Story simplified: Basically that evil comet comes to Earth in regular basis and destroys the civilization and turns humans into primitive but leaves all the ancient structures behind. The power of that comet remains in the ancient structures and turns every creatures into monsters. Will discovers the secret about that comet in the ancient structures and destroys the comet, and civilization continues on. The ending shows what it is like when Will and his friends are in modern time after the comet was destroyed.

What I loved about this game is how it changed the way I looked at history, and consequently the world. There may not be magic or evil comets, but the ruins of history tell stories of bright accomplishments and dark atrocities. Even in mundane things, there is wonder to be found.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

The ties to our world are pretty neat here, I agree. It's great that it had a long-lasting effect on you as well.

@franklinfleming1237

Жыл бұрын

Hey comment by this yeah right now very rare. Also the slave trade and solid arm was some shady shit. A rich mansion with lizard people and giant eye balls. Trying to resurrect his his body and power.

"A story with more holes than a golf course with a gopher problem..." Pure gold

@mana_beast_beats1114

Жыл бұрын

I'm alllllriiiight. Nobody worry 'bout me.

For me this game was about all the real world mysterious locations: Incan ruins, the Nazca Lines, Angor Wat, the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, and the legendary Tower of Babel.

This is one of those very rare 'special' games where the direction, art design, music and story combine perfectly to create something exceptional. It's a charming tale with genuine emotional moments and many memorable moments.

@MonicaSterling

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Great game! Hope we can play it on the Switich some day. btw in europe (Holland) the game is called Illusion of Time :)

THe music and dungeons in this game are the main attraction. Larai Cliffs alone, my god is phenomenal.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I like the combat too!

All the red jewel locations were available in the manual that came with the game. I played this on the SNES back when it came out. It came with an awesome shirt, that unfortunately was worn so much that the fabric ripped. I always got all the red jewels just so I could take on the secret level/boss.

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

For me, I couldn't bring myself to collect them all given the circumstances under which some of them could be obtained... I hear ya though. I pretty much avoided the point-blank walkthrough parts of the manual so I could experience the game naturally, but if I ever replay it, I might try out that secret boss part. I think I want to play SoulBlazer first because of the tie-in though.

@RunMeThrough

3 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya yeah, I remember you saying that in your review. I guess for me it's just pretend and I'm not really returning run away slaves lol I mean, I kill things all the time in games, so you gotta separate the game from reality 🤷‍♂️

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

@@RunMeThrough Totally... I guess I just always try my first time through with my own morality compass. You're right though... there's some interest in seeing that encounter but it would also mean playing the game again...

@RunMeThrough

3 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya yeah, from your review I doubt playing the game again is something you want to do lol I have that nostalgia feel for it, so I try to revisit it every couple of years. Keep up the good work! I'm not big on Let's Plays but I enjoy your reviews so far.

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

@@RunMeThrough Yeah, I have lots of other things I would rather experience at this point. But I don't blame you for returning to it! I play Faxanadu every year and it's always nice coming back to that one. And thanks so much about the reviews. That's become the main focus of my channel over the past few years, so I hope you enjoy what's coming down the pipe as well.

Great review! I've always wanted to play this game as a big fan of SNES RPGs, and this looks so interesting from all you've played!

@thrawl

2 жыл бұрын

Dude it is an AMAZING game!!!! Just make sure that you kill EVERY enemy in each area

This game is intensely nostalgic for me. I actually loved it because of the dark themes when I was a kid. It felt so different from any other game I’d played around the time because of how relentlessly dark it could be sometimes. I remember what you’re talking about with the characters, Kara in particular is cemented in my mind as a selfish little brat. Seeing so many real world locations in a fantasy alternate universe was really cool, and I would have never known about places like Angkor Wat or Mu if not for this game. I’ve been meaning to replay it. I wonder if there’s a retranslation patch…

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I honestly loved the gameplay and the combat, but just really didn't like the characters or the story. I would love to see what a good translation of this game would be like because then I might appreciate it a lot more. You're right though: it's got personality unlike many of the games I've experienced. Definitely broody and bleak!

Excellent review. Thank you Goriya. *Crosses fingers and hopes for a FFVI review when you finish it.

@hungrygoriya

6 жыл бұрын

I don't think I have much of a choice but to put some thoughts down about FFVI. :D And thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

@darknessconcept2156

6 жыл бұрын

Yay!!!

I loved this game. One of 4 RPGs that got me into the genre, along with 7th Saga, Shining Force, and Super Mario RPG.

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

It does have some great action! And The 7th Saga was a fantastic game too. I haven't played Shining Force or finished Super Mario RPG, but I'd love to some day.

I first bought this game as runner-up choice when I couldn’t get Chrono Trigger. It became one of my very favorite SNES games.

@hungrygoriya

4 жыл бұрын

I really, really enjoyed the action and combat in this game, which is why I think I'm going really enjoy Soul Blazer when I play it! Did you ever get to play Chrono Trigger?

There's one moment from this game that'll always remember. The incredibly slow description of the food ration you find in the castle's basement. You... found... a... roast! ... leg! ... of? ... yak!

Illusions of Gaia has so much soul. Words can't describe my feelings for this game. Let's not forget about that ending dialogue "Earth's look had changed, but, glowing in the sky, it was as beautiful as ever. Buildings replaced the forests, rivers became roads, but the villages held only smiling faces. But the Earth was the only one that looked sad." (ugly cries)

@hungrygoriya

11 ай бұрын

I wish I could've played the game with the original translation's intentions. I feel like it would've been even more profound that way.

@ctomfaith

11 ай бұрын

​@@hungrygoriyaAgreed

I grew up playing this game a lot with my brother and friend. At the time, you just didn't have better action RPGs than this, Link to the Past and Soul Blazer in the US. This is a game that, because of its short length I still try to return to as an adult. Also the music is just perfect!

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

I did really enjoy the action parts of the game. I just wish there had been a little more story to bring it all together, but that said, I can't wait to play SoulBlazer!

@ManillaHeep

3 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Soul Blazer hooked me immediately. I couldn't put it down until I finished but it's a relatively short playthrough. You can tell it's an early SNES game but it still holds up today. Highly recommend you move it up your backlog list! 😁

I can see where you come from on the characters. I felt they were all very likable after a few hours spent with them. They start with major flaws but they are children who are forced to grow up along their journey. They grow, change, and get over their childish ways as they mature. There could definitely have been some more character development, but this was one of the first that had any sort of character growth on this level. Perhaps it was because I played it when it first came out but a lot of the heavier parts really stuck with me. The characters didn't discuss it much leaving me to think through my own feelings on the issues and come to my own conclusions. I appreciate that it didn't hold my hand. In either case, thank you for the review!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

This is an interesting perspective! I just figured a lot might've been lost in translation, but this is a cool way of looking at it too.

This was one of the first snes rpgs to be released in Spanish, and I played the hell out of it when it came out in 1995, with its big box and that players guide included. The Spanish translation was really good and it really immerse you into the story. Probably playing it as a kid had a huge impact and it's different than playing it as an adult, but I think Illusion of Time is definitely a great game with lots of special moments, good characters and amazing music. Sorry to hear you didn't connect with it :(

@hungrygoriya

4 жыл бұрын

I wonder if the Spanish translation was better somehow... I really wanted to love this game but I just couldn't get into it because of how it was in English at least... happy to hear you have fond memories of it though. I've met a lot of people that feel that way as well, so I'm definitely the odd one out.

@claufranco

4 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriyaThe translation was probably based on the English one, but the Spanish translators did a great job and it sounded really natural for most of the gameplay. Thanks to this game's sales we got 3 mores rpgs translated in Spain for the snes, Secret of Evermore, Terranigma and Lufia 2. Even if you didn't like Gaia much give Terranigma a try as it really goes farther and way beyond than Gaia did, it's one of the few games that made me cry in all my life.

@hungrygoriya

4 жыл бұрын

@@claufrancoI am pretty jealous you guys got Terranigma. We did not here in Canada! I am really excited to play it, along with Soul Blazer. Thank you for the recommendation.

@claufranco

4 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya You're welcome! I just discovered your channel and I'm enjoying it a lot, I hope to see that Terranigma gameplay and review in the future ;) Good job!

@hungrygoriya

4 жыл бұрын

@@claufranco Thank you kindly! I hope you continue to enjoy the channel :)

An absolute classic....

Being stuck on the raft was just so incredible deep as kid

@hungrygoriya

5 ай бұрын

That cutscene in particular was an interesting one. I've never really seen a game tackle that sort of suffering, except maybe for Chrono Trigger.

I loved the music in this, and that "polished" SNES look.

I've never beaten this game, but I used to play it a lot as a kid. That is a great review, I really need it to play it again cause when I was a kid I wasn't able to understand English so much. Even with its downrights, I think I will still like the game xD And wow, Terranigma is so much better

@hungrygoriya

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your kindness! I really hope you'll give it a shot again. As long as you're not looking for a huge plunge into an immersive story, I think you'll like it. I honestly adored the combat in this game and wanted more of that, so I'm guessing I'll really love Soul Blazer. I've heard that Soul Blazer is pretty much just the dungeon stuff from Illusion of Gaia. And I need to play Terranigma sooner than later too. There's not enough time in a day!

@MarceloKamui

6 жыл бұрын

Hungry Goriya soul blazer is great, I'm sure u will like it

First off, I never saw Lilly and Kara as love-triangle rivals. Lilly just so happens to be female, while Kara has the biggest character arc in the story. I can't say it's executed well, but I get where you're coming from. Also, I understand the whole spin ability being a little wonky. If you really want to know why I like Illusion of Gaia, it's because it was one of the first games I played with a deeper story than most games. In comparison, A Link to the Past was more interested in telling its backstory than anything else. But mostly, it's the gameplay. If you stack it up to Secret of Mana, this is much more playable in the fact that you don't get spammed to death.

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

I could swear at times they were both fighting over Will in some of their arguments, but again, some of it might've been lost to the translation effort. I loved the combat in Illusion of Gaia, which is why I think I'm excited to see what SoulBlazer brings to the table as well. I think I would've liked it a lot better if the story had been just a little more focused, and more importantly, coherent! I didn't find I got overwhelmed with Secret of Mana's battle system either... I did get annoyed by having to level up magic by using it over and over again though. That was really tedious.

I've only played this game once and was debating another playthrough, but thanks to this review I don't feel like I'd be missing anything. You covered everything greatly! Thank you

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

My pleasure! It's a pretty quick game once you know where you're going if you decide to give it a try down the line.

I just found your channel the other day, and while I largely agree with a lot of your criticisms, I'm an 80s baby and view most of these games (almost all) through a lense of nostalgia. Illusion of Gaia was a game unavailable to me via retail so I ended up buying it outright from a blockbuster after numerous rentals and several playthroughs. I own it to this day. And, with utmost respect and civility, if you ever wanna argue about Final Fantasy 3, my #1 favorite game of all time, I'll be around. That said, I love your channel

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I sometimes wish I had a little more nostalgia for more games, but unfortunately I didn't have a lot of them growing up. It's cool that you had this one growing up and enjoyed it. I really liked the combat but I could take or leave the story/characters. It really makes me wonder what the original text was meant to be when it was cohesive. The translation was a mess here! I don't know that I really want to argue with anyone, haha... I'm not out to change anyone's mind! I just enjoy talking about my first time experiences with games and hearing what other people have to say about them. I'm glad you like the channel :)

@joshb2907

Жыл бұрын

I don't know how many NES games I had but they filled a 2 foot by foot and a half by 8 inch dresser drawer stacked squarely. An identical drawer was dedicated to my SNES games. No boxes, just cartridges. I raked leaves and shovelled snow for money to raid yard sales and pawn shops of every game I could find. Two of my favorites in the NES include Xexys and guardian legend. TGL made me a lifelong gamer at age 4 and my wife hates it haha

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

@@joshb2907 That's a lifetime love! I had a hard time parting with money when I was a kid so I didn't buy too many games used, but when I got a credit card and got onto eBay back in my late teens, I bought quite a few games that I thought seemed similar to ones I liked as a kid. I'm sorry your wife's not on board, but hopefully it's still a hobby you enjoy on your own!

I remembered it get super dark as a kid but I couldn't remember exactly how. This refreshed my memory lol. In retrospect I also think it might have been cool if you got some flashbacks into the life of the dark knight that you turn into... maybe his personality starts to bleed over into your own or whatever. Maybe he has an ancient grudge to settle against some being that killed his family and set him onto the path of darkness or something, and you have to make your fairly innocent RPG hero goals align with his darker desire for revenge, or whatever. That might just be because he bears a passing resemblance to Ashram from Record of Lodoss War, who was a super compelling dark knight character.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

It gets a little dark out of nowhere, which I have no problem with, but they just seemed to scratch the surface of a bunch of really serious topics without diving in. It was a bit strange. I need to play Record of Lodoss War based on this idea of a compelling Dark Knight. I enjoyed the story of Illusion of Gaia in principle but I assume a lot of it must've been lost in translation.

@seranonable

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya there are games of Record of Lodoss War but I would recommend the OVA anime series because that's what I was referring to... I can't vouch for the games, except the new game called Deedlit in Wonder Labryinth or whatever, that one is definitely good.

@BJGvideos

23 күн бұрын

I wrote a fic about Freedan since he got no story at all. Basically I came up with that he had once been very similar to Will, in an age where Gaia was considered heresy, and his adherence to her got him executed right before the comet's previous cycle.

I played this game for the first time last year. I really enjoyed it, I wish I could of played it when I was a kid.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I would've loved to try it with childhood ignorance. Or, I'd also like to try a retranslation. I feel like a lot of the intention was lost when it got translated.

@MasterRoshi8974

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya I totally agree, I need to learn Japanese lol

I think the problem with a game like this thats clearly a product of its era is the limitation that you really had to be there i.e. a kid in the 90s playing this at the time. I can tell you it was a very deep and emotional laden game. I was around 10 when I played this. I was hanging in my brother's room where the snes was, and my brother nonchalantly tells me he borrowed this game off his friend who said it was something I might like. I was like, wow ok, your friend thought of me like that. Put it in not knowing what to expect and was taken on a roller coaster of a journey, where most media aimed at me treated me like a child, this game felt like it had a deeper message to convey. I dont think this game in the modern time would pack the same punch - especially with all the media and information we are exposed to. About the themes in the story you say are just glossed over, I have to respectfully disagree. I think the game presents its many story threads intentionally so you must ponder or stew on it until the climax where it all comes together. I think in the West we are usually told bluntly how to feel, but the writers of this game throw it on the player to ask, how do I feel about these kids that have been forced all their lives to make this rug. How do I feel about my friend's pig who just sacrificed himself so we could eat. It ties into a core theme thats presented in the game i.e for something to exist there needs to be sacrifice.

@hungrygoriya

3 ай бұрын

I'm so glad you had a really moving experience with this game. I can agree to disagree about the themes being glossed over, but I can imagine they were a lot more impactful experiencing them as a kid. To me, it just felt like we were constantly rushing from one big topic to the next without really sitting with any of it, though you're definitely right in that it's all tied together nicely. I hadn't really made the sacrifice connection before now. Thanks for sharing a thoughtful comment here.

I feel like soul blazer is one of the most under rated games on SNES, and soul blazers sound track was just amazing!

@hungrygoriya

11 ай бұрын

I really liked Soulblazer. It was a bit repetitive, but I thought the story in the manual was so cool.

I got a totally different experience out of this game as a kid. Maybe I was just so used to filling in the gaps and imagining the story which you had to do on many early RPG's or there's basically nothing there. This game for me was such a grand adventure and really made me interested to learn about the real life locations that you'd visit. I definitely agree that I didn't leave the game happy at the end, and still to this day I consider this a really dark game where you watch a group of friends, that was similar to my group of friends, basically fall to pieces as they are put into these situations. It's not heart wrenching like say Lufia 2, but I consider this game's themes to be quite sad. I didn't play Terranigma as a kid, but I did play it a couple years ago when I finally added it to my collection. It was the first game I've played in close to 20 years that made me really feel like that again. I highly recommend it.

@hungrygoriya

5 жыл бұрын

I only wish I had had the opportunity to play this game as a kid for all the reasons you mentioned here. Having that child-like curiosity in an adventure game that applies to the real world is such a neat concept. As an adult though, it was a really bumpy experience like I mentioned. I guess I had high hopes for a coming of age tale or something. I don't know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't what I got! And yeah, Terranigma is something I desperately want to dive into sooner than later. Soul Blazer too. I think Soul Blazer will have all the parts of Gaia that I liked, which was pretty much murdering enemies.

@EatingCtrlV

5 жыл бұрын

Yah Soul Blazer is a lot more battling and a let less confusing narrative LOL.

@hungrygoriya

5 жыл бұрын

@@EatingCtrlV Sounds like that's just what I'm after!

Angkor Wat is a real slog without the gamer guide, but incredibly atmospheric for the time.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I did enjoy the atmosphere in this game. Such a contrast to the bubbly colours and graphics in many places!

Such an excellent job you did with this, GG.. as someone who doesn't really know this game, I feel informed about the game and given a very fair and unbiased review with great pacing. Well done!

@hungrygoriya

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much my dear... I'm happy you came away feeling in the know. I appreciate your continued support!

@TheReNesance

6 жыл бұрын

Always a pleasure! And likewise..

I remember owning this game when it first came out but I never beat it I don't think? It didn't leave a huge impression on me. Great video.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Thanks very much! I liked the action in it mostly, but the story/characters were not so great.

Fun game! Back then most of the dark themes and tough situations went over my head, but I did think it was neat that the game used dark power for good instead going the stereotypical dark power is evil route. That was the single most interesting thing that stood out to me besides the game play and lot of the music, until I got older and realized how much of a hot mess the writing really was. lol Even so, it was a fun game for me, but after having played it once as an adult, I just had no desire to go back to it for the same reasons with the writing you pointed out.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah totally... I'd love to see what the actual narrative was like without the shaky translation. There's probably a good story in there somewhere.

Got it on release in elementary school for good grades. First game to ever make me cry

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

There really are some sad spots in this one for sure.

@eviljigglypuff2254

2 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Great review tho. I had to check out your playthrough afterwards. Keep up w the good content sister. 👍

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

@@eviljigglypuff2254 I appreciate it! I wish I'd liked it more, but I just played Soulblazer recently and really liked that one! I'm going to jump into Terranigma later this weekend as well.

Well-written and well executed review! I liked that you did not just shower this game with praise but instead gave it your honest opinion. It helped me decide whether or not I should seek out this game. Do you think you will review the two other Quintet/Enix action RPG's on SNES "Soul Blazer" and "Terranigma" anytime soon?

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

My pleasure! And you might be interested to know that I just finished Soulblazer for the first time a few weeks ago and am part-way through playing Terranigma. They're definitely on my list of games I'd like to talk about, so the short answer is yes, probably!

@pontusB

2 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Sweet! I have not had the chance to play them myself (yet) but I look forward to hear what you have to say about them.

9:32 I was eating a bacon sandwich when I watched this part. Your pig friend gets cooked and eaten? I wouldn't expect that in an RPG.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I had no idea it was going to happen.

I played this game (Named Illusions of Time in Europe I think) in German when I was a kid; yes we had to settle for EU translations back then since Iran did not have these games "or consoles" back then... Thankfully due to my inability to speak German (or English at the time), I pretty much made up 50% of the story & drama to my own liking haha.. Good times!

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

I honestly think I would've liked the game better not knowing what was happening sometimes! :D Thanks for sharing.

@BJGvideos

23 күн бұрын

What was the story you came up with?

I really liked this game growing up, and I agree that the side characters were pretty weak. The only one I really recall making any impression on me was the pig who sacrificed itself for the main character... I liked that pig.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Honestly, this whole game should've been called/refocused on Freedan and The Pig, and I would've been a lot happier for it.

@wilhelmschmidt7240

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Ha, yeah I'd play that game.

@BJGvideos

23 күн бұрын

Was playing Pokémon and got a Tepig, a fire pig. Welcome to the party, Hamlet.

OMG! I want to buy this again!!!

Gaia for the win and playing this game as a kid is alot diffrent then playing this game as a jaded adult.... I remember getting this adventure when I was 11 and it was EPIC

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I liked the action quite a bit, but the story/characters were not very good. I wonder how much was lost in translation.

@justinbladedemonsoul

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya I think it's part of the soul blazer games right

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

@@justinbladedemonsoul I think this one, Soulblazer and Terranigma are all loosely related to one another.

This game is legitimately my 2nd favorite game of all time. So it really makes my jaw drop seeing so many people in the comments say its not good and when you mentioned the issues you had with the story I felt like you came off harsh. Especially since it clearly didn’t connect with you and I pretty much completely disagreed with every thing you criticized the story for.

@hungrygoriya

4 жыл бұрын

It didn't connect with me even a little bit and I honestly think the translation has a lot to do with it, as well as a lack of focus. I'm glad you enjoyed it though! Did you first play it when you were young?

@ChiefXuligan

4 жыл бұрын

Hungry Goriya I did play it when I was young (9-10yo I think)and replayed it many many times.

@hungrygoriya

4 жыл бұрын

@@ChiefXuligan I loved the action parts a ton and appreciated the skill levelling system a lot. I just wanted to be Freedan all the time though!

I liked how all the side characters were so terrible to be around, they are a bunch of school kids pushed to travel the world with very little comfort. You end up being the dad of the group since you go through all the real struggles.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

They are so miserable! I couldn't stand the majority of them other than the main character.

@Daftanemone

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriyacomparing your own trauma to other people’s and thinking you’ve had it worse isn’t healthy. Everyone handles things differently.

I remember so well playing this game, by the time I ended I told to myself "no other rpg/adventure game will top this" then ff6 came out. But still, this is for me on par with A link to the past, it has a way better story, a tie on the soundtrack, and great levels too, a masterpiece of a game.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I'm glad you liked this one! I'd love to see what the original dialogue was like pre-translation. I feel like some of the story's meaningfulness got lost.

@armandogavilan1815

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Yes I agree, is a game you kinda have to read between the lines, those early translations leave a lot to be desired.

I do have a big love for a lot of the SNES adventure & RPG titles. I was a big fan of Soul Blazer, so when I heard this one was from the same company and was similar I had to play it. Well although Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia, and Terranigma are all apparently what is called the Gaia Trilogy I find they play a bit differently from each other. They do share some themes and elements. All of them often touch on some mature themes. Well the later two takes place on a world Similar to ours. I think the only major connection between the first two is the whole secret you obtain when you find all the jewels. With that rant out of the way, I personally like Gaia the least. It isn’t a horrible game. I find it doesn’t hold up compared to the other two. The adventure through a world with names from real world paces was a great idea, but that ending … ya I get the idea but it was trying to be deep. Enix was really into that Anyways, thanks for the videos 😊

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I think the action aspects of Illusion of Gaia are great, but the characters and story are just absolute nonsense to me. I swear something major was lost in translation because the rest of the game seems well thought out. I've played Soulblazer and Terranigma, and I enjoyed them both quite a bit. I'd love to review them someday.

Huh. Well, I guess you did review this one! And maybe it doesn't hold up as well as I remember from when I was a kid. I'll still have to replay it to be sure, as I have a good friend who replayed it recently and can't stop raving about it -- but you've given me an interesting new perspective to bear in mind when I do. These days, I mostly just play MSX games, as alluded to in my comment on your Legacy of the Wizard review, and there's not much I played in my youth that I can think of to recommend to you that you haven't already covered. But thinking outside the box a bit... have you played Legend of the Mystical Ninja on SNES? I'm sure you have, right? If not, that's DEFINITELY one I would recommend wholeheartedly. It's such an interesting blend of platformer, semi-RPG, and goofy minigame collection, and aside from its own sequels and predecessors (few of which got released outside of Japan), there's almost nothing else quite like it. I feel like you'd really enjoy it, based on the reviews I've watched of your content thus far. Other NES favorites that fall a bit outside your usual purview, but might be worth a look and review sometime in the future, are The Goonies II, and Solstice. Solstice in particular is a game that I feel doesn't get nearly enough respect -- people always claim it's "too hard!", but it's really not... you just need to take your time and get a feel for your surroundings. It's a game that rewards patient, systematic exploration, and the areas you explore are surprisingly diverse and interesting (and incredibly atmospheric, due in no small part to Tim Follin's mindblowing soundtrack!). It's also a bit of a rarity, as those European-developed isometric puzzle platformers mostly never came out in North America, making Solstice stand out a bit more on that side of the pond than it would've in Europe, or even Japan (where a fair number of the classic isometric games got prominent MSX ports, or even Famicom ports). Oh, and Goonies II is just rad. Every Goonies game has been at least somewhat excellent, with Goonies II being the best of the bunch IMHO, and one of my favorite games of all time. It's not without its flaws, and it's definitely got some doozies, but on the whole, it's a bloody fantastic game that I personally rank up there with Legacy of the Wizard, Faxanadu, and Crystalis. Anyway, once again... good content all around! Will be looking forward to checking out more of your videos still. EDIT: OH, WAIT. I know of an NES game I can recommend to you that I rarely ever hear anyone talk about, but is 100% in your wheelhouse: Tombs & Treasure! Man, that game was a classic of my childhood, and like Legacy of the Wizard, is another surprising Falcom game that actually got licensed and released stateside back in the day (it was originally the Famicom port of Asteka II: Templo del Sol). It's a pretty rad game, and easily the best version of Asteka II, with a TON of story added that's honestly quite good and shockingly well-localized for the time. Super-duper cool game that really should be talked about a lot more than it is! Especially for fans of games like Shadowgate and the like.

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

I'll be curious to hear about how you feel after revisiting! I know people are usually pretty polarized on this game as first-time players. I have a few friends that loved it and a few that didn't so much... So far I haven't played Legend of the Mystical Ninja, Goonies II, Solstice, or Tombs and Treasure. I do own them all though, and some of them are on my list of games coming up soon! I'm really, really looking forward to Tombs and Treasure actually. It seems pretty neat! Solstice though, I'm a little terrified of :D

@Wyrdwad

3 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Solstice is really not that bad. In fact, I dare say that once you get the hang of the way its world is designed, Solstice is... kind of easy! It helps, though, that the layout of the castle in Solstice is surprisingly sensible -- it all "fits together" perfectly, and makes sense as an outer castle with towers on each corner, an inner courtyard, a well-fortified inner sanctum, a dungeon below, etc. People say you can get lost easily, but all you need to do is look at your surroundings and it's pretty obvious where you are in relation to everything else. And the seven staff pieces are hidden in pretty logical spots. I think that, more than anything, is why Solstice is such a beloved game for me -- it's all about its level design, and its level design is fantastic. A lot of thought obviously went into modeling its 3D game space, and it really shows. Either way, glad to hear you were thinking of looking into all of those games in the future! Each one has something to contribute that I think you'll really dig. Thanks for responding to all of my comments, too, rather than just ignoring this rambly old fogey! ;)

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

@@Wyrdwad I've seen a few people familiar with the game play through it with ease, so I hope what you're saying here will translate well into my playthrough too. I don't want it to be easy by any means, but I don't want such a high learning curve that I'm totally turned off by it. From the sounds of what you're saying here though, I think I'll be just fine. And goodness, no need to thank me! Half of the reason I like making these videos is to talk to people about games, and these comments help me do more of that! So thank YOU for being thoughtful enough to leave them.

I grew up with Illusion of Gaia, and even when I was a kid who loved every game ever, I could never really live this one. Maybe it was the forced linearity without any way of going back or the really underdeveloped characters and story, but despite mostly kind of liking the game, I never remember it that fondly. I especially hated how you'd just get endless text in random spots (especially in the final dungeon) because the devs couldn't organically work the story in the rest of the game in a well paced manner. Similar things happen to a lot of games like Secret of Mana and Star Ocean, but those games have a lot more going for them to make up for their shortcomings (like the music and graphics in Mana and just about everything other than the story in Star Ocean) unlike Illusion of Gaia.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

I definitely agree with you. The info dumps versus some better pacing really take away from the storytelling aspects of this one, no doubt. Maybe they thought the gated gameplay would force some replay value with the red gems, but I didn't care enough to play it again after I finished it. I look forward to playing Star Ocean. I wish Secret of Mana's story had held together a little better towards the end of the game, but I agree: there was a lot more there to love about the world and the characters than anything Illusion of Gaia presented.

You're not encouraging me to play this.... You started to get into spoiler territory, so I stopped the video, but from what I've seen, it shares many similarities with Soul Blazer in regards to how the enemies don't respawn, etc. It actually looks pretty cool at some parts. I'll hafta eventually play it.

@SaadAzim

6 жыл бұрын

You should play this. Illusion of Gaia is considered to be the second installment in the Quintet Heaven & Earth Trilogy. With Soul Blazer & Terranigma being the first & third installment respectively. Mind you, it's a series in the same sense that Final Fantasy is a series, but still.

@hungrygoriya

6 жыл бұрын

And that's absolutely the case! The action parts are really great but I wanted nothing to do with the story for the most part after a while. For me, story and music are some of the most important parts of an RPG, and neither really shone too brightly in my opinion. I hope you'll give it a go though!

@hungrygoriya

6 жыл бұрын

It's definitely worth playing! It just didn't tickle my fancy enough for me to love it like I love other games.

@NefariousWes

6 жыл бұрын

Hungry Goriya That's disappointing about the music since Soul Blazer's soundtrack is amazing.

@kainemaxwell

5 жыл бұрын

Play all three!

I know this game is just a worse, more linear _"Soul Blazer",_ but this game will always be my favorite game in the Quintet Trilogy. Although, I've never played _Terranigma…_ Regardless, this game is so surreal and so much fun. I played it so much when I was a kid. I even had the shirt. I miss my shirt, ha hah.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Awww it was the shirt that game with the game eh? I think I've seen people post photos of that in the past! I'm glad you liked this one. I really wish that I could learn about what the true intent of the original dialogue was. It seems like something was seriously lost when it got translated.

This is the only one of the 'Quintet trilogy' that I've never played. I loved Soul Blazer but for some reason this one went under my game rental radar back in the day. I'll still check it out at some point, but after watching this I'll probably go in with tempered expectations when I do.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

I think something was definitely lost in translation. There's probably a great narrative in there somewhere.

I had this as a kid. I played through it a few times but I never felt compelled to come back to this game. I enjoyed the combat but I would rather have the cereal eating allies of Phantasy Star 2 (at least they help a little) than Will's group of flunkies. I did enjoy the review and I couldn't remember why I haven't played this game since I was a child. Now I do. 😁

@hungrygoriya

4 жыл бұрын

I played through it twice. Once on stream and once for a let's play, and that was one time too many for me! I do love the combat too though, so hopefully Soul Blazer and Terranigma will scratch that itch.

Love this game!!

Although I don't dislike Illusion of Gaia as much as you seem to, I agree with a lot of the points here. I always impatiently waited for chances to play as Freedan since he's just better than Will, and not introducing the second transformation until right at the end of the game seems a weird choice. I didn't mind the characters so much, but their unnecessarily long dialogue did contribute to my overall feeling about the game, which was mild boredom. It all just felt a bit flat to me and never really engaged me.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

Freedan was so much better. I think I even liked him better than Shadow, but it sucks that they left that final form for such a short stretch of the game. Agreed! I wonder if the story would've felt less boring if the localization was a bit better. I don't mind a lot of dialogue if it does a good job in building characters and also moves the story along or sets the scene. I didn't find a lot of that here personally.

@BJGvideos

23 күн бұрын

The second transformation was held until the end likely because part of it is Kara. Sure she doesn't become part of Shadow until later but I tend to think that it drew from her to exist at all.

You use Premiere right? I'd recognize that page curl transition anywhere.:P Great video! I never did finish Illusion of Gaia, but I really enjoyed the combat and the unusual level design. A lot of the maps almost look like they're side scrolling.

@hungrygoriya

5 жыл бұрын

I do use Premiere! I'm self-taught and can mostly just fade and transition things, but it works! And thanks so much. I loved the action parts of Illusion of Gaia but the story... yech. I think I might Soul Blazer or Terranigma better because they're either just the action bits, or Illusion of Gaia-esque but with a better story. Fingers crossed! For me, if the story and music isn't great, I want nothing to do with it and Illusion of Gaia didn't impress me in either of those departments. Do you think you might finish it someday?

@DariaPlaysRPGs

5 жыл бұрын

I had to teach myself to use it too. And yeah.... i guess I do mostly use the transition effects as well. :P I may go back and finish Illusion of Gaia eventually. I don't, there's so many more games I'd rather play and/or review.

@hungrygoriya

5 жыл бұрын

@@DariaPlaysRPGs Well I love your videos, so it would seem that transitions as an editing tool are working just fine :) I have such a long list of things I'd like to play too. Having a backlog is such a blessing and a curse!

@DariaPlaysRPGs

5 жыл бұрын

Awww thank you! I'm enjoying your reviews as well. I think for the really flashy stuff I'd need to get a copy of After Effects. But there's probably a bunch I don't know about Premiere still. Also on my laptop Premiere crashes if I get too crazy with my footage.

@hungrygoriya

5 жыл бұрын

@@DariaPlaysRPGs I'm awfully thankful for the computer I built a few years ago. It solved a lot of the same kinds of problems you're describing and doesn't take hours and hours to render a video. I tried using After Effects one time and had no idea what I was doing. I'll stick to my transitions!

I had a blast playing through Soulblazer a few years ago but I was disappointed afterwards when I picked up Illusion of Gai. I never finished it. Did you ever complete Teranigma?

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

I am actually going to be starting Terranigma on my livestreams on Sunday night coming up. I just finished Lufia II last night and Terranigma's the next one on the list. I'm very excited to see what it's all about.

@riggel8804

2 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Cool. I tried playing it a couple years ago and put it down but it's one I would like to give a second chance. Good luck on your adventure.

Very good review. I played Illusion of Gaia back in the day and I found it decidedly disappointing. I think your point about the whirlwind nature of the adventure is the chief culprit. No particular situation was ever satisfyingly analyzed, and the end result was a sort of "meh... okay." The musical aesthetic was good, but like in Secret of Evermore, the story and characters did not equal the tone and pretense. I thought, overall, that Soul Blazer was a better overall experience and that Illusion of Gaia is an example of a game that is decently good but which has become overrated. Anyway, good video!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing some of your thoughts here. I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt this one didn't quite meet the mark story-wise. I liked Secret of Evermore's plot a lot more because at least the plot was written for English-speakers and made sense, but I could not get into the characters here whatsoever, nor the story. Soulblazer was awesome, and so was Terranigma!

You reviewed the hell out of that! I really like this game, nearly every aspect of it is good. But there is 1 part that I got stuck at and could not pass. I'm sure I was just missing something small and stupid but I spent so much time trying to figure it out I decided ultimately that that I hate this game lol

@hungrygoriya

6 жыл бұрын

I bet you I know what part that was because I also got stuck over something really, really stupid that the game never did until that very moment. I actually took a break and played something else that night because I was too frustrated.

I agree with all this. perhaps to help understand WHY as a kid it was better... imagination. when kids with bad graphics, we were imagining stuff between the lines still. ;) today, this game I can't play long. it's just not how I remember it.

The second form is only accessible late in the game, eh? Are you saying we.... Gotta wait for shadow! 😛

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

These games are always making us wait for shadows of various kinds!

I enjoyed this game, but I think it could have been longer. They could have expanded on some of the topics and maybe had areas where you needed to use the other characters.

@hungrygoriya

9 ай бұрын

This might've brought the game a lot more cohesion in some spots. I felt like they just whipped around to way too many topics and didn't get into them very deeply.

I always liked this game. I bought it new back in the day and I played it religiously. Yeah, the adventure is too linear. Yeah, you only have one playable character. I don’t like when you can’t over-level the characters like in this game but, the story was dark and weird and for me, that made it interesting.

@hungrygoriya

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I suppose it's different from a lot of other games. I just wish it had more focus. I'm glad you got a lot of play out of it. Have you tried Soulblazer or Terranigma before?

@epicnipple8746

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I have those too! They’re great button-mashing action games with a tiny bit of strategy and world building. I really appreciate games like these because so many new games are just online fps type stuff that I really have little to no interest in.

Superior hill conquering abilities lol

@hungrygoriya

6 жыл бұрын

Right? Seems like a weird advantage to have!

The greatest RPG I've ever played. Only zelda was able to fill the hole this one left me with.

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

I really enjoyed the action parts of this game, and the levelling system too! I wish I got to experience the translation as intended... I'm sure I would've liked it a lot more. Did you play it when it was new?

@TheHyphen

3 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Yes i played as child then and then again as an adult. The thing i would say is, there's alot of loss in this game, you have to allow yourself to be emersed more as a human being than as a person just playing a video game, i found that it had very real life adult concepts of poverty, slavery, death, love, trauma and letting go. As a kid playing I knew it was sad the things that were happening, but as an adult it was like wow "this is some deep stuff". Also, it's based on real places and situations that can actually happen. In the end you relaize the game takes place in the past, and speaks of the future (90s) and even shows how the world would become. You find your love, but you have to die and be reincarnated in this future time but you won't know any of your friends that you met or your love.

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheHyphen Yeah, it's a very dark story to say the least. I just wish they'd focused more on one of those major topics rather than spreading the plot so thinly across so many of them. A little focus would've gone a long way for me personally!

@TheHyphen

3 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya The game could use a Reboot that keeps the allure of the past but brushes up on the stories approch.

@BJGvideos

23 күн бұрын

​@@TheHyphenDid they die at the end though? I felt like they just went "to the new world"

I'd love a remake. Though is it a RPG? I guess i never really considered it one. Absolute best soundtrack on the whole SNES though. The piece that plays after you beat the end boss always seemed like it needed lyrics so I wrote some.

@hungrygoriya

22 күн бұрын

I think it's an RPG because you have stats that level up at certain milestones versus a traditional experience system. RPGs have such a broad definition that I think there are a lot of things that fit under that umbrella but aren't perfectly covered by it alone. I'm glad you enjoyed the music in this one! Some of it was quite memorable to me.

@BJGvideos

22 күн бұрын

@@hungrygoriya I know there's some industry pushback at least against classifications like "JRPG" since it's seen as limiting, anyway. If you wanted to hear the lyrics I wrote, I performed them! I forget the exact name I used for it but "To The New World With Lyrics" should get you there. Go with the more recent one.

This is one of those games that I remember absolutely loving when I was young but playing again as an adult, I just found it "okay." Fun at times, but most of the puzzles slowed things down too much for my taste. Coupled with a story that's ALL over the place, I don't find myself playing this one much these days.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I'm sorry this one lost its lustre over time for you.

"I couldn't reliably get spin dash to work"... ok. Have you considered the problem is you?

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I have, but a lot of other folks that played this said the same thing as me. Have you played it?

I still got this game. Its a decent game

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I loved the action parts of it very much. I just wish it had a better story/characters, but some of that might've been lost in translation.

Never heard of it. Looks reasonable. Your critique seems fair.

Amazing graphics, still to this day!!!!

@hungrygoriya

5 жыл бұрын

This game is pretty gorgeous. You're absolutely right about that!

@VERMISIMILITUDE

5 жыл бұрын

The depth of the mode 7 effect really made this game special to me. The colours are just so rich.

You probably wouldn’t like the “reward” for getting all 50 red jewels: a very difficult and aggravating optional boss battle.

@hungrygoriya

4 жыл бұрын

I've read about it since finishing the game and it looks terrible... and much more meaningful if you've played Soul Blazer, right?

@BJGvideos

23 күн бұрын

You get to end the slave trade once and for all so that's a pretty big reward

Sorry I. Missed so much videos

Hm... I don't like that the interior rooms are in perspective like that... It's kind of a neat thought but also kind of jarring? It's partly because the sprites don't scale to match you moving into the background and because the outside areas are top down.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Yeah there's something a little weird about the perspective here. Agreed!

From what you've said in this vid I'm surprised you haven't played Final Fantasy 6

@hungrygoriya

11 ай бұрын

I have!

@Zirus_Blackheart

11 ай бұрын

@@hungrygoriya ah ok! would be great to have a vid from you for it then :-) I hear 5s good too but haven't played it. There's a remake of Star Ocean The Second Story comming soon btw if you haven't heard! 😀I'm super stoked for it :-D

@hungrygoriya

11 ай бұрын

@@Zirus_Blackheart Right on! I haven't played any Star Ocean yet. The SNES game looks beautiful and I'm excited for the people looking forward to The Second Story. I hope to play them sometime!

I guess you could say you were 😎 Disillusioned Meme-ing aside, I feel like this is a game that could REALLY use the "Definitive Edition" treatment: Retranslate everything, expand on the story, explore the themes more in depth and give Will, Shadow and Freedan more distinct differences in gameplay

@hungrygoriya

5 жыл бұрын

Hahaha I've also referred to this game as the Illusion of Gaiarrhea, which is much less tactful than your approach :) And I agree wholeheartedly. I think a retranslation would really do the game some justice. I've been curious whether the Japanese version is better or not, but I don't know anyone that has played it.

@HybridAngelZero

5 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya From what I understand, due to font size limitations and not being able to make new dialogue boxes, a lot of the script had to be cut. Secret of Mana had a similar fate, but it had the talent of Ted Woolsey to rescue it to a degree. A luxury Gaia sadly did not have

Came into this one thinking "Alright, here comes a shining review of my favorite SNES game," only to see it slaughtered. BUT, it's a very good and thoughtful critique, and I probably am looking at it through nostalgia goggles. I guess in a lot of ways IoG is the Sheltered Adolescent's Primer To Grown-Up Topics. I'll always love it, but I can totally understand how an adult newcomer would find its treatment of those topics as trivial and noncommittal.

@hungrygoriya

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for appreciating the perspective I took with this particular review. I know lots of people absolutely adore this game and I'm disappointed it didn't do very much for me. I truly wish I had experienced it as a kid too because I know so many who hold it up as one of the penultimate games on the SNES. I'm sad I can't be a part of that! Do you think you'll play it again sometime or just hang onto that nostalgia?

@chrisdecafasmr

5 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya I think about this game all the time. I'm even painting a picture of the art from the t-shirt that originally came boxed with the game! For sure I'll be playing it sometime in the future. I haven't played it since I was a teenager.

@hungrygoriya

5 жыл бұрын

@@chrisdecafasmr An artist eh? That's awesome! My visual art skills are in the negative range, so I always admire people that can put ideas down on paper/canvas, etc.! I hope that when you revisit Illusion of Gaia that you'll still be just as in love with it as ever.

Did you ever try Terranigma?

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

Not yet. It's on my list!

I played it back in the days and my review would be the same. I was not a kid when I played it so the more adult themes had no shock value for me. I am glad I played it but I don't feel the need to replay it (ever) and there are much better RPGs on Super Nintendo. I played Secret of Evermore right after and had much more fun with that game. Not a perfect RPG but I really like the audacity and the fact that it was different.

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

I have yet to play Secret of Evermore but I'm definitely looking forward to it sometime soon. I haven't found too many people that agree about Illusion of Gaia, so thanks for this :)

@migueldias8546

3 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya I am not sure many people played the game. And for a RPG, "play the game" really means finishing it. The story is part of the experience. And when you dig, you usually find that people have started it but never completed it. My favorite example is Earthbound. There are a lot to love about this RPG but I fucking HATE the last battle. For me it ruined the game. Like you (it seems) I try to get everything, search every corner. And I reallly had a lof of fun discovering the world of Earhtbound. So I got to the last battle at level 99... He couldn't kill me, I couldn't kill him (and I tried for hours). For the first time in my life, I had to open a guide and I was very very frustrated with the answer... I rarely see anybody talking about it because the truth is that a few people finished the game. And it's very common with RPG (I found). But they have no problem telling you are wrong with your opinion... Oh well...

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

@@migueldias8546 Oh there are lots of opinions out there for sure... I'm sorry you felt that way about the end of Earthbound. I didn't enjoy that ending stretch either and I don't feel like it fit with the tone of the game at all, which was unfortunate. I appreciated how lighthearted and fun everything was (albeit with lots of darker undertones) but that ending just came out of nowhere. I hear ya!

I think I prefer SoulBlazer. I've never played Terrrienigma(sp?). I've already wanted it. SoulBlazer was a game I played over and over and over again as a kid. And I'll play it occasionally now. I didn't play Illusion of Gaia as a kid so the clunky feel and story didn't grab me.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

I'm really a big fan of Soulblazer as well. I just finished it up a few weeks ago and am currently into Terranigma, which is also pretty fun. I think I could forget Illusion of Gaia and just consider it the Quintet Pair instead, but I'll wait until I'm finished Terranigma to decide. It's certainly started off well!

@briansmith1288

2 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya I always add Actraiser into the mix. In my head, SoulBlazer is a sequel to Actraiser because that's how I thought of it as a kid. Illusion of Gaia just hits me as missed potential. A few tweaks and I think it would push it's way into one of the greats.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

@@briansmith1288 Yes! You play as an agent of "The Master" in Soulblazer, don't you? They have to be connected! And Illusion of Gaia probably needed some help with its translation to bring it to the next level status. I agree though! It could've been very good, but it just didn't cut it for me.

@briansmith1288

2 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Definitely do play as the agent of the Master. I know they all share a publisher. I never played it but I understand that Actraiser 2 dropped the sim part, which is why I never played it. SoulBlazer lacks the sim part but bringing the world back to life definitely has a similar feel as Actraiser

Love this game. I had gotten this sameday FinalFantasy7 for Playstation came out. After work. I would switch between the 2. Beaten this game in 3 days after getting it. Would had been sooner if FinalFantasy7 wasn't as addicting. I had never beaten FF7. Got stuck on the elevator boss. Game gotstolen before I had a chance to figure it out.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

Sorry you lost your game :(

Cool video! I especially like 5:31 and 10:02. Screw Lily tho.

@sirhcman

6 жыл бұрын

Awesome job on the review. You did an amazing job summing up the game!

@hungrygoriya

6 жыл бұрын

That's when I got real, yo. :D

@hungrygoriya

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much for your kindness and support! I'm glad you liked it :D

Although the graphics and look of Illusion of Gaia are amazing for the SNES it wasn't as fulfilling as Soul Blazer its predecessor. I did enjoy the playthrough but don't really want to really pick it up and play it again. I have heard glowing praise for the 3rd game Terranigma but never really had a chance to play it. I like the action RPG elements and I tend to save those health herbs until the very end of the game as well. Because of past experiences where you have to run a boss gauntlet with only 1 life bar or something similar like a Mega Man game. The ending left much to be desired and it did feel pretty flat. Maybe that's why I liked Tales of Phantasia so much because it was bold and the English patch was funny. If you really put a ton of hours and playtime into a game I think you deserve a great ending. That's just my two cents anyway. Maybe it's the idea of Soul Blazer where you unlock and make the world free and open up as you play is a great feeling compared to the opposite with Illusion of Gaia.

really one of the best snes RPGS. I thought the character design and story was the best part of the game. The English translation is not great, that may have something to do with it.

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

I'd love to see what a better translation might look like. If they'd gone a little deeper on any of the many topics they tackled here, I think I would've liked it a lot more.

This game came out when I was 9, at just the right age for all the hype in magazines like Nintendo Power to hit me dead on. I rented it a few times and it became my favorite game, though I didn't own a copy until almost a decade later. Replaying it as an adult is a very different experience from when I was a kid, when seeing things like the slaves who had to work on a carpet for 40 years or the starving cannibals who were fed by Hamlet's noble sacrifice made me feel like it was a deep and amazing world that made me think and stuck with me for years. Now it barely feels playable, with a bad translation and a goofy story. It's disappointing, but I'll always remember how I felt playing it in grade school.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

I wish I'd had your childhood experience with it! It must've been an amazing experience back then.

I'm glad you seem to be very critical of this game. I really dont get why people seem to like it so much. its full of problems. snes reddit put this game 48 on the top 100, this is just wrong. I know its vote based but jeez. its above alladin, killer instinct, mega man x3, mk2 and goof troop to name a few

@hungrygoriya

7 ай бұрын

I thought it was a strange game. Loved the action and combat, but the story/characters weren't likeable in the slightest for me. I always wonder if something important was lost in translation there.

@beniplays25

7 ай бұрын

yeah in snes drunk video he mentions something about the translation@@hungrygoriya

Pardon my french...but holy sh*t! The game wanted you to return a child slave to their slavers in an Snes game?! Wow Nintendo...do you remember the hearings on violent video games in 1992? When Nintendo accused Sega of selling evil to kids. According to Howard Lincoln their games have "family standards" and "would never allow any mature themes in their games." One year later... Howard Lincoln: "We need genocide, pro-slavery, suicide, and cannibalism right stat now! We're very behind people! Hey, do we have room for some child soldiers?" ;)

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

It's very weird to me too, how extreme they took this game and all its "themes".

This one I hired form the video shop was mutable times to finish it not as fun as crono trigger

I enjoyed it well enough back then, even collected all the red orbs, but I think this was something Enix had to poop out to be able to make Terranigma. Overall I think it's the weakest of the 'series' and the 'heavy plot points' are a hamfisted attempts in making it deeper than it is. But I enjoyed a few of them too, like the shipwreck and russian glass lol.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

Did you use the guide in the manual to find them all? I think I missed quite a few of them here.

@hansbrackhaus8017

Жыл бұрын

​@@hungrygoriya I can't really remember, I think it was a mixture of a few magazine hints and a lot of school(bus) talk as well as just playing it a lot. I don't think it was really worth, it, though. I mean, it was cool to see the Soul Blazer boss, but I can't remember anything reward wise beyond that. Yeah looked it up now, 50 gems just means you can fight the old boss. Lol.

Really enjoyed this one for the action, but the dialogues parts bored me to death. Even when I was playing it as a kid, I hated these parts. Since I havent seen all your videos, I dont know if you did Soul Blazer, but if not, I have to recommand it. A lot of people consider it the lesser game of the Quintet serie, but to me, its the best one. Its really short and simple, but it has a charm, especially with the graphics and music. That is one I often like to come back to.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I haven't reviewed Soulblazer yet, but I really liked it. It was a bit repetitive at times but I enjoyed it a lot more than Illusion of Gaia. Great suggestion!

After playing terranigma when I was young shortly after it's release, I revisited it recently and managed to get through it, now knowing a lot more about geography, still a good game, but a bit too easy to accidentially use items when running, jumping and attacking. Shortly after the replay I went back to Soul Blazer, and it was a fine game but it was really showing it's age, then I had high hopes fro Illusion of Gaia, but this game is just utter crap, it's just an interactive book, and if you accidentially push on any arrow to see if you finally are allowed to move, you miss half the page.

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I feel like I accidentally missed a lot of text in this game. Agreed!

I have mixed feelings for this trilogy of games. I played Illusion of Gaia in emulator several years ago, and I remember liking it, overall, but the story certainly didn't impress me and quickly forgot everything about it. Instead, those stupid vampires are one of the things I remember the most. Some years later I played Terranigma a bit, but didn't like it. I got stuck in many spots and quickly became bored. I feel this game is overrated and only revered because it's rare and expensive. On the other hand, I ADORE Soul Blazer, which was more intuitive and more rewarding, as you unlock new areas by freeing souls. You revive entire towns bit by bit, and it's very satisfying. It's no doubt my favorite in the trilogy.

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

I've been very excited to play SoulBlazer and it's coming up soon for me, as well as Terranigma. I'm hopeful I'll like them both way more than I liked Illusion of Gaia. I'm still disappointed by this game even now... that hasn't faded for me. I will never, ever forget that horrible vampire fight.

I like Soul Blazer better, but I like this better than Terranigma.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

Oh no! I've heard a few people say this, and I'll be playing Terranigma in the next few weeks... I'm worried, haha

@PaladinDusty

2 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya The dungeons and the combat are absolutely amazing. Terranigma has the finest action-adventure RPG combat on the SNES... maybe even anywhere. The music is easily in the top 5 soundtracks on the SNES. It's just beautiful. In fact, it's the only good thing between dungeons...

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

@@PaladinDusty Oh noooooooo

@PaladinDusty

2 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya Did I mention I just beat Terranigma? I cried... That game is a work of art. It's a shame it isn't a better game.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

@@PaladinDusty You may have mentioned it. I've spoken to a couple of different folks about Terranigma in the past few days and it's blurring together a bit. I'm excited to try it either way.

I made the unfortunate mistake of playing this after I had beaten Chrono Trigger, what a night and day difference. confusing story, characters I didn't feel any connection to and often times I was bored

@hungrygoriya

3 жыл бұрын

The story in this game is not good. I'd love a better translation of what was actually going on to make a better call on that, but I was very disappointed too if it makes you feel any better.

I've tried a number of times to get into this game, but it loses me every time.

@hungrygoriya

5 жыл бұрын

I wish I had had a better time with it, honestly. So many people hyped me up for it and maybe I needed to lower my expectations a bit to truly enjoy it rather than feeling perpetually disappointed.

@MrSerpico145

5 жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya I hear ya. They can't all be good, however, which sucks since the retro pool of rpgs is limited and it's always a great pleasure to add another to our lists of favourites.

I'm out. I refuse to play any game with cute pig self sacrifice.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

I couldn't believe that happened. :(

I can’t stand how awful the critique of the two female characters are. You wouldn’t be friends with them or if they we’re dating a friend of yours?

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

I found them both to be very bratty. They didn't seem like nice people, so I couldn't root for them.

@Daftanemone

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya the issue I have with this is how is this part of why you criticize a game? If you could be friends with people in them? It’s so weird to me

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

@@Daftanemone This was my personal experience with the game. I found them to be bratty/unlikeable people. Have you played this one before? They're always bickering, always arguing. It's my review from my perspective, so I put a little bit of myself into each video.

I never understood the hype for Illusion of Gaia. Soulblazer is one of my favorite game and I did play Illusion of Gaia as a kid, it always felt like a worse version of Soulblazer, they tried harder with the story and combat, but it's just... boring and the characters are annoying.

@hungrygoriya

2 жыл бұрын

I finally played Soulblazer a few months ago and I agree that it's a much better game!

This is a biblical legendary game. You don’t know what you’re talking about!

@hungrygoriya

Жыл бұрын

To each their own, I guess! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I definitely liked the action parts, just not the story/characters. I think it would've been a lot better with a more solid translation.

@outerspaceman7534

Жыл бұрын

@@hungrygoriya I’m just messing around. I do love the game though. I played it when I was 8 years old. I’m 36 now. The story isn’t special but the atmosphere was good and relaxing. Sky Garden was very difficult as a kid. I actually had a hard time completing that as a kid.