Your 2025 Gaming Diary

[drahkon]

Started playing Sayonara Wildhearts and...I expected it to play a little differently, i.e. the movement to be more restrictive.

Not sure, if I like it...it also isn't really a rhythm game? At least it doesn't feel like anything I do needs to be done to the music/beat aside from the QTEs, which so far have been pretty rare.

[Jonnas]

I'm going to properly start my gaming year with an update I haven't done in a while:

A Jonnas NSO Update

After replaying Streets of Rage 2, I was itching to do other simple beat'em ups. I turned to the NSO for a fix...

River City and Kunio-Kun

My main contact with River City Ransom, for a long time, was the fact that sprite webcomics from the early-to-mid-2000s often used sprites from this game for NPCs and minor characters. They're very expressive, with surprising variety. I had never touched the game itself until the NSO, though.

I first tried it on my own, and the city felt big, complicated, and a bit intimidating. Then I tried it in co-op with a cousin, and it was fun and chaotic. The third time I tried it was these past few days. I no longer think it's too big (despite the NES limitations, I can navigate the alleys just fine), but I did realise I don't enjoy the gameplay much: attacks are a bit haphazard, weapons are kind of just there, coins need to be manually picked up, and the player character slides all over the place like he's Luigi.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad game, it just doesn't really suit my singleplayer tastes. It's great fun in co-op, and you'll have a great time solo if you're into wacky beat'em ups, but I prefer depth and consistency. In racing game terms, this game is Mario Kart, and I prefer F-Zero or Burnout.

(I also don't care for the "80s Japanese delinquent" aesthetic, even if the spritework's really good)

Since they're from the same series, I tried out Kunio-kun's March Field Day (or something like that)... It's a wild idea, a racing game where you run around the city, barge into people's houses, and such. Couldn't quite figure out how to run properly, and I didn't really like the screen transitions interrupting the race. I feel like it's a good concept, but too big for the NES's britches. I'd be curious to see a modern parkour racing game, though.

I moved on to Kunio-kun's Dodgeball (or something like that). It's Japanese-only. I could not make it past the menu. I tried, but I think I deleted my own team...? Look, I don't even like Dodgeball, so I'm happy to give this one a pass.

I played these games before that collection was announced, I swear.

The Golden Axis

Still itching for beat'em-ups, I decided to take a swing (har har) at this well-regarded series, Golden Axe 1 and Golden Axe 2 & Golden Axe 3. The first two games are on the NSO, and I still had the third one on Steam. Going into it, all I knew is that there's a dwarf.

It's quite gritty. Attacks are straightforward and aggressive (including kicks and hitting enemies with the hilt), enemies are only soldiers, barbarians and skeletons (with occasional dragon riders), the colour palette is pretty muted... The main inspiration is Conan the Barbarian, and it shows. I did like how each level is preceded by a well-written intro and a doodled map.

The first game is very rough around the edges, but is also the grittiest one. The second one is a bit smoother, though it still feels very similar to the first game. The third one adds two more characters, a few new moves for everyone, and new ideas like branching/split paths or fights atop moving vehicles.

That said, I really didn't like any of the entries. For starters, I never liked Conan. Second, the sound design isn't very compelling (hits need to feel good, you know?). Third, I don't like that the moveset is limited, and the magic system is boring (press one button to hit every enemy on-screen? Not a fan of that mechanic). And finally (the biggest reason behind my lack of enjoyment), any fun I could derive from combat is undermined by the fact that every single enemy attacks by instantly launching themselves at you: it's obnoxious, and every fight feels samey because of it.

Curiously, everything people say about Dark Souls combat seems to apply here: enemies are very strong, attacks are simple, the moment-to-moment gameplay focuses in combat, and each fight is approached slowly and carefully (ideally, at least). You could say Dark Souls is the Golden Axe of 3D games.

Tetriminos? More like TetrimiNES

And now, something different (that I technically played more in 2024), Tetris (NES). I'm familiar with Tettris, but hadn't played this version before. I had heard that if you finished 9-5 in B-Type, you get an animation of Nintendo characters playing instruments for you. So I tried to do that... but couldn't achieve it. This version of the game is MUCH faster than Game Boy, and my reflexes weren't good enough. It's a brutal version of the game, and best serves veterans and experts. I'm glad I tried it, though.

After that, why not try Tetris DX? This one was excessively slow, had way too many options to select, and then the gameplay itself was hilariously broken. Your block moves up if you rotate it too much? Holy smokes, the lack of QC is impressive! This is also not what I look for in a Tetris game, but for opposite reasons as the NES version.

Worried that I was Mandela'ing myself, I went back to Tetris (GB). This one hit the spot, it's perfect, and just as enjoyable as it's always been. I also have a newfound appreciation for it after trying out those other two versions, seeing for myself how delicate the balance behind it is.

Of note, I'm now very curious about Tetris Forever. Didn't think it would be that interesting to try different versions of Tetris, but it actually is quite fascinating. We'll see if that's ever in the cards.

...

And that's definitely how I originally planned to end this post. But then Nintendo was all like, "Jonnas, are you OK?"

BUSTAH WORF!

Didn't expect to see Fatal Fury on the NSO! Not outside of a potential Neo Geo app, at any rate.

I did play this one before. Fatal Fury Special is an updated version of this game, with more characters. You may notice I disliked FF Special, though. Between the 2-lane system and the obnoxious difficulty, I didn't gel with that game.

With that in mind, this version is surprisingly better in that regard. The difficulty is above average, but actually manageable this time (watch out for Kim, though, that guy's still a beast), and the enemies rarely go into the other lane. Visually, there's compromises, but it does look good, especially for the SNES.

There's no movelist, sadly. Sure, I knew how to do Terry's, Mai's, and Kim's moves, but I have experience with these characters, newcomers won't have that perk. I also couldn't pull off Terry's crack shoot, not sure why.

Still, I felt that this version of FF2 is far more playable than Special, so it's definitely something fun to try out. Plus, Nintendo gamers can finally see why Terry's spirit board in SSBU features a moving train.

[Glen-i]

Omori is a Turn Based RPG developed by Omocat that originally came out on PC's in 2020. It then got console ports with extra content on the Switch and PS4 in 2022 (It also was on the XBox One, but that was delisted in 2023, and hasn't come back, no idea why). I played the Switch one.

Omori lives in White Space, he's been living there as long as he can remember. It's pretty barren in there, but there is a door that goes to a dream-like world called Headspace. In this place, Omori goes on wacky adventures with his friends, Aubrey, Kel, and Hero.
Something's up though, another friend of Omori's, Basil, suddenly goes missing after finding a mysterious photo he doesn't remember taking. It's up to Omori to save Basil from whatever has happened to him. I'm sure everything is going to be okay.

This game's plot is... difficult to talk about without spoiling things. It is a heavy game though. The PEGI 18 rating and the disclaimer when you boot it up doesn't keep that aspect secret, really. The EarthBound inspired surrealism is juxtaposed harshly with the psychological horror that is sprinkled throughout.

Don't have nightmares

I really enjoyed the plot. It has some very cool twists, and maintains a sense of foreboding throughout, despite the incredibly absurd nonsense you see throughout Headspace. In fact, it was so fascinating, I'm actually already doing a second playthrough, because it turns out there's a couple of ways to progress through the game. Won't go into more detail then that though.

The gameplay is pretty standard stuff, but unlike most RPG's, there aren't any status effects, at least not in the traditional sense. Instead, there are three emotions, which both raise and lower stats. They also have a rock-paper-scissors style relationship. Happy is strong against Angry, Angry is strong against Sad, and Sad is strong against Happy. And you can stack the same emotion multiple times for a stronger effect. Mastery of the combat system revolves around manipulating the emotions of both the enemy's and your own party to get an advantage.
I say mastery, but the game isn't too difficult, really.

Alligators and Casinos, that whole connection!

I have to give massive praise to the visuals. The overworld isn't much to talk about, but battles and cutscenes utilise a very unique pencil drawing aesthetic, as well as an intentionally small amount of animation frames to create a very striking style. It looks great! Mad props!

The sound design is also good, every area in the game has unique battle music, which I always appreciate, and the more scary parts use sound very well.
By the way, the final boss song literally gave me chills, but sharing it would be massive spoilers. It's a masterpiece that brings the plot together really well.

Omori is one of those indie games that you can tell was a massive passion project. It took 6 years to develop, and you can just feel the sincerity it contains. If you like EarthBound, you absolutely must play this. And if you've never played it, but like RPG's, play it anyway. It's excellent.

Perfectly normal behaviour

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Omori

[Julius]

Great write-up @Glen-i 

I was so excited for Omori and had been waiting for it to be ported to consoles for a while (this was back before I got my Steam Deck), but the whole weirdness with its release and the complete lack of communication about its ports has seriously rubbed me the wrong way. 

Because, just to point out...

3 hours ago, Glen-i said:

It then got console ports with extra content on the Switch and PS4 in 2022 (It also was on the XBox One, but that was delisted in 2023, and hasn't come back, no idea why).

...it isn't actually available outside of the US on PS4 (it can't even be found on the EU PS Store, period), and as you well know - because I saw your Christmas post  - physical copies of the game are NA-only, too...yet, to make things even more frustrating, it is still possible to pre-order physical European copies of Omori on Switch and PS4 at a whole bunch of retailers. 

On top of that, though, and like you briefly touch on, I know just enough about the game that certain types of people might be better off steering clear, and perhaps for now that includes myself, so this might be one of those games I only get to appreciate from afar. Still, the art style is gorgeous, and I can really appreciate what I imagine they were aiming to accomplish with the game based on the few bits and pieces I know about it. 

[Glen-i]

21 minutes ago, Julius said:

...it isn't actually available outside of the US on PS4 (it can't even be found on the EU PS Store, period), and as you well know - because I saw your Christmas post  - physical copies of the game are NA-only, too...yet, to make things even more frustrating, it is still possible to pre-order physical European copies of Omori on Switch and PS4 at a whole bunch of retailers.

Geez, the whole console release is even more bizarre then I initially thought.
I wonder what the hell happened there? I know Switch has become the console of choice for indie games because they tend to do best there, so it'd be understandable if they only released there, but it released on the other platforms in some way.

And like I mentioned in said Christmas thread, even on Switch eShop, the damn thing never goes on sale, despite it getting sales on Steam regularly.
Which makes me wonder. The console ports were handled by a group called MP2, I wonder if something weird happened with the developers and that porting team to make the console release collapse? Absolute radio silence on that, mind.

It sucks, because this is a very good game.

35 minutes ago, Julius said:

On top of that, though, and like you briefly touch on, I know just enough about the game that certain types of people might be better off steering clear, and perhaps for now that includes myself, so this might be one of those games I only get to appreciate from afar.

In hindsight, I should've made that a bit more clear, but well, here's my opportunity.

While I do recommend it to fans of RPG's, I can't stress enough that unlike Balatro, Omori's PEGI 18 rating is completely warranted. It gets downright unpleasant at times. If depictions of depression or suicide are things you feel you should avoid, don't play this game.

[WackerJr]

Nearly a month into 2025 and I realise I never wrote up games I finished at the turn of the year, before my pledge.  Here’s a brief summary of each.

Altered Beast (NSO)

This was possibly the first Sega Mega Drive game I ever saw being played in person.  A friend once showed me their new system and they played a few minutes of this.  I thought it looked amazing at the time although I didn't get a chance to play it, but since then I’ve always wanted to try it.  Well I finally got that chance as a grown-up with Nintendo Switch Online… and what a disappointment!

A side-scrolling beat-em-up with creatures resembling those from Greek mythology, where you constantly play through levels until you collect three spirit balls, released by defeating specific enemies before they disappear.  At which point you turn into a creature with additional abilities and take on the boss.

It plays like the arcade game, where there’s no way of replenishing your life force, even between the handful of levels.  The chunky characters have shonky hit detection and the whole thing was bland, repetitive and dull.  Some wine gets better with age, others don’t benefit from aging, but I figure Altered Beast must have begun life as vinegar anyway!

 

A Little to the Left (Switch)

A puzzle game about organising and rearranging objects to be more aesthetically pleasing.

Presented with a single screen of objects and no instruction, you’re tasked with rearranging items in a way that improves the scene.  It could be as simple as straightening wonky portraits, stacking objects in a particular order, or rearranging a cutlery drawer so everything fits.  I quickly got an understanding of the logic the developers were looking for, and quite a few levels have multiple solutions.  For instance, books on a shelf could be rearranged in height order, but then they could also be arranged so that the pattern on their spines all match up.  Both solutions would be correct and it tells you how many possible solutions there are for each puzzle.

There are some creative solutions, and thankfully there’s a hint system for each level where you reveal the solution, so I was never stuck for long.

Some levels required quite precise control, and I can imagine this feeling much better using a mouse.  I resorted to playing in handheld mode using the touchscreen, since the analogue stick controls were frustrating me.

A simple premise and perfectly pleasant, but ultimately I found it a bit dull.  If only tidying my own real-life things were as simple as the game made it out to be!

My 60-second YouTube review of 'A Little to the Left'.

 

The Exit 8 (PS5)

A lonely walk through a Japanese subway, which transpires to be a creepy spot the difference game.

This first-person walking simulator sees you walk through a small section of the subway, passing posters, doors and a single passer-by on his phone who’s completely oblivious to your presence.  Turning the corner at the end you’re presented with seemingly the same section of subway again, complete with posters, doors, and then that same passer-by appears once again!

The goal is to look around the corridor and if everything seems the same then walk to the end and turn the corner.  If you spot something different (“anomalies” as the game calls them) or something unexpected happens then turn around and head back and exit the way you came in.

There’s a single poster around each corner which indicates how many correct ‘exits’ you’ve made in a row, with the goal to get 8 correct in a row.

It seems simple in theory, but much tougher in practice.  Sometimes the changes are obvious (I’ll only spoil one at the end of this sentence, as most are best left experienced), for instance there could suddenly be hundreds of posters scattered across the floor, while many others are a lot more subtle.

With only the haunting sound of your footsteps for company, it is quite creepy.  To quote Alfred Hitchcock: “there is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it”.  This game encapsulated this for me, as I was constantly expecting something to happen, and admittedly it did make me jump a few times when something unexpected would occur, or I was too slow noticing something!  As it turns out, the predominant source of tension was the anticipation of turning the corner and finding the poster to discover if I’d chosen the right exit each time!

It’s short as once I’d finished 8 correct consecutive exits I was able to go back and try to spot all the anomalies (playing through it again but the only anomalies that might appear would be either a previously unseen or incorrectly guessed).  I finished it all in around 3 hours and it doesn’t hold much value to replay it.  However, it is admittedly only around £4, which I felt was reasonable.  A decent, albeit brief, experience.

My 70 seconds view of 'The Exit 8' on YouTube

 

Platform 8 (PS5)

The recent follow-up to The Exit 8 is another horror walking simulator.  Again the goal was to spot anomalies, but this time you’re stuck within the confines of a moving train carriage.

The main gameplay difference this time is that the exit is always the door at the end of the carriage.  The trick each time though is to work out if there’s anything you need to do, or not do, while in the carriage in order to open the door.  For instance, the door may be locked but a poster on it tells you to find an anomaly in the carriage, so you explore the carriage and once the usually creepy obscurity is found the door unlocks.

Each carriage is seemingly the same, with posters on the walls and a single other occupant who I recognised from 'The Exit 8'.

The biggest change is the number of jump scares the game throws at you.  The weirdness is cranked up and there are many things that happen, which could send you back to the beginning if you don’t act in time or solve the puzzle.  It’s not gory, but by the end of it my heart felt as if it had been bouncing like a pogo stick on a trampoline!

Half the time, the carriage won’t have a puzzle to solve, but will still have something odd happen as you walk to the door.  I’d love to say more, but it really is best experienced without knowing what peculiarities the developers have come up with.

At little over an hour, this was even shorter than its predecessor, but again I picked this one up for cheap and the freakiness was kind of fun!

My 60 seconds review of 'Platform 8' on YouTube

[Cube]

In the spirit of the pledges, I'm going to do a more diary-like approach to talking about them once I reach them. I reached the first yesterday.

Skies of Arcadia: Legends

So, this is one of the games I've pledged to complete, as with the amount of GameCube games I will be moving on (or skipping to later parts if possible) if a game gets too tiresome or frustrating. I want to give this JRPG a chance. It has quite an action-packed opening to it, but also with plenty of mystery with the strange girl that was kidnapped. 

While I'm not a fan of turn based combat, I do like the speed of the one here, plus how characters actually move around to fight, without making it a clunky gameplay mechanic regarding moving. It seems relatively simple and easy to understand, with the menus moving at a great pace. If you want to all hit the default enemy with a regular attack, mashing A will set your commands very quickly. 

Upon reaching your home town, there's something nice about the little communities on floating islands, and I really like how the walls fade away for buildings, and that the insides are actually within the structure and not a separate load, it's all rather charming, unlike generic hero's journey protagonist. When I fist saw him in the into, I thought he was just an NPC (as he was in the lookout's nest). The rest of the cast and NPCs all seem suitably charming, and I really wish that Aika was the main character instead, as she's far more interesting.

The first dungeon was simple, but also really nice. I liked the idea of needing to drain the water, and having to alter the level itself helps to make it feel a bit more like a Zelda dungeon than just wintering around and fighting enemies. I am already starting to get fed up with random battles, but I've read something that will help once I've learnt some powers: apparently most random encounters can be dealt with quicky with the special attacks and you can use Z to skip the lengthy attack animations.

While what happens to hero boy's village is somewhat predictable, I do feel attached to everyone else to be invested in the story (although I thought it was very strange that he and Aika don't have a conversation upon your return. I like that you can fly your ship around and that - later on - you can stop to just roam around your ship as well. Randomly fighting monsters that appear on your deck is a bit odd, and the time between random encounters can be a bit short. 

One thing I do like is the concept of the swashbuckler rating, and that making choices and completing side quests will help out, although I guess I'll get to that when the game opens up more. I also enjoy the writing enough to make a save state so I can make the obvious wrong choice to see the reactions before making the right one.

I like Captain Ahab, he has a great mix of soft heart in a cold skin and I like that you have to convince him by helping him with his obsession. The second village is also small but sweet, and the moonfish side quest helps to remind you about how....3D... the game is. Ship combat is something I did find confusing, but it does seem to help you out by recommending when to fire or defend. 

I've just reached the Valua city, with its impressive fortress. I love the setting of the game and most of the characters, and can cope with the combat so far, so I'm enjoying it a lot.

Oh, and there's been some Skies of Arcadia related trademark filings recently.