Lord Spencer's Gaming (and other stuff) Blog

Among Phantasy Star fans, the third game in the series is usually derided for being different than the rest, and is considered inferior to the second and the fourth game. Finding Phantasy Star II to be a terribly aged experience, I came into this game with some reservations. Anything that is considered "inferior" to that game would be damn near unplayable. Yet, I found a significantly better game in Phantasy Star III , one that, while retaining some of its predecessor's major faults, still manages to push the envelope of RPGs in general. Ironically, this game might feature one of the earliest misguided fanboy tantrums in videogame history. 79: Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom:- Year: 1991. Genre: JRPG. Publisher: Sega. Developer: Sega. 

Of the three important TRPGs of the 16-bit era, the Langrisser series is probably the least well-known, and that's because few of its titles were ever localized in the West. Warsong is actually the first Langrisser game. With that in mind, we are discussing a game that is arguably as important as the first Fire Emblem and Shining Force games. Obviously, since the series went on to find some success, the first game in the series must have had some positive elements. It sure does, but it also has its share of obviously glaring problems . 69: Warsong:- Year: 1991. Genre: TRPG. Publisher: Treco. Developer: Masaya Games 

Of all the Studio Ghibli movies, this one is most about perspective and how you look at the world. In another way, it can also be seen as the perspective of a first-time director, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, on the work of his mentor Hayao Miyazaki, which is why Arrietty manages to so closely simulate earlier Studio Ghibli work while being the work of a fresh director. Based, like many of Studio Ghibli’s works, on a Western children's fantasy novel, Arrietty follows the adventures of the titular character, a girl from an almost extinct race of very small humans, as she interacts with our world. The entire premise of The Borrowers hinges on the wonder of looking at our world from the eyes of a race that is as small as insects, and that’s where perspective is key. For Arrietty and her family, who sometimes need to go into human kitchens to “borrow” supplies, the walk between one side of the kitchen to the other becomes a grand adventure. Needles become swords, tissue paper a valuable fab...

Even though I have not reviewed any of the  top 80-71 Genesis games according to Retro Sanctuary , this list actually contains a few known gems. Fans of Shmups would recognize the brilliance of  Thunder Force III  and  Hellfire , as well as competent arcade ports like  Mercs and Golden Axe . Personally, I regret not playing  Wiz 'n' Liz  or  Starflight,  but I don't regret not completing  Phantasy Star III  or  Shining in the Darkness , which were a slog to play. With that being said, here is a quick report on each game on this list. Please enjoy:- 80- Wiz 'n' Liz (1993, 1994):  Genre: Platformer. Publisher: Psygnosis; Developer: Rising Hell Software. This is another game that I probably skipped by mistake. Published by the same people who made  Lemmings , the terribly named  Wiz 'n' Liz  was a fast-paced platformer where you needed to capture a certain number of "wabbits" in each level under a strict time l...

In what's probably a first, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is the first Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki film to specifically target the young children demographic, and this is represented by the five-year-old age of the two main characters, Ponyo and Sosuke. True to the brilliance of the studio, the movie still speaks to all other demographics despite its focus on children. One aspect of starring such young characters is apparent in the movie’s almost primal nature. Ponyo, the magical fish who causes an environmental catastrophe to become a human and live among them, and Sosuke, the simple boy whose uncorrupted goodness allows him to become fast friends with this magical creature, are not complicated by any other thoughts other than their pure desire. As much as they enjoy the tea that Sosuke’s mom prepares for them, they enjoy each point of life in the same innocent manner. Similarly, the environment around them is showcased with such primal beauty by Miyazaki and his artists, wh...

Going down the Retro Sanctuary list into the top 90-81 games , we are seeing many rather forgettable platformers like Rolo to the Rescue  and Zoro the Kamikaze Squirrel , but we are also seeing some rather solid Shmups and Beat 'em Up. Unsurprisingly, two of the games on this list of 10 have better ports on the SNES, which is something we will unfortunately find down the list as well. With that being said, here is a quick report on each game on this list. Please enjoy:- 90- ESWAT: City Under Siege (1990):   Genre: Run & Gun. Publisher: Sega; Developer: Sega. Shooters in the 16-bit generation are a dime a dozen. First, we have the top-class tier like Contra and Metal Slug , then we get all the rest. ESWAT is one of the earliest 16-bit shooters, and as such, was not compared to the great advances those two series made to the genre, nor was it able to learn from them. Even though this game is actually a fairly capable shooter, it could have been much better if not for a ...