Beaten/Abandoned

Monster Hunter Stories – I didn’t make it far in this. The ponderousness that works in regular Monster Hunter games really doesn’t serve an RPG well. Every fight takes too long and so far they haven’t been exactly challenging. The paper/rock/scissors set up works, but it is also really simple. The rest of the game is also low impact. It just felt slow and pointless. Maybe it is just I want to be playing Monster Hunter World, but I loaned it to my brother. I’ll give it another try sometime.

Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight –

First of all, this game is gorgeous. It has big, lush sprites and an engaging art style. I also love the general play style of the game; it is a compact Metroidvania. It is short, but that is more of a good thing, I think. It is short because the game cuts out all the fat, leaving only the meat. At about 4-5 hours, I think Momodora is closer to the perfect length than being too short. My big problem with the game is that the difficulty is uneven. The bosses in this game are mostly pretty impressive, but they work as substantial roadblocks in the experience. Maybe that flaw is on me for not being especially good at the game, if that is so I’m fine with it, but it significantly hampered my enjoyment of the game. That is the only real flaw, though. Everything else is great. This is a really good game.

Ongoing

Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology – When this first came out for DS years ago, I called it one of the best original games on the system. Then I promptly forgot about it. Now, playing this enhanced version, I reminded how great this game is. The story is mature and thoughtful, though it doesn’t completely avoid cliche. It sets up a time travel mechanic and really lets the player use it. It is more in-depth than Chrono Trigger’s millenia spanning adventure, keeping the time travel mostly confined to a small length of time. The battle system, which I have complaints about, encourages thoughtful uses of its mechanics. This is just a really great game.

New Super Mario Bros U – I’ve cleared the first two worlds of this game. It is still great.

Terranigma – It is slow going, but I’m still working on it. I am really liking this game.

Upcoming

The Alliance Alive – Despite not really having any patience for this game’s predecessor, Legend of Legacy, I let people talk me into going in on this one too. When I finish with Radiant Historia, I’ll get on this. I have some hopes, it sounds like they changed a lot of the things I hated about Legend of Legacy.

Super Mario Galaxy – I have misplaced my Wii nunchuk, so I went with NSMBU while I searched it out. Once I locate it or a replacement, I’ll likely get started with this game.

Suikoden V – I’ve had a hankering to play this PS2 hidden gem for the last few weeks, so I might put it in and give it a spin. Don’t expect much, though, since I’m still in law school.