NFOpocalypse

[ Superior ] Epic Legendary

There are only so many variations to the Platforming model, but when the market was saturated with this genre, we gamers were treated to every possible iteration. Whether they were inserting RPG elements like in E.V.O. or pushing the model to its limit like in Kid Chameleon, developers built some amazing experiences from the “Platformer” scaffolding. One game that demonstrates this particularly well is Enix’s Hack-and-slash platformer\City-building Sim ActRaiser. And so, let’s ROMinisce.

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Superior [ Epic ] Legendary

Final Fantasy Tactics and Disgaea brought the Tactical RPG to non-Japanese gamers, but the genre obviously predates these landmarks.  With Fire Emblem establishing the genre only years prior, Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen had a virtually blank slate to work with.  Like the band whose songs the series’ titles pay homage to, this classic is both enduring and incomparably brilliant.

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Superior [ Epic ] Legendary

Before we resorted to classifying games in the megahybrid genre of “Action,” there was “Action-Adventure” and its sub-category - the iconic “Platformer.”  These games were the mainstay of the industry through two decades of evolution, and the trademarks of this genre are ubiquitous in gaming as a whole.  From Pitfall! to LittleBigPlanet, the best Platformers have always pushed us to the jump-landing, ledge-grabbing, death-defying limits.  Since you and I both have a masochist deep down inside, let’s ROMinisce about a Genesis gem: Kid Chameleon.

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Superior Epic [ Legendary ]

We might be used to the idea that SquareSoft can take something like the Disney universe and make a full-fledged role-playing experience out of it, but Kingdom Hearts does not come without precedent.  Before Paper Mario, before Kingdom Hearts, and before Rare unhitched its wagon from Nintendo, there was today’s ROMiniscing feature: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

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Superior Epic [ Legendary ]

As the spiritual predecessor to the future Horror sub-genre and the first reported game to receive a parental advisory warning (and you thought it was Mortal Kombat!), Splatterhouse is a significant point in video game history.  By today’s standards, fighting crucifixes and zombies as a Jason Voorhees-esque maniac might seem tame, but this marked a step towards opening darker-themed mature content to players.  Ultimately, we have Splatterhouse to thank for letting video games become more than a teenager’s delight.

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