Reality

FE 11 - H3 through H5 only - This game is primitive on normal mode, and you can make Marth and pretty much anyone else into an invincible enemy phase super soldier, but on the harder difficulties you finally get a really sumptuous experience, since you suddenly need tp be really exact with letting the enemies get too close to one another. It has the "weakness" of low enemy variety, but I feel like it isnt' a big deal, since you soft counter enemy unit types and they use their bodies to power through you since you can't soft counter multiple times and especonaly not on a single enemy phase. It's biggest drawback compared to FE12 is actually probably wall and corrider placement. Easily one of the best though. FE 12 - Hard and Reverse mostly but the normal mode isn't as much of a different game as FE11's compared to FE11 H mode - Defensive stats being gutted is so good for the design that the game is actually balanced around player phase instead of setting up the AI to the borderline mind control all enemy phase combat of the weaker FE games. Thracia 776 - I do think it's the best pre-DS/3DS game, BUT a lot of it's tactical design is only apparent, and vanishes if you replay it or just have a heavy-handed playstyle. The main problem is trash enemy stats. and the broken critical hit mechanics. The Capture Mechanic / Fatique, add less strategy than they should, because a lot of the consistent units do well with low rank weapons AND have base HP high enough to take multiple maps to be fatiqued, and since every 3-4th map has a low unit limit you will forcibly refresh their fatique anyway. Low enemy stats, are apparent because you can really go to town and enemy phase heavy in many maps... their are exceptions like maps with ballista or when the units are buffed by leadership stars (which really only happens in 2 maps), but otherwise while you will definitely remember the game for when it puts the pressure on you.... in the end it does so maybe 7 chapters out of 25. Radiant Dawn - I used to favor it a lot more, but... it's choppy... Lot of fun low-level challenge early on, but then there are a bit too many "victory march" or "watch the allied AI" things in PT 2 and PT 3 of the game. PT 4 technically offers what some people see as a good "high charather level challenge" which is fairly unique in this franchise, but in my personal opinion not That interesting because high charather level challenges in my opinion emphases "pseudo low manning" where you still technically use the deployment limit, but the highest stat enemys are really only being compared to your best 5~6 chars, and also Master skills are silly both playerwise and enemywise and make you even more likely to "only commit with units that survive even when I get worst luck". I'm still inclined to value it higher than GBA games and such though. Genealogy - This is my least favourite, but it does offer a kind of different enemy group dynamic, since you can't expect to kite enemies to the extent of normal and need to prepare for a fighting involving entire "blocks" of enemies.. It's derailed because it lets you grind money and experience really freely if you use it's version of the coliseum (who even bothers with GBA coloseums) It also encourages low manning because resistance is almost treated as a "special damage type". Fighting a "block" of mages really makes you only want to do it with your Res-tank, of which you only get a handful per generation holy blood weapon There's no encouragement to circumvent it by player phasing magic units, because like all enemies, they fight in "blocks" and you can't fight one without fighting a group, so only fighting when you have the defensive stat advantage is encouraged AGAIN. I also think that Base HP and defense growth is almost across the board too high for almost every charather

Tales of series except for the Graces branch - I blame Phantasia and Symphonia, the most, but I feel like the game's that don't have really good combat have... SLOW and EASY combat where you can win the game by mashing basic attacks, not because they are strong, but because you can lock almost anything into hitstun and knockdowns, including for some bizarre reason many bosses, since especially early games don't give them enough I-frames after a knockdown to handle the beat down and they simply never get a chance to hit back. Borderlands - Takes the bad part of diablo Without the fun part (which borderline isn't enough in diablo itself tbh) , really doesn't give you the option to power through with underused equipment and min loot grind, and the story and humor …. it's can be good as a skit, but as a full setting it start to grate sooner rather than later. Guacamole - I found this game annoying, got my 100% in like a weekend, and consider it a downward trend in indie games that presents it's inspirational games in a bad light. Battleblock Theater - This game made me consider when the design choice of a double jump is apprioate or not approaite for a 2d platformer. Binding of a Issac - I assumed it was my desire to play the game as if it were Smash TV rather than a rogue like that holds it back for me, but I've since played other indie games attempting the Rogue + Smash TV cross that DID click with me, so I'm assuming something else about the game was annoying me the whole time. Can't put my finger on it. Skies of Arcadia - This game made me go from loving RPGs to love-hate. My explanation is that I felt that since I played so many, I should find a way to speed up blind plays of RPGs... my main target was "healing" taking a few fights and going to an inn to explore longer was the obvious time-consumer. So I decided to come up with a formula of how many on-level consumables would be needed for a dungeon before the next town... Well let's just say that the formula worked TOO well. Of course in Skies of Aracdia itself the formula is a little redundant since the healer is so broken, but I went on to use it when I played a bunch of Square Enix's SNES and PS1 content for the first time, many modern RPGs like SMT 4. Persona 5, etc. I have a hard time thinking all but the most unique RPGs in terms of their unique combat mechanics anymore, because the differences between buff wars / job systems / timing systems etc, all fade to secondary importance if you have a strong grasp of resource management and the power of your sustain. After Skies, my preferences for RPGs would go toward a split between older games with extremely limited inventories and CRPGs which were less susceptible. Final Fantasy 5 - I could rant about the job system and the job-system expies that spawned from it... but I'll rest and say compared to playing FF4 it's just such a slog and lacks excitement. Final Fantasy 6 - World of Balance - all about attack all with no resource cast mostly autocrossbow alone, but Sabin and Cyan also - World of Ruin - Since you have higher levels at this point Everyone has more MP than they can spend in between a single dungeon's encounters so you just switch your attack all the time to attack all magic. So yeah, my main beef with FF6 is that it's combat is more samey- than average for an RPG. IT also has a weird thing where both boss and regular enemies have an attack list with 4~ options, 3 of which do pretty much nothing, and the 4th being Spike Damage which is a little frustrating, but the ONLY punchy thing about the combat... The game does attempt some "puzzle" fights to its credit, and it tries to give every charather screen time with the pseudo chapter system of giving you different groups to work with before all uniting. But I also don't really get a feel for the story. It felt "by the numbers" to me... in short.. Secret of Mana - Final Fantasy Adventure is one of my favorite games on the GB... so the famous SoM is kind of a huge let down in comparsion to me. The main problems for me being dungeon design, and Pausing whenever spells get involved, either you or the enemy. Especially annoying that the ARPG aspect of avoiding enemy attacks is downplayed during eg, bosses that use these a lot since they're undodgeable, unlike "normal" attacks. Earthbound - I think the order and scaling that you learn PSY abilities is real messed up. Your first attack.... only have MP to use twice, your first heal, something like triple your at the time max HP. Charather varietyis also dumb with Jeff being the Beatstick and everyone else being Healers with more or less benefits. ….. I have a love hate relationship with Square ENix where their series go from good to bad, to good but has bad influence on rest of RPG landscape (the most common)

Top to Bottom N64 - It is my childhood console. It's strength is half in a core of firstparty games, and half in a disproportionate local multiplayer catalog - But even before getting into being a collector, I had a strong fondness for many of the "second string" games on this console already and still do. In the environment of having siblings, and later locking Gamecube - A lot more focused when it comes to multiplayer games, but the best ones it had were wroth it. It throws it's weight around a lot better when it comes to singleplayer games, but for some reason, for a lot of them, I would finish them and never look back, while on NES / N64 I would replay games much more aggressively. NES - I didn't grow up with it, but I find it very, very good. It has some really top shelf puzzle games (that you have to dig to discover for yourself I guess) It has a bunch of competent C64 ports and pseudo sequels if you know what to look for them. The most important thing for me is that the real games. cut the window dressing and action-slowing features. The "limitations of Castlevania 3 or Mario 3" compared to their Super versions actually feel in part more like a sense of controlled design rather than an actual lack of console power, etc. There is something liberating about not needing chceckpoints because every level's length is standaridized, and C3 is still a breath of fresh air compared to Super and Igavania,. It's very much a lead-in to playing arcade games all day on MAME, which I love compared to many consoles if I have to spend an extended time in singleplayer. Switch - Making a strong showing in bringing family together for local multiplayer even despite the "everyone has jobs now" problem that held the Wii U and Wii back for me and not really being their fault as much as the time period I encountered the devices. Very impressed. Wii - My favorite thing about the first Wii was in my opinion, starting a 2-d platformer revival - Rayman O, New Super, Donkey Kong. I also got a lot of great local multiplayer one on the Wii, although some series - let down compared to their n64 or game cube counterparts - Mario party/kart/smash of course... but Wii unique MP games made up for it to an extent, with Boom Blox probably being my absolute favorite. I have to deduct points because..... I played Eyetoy Play on PlayStation 2 before the Wii came out and it DUMPSTERS the Wi's gimmick, with only a handful of the best implemented games getting a pass, and the rest of the good Wii games being the ones that basically don't use the motion controls at all / alternate classic controller setup. Wii U - Picks up many of the Wii's features and positive trends but for me perfsonally it was the victim of timing, I was heavily invested into other companies consoles more for the first time and typically of the old group of 5 it was just me and my youngest brother for Wii U... when I did play it I felt like I only ever got got do 3-4 of the same games (good games mind you ). SNES- many amazing, wonderful games on the system.. . but at the same time I repeatedly get talked into trying out what feels like every "hidden gem" on the system and they almost invariably disappoint... Which is unfair in some ways since There are games like Spindizzy and Super Turrican 2(much more than a port) which are equally not talked and absolutely god tier. I have a grudge to pick with it since it has probbbably disapponinted me the most, but at the same time it's good games, especially it's action games, and platformers, are often overwhelmingly so and can get me to take a gamble on it one more time. I guess my main problem is that subconsiouslly I don't think of it as a console, since I played it's best games almost exclusively on GBA and Nintendo DS ports, and I played the rest mostly on emulators. I guess the lack of a "tactile" element makes me have a harder time remembering it.

I think joining the military can help with worldview stuff... particularly if you end up traveling at least briefly to a third world country. In this regard it does things that normal travel does not (nothing bbut the Peace Corps comes close). There are a lot of things that are simply too abstract when you hear about them in the news or among a college campus. I'll also say that my regards to racism was completely different with 2 years of blue color work, and then completely different again after a mission to a slum in the Dominican republic. I also think that the degree to which Americans treat world and especially European events as removed enough to blow off is a problem... // It's not quite the famous "isolationism" of 1930s and other periods... but when it comes to individual people rather than the US government, I think that other countries and even horrible events are treated at most - as something you get steamed about for an hour or two after reading about it in the news or when a minister brings it up, and then forget it about it in the crush of "things to do" in the next few days at the very most. As far as the physical aspect - Going from my bachelor degree to blue collar (started conversion, moved construction) I feel that I made pretty good progress fixing a lot of my personality problems …. I had been "king of the eggheads" in college, but I turned around and got into responsible and I really got into shape to a degree that I had never had before or since. Some of that had to do with me having uh... a lot of shame and pressure put on me after Bachelor's degree... but I think it was also brought on because there was for me a really maddening aspect of (conversion) that still sticks out in my mind. That is, everyone had ridiculously short term memory and almost ritualistically would ask for the day's instructions for setting up every room, or how to push a cart so the wheels didn't cut, or so on, and even repeat them among themselves (that is employee to employee without overseer) while in the middle of working. Really it drove me nuts that people didn't memorize the setups for the most used 5~ish rooms in the lobby, or even things that they did the time all the time like the lobby// how the concert stage pieces fit together. I had been a genuine slob and pretty lazy in college, but I think more that being exposed to a setting that could flip-flop between being fast (overnights and 4 hour days) and slow paced was what really drove me into becoming responsible and something closer to a workalohic(the good parts only I hope). This is kind of personal and highly specific response to this kind of carreer change, but my impression is that military service could have similar effect on people with a rougly similar situation prior to joining as I did... In college I remember veterans working for a masters etc consistently being some of the only people "real" enough to talk to about a lot of topics.

StarCraft: Brood War - the campaigns in the original really aren't even that long, but for all that I've gone through multiple Command and Conquer Games and Age of Empire games, I just backlogged this over and over again. Beyond Good and Evil - GCN memory cards have too small space. Maybe I was in bad mood... not sure I would rate it as highly as it's cult fanbase since it's not very "gamey" as much as an action-adventure game with stealth sections... XIII - I think I played up to the 3rd ~ last mission. I think it's more famous for it's early online multiplayer and style than the main story, but god I found it boring compared to Goldeneye or Timesplitters. Startopia - it's kinda known as a flawed game. The missions kind of force you to deal with the game's bad mechanics (combat) toward the end, so I don't think I'll finish it … I've seen the good bits and what it runs when it's closest to sandbox.

Do you have to play Superman 64 firsthand to get credibility in saying that it is bad Choopi's points 1: Mechanics - I have no problem finding out 1 by 1 what spells with made up language names (ala phantasy star) or rune combination, through force of observation. I think that as a general complaint it is okay because people have different experience with games and may not have wargaming / CRPG backgrounds. I think it is a stronger argument when Fire Emblem specific, since I think one of the core strengths of most Fire Emblem games is the speed of the interface and the high "readability of the game" especially compared to throwing people into SRPGs with obscene skill and class glut, or else tabletop games using a similar combat/movement UI. For me these more complicated games actually create the demand for a game like (most) fire emblem with high readability and "simplified" mechanics. 2: You're overpowered without them? I used to love being a completionist myself so I get why he brings it up, but these days, especially in RPGs, I go for pseudo-effiecency and generally underleveld playthroughs without sweating over them. I think for people with the completionist mindset, it'll probably not help. 3: Extra layer of strategy in exchange for committing to learning an obtuse system >>>><<<<< I've heard this defense from other people and the problem is.... it's still easy to trivialize this new obtuse system and even ignoring it doesn't harm you to the point of "linearity". I really don't see it as justifiying itself by making player expression and creating a wonderful system-level game design... You can look at Jagged Alliance 2 on a system level and see that it is great even though the map/encounter design doesn't match it... I don't think that FE4's system level or map design make me wish to see a game with either "finally" completed. 4: I get why people argue both ways on this but I just don't see FE as a tactics game in the same proportion to being an RPG so I don't hate it too much over this. I think SRPGs with ALL squishy charather are more fun and interesting. 5: I played Genealogy untranslated without a guide for the sake of having beaten every game. The brief challenge of brute forcing the options in the castle to find out how to deal with was the most memorable thing. Yes already knowing the power of low-man from having at that point , played 12 other FE games, was a factor, but I expected and beat down what came a little too accurately considering. Overall it's okay video for it's humor and his enthusiasm is refreshing and genuine, but I see this as a preaching to the choir kind of video that isn't changing anyone's minds on it.

Most memorable bad game - Cookies and Cream - marketed as a kiddie game, developed early in From Software's career. It's supposed to be a game that a child can play co-op with a non-gamer parent, but it requires the two charathers to synch up way too precisely to work that way.. It's much more playable with the control scheme that gives one player control of both charathers, but even that requires a lot of dexterity since you are watching both sides of a split screen. Terrible hit boxes, and enemies that will combo you to death from full health. It tries to use a timer based health, but unlike (Yoshi's island etc) this makes the game harder instead of easier... it's easy to get booted out of a stage for running out of time. Finaly the cutesy kiidie graphics and sound effects exist to taunt you for having a hard time with the game. And the stage select theme involves bleating animals>< I hate is but I'm drawn to this and have finished like 4 times with a different co-op partner every time. Most disappointing bad game - Evil Genius - I wanted to love it since it has the rare semi-city builder/RTS hybrid with independent acting NPCs … and it's themeing is godlike. BUt it's on the bad end of "cheese or be cheesed" it ramps up too fast and hard to have fun with, and once you know how to "solve it" you are railroaded into busy work anyway instead of getting to try what you want and have fun. Most hated bad game - Shozo Kaga's arthouse anti-strategy RPG

I don't like Fallout 1 and 2 combat at all -Generally the most important thing to expand the number of areas of areas you can safely explore is armor... it scales much better than it should to the point that tactics don't really matter if you get combat, or powered armor. The chem "Psycho" is basically super armor and though limited, can you rush to the later-game areas to get your permeant late game armor early or to win a pseudo-boss fight at will. Ammos- I actually played both Fallout 1 and 2 with Heavy Weapons on main charather. Fallout 1/// the only ammo type you use for 90% of the game is the flamer. Rockets/gatling ammo is basically only attainable and used in the 2 main story dungeons. For most small guns, you will never run out of ammo. Energy isn't too bad but requires more tedius selling and menuing. Fallout 2, ammo is fine, even for heavy weapons (at least, for the minigun variant heavy weapons) Stats - The setting and dialog are the fun part of the game... but if you really don't want to use lopsided stats... you can use in-game drugs to temporarily alter them. The combat drug's with agility buff also negates the other thing … most people refuse to play without a full 10 AP for quality of life, but I feel like you only really need that much a few times in each game. Endurance is a special stat because Low endurance and Medium endurance are functionally almost the same thing... for most combat only your armor matters rather than your raw HP. Having a high Endurance stat is only a factor in lategame areas (miniguns and deathclaws) against enemies that have a high critical hit rate that bypasss armor.... Even then it's a playstle thing... If you want to saveload. don't bother. armor's good enough. But this stat does technically allow you a safety blanket that makes ironmode-esque playstyle consistent despite people's claim to contrary. Traits - Fast Shot - Access to aimed shots is a major playstyle thing (moreso in Fallout 2 compared to 1). It's earlygame advantage is crazy, and if you want a heavy weapons main character it has no lattegame drawback. However many people remember the games fondly for the "critical hit system" that hugely favors the player, especially at higher charather / gun skill levels. You can experience the fun of the "0 damage instant death" at your own call. Nothing else really feels like it closes or opens major playstle difference and is mostly either quality of life or a flavor thing.

What to hope for - Neutopia 1 or 2 - very likely tbh. Neutopia is very interesting as an ARPG because it lets you see the "road not taken" It uses hardware of the same level of Link to the Past to deliver a Zelda-1 esque type game (as far as dungeon and enemy design go). It's aged better than other Zelda-1 clones because it's arcade- enough to justify the weaker role of exploration and absscence of puzzles. Battle Lode Runner - I'm the kind of person who puts Lode Runner on top list of video games in cold blood>< but it's still a great puzzle game for people who haven't tried a version of it, and this is probably the most influential other than the original and championship. Chew Man Foo - Puzzle game that I like. Mesopotamia - A wall clinging platformer that is kind of like playing a game as a gravity defying slinky. Not very long, but movement options are interesting for a 2d Legend of Valykrie - unlikely. Kinda top-downis ARPG... Closer to Beyond Oasis In gameplay than Link to the Past. Zipang - The better than original spiritual sequel to the famous puzzle game Solomon's Key Parasol Stars - Basically Bubble Bobble 3. Air Zonk - I think it's technically the 4th "Bonk" game or maybe more of a spin-off, but instead of a platformer it's a horizontal Shump and space themed instead of caveman themed. The artstyle of Zonk and Bonk still lets you see the connection. Gomola Speed - A weird action puzzle game that uses "snake" for its core mechanics"eg eat pellets- grow longer - don't crash into self" Has a lot more focus than what it's based off of and gets pretty hectic. Photo Boy - simple but funny game with a scoring system based on photography. Heavy comedic tone. Better Konami Ports - Hoping for 1943 and Parodius… personally. Turbografx doesn't do full justice to all of their games Salamander but a couple important Shumps come in fine. Will I buy - depends entirely on number of 2 player games tbh, and even then. I've never really bought into the Dungeon Explorer = superior Gauntlet thing.

Super Mario Maker 2 Panzer Dragoon Saga - the JRPG is less interesting than if they had revived the Rail Shooter games, but I want to give it a chance and maybe it'll blend them into enough of an ARPG to be rail-shooter esque (although I can see this backfiring and making things too simple) Doom Eternal - sure to be excellent Dragon Quest 11 - looks like a good time, and i'll be honest. Square Enix trying to be "clever" with battle mechanics in Octopath Traveller was BORING and easy to solve. I'm usually happier with the DQ team for at least giving me some fun damage races and party wide damage from bosses.

I think it will be bad again, but still better. That said I am the target demographic, so I'll buy it anyway.

I got 14/20 I feel like I might have confused the survery, since I transitioned from being a mostly singleplayer gamer to mostly multiplayer gamer (according to my own standard) while also playing more of each than most other. I feel like I had a lot lower conscientussness score than I should have, there weren't really any questions about feeling worried FOR OThers, which I do a hell of a lot more than for myself. I don't really get the movement to "medicalize" gaming, but I do remember that when I took a class on Budhism back I college that at one point we brought up how in terms of forming worldly attachments, movies and tv area are on the same level as drugs and alcholol. I would apply that to games too if I was still there trying to come up with a topic for midterm lol.