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THE YAKUMAN IS REAL!!!

I got into mahjong through Yakuza 0 and I was already a fan of Touhou since TH10 so this game releasing on Steam was the stars aligning perfectly for me. Hopefully in the future achievements are considered because I already know I'm going to sink in a lot of time here.

Crisis Core was not only my favourite game on the PSP but also my first. Probably sunk in 1000 hours replaying the game since I didn't know what emulators were back then. I'm currently playing the game on my Steam Deck @ High settings and it runs just great after shaders have compiled. There are times were it will flicker and you'll see some minor graphical glitches but it's neither noticeable or common.

Anyways I noticed some differences over the original I don't necessarily... like. The voice acting just doesn't sit well with me as I'm so used to them sounding different. Sephiroth, Genesis, and Hollander are maybe the only voices I don't mind since they sound closer to the original than the others. I personally just set it to Japanese until someone releases a voice mod(or not). Zack just sounds like Sonic and I've decided to call him Zonk whenever he's in English.

Another difference which just took me aback a bit was that Angeal. Zack, and Sephiroth at least have a slightly different shaped face from the original Crisis Core though that's to be expected as this is a higher-level remaster.

I also noticed that the music was different. I don't mind it; sounds more orchestral. I do however wish that they had added the option to toggle between the original music and the remastered tracks like Final Fantasy X did. Like I actually preferred the older boss and battle music.

Some misc. stuff: It looks like you can still avoid encounters by hugging the walls and dodging everything isn't as easy as in the original. The enemies feel a lot more responsive which is great! Also having to manually use your Limit Break is going to take some getting used to but it doesn't break the flow of battle and it allows you to use it on specific enemies or to weaken/break abilities which is really useful.

All in all though, this is still a super solid game which I hope more people pick up. If you haven't played the FFVIIR, you can still play this one and not skip a beat. This is a prequel to FFVII after all(though not the first in the timeline; we're never getting that game...)

I've been playing this game on my Steam Deck for a bit and even before I bought it, I knew I'd love it. Nonograms are like my drug and I haven't had a game scratch the itch this has since the 3DS picross games.

It also hasn't had any issues running which is just dandy. I'm hoping they add DLC in the future for more puzzles and characters(I really just want more characters...)

PoPiPo

To preface, this is not my first time playing the game. I bought a copy of the DS port on release so most of my experience comes from that. Right off the bat, I've noticed some key differences between that and this PSX version.

For starters, the sprite art for the characters is a bit more refined than its DS counterpart. The game also features English singing that was pulled from the DS port. I'm a weeb so I keep it in Japanese though. The excuse was that it was necessary to add extra scenarios... which we never got. The biggest difference however is definitely the combat system.

Instead of your typical turn-based FF-esque combat, you fight on an isometric field where you need to move your character and then select an action akin to Disgaea or other SRPG titles. I love this as it makes it feel more engaging than if it just had you choose an action every turn. The DS port understandably had to change to accommodate the smaller screen.

Main characters are well written with Cornet and Kururu having a big-sister little-sister dynamic. Kururu offers Cornet guidance and snippets of wisdom. Cornet dreams of finding love(same here), loves dolls, and is great at the trumpet and singing. They both go really well together and offer some nice comedic and touching moments.

This game offers its own spice when you line it up with the other RPGs of its time. The musical numbers are a joy and not something I recall seeing elsewhere in the genre. Cornet being a female protagonist with the mission to rescue her prince is still uncommon. I wish they could have fleshed it out more as this is only a 10-hour game and they don't interact all that much.

If you like musicals, colourful settings, cute dolls, a little spice to your combat, and appreciate a funny RPG that doesn't take itself too seriously, you'll love this one. While not by the same company, another game I'd love to see get a PC port someday is Tail Concerto.

The fact I haven't experienced this game, aside from the memes, up to this point is a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ crime. I still suck ass after 4 hours but the combat is never dull and is rewarding to learn. The soundtrack is nothing short of a masterpiece. Considering how clean this game feels, it definitely holds up almost a decade later and I plan to replay the game at least once after I finish my first run.

Just to preface, FFV introduced a lot of staples to the already-prevalent FF franchise back in '92. When Square was releasing FF in the west, they chose to skip this game along with FFII and FFIII; deeming it too hard for westerners. When it did release in '99 for NA(EU/AUS in '02) as part of a PS1 anthology, the time gap had taken its toll, making it something of a dark-horse within a series now populated by much bigger titles. It didn't help that the PS1 version had save and performance issues.
The first and foremost addition it gave us was the robust job system; a notable upgrade to FFIII outside of just additional jobs. FFV allowed you to use abilities from one class while being in another class. The possibilities were endless(well not really but still!) Some of the classes would come back such as the Samurai or Blue Mage; if not in name, in ability.)
The plot follows a similar formula to I, III, and IV in that you're warriors of light tasked with protecting crystals from an oncoming threat to the world. There are some moments that fall flat or feel rushed but the story's definitely in-depth. Sort of a bittersweet middle spot to the pre-3D FF era.
This remaster does wonders for not only the sprites but the UI. Heaven knows SE was sleeping when they decided to port over the mobile version originally. While I did like the portraits when the characters spoke, I'd still say this is probably the definitive version now, toppling the GBA. In my book, it's still a must-play!

Personally, I stick to standalone emulator apps when running my backups so won't really use this one much outside of Atari and maybe Dreamcast/PS2 if they add those cores in the future. Regardless, it's a solid AIO package for anyone curious, getting into emulation, or wanting to clear up standalone apps. Excited to see what cores they add on here down the line.

Final Fantasy IV is a game that's endured the test of time as one of the greatest JRPGs of all time. It was a jump in quality both in the story and music, playing kind of like a soap opera at times.

As far as the story goes, it set a tone for the future game down the line. Romance, tragedy, and spoony bards were some of the prominent themes tackled throughout the game. FFII had taken a similar approach to story-telling, sharing some common themes and character archetypes but IV nailed the landing; especially when it came to character building. The music helped set the tone as well("Theme of Love" is so good).

IV decided to take a different approach from its predecessors and lock characters to designated classes. The story uses this well when characters use aspects of their class to progress the party at roadblocks or give dialogue.

I don't have too much to say that hasn't been before. It's definitely a game worth playing if you haven't. The feel is also different enough from it's DS remaster to warrant a replay as well if you've gone that route.

Final Fantasy III was one of my favourite games on the Famicom ergo I was excited to see how they'd improve on it. I don't have anything against the 3D version; it's just that the original holds a special place in my heart. Big part is due to Shibuya's pixel art which, I regard as peak FF sprite art. Though there were misses for me too admittedly(lookin' at you Nepto).
Some of the tracks also sound great re-orchestrated; more so than their DS counterparts. "Sylx Tower", "Dorga's Theme", and "Water World" being some examples. Some like the battle theme however weren't really my cup of tea.
Aside from some minor colour and sprite changes, I was pleased with the remaster. Though the font set seems to mismatch a bit with the larger text boxes and the same can be said for the other remasters though that's just me being nit-picky.
Overall, a great way to get into FFIII for newcomers or those that enjoyed the 3D remake. When it comes to modernising these classics, SE did a surprisingly good job. Despite all that, I think I'm going to stick to the original version.