The Golden Age of the JRPG

Often we RPG afficionados make reference to this "golden age" of the Japanese Role Playing Game, a time where JRPG's were at their peak in terms of quality. A time where, it seemed, EVERY JRPG was a hit and a guaranteed future classic. But when was this time, and what exactly made it so special?

Announcement- December is PlayStation Month

So my life is pretty hectic right now; I'm not in a good position career wise, and LOTS more issues I cannot share publicly, sorry. That's why updates have been non-existent lately. However, I'm not dead, and neither is this blog. 

I'm announcing that this December will be PlayStation Month. All month long we'll be looking at that highly celebrated family of consoles: the PlayStation. We'll be analyzing their impact on gaming culture, their highs and lows, and we'll be counting their Top 5 MUST-HAVE titles! The tentative schedule is as follows:

December 8: PlayStation 1

December 15: PlayStation 2

December 22: PlayStation 3

December 29: PlayStation 4

I hope you'll be joining me this December!

Toys R Us- A Memory

So with Toys R Us, a store that specialized in toys (and which formed an integral part of millions of people's childhoods) closing yesterday, I've decided to share a memory from that store.

It was around the year 2000, during the second year of Pokemania. Toys R Us was the place to be if you were a Pokemon fanatic thanks to the Pokemon League, a special activity hosted every Saturday where kids could join up and play the Pokemon Trading Card Game. My little brother and I were obsessed with Pokemon, and we both played the TCG. We weren't good at it, though. We were also from a family with a tight budget, so our funds to buy the cards were limited. But we were happy.

One particular Saturday we were playing Pokemon TCG in Toys R Us. The place was PACKED! Every hallway there were kids playing Pokemon TCG, trading cards, battling it out with Pokemon cards. And from the speakers one could listen to the Pokemon anime soundtrack 2 B A Master. It was great.

One November evening of that same year, as we were out shopping at Toys R Us for my little brother's birthday gift, I caught sight of a game. Not just any game, but one I wanted for a while now: Pokemon Gold. I was SHOCKED! I begged my mom to buy it for me, and she obliged. We brought that game home, and I played the SHIT out of it! I remember my first Starter: Totodile. I've played and re-played Pokemon Gold hundreds of times, to the point it's become the second Pokemon game I've replayed the most. For the record, the Pokemon game I've replayed most is Pokemon Red.

And that's my memory.

The Top 5 Most Annoying Wild Pokemon to Catch

You read the title, you know what this is. We'll be going in ascending order, counting down to the most annoying wild Pokemon to catch, EVER!

6 Games I want Remade

You read the title, you know what this is. In no particular order...

Positive Effects of Gaming in my Life

You've read the title, you know what this is. Here are 5 POSITIVE effects gaming has had in my life:

In Memoriam- John Peter Bain

Born on 8-July-1985, passed away on 24-May-2018. A month and a half shy of his thirty fourth birthday. Better known by his online aliases: TheCynicalBrit, TotalBuiscuit. Tireless consumer advocate, highly respected game critic, loving husband. he will be dearly missed by his fans, his supporters, his audience, his friends and family.

The good die young.