Plumbs the depths of the snes rpg library to dunk on Shiny Ball. Mean Mugs over own previous Lagoon review. The Nikola Jokic of Pauline Kaels of retro gaming reviewers. Happy 50 / 8k JG!
Jason: alright guys, time to huff my own farts *proceeds to shit on himself and deliver the most scathing self-critique possible for six and a half straight minutes* This is why we love your content
I hope you never remove those older videos even if they make you cringe (I mean, unless you really can't stand them). I love the time capsule element of RU-vid. Also, I'm impressed with your confidence level behind the camera in them based off of the clips you've shown. And the lighting and monitors is/are cozy. I love looking back and the history and development of channels, so it's a positive for me when the older rougher vids are still there. Basically, I hope you don't fully *hate* your older stuff. Sometimes it's comfy to put on a video that just says the same stuff you've heard 100 times over about one of your favorite games. I know I've listened to plenty of videos like that. I've even re-listened to podcasts covering first impressions of games I've really enjoyed multiple times just to remember what it was like when they came out. I hadn't heard of Tim Rogers until you ranked his channel super high in your retro RU-vidr tier list video. I should probably give his channel a shot. Congrats on 8K subs!
Jason Graves is a 🐐 Man I love your videos, you've gotten so much better over the years and it's been awesome watching you level up lol (I only discovered you like 6-12 months ago but went back and watched everything). Congrats on the milestone and keep up the great work. You're awesome my dude.
I started your channel with Lagoon. And my favorite video is dragon quest; the one where you talk about your dad. I get that your early videos are experimental, but I fell in love with your channel through them and continue watching them to this day.
This is what I'm here for, man. Just a dude who likes retro RPGs talking about the SNES RPGs I grew up on that molded my love for video games. Glad you found and embraced your voice; it's 100% why I'm still watching. Congrats on 50! There's definitely something to be said for having been around when these games came out. Experiencing them then was different, because the world was different in important ways. They were also more niche -- selling 300K copies in North America was a reasonable success. That doesn't make your perspective wrong, just different. I think _Illusion of Gaia_ is one of the best RPGs ever made because of the experience I remember when it was new and replaying it a few years later during the middle of the N64 and PS1 era. But I don't think any of your criticisms were misplaced. It had its frustrations, but I loved it in spite of them.
I don't know anything about these games but your experiences are entertaining. I especially enjoyed your reflection on this SNES RPG series and how you've grown. It can be crazy to revisit old stuff and see how far you've come in only a short time. Congrats on 8,000 Jason! Crushing it as you should for sticking to your authenticity! Also your shirt made me realize the Dragon Quest logo looks a LOT like Sigilyph.
these kinds of videos tend to be my favorite cause I like seeing the perspective of the creator and the self reflection on how far they came. Also the idea of going back and just redoing a past review is something I think everyone in the space wishes they could do but can easily get out of hand so we just leave it alone and appreciate how much has changed for the better
Well I'm really glad you didn't unlist your early SNES RPG videos. Having binged my way through your videos from the start for the past month or so, it's been interesting to watch you evolve from a pseudo-Tim Rogers impersonator who swears, into your own unique style. You've swiftly become one of my favorite RU-vid creators, so thank you for the content.
Your “say something original” comment is something I gotta commend you on. I found a lot of Pokémon Silver and Gold retrospectives when I was working on my own, and yours stood out so much because you were saying things nobody else was. And it was about Pokémon, one of the most talked to death topics. Kudos.
Loved the Lagoon intro, really brought a smile to my face, which I really needed. Subscribed a long time ago, and been keeping up with most of this series.
Too true about giving viewers something no one else has/can. I found your channel when I was looking for videos about Inindo: Way of the Ninja (I'd emulated it before and was curious about what people had to say about it). Your video was one of a handful, and the best of the bunch!
You deserve it! :) Edit, sorry for correcting you on your "John Romero" reference in that video. You did great and I definitely give your reviews a thumbs up regardless. Keep up the good work. Loyal subscriber here. I know there are tons of reviewers out there, but you're different and your reviews are great!
Love the video! My brother-in-law and I just started a RU-vid channel. I had actually considered playing through every SNES rpg and I sincerely just found you 😅. I sincerely appreciate the tips you put at the beginning of the video :)
Do it anyway! Just follow the advice he gives here -- don't do it to regurgitate what has already been said by every other reviewer. Be yourselves to give a unique perspective. 🙂
@@bloodgain thanks for the encouragement! I agree and I will! I really appreciate how he talks about essentially being himself and not pretending to know something that you actually don’t… Take care! Keep it up and game on!
Tim Rogers ❤ This series is your FFDOG moment and I treasure it. Do not be afraid to "Animal Crossing Vegan Sandwich" a video either, you're already capable of that kind of art.
Congrats on 8k!!! You make fantastic vids, and I'd say the personality you inject into your stuff always makes it fun and even relatable on a human level. I don't know shit about making videos but I do know what it's like to try emulating others I admire to cringe-worthy effect (at least to me as I assume the worst lol I hear ya) As for Tim Rogers, I'd say he's probably one of the more dangerous to emulate since I'm almost convinced he actively tries to kill himself by overworking to the extreme. Personally, I like you guys being around and it'd be great to keep it that way! But seriously, congrats on the success, here's to you my good man!
Retro gaming is a crowded space but you bring a unique perspective to it. I really enjoy your videos and I wish you great success in all aspects of life.
I've been watching and have been subscribed since you posted your DQV video; keep it up! I hope to see you cover the Romancing SaGa and/or Heracles no Eikou series as part of your SNES RPG videos.
Something to consider in:re DV's screen layout: Without the UI taking up about ~50% of the vertical space on the screen, the game wouldn't have that distinctive wide, panoramic view, that was perhaps intended to be its namesake. Either you'd end up with twice as much vertical space that needed to be filled, which would make the game's cutscenes feel more distant, and which would just be solid rock most of the time anyway because it's a side-view dungeon crawler. Or else you'd have to zoom in, make the sprites ~30 - 50% larger, and truncate the horizontal play space by about ~30%.
Racing nerd here! You were half right about the Al Unser Jr. NES game. Al Unser Jr did not race in F1, he raced in CART (called Indycar now), the open wheel series that includes the Indy 500. However, he did run in exactly one (1) NASCAR race, the 1993 Daytona 500. When it comes to the game, the confusion is understandable. The Japanese version of it was called "World Grand Prix - Pole To Finish" and was based around Formula 1. When it was localized for the US they literally just stuck Al Jr and his car in there and called it a day. The tracks and points system are all based on F1 tracks and not the tracks used in CART. In summary, it was even more weird and half assed than you made it out to be.
Fuck. I was gonna call you out yesterday no joke. My Jason Graves radar was going off. Congratulations on making it to 50 games. Your early review of DragonQuest 5 is one of my favorites. Even though its a little a long. Its really only if you want to watch the gambling section. That review made me play that game and i thoroughly enjoyed it.
Lagoon is a severely pared back version of a Sharp X68000 game. It's was made for a high end Japanese pc platform that capcom themselves were using to program their CPS arcade games
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 *🎉 Milestone celebration and reflection* - Reflects on reaching the milestone of episode 50 in the series. - Recalls the journey of creating the series and the support received. - Discusses the evolution of content quality and personal growth throughout the series. 02:13 *📉 Critique of early content quality* - Criticizes the quality and style of the initial episodes, labeling them as derivative and lacking originality. - Identifies shortcomings such as mimicking other creators, generic content, and lack of personal voice. - Expresses dissatisfaction with specific aspects like script content, delivery, and production choices. 03:35 *📝 Examples of content inaccuracies and shortcomings* - Highlights instances of inaccuracies and misinformation in early video content. - Discusses the use of unreliable sources and incorporation of incorrect information into reviews. - Provides specific examples of content flaws and errors from past episodes. 06:31 *🎮 Review and critique of "Lagoon" gameplay* - Provides a detailed critique of the game "Lagoon," focusing on gameplay mechanics and design flaws. - Criticizes aspects such as repetitive dungeon structure, poor combat mechanics, and nonsensical quest elements. - Offers humorous commentary on specific gameplay experiences and encounters within the game. 14:13 *💰 Analysis of in-game economics and design choices* - Analyzes in-game economic systems and design decisions, particularly regarding currency and item pricing. - Criticizes the imbalance between earning currency and item costs, citing examples from gameplay. - Questions the logic behind certain in-game mechanics and their integration into the overall experience. 18:49 *🎮 The peculiarities of Lagoon gameplay* - Lagoon's plot twists are conveyed in bizarre ways, such as the princess needing rescue while standing in front of the player. - The game features unconventional level design, including platforming sections with unclear spatial relations. - Strange mechanics like leveling up without clear indicators and disabled magic against bosses add to the game's oddities. 20:58 *🧙♂️ Bizarre elements of Lagoon* - The game's cutscenes lack motion, adding unintentional humor to the experience. - Magic, a key gameplay element, is disabled against bosses without explanation, making combat mechanics inconsistent. - Despite its flaws, Lagoon's forgiving nature and short duration make it oddly enjoyable for some players. 23:01 *📉 Reflecting on past video mistakes* - Acknowledgment and discussion of errors made in previous video reviews, including misidentifications and omissions. - Addressing criticism and defending certain interpretations or opinions presented in earlier videos. - Reflecting on personal growth as a content creator and the ongoing learning process in reviewing games. 32:27 *🎮 Responding to criticism about familiarity with retro games* - Discussing encounters with comments questioning the depth of knowledge and understanding of retro games. - Emphasizing personal experience and extensive engagement with retro games despite criticisms. - Highlighting the subjective nature of opinions on video games and the validity of individual perspectives. 34:32 *🕹️ Nostalgia and game preferences* - Addressing the phenomenon of nostalgia and its influence on individual preferences and opinions about video games. - Encouraging acceptance of differing viewpoints and the legitimacy of personal experiences with games. - Emphasizing the importance of respecting diverse opinions and experiences within the gaming community. 36:54 *🎮 Dragon View: A Strange and Overlooked SNES RPG* - Dragon View is a peculiar game with a unique atmosphere. - Often considered as an oddity rather than a masterpiece. - Despite its reputation, Dragon View gained some recognition due to its association with its predecessor, Drakkhen. 38:59 *🐉 Limited Run's Reproduction of Dragon View* - Limited Run produced a reprint of Dragon View, a game that typically sells for over $100. - The reproduction includes a fluorescent green cartridge, a trading card, and a recreation of the original manual. - While faithful to the original, the reproduction could have included additional content to enhance the experience. 40:33 *🕹️ Dragon View: Gameplay Overview* - Dragon View offers an enjoyable gaming experience despite its quirks. - The game features a visually appealing design with a half-screen UI. - Gameplay combines 3D exploration with 2D side-scrolling dungeons and action-based combat. 42:12 *🔍 Quest Structure and Nonlinear Gameplay in Dragon View* - Dragon View employs a quest structure similar to Breath of the Wild. - Players can explore the game world freely but may face challenges if they venture into high-level areas too soon. - The game offers both main quests and side quests, providing a variety of objectives for players to pursue. 45:44 *⚔️ Dungeons and Challenges in Dragon View* - Dungeons in Dragon View feature a mix of straightforward paths and confusing layouts. - Players may encounter frustrating situations, such as one-way doors and deceptive shortcuts. - Despite some design flaws, the dungeons offer a manageable level of challenge overall. Made with HARPA AI
In regards to #3. I grew up playing these games. For example "breath of fire." Any review done by people my age would sing it's praises... But should they? Your reference to just needing dragon transformations was eye opening. An outside perspective helps me to sort feelings out of opinions. So keep doing what you're doing. Haters gonna hate, and players will keep watching.
I'm invested in your milestones cuz I watched like 13 horus of your "grind session" videos already. Sure that's not as much work as making them, but it is so much watching that it feels like a personal investment.
Congratulations for 50 episodes! I think you're doing great, considering you always try to use original hardware when you can, and... honestly, I would have given up on a lot of the games you finished for this series. There's no way I have it in me to sit through Drakken, Lagoon, or the Lord of the Rings games you've played. I'll still be here watching. I'm curious to see all the RPGs for the SNES I don't know about yet.
41:20 Huh! That's cool. I do happen to know some other RPGs that narrate nuances of character tone, expression, and gestures as part of dialogue like this--the Telepath RPG series. (See also: Together in Battle.)
Also, great vid! Thank you for sharing the joy of Lagoon with the world! I'm still not touching it with a 10 ft pole, but it seems like there is a decent game buried in there, even if it's even more of an Ys ripoff than I'd thought before finding out there's also a rescue sidequest at the beginning. I wonder why they felt it necessary to ditch the bump combat system when porting the game to the SNES. Were they afraid it'd look too weird or old hat if it didn't utilize the controller's cool four face buttons? And why the hell didn't they let you use magic against bosses?! That's the one thing they also should've kept from the Ys formula! As for Dragon View, having played it and dropped it some time ago, you've made me wanna try it again. Drakkhen is far beyond my mortal comprehension and I'd like it to stay that way, but Dragon View totally looks like something I could get into.
Great video. Loved Dragonview back in the day. Actually digged Drakkhen too cause it was so unique. Love the soundtracks. Nothing amazing but fun SNES stuff.
Congratulations on the 50th episode. 🥂 Even if you did get Mode 7 and an entire castle in the ass on the way. Here's to episode 100 in 2030. Even though you cringe at the early videos, to me as a viewer, they show the progression of your increasing ease in front of the camera and your authentic voice. You're not a poser. You're doing the thing, and doing it well. Thank you for the videos. 👍🏻
I had Dragon View on SNES growing up, and I've always enjoyed it. It's certainly not one of the top games of all time. Nothing about it is exceptional or groundbreaking, although the 3D overworld was a very rare and cool thing to see at the time. It's not very deep, but there's exploration to do, secrets to find, minor puzzles, the combat is fun, and there's a handful of different weapons and magic abilities to play with and upgrade. The story's not great, but serviceable. The soundtrack is decent, with some tracks that are fun to groove to. The graphics are pretty good. I'd say Dragon View is "more than the sum of its parts." As a package, it's a fun game -- part RPG, part side-scrolling beat-em-up -- and there weren't really any other games like it at the time. There are hardly any, even now. It's cool that this game exists.
I was born in 82, got hooked on ff2 in like, 7th grade? So 94? Played as many as I was aware of via rental until sometime in the late 90s. Owned quite a few but sold most. Still have the map and book for ff3, albeit in poor condition, I may even still have the guide book though by the time I got it I didnt need it. played many more over the years. Not as many as you. It seems it should be assumed you won't play the games like we did and won't have the same experience, that doesn't mean people don't want to hear what you genuinely have to say. A true fan would most likely talk about these games to another fan if given the chance and would gladly have the conversation. I would imagine that most people who watch consistently do so because they find you entertaining even if your work is "derivative." Good on you to strive to do better, but don't be too hard on yourself, it's clear your interest in the games is more than just monetary, even though that may be an aspect, and that interest and dedication is what gives you authenticity. Even if you didnt 100% read all the dialogue in shadowrun like its 1995 or 96. I dont know when it came out. (Edit) Also, while ff2/4 honestly deeply affected my life, i think final fantasy for nes is absolutely awful, while i think (kyuuyaku) megami tensei is a masterpiece. I never really wanted to play star fox though when it came out, but i bought into the hype because it was the newest thing. I also hate mario kart.
A Link to the Past is to Zelda 1 what Dragon View kina of is to Zelda: the Adventure if Link (aka Zelda 2) Link has an overhead view over world where DV has a 1st person over world. Link has 2D side scrollion action levels where DV has 2.5D side scrolling action levels. Im NOT saying DV is on the same level as the Zelda games but basically DV is a 16 bit reimagining of the 8bit Link formula like LttP was a 16 bit reimagining of the 8bit Zelda 1 formula.
Hell yea bonus every SNES RPG video Dragon View is the rare SNES RPG I've played before the review (SNES RPGs aren't really my thing, I watch these videos because I like how you review games and "beating every RPG" type challenges). It was fine for what it is but I couldn't get that into it. It's pretty aimless and the combat felt a bit too simple. Maybe when I was in my early teens and into emulating old beat em ups this one would have been a banger
Many successful channels started out by imitating others before developing their own style. Don't be too harsh on yourself. Creation is a learning process.
No need to be hard on yourself. You've done a lot of great work! As far as the Lord of the Rings/Nintendo Power thing goes, it wasn't in the actual walkthrough of the game; they did a feature a few issues before that, where they visited the studio and talked about the process. I'll see if I can find the issue, if anyone's curious.
Congrats on the 8k subs!🎉🎉🎉 I saw your Ultima & Namco Museum videos & just went down the rabbit hole of your channel. Just be yourself, Dude. You & Marsh remind me of a friend just talking about game's & that's something I miss with how heavily scripted & pseudo-professional RU-vidrs have become. 😞
As far as I'm concerned you are entitled to your own opinions. One of my earliest memories of a RPG was coming home one day after school and my mother was playing final fantasy 2 also known as final fantasy IV. I have been hooked ever since but there are a lot of games out there I have never even heard of. I watch reviews and list videos to be exposed to things I have never seen. Sadly some people are just going to be haters.
I'm only about 7 minutes into the video and I think you're being too hard on yourself buddy. I just found your channel maybe a month ago and watched most of your stuff. I think you did a good job and I was entertained. I'm always kind of sad when I find a new creator I enjoy and catch up on their back catalog because it's hard to find new stuff I'm interested in and I can burn through 5 or 6 years of somebody's content in as many days or weeks and then I just get to see their new stuff once a week or month while they algorithm tries pushing the same uninteresting crap on my feed no matter how many times I refresh the page and doesn't offer up anything I want to spend time watching. Don't regret your past. It's part of what made you what you are today. 10 years from now you'll probably feel the same way about this video that you do about the Drakkhen video now, but that's just because you're going to be that much better at it by then. Congrats on 50. We'll celebrate 100 in 2030 when you've got 100k subs.
Dawg im under 3 mins in and you’re being way too hard on yourself. We all gotta start somewhere. I found your videos a couple days ago and I’ve been really enjoying them and i think thats what matters. Not the mistakes you made when you literally first started but where you are now. I haven’t even heard of more than half of these games, i watch these vids for you. You deserve more subs. Keep up the good work 👍
It's hella decent. it's been translated as well if you're ever curious. the game is chapter based to it's relatively easy to pick up and put down, then come back later.. I'd deffinitely like to recommend it to ya even if just to check out on your free time @@JasonGravesPoser
You have some questionable taste in some games, but you own up to your mistakes and try to learn from them and I respect that. Good job. I'd love to see you review Breath of Fire 3 some day. Not with this video series obviously, but it's my favorite BoF and still feels like a super Nintendo game despite being on the PS1
On the one hand I hate to see you rag on yourself so hard. On the other hand, you do a pretty entertaining job of it, haha. Also, as a Millennial gamer nerd: it's cool that younger people are totally interested in "the classics." I feel like even old games have a certain longevity to them that, say, really old movies don't. Maybe that'll change as the decades wear on, but I've yet to *truly* feel old for still thinking frequently about various old games, cuz there still seems to be a lot of interest in them. Point being, I guess, is that your opinions on them are vaild because they're not even really that outdated. They can be judged with modern eyes.
41:46 Well, there's some CRPGs that do the whole full narration. Planescape: Torment and Pillars of Eternity come to mind. But it is uncommon, and especially on a console game.
Ok I’m one of the Lagoon fanboys (lol). I will say the sharp 86x whatever that system is actually called, THAT version is actually better. More items and more story points and tracks that didn’t port to the SNES. I also like Drakkhen more than dragon view. And I have seen almost all of your videos and thought the old videos are good as well as more current for what that’s worth. The SNES is also my favorite system of all time and I am enjoying the RPG reviews as they come out so keep them coming if you’re able. And you were in fact not mistaken about mode 7 lol.
You're so tough on yourself. A nice thing to think is that 'work is never wasted' - we all learn by doing, even if we look back and are embarrassed by our previous efforts. Disliking your earlier videos is a good measure of how you've improved in your craft.
@@opaljk4835 honestly I think YT recommended the '100 best snes games' video, and from there I just kept watching and clicking... on to the ultima, phantasy star, shadowrun videos, and I am still amused.
I've spent the last week binge-watching the entire series, and I look forward to more. Even when you shit on a game I love, it's always fair and I tend to agree. I've also fallen hard into Uncharted Waters: New Horizons all over again because of the first Uncharted Waters video. Even dusted off my Wii U to play the VC version on the gamepad while watching the New Horizons video.
For LOTR, you have the wrong issue of Nintendo Power. In issue 59, page 83, they have a preview article where they show pictures and describe the rotoscoping process, with comparisons between the footage and the sprites.
I reread those old issues so much when I was a kid, obscure stuff like this is etched into my brain forever. It's a miracle I haven't wasted my life too much!@@JasonGravesPoser
I'm one of those dudes that came across your channel 3 weeks ago - via the NES Ultima video, actually - and has since watched 85% of your videos. You've come a long way since being a second-rate Tim Rogers understudy (if you're gonna rip off anyone, rip off the best), looking forward to episode 100 when you'll really drop a masterpiece on us.
