New additions to the collection.

So I finally finished my RPG collection last night with Chrono Trigger. That brings my list to Final Fantasy 1, 2, and 3, Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore, Earthbound, Shadowrun, Chrono Trigger, and a few others that are noteworthy. Another addition which is currently still on the way is the Retro Duo. It apparently plays both SNES and NES games. Since I still own working copies of both the NES and SNES I figure that letting them sit unused should preserve them a bit further, plus it will be nice to consolidate. I'll let you know how well it works.

So another two items that came in last night were the collector's edition for Everquest 2: Kingdom of the Sky ($0.98 + Shipping), and Shadowrun ($4.99 + Shipping). Still sealed and unused. The bad thing is that I forgot Shadowrun requires Windows Vista, which I do not have. Now, I beta tested Windows Vista and I have to say that it is pretty but a little resource-hungry. If you turn off the extra functionality it looks vaguely familiar (*coughXPcough*). But what you have to remember are the things that go on in the background. Apparently they fixed a lot but who knows? I can't afford a real copy of Vista so I guess Shadowrun goes on my shelf until I can.

Earthbound Review

So here comes a blast from the past (hopefully also coming to a virtual console near you. Earthbound for the SNES (Super Nintendo/Super Famicom), truely no other series has reached the level of greatness this game achieved. Keep in mind I am rating this game on the specs 'at the time of publishing' along with a comparison of today's graphics.

Graphics: 8 of 10
Sound: 8 of 10
Gameplay: 10 of 10
Replayability: Depends

Graphics: Today's flashy graphics and showy movies are great but nothing beats an old classic. In it's day Earthbound had graphics to beat them all. The perspective of the game (sort of a birds eye/third person hybrid) was just as unique as the style of graphics. Although the graphics are rather kid-oriented I think they are very original and top-notch.

Sound: The soundtrack, though sometimes repetitive was very appropriate and atmospheric. The gameplay sounds were well done as well. All-in-all I think they did a very good job on the sound all around.

Gameplay: Ease-of-use and easy play are both high on the list of plusses for this game. You can immediately pick it up and start playing without much effort. The story of the game is also very unique and well-planned. All details (as far as I can tell) were thought through.

Replayability: Unknown, I am waiting for my copy to arrive and I never beat the game unfortunately for me. I got to the end but never finished it.

Overall: 9 of 10