A new edition of Retro Corner Reviews is up, and I continue reviewing another JRPG called Breath of Fire. As mentioned, Breath of Fire released in a time where RPGs started gaining popularity. Before Final Fantasy VII made strides for the genre in many ways, these B titles were like the backbone of JRPGs. Sure, they weren’t the same quality we often saw in the Final Fantasy series, but it still retains a level of interest. It’s because this genre made people a fan of these games that even a mid-tier RPG will satisfy them. Are games like Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger and Phantasy Star IV the best of its genre? No doubt they are, but you can still enjoy others even when these get scored in the 7s and 8s ratings.
The original BoF was Capcom’s first attempt at producing a JRPG after Square and Enix found massive success. The company wasn’t exactly known for these types of games as they always dominated with Mega Man, Street Fighter and Disney licenses. The closet experience is Willow on the NES that had more role playing elements then adventure mechanics. Even then they mostly developed action style games like Demon’s Crest or Final Fight. It makes us wonder how Capcom goes into this without proper experience except knowing what the leading companies were doing. Its obvious Square is the studio they tried to emulate from as I noticed several gameplay mechanics from the Final Fantasy series. It’s rare for them to do this as the publisher mostly brings their own style to any title. With limited experience in developing role-play mechanics and level designs, they had to look somewhere for inspiration. Does the first Breath of Fire hold up today despite Capcom’s lacking experience? Breath of Fire (Super NES) Review
0 Comments
On this edition of Monday Retro Corner Reviews, I have an old review from 2016 with Lufia and the Fortress of Doom. The first Lufia saw its development from a studio called Neverland and under the publisher Taito. If you are unfamiliar with Taito’s published games then they include Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble and Double Dragon. Lufia was the company's first attempt to take advantage of the RPG popularity from the early 90s. At the time Square Soft really made JRPGs popular in the west and a few years later other companies tried to cash in on the success. Taito’s first RPG was actually one of my early reviews I posted on this site two weeks after making it go live in May 2016. I know it is kind of odd for me to go over this game to begin with and not something like the first Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest.
The original Lufia got released in 1993 and that was a year when most companies didn’t put a big title out. The only notable titles were either Super Mario All Stars or Secret of Mana, so Taito got a break that year. After playing this a couple of times, Lufia bears a resemblance to Dragon Quest more than Final Fantasy. From the layout to the gameplay is everything that series stood for in terms of a classic JRPG. With so many contenders in the genre, it’s hard to stack this game to others especially the major releases. Square Soft back then was the king of these games due to producing some of the best gameplay and graphics. Even Sega did a nice job with Phantasy Star while Capcom became second behind Square. So how well has Lufia aged since its 1993 release? Lufia and the Fortress of Doom (Super NES) Review A new edition of Friday’s Retro Arena is up, and we have a fight between two versions of Aladdin. Happy New Years to everyone and a decade has gone by once again as we look forward to the next. I would like to thank you all for making Retro Gamer Junction have a successful 2019. The site’s Facebook page reached 100 followers and I truly appreciate the likes and your time into reading my articles. For this edition of Retro Arena, it’s the second time we are comparing the same license between two systems. Just like Jurassic Park, both versions play different from the other and don't have similar gameplay. That was often common to find license titles that didn’t play the same and you would have to pick one or the other. It’s not like today where if you buy a license game then the gameplay will be exactly identical across all platforms. Aside Batman or Injustice (the only exceptions), developers don’t take these seriously and they see it as another way to make a quick buck. Unlike the Lion King, Mickey Mania and Toy Story, Aladdin was the only series to see it's developmental from two studios. The Disney games mentioned were the same across several platforms, and the difference was a slight tweak in the visuals. The Overall presentation and gameplay style were vastly different since two studios produced these titles. That’s why the Aladdin titles are such noteworthy Disney games from this era and none of them were the same. Of course, with Capcom, you knew what to expect from the gameplay to the sound effects and music. While for Virgin Interactive they were an unknown to most gamers who probably never heard of them. Aladdin: Super NES vs Sega Genesis |
WelcomeIf you are looking for Retro Gaming blogging and My Little Pony reviews then you came to the right place. I am Retro Gamer and on this site we are on a never ending quest to call it down the middle. Archives
February 2024
The social media icon images and Vector Designs by Vecteezy, Medium and Onextrapixel
For More Please Click Below |