Meanwhile, a gamer could feel strongly about a title and want it modernized or to at least get a sequel—yes, decades after the previous release. Obviously, I’m not a game designer or associated with a developer, so you can guess which group I fall in with this list.

We’re going to look at five titles that could do with a comeback season whether it’s a sequel or a reboot.

Sleeping Dogs (2012, United Front/Square Enix)

Sleeping Dogs is considered the spiritual successor to the True Crime series, a PS2 GTA-clone where the police detective element was the focus. The True Crime series was supposed to have a third entry based again in New York—that later became Hong Kong with United Front’s work on the then unnamed title. However, that was axed by Activision. Mind you, the True Crime: New York City did have some big-name TV and film actors doing voice work for a game that…it flopped, folks.

We’re talking less than 80,000 units sold in its first two weeks. That lets you know that this wasn’t going to meet the budget put into the game at all.

Then United Front came along with what would become Sleeping Dogs after Activision passed on publishing it. The rest is history: it was received very well and presented enough that a sequel wasn’t out of the question. Performance-wise, it sold enough units to warrant exploring a sequel—yet here we are.

The game was supposed to see a sequel which followed the future cases and adventures of Shen and was to feature a mobile gaming aspect that impacted Sleeping Dogs 2’s gameplay. While there is no sequel on the horizon, the license was picked up and is being turned into a film.

Kengo (2000, Genki/Crave)

Let’s get into even older franchises that have seen no recent developments—such as Bushido Blade. Well, let’s go with the spiritual successor: Kengo. While Bushido Blade added a realistic element to the 3D fighting game genre with wounds and bleed outs resulting in victory or defeat, I enjoyed Kengo’s approach of putting the player in the shoes of a traveling swordsman.

This wasn’t going through different parts of a village and slaughtering the opps and their heavies. No, you went from established dojo to established dojo to practice, learn techniques, and apply those techniques in duels. Then you fought the masters of the dojos and eventually participated in the imperial tournament. Outside of the absence of some slice-of-life stuff, this was basically a swordsman simulator.

Now, the third entry was a bit of a bust because it was a garden variety fighting game with swords and we already had Bushido Blade 2 as well as Soulcalibur and Battle Arena Toshiden by that time.

Rival Schools (1997, Capcom)

On the one hand, it’s like—there are enough fighting games out there, do we really need to bring back one from almost 30 years ago? Especially if nothing new is done, it’s just a return of this game’s roster. Capcom even did something new with Street Fighter 6, so a Rival Schools return would have to be something fresh instead of an expensive investment in nostalgia.

I say add aged Rival Schools characters to the Street Fighter roster because Capcom had some great characters from the R.S and Street Fighter EX titles. Batsu? Skullomania? Yes, add them to the roster.

Inindo: Way of the Ninja (1991, Koei)

I can’t say enough good things about this Super Nintendo title. It was like playing as an officer in Romance of the Three Kingdoms in turn-based JRPG. For a game released in 1991, it had features that would make many RPGs worth playing multiple times. The main feature is the recruiting of allies actively forming a rapport with them.

However, some potential allies or teammates might not agree with your motivations, or they might believe that serving Nobunaga is the ultimate job—when you’re trying to take him out for razing your village.

The other major element is that each month, the landscape/map is updated with the battles that went down. The player can work for a daimyo and by doing mission for them successfully, they can participate in battles. Meaning, they can impact the power dynamic in feudal Japan and probably weaken Nobunaga’s influence.

With the advancements in development and writing over 30-plus years, I’d say Koei could make the ultimate ninja game if they decided to revisit this title.

Alpha Protocol (2010, Obsidian Entertainment/Sega)

Listen, Alpha Protocol wasn’t perfect at all and at times it could drag at points, but the game was one of the best espionage games made. The only franchises or games I would put over it are Metal Gear Solid and Deus Ex (under Square Enix). Having to travel to different locations around the world for missions, decisions that impacted future missions, a decent combat system that could’ve been more polished in a sequel—Alpha Protocol had the makings for a good, regular series for Sega.

It was a spy game that was purely about spycraft. This wasn’t a shooter based around a spy or spy fighting game, no—stealth was necessary here, folks. Negotiation was necessary as well. You could tell that Obsidian Entertainment had plans for the gameplay mechanics in place and that more could’ve been done with those mechanics.

My two gripes with AP are that the game felt a little short for what was going down—it’s the same feeling I had for Deus Ex: Human Revolution—and it ended on a something of a cliffhanger. The combat, camera, and all that didn’t bother me as much as it bothered others, but a cliffhanger will always burn my biscuit.

What are your five games that you’d love to see get a reboot or sequel? Let us know in the comments!

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

The Lack of People Made Me Wonder in Super Mario Games

The Mario games had that even on stages that had no actual backgrounds like the haunted houses in Super Mario World or castles and forts in the OG Super Mario Bros. There was something exciting happening on the screen.

Then you get older and a little critical. You’ve been exposed to better worlds, elaborate game design, and story—so much story that one of the most revolutionary features in gaming is the “Skip Scene” button.

So, the worlds of the Mario games seem super odd. Like sure, it’s a world of fantasy but even worlds of fantasy have some order, right? In SMB, I basically used imagination to figure out where all of the people were. I came to the conclusion that each stage in SMB, SMB3, and SMW are basically battlegrounds to face Bowser and his Koopa Troopas.

There’s no way I, as a villain, would kidnap a princess or the magic scepters of a bunch of kings ruling over barren lands. They would basically be bandit chiefs with ties to the Crown. No, these battles took place away from civilization with Mario and Luigi having to win each time.

I mean, it would at least make it seem like the Mushroom Kingdom and the other kingdoms are fighting back, right? There’s no way any of those castles would be standing in Super Mario Bros. 3 if there was no resisting army. Bowser’s Koopalings all had Flying Fortresses. Those things shots normal-sized and large Bullet Bills. They dropped bombs. If there was no military Mario and Luigi would’ve been running through parking lots.

The Mario RPGs Explained Things Much Better

As always, leave it up to RPGs and the social aspect to breathe life into these worlds. Even in Super Mario 64—a massive step into the late 90s and early 2000s for Nintendo—that world was sparse. It was just Mario, Peach, Bowser, and a bunch of enemies. Toad and someone else might have been there but it wasn’t a populated world.

It would also explain how the warp pipes dropped Mario and Luigi off just where they needed to go. The RPGs games—like the Megaman action RPGs on Game Boy Advance—featured towns and villages with inhabitants, shops, and side quests.

Mario and his party actually seemed like part of the Mushroom Kingdom and not an isekai savior. Because why would you summon a plumber with an unknown background to your world to save you? Mario could’ve had a violent criminal record or been a bloodthirsty maniac. The Mushroom Council or the Stars lucked up and got a kind-hearted, heroic plumber and his brother of questionable courage. Then again, they got a plumber of all people. Two! They got a buy-one-get-one-free on New York plumbers. What rotten RNG.

Of course, there are retellings of how Mario and Luigi were born in that world but even that begs questions. Apparently, there are or were humans wherever they are. What happened to them? All of the kings in SMB3 are human, Peach, Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Wario and so on. What’s up with the humans?

There are plenty of toadstools. We were even introduced to friendly koopas in Paper Mario and peaceful communities of Yoshis in Super Mario World. That question among others I’ve had over the years about one of my favorite franchises calls for an anime and perhaps a manga with continuity.

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

The thing about that is that combat plays a role in Stardew Valley but it isn’t the main thing. It can drive some stuff in the game but you can still enjoy your experiences without being super hardcore in the mines. Hell, the farm is your priority, honestly.

Started Valley Draws Inspiration from Other Great Unique Games

Stardew Valley is inspired by the Story of Seasons franchise—which pretty much came out of the Harvest Moon franchise. SDV takes the pixel approach of the early Harvest Moon games which were purely farming and slice-of-life and mixes it with Rune Factory and Story of Seasons’ mix of farming and adventure.

There is a very small pool of games in this vein. Throw in Graveyard Keeper and the mobile title Harvest Town. Some fans and veterans of this genre might include Animal Crossing in there but these games always had more depth to them. I know I’ve invested hours into Stardew Valley across PC, Android and PlayStation 4.

It’s a game that keeps you engaged when you make progress and can invest more in your farm or take the time to adventure and fish. There’s a little something for everyone without being intense or forcing the player into a grind.

I’ve always found this game and American Truck Simulator to be incredibly chill and a bit of a stress reliever from the more involved and intense games I play. Even in relation to other RPGs, the element of just farming and managing your resources is a break from say Dragon Quest or Diablo.

You’d think “Oh, I have to manage resources and money? Sounds involved.” It’s actually pretty simple. If you grow it, you can sell it. If you want more for something, you’ll have to invest what you made in stuff to improve the quality. The crafting aspect does add a little more involvement and resource management but I also found that to be direct.

Getting used to the farming, foraging and mining will see you with what you need for what you want to make soon enough. Building relationships adds some story and goals to your character’s life as well! Perhaps it’s that mix of simplicity, progress, goals, and freedom that results in me sinking so much time into the game.

Well that and having stats that can be followed, bonuses, and crafting. As you know, I love crafting. It’s also what saw me sink time into Harvest Moon games. If you play on a PC, you have the extra freedom of utilizing mods to really customize the game in different ways but playing on console is also a very enjoyable experience each time.

The Senses

Stardew Valley has a clean pixel art style that takes me back to playing Harvest Moon on a ZSNES emulator in the early 2000s. It’s very nostalgic if you started playing games in the early 1990s and I’m all for the retro stuff, obviously. I tend to play games with the music muted but even the music reminds me of the early Harvest Moon games.

It’s a great presentation and honestly, it’s my preferred look for this type of game. Story of Seasons, Rune Factory, and the post-Harvest Moon console games took the 3D route but I always enjoyed 2D HM more—even if HM64 and Rune Factory really blew me away on my first playthroughs.

At the moment, ConcernedApe is working on Haunted Chocolatier which seems like it will be in a similar vein but centered around a confectionary shop. However, something on the side in Stardew Valley such as the fishing or mining are worthy of their own titles. Hell, the Harvest Moon series kind of spanned the Legend of River King series and fishing was never so adventurous.

If you’ve played SDV, what was your experience with it? Let us know in the comments!

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Secret of the Stars- 1993

Alright, here me out on this one. This game is not the most critically acclaimed, highly thought of, or even well-known RPG of its time, but there are a lot of things that this game has that I would love to see come back or even modern RPGs copy.

While the story wasn’t something that was groundbreaking or even very memorable, and the battle system wasn’t anything special, they did something that I absolutely loved at the time, and I wish that more RPGs did today. They had two separate parties and forced you to level up and play with both. There were eight playable characters in the game I think, and you had four on one team and four on the other. One team had certain strengths and abilities and the other team did as well.

I really liked this dynamic because it gave you time to develop all the characters and get attached to what they can do and how they fit into your playstyle. In most RPG games, you play with the same characters and the other characters are basically on the bench the whole game, especially if they join later in the game.

Another aspect of this game that I loved that you see more of it in modern games but not enough is city building. You start in a city that has nothing and you must go out, do quests and get people to move into your city and start shops and other utilities for you and your heroes. There are games like Ni No Kuni that do this better, but games that have this aspect are few and far between.

Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen- 1993

I have no idea how the Ogre Battle series died after three games. I think that if it was rebooted today, it would be an absolute hit. While Tactics Ogre is still great and Ogre Battle 64 was fun in its day, the original still hold a special place for me, mainly because of the gameplay loop and battle system.

I remember tinkering with certain party combinations and loadouts for hours (this was long before the internet where you could get someone to tell you what the best stuff to use is). The day and night system in the game was great where certain enemies would come out at night that didn’t show in the daytime. Also, I love the way that lore was presented in the game where you had to go out to every castle and town to see what people were saying and sometimes go and come back at another time of day or the next day. There were even times that the people in certain towns or castles would give you hints to somewhere you might want to visit or an area that you might want to explore to get a special character.

Robotrek- 1994

This game was a fun game that I played when I was younger that I didn’t fully appreciate at the time. While my brother played way more of this game than I did, I think that there were things in the game that I found so fun that I would always pick it back up again and again to see what else I could do.

There was an aspect of “build crafting” in the game that would be simple by today’s standards but back then was great. You could do missions to find different parts for your robots and kit them out to do exactly what you wanted them to do. The difficulty of the game was a little much for my young self, but it is a game that I wish that I had stuck by because the story was starting to get better when the gameplay started to get harder.

While I don’t think that this game is worth the full blown, Nintendo remake like the other games on the list, I think that it would be worth getting an indie studio to remake the game and give it an upgrade. I really think that Nintendo fans would love this game and shell out at least $40 for it, if not more.

Earthbound- 1994

This JRPG was one of my favorites when I was younger. Some called it Earthbound, some called it Mother or Mother 2 (I never understood the difference) but whatever you called it, make sure that you called it good. This game had basic RPG elements for the time but where the charm came in was at the story level and how you got through the game.

This game had a lot of tongue in cheek and fourth wall breaking moments in it and it really felt like a game that me and my brother would have wrote while we were growing up. That sort of relatability in a game adds to the fun factor.

I’ve heard many JRPG enthusiasts throughout the years ask for a remake if not a reboot of this game and im right along with them.

Golden Sun- 2010

The most modern game on this list and one that Nintendo should be locked up for. Golden Sun was a staple of every JRPG lover that had a Gameboy Advanced. They had a three game run with the series but if you look at some of the games that they are remaking and rebooting today, you have to ask yourself, why not Golden Sun?

The game had a great battle system, a great story, great graphics, the game was just great. Nintendo would be printing even more money today if they announced a new entry into the series or even that they were going to be remaking the first three games and putting them into a bundle.

There isn’t much more that I can say about this game other than it is a classic and I think with the recent announcements and release of the Advanced Wars remake, which was another game that helped define the GBA era of games, a new Golden Sun game isn’t completely out of the question.

Staff Writer; Tardell Swift

This brother is new to writing yet has many different interests such as gaming, hip hop, wrestling, and manga.

You can follow him on Twitter; PhirewoodGaming and keep up with his thoughts there as well.

If a game has at least two of those, I’ll stick around to see how it pans out. It might not hit all four but that doesn’t eliminate it from being a fun experience, after all. We’re going to get into five video game franchises with truly satisfying stealth mechanics.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War

We mention this game every now and then on AfroGamers but the Middle-earth really encourages a stealthy approach to dispatching enemies as opposed to just berserking on hordes. Mind you, if you’re armed and geared up enough, you could very well go berserk take out a small group of orcs.

However, the wise thing is to target lone or small groups of them away from larger groups or encampments. A stealthy approach is best for this kind of long game and Shadow of Mordor’s spin on stealth gameplay works perfectly with its setting and combat mechanics.

What really bolsters the stealth in Middle-earth—and the game as a whole—is the Nemesis System. Having enemies who remember their encounters with the player and actually improve if left alone was next-level AI—really years ahead.

It adds to the stealth by having the player stalk the movements of their main prey. That comes in the form of just following them if you’re close enough to remember their last location or interrogating other enemy commanders and either forcing them to serve you or getting info.

I’d love to see this in more games with stealth gameplay.

Elder Scrolls

I would’ve put Elder Scrolls and Fallout since their stealth mechanics are similar but Elder Scrolls’ setting makes stealth much more rewarding and fun. Sneaking around and lockpicking is more practical in Fallout. It’s something you should be doing because of how dangerous everything seems to be in the wasteland.

In the Elder Scrolls games, the danger—even at high settings—was never such that it was utterly impossible to avoid or overcome. That’s also in part because while looting, there’s not much to load up worth keeping in your inventory. You can always ditch something.

Meanwhile in Fallout 4, a glass bottle or tin can is worth keeping up until a point if you’re focusing on base building and crafting a lot. In Elder Scrolls, it’s more like you’re keeping the most value things for trading or salvaging skills.

Obtaining those valuable things by delving into dungeons, rummaging houses, and spelunking in caves requires a lot of sneaking, lockpicking, and trap avoidance. Well, at least to do it with a degree of caution.

Elder Scrolls’ stealth game is ridiculously solid for this kind of approach. Plus, doing it regularly actually shows some improvement while using stealth class skills. Locks become easier to pick, traps can be run over without triggering them, and you can sneak up on enemies and secure stealth kills. Love it.

Spider-Man

Marvel’s Spider-Man is a game with a good stealth mechanic that has a flaw of enemies always reaching a point where they’re aware of the player’s presence. The mechanics are actually good enough that you should be able to clear a room without alerting the remaining force.

Part of the stealth mechanic in games is enemy AI—particularly, their awareness that an enemy is nearby. Most of the enemy’s you’re clapping—and the same is the case with the Arkham games—are goons. Sure, some ninjas and cybersuit super soldiers might pop up but you’re mostly dealing with robbers and street toughs.

They shouldn’t be as quick as they are in spotting the player for some reason. I don’t know. Regardless, the swinging around rooms with conveniently placed bars, rafters, levels, platforms, and ledges makes for an awesome experience while sneaking around.

Also, Spidey’s combat of webbing enemies up and quick melee attacks makes dispatching enemies quickly and quietly very rewarding.

Metal Gear Solid

A stealth list wouldn’t be complete without Metal Gear Solid. Depending on the game, you might either really love the stealth and combat or really dislike one or both. I enjoyed MGS 3 and MGS 4’s stealth and combat but the first two games—eh, the stealth just wasn’t as fun for me.

It could be that I discovered stealth games during the PS2 with Tenchu and missed out on the initial PS1 run of Metal Gear Solid. Revisiting it after playing something more fluid in MGS 3 when analog movement wasn’t an addition might have impacted my view of the first two MGS games.

However, by the time we reach MGS 3, it’s an eye-opener for people new to stealth gameplay. Trying not to make noise, taking enemies out with knife attacks or sleeper holds, having to move bodies to avoid detection—it’s all presented extremely well in MGS 3 and it only got better with MGS 4 as consoles and PC power improved to where increasingly complex enemy AI and level design made the stealth pop.

Splinter Cell

The fifth one was a difficult pick but it just means we’ll have to do a second list down the line. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell was probably my second experience with stealth gameplay and it was more complex than MGS 3. I sum this up to a preference in approaches. While MGS action/sci-fi/stealth mix is extremely fun, I liked the more rooted stealth/action approach of Splinter Cell more.

Both games—as well as Hitman—require some clean up in the sense of hiding bodies to avoid detection but Splinter Cell made heavy use of tighter quarters/smaller rooms to discourage using firearms inside. Another thing that the three games focus on is paying attention to enemy movements.

I can’t say that one game does it better than the other. However, MGS often gave you more room to groove as far as level design. As the franchise went on, you were given more and more space to explore in your missions. Splinter Cell gave players more to explore as well but exploration never really became a focus of the games. This was more like practical space with better development technology. Think of it more like the early and mid-console Hitman games where knowing enemy location and a lot of navigating rooms and floors are necessary. That’s Splinter Cell’s stealth approach. There’s rarely a lot of places to hide if enemies are detected without backtracking a bit.

Let’s say this was part one of our stealth series. Did any of your franchise picks make the list? Also, what games do you think will make part two? Let us know down below!

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

While better known for historical “Musou” slash ‘em ups such as Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors, the developer really made its name off of several series of historical games. Some were part of long-running series, others were duologies, and a few were one-off games.

Let’s look at five Koei classic title that aren’t the Warriors games.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1985-present)

If Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors are the hands and feet of Koei, then Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the soul of the developer. This is one of two longest-running franchises dating back to 1985 on the NES, Amiga, MSX, and other consoles of the time.

It is based on the 14^th century Chinese historical saga of the same name—which is also the base of the Dynasty Warriors series. The first couple of games started out as strategy games where players take control of a providence and must unify China via war while maintaining their own territories starting in the late 2^nd century.

When the second title in the series was released in 1989, custom officers was included and added something of an RPG, “What if” approach to the series. As the series landed on the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, the RPG elements of the game became a major part of the franchise alongside the core turn-based strategy.

I always believed that the best double whammy for Koei was using the same source material—Romance of the Three Kingdoms—but spinning it off into two distinct games with the same characters. Dynasty Warriors is action-oriented but has mixed in more of the strategy element via the Empires versions of the series.

While it didn’t take off in the West in the same way as the Warriors/Musuo games did, it still has a cult following. Personally, I believe this because RTK has always been more PC-friendly than console-friendly even though its roots are in console gaming.

Nobunaga’s Ambition (1983-present)

The best way to explain Nobunaga’s Ambition is that it’s RTK’s older sibling. It’s not exactly the same game but it has the historical approach and the goal of unifying Japan. For some reason, it never really took off in the West in the same way that RTK did in the early 2000s.

That’s why when you look it up on Wikipedia, it doesn’t have as extensive entries as other Koei games. Hell, defunct Koei franchises are better fleshed out there than Nobunaga’s Ambition.

Koei couldn’t exactly hit it out of the park internationally with a samurai-version of RTK—as it was viewed by 2000s Western audiences—but managed to do so with the Samurai Warriors series.

Aerobiz (1992-1994)

During the early 1990s, Koei was also building up for an entry into business management simulation games. The titles that became popular worldwide out of its Management Series were Aerobiz and Aerobiz Supersonic.

I remember first playing Aerobiz over my uncle’s house in the mid-90s on the Sega Genesis. He was big on air combat games and probably picked this one up thinking that’s what it was. The first Aerobiz game is what established my love of business management sims today.

Basically, you run an airline and purchase jets, invest in cities to turn them into travel hubs or tourism hubs. Historical events such as regional conflicts and sporting events play into success or failure of an airline connecting from a hub to say North Korea or something—North Korea isn’t a destination in either game.

Players are also responsible for repairing their jets and retiring them once manufacturers release better ones that can cover more distance. It sounds involved but actually, I’d say this is one of the best introductions to the business management sim genre outside of games such as Total Extreme Wrestling and Game Tycoon.

As you can see, Aerobiz only lasted for two games and the Management Series has been carried by the horse breeding/racing series Winning Post. However, I think Aerobiz has juice in the tank for a PC or mobile revival.

Uncharted Waters (1991-present)

This is a franchise that is still going today but its best days were when it was on Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis. Uncharted Waters details the age of sea exploration so expect lots of dealing with colonial super powers and the Ottoman Empire.

Trade, privateering, and piracy area all on tap in this one. Like most of Koei’s historical games, investing in a port or area are key to establishing good relationships. In Uncharted Waters’ case, it’s establishing good relationships to the point of a port becoming allied with your home country.

In the Super Nintendo/Sega Genesis titles, there are storylines for your chosen character but for the most part they exist more in the background to the main gameplay. The series continued into the 2000s and beyond but the last Western release was Uncharted Waters Online, an MMORPG which was decent at best.

Inindo (1991)

Back in late 2018, I touched on Inindo when going into my all-time favorite ninja games. I always felt that Inindo was one of the best Koei games of the 90s as it mixed RPG with a dollop of strategy for a really fun and interesting mix.

You also have to factor in that most ninja games are action-oriented and there are probably a thimbleful of ninja RPGs out there. This was a groundbreaking title for the theme and gave you enough play time and replay value that it worked.

Hell, it even features potential teammates with their own personalities, loyalties, and journeys that you can encounter and link up with during your own quest to defeat Oda Nobunaga! Again, groundbreaking stuff! In most RPGs from the period and even now, your teammates are often static. They don’t do anything outside of being selectable for your team.

Check it out if you can get your hands on an emulator as Inindo has been out of print for decades now.

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

If you know the Dreamcast, you could probably rattle five off the top of your head. Here are five refreshers for those who didn’t experience the DC.

Shenmue (1999)

This is the flagship for Dreamcast nostalgia. If you mention a game that defined the console or just a standout game from it—Shenmue should be the first or second game.

Usually, it’s the first one I mention because it’s that damn good. A mixture of RPG, action, and adventure, the first Shenmue sets up an epic story across years. It starts in 1986 Yokosuka and ends as the main character—teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki–leaves Japan for China to solve his father’s murder and gain revenge.

For 1999, this game was way ahead of others in the graphics department and in the research and gameplay mechanics applied. Developers Sega AM2 went as far as to get weather records for Yokosuka from 1986 to simulate the actual weather in-game.

If it was December 2^nd and it rained that day, it rained in Shenmue on that day. There’s also a life-sim and social aspect to the game in that stores open and close at certain times and certain characters can be found at certain spots at particular times.

This game was simply amazing for 1999. While the sequel—released in 2001—was eventually released in the West, the series as a whole was left hanging for 17 years before the series creator left and had Shenmue III crowdfunded.

It’s a shame because this should’ve been a massive, ongoing series for Sega. The more action-based successor Yakuza has a similar approach of a story told through the times and was the game that Sega got behind.

Sonic Adventure (1998)

Remember when I said “If you mention a game that defined the console or just a standout game from it—Shenmue should be the first or second game”? Sonic Adventure is the other game.

This game was a blast to play and was the Sonic franchise’s showcase on the Dreamcast. It was mandatory that Sonic Adventure be a launch title for the DC’s release in the U.S. America loved Sonic and for Sega fans it was a question of “What’s next?”

The Sega Saturn didn’t pan out well but there were dope games on it but it’s a new console generation and Sonic has to be there, right? Sure enough, Sega came out hard and heavy with Sonic Adventure.

In the same way that Nintendo makes games to showcase the strength and potential of a new console, Sega did the same with this one. It even showcased what else could be done with the memory card while playing the game.

Mind you, studios didn’t really take advantage of the feature. As gamer, I just used the VMU—virtual memory unit—for its primary purpose: to save my game. However, this was a whole Tamagotchi-like deal going on featuring the game’s Chao characters.

Outside of how fun Sonic Adventure was and how it showcased what the DC could do, this was basically a 3D Sonic platformer at the core. Sega did spice it up a bit by introducing characters, including a little bit of RPG, and actually featuring a story in-game.

NBA 2K/NFL 2K (1999)

While sports games eventually got to the point of saving career progress, NBA 2K came onto the court and said “How about we full simulate things such as player stats?”

This was mind-blowing for a sports game in the 1990s. Your players actually had stats! Not just a team average of defense and offense, you could actually see where that team average came from and it featured other features and modes that competitor NBA Live was lacking.

That’s not all! NFL 2K showed up and said “You can play online too.” Online play in 1999 on other consoles didn’t come along until later. It’s not a new concept but this was an application of the concept that worked.

Plus, these games looked better than what the competition was offering at the time. That alone gave Visual Concepts enough time to tidy up what players didn’t like about the 2K sports titles.

Project Justice (2000)

The Dreamcast featured a number of fighting games but Project Justice was pretty much at the top of Capcom’s offerings on the console. It was also one of the top three fighters on the console.

Project Justice is the fighting game series that I wish Capcom had continued. Enough with Street Fighter already. That aside, this game was part of the short-lived Rival Schools series and had several characters that should’ve at least made it into Street Fighter by now.

As far as gameplay, this 3D fight played awesomely. This wasn’t an all sizzle, no steak game and it’s even better when playing against a friend—which I would say is the ultimate test of a fighting game on console.

Ready 2 Rumble (2000)

Seriously, Ready 2 Rumble is the case of a game being so good on one console that you’d think it was an exclusive. R2R rocked on the Dreamcast and while it was fine on the PlayStation 2, it wasn’t as good as the Dreamcast version.

I’d put Ready 2 Rumble is an arcade-style boxing game. Lots of power punches and outlandish characters with Afro Thunder—the series mascot—being featured on the cover. It was a dope game that would remind you of a 3D Super Punch Out.

The last game in the series was released in 2009 on the Wii and did not perform well.

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

How Are We Defining “Spinoff”?

A spinoff is any game within a franchise that isn’t part of the main series of games. Spinoffs can continue a story or present a dedicated side-story that features characters from the main series or takes place in the main series world.

The game might take place between the events of Afro Gamers and Afro Gamers II: Midnight Express, take place in the same setting, yet feature none of the main characters.

Hell, the spinoff might even stray from the main series’ genre. Spinoffs are flexible like that.

A good TV and screen example of this are the Star Wars shows The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Star Wars Rebels or just the Law & Order franchise.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series

All Spike Chunsoft did here was apply the Pokemon license to gameplay from its own franchise: Mystery Dungeon. This is one of the more successful spinoffs in the Pokemon franchise purely because it has been continued since 2005.

Are Pokemon Snap and Pokemon Stadium more popular? No doubt. However, Nintendo wasn’t moved enough by how loved those series were to continuously release games in those series.

On the flip side, we’ve gotten Mystery Dungeon games since the late 1990s and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games regularly for roughly 21 years now.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

We’ve gone into Super Mario RPG from the Super Nintendo in the past but this game is incredible. It’s my hands-down favorite Super Mario game and all Squaresoft did was take the Mario license and apply to a turn-based JRPG system.

Honestly, this is a formula that should’ve been abused by developers in the late 1990s and early 1990s only because it has a high success rate or being an enjoyable game.

I could make the complaint about characters like Marrow and Geno should’ve been used more in Nintendo games but Nintendo has never been huge on concrete canon and story continuity across games.

EA Sports BIG series

Every genre has a stigma to it. For one thing, all games within a genre are pretty much the same at the core but become derivatives of that genre by adding new gameplay mechanics.

Then you get to sports games which have it worse than the first-person shooter genre had it during late 2000s-early 2010s as far as stagnancy goes.

So, how do you freshen up a genre based on sports? The rules don’t change regularly—which is good, you want consistency in sports—and the changes that do occur don’t result in a game that looks refreshed and new for a TV audience.

You freshen sports up by making them extreme, of course! When Midway decided “Eh, let’s do the NBA Playoffs games but make it more like an arcade game” the genre got a ton of breathing room across all sports.

The concept wasn’t even genius: just take sports and exaggerate the action to the point that gamers who aren’t sports fans would enjoy the game.

Into the 2000s, this was always Midway’s lane but the EA Sports BIG studio gave EA that reach into arcade sports games. Basically, a studio that was known for its sports simulation line-up began doing what Midway had been doing since NBA Jam—only better.

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo

Fighting games tend to have a low success rate when going outside of the genre. Either the game is enjoyed but it doesn’t sell or it sells on the weight of the franchise’s name value and turns out not being half as good as the main series.

Yes, that was Mortal Kombat Mythologies slander.

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo is a game that falls into category one. People enjoyed the gameplay however it didn’t have the legs to stick the landing on console.

On that note, Puzzle Fighter II didn’t need to be on console then. It should’ve remained an arcade-only game but that Super Street Fighter II wave was really strong into the late 90s.

The Street Fighter name and the art style—this was around the time that the art style in Capcom games got much better—are the main selling points of Puzzle Fighter.

Without those two elements, you’re just playing another match-3/Tetris-clone. The gameplay isn’t groundbreaking but mixing these two polar opposites made for a fun spinoff.

Mario Party series

I wasn’t keen on adding another Mario game to this list but Nintendo has been around—just as a video game company—longer than its two closest competitors combined.

What that means is that in a run spanning over 45 years, the company has spanned a number of major franchises. Mind you, that doesn’t mean every game in these franchises are blockbusters but you’re likely to get a big seller out of that franchise and each franchise has had multiple blockbusters.

The Super Mario franchise has a number of spinoffs such as Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, and yes…Dr. Mario.

However, the spinoff that stood out the most for me—besides Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario—was Mario Party. This game was made for couch-play with your family and friends!

Several games on this list might illicit some nostalgia but Mario Party plucked at a particular part of pre-online multiplayer generation gamers’ nostalgia.

Was couch-play convenient? It depended on if everyone brought their controllers. While Mario Party isn’t the ooze of the party game genre, the series was always fun to play with others.

This is especially true when played in the same room with other players. That way you could get that Spades/pre-Among Us sense of disappointment in a team mate.

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Dark Cloud: The “Oh yeah! I remember that game!” RPG

Released in the U.S. and Europe in 2001, Dark Cloud put you in the role of Toan, a young villager tasked with reviving whole towns after an evil genie—the Dark Genie—controlled by a corrupt colonel fails in its attempt to destroy them. Its failure came via the intervention of the Fairy King who sealed all the towns up to protect them.

The genie’s attack wasn’t a total bust as it manages to scatter the towns everywhere—but mainly into a bunch of dungeons conveniently located near these towns. As Toan, you enter these dungeons to get the different pieces of the towns and use a magical stone to restore them.

Overall, it’s a very simple premise but you’re going to have quite the adventure ahead of you.

Gameplay: Combat

So, Dark Cloud plays like your run-of-the-mill action RPG. As a matter of fact, you’re going to get quite the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time vibe from it with all the sword swinging, dungeon crawling, bosses, and yes, fairies. I will say that Ocarina of Time is the better game of the two, Dark Cloud gives you a little more to do.

You’ll face off against different monsters with specific ways to defeat them. There are chests to open and weapons to find. One thing you’ll want to keep an eye on while exploring dungeons is your thirst meter. Being thirsty doesn’t eventually kill your character but the health bar will start to take hits quickly.

Also, Toan doesn’t level up through play but your weapons will through use. You can increase stats with different items you’ll find in dungeons. If you have a weapon that you’ve really grown attached to, you might want to be selective in how much you use it since they can wear down with use.

For the most part, there’s a zero-to-small learning curve in the action department of the game. The game explains the thirst meter and once you’re aware of it, you’ll almost automatically prepare for the dungeon for leaving town.

After restoring Toan’s hometown, you’ll go to other towns to do the same and pick up new allies to take into the dungeon.

Sim City Super Lite

The real challenge in Dark Cloud comes in rebuilding the town. If you’re familiar with the Sim City, this is a double ultra-condensed version. You’re not building infrastructure or any of that. You just have to place the houses, buildings, and other things somewhere in the town map area. Once you do, you’ll be able to visit that location.

But that’s not all, villagers have needs—or demands—for where their house is located. For instance, someone might want their house near the river or next to the store. Meanwhile, the store wants to be near the river. You’ll want to meet these demands if you want bonus rewards for a 100-percent restored town.

Verdict

This was one of those fond games I enjoyed on the PS2. It gave hours of fun just like Ocarina of Time did and gave me a challenge that wasn’t puzzles upon puzzles and one disrespectful Water Temple. I really hate water levels and that Temple and the drowning warning theme from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 truly sealed that.

If you’d like something like Ocarina of Time on PlayStation, Dark Cloud is on the PlayStation Network! While it did get a sequel two years later in Dark Cloud 2, I always felt it should’ve had more entries in the series. It was a game with that much potential.

RATING: 9 out of 10 (Highly Recommended)

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

The Foundations of Harvest Moon

Now this is pretty much the O.G chill game. The Harvest Moon series started in 1996 on Super Nintendo. A farming simulator, you are tasked with taking over your grandfather’s farm which has fallen into disarray.

It really makes you wonder if the original Harvest Moon took place in some kind of hellscape where it had good weather most of the time. I’ll get back to this but just the state you find your grandfather’s farm in is horrible.

Seeing it also makes you wonder when did he pass exactly and how long has the letter been en route. The fields are overgrown, there are tree stumps here and there, literal boulders, and—it’s just a mess. So, your task is to clean up the farm, plant crops, make money, rebuild the homestead, tend to your animals, harvest in the woods during the fall or winter, and get married in a period of a few years.

In doing so, you’ll be a part of the community. Other characters have birthdays, favorite foods and gifts, and there are community events. So, it would be easier to just tend to your farm and dismiss the rest of that social nonsense but that gets boring fast.

Harvest Moon 64

That brings us to Harvest Moon 64. Released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64, Harvest Moon 64 featured all of things that made the original so fun but now in 3D. Not only that, the player can have a kid after getting married, the dog and horse you would gain in Harvest Moon can now take place in races.

There are recipes that can be cooked in your kitchen—oh yeah, you get a kitchen now in this game. Beyond this, you have more events, cooking contests, fishing contests, and other activities. There is a ton of things to do in this small town and with each future version of Harvest Moon, you’re given more to do but it also becomes much more involved.

Harvest Moon 64 did suffer from some issues in development. The music could sound choppy at time and the music was limited. You would also deal with glitches at times. It should be noted that for most games on the Nintendo 64, you would run into one or the other of these issues and you were just stuck with it since these consoles didn’t have an update for games or the system.

As you can expect, it’s how we ended up games that were either bad but serviceable or so bad it should’ve gone in the trash from this period.

Verdict

Overall, HM64 allows for a lot more stuff than in the original and as a chill game, it was the gold standard. Even though its flaws were obvious, the gameplay delivered in spades to the point you would play the game for hours and the flaws seemed to disappear.

This will always be the strong feature of any game because you have a gorgeous game with a great soundtrack but it would be a garbage game if the gameplay and story isn’t there. On the flipside, a game with graphical and music flaws can still be a good game if the gameplay is there.

Harvest Moon 64 embodies this meaning you’ll get a fun and mildly challenging experience out of it.

RATING: 8.0 out of 10 (Recommended)

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.