as soon as they mentioned gathering seven of something i realized this game is going to be fucking long
2 Likes
For years I thought I had tried Alundra and bounced hard off it but turns out that was Azure Dreams.
3 Likes
Releaser’s Quest is extra tough with a weapon (and jump) range so short! I did help Alundra finish once, in high school. Always associating Xenogears and Vagrant Story from that play era, so I threaded thinking I’d get somehow get around to all three this year.
It really is pretty somber overall from the sprite art to music and plot arc, even the colorful anime intro (<3 that eternal synth rock jam) gives a look at some really twisted and foreboding, very 90’s grim scenarios/antagonists.
Couldn’t spoil fit for you if I tried, the finer details are flood lost 20 years…could be a few nice village folks meeting real bad ends.
iirc the zeldish desert is southeast, instead of sw.
Hardest overhead action/adventure puzzles ever, least for when I played it.
Almost traded my age dried gamestop stickery copy for like, $40 a few months ago. But nah
1 Like
i was just kinda surprised that people just… die in this game. like, pretty frequently. they have funerals and nice-smelling flowers and everything. nobody dies in zelda, right? they just pouf pouf
there has been some hardcore bullshit wording for a couple of these puzzles, i think the localization gets ahead of itself in a number of ways to varying effect. i don’t know what respect is. we decided playing in short bursts as recommended is really necessary
im not really gonna feel bad about using a walkthrough for this one. the overworld feels enormous and the jump arc is so heavy and difficult to judge. overall tho my eyes and ears and sense of sadness are enjoying this a lot
the art reminds me of shining games a lot. any relation? 
3 Likes
Yep! Former members of Climax (who made both Landstalker and worked on Shining Force!)
1 Like
ive tried to get into this multiple times but i think the translation in particular repels me.
I like the sequel more anyway
I first played Alundra years ago as a kid and the one of the earliest puzzles in the game stopped me dead. Played through it years later, finished and loved it. The game drags in the second half though. Fair bit of padding IIRC, and the last boss is pretty brutal.
It was pretty defining, come to think of it. Made me realize that I’m a way bigger fan of the “Weekday Morning Dubbed Anime” aesthetic than Zelda’s more vanilla storybook stylings.
Finally playing through Landstalker as well, just getting up to the final dungeon. Climax games are weird and good. I’m hooked.
5 Likes
What does everyone think of Lady Stalker
Dunno but it sounds cool, and that reminded me of Time Stalkers for the 'cast. Which was always a near miss in my browsing, never heard a thing about it.
Alundra’s remained difficult enough in memory that I want to test the tough. Think Imma make it the next psx priority
Apparently the original title of LandStalker was Shining Rogue
https://forums.shiningforcecentral.com/viewtopic.php?p=718574
Some alundra art for max OVA feels
and because its 1999 again and I’m sharing artbook scans.
9 Likes
Sega not making dozens of 90s anime fantasy games in the Shining Universe is a travesty
3 Likes
There’s been like at least one new Shining game every year since the franchise started though. That’s not nothing! joke about series ending at the turn of the millenium
OG Shining art is so good, love the characters. Weird to feel nostalgic for games I barely even played.
Anyone know if Yoshitaka Tamaki is still active?
1 Like
I was literally on my way to start a What Happened to Yoshitaka Tamaki? thread when I saw this one. He’s only ~50 years old, but his last credits seem to be from the early '00s. His homepage is charmingly old-timey and updated as of last year, though.
1 Like
3 Likes
This could be for a Worms clone, Geese Armageddon.
I’ve just realised that, for reasons I can’t discern, I have in the past read brief exchanges regarding Landstalker and thought people were talking about Snatcher
2 Likes
I think the last thing credited to him on Wikipedia JP was he was working for a design studio as of mid-2000s. Don’t know what he’s been up to since then though.
2 Likes
Why did you photoshop some of my private chat into this screenshot
11 Likes
having no experience with this whatsoever, it sounds a lot like soul blazer
1 Like