thornburg's New Writeups

Black Matrix (thing)

2001-11-16T16:52:51Z

A very rare Japanese Strategy RPG for Sega Saturn. It was remade for Sega Dreamcast as Black Matrix A/D, also called Black Matrix Advanced. This game has very strange music -- it sounds horrible at first, but it grows on you. There are large amounts of religious references in the game, and the animations in the Dreamcast version are very cool (I've never played the Saturn version, but I do have the soundtrack). I can't really say anything about the plot, because I can't read kanji. The 3D graphics are not spectacular, but they are on-par with other strategy/rpgs, and the 2D graphics are very good. I found the game rather addictive. It begins in a very odd way. You start by choosing one of the various female characters. You then have a short section of a daily life with that character. Collecting food, chopping wood, that kind of stuff. Then she will get kidnapped, or something, and you'll never get to actually use her in the combat portion of the game, until the…

NCSX (place)

2001-11-15T23:31:35Z

NCS stands for National Console Support... I assume that the X came from someone else already owning the domain name 'ncs.com'. (Of course, assumption is frequently a bad thing).

NCSX is arguably the best import video game store online. They sell Japanese (and occasionally European) video games to otherwise forlorn US gamers.

Without places like NCSX, American gamers would have to live without wonderful things like Super Robot Wars, Langrisser, Shin Megami Tensei, Black Matrix, and a host of other stuff.

NCSX is located in New York City, but also sells via telephone and world wide web.

The News portion of the NCSX website often has non-product related news, such as the current state of the stock market, or what the latest disaster in NY is.

No I don't work for them. In fact, its nearly the opposite. I've spent so much money at NCSX I don't really want to think about it. Moving on then...

Support import game stores! They…

Strategy RPG (idea)

2001-11-15T23:11:19Z

A Strategy RPG or Strategy/RPG is a video game, more specifically a console game. These games include aspects of both strategy games and RPGs. They are also, by nature of being strategy-oriented, turn based. 2D Strategy RPGs nearly always use a grid based square movement scheme. A few have used hexmaps. 3D Strategy/RPGs, AFAIK, always use cube-based maps, ie square grids with the addition of height. The most popluar Strategy/RPG to my knowledge is Final Fantasy Tactics by Squaresoft. A good Strategy/RPG will have a very strong plot, quite a few characters you can use, and interesting game mechanics.

Here is a short list of some Strategy/RPGs, with info.

Final Fantasy Tactics: 3D, very good, by Squaresoft, for PSX
Vandal Hearts series: 3D, orig. is good, 2 is very good, by Konami, for PSX
Langrisser series: 2D, very good, by NCS/Masaya (and others), for various

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langrisser (thing)

2001-11-15T22:33:49Z

Langrisser is a series of Strategy RPGs in Japan, starting on the Sega Megadrive (the Japanese name of the Genesis), there are five proper Langrisser games, each simply numbered with a roman numeral, ie Langrisser III.

The only Langrisser game to see light of day in the US was the original, which was released here as Warsong, for the Sega Genesis.

Langrisser I and II were for the Sega Megadrive.
Der Langrisser was released on Super Famicom and PC Engine (a 'SuperCD'). I think this was the same as Langrisser II, but I could be wrong. The PC-Engine version contained animations.
Langrisser III, IV, and V were for Sega Saturn
Langrisser I & II together form "Langrisser Dramatic", for both Playstation and Sega Saturn.
Langrisser III & IV were also released on Sony Playstation.
Langrisser IV & V were also available together as a special package.
Langrisser Tribuite is a special package with all 5

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Atlus (thing)

2001-11-15T19:19:33Z

Atlus is a japanese video game company, who also have a US branch. Atlus Japan are the creators of the Shin Megami Tensei series, which has a cult-like following among some console-RPG fans. They are also largely responsible for the Ogre Battle series (Ogre Battle, Tactics Ogre, Ogre Battle 64, maybe more). Atlus USA mostly (or entirely--I'm not sure) republishes Japanese games for the US market (including translation, localization, etc).

persona (thing)

2001-11-15T18:56:04Z

Persona is also a series of games by Atlus, part of the Shin Megami Tensei series, they are complex and interesting console RPGs.

There are 2 Persona games in the US for Playstation, plus some for Gameboy Color. In Japan, there are 3 Persona games for Playstation: Persona, Persona 2: Innocent Sin, and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment. Persona 2: Innocent Sin has not yet come to the US, and Atlus USA isn't being clear on whether or not it is likely to (11/2001)

The two Persona 2 games form a single continuous plot (although each has its own resolution), both have nearly identical gameplay, although there are some changes. Unfortunately for US gamers, Innocent Sin is the first of the two games, so if it ever comes out here, large portions of the plot will have been spoiled for anyone who has played Eternal Punishment first.