Saturday morning cartoons are a staple of every child’s life. Nearly every good (and even some not-so-good) Saturday morning animated feature had a video game tie-in to go along with it. Along with kid-favorites such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers, there were also shows such as Exo-Squad and Gargoyles which, while they were still intended for children, contained themes which were more complex than what one would find on shows like Pokemon. Phantom 2040, which debuted in the mid 90s, was one of the shows in the latter category. It told the story of Kit Walker, who was the 24th Phantom. In the distant future, he was charged with saving the city of Metropia from collapse. It was bought to an end after only 2 seasons, mostly due to it’s themes of environmentalism, corporate greed, and social structure going over viewer’s heads. This was especially unfortunate considering that the show had a lot going for it. It had a stylish art style (thanks to Aeon Flux creator Peter Chung), solid writing, and a vocal cast featuring the likes of Mark Hamil, Margot Kider, and Deborah Harry to name a few. Most impressive of all, it featured a 16-bit era video game tie-in that didn’t suck. This was indeed impressive, especially given the dismal track record of 16-bit games based on existing intellectual properties back then.

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This is pretty much a companion piece to my Final Fantasy I – VI special from two weeks ago. What makes this funny is that the Final Fantasy Legend series is actually the English translation of what is known in Japan as the Saga series. When Square released it over here, it changed the name to Final Fantasy Legend to capitalize off the growing popularity of the series. It has nothing to do with Final Fantasy, but then again it’s just as well, as none of the Final Fantasy games have anything to do with each other. Besides, these three games have managed to become excellent role-playing games in their own right.

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I can’t review the second entry in Mad Doc/Sierra’s RTS series without bring up comparisons to Microsoft/Big Huge Game’s Rise of Nations. Both games merge Civilization-style world building with Warcraft-style RTS gameplay, let you choose from several different civilizations, and require epoch advances and research to give you an edge. However Empire Earth II has a much steeper learning curve than Rise of Nations. In addition to managing armies and conducting diplomacy, you also map out war plans for your allies, deal with the weather, and research tech trees. Going through each of the tutorial scenarios is a must when starting a new game. Empire Earth II features a new picture-in-picture interface which allows you to set bookmarks and view the action from afar. You can even direct units and production. The citizen manager allows you to manage idle citizens and assign them to various tasks, such as gathering a certain resource. These new features are complicated to use, but mastering them will make it easier to coordinate the action. The game includes three campaigns: the Koreans, the Americans, and the Germans. There are also several campaigns known as ‘turning points’ which recreate key points in history such as China’s Three Kingdoms era and the World War 2 Normandy Invasion. Also part of the package is the Art of Supremacy expansion pack. It features new civilizations, campaigns, and a campaign maker. It wasn’t well received as the main game when it was released on its own, but as part of the package, it’s a pretty good value. For fans of Age of Empires who want something even deeper, Empire Earth II will reward patient players with a solid RTS experience.

Although this game was one of the first role playing games to be released on the original Playstation in Japan, it would end up being the one of the last RPGs on the original PS1 in America. Arc the lad spawned several sequels and an anime series. Ironically, even though it was Sony Computer Entertainment themselves who owned the franchise, the ‘anti-2-d’ stance of its American branch was the main factor that prevented this game’s release. Working Designs (best known for its U.S.releases of Lunar) even attempted to score the U.S. publishing rights to the three games, but they were denied by Sony. However, things turned around thanks to new management at Sony and the success of other RPGs, most notable Final Fantasy VII and VIII. After several months of delays, Working Designs finally gave us the chance to play this classic. Not only that, we got all three PS1 games to boot. Arc the Lad Collection carried a $75 price tag, but being able to play this classic RPG series made the hefty price worth it.

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A while ago I featured Taito Legends 2, this game’s console counterpart. For those of you looking for classic action on the go, you can’t go wrong here. It features a smaller selection of games than Taito Legends 2, mostly covering the late 70s to the late 80s. You’ll find classics such as Space Invaders and Rastan along with more obscure games such as Cameltry and Legend of Kage. Similar to Namco Museum for PSP, this disc contains remixed versions of 5 of the games, complete with remade sound and graphics. If you’ve got Taito Legends 2, then you’ve seen most of these games before, but the 5 remixed games, as well as the ability to have these games in your pocket make up for it.

Before God of War, Jak and Daxter, Resistance, Ratchet and Clank, or Sly Cooper, Twisted Metal was the big Playstation franchise. The second game in the series was regarded as one of the best games on the original Playstation. TM3 and 4 weren’t nearly as well received. Twisted Metal Black on the PS2 abandoned the series’s light hearted tone in favor of a darker atmosphere, with the weirdos of previous installments replaced with crazed lunatic serial killers. Fans loved it, and there would even be an online version released a short while later. When the Playstation Portable was released, Twisted Metal Head On was a launch title for the system. Rather than expanding upon TMB’s dark theme, it instead decided to revive the light-hearted atmosphere of Twisted Metal 2, focusing on its best features. In fact, its storyline removed Twisted Metal 3 and 4 from the series canon and regulated Black as being a dream inside Sweet Tooth’s head. Now for the benefit for those who refuse to buy a PSP, Twisted Metal Head On cones to Playstation 2 with a few new features.
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Although it’s all but unknown over here, Hirohiko Araki’s manga Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has enjoyed a sizable following in its native Japan. A bizarre mash up of vampires, martial artists, fortune tellers, superheroes, and gangsters, Jojo is a story about the trials and tribulations of the Joestar family. A major focus of the series are the stands, psychic entities which grant their users powers. Much of the series has been inspired by music, as it features several characters who have been named after songs, rappers, and rock bands. The series has been divided into 6 arcs, each taking place in a different time period and centered around a different main character. Capcom produced a series of games based on the third story arc, in which Jotaro Joestar, his grandfather, and their allies travel to Egypt to defeat a vampire in order to save Jotaro’s mother from her own stand (don’t ask). Although they are fighting games, they are as far removed from Street Fighter as they get. The first game, Jojo’s Venture, was released in the arcades in 1998 and was bought to the PS1 and Dreamcast with exclusive features. In typical Capcom fashion, Jojo’s Venture received a championship edition-style update complete with new characters and features known as Heritage for the Future. A third game was released in Japan for the PS2, but never made it over here.
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Alright all you aspiring game designers, wanna make your own game? Want to make an RPG? Not quite ready to learn Microsoft XNA? Got a PS2 and a memory card with lots of space? Here ya go. The RPG Maker series, or RPG Tsukuru as it’s known in Japan, is hugely popular amongst game hobbyists. However, its steep learning curve and low-end graphics have kept it from mainstream success. RPG Maker 2 is no different. It may not be a graphical powerhouse, but those who are willing to put in the time and effort to learn the system will find themselves well rewarded. I can’t sing this game’s praises enough. There is more advanced game creator software available (including scenario and map editors for your favorite PC RTS, FPS, and RPGs), but for beginning developers, you can’t go wrong with this.
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