To buy the Romancing SaGa 2 remake for Switch or Vita, that is the question

I've been awaiting an English release of Square Enix's Romancing SaGa 2 remake--or remaster, if you prefer--for a surprisingly long time.

Hell, I've been waiting for the game to be made playable in English, period, since it first hit the Super Famicom back in late 1993.

After all, the Romancing SaGa titles are about the worst games you could attempt to play through if you don't have a mighty firm grasp of the Japanese language thanks to their open-ended nature and ridiculous amount of (kanji-heavy) text.



Sadly, none of the fan translations of these games have ever progressed to a point where they could be said to be playable. As such, I bought the iOS version of the above-mentioned Romancing SaGa 2 remake the day it made its way on to the North American App Store early last year--despite its rather hefty price tag of $17.99.

Unsurprisingly, I've barely touched it in the year-plus since. Oh, I started it, and I didn't find its touchscreen controls to be anywhere near as off-putting as I assumed they'd be, but, as is the case with pretty much every mobile game I've bought to date, I just couldn't stick with it.

So, I've not-so-secretly held out hope that Square Enix would eventually bring the Vita version of the Romancing SaGa 2 remake--released in Japan alongside the mobile iteration in March 2016--to our shores.

Just when I'd about given up on that ever happening, series creator Akitoshi Kawazu took to Twitter to mention he and his team were still working toward that goal (while also prepping a similarly updated version of Romancing SaGa 3).



That was all the way back in April, though, and Kawazu's barely made a peep about the fate of the English release of Romancing SaGa 2's Vita port since, so let's just say yesterday's announcement that it'll be available for purchase on the North American PlayStation Store on Dec. 15 proved to be a bit of a curveball.

Even more of a curveball was the news that PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One owners also will be able to buy and play the Romancing SaGa 2 remaster on that same date. (Visit japanesenintendo.com to see the game's latest trailer.)

Which of course begs the question: which version should I pick up?

My initial response was to go with the Vita iteration, as that's the one I've always wanted. It wasn't long before I changed my mind and decided I'd rather experience the game on my new go-to system, the Switch.



As of this morning, though, I'm no longer so sure. Yes, the Switch has a bigger screen and I use it far more than I use my Vita at the moment, but the Vita has a better, longer-lasting battery and it also simply seems like the right "home" for such a game.

What do all of you think I should do here?

Also, are any of you planning to purchase some version of the Romancing SaGa 2 remake when it drops in a few days? If so, which one?

A few more Dragon Quest VII 3DS impressions now that I've put about 20 hours into it

When I last commented on the recently released (outside of Japan) Dragon Quest VII 3DS remake on this blog, it was to share my impressions of the first seven or so hours of the game.

Those impressions were decidedly positive, with the only real negative I could muster was that it takes a while for the adventure to get going. (Specifically, you don't encounter your first battle until you've crossed the hour-and-a-half or even two-hour mark.)

Other than that, my first seven hours with Dragon Quest VII 3DS were thoroughly enjoyable. Is that how I'd describe the 13-plus hours I've since spent with the game? For the most part, it is, though I probably wouldn't use the word thoroughly this time around. Here's why:

Boy, you sure spend a lot of time running around in Dragon Quest VII, don't you?--Was the same true of Dragon Quest IX, my previous experience with this ages-old series? If so, I certainly don't remember it. Or at least I don't remember it impacting my enjoyment of that game as much as it is this one. Regardless, I've got to admit I've already become a bit annoyed by the game's many fetch quests that force you to return to locations you've already visited a number of times before.

I know I'm "directionally challenged," but I think I'd regularly get lost in this game even if that weren't the case--Combine this piece of criticism with the last one and it should be clear that a Dragon Quest VII playthrough can really test your patience. Granted, some of this likely is my own fault. I can be more than a bit dense when it comes to keeping track of all the details that are thrown at me while playing an RPG. Although in my brain's defense, pretty much every locale here has two versions--one set in the past, and one set in the present--and as such I can't help but think most folks who decide to tackle this game also have a hard time keeping them straight, especially as the adventure progresses and the world opens up.



What's the point of making monsters visible on the overworld (or in dungeons) if you can't escape them?--OK, so this actually isn't an issue while traversing Dragon Quest VII's overworld--or at least it's only rarely an issue in that context. It's very much an issue, though, once you dive into one of the game's many dungeons. Almost without exception, these dungeons are made up of claustrophobic hallways that make it nearly, if not completely, impossible to avoid oncoming baddies. In some cases, that means getting into a battle every couple of steps. Thankfully, the battles on offer here are snappy affairs, but that doesn't mean much when you're forced into 100 of them within a single, small dungeon.

Is it just me, or does everyone here look the same?--Considering how much content developer Arte Piazza was able to squeeze into this diminutive 3DS cartridge, I can understand why they decided to cut a couple of corners along the way. Still, would it have killed that company's designers and programmers to have created a few more NPC models? It often seems like they made a small handful and then called it a day, as you encounter the same ones over and over and over again during your travels. That would bother me a lot less than it does, by the way, if it didn't regularly fool me into thinking I'm talking to a character I'd previously met when in fact it's just someone who looks like a character I'd previously met.

Given all of the above, you might think I'm no longer thrilled to be playing Dragon Quest VII. That couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, I'm mildly annoyed by some aspects of the game, but I'm loving the rest of it (especially the "party chat" option that's accessed with a push of the 3DS' B button), so don't expect me to walk away from it anytime soon.

Now that I've said my piece, what do all of you who also are making your way through this 3DS remake think of it?

Looks like I'll be blowing $18 bucks on the Romancing SaGa 2 mobile remake this week

If you read this recent post or this recent post, you know I've been drooling in anticipation of the English release of Square Enix's recently revealed Romancing SaGa 2 mobile remake.

Well, it seems my husband won't have to put up with my errant slobber for much longer, as the game will be made available to owners of Android and iOS devices this coming Thursday (May 26).

OK, so the damn thing's going to have a price tag of $17.99 attached to it, which normally would be way too rich for my blood (when it comes to buying a mobile game, at least).



I've wanted to play all three of the Romancing SaGa games in a language I can understand since I was a kid, though, so I'll do whatever's needed to keep those instincts at bay long enough to purchase this sucker on or shortly after its street date. I don't suppose any of you are planning to do the same?

Speaking of this wonderfully weird RPG series, by the way, the Romancing SaGa 2 Twitter account recently teased that a mobile remake of its third entry, which first hit the Super Famicom back in 1995, is on the way.

It even directed interested parties to romasaga3.jp. There's nothing to see there yet, although you can listen to some sweet music--taken from the 16-bit original, if I were to guess.

Our prayers to Kawazu have been answered: Square Enix's Romancing SaGa 2 remake will be released 'soon' outside of Japan

Last night, the official Twitter account for the Android, iOS and Vita remake of Romancing SaGa 2 revealed that the game "will soon be released worldwide." (It's been available to those with Japanese accounts since late March.)



That's basically the extent of what was shared, aside from a handful of English screenshots--which, admittedly, would've been pretty darn newsworthy on their own.

Thankfully, the person in charge of the account later promised to "announce further information within this month, so stay tuned!"



The only potentially disappointing aspect of this otherwise amazing announcement: it appears as though only the Android and iOS iterations of the Romancing SaGa 2 remake are being prepped at the moment.

(I say this because the above-mentioned Twitterer shared that the folks at Square Enix are "working to create Romancing SaGa 2 for iOS and Android"--conspicuously leaving out the poor, oft-ignored Vita.)



Still, I can't be the only Westerner excited about this news, right? If it makes you want to jump for joy, too, let me and other SaGa fans know in the comments section that follows.

See also: 'Romancing SaGa 2's Android/iOS/Vita remake is looking good, sounding great--and releasing soon'

Romancing SaGa 2's Android/iOS/Vita remake is looking good, sounding great--and releasing soon

My only issue with Square Enix's soon-to-hit-the-streets remake of Romancing SaGa 2: the Vita version seemingly isn't getting a retail release.

That's not a huge surprise, of course, but I thought the powers at be at The House of Final Fantasy might offer up at least a limited number of boxed copies just to get a few extra bucks out of the world's handful of remaining SaGa fans.

Anyway, as lovely as this updated iteration of the second Romancing SaGa--check out the trailer that follows for proof--looks at the moment, I'm not entirely sure I'll buy it when it's finally made available to Japanese Vita, iOS and Android users on March 24.



The main reason for that: Romancing SaGa 2's 2,200 yen asking price. For me, that's a bit too rich for a game that I'll barely be able to understand.

Not helping matters is I have a complete-in-box copy of the original Super Famicom release from 1993 that I've been meaning to (attempt to) play through since it arrived on my doorstep last year.

How about all of you? Are any of you planning to pick up either the Vita, iOS or Android version of this kinda-sorta remake on, around or even sometime long after March 24?

This soon-to-be-released Romancing SaGa 2 'remake' looks 100 times better than Square Enix's most recent Final Fantasy V and VI re-releases and that makes me really happy

Here's a bit of news I'm guessing will interest about four of you: Square Enix recently announced that it's working on a remake (of sorts) of Romancing SaGa 2 for Android, iOS and Vita.

I describe it as a "remake of sorts" because the few screenshots that have been released thus far suggest that this version of the game will retain the 1993 original's character and enemy sprites while the old backdrops will be replaced with ones that are a bit more detailed.



The result reminds me of the awesome Final Fantasy IV, V and VI Advance titles Square Enix published for the GameBoy Advance between 2005 and 2007.

As for when this reimagined Romancing SaGa 2 will be made available to the masses, all that's known at the moment is it'll see the light of day this "winter."



Will the Vita version earn a retail release? I have no idea, but I'm currently crossing my fingers in the hopes that it does.

I'm similarly clueless as to whether or not any iteration of the game--which began life as a Super Famicom cartridge--will be localized for regions outside of Japan. If I were a betting man, though, I'd probably put my money on "no way in hell."

Will any of you buy it even if it remains a Japan-only offering? If so, why? Also, do you think you'll pick it up for Android, iOS, Vita, or all of the above?

Does the impending North American release of Brandish: The Dark Revenant (PSP) mean I can continue to dream of a similar localization of MonHun Diary: Poka Poka Airu Village?

OK, so we all know that isn't going to happen. MonHun Diary: Poka Poka Airu Village finally getting a North American release, I mean.

I can't help but wonder, though, if some adventurous company--you know, like Xseed Games, for instance--would have brought it out here if it weren't a Capcom property.

Oh, well, why bother fretting over that when games like Brandish: The Dark Revenant actually are coming to our shores, and likely before the calendar flips over to 2015?



Unfortunately, Brandish: The Dark Revenant's impending North American release will be of the digital-only variety (something that's likely to limit buyers to Vita owners, I believe), but it's kind of hard to fault publisher Xseed Games for going that route in this day and age.

Anyway, to learn more about this curious-looking, Nihon Falcom-made dungeon-crawler, check out the trailer above (yes, the Japanese version actually came out all the way back in 2009) or the rather cool "localization blog" that was published on Xseed's Tumblr last week.

P.S. I'm pretty sure this is the longest header I've ever written for a one of my blog posts. Don't worry, I won't make a habit of it.

Looks like I'm finally going to play The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

I don't know if you heard, but Nintendo finally, officially announced a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for 3DS during yesterday's Nintendo Direct.

That "revelation" excited me less than it excited some folks, I'm sure--in part because Nintendo has been teasing this sucker for what seems like eons now--but it excited me nonetheless.

Why? Because I've never played this particular Zelda adventure. My older brother and I owned a copy of the Nintendo 64 original back in the day, but I never actually played it myself--though I did watch him play through a good chunk of it.



Anyway, I've wanted to experience it for some time now, but I've failed to do so because, well, I just haven't been all that interested in picking up a copy of the game and then shoving it into and playing it on my mothballed Nintendo 64. (I know I could buy it via the Wii's eShop, too, but I'm even less interested in going that route these days.)

Are any of you also Majora's Mask virgins who will be, uh, addressing that issue when the 3DS remake drops next spring?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm really digging the crazy-ass box art created for the 3DS remake of Dragon Quest Monsters 2

Some of you will think I've lost my marbles after actually taking a gander at the box art in question, I'm sure, but I'll stand by my assertion in the header until the bitter end. I think.

I mean, you can't deny that the cover art below--created for the Japanese 3DS remake of Dragon Quest Monsters 2, which hits Japanese store shelves alongside an awesome 3DS LL on Feb. 6--is fabulously colorful. Nor can you deny that the character illustrations featured on said cover art are anything less than adorably compelling.

If you were to tell me you thought the game's logo sucked or was a bit too wordy, though, I'd totally agree with you. Also, it blends in a bit too much with the art behind it, if you ask me. Still, I like it, and I hope it eventually finds its way across the pond to our shores--although we all know that's about as likely as Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3: Taikaizoku to Shippo Dan making it over here.

Speaking of which, the Japanese 3DS tumblog recently published a post that showcases the cox art created for all of the Dragon Quest games that have been released for the Japanese 3DS so far. Check it out here.

I'm not feelin' the Final Fantasy V remake that'll soon be released for smartphones and tablets

Warning: this may wind up being one of those cranky, "get off my lawn!" kind of posts, so you may want to come back later in the day (when I'll publish another post) if that sort of thing bothers you.

For the rest of you: a few days ago, the folks at Square Enix finally pulled back the proverbial curtain on the iOS (and, eventually, Android) remake of Final Fantasy V that they announced late last year.

Specifically, they released a number of screenshots of this re-imagining, one of which can be seen below.



Sadly, it seems Square Enix's designers once again are employing the rather generic art style they used while developing the Final Fantasy I, II and IV remakes that were released for the PSP over the last few years.

That's not to suggest I hate everything about the screenshot seen above (or the one below, or the others that can be viewed here). In fact, I love that the people behind this version have decided to add character portraits to the game's dialogue scenes. Also, I have to admit that the menus in this release look quite a bit better than those found in, say, last year's Final Fantasy Dimensions.

Oh, and for some strange reason I'm finding myself oddly attracted to the Lenna-as-White-Mage sprite included in the screen below.



Other than that, though, I'm feeling pretty let down by this particular remake, which will hit the Japanese App Store on March 28 for 1,800 yen (about $19--it'll hit the equivalent Android shop sometime this summer). The character sprites--Bartz/Butz, especially--make me want to yawn, while the enemies and backdrops appear to have been pulled right out of this title's GameBoy Advance counterpart.

Of course, you're looking at a guy who'd rather play the original Super Famicom version of Final Fantasy V than any gussied-up remake--unless said remake was made for the 3DS using the Bravely Default engine (ahem)--so maybe you should take my grumblings with a grain of salt.

That's just my opinion on the matter, though. What do all of you think?

I'm baaaaaaaaack

Those of you who follow me on Twitter already know this, and some of the rest of you likely figured it out for other reasons, but for everyone else: I just returned from a two-week vacation that took me and my husband from Seattle to Aruba, Colombia, Costa Rica, Grand Cayman, Panama and back again (via the "Island Princess" cruise ship).

Don't worry, I'm not trying to brag. I'm only bringing it up because I'm guessing a portion of you guys and gals noticed that things were a bit "off" around here during the last two weeks (I rarely Tweeted, I didn't comment on any recent announcements, etc.) and I wanted to make sure you know things will get back to normal as of today.

I also wanted to touch on a few of the aforementioned announcements that I typically would have talked about had I not been sleeping in, stuffing my face and otherwise chillaxing aboard the Internet-challenged Island Princess. Speaking of which, here are the gaming-related announcements that have caught my eye since we returned home on Friday evening:

* Animal Crossing's 3DS sequel finally gets a North American subtitle: "New Leaf"--Well, it's certainly better than "Jump Out," isn't it? Still, it sounds a bit odd. Not that I really care; I would have pre-ordered it even if Nintendo had decided to call it Animal Crossing 3DS.

* Daigasso! Band Brothers to make a triumphant return in 2013--During the latest Japanese Nintendo Direct broadcast, Satoru Iwata (with a little help from Barbara the Bat) revealed that another entry in this series of portable music games is being prepped for the 3DS and will see the light of day (in Japan) sometime next year. Which means I have to get off my butt and buy a Japanese 3DS pronto.

* The Denpa Men 2 is coming to North America, too--Unfortunately, the folks at Genius Sonority have yet to say when me and my countrymen (and countrywomen) will be getting our grubby little hands on this follow-up to the 3DS eShop title that has attracted more than 40 hours of my attention so far, but that's OK. After all, they haven't even released the original in Europe yet. Still, I hope The Denpa Men 2 earns a spot in our region's eShop sooner rather than later.

* Dragon Quest VII remake 3DS-bound--And not only that, but it'll be released in February. In Japan only for the moment, of course. Not much information has been released about this effort thus far, but what has been released suggests it will be a full, polygonal remake of Square Enix's two-disc PlayStation RPG. Anyway, here's hoping this Dragon Quest title doesn't get stuck in Japan like Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D and Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3 did.

* The pink-and-white 3DS XL will see a stateside release in a few weeks--Can you believe it? I honestly thought Nintendo of America would wait until February (you know, for Valentine's Day) to bring this beauty of a system to our shores. Does this mean I'm getting one? I guess you'll have to wait and see. (Gilt.com seems to be the only place you can purchase this system right now, by the way.)

So, did I miss anything? If so, please let me know. Also, let me know what you think of any or all of the tidbits discussed above.

It's déjà vu all over again

I swear I've used this headline before (which would be rather appropriate, don't you think?), but I can't be bothered to search the archives at the moment. Anyway, my apologies if that's the case.

As for why I'm using it here: Well, it appears that someone is busy hacking EarthBound (aka Mother 2) in order to remake the first Mother game (EarthBound Zero to us savages in the States). Here's a "walkabout" video of said hack's currently unpopulated world:



Considering the number of similarities between EarthBound Zero and its officially-released-in-the-US sequel (or Mother and Mother 2, if you're a purist), I'm not entirely sure I understand the point of this project.

Still, I'm such a fan of Shigesato Itoi's series that I'll surely keep an eye on it until it sees the light of day. Who knows, I may even decide to play through it. Should I do that, though, I hope I'll make it further than I did when I tried to play through the original.

(Via gonintendo.com)

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Final Fantasy III edition)

Did you know that Final Fantasy III will soon see another release? Granted, it's based on the rather underwhelming (in my opinion, of course) DS and iOS remakes of the vaunted series' third title, and it's about as likely to hit store shelves in the States as, say, the Wii version of Dragon Quest X (that one was a low blow, I know) due to it being a PSP game, but it's still worth paying attention to--if only for its colorful box art.

Speaking of which, here is the cover of the PSP iteration (which is set to see the light of day on Sept. 20):

Compare that to the covers of the DS versions (the first appeared on European and Japanese copies of Final Fantasy III, while the second appeared on North America copies), which can be viewed below.

Last, but not least, here's the box art that was produced for the original, Famicom release of the game:

If I were to award medals--we are in the middle of the Olympics, after all--to three of these four illustrations, I'd probably give the European/Japanese DS box art gold, the Famicom one silver and the PSP one bronze.

Do you agree, or would you award your imaginary medals in a different order?

See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly edition)

I find it kind of funny that I decided to call this particular post "Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly edition." After all, neither of the games represented below is actually named Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly.

The following piece of art, for instance, will grace covers of the Japanese release of this Wii remake, which (I believe) will be called Zero: Akai Chō in that particular region.

The illustration below, on the other hand, will be used as the box art for the European version of the game, which will sport the rather unappealing title, Project Zero 2: Wii Edition.

Both titles will hit store shelves in their respective territories shortly, by the way, with Japanese gamers getting the title on June 28 and their European counterparts getting it a day later, on June 29.

Should this Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly remake be announced for North American release, which piece of art would I prefer to see on its eventual cover? I'm going to go with the European version this time around thanks to its more unsettling imagery. That said, I'm quite fond of the ghost-like logo that was created for the Japanese iteration.

Which piece of box art do you ladies and gents prefer?

See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts

Acquisition #129: Final Fantasy (PSP)

So, over the last month or two I've mentioned quite a few times--or at least I think I have--that I'm slowly but surely working on increasing the size of my (heretofore rather meager) PSP game collection.

This portable remake--the 20th, I think--of the first Final Fantasy is one of said acquisitions.

There are three major reasons I finally decided, after much hemming and hawing, to hand over my hard-earned cash for this Tose-developed rehash of Square Enix's classic RPG:

1. I really like its cover art (see image to the right),

2. I kind of like what I've seen of this version's higher-resolution graphics (despite the fact that I'm a huge fan of the chunky sprites found in the NES original), and 

3. It was an absolute steal, setting me back less than $10 (including shipping).

I'm sure some of you are wondering, How many times can you play through the same, old game? I'm not sure how to answer that question, to tell you the truth, as I've played through the original Final Fantasy many, many times over the years and I'm still not sick of it. 

That said, it'll be interesting to see if I make it to the end this time around or if I stop somewhere short of the credits. Regardless, I'll get as far as I can and then work up a review of it that lets you know if I consider it to be a worthy remake or a waste of your time and money.

See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

My sequel-laden 3DS wish list

We're less than a year into the 3DS' life, and already number of high-profile sequels have been announced (if not released) for Nintendo's latest handheld system. Among them: Animal Crossing 3DS, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Luigi's Mansion 2, Mario Kart 7, Monster Hunter 3G (and 4), Paper Mario 3DS and Resident Evil: Revelations.

Without sounding ungrateful, I want more. Specifically, I want the following sequels to be announced and released for the 3DS before the system expires, as game systems are wont to do, at the ripe old age of five or six.

I wouldn't be surprised if Dragon Quest XI looked a bit like this.

1. Dragon Quest XI--Having not played a Dragon Quest game since the first one, I picked up Dragon Quest IX with equal amounts of caution and curiosity. That won't be the case should the series' next entry be announced for the 3DS, though, since, in the end, the DS iteration completely blew me away. I can only imagine how great a portable part XI could be thanks to the 3DS' enhanced graphics and online capabilities.

Imagine experiencing Endless Ocean's cool waters in 3D.

2. Endless Ocean 3--I've said it before and I'll say it again: The original Endless Ocean is one of my favorite Wii titles thanks to its beautiful graphics, haunting soundtrack and immersive gameplay. (Sadly, I've yet to play the sequel.) As such, if the same team made a third Endless Ocean game for the 3DS, I'd not only order a copy for myself at the earliest opportunity but I'd also order a copy for every 3DS owner I know--or at least I would if I could afford it.

Is the WonderSwan remake of Final Fantasy III finally going to be released?

Sadly, the most likely answer to that question is "no."

For those of you who've never heard of the WonderSwan remake of Final Fantasy III, here's the deal: Shortly after the folks at Bandai unveiled the WonderSwan Color in 2000, the folks at Square announced they were prepping enhanced remakes of the first four Final Fantasy games for the system.

Although the first two Final Fantasy remakes were released within a year of that announcement, and the fourth was released in early 2002, the third never followed in their footsteps. (The remakes of the first two games, by the way, served as the blueprint for Final Fantasy Origins and Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls, which were released for the PlayStation and GameBoy Advance in 2003 and 2004, respectively.)

As far as I can tell, this is the only screenshot that exists of the 

aborted WonderSwan Color remake of Final Fantasy III.

Why is that ill-fated Final Fantasy III remake once again a topic of interest? Well, late last week a number of gaming sites revealed that the game will soon be released for the iPhone.

The question is, will it be a straightforward port of the Famicom version of the game, a reworked port of the aborted WonderSwan Color version, an iPhone-friendly port of the DS version or something altogether different (such as an enhanced, two-dimensional remake a la the PSP versions of Final Fantasy I, II and IV)?

I don't know about you, but I'm guessing the third option mentioned above is the most likely, with the last coming in a close second.

In my dreams: Nintendo would remake Balloon Kid

I'm not usually one to beg for remakes, but that doesn't mean I'm completely opposed to them. For instance, I'd really like to see the able folks at Nintendo release an updated version--for, say, the Wii--of the GameBoy classic, Balloon Kid.

For those of you who have, sadly, never experienced this Balloon Fight sequel, here's the lowdown: It's a flying platformer that was developed by Pax Softnica (yeah, I've never heard of the company before either) and published and released, in Europe and North America, by Nintendo in 1990 and 1991, respectively.



What in the heck is a "flying platformer," you ask? Well, it's a platformer--think Super Mario Bros.--that calls on players to navigate the game's many stages using balloons à la Balloon Fight. Balloon Kid turns the genre on its ear in few other ways, too, such as by forcing gamers to move from right to left rather than left to right and by making the protagonist a girl (Alice) who is out to save a boy (her little brother, Jim).

As for how I'd like Nintendo's developers to remake this gem of a game: In my dreams, they'd make it look like it was drawn with colored pencils--the game kicks off in Pencilvania, after all--à la the masterful Yoshi's Island.

I know the likelihood of either of the above happening is somewhere between slim and none, but I'll hold out hope anyway.

See also: 'Balloon fightin' kid to the rescue!' (at geozeldadude.wordpress.com)

I want to feel excited, but I can't

Late last year, Square Enix released for the DS a remake of the GameBoy "classic"--I put the word in quotes because I'm quite possibly the only person in the world who considers the game a classic--SaGa 2 (aka Final Fantasy Legend 2).

Although the game hardly lit up the Japanese sales charts--retailers have moved just over 160,000 copies since it hit the streets on Sept. 17, 2009--it apparently sold well enough to warrant another DS-bound SaGa remake. 

According to the latest issue of Famitsu, the folks at Square Enix (or, more likely, the folks at Racjin) are hard at work on a DS remake of SaGa 3, which will be called SaGa 3: Shadow or Light when it's released in Japan later this year.

Considering the SaGa 2 remake has yet to make its way to other territories, it's likely (and unfortunate) that this forthcoming sequel will remain a Japan-only release as well. 

I think I'll stick with the arcade version

Hardcore Donkey Kong fans will either be delighted or disgusted to hear that a cartoonish remake of the arcade (and NES) classic has hit the Web courtesy of coder Mick Farrow.

After spending a few minutes with said remake, I wouldn't put myself in either of the aforementioned camps (delighted or disgusted). If anything, I'd consider myself disinterested.

Sure, there's not much to complain about in Farrow's remake--aside from the iffy jumping--but there's not much to cheer about, either, as the arcade original's controls, graphics, music and sound effects were and are, in my opinion, darn near perfect as is.

Anyway, head on over to the Retro Remake forums ASAP if you want to give it a go, as it'll likely be squashed like the girders beneath Donkey Kong's formidable feet as soon as the folks at Nintendo hear about it.

(Via gamesetwatch.com)