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Final Fantasy Mystic Quest Review: A Nostalgic Trip to a Simpler Time (SNES)
Over the years, Square Enix has managed to create some interesting spin-offs from it’s popular franchise Final Fantasy, such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. It actually goes all the way back to the Game Boy and SNES days. The Game Boy spin-offs were of the Final Fantasy Legend series, but what may be the most overlooked, under-appreciated, and simplified Final Fantasy iteration to date is Mystic Quest; a SNES title early in the console’s life.
If you haven’t played or heard of Final Fantasy Mystic Quest before, then I’m not surprised. It was an attempt by Squaresoft to release a Role-Playing Game for the “entry level” gamer and create a buzz among US players in the franchise and genre that had already gained great attraction in Japan. Mystic Quest was not a huge success, but it was one of the first steps in creating a mainstream audience for RPG games in the States.
Review: Claymates (SNES)
Back in the SNES era, one may remember a title Interplay and Visual Concepts developed that bears the word “Clay” in it. Probably to most, the first game that will pop in your head is the memorable Clayfighter fighting game. But there is another lesser known “Clay” gem they both produced in the same year called Claymates, a colorful platformer that hid under the shadows throughout the console’s life.
Claymates is about a boy named Clayton who one day is in a laboratory with his father, who has created a serum that can transform clay into animals. Apparently witch doctors fiend for this stuff because one magically appears out of nowhere and demands that Clayton’s father hand over the serum. He denies him and the witch doctor then strikes Clayton with lightning, transforming him into a blue ball of clay, then proceeds to steal the serum and Clayton’s father away in a flash. Clayton vows to rescue his father and the serum, even if he is just a ball of clay.
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Videogame Jam of the Day Latest Podcast- Barrel Roll #169 - "Panda Games Are Their Own Genre" December 24, 2012After a brief hiatus, the Barrel Roll podcast is back to their old tricks. Jesse, Jonah, Wes, and Adam Milecki return for an in depth discussion of the burgeoning panda genre and what it brings to the table. Jonah finally dips into Tokyo Jungle to try out its panda-related DLC. Jesse fights pandas with increasingly elaborate costumes in Tekken Tag Tournament […]
