15/02/2022

The New Classics: The Contenders, a.k.a. The List

 

After I’ve revealed the rejects, it’s time to list the games that will be put to the New Classics test! Not only will this list refresh my memory and give me a good overview of the job, but it will also allow for an interesting bit of gaming interaction. Here’s the plan, dear fellow gamers: should you spot in my list a game you’re curious about, just let me know and I’ll play it. This should spice things up, and make the whole endeavour stimulating for all of us. ^^

Here's a quick recap of the New Classics modus operandi: I play each game for two hours at most. Based on the fact that my favourite games have always been games I loved immediately, this should allow me to separate the wheat from the chaff with great efficiency. (For the interested, the full description of the New Classics project can be read here.)


Before I move on to the list, here are a couple of points I wanna mention:

 

— VNs and puzzle games won’t be a priority during the New Classics phase, because of their inherent low replay value. As a result, they won't be listed here.

— The few Japanese games I own will be kept aside for now; I’ll get to them once I’m done with the Westerners.

— Digital games won’t be listed. Not only is most of my remaining digital library made of Kemco games, which I love as a rule, but digital games cannot be pawned anyway. So I might as well keep them, and play them if/when I feel like it.

— I’ll link the games’ names to their respective post as I progress; so this list can be used as an entry point into the upcoming jungle of New Classics reviews.

— In case similar versions of a game exist on more than one system, I’ll only list the version I own (or plan to play in case I own several). Like, Atelier Firis is available on both the Vita and the Switch; but I own the Switch version, so this is the one I’ll roll with. On the other hand, if we’re dealing with remakes or different versions, I’ll list all the versions and try them all.

— Last but not least, I’ll keep the games sorted by alphabetical order and by series; and if a game’s name starts with “the”, I’ll ignore that and take the following word into account. And now, on with the show!

 

 

Switch:

 

 

 
 

Vita:

 

  • Aegis of Earth: Protovonus Assault
  • Ar Nosurge Plus
  • Astro Aqua Kitty
  • Atelier Escha & Logy Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky
  • Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea
  • A.W.: Phoenix Festa
  • BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend
  • Blazblue: Continuum Shift Extend
  • Bullet Girls Phantasia
  • Child of Light
  • Cosmic Star Heroine
  • Deception IV: Blood Ties
  • Defender’s Quest
  • Demon Gaze II
  • Digimon Story: Cybersleuth
  • Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention
  • Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited
  • Dragon’s Crown
  • Dragon Fantasy: The Black Tome of Ice
  • Drive Girls
  • Dungeon Hunter Alliance
  • Exist Archive – The Other Side of the Sky
  • Final Fantasy X-2
  • Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star
  • Gal*Gun: Double Peace
  • God Wars: Future Past
  • Grand Kingdom
  • Gravity Rush
  • Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart
  • Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection
  • Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed
  • Lost Dimension
  • Mary Skelter: Nightmares
  • Megatagmention Blanc + Neptune vs Zombies
  • MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death
  • Mind Zero
  • Minecraft
  • Muramasa Rebirth
  • Mystery Chronicles: One Way Heroics
  • Natural Doctrine
  • New Little King’s Story
  • Odin Sphere
  • Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy
  • Operation Babel: New Tokyo Legacy
  • Persona 4 Golden
  • Punch Line
  • Ragnarok Odyssey Ace
  • Rainbow Skies
  • Senran Kagura: Estival Versus
  • Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus
  • Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate
  • Soul Sacrifice
  • Summon Night 6: Lost Borders
  • Superdimension Neptune vs Sega Hard Girls
  • Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization
  • Sword Art Online: Lost Song
  • Tokyo Tatoo Girls
  • Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters
  • Tokyo Xanadu
  • Trillion: God of Destruction
  • Toukiden: The Age of Demons
  • Trails of Cold Steel
  • Trails of Cold Steel II
  • World of Final Fantasy
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
  • Ys: Memories of Celceta
  • Ys Origins

 

  

3DS:

 

  • Bravely Second: End Layer
  • Culdcept Revolt
  • Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past
  • Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
  • Etrian Mystery Dungeon
  • Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl
  • Etrian Odyssey Untold 2: The Fafnir Knight
  • Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan
  • Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth
  • Etrian Odyssey Nexus
  • Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX
  • Heroes of Ruin
  • Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
  • Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
  • Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning
  • Harvest Moon 3D: The Tale of Two Towns
  • Monster Hunter Generations
  • Monster Hunter Stories
  • New Style Boutique
  • New Style Boutique 2: Fashion Forward
  • New Style Boutique 3: Styling Star
  • Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
  • Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
  • Project X Zone
  • Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson
  • Shin Megami Tensei IV
  • Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner – Soul Hackers
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 – Record Breaker
  • Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns
  • Super Pokemon Rumble

 

 
PSP:

 

  • Aedis Eclipse: Generation of Chaos
  • Blazing Souls Accelate
  • Blade Dancer
  • Brave Story
  • Breath of Fire III
  • Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
  • Class of Heroes 2
  • Crimson Gem Saga
  • Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
  • Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness
  • Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days
  • Dissidia Final Fantasy
  • Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
  • Dragoneer’s Aria
  • Fate/Extra
  • Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection
  • Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
  • Generation of Chaos
  • Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time
  • Gungnir
  • Gurumin
  • Half Minute Hero
  • Innocent Life
  • Jeanne D’Arc
  • Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
  • Knights in the Nightmare
  • Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermillion
  • Legend of Heroes II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch
  • Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean
  • Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
  • Mana Khemia: Student Alliance
  • Phantasy Star Portable
  • Phantasy Star Portable 2
  • Ragnarok Tactics
  • Samurai Warriors: State of War
  • Shepherd’s Crossing
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2 – Innocent Sin
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable
  • Spectral Souls: Resurrection of the Ethereal Empires
  • Star Ocean: First Departure
  • Star Ocean: Second Evolution
  • Summon Night 5
  • Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
  • Tales of Eternia
  • Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology
  • Ultimate Ghost’n Goblins
  • Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
  • Warriors Orochi
  • Wild Arms XF
  • Yggdra Union: We’ll Never Fight Alone
  • Ys: The Ark of Napishtim
  • Ys: The Oath in Felghana
  • Ys Seven
  • Z.H.P: Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman

 

 

DS:

 

  • Anno 1701
  • Atelier Annie: Alchemist of Sera Island
  • Away: Shuffle Dungeon
  • Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled
  • Bleach: The Blade of Fate
  • Blue Dragon Plus
  • Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow
  • Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
  • Chocolatier
  • Chrono Trigger
  • Civilization Revolution
  • Contact
  • Cookie Shop
  • Dark Spire
  • Deep Labyrinth
  • Devil Survivor
  • Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen
  • Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie / Revelation
  • Dragon Quest Monster Joker 2
  • Dungeon Maker
  • Eledees: The Adventures of Kai and Zero
  • Etrian Odyssey 2: Heroes of Lagaard
  • Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City
  • Final Fantasy III
  • Final Fantasy IV
  • Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
  • Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
  • Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
  • Final Fantasy: The Four Heroes of Light
  • Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
  • From the Abyss
  • Geometry Wars: Galaxies
  • Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
  • Heroes of Mana
  • Inazuma Eleven 2: FireStorm
  • Infinite Space
  • Izuna: The Legend of the Ninja
  • Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns
  • Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
  • Kingdom Hearts: Re:coded
  • Knights in the Nightmare
  • Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
  • Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
  • Lock’s Quest
  • Lost in Blue 2
  • Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals
  • Lunar Genesis (a.k.a. Lunar: Dragon Song)
  • Lunar Knights
  • Magical Starsign
  • Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes
  • My World My Way
  • Nanostray
  • Nanostray 2
  • Nostalgia
  • Okamiden
  • Orcs & Elves
  • Phantasy Star 0
  • Pokemon Conquest
  • Pokemon Ranger
  • Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs
  • Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
  • Radiant Historia
  • Ragnarok DS
  • Rondo of Swords
  • Rune Factory
  • Rune Factory 2
  • Rune Factory 3
  • Sands of Destruction
  • Shepherd’s Crossing 2
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
  • Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
  • Solatorobo: Red the Hunter
  • Spectral Force Genesis
  • Steal Princess
  • Summon Night: Twin Age
  • Tao’s Adventure: Curse of the Demon Seal
  • Trauma Center: Under the Knife
  • Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2
  • Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume
  • Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise
  • World Ends With You

 


Game Boy Advance:

 

  • Advance Wars
  • Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising
  • Breath of Fire
  • Breath of Fire 2
  • Final Fantasy V Advance
  • Final Fantasy VI Advance
  • Fire Emblem
  • Fire Emblem: Swords of Seals
  • Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
  • Golden Sun: The Lost Age
  • Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
  • Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
  • Lufia: The Ruins of Lore
  • Sigma Star Saga
  • Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon
  • Shining Soul II
  • Sonic Advance
  • Sonic Advance 2
  • Sonic Advance 3
  • Summon Night: Swordcraft Story
  • Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2
  • Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis
 

Game Boy:

 

  • Dragon Quest (a.k.a. Dragon Warrior)
  • Dragon Quest II (a.k.a. Dragon Warrior II)
  • Dragon Quest III (a.k.a. Dragon Warrior III)
  • Final Fantasy Adventure
  • Final Fantasy Legend III
  • Azure Dreams
  • Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
  • Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

 

 

Putting this list together was really interesting. I encountered games I didn’t even remember owning, while other instantly brought in a mass of sweet memories and a strong desire to play them. I’ll play them all no matter what, don’t worry; but this goes to show that my collection formed in a pretty haphazard way over the years. Some entries were highly anticipated, while others were merely the result of me desperately wanting to buy something — anything. I’m also quite surprised that I ended up purchasing full series — spinoffs et al. — before even trying a single instalment to see if it was my thing — case in point, Kingdom Hearts (which I have yet to play) and Final Fantasy (which I dislike overall). This was the result of my immense greed and lust for games, and I can vaguely remember that it made perfect sense at the time; but it is not something I could see myself doing nowadays — case in point, the Yokai Watch Averted Binge. Well, live and play and learn — and pass it on if it doesn’t tickle your gaming fancy.

 

But what about the Switch games that will be released in 2022 and beyond, you may ask? Yeah, about that… I may claim that I won’t get my greedy paws on a single new game until I’m done with the New Classic phase; but such a claim would be hilariously unrealistic, and we all know it. Knowing that every new game will have to pass the New Classic test to remain in my collection anyway, here’s what I’ve decided: I’ll buy all the games my gaming instinct claims, and add them to the list on the fly. Just in case you’re wondering, the List (with capital L from now on) currently comprises 404 games — a super-stylish number, but one that probably won’t stay put for long.

 

For the posts themselves, I’m going to use a fixed layout, with no intro or outro. Each post will comprise three parts:

 

  • The Backstory, where I’ll present how I got the game as well as any interesting trivia about it;
  • The Game, where I’ll expand on my impressions of, well, the game;
  • The Verdict, where I’ll reveal if the game is granted a spot in my precious collection.

 

That’s pretty much all, dear fellow gamers. We’re in for a thrilling ride for sure, and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as me! And remember: if a game featured on The List tickles your fancy, just let me know and I'll play it ^^.

 

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9 comments:

  1. Sieg16 February 2022 at 16:29

    Uff, good luck finishing all these! Are you going to limit yourself to a minimum-maximum play time/hours for each? You'll play the main story only or some of the post game content? Because I'm seeing several games there that would take 60 hours minimum to finish while others would take you a couple of hours or so.
    And I also spotted some repeated games: why play Rune Factory 4 on the 3DS when you can play the Special Edition on the Switch, which is exactly the same game but with fixes? With Strange Journey I kinda get it, since even fans of the series (me included) have been very divisive about the "enhanced" 3DS edition.

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    Replies
    1. Isleif16 February 2022 at 17:17

      Hahaha, I'm certainly not planning to finish all these! ^^ Let's face it, that would be pretty much impossible :P

      I actually described the way I was going to operate in a dedicated post (https://thatextralevel.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-new-classics.html); however, your comment made me realize that the post in question is several months old already, and that a refresher was in order. I edited The List to that effect; and to answer your question directly, I'll play each game for two hours maximum. I've noticed over the years that all my favourite games are always games I loved immediately; so two hours should be more than enough to spot my own cult classics.

      Rune Factory IV on the DS is clearly a mistake. I'm actually planning to get rid of it no matter what: it's a North-American game, and I've had it with the 3DS' stupid region lock.

      Any game on this list you'd like me to play, my friend? I'm sure you have some ideas... Starting with Shining Soul II, maybe? ^^

      Delete
    2. Sieg16 February 2022 at 18:01

      Ah, 2 hours, then? Seems like an honest chance. And even then, considering your list has easily over 100 games, you're still looking at over 200 hours.

      Honestly, from the list, I'd say the most urgent game you have there is Dragon Quest III. It's an JRPG that will always stand among the hall of fame of JRPGs. And for good reason. It's a real fault in your gaming resume, and you should play ASAP. And it has a decent length: around 20 hours to finish. The Switch version isn't the ideal one, but it's serviceable. And on that note, Dragon Quest I is a very short game, around 4 or 5 hours long. Play that one and then III (which have connections to each other).
      You should also play Castlevania Chronicles X. It's a remake of Rondo of Blood and also has the original PCE version and Symphony of the Night as unlockable bonuses.
      Other than those, I'd say I'd love to know what you think of: Sigma Star Saga on the GBA, Knights in the Nightmare on the PSP, Muramasa Rebirth on the Vita and SMT IV on the 3DS.

      Delete
    3. Sieg16 February 2022 at 18:14

      Now I noticed: You've never played Chrono Trigger? Or Sonic Mania? Or the Sonic Advance trilogy? Bump those to the "in the near future" section!

      The more I read through your list, the more I feel conflicted: on one hand I feel genuine jealousy because you get to play so many good games for the first time, on the other hand, I feel sorry for you since this is one gigantic backlog you have here and 2 hours won't be enough to even thread through the intro of some games (like Persona 4 Golden or Ar Nosurge).

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    4. Isleif16 February 2022 at 19:10

      Got it! Dragon Quest I&III, Castlevania Chronicles X, Sigma Star Saga, Knights in the Knightmare (PSP version), Muramasa Rebirth, SMT IV, Chrono Trigger, Sonic Mania and the Sonic Advance trilogy. Your wish is my command — and my schedule for the next days :P

      Regarding DQ I to III, would you say the Game Boy versions are better? I own them too; but I was planning to play them on the Switch, as I expected the Switch versions to be more optimized.

      "I feel sorry for you since this is one gigantic backlog you have here": haha, don't worry. I brought this upon myself, and I fully own up to my excesses. ^^ And honestly, I think I'm gonna have a lot of fun playing that way. Actually, I'm already having a lot of fun: I'm done putting 5 games to the test and writing posts about them, and it was an absolute blast. This way of playing feels immensely refreshing, and I only want to keep going.

      "2 hours won't be enough to even thread through the intro of some games": I'm fully aware of that, and I'm gonna make a bold statement here: any game that doesn't let me play consistently during the first two hours has no business in my collection. I'm done with working my way through millions of cutscenes to get to the gameplay; that's something I never liked, and I simply don't want to put up with it anymore.

      Delete
    5. Sieg16 February 2022 at 19:14

      Remember to alternate between RPGs and other genres, to avoid RPG-burnout!
      And, more importantly, I hope you enjoy those!

      Generally speaking, both the Game Boy and SNES versions of I/II/III are the best. They are fine-tuned and polished compared to the original NES games. Now, the problem is that SquareEnix made mobile ports of I/II/III in the era when there was a maximum file size for those games in japan, so they removed the pachinko mini game, the enemy animations and some other assorted things. This is understandable. The problem is that the modern mobile versions are based on those gutted versions and, in turn, the Switch versions are based on those. I'm unaware if Square did end up fixing or adding stuff in the Switch versions, but ultimately the core game is still the same and you get to enjoy the music in the best quality possible.

      "any game that doesn't let me play consistently during the first two hours has no business in my collection."
      I agree but some games do end up getting better and are worth the pay-off of trudging through the lengthy intros. I do admit that's kinda rare, however.

      Delete
    6. Isleif16 February 2022 at 19:48

      "Remember to alternate between RPGs and other genres, to avoid RPG-burnout": I'll sure do that, my friend. I have a couple of Platformers, Point-and-Clicks and Simulation games that will come in handy.

      Although the New Classics project might seem impossible to pull off, it may actually prove more manageable than we think. Let's say I play a game in a series and end up disliking the gameplay; I can then safely assume I will dislike other instalments as well, and discard the whole series — after giving each entry a 30-minute try just to make sure I'm not missing on something.

      Also, I'm seriously considering getting rid of all pure, grid-based SRPGs. I realized recently that I have yet to find an SRPG I absolutely adore; my favourite one so far is Fire Emblem Echoes, and my fondness for it is vastly due to its ARPG segments. I will first play the SRPGs that pique my interest the most, such as Tactics Ogre; but if the SRPGs in my collection repeatedly fail to enthrall me, then I'll simply pawn them all and renounce the genre altogether.

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    7. Sieg17 February 2022 at 10:46

      Indeed, I understand what you're aiming for. In fact, I too use that basis to give up on a series. After Ys Seven, I only gave a short spin on Celceta and I knew the series's new direction wasn't for me. Same thing with the Trails/Kiseki games. Modern day Falcom just isn't for me (Nayuta no Kiseki is great, though. I think that one is getting a western release this year.)

      So you don't enjoy SRPGs? Hopefully Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (or any Final Fantasy Tactics game, if you ever play those) will change your mind, otherwise I doubt anything else will.
      Recently I discovered the Mercenaries games (from one of Kemco's subsidiaries, no less) and despite being budget games, I absolutely loved the games. I don't see those on your list, but maybe you have them on the Switch digitally? If you still feel like giving the genre one last try, I'd say those would be a decent choice.
      I also see Gungnir and Yggdra Union on your list, but while stellar SRPGs, they have some obtuse mechanics that may or not drive you away from the genre.

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    8. Isleif18 February 2022 at 08:57

      The opposite of what you're describing with the Ys series happened to me with the Atelier series. I didn't like the Arland games; but when the gameplay started to change from the Dusk games, I suddenly found myself digging the new style. This is especially bound to happen with long-running series, which is exactly why a chance must be given to the newer — or older— entries.

      "Modern day Falcom just isn't for me": for some reason, I fear this could be the case for me as well... We'll find out when I play their most recent offerings. I really don't want to fall out of love with Nihon Falcom, because they're one of my favourite developers out there... Fingers crossed!

      The fact that I don't fancy SRPGs makes perfect sense, when you think of it. What I love the most in RPGs are fast-paced battles, grinding by the truckload, and roaming dungeons like it's going out of fashion; all things that typically don't appear in SRPGs, or to such a small degree that it doesn't register.

      Mind you, I kinda liked the few SRPGs I played; but they are not games I'd wanna replay later on. By definition, a game I don't wanna replay is no cult classic of mine; which is why I'm tempted to discard the genre as a whole. Still, I'm not gonna do that right now; there are certainly a couple of SRPGs out there that can pretend to the New Classic title. I'm especially aiming for SRPGs with hybrid and/or original gameplay, such as Fire Emblem Echoes — which is actually a cult classic of mine I wanna replay.

      I had never heard of the Mercenaries games. I'll check them and see if they tickle my fancy; thanks for letting me know about that series! ^^

      Delete

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