Wild Arms – Author Carlo Carrasco

Playing the remastered Suikoden on my Xbox Series X is a lot of fun

March 12, 2025March 11, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks, RPG enthusiasts and other gamers!

I have been playing the remastered version of the mid-1990s Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) Suikoden (Japanese title: Genso Suikoden) on my Xbox Series X as I now own the digital copy of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars.

For the newcomers reading this, Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars was released on March 6 and it contains Suikoden and Suikoden II (Japanese title: Genso Suikoden II). This is a cause for a celebration not only for fans of the Suikoden game franchise (created by the late Yoshitaka Murayama during his time at Konami) and JRPG enthusiasts but also for people who love retro gaming.

With Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars now available on multiple platforms, gamers – both the veterans as well as the younger players – now have the golden opportunities to play the first two Suikoden games.

Suikoden on Xbox

*A lot of characters got their share of the spotlight in short scenes like this in Suikoden.*

As mentioned earlier, Suikoden is my most played game on my Xbox Series X since March 6. The release of Suikoden games on Xbox platforms is highly significant given the fact that the franchise has often been identified with PlayStation for so long. What many gamers do not know is the fact that Suikoden was also released on the Sega Saturn and Windows PC in Japan in the late-1990s.

As history showed, most Suikoden RPGs released by Konami from 1995 to 2006 mainly on the original PlayStation console (the first two games) and PlayStation 2 (the third, fourth and fifth games). Spin-off games were released on PlayStation, PS2, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. That being said, there were absolutely no Suikoden games on the original Xbox console and Xbox 360.

The release of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and the aging Xbox One is indeed a game-changer. There are lots of Xbox gamers who are fond of Japanese RPGs and there are also Suikoden fans who happen to own Xbox consoles. The Xbox ecosystem itself now has lots of role-playing games (RPGs) released in this current console generation and there are lots of Xbox players who love RPGs. As such, Konami made the right move bringing the Suikoden franchise to Xbox consoles.

Playing the first Suikoden again but in shinier form

*The group battle in the game. The remastered work includes presentation in high-definition and a variety of visual enhancements. The frame rate is also stable.*

Since the launch of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars, I have been playing the first Suikoden game a lot on my Xbox Series X. It has been a fun-filled nostalgic gaming experience on my part and I can also say that Konami – for the most part – did a good job remastering the game with high-definition visuals in mind.

Visually, this is the best the first Suikoden RPG ever looked! The in-game character sprites and creatures/monsters sprites from before have been preserved and because everything is in high-definition, the said sprites look larger and you can see the detailed pixels within them. When it comes to the visual effects to emphasize in-game magic and other spectacles, the new effects implemented resulted in a lot of pleasing eye candy.

*Mini-games like this one added fun and variety to the game. If you keep winning in this one, you can make a lot of in-game money.*

*The occasional close-ups during group battles like this added to the spectacle of playing. The enhanced visuals also made this look better.*

When it comes to the character portraits, they have been redrawn from scratch by Junko Kawano and each artwork per character looked clearer and more detailed than before. Some long-time Suikoden fans might find the new character portraits looking too clean and might make them miss the older artworks.

Suikoden’s story is about the Scarlet Moon Empire, political developments, corruption that goes beyond politics, and how they all affect the people. The playable protagonist is the son of the imperial general Teo McDohl, and through him you will witness political intrigue and unexpected twists that will compel you to stick closer with your family friends to escape the empire and form a new army of rebels by recruiting members across the land.

*Even in subtle forms, the enhanced visuals made dramatic scenes like this look more lively.*

While the storytelling is satisfactory at best, there is a wide variety of characters who collectively added colors to the narrative. This is due to the many types of personalities that the important characters have. Take for example Matthiu who is the calm and calculating strategist, Viktor is the brave and brash rebel, and Gremio is very dedicated to protecting the protagonist no matter what happens. Along the way, character development is truly limited which is not surprising because a lot of characters shared the spotlight.

In terms of game design and gameplay features, Suikoden has aged well. The battle systems – solo battle, group battle, army battle – are still functional, efficient and fun to do. While some grinding (leveling-up) is needed, it is not stressful to do because the auto-battle options make the group battles flow smoothly, especially when your characters (up to six) are collectively strong enough to overwhelm the enemies.

This is the formation of the members of your party. Those with short-range attacks should be placed on the front row but they need strong defense values to keep on fighting. Characters with long-range attacks are ideally placed in the back row.

The gameplay is just as fun to do as before. I really like the fact that up to six characters can be part of my party/group as I went adventuring and focused on story scenes. The solo and army battles are understandably few but the payoff (in return to the build-up leading to them) was worth it. I should state that the unite attacks (limited to specific characters who are present in the party) are fun to watch and the creators’ approach on presenting the battle animations and spectacle are great to see.

*A great, long border wall in the game.*

While the gameplay is clearly fun, Konami’s remaster team did not fix one old problem the game had since the start – limited spacing of items per character. Each character has his/her/its own pieces of clothing to wear, specifically for the body, head and two accessories. The game counts those clothing items as part of the overall item spacing per character. Once you have the four items for a character to wear, the remaining spaces for carrying other items (examples: medicine, ore, anti-toxin) become severely limited for the character.

Along the way, there is the constant need for you to purchase stronger pieces of clothing to increase the defense value of the newest character who joined your army. That being said, you must earn a lot of money, take time to out purchase items, and equip them on new characters while dealing with limited storage per character. The item management problem is the one thing that prevented the gameplay from achieving perfection.

My long-time experience with the Suikoden franchise

*Viktor is the brash and brave fighter who becomes part of the Liberation Army. He is an important supporting character which you will easily realize.*

In my personal gaming history, I played and finished the original game on PlayStation way back in 1996. While I really enjoyed the game and its unique gameplay features, I never replayed it as my taste on PlayStation gaming kept changing in 1997. When Wild ARMs and Final Fantasy VII landed on PlayStation, I forgot about Suikoden until its sequel was released in English in 1999.

Fortunately, Suikoden II was so much bigger and better than its predecessor and it remains the most defining game of the entire Suikoden franchise (read my retro review by clicking here). That being said, I will start playing the remastered Suikoden II on my Xbox Series X soon.

Having played the remastered first game on my Xbox console, I can say that it was a fun-filled trip on my end. At the same time, I remembered scenes and several small character moments in between that I have forgotten long ago. Although a lot of characters were presented, following the narrative was still easy to do since it was light compared to what Suikoden II told.

Conclusion

*A shot of a feast within the army of rebels with their leader Tir McDohl. The young McDohl is the playable protagonist.*

With the first Suikoden alone, I can say I got really good value and enjoyment with my purchase of the digital copy of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars for my Xbox Series X. This is a fine example about retro gaming literally saving the day when Team Xbox failed to deliver the promised great fun with their own games.

If you are an Xbox fan who loves retro gaming as well as Japanese RPGs, and if you have decided to purchase Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars, you can do so by clicking https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/suikoden-i-ii-hd-remaster-gate-rune-and-dunan-unification-wars/9nrgnstzlchj

If you prefer a physical copy for your Xbox console, click https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/suikoden-i-ii-hd-remaster-gate-rune-and-dunan-unification-wars/9nrgnstzlchj

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 13

July 15, 2024June 4, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, there will be a few flyers of arcade games.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Japanese Contra arcade flyer

*The front of the Japanese arcade flyer of Contra.*

As mentioned before, Konami’s long-running Contra games franchise first started in the arcades in Japan. As seen in the Japanese arcade flyer, it was clear that the company not only had a clear vision of Contra’s visual concepts but also was pretty organized with explaining lots of details (examples: the 8-direction controls, types of weapons or ammunition available, level design differences) that both players and arcade operators can learn from. If you look closely at the rear of the flyer, you will see the two characters already identified as Lance and Bill which clearly showed the Japanese creators had the creative details really organized.

2. Virtual Bart print ad

*Anyone who loved The Simpsons would easily recognize the characters of this print ad.*

Decades ago, The Simpsons made big waves on television and quickly emerged as a fine addition to American pop culture. That being said, it was not surprising at all that video games based on the show got made and Virtual Bart was one of them. This Virtual Bart print ad appeared in some comic books I read in 1994 and the ad makers made efficient use of the single-page layout showing that the game was not a mere 2D side-scroller as its concept emphasized Bart Simpson’s virtual reality escapades. This game, which had mini-games and different gameplay styles, received review scores ranging from negative to positive.

3. Wild Arms 2 print ad

*This is NOT an effective way to promote a video game.*

Now this is one of the most weird and the most uninteresting game print ads of the 1990s. For the newcomers reading this, Wild Arms 2 was a sequel to the 1997 hit game Wild Arms released on the original PlayStation console. Due to the 1997 game’s success, a fan base of Wild Arms was established and the 1999 sequel was anticipated by the fans. In a very odd and illogical move, Sony Computer Entertainment came up with the Times Square setting for Wild Arms 2’s North American print ad and because they allowed so much other text and images (appearing as billboard ads) on the buildings in the background, details about the game itself got overshadowed. By simply looking at this print ad, it is simply too easy to overlook Wild Arms 2 as the featured game. Can you see the references to Wild Arms 2 here?

4. RollerGames arcade flyer

*Pretty ladies posing on the front of the flyer.*

*Clearly the details were prepared with arcade operators in mind.*

Based on the competition-oriented TV show, the RollerGames arcade game from Konami was both unique and fun to play. As with their other arcade flyers, Konami hired models to emphasize RollerGames’ core concept by appearing in full costume (as roller-skating participants), and then inserted screenshots of the game. The rear of the flyer had the technical details in simplistic fashion and they were clearly written with arcade operators in mind. The 3-paragraph text descriptions emphasized what players could expect, what options are available and how the game connects with the TV program it was based on.

5. The Jetsons: Invasion of the Planet Pirates print ad

Based on the animated series, The Jetsons: Invasion of the Planet Pirates was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in America as well as on the Super Famicom in Japan in the mid-1990s. This game’s print ad had eye-catching artwork, carefully laid down key details (including the promise of cartoon quality graphics) and showed a few screenshots. The game attracted mixed reviews from critics and I don’t know any fellow gamer who played it.

6. Sega Saturn games print ad

*An aggressive single-page ad promoting the exclusive games on Sega Saturn.*

If you are a game console manufacturer that also owns several game development teams, you really have to promote your hardware and software aggressively. This is exactly what Sega did in the North American market sometime after the embarrassing launch of the Saturn console there. As seen in this print ad, Sega aggressively promoted their Saturn-exclusive games – including their juggernaut Virtua Fighter 2 – to make it clear to their fans (and Saturn console owners) that they are focused to entertain them. The ad also served as Sega’s effort to lure in new gamers and potential Saturn owners given the fact that Virtua Fighter 2, Virtua Cop and Sega Rally Championship were already big arcade hits. As history turned out, the Saturn ended up a commercial disappointment in America but still succeeded in Japan.

7. Galaxian arcade flyer

*Have you ever played Galaxian in the arcades?*

In September 1979, Namco released Galaxian in the arcades in Japan and it became a big hit there eventually finishing as the nation’s 2^nd highest-earning arcade game of the year. Before the year even ended, Namco approached Midway of releasing Galaxian outside of Japan and this led to the game appearing in American arcades in November. Unsurprisingly, Galaxian drew lots of American players and their money which really helped Midway selling 50,000 arcade units in a few years’ time. This arcade flyer from Midway clearly showed what the Galaxian arcade unit looked like and how the controls were physically set up. I like the way the details and images were organized and how the limited page space was put to good use.

8. Heavy Barrel print ad

*A really eye-catching and amusing print ad to look at.*

Originally released in the arcades by Data East, Heavy Barrel was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1990. Similar with Contra and Jackal, this game had a strong military theme and shooting-oriented gameplay complete with missions that instantly reminded players about war. The military aesthetic and the showing of guns are easily the most eye-catching part of this print ad geared towards the NES userbase which had lots of young children among the players. To say the least, Heavy Barrel’s print ad was entertaining to look at.

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Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is the JRPG to anticipate on Xbox Game Pass in 2023

September 23, 2022September 22, 2022carlocarrasco

I will get straight to the point here – Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is my most wanted Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) of this current console generation and it is one of the main reasons why I subscribed to Xbox Game Pass (XGP) as soon as I bought my Xbox Series X console late last year. While a release date was not yet announced as of this writing, I am looking forward to this upcoming JRPG on my Xbox Series X sometime in 2023. Check out the official Xbox listing of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes by clicking here.

During the recent Tokyo Game Show (TGS), publisher 505 Games and Rabbit & Bear Studios executives – including studio head Yoshitaka Murayama (the Suikoden series creator) and Junko Kawano (who worked on Suikoden and Suikoden IV) – had their own presentation and made announcements. During the TGS, the newest trailer of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was unveiled and it sure looks really good even though the footage shown was from pre-alpha build. Watch the newest trailer below…

As I mentioned earlier, no release date was announced during the TGS which I found baffling since that event drew a lot of viewers and gamers’ attention worldwide. Could it be possible that Konami’s surprise announcement of Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars coming to multiple platforms (including Xbox) in 2023 might have something to do with the lack of a firm release date for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes? At least in my view, developer Rabbit & Bear is still working on finishing their JRPG.

Perhaps publisher 505 Games is doing a wait-and-see approach about the many video games expected to fill the market in 2023 with anticipated heavy hitters like Starfield, Forza Motorsport (2023) and Redfall to name a few. 505 Games will have to select soon a firm 2023 release date for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes based on market competition and the development status of the game.

*Exploration in the game will be a mix of 2D sprites, polygonal environments and some artistic backgrounds.*

*The battles in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes have that dynamic touch and multiple playable characters can fill your party and engage the enemies.*

For the newcomers reading this, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a turn-based fantasy JRPG which has a design and style similar to what was seen in the first two Suikoden video games. As seen in the above trailer, the upcoming JRPG has the combined talents of game creators such as Yoshitaka Murayama, Junko Kawano and Junichi Murakami (Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow) plus musicians Motoi Sakuraba (Star Ocean series, Tales of series) and Michiko Naruke (Wild Arms series).

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has a story set in one corner of Allraan, a tapestry of nations with diverse cultures and values. On Xbox.com, 505 Games released the first set of character profiles introducing: Nowa, Seign, Marisa, Lian and Garr. Their respective descriptions are as follows…

Nowa – When the League of Nations recruits warriors to assist in a joint expedition with the Galdean Empire, our protagonist answers the call and leaves his remote village to test his skills. On the mission, he finds an ancient rune-lens, unaware that the discovery will spark a war between the League and the Empire. After the conflict begins, he joins a unit in the League’s border guard. The protagonist is the “leap before you look” type. He doesn’t always weigh the pros and cons before springing to action, and while his constant need to involve himself in other people’s problems sometimes creates headaches for his companions, they like him for it and know his heart is in the right place. After all, if they ever got into trouble, he’d be the first person there.

Seign – The second-born son to House Kesling, a powerful imperial family. His older brother died on the battlefield. Seign is exceptionally gifted; after achieving outstanding grades at military academy, he was placed in command of a company of his peers and sent on the expedition to find the ancient rune-lens. During the mission, he meets the protagonist. The two warm to each other as they overcome adversity, and they learn of one another’s ambitions. Seign’s strategic mind allows him to analyze things from a broad perspective and make sound decisions. People often confuse his clear mind for a cold heart, but he is guided by strong ideals and a deep passion to fulfill them. After his brother’s death during a border rebellion, Seign began to think long and hard about what it means to fight.

Marisa – A young member of the Guardians, a clan that hallows and protects the forest. Since Marisa was very little her family has instilled their ways and traditions in her. She has a warm, affable smile — except on the battlefield, where she wears the countenance of a warrior.

Although the Guardians live as one with the forest, they have respect for the outside world’s culture and technology, and they are not against integrating the parts of it that make sense to them. Marisa is particularly forward-thinking in this regard and loves new things — especially cute things.

Lian – After the Empire’s forces invade league lands, Lian is infuriated and runs away from home without even the slightest semblance of a plan. She decides the first thing to do is hoof it to the biggest town she can find, and luckily that’s where she meets the protagonist and his companions. Lian was born in a dojo, and her father wasted no time in teaching her. She was doing roundhouse kicks before she even learned to walk properly.

Garr– A veteran beastman warrior. He and his clan make their living as mercenaries, and their vast experience and sheer brutality put them in high demand. War is all Garr has known, and to him life is one battlefield after the other until you die.

To date, Rabbit & Bear Studios already released the side-scrolling spin-off game Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising and has been working hard to complete Hundred Heroes. The shared game design elements between the early Suikoden games and Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes such has having over 100 playable characters, a story of war, in-depth world exploration, heavy use of 2D sprites for the characters along with their acts during battles, and dynamic group battles are not surprising given Murayama’s history of leading the development of the Suikoden JRPG franchise (until the 3^rd game) during his time with Konami. Murayama also is a proven fantasy storyteller with the Suikoden games. Personally, I really loved playing Suikoden II which in my opinion is not only the best of the Suikoden game franchise but also one of the very best JRPGs of the 1990s that I have ever played as well as one of the best JRPGs that was not made by Square Enix.

*Now this is one very dazzling moment shown during the latest Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes trailer.*

*Seign and Nowa going head to head with each other in this captured moment from the latest trailer.*

Knowing that Murayama, Kawano and other notable Japanese creators are working together in making Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, I have reasons to be confident about it. On my end, my taste on video games has changed a lot over the past fifteen years and that goes the same with my interest in JRPGs. Along the way, I really miss the fun I had with the first two Suikoden games as they had gameplay elements that were not only uniquely fun but also aged well. For me, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes could become the most delightful surprise among JRPGs in this current console generation. It is my most-wanted JRPG of this console generation and I believe it will fit in nicely with the Xbox ecosystem which is already becoming an ideal haven for fantasy RPGs and RPG fans in general.

Watch out for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass in 2023.

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