn based RPG. The battle system is fairly standard, but you have skills associated with each type of weapon and you learn new skills while you level up. The turn system is ATB, obviously inspired (or copied :P) from the Final Fantasy games. Every enemy has some kind of weakness and it's up to you to discover it in order to do the biggest possible damage.The story is intresting and somewhat uncommon for a Super Nes game (some lesbian undertones). Unfortunately, the character development is not that good with the exception of the main character and her partner Lila. All the others feel like...empty and blunt.Overall the game is OK and probably the whole experience is better than the anime that it serves as a source material.It's not an import friendly game.For those who interested in, there is an unfinished translation. You can find it here :romhacking.net/translations/761
Sega Saturn : EVE - The Lost One (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-11-26 | EVE - The Lost One (イブ・ザ・ロストワン) is an adventure/simulation/visual novel that developed by C's Ware and published by Imagineer back in 1998 for the Sega Saturn console system and the Japanese market. It is not a Saturn's exclusive as there are 2 more versions : for the Sony Playstation system (1998) and for the Windows PCs (1998).The game is a direct sequel to EVE - Burst Error, one of the most popular adventures ~from Japan~ during the 90's - 00's era. The events of the game take place three years after those of the first game. The player is able to control two characters - the female detective Kyoko and the mysterious Snake, as they try to solve a complex mystery full of betrayals and political intrigues. Kyoko is the newcomer investigator just after severe course of training and her first task is investigating circumstances of death of a young scientist. Snake is a mysterious figure who is blackmailed to find "memories" of former Eldia king to bring back to life sleeping EVE/Mayako Mido. Somehow everyone hunts for the "memories" and the truth lies in Eldia.Eve - The Lost One can be described as a "menu choice driven" game which means in order to progress further in the story , you have to talk - investigate and look all around your place. The game feels and plays indentical to the previous entry and that's something that might make happy the fans of the Burst Error. This time there are more CGs to see and of course, a lot of anime style scenes. If you like these type of games, it's a fascinating experience full of mystery and investigating twists. All and all, I would consider this game as an enjoyable experience.It's not import friendly game.
Sega CD : Record of Lodoss War (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-11-19 | Record of Lodoss War (ロードス島戦記 英雄戦争) is an RPG that developed Kogado studio and published by Sega back in 1994, exclusively for the Sega CD home console add-on and the Japanese market.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------IMPORTANT NOTE : Because of copyright reasons...I had to remove 3 mins of content.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The story is based on the 1990's OVA anime "Record of Lodoss War" . A young man with the name Parn, son to an infamous knight, will start an adventurous journey ~along with his friends~ in order to discover what really happened to his father and of course to restore his family's honor.Record of Lodoss War is an old school tactical RPG where your main goal is to dominate your enemies during your fights. Unlike many other games of this genre , it has a linear world map and pre-set battles. Also, in some occassion you can control your charater in a top down view and explore places/areas,quite uncommon for a tRPG. Other than these, the towns have menu-based first-person view navigation, you can buy items from merchants that can be used during your battles and also, you can unlock areas or even characters by interacting with npcs.In general, it's a quite enjoyable tRPG experience with a cinematic taste as it borrows anime scenes from the original OVA, it has an interesting presentation/graphics and soundtrack. The same goes for the gameplay mechanics. If you like these type of games you will have a good time playing it.Unfortunately, it's all Japanese so ...not an import friendly game.
3DO : Doctor Hauzer (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-11-13 | Doctor Hauzer (ドクターハウザー) is an adventure game that developed by Riverhill Soft and published by Matsushita back in 1994, exclusively for the Panasonic 3DO home console system and the Japanese market.In the year 1952, Adams Adler ~ a young reporter for the Boston Science Monitor newspaper~ decided to discover what exactly happened to Dr. Hauzer, a famous eccentric archeologist from Boston, who suddenly vanished from the public eye. Following the tracks he collected, he will find himself in a "strange" mansion near the oceanside which is supposedly the place where the doctor is.Doctor Hauzer is an intersting horror adventure with "trap escaping" mechanics. Every room has a small riddle to solve and in case you choose a wrong path or object , you will probably end up dead /restarting the game.In manners of gameplay it resembles the first "Alone in the Dark" game . It has pre-fixed camera angles with a third person perspective ~which can change into first person~ and the graphical presentation is what you expected from an early 90's game (fully 3D).Keeping aside the weird controls ...Dr. Hauzer is a unique and quite enjoyable experience.It's an import friendly game and easily accessible to anyone.PS - Quite recently some great people translated the game. You can find more infos here : romhacking.net/translations/5654
RPG Music : Yukyu Gensoukyoku ~ ensemble 2 A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-11-06 | Opening Song from the Yukyu Gensoukyoku ~ ensemble 2 ( 悠久幻想曲ensemble２) - Sega Saturn version.Track : 「永遠の親友」(英語バージョン) ~ Close Friends ForeverYear : 1999Composer : Katsuhiro Hayashi Label : PONY CANYON, SCITRONAlbum : Yukyu Gensoukyoku 2nd Album Soundtracks
PC Engine CD : Farjius no Jakoutei - Neo Metal Fantasy (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-10-28 | Farjius no Jakoutei - Neo Metal Fantasy (ファージアスの邪皇帝・NEO METAL FANTASY) is an RPG that developed and published by Human back in 1992, exclusively for the PC Engine CD console system and the Japanese market.The peaceful existence of Far the Earth is threatened by the Emperor of Evil. Atima, a young girl from the magician guild, is entrusted with a highly important task: reviving Dimeora, the legendary hero. But things take an unexpected turn as Atima is kidnapped by the Emperor, and the revived Dimeora has to find his way alone in this new world.Neo Metal Fantasy is a typical jRPG where the player controls a party of heroes who visit towns, explore dungeons, and fight randomly appearing enemies in a first-person perspective, turn-based combat, using physical or magic attacks. The presentation is minimal and what you expect from a game of the era/period. The more interesting part is that it features anime-style cutscenes and portraits. The soundtrack is ok and the same goes for the sound effects. Gameplay wise there is nothing exceptional or unique to be mentioned since the game follows the classic "routine" of the random encounters, leveling up and weapon uprgrading.All and all, it's a quite "basic" RPG.* It's not an import friendly game.
Playstation : Spectral Tower ΙΙ (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-10-21 | Spectral Tower ΙΙ (スペクトラルタワーII) is an RPG that developed and published by Idea Factory back in 1998, exclusively for the Sony Playstation home console system and the Japanese market.An enormous tower stretched high up into the sky, said to contain Infinite Power and Eternal Life within its walls. One young traveler from a faraway land pressed forth on his journey to the tower. Little did he know this journey would have a profound effect on the fate of the world.ST2 is a fairly basic RPG with turn based battles. All of the fights begin only when you come in contact with your enemies.Unlike the previous game, most of it's graphics are pre-rendered , the sound quality more clear and the heroes are designed with more details.Ιn manners of duration, Spectral Tower 2 is not a huge game but it can last up to 20 hours if you are willing to explore "completely" each one of it's 3 tower parts. It's not an import friendly game.
PC-FX : Last Imperial Prince (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-10-15 | Last Imperial Prince (ラストインペリアルプリンス) is an RPG that developed by Nihon Application and published by NEC back in 1997, exclusively for the NEC PC-FX home console system and the Japanese market.When an army of monsters attacked the castle of Camelot, the whole country fell under their rule. Radius , the young son of the fallen emperor with the aid of his best friends, Nova (monk) and Mirion (female warrior) will try to reclaim the land that is rightfully his, and to defeat the monstrous conquerors.Last Imperial Prince is an unique action RPG with a side scroller view where the player controls one hero at a time. The battles are in real time and you can use melee attacks or magic spells. Enemies are always set in specific locations so every fight is a "fixed" event. Althought it doesn't look like your typical jRPG, the mechanics are pretty much the same with every other game of it's genre. Your party members level up, learn new spells, can equip weapons - armors and buy items (in stores).The gameplay is kind of an.. old school experience which resembles a lot to the Sorcerian series. In every level your main goal is to complete some simple designed areas/dungeons and after that you can visit villages in order to uprade your equipment. And that's pretty much all of it.It's a colourful RPG, with some interesting music melodies and anime scenes but on the other side, it the gameplay is straight forward without cariety in it's core mechanics, the backrounds designs are monotonous/repetetive and the action is slow. LIP is not a bad game but not great either. It can be fun but after a while, the repetitiveness makes it kind of boring experience.For a better understanding of it's story you have to know some basic Japanese. But on the other side, it's not that heavy texted which leads me to the conclusion that it's an import friendly game.
Playstation : Kuro no Ken - Blade of the Darkness (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-10-07 | Kuro no Ken - Blade of the Darkness (黒の剣 - Blade of Darkness) is a RPG that developed and published by Forest back in 1995, exclusively for the Japanese market. Long ago the evil Black Dragon killed thousands of people and caused a lot of pain in the kingdom. The monks pray to God and with his power they created a magic sword that will destroy the Black Dragon and a hero used that sword to capture and sealed the Black Dragon. But now the Black Dragon broke the sealed and had escaped, and now only Shinobu a descent of the hero that defeated the Black Dragon the first time and Called a knight that wants to becomes a hero can try to defeat the Dragon again.Kuro no Ken is a rather standard Japanese-style RPG with all the familiar ingredients: top-down locations, navigation on the world map, random encounter enemies, turn-based combat, automatic leveling up, etc. The battles are viewed from a third-person perspective, using much larger character sprites than during exploration. There are some erotic/nude elements but it can be considered as a hentai game.There are also some other versions like the Pc-98, Windows and the newer re-releases for the PS3, Vita and PSP.It's not an import friendly game.
PC Engine CD : Babel (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-10-01 | Babel (バベル) is an RPG that developed by Shin-Nihon Laser and published by Telenet Japan back in 1992, exclusively for the NEC PC Engine CD home console system and the Japanese market.In the post apocalyptic world of Babel, an earth like planet, Zell and his best friend Alice struggle to survive. One day, after a long gun fight they managed to rescue a helpless girl named Sephia ~being kidnapped by some thugs~. Of course, Sephia turns out to be more than just an average girl. Her role will be critical for the rest part of the game.Babel is a typical turn based RPG, with random encounters and (high number) turn based battles. The game feels and plays like any other jRPG of that era.Some small notes about the game :- the presentation could be better. It looks more like an 8bit RPG- the fight encounter rate is for some reason very high- mature content- interesting melodies- not that fast in manners of action development- the loading times can be annoying- quite simple scenario development- The characters level up according to the player's progress in the narrativeAll and all, I feel it's an ok game with some cool ideas like the lack of experience points ~you earn money after winning a fight~ and an interesting world theme which is a mix of cyberpunk and post apocalyptic.It's not an import friedly game.
Sega Saturn : Brain Dead 13 (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-09-25 | Brain Dead 13 (ブレインデッド 13) is a full motion interactive adventure that developed by ReadySoft and published by Coconuts Japan ~in Japan~ back in 1996.The player takes on the role of a young computer expert who one day is called to fix a computer at some scary castle and in no time flat, finds himself in trouble.In manners of gameplay , the Japanese version is identical to it's Western release.As it was expected the main difference is that all of the English dubbing is now in Japanese.Strangely enough, after the NEW GAME selection the game leads you straight to the action part ignoring the intro part ...for unknown reasons. It's an import friendly game.
Sega Saturn : Dark Seed (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-09-19 | Dark Seed (ダークシード) is an adventure that developed by Cyberdreams and published by GAGA Communications back in 1995, exclusively for the Japanese market.Mike Dawson (main hero) recently purchased a solitary mansion in a small town called Woodland Hills. Upon reaching the house for the first time, he suddenly felt tired, found a bed and fell asleep.. During his sleep, Mike has a nightmare about being imprisoned by a machine that shoots an alien embryo into his brain. He wakes up with a large headache and, after taking a painkiller and a shower, explores the mansion.The Sega Saturn version is a direct port of the original PC-DOS release which is not...great news..since it does not improve the original experience. The gameplay, the sounds, the colour palette and even the visuals are all the same. Sega's system was capable of offering something quite better than an identical port.What is interesting is that it's compatible with the Sega Saturn Mouse.Althought it's a Japanese only release, the game's dubbing remains in the English language making it accessible to the English speakers. So, it''s an import friendly experience.
DS : Hottarake no Shima: Kanataa to Nijiiro no Kagami (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-09-11 | Hottarake no Shima: Kanataa to Nijiiro no Kagami (ホッタラケの島 〜カナタと虹色の鏡〜) ~translated as Oblivion Island: Kanata and the Rainbow Mirror ~ is an RPG that developed by Climax Entertainment and published by Bandai Namco back in 2009, exclusively for the Nintendo DS handheld system and the Japanese market.The game is loosely based on the anime "Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror" as they share the same world but different story and characters.Kanata's (main hero) mother will have to work during his school's annual sports festival. To calm him down, his mom reads him a bedtime story about a magical island where lost and abandoned items go. Still angry, he declares himself to be abandoned, too. The next moment, the world fades away and he landsin a strange, new world. Hottarake no Shima is a very basic action RPG. Your main goal is to complete a series of dungeons with the help of your toy friends. Althought, it is a quite simple game it does a decent jon in using the DS stylus. t's easy to direct the young hero around the screen, and for the most part the controls do not add unnecessary challenge to the existing puzzle and platformer elements. The presentation is not great for sure, the polygonal graphics could be quite better. The audio design/game's soundtrack is easy on the ears but nothing exceptional. No tracks really stand out.All and all, it's a funny (and short) experience, especially for those who like fast pace action games.In order to understand and enjoy the game, you must have a basic understanding of the Japanese language. It's not import friendly.
SNES : Arabian Nights - Sabaku no Seirei Ou (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-09-03 | Arabian Nights - Sabaku no Seirei Ou (アラビアンナイト 〜砂漠の精霊王〜) is an RPG that developed by Pandora Box and published by Takara back in 1996, exclusively for the Super Nintendo/Famicom home console system and the Japanese market.In the town of Bazaar, an orphan girl named Shukran finds the Contract Ring and unleashes Ifrit. With 999 wishes used throughout last the century, Shukran uses the last wish for peace in her homeland. Ifrit however cannot stray far from his ring, so Shukran and Ifrit travel the land together to make this possible.As a game, it's a traditional turn based RPG, with random encounters - turn based battles and a small character roster. The most interesting feature is without a doubt the "Barrier Cards" mechanic . Barrier Cards may be activated at the beginning of each battle turn, and the effect lasts three turns. The player may hold a maximum of 16 cards at one time. When the player uses a card, they will receive a new one at the end of every battle. The cards have 9 different attributes and range between 5 levels. The higher the value, the greater the barrier activation power. In the event of multiple cards drawn, only the card with the greater barrier activation power will have an effect. However, the card with the lower level will have a stronger effect.Overall, Arabian Nights is a surprisingly enjoyable experience with nice gameplay mechanics, really good pixel art presenation and music. The downsideds are the not so innovative gameplay and also, that it belongs to the short duration game category.It's not an import friendly game but since 2018 there is a translation patch for it. You can find it here :romhacking.net/games/435
RPG Music : Dark Kingdom A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-08-28 | Interesting melody from the fantasy SNES RPG , Dark Kingdom (ダークキングダム) .Composer : Yoko ShimomuraTrack : Staff RollAlbum : -Year : 1994Check out ARV's test gameplay for the game here :youtube.com/watch?v=e3BeVL4YVhQ
SNES : Metal Slader Glory - Directors Cut (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-08-21 | Metal Slader Glory - Director's Cut (メタルスレイダーグローリー ディレクターズカット) is a scifi - cyberpunk novel/adventure game that developed and published by Hal Laboratory back in 2000, exclusively for the Super Nintendo/Famicom home console system and the Japanese market.It is an enhanced remake of the 1991 NES/Famicom game, Metal Slader Glory and is considered to be the last official release for the system. A notable detail about it is that it's one of the very few official Nintendo Power flash cartridge releases. The story is set in 2062, eight years after a great war between space colonies. The player takes on the role of Tadashi, a heavy machines operator based on Earth. After buying a worker mech for his business with his girlfriend Elina, they discover it is actually a Metal Slade", a military grade mech used during the war. The machine holds a secret message saying Earth is in danger and to seek the "creator". Tadashi, Elina and his younger sister Azusa decide to fly to the nearby space stations and colonies near Earth and the Moon to investigate the mech's origins and the meaning of the strange message.As a remake, Metal Slader Glory - Director's Cut features improved audio and redrawn graphics, additional scenes omitted from the original game due to lack of cartridge space, different background music due to rights issues, and new artwork. The gameplay is similar to the original. The player follows a dialogue patern in order to progress the story and unlock new areas.In 2015 It was released for the Wii U Virtual Console.It is not an import friendly game for obvious reasons.
Game Gear : Royal Stone - Hirakareshi Toki no Tobira (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-08-13 | Royal Stone - Hirakareshi Toki no Tobira (ロイアル・ストーン ～開かれし時の扉) is an RPG that developed and published by Sega back in 1995, exclusively for the Sega Game Gear handheld system and the Japanese market.The story focuses on a female knight named Eva, who is accused of betraying her father and kingdom of Martalia and banished. Now, she’s out to clear her name and stop the true threat to the kingdom. Royal Stone is a turn based, tactical RPG where you explore dungeons, gather information, cast magic, and recruit monsters. There is an "elemental" system consisting of fire, wind, water, and earth to determine strengths and weaknesses. In general, it's quite impressive for it's time and defintely worths a try.The game was later re-released as one of the four games pre-installed on the black model Game Gear Micro.It's not an import friendly experience but since 2013 there is an English translation patch. You can find it here : romhacking.net/translations/2076
NES : Juvei Quest (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-08-07 | Juvei Quest (じゅうべえくえすと) is an RPG that developed by Birthday/Namco and pubished by Namco back in 1991, exclusively for the Japanese market and the Nintendo NES/Famicom home console system.From the intro :The age of Sengoku...A fateful night two orbs of intense lighting crashed into each other in the sky above Yagyou Valley , tearing time and space apart...One orb vanished beyond the horinon while the other crashed into the valley below and split into 3 pieces (blue, red, yellow).Lord Tajima of the Valley searched the place and found a strange capsule there. Much to his surprise , he found a baby inside with a scar on his face.Fifteen year have passed and a new age was born in the world of Sengoku...a world that it was never meant to be...Strange things are happening all around the world and people are getting restless.The game follows the usual pattern of walking around villages, having an overworld map and several dungeons to explore, while also featuring a very typical battle system. The gameplay is what you expect from a jrpg of that era (random encounters, turn based) but it contains some really interesting features like : the use of the search choice during the map exploration which can lead to hidden treasures and also, the fact that you can recruit secondary helped characters that can do useful tasks.Juvei Quest is not an import friendly game but since 2013 some great people have translated the game in order to be accessible to anyone. You can check the translation patch here : romhacking.net/translations/1826
GBA : Legend of Dynamic Goushouden - Houkai no Rondo (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-08-02 | Legend of Dynamic Goushouden - Houkai no Rondo (レジェンド オブ ダイナミック 豪翔伝 崩壊の輪舞曲) is an RPG that developed by Will and published by Banpresto back in 2003, exclusively for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance handheld system and the Japanese market.The player controls a male teenager and his female best friend (you name them). They have received a strange letter from an anonymous sender, and are about to discuss it during their meeting in a park, when they suddenly become unconscious... When the two wake up, they find themselves in a strange world.The game is seperated in 2 stories. Both of them have the same main events, and eventually lead to a grand confrontation that will decide the fate of that world.During the adventure, the player will meet various characters from Go Nagai's works since it's a crossover between the Dynamic Pro and Devilman mangas.The gameplay is quite simple. You are wandering on the world map, using a simple party management, fighting turn-based battles and leveling up in an "old school" way through your encounters.The most notable feature is the "Assort System" which allows the player to team up characters and create combinations within the party.It's not an import friendly game.
PC Engine : Necros no Yousai (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-07-24 | Necros no Yousai (ネクロスの要塞) is an RPG that developed by Lad-R and published by Ask Kodansha back in 1990, exclusively for the PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16 home console system and the Japanese market. It is based on a series of cards and mini figurines popular in Japan during the '80s.The evil warlock Necros returned back to the world of Tankiri ~after his defeat~ and now he is more powerful than ever. The 8 heroes that defeated him the first time (Knight, Mage, Amazon, Samurai, Elf, Dwarf, Berserker, and Mercenary) must combine, for one more time ,their powers in order to stop his plans.The game is divided into 7 chapters and in each one you control a different character, following a different story. The game is structured like a traditional J-RPG, with random enemies and turn-based combat viewed from first-person perspective. Battles are round based and feature unique fully animated and colourful graphics/animations. All in all, is a fairly simple RPG which it's not meant for demanding players because of it's goofy character.Necros no Yousai is not an import friendly game.
PC-FX : Tenchi Muyo! Ryououki FX (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-07-17 | Tenchi Muyo! Ryououki FX (天地無用！魎皇鬼ＦＸ) is an interactive adventure/comic that developed by Micro Cabin and published by NEC back in 1996, exclusively for the NEC PC-FX console system and the Japanese market.The story centered around a girl named Hakua from the Galaxy Police who ends up on Earth with Tenchi and the gang for a short time.Tenchi-muyo! Ryououki FX is actually 2 games in one. First it is an enhanced remake of the PC Engine & PC-98 Tenchi Muyo game. And on a second disc is a PC-FX exclusive (Hakua from the first game , revisits the team). Both of these are based off the anime series and have the original voice cast.The PC-FX remake is very true to the original. The first mayor improvement is that the opening sequence is much smoother and uses the actual Tenchi Muyo! OVA theme rather than a PSG rendition. All of the background graphics are now full-screen and of course, the sound quality is far better in this version.As you expect from a game of this genre, there aren't many things you can do apart from choosing answers that unlock a different scene. Althought, this kind of experience is not meant for everyone, the fans of the Tenchi series will probably love it. In order to understand and enjoy the game, a basic understanding of the Japanese language is required. It's not an import friendly game.
Playstation : Meremanoid (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-07-10 | Meremanoid (深海伝説) is a turn based RPG that developed and published by Xing Entertainment back in 1999, exclusively for the Sony Playstation console system and the Japanese market. It is based on the anime Shinkai Densetsu Meremanoid.Long ago, the goddess Aphrodite created the world but the jealous god Destroyer contested her control. After a huge battle, the Destroyer was locked away and the denizens of Meremanoia flourished, building a civilization in their Creatrice's image — peaceful, compassionate, and based on the female sex. This is how the Church and the royal family choose to interpret things, at least. What the priestly Mer-Lion doesn't like to talk about is the sacred text that foretells the coming of a new Destroyer, one who looks like a Meremanoid but is not. Words cannot describe this being — but only because the language of the mermaids contains no masculine adjectives.Meremanoid is a turn based RPG in which you explore a big underwater world, seperated in smaller parts/zones/scenarios. The core of the gameplay is all about roaming around places/caves, collecting items and trigger events. During the fights, the player can choose up to 4 attacks. The stronger of them are hit combinations ~you learn more as the game progress~ and can be repeated forever, it's up to the player.In manners of presentation, it is a common example of the third generation RPG-era with fully 3D environments and polygonal characters. Nothing too fancy but the result is acceptable.The controls are not that...efficient because of the camera movement. Ls & Rs rotate the camera while the O button moves your character forward. The music is really interesting and fits greatly the subject of the game. The same words can be said about the sound effects.A worth mentioning detail is that Akihiro Yamada (design) and Kenji Terada (director) were part of the development team.Overall, Meremanoid is an interesting experience and for sure, one of it's kind since there aren't many RPGs ~maybe none?~ taking place underwater.It's not an important friendly game.
RPG Music : Lunar 2 - Eternal Blue A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-07-03 | Probably the most memorable melody from the game.Track : Eternal Blue [Instrumental]Album : Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete Music SoundtrackComposer : Noriyuki IwadareYear : 2000
SNES : Kouryuu Densetsu Villgust (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-06-26 | Kouryuu Densetsu Villgust (甲竜伝説ヴィルガスト 消えた少女) is an RPG that developed by Winky Software and published by Bandai back in 1992, exclusively for the Super Nintendo/Famicom home console system and the Japanese market. Althought, it wasn't a huge commercial success, it was adapted into a pair of anime OVA episodes in 1992-1993Shun was walking back from school ~with his girlfriend Michiko~ when suddenly noticed a strange red eyed rabbit. When he tried to follow it, in all of sudden, both of them accidentally travelled in a parallel universe. The new problem for Shun is that his girlfriend Michiko is nowhere near him. Later, he will discover that an evil organization called Villi , kidnapped her. Along with a group of fighters called RAGE , he will try his best to find his girlfriend, beat the Villi and of course return back to his original world.Villgust is an extremely simple , turn based RPG where you travel on the world map, visit towns, buy equipment and items, descend into dungeons, and fight random enemies .The overall exprerience is below average... Unlike some other RPGs of that era, it's battle system, sound/music - sound effects, graphics and even the pacing are all bad. Playing this game feels like there is no goal and that's mainly a "side effect" of the bad gameplay planning/design.It is not an import friendly game but since 2017, there is a fan translation ~for those who are interested in playing it.
NES : Chrono Trigger ~Pirate Unlicensed~ (CHN) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-06-18 | Chrono Trigger (时空之轮) or Shi Kong Zhi Lun is an unlicensed RPG that developed and published by Shenzhen Nanjing Technology back in 1996, exclusively for the Chinese market and the Famicom/NES home console system. The game is full compatible with any of the Famiclone systems.According to the BootlegGames Wiki :The game is loosely based off the original game, and it shares the same characteristics of other Nanjing RPGs, since they share the same engine. The battle system here isn't implemented properly; the game treats the battle layout as a standard RPG battle but still relies on the gauges from the original active battle system the game uses.The game only goes up to the fight with Magus, whose battle is cited as being near impossible due to requiring near-frame perfect inputs even with maxed stats.The sprites are custom and/or recycled from other Nanjing games; most notably Rhyhorn (recolored green) and Beedrill show up as enemies in the game.Check some other "pirate" games that appeared in the channel :Final Fantasy VII NES :youtube.com/watch?v=UkLPpsLRqxMDiablo NES :youtube.com/watch?v=XpAoXJZ4T54Dragon Quest VIII NES :youtube.com/watch?v=ZwLGtpr4TxgFire Emblem GB :youtube.com/watch?v=2HzvmOQwWHE
ARCADE : Knights of Valour 2 (CHN) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-06-12 | Knights of Valour 2 (三国战纪 2) ~spells as San Guo Zhan Ji 2~ is an action/beat 'em up RPG that developed and published by International Games System back in 2000, exclusively for the Arcade systems. Althought the first game was an international hit success, the second installment "stayed" mainly in the Asian market .The game is loosely based on the Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The 5 Generals of Shu must prove their worth by killing Quan's evil forces.KoV 2 features more of the same gameplay as it's predecessor that focuses on large movesets, inventory management, experience points, and branching paths.On one hand, it has a well thought-out combat system with plenty of depth, a large character roster, and good graphics. On the other hand, most of the time you'll be fighting either small waves of pushover enemies or bosses with way too much health. Overall, it's a short and fun experience.It's an import friendly game. You don't have to understand Chinese in order to finish it.
PC-88 : Gandhara ~ Buddha no Seisen (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-06-07 | Gandhara ~ Buddha no Seisen (ガンダーラ仏陀の聖戦) is an RPG game that developed and published by Enix back in 1987, exclusively for the Japanese market. There are many other versions of the game for the systems : Sharp X1, FM-7,PC-98 and MSX.The hero (you name him) was chosen by the god Kokouzo to become a "Buddha warrior". Your goal is to return the ashes of Buddha which can be found in dungeons. Aside from that, you have to kill the false god and bring the peace back to the world.Gandhara is an old school action RPG where you have to face ~randomly respawning enemies~ with your sword or magical spells. Defeating enemies will grant the protagonist experience points; once a certain amount of those is accumulated, the hero levels up and grows stronger.There are 8 worlds in total and the action part is pretty much the same in all of them.Considering the fact that is a 1987 game, the graphics are quite impressive for it's time and the same goes for the sound design. Im not aware how the other versions look/are but the PC-88 is well developed for sure.On the other side, the gameplay suffers from repetitiveness and the...unfair difficulty, mainly because the AI acts in a random pattern.Overall, it's an interesting game, neither great nor bad.It is an import friendly game.
Genesis : Dragon Slayer - The Legend of Heroes (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-05-29 | Dragon Slayer - The Legend of Heroes (ドラゴンスレイヤー英雄伝説) or Dragon Slayer - Eiyuu Densetsu as it is more known in Japan is an RPG for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive console system that developed by Sega / Falcom and published by Sega back in 1994, exclusively for the Japanese market.Prince Logan's town, Exile, attacked by monsters and beside the point he is not a powerful warrior yet, he managed to escape. Soon after these events, he discovered that the attacks were planned by Baron Drax in order to take over Logan's kingdom. On a journey with new companions to meet, Logan's adventure begins to reclaim his throne back.The game follows the basic RPG mechanics of moving around the field, battling monsters to level up, and discovering hints from NPCs. It's an old school jrpg which means it's turn based with first person view in the battles. During the fights you have to choose between 8 choices (fight, spells, defend, auto, items, equip, status and run).On the field, the player is in control of the party's leader (of choice). The battles increase in difficulty as the main character level advances. In the question of "how this game differs from the (many) other versions" the answer is that the Sega/Falcom re-worked the pixel art design which lead to an impressive "alternate" presentation with bigger, more clear and brighter sprites. The final result is probably the best looking console version of the game. It's far better than the PC - Engine CD and the SNES where both of them resemble more of an 8bit game ~unlike this version.Some great compliments can be told for the sound design as well. The sound quality is really good and takes advantage of the console's promising Yamaha YM2612 sound chip. But as you probably guessed, it can't top the PC- Engine's CD quality.The Legend of Heroes is not an import friendly game as it contains a lot of text in Japanese.Be sure to check out some of the channel's videos about the Eiyuu Densetsu series :PC Engine CD / Eiyuu Densetsu II youtube.com/watch?v=otJ-N992dSQPC-98 / Eiyuu Densetsu IIyoutube.com/watch?v=XTk1hhDSegk
DS : All Kamer Rider - Rider Generation (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-05-22 | All Kamer Rider : Rider Generation (オール仮面ライダー ライダージェネレーション) is an action/beat em up RPG that developed and published by Bandai Namco Games back in 2011, exclusively for the Japanese market and the Nintendo DS handheld system.A mysterious organisation is bringing chaos to the world by causing past evil monsters to gather and do their destructive things. The two Riders, Double and Den-O are using the DenLiner ~a special train-like vehicle~ to bring back Riders from various eras in order to save the world from their old enemies.All Kamer Rider is an action RPG which is pretty straight forward in manners of gameplay. All you have to do is select your favourite Rider and then fight in a side scroller view ,similar as you are playing a beat em up game. Everytime you kill an enemy, you collect experience points. Leveling up makes you stronger and unlocks new moves for your character. Althought you control 2 heroes at the same time, there is no option for a 2 player mode.Kamen Rider fans can choose from a 28 character roster(not all available from the start) and most of them appeared in the show until the 000-era.In general, it's an easy to play game, not so challenging and somewhat repetitive. The fans of the show are gonna appreciate it more than the average player who knows nothing about the Riders.As you probably understood, it's an import friendly game.
PC-FX : Blue Breaker ~ Ken Yori mo Hohoemi o (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-05-15 | Blue Breaker: Ken yori Mo Hohoemi o (ブルーブレイカー ～剣よりも微笑みを～) is an RPG that developed by Hunex and published by NEC back in 1996, exclusively for the Japanese market. Althought, it was meant to be a NEC PC-FX exclusive, it was later ported to the PS1 and Sega Saturn (1997). From 2008 it is available for download in the Playstation store.A young warrior named Kain decides to start a journey (after his father encouragement) in order to defeat the famous and super strong Dark Lord but also to find the one, true love . Before leaving his house, his father introduces to him a young sorceress named Asha, who becomes his first companion.During his journey he will meet many other young women , it won't be easy to choose his soulmate.Blue Breaker is a turn based RPG that combines role play and dating simulation gameplay elements.The role play part is what you expect from a jrpg of that era with town ~through menus~ and area/dungeon exploration. The action parts are presented in a side scroller view which is not so common for a game of this genre.As for the dating simulation part, your answer choices and behavior towards girls influences the story progression and your relationship with them. For example, if you give a girl too many orders in battle (by the way you can set battle in auto mode) she will be displeased and won't like you. And so on.The game is not import friendly as it contains a lot of dialogues in Japanese.
PC : Duo Princess (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-05-11 | Duo Princess (デュオプリンセス) is an indie/doujin RPG that developed and published by the EasyGameStation company back in 2003, exclusively for the Japanese market and the Windows based home computer systems.Mint and Maya are two young and powerful sisters that are seeking adventures all around the world.Duo Princess is an extremely simple action RPG which is based on the Threads of Fates ~Playstation 1~ uses the same main characters~. In manners of gameplay, it's a typical aRPG where you can attack, jump and use a special move. What you basically do is charging forward and bashing enemies.Till to this day, it's the EasyGameStation's best seller game.It's an import friendly game. You can beat it even without understanding what's going on.
RPG Music : Adventures of Puppet Princess A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-05-03 | Sweet melody from the Rhapsody ~Playstation 1Track : Little LoveAlbum : Marl Oukoku no Ningyouhime ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK (マール王国の人形姫 オリジナルサウンドトラック)Composer : Tenpei SatoYear : 1999
MSX2 : La Valeur (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-04-30 | La Valeur (魔晶伝紀) is an RPG that developed and published by the Kogado Studio back in 1990, exclusively for the Japanese market. It's a multi-system release.The player controls a swordsman named Alan. One day he arrives at the village of Flodi, and finds out that his help is needed: the daughter of the village elder, Sophia, has been kidnapped by monsters and taken into the nearby cave.The entire quest is played solo, without party members. There is no "world map", which is characteristic for other games of this kind. The gameplay is heavy on "level-grinding"; typically, a certain level must be reach in a given area before the hero is able to defeat harder enemies. The battles are turn based/first person and all of the fights, random encountered.The game is not bad but also not for everyone. If you are into old school RPGs and you are NOT a short tempered gamer ~check the last part of the video~ then you should give it a try.In spite of the fact La Valeur is a fully Japanese texted RPG, it's an import friendly experience.
PC-Engine CD : Alnam no Kiba (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-04-24 | Alnam no Kiba: Juzoku Junishinto Densetsu (アルナムの牙 獣族十二神徒伝説) is an RPG that developed and published by Right Stuff back in 1994, exclusively for the NEC PC Engine CD home console system and the Japanese market. In 1996, the same company remade the game for the Playstation 1 system.Kiba is a young man with beast abilities who trains hard to become a great warrior like his friend and mentor Uken. One day, a huge prayer mantis-like monster attacked 2 of his friends (and later his mentor) near his village and killed them all. After those tragic events, the village council decided that Kiba must be the one to discover what is really happening with the high number of monster appearings.At a first glance, Alnam no Kiba resembles more of an 8bit game than a 16bit....but the overall presentation is not that bad as it looks ~especially the town desings are quite intresting. The soundtrack is good and the same goes for the FMV scenes where they take advantage of the console's CD-ROM technology.In manners of gameplay, it's a simple top down, turn based rpg with random battle encounters. During the fights, your characters can do a simple, a combined or even a beast attack ~ with some MP cost. The MP usage is an important factor of it's gameplay and that's because if you run out of points , you will not able to do anything!Alnam no Kiba cannot be considered as a bad game but unfortunately, it lacks "character" ..which means it brings nothing new to the table.If you don't understand Japanese it will be a difficult task to enjoy the game. So..it's not import friendly.
PC-98 : Akatsuki no Bizantira (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-04-17 | Akatsuki no Bizantira (暁のビザンティラ) is an RPG that developed and published by ASCII Corporation back in 1994, exclusively for the NEC PC-98 computer system and the Japanese market.The game is based on Hiroe Suga's manga novel of the same name and the story is focused on Bizantira's adventures in order to discover why the animals of the world started to attack humans.Gameplay-wise is a is a very basic RPG, with random encouters and turn based battles. You wander around a top-down world map~unfortunately with no icon~, exploring the world and visiting towns. There is no navigation in the towns; locations are selected through a menu.In general, it's a very minimal and straight forward RPG experience without any extraordinary feature.Althought it's not an import friendly game, the lack of story development (not many texts) and the simple mechanics, make this game quite accessible to anyone.
Sega Saturn : Kuso Kagaku Sekai Gulliver Boy (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-04-10 | Kuso Kagaku Sekai Gulliver Boy (空想科学世界ガリバーボーイ) is an RPG that developed and published by Hudson back in 1996, exclusively for the Sega Saturn console system and the Japanese market.Gulliver is a young boy who studies magic in Italy. Unlike the other kids, he doesn't like his studies and always seeks adventures. After he gets his diploma, he travels to Venice to hook up with his best friends ~Misty and Edison. All of them will team up in order to stop the plot of the Spanish crown (King Judau) to dominate the world.This version is a remake of the PC Engine version (1995), featuring slightly improved graphics,better sound quality and videos. The scenario is tied with the anime version (the game is based on that). There's also a Super Famicom/SNES version which is not related in any way with the Sega Saturn release.The gameplay is quite basic for the today's standards. The fights are turn based with first person view and they begin only when you come in touch with your enemies. In a way, it's similar to Phantasy Star or Dragon Quest series. What is really strange is that the game doesn't show the player how much experience the characters have nor how much they gain from battles.A notable characteristic is it's economical system. Enemies don't leave money behind like most RPGs. The only way to earn money is to visit shops, buy items, and selling them in a different city at a higer price for profit.It's not an import friendly game.
Playstation : Shin Megami Tensei - Devil Children ~ Black/Red Book (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-04-03 | Shin Megami Tensei - Devil Children ~ Black/Red Book (真・女神転生 デビルチルドレン 黒の書/赤の書) is a turn based RPG that developed and published by Atlus back in 2002, exclusively for the Sony Playstation home console system and the Japanese market. The game(s) were originally released (2001) on the Nintendo's GameBoy Color ~as seperate releases~ but soon ported to the Playstation in order to boost/promote the Devil Children anime.The game starts as the main hero/heroine (Setsuna Kai or Mirai Kaname) receives a strange parcel. Shortly afterwards, a group of Petit Frosts (demons) shows up, trying to take the parcel and also kidnap Nagahisa ~ next door neighbor. Moments later, the protagonist opens the parcel and finds a gun-shaped object which in all of sudden, summons Cool, a cat like creature who pledges loyalty to him/her. After defeating the demons, the hero/heroine runs outside looking for Nagahisa.Black/Red Book is considered to be a spin-off to the main Shin Megami Tensei series. There is a 3rd version, the White Book, which unfortunately wasnt included here.As a game, it can be described as a typical old school rpg with first person battles, using basic monster taming mechanics.As I mentioned, it's based on the GBC games with the same name but of course, it improves almost every part of their gameplay. This version offers :i) Better quality pixel-art graphics, more animation frames, improved colours and a lot of FMVs from the anime .ii) The opening scene is based on the anime.iii) More demons in the database.iv) New side questsv) New soundtrack. Also, the important conversations can be now listened as voice overs.In 2013, the GameBoy Color versions appeared in the Nintendo's 3DS marketplace.PS - It's not an import friendly game.
Mega CD : After Armageddon Gaiden ~ Majuu Toushouden Eclipse (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-03-30 | After Armageddon Gaiden: Majuu Toushouden Eclipse (アフターハルマゲドン外伝 魔獣闘将伝エクリプス) is a turn based RPG that developed by Pandora Box and published by Sega back in 1994, exclusively for the Sega Mega CD add-on system and the Japanese market.The story takes place in a world named Eclipse where demon-like creatures are the dominant race. Humans exist only to serve them as...livestock, raised only for consumption. The player controls a party of five monsters whose goal is to stop/kill the demon God , Ra~Mu, who is responsible for the world's anomalies and apocalyptic state.After Armageddon Gaiden is an old school RPG, spin off to the Last Armageddon (check ARV's NES gameplay video here : youtube.com/watch?v=5IpYGfOXjWw ) and for the most part, is quite similar to the previous release. What is new here (and quite interesting) is that the game lets you adjust the combat frequency from the menu whenever you’d like. Other than that, the fans of the Last Armageddon will feel like home.In 1995 there was a release plan for the USA market ~ Working Design as publisher~ but unfortunately, the declined Sega Mega CD sales and the release of the "new" Sega Saturn system, made Sega and Pandora Box to change their minds.* It's not import friendly game. You need to have a basic understanding of the Japanese language.
GameBoy Advance : Monster Summoner (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-03-26 | Monster Summoner (モンスターサマナー) is a strategy RPG that developed and published by ERTAIN back in 2004, exclusively for the Nintendo's GameBoy Advance handheld system and the Japanese market.Case is a young man who wants to be the greatest Summoner in the world. Summoners are humans that can cast spells and summon creatures. In order to achieve his goal , he must pass 3 challenging trials.Monster Summoner is a really interesting RPG which combines real time strategy & RPG elements. It's probably the only game on the GBA that does that! Gameplay wise, all you have to do is summon creatures and attack the enemy leader. There are more than 100 different types of monsters and of course, some species dominate others ~ so you must be really careful when choosing which type will fight for you. Another interesting feature is the Monster encyclopedia which helps you track your adventure and also, provides you some useful infos about your monsters.Althought it's not an import friendly game, the gameplay part is easily accesible to anyone.
PSP : Tengai Makyou - The Apocalypse IV (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-03-20 | Tengai Makyou - The Apocalypse IV (天外魔境 第四の黙示録) is a turn based RPG for the Sony PSP handheld system that developed by Red Company/ Hudson and published by Hudson back in 2006, exclusively for the Japanese market. Two years later~ in 2008, it re-released as part of the Hudson the Best collection. The 2006 version is a port of the Sega Saturn version that released back in 1997 (Japan) with minor changes. The 2008 Hudson The Best game is identical to the 2006 PSP release.The game starts in New Orleans, Louisiana - 1893. A boy named Rizing along with a couple of friends discover a mysterious old house, go inside, and find what seems to be a mummy sleeping in a coffin. That moment a powerful demon is released into the world, and possessed the soul of one of the boys.The Apocalypse IV is a brilliant old school RPG, full of colours, humorous moments and interesting gameplay mechanics. Althought it's a port, there are some small changes like : the GUI is slightly different, new intro, better video quality and some new voice acting. There are also some new scenarios mostly focusing on the secondary characters.It is not an import friendly game since it's a scenario based, full of texts.Be sure to check the GameCube version of Tengai Makyo :youtube.com/watch?v=qJwW7sQli08or even the SNES spin-off version of the series , Kabuki Rocks :youtube.com/watch?v=yh_Hx9yiKLw
Playstation 2 : Blood+ ~ Souyoku no Battle Rondo (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-03-12 | Blood+ Souyoku no Battle Rondo (ブラッドプラス 双翼のバトル輪舞曲) is an action/adventure/RPG that developed and published by Sony back in 2006, exclusively for the Sony Playstation 2 home console system and the Japanese market.Saya is a young schoolgirl who suffers from amnesia. Upon being attacked by a vampire monster she learns that she's the only one who can defeat them. She engages herself in a journey ~with her family, allies, and her chevalier Haji~ to defeat all those dangerous monsters and recover her identity.Blood+ is based on the anime (same name) and basically, it's an interactive novel which depicts key events of the animated series ~there are a lot of scenes from there~. According to the manual the story of the videogame version takes place after Riku's death.The gameplay is quite simple and all you have to do is : a.) watch a short clip in order to understand what is happening and b.) fight. Straight as that.The fans of the manga/anime will probably like this experience but I'm pretty sure the rest of the players will feel lost and confused.Althought it's not an import friendly game (lot of texts and voice overs) , you can easily play&finish the game even If you don't understand Japanese.Note : Unfortunately, I failed all of my combos because of the emulator settings. Bear with me :) .
SNES : Star Ocean (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-03-06 | Star Ocean (スターオーシャン) is an RPG with action-style sequences that developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix back in 1996, exclusively for the Japanese market and the Super Famicom/Nintendo console system.On the planet Roak, inhabited by the Fellpool race, a trio of childhood friends (Ratix, Dorn and Milly) go about their ways and protect their village of Kratous from bandits as usual. However, Milly's father Martoth leaves after receiving news that a mysterious plague threatens the nearby town of Coule. As the town healer he hopes to help the victims, who are all turning to stone. But he, too, is infected before long. The trio thus decides to set off for Mt. Metorx to recover the Metorx Herb, a legendary herb said to cure any ailment. What they find is more than they ever expected...Star Ocean is a magnificent RPG which surprisingly enough didn't receive a Western localization. Aside from the excellent pixel art graphics, the very interesting random encounter - action battle system, the scenario development and progression, it's one of the very few games on the system that uses real voice samples (a real rarity). There's no doubt, Star Ocean streched the hardcore SNES hardware to it's limits.On a personal note, I believe it's one of the best RPGs that ever appeared in the 16bit era. If i had to mention 1 thing I didn't like that would be the limited view of the world map.Althought it is not an import friendly game, thankfully, some fans have already translated the game in the English language. Be sure to check it.
Playstation : Planet Laika (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-02-27 | Planet Laika (プラネットライカ) is an adventure/RPG game that developed by Quintet and published by Enix back in 1999, exclusively for the Japanese market and the Sony Playstation console system.You are part of an expendition to Mars in order to discover the truth about rumors that have been going around, concerning the end of the world and the existence of a creature. You , as Laika, have multiple-personality disorder, and when talking to other characters, you will see an aura around them. Laika can absorb these auras, and therefore take on different personalities (for puzzle solving).The RPG elements can be met in very special occassions and while you are in an "alter ego" form . All you have to do is deflect enemy projectiles. Quite unusual for a game of this genre. Planet Laika is not an import friendly game but... recently, some fans made an effort of translating it. Check it here : romhacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=34306.0
Nintendo DS : Kyouryuu Ikusei Battle RPG ~ Kyouryuu Monster (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-02-23 | Kyouryuu Ikusei Battle RPG ~ Kyouryuu Monster (恐竜育成バトルRPG 恐竜モンスター) or Dino Monsters or even Fossil League 2 as it is more known outside Japan, is a turn based RPG, sequel to the Fossil League ~for the same system~ that was developed and published by MTO back in 2008, exclusively for the Nintendo DS handheld system and the Japanese market.A young boy (you name him) decided to become a Dino Fighter trainer. Dr. Tokoudaiji (and his assistant Mio) who knew in the past his father, persuaded the boy to work for them and help them with their research using a new time machine. After a time travel trip, the hero met an Albertosaurus (you name it) which became his first dinosaur. And that's the beginning of a long journey which will lead him to become a world Dino champion.Dino Masters can be described as a Pokemon-like game. There are around 100 species of dinosaurs to tame and most of them have similar attack moves. What is interesting is that you can follow a pattern on the touch screen to execute a combo move for an extra dmg. If you are familiar with the first game (there is an English version), then you will feel like home playing this RPG. Unfortunately, it is not an import friendly game.
Neo-Geo CD : The Super Spy (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-02-20 | The Super Spy (ザ・スーパー・スパイ) is a first person action game, with RPG elements that developed and published by SNK back in 1994. It's a port of the 1990 Neo-Geo release.Roy Heart is a CIA agent who has to stop a group of terrorists which is responsible for the horrible murders of thousands.Super Spy is a unique RPG , quite impressive for it's time , featuring nice pixel art graphics and an innovating first person - beat up style gameplay. It's quite similar to the (later) Crossed Swords series. You can check ARV's demonstration video here ~Crossed Swords II ~ :youtube.com/watch?v=iM_6BjIdFIwThe Neo Geo CD version is just a port of the original without any new features.For those who are interested in playing or import it but can't read Japanese, dont worry! All of the texts are in English.
Playstation 2 : Taisho Mononoke Ibunroku (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-02-19 | Taisho Mononoke Ibunroku (ソフト 大正もののけ異聞録) is a turn based RPG with a lot of simulation elements that developed and published by Gust back in 2003, exclusively for the Sony PS2 console system and the Japanese market.The story takes place during the era of Taisho in Japan. The player chooses one of the 5 avalaible characters : Shunsuke, Manai, Shinomori , Yakumo and Suzune. Each one has super natural skills , different characteristics and motivations. Your hero must complete the "tasks" of the Tenjou Magatama in order to fullfill one of his/her wishes. Of course, the whole process will not be that easy...Althought it's an RPG, most of the gameplay part is based on the simulation part which means you have to talk/interact with a lot of npcs in order to progress the story and of course, to develop your character. The battle mechanics are what you expect from a turn based RPG but this time almost all of the fights are pre-fixed. During the fights you have to fight monsters or mononokes as they called inside the game. What is even more interesting is that you can tame and use them in your fights.Since it's a heavily texted game , If you don't understand Japanese then it will be a challenge to play and enjoy it.
Sega Saturn : Ryuuteki Gosennen - Dragons Of China (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-02-13 | Ryuuteki Gosennen - Dragons Of China (龍的五千年) is an interactive adventure that developed and published by Imagineer back in 1997, exclusively for the Japanese market and the Sega Saturn console system.We are in China in the year 2099 AD. During the construction of a new Olympics stadium, a black dragon appeared out of nowhere, dropped some thunders and flew away. Later, it appeared in Tokyo and destroyed the whole city. The next day the world was hit by multiple natural disasters bringing the humanity to the brink of extinction. At the global academic conference of ancient ruins it was decided to acquire the power of a good dragon in order to deal with the evil dragon. You are Ken, the participant of that conference and you hurry to find the good dragon of China.Ryuuteki Gosennen is an interactive comic/adventure which means you can't actually play but only "be part" of the story. All you have to do is chat ...with npcs in order to unlock new areas and characters to interact.Having a "strange" artwork, weird scenario and an annoyingly repetitive music...led the Japanese Saturn Magazine readers to rate it as one of the worst Saturn games (3/10).* It's not an import friendly game.
NES : Jesus - Kyoufu no Bio Monster (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-02-05 | Jesus - Kyoufu no Bio Monster (ジーザス 恐怖のバイオ・モンスター) is an adventure game for the Nintendo NES/Famicom console system that developed and published by Enix (now Square-Enix) back in 1989, exclusively for the Japanese market.The game takes place in 2061. Halley's Comet has been approaching Mars for quite some time, and the nations of Earth send a mission to investigate the comet as some form of life has been detected inside the gas of it.Jesus is a typical, old school Japanese adventure with anime-style presentation where each area is shown with an image, and you have the option of several commands. The story progress only if you complete all of the necessary dialogues.Since 2016, there is a translation patch for the game.
Playstation : Yakata - Nightmare Project (JAP) A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-01-29 | Yakata - Nightmare Project (ナイトメア・プロジェクト) is an RPG that developed by Chime Corporation and published by ASK back in 1998, exclusively for the Sony Playstation system and the Japanese market.On a stormy day, a group of 4 people travelled to the island Kakushima. All of them are invited from Chiori Nakamura. One person didnt make it on time (Yukiya).Yukiya attempts to catch up with the others (he rent a yacht), result in a shipwreck and some soft amnesia for him. To his best luck, he is alive and made it there.Over dinner, the hostess Chiori Nakamura explains the reasons why they all invited. Over the years, her father built six special mansions (2 are on the island). Each one of them serves an evil purpose because there are devices in them that accumulate and store negative energies and thoughts causing some weird paranormal anomalies. Each of the guests have a connection to one of the four distant houses (outside the island). She desperately needs their help to shut down her father's evil project. At first, the guests didn't believe her story till...they found her dead ~the next morning~, locked inside her room.Eventually, after that tragic event they will start a research/journey to discover what is really happening.Yakata is a traditional RPG with turn based battles ,random encounters and a 3rd person view. For a 1998 RPG, the graphics could be quite better (not a technical marvel for sure) and the same goes for the camera system which is...sometimes super annoying.On the other hand, the storyline and it's depth are amazing. The scenario development is extremely unique and I'm pretty sure there isn't anything similar ~for that period of time~ on a console system.As for the soundtrack, it's really enjoyable . You can check the ARV's suggestion here :youtube.com/watch?v=oRw67jLds_EOverall, it's an interesting production that deserves some attention.~ A small note : NOT import friendly.
RPG Music : Nightmare Project YAKATA A.R.A - Asian RPGs & Adventures 2022-01-27 | Melancholic melody from an excellent soundtrack.Game : Nightmare Project YAKATA (ナイトメア・プロジェクトYAKATA)Title of the song : Main Title (piano version) / メインタイトル (piano version)Composed and arranged by : Daisuke MinamizawaFrom the album : Nightmare Project YAKATA original soundtrack (ナイトメアプロジェクト YAKATA オリジナルサウンドトラック)Year : 1999
