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Here's another look back, only this time it's looking almost two decades back at an RPG series that... while slightly obscure... has left an indelible mark on my memory.
I qualify the 'Shadow Hearts' games in the same category as stuff like Earthbound, quirky yet also serious games that blend numerous genres, mythos, and concepts into one enjoyable package. And the funniest thing, to me, is that it's a sequel to an EVEN MORE obscure PS1 RPG, called Koudelka. And there's kind of a good reason why THAT game's not quite well remembered.
Koudelka's development history reads like a prime example of 'internal quarreling' over how to approach the game. To put it in short (since this is more about it's 'sequels'), it was originally intended to blend Resident Evil-style fighting to an RPG approach... but also not be bound to a world of typical mythical fantasy. This game was set in the late 19th Century, and took place entirely in a large mansion estate/monastery. You played as three characters, the brash adventurer Edward Plunkett, the priest with a crisis of faith James O'Flaherty, and the main title character... Koudelka, a young gypsy mystic; who are all drawn to this mysterious monastery for their own reasons but end up working together to get through the demonic creatures that infest it.
The story is actually quite solid, and well-done for it's time... but other issues ended up bogging it down. Remember how I said it's original intention was to blend Resident Evil-style combat to an RPG? Well that idea fell through, because some of the development team wanted to make it more closer to the kinds of RPGs Squaresoft (at the time THE BIGGEST DOG in the realm of RPGs) was making. Somehow this in-fighting begot a game that looks and controls a bit like a Resident Evil game... but has random encounters that switch to turn-based battles like most of the RPGs at the time. Except their approach to combat was more in line with stuff like Front Mission and Final Fantasy Tactics than anything else. Just done ineptly, and apparently served only to severely BOG down the loading speed, (almost to levels that rivaled first generation PS1 games) so random encounters were more dreaded for their arduous/tedious length than any actual danger posed by the creatures in question.
So Koudelka wasn't the big success it maybe could've been... but somehow that eventually lead to the Shadow Hearts series. Things that happened in Koudelka, and some characters who were introduced, play big roles throughout the sequel series. Whereas Koudelka was VERY serious, Shadow Hearts was almost anarchic with it's subject matter.
Basically the Shadow Hearts games are, more or less, Horror-themed RPGs set in various early 20th Century time periods (1913-1929) and deal with supernatural occult 'secret histories' of various events that shaped that era. It blends both ancient monster/religious myths/ideas, Lovecraftian lore, and other such things. But it's not strictly tied to it's subject matter or setting. There's many and various crazy anachronisms that served to create the almost 'gonzo' tone of the series. So you had someone like Yuri, the shape-shifting 'hero' of the first two games who was possessed by various demon souls whose forms he could take on in battle... or Zhuzhen, a skilled Chinese exorcist... or Karin a rapier-wielding German officer... simple concepts that aren't too out of the ordinary given the setting and subject matter. BUT then you had someone like Joachim... a pro-wrestling vampire who wielded various objects (his coffin, a gym locker, park bench, etc.) like clubs to bludgeon enemies to death when he wasn't performing elaborate wrestling moves or vampiric attacks. I shit you not. Or how about Natan, a Native American Gunslinger who basically does "Gun Kata" ala films like Equilibrium. Or even sillier is Mao, a giant boozing human-sized cat creature who knows kung-fu.
And all these characters interact with real historical people like Czar Nicholas II of Russia, T.E. Lawrence, Al Capone, and Elliot Ness! And they're all played ridiculously serious compared to the playable characters. So you have the former Czar of Russia basically in the same room as a big beefy wrestling VAMPIRE and he doesn't bat an eye to this.
So yeah, if you ever have a chance, I recommend at least TRYING one of the Shadow Hearts games. They're very fun once you get into the swing of the gameplay and have some really entertaining stories.
I qualify the 'Shadow Hearts' games in the same category as stuff like Earthbound, quirky yet also serious games that blend numerous genres, mythos, and concepts into one enjoyable package. And the funniest thing, to me, is that it's a sequel to an EVEN MORE obscure PS1 RPG, called Koudelka. And there's kind of a good reason why THAT game's not quite well remembered.
Koudelka's development history reads like a prime example of 'internal quarreling' over how to approach the game. To put it in short (since this is more about it's 'sequels'), it was originally intended to blend Resident Evil-style fighting to an RPG approach... but also not be bound to a world of typical mythical fantasy. This game was set in the late 19th Century, and took place entirely in a large mansion estate/monastery. You played as three characters, the brash adventurer Edward Plunkett, the priest with a crisis of faith James O'Flaherty, and the main title character... Koudelka, a young gypsy mystic; who are all drawn to this mysterious monastery for their own reasons but end up working together to get through the demonic creatures that infest it.
The story is actually quite solid, and well-done for it's time... but other issues ended up bogging it down. Remember how I said it's original intention was to blend Resident Evil-style combat to an RPG? Well that idea fell through, because some of the development team wanted to make it more closer to the kinds of RPGs Squaresoft (at the time THE BIGGEST DOG in the realm of RPGs) was making. Somehow this in-fighting begot a game that looks and controls a bit like a Resident Evil game... but has random encounters that switch to turn-based battles like most of the RPGs at the time. Except their approach to combat was more in line with stuff like Front Mission and Final Fantasy Tactics than anything else. Just done ineptly, and apparently served only to severely BOG down the loading speed, (almost to levels that rivaled first generation PS1 games) so random encounters were more dreaded for their arduous/tedious length than any actual danger posed by the creatures in question.
So Koudelka wasn't the big success it maybe could've been... but somehow that eventually lead to the Shadow Hearts series. Things that happened in Koudelka, and some characters who were introduced, play big roles throughout the sequel series. Whereas Koudelka was VERY serious, Shadow Hearts was almost anarchic with it's subject matter.
Basically the Shadow Hearts games are, more or less, Horror-themed RPGs set in various early 20th Century time periods (1913-1929) and deal with supernatural occult 'secret histories' of various events that shaped that era. It blends both ancient monster/religious myths/ideas, Lovecraftian lore, and other such things. But it's not strictly tied to it's subject matter or setting. There's many and various crazy anachronisms that served to create the almost 'gonzo' tone of the series. So you had someone like Yuri, the shape-shifting 'hero' of the first two games who was possessed by various demon souls whose forms he could take on in battle... or Zhuzhen, a skilled Chinese exorcist... or Karin a rapier-wielding German officer... simple concepts that aren't too out of the ordinary given the setting and subject matter. BUT then you had someone like Joachim... a pro-wrestling vampire who wielded various objects (his coffin, a gym locker, park bench, etc.) like clubs to bludgeon enemies to death when he wasn't performing elaborate wrestling moves or vampiric attacks. I shit you not. Or how about Natan, a Native American Gunslinger who basically does "Gun Kata" ala films like Equilibrium. Or even sillier is Mao, a giant boozing human-sized cat creature who knows kung-fu.
And all these characters interact with real historical people like Czar Nicholas II of Russia, T.E. Lawrence, Al Capone, and Elliot Ness! And they're all played ridiculously serious compared to the playable characters. So you have the former Czar of Russia basically in the same room as a big beefy wrestling VAMPIRE and he doesn't bat an eye to this.
So yeah, if you ever have a chance, I recommend at least TRYING one of the Shadow Hearts games. They're very fun once you get into the swing of the gameplay and have some really entertaining stories.
Follow-Up: Trunkato Intro Clashes, pt1
Decided to NOT make separate submission entries for each 'versus'. As stated before, Trunkato was originally meant to be Goro's predecessor in the timeline of the original series. The idea being that he'd get resurrected by a desperate (Pre-Titan) Shang Tsung, needing some extra muscle to help him in his endeavors. This version of him is basically, more or less, a lighter version of the previous incarnation. Still gluttonous, crude, and brutal... with a tendency to EAT opponents. And resurrected by MK1 version of Shang Tsung, for similar reasons. Oh, and a little personal joke is that in this version of events... Oni/Ogres worship a version of Exor, the main big bad from old Midway fighting game 'War Gods'. So here are the intro 'Clashes'. Vs Johnny Cage: -Trunkato: "Wanna know what I'm gonna do to you?" -Johnny Cage: "Lemme guess, shave my liver and squeeze the jelly from my eyes?" -Johnny Cage: "Is it true, that human meat tastes like chicken?" -Trunkato: "The FUCK is a
Random Thought: Mystery Dino from the film '65'
Saw this video about the persistent predatory reptile from the fun pulp-esque sci-fi film "65". They're trying to figure out what it is, since it seems to be primarily quadrupedal. My thoughts? Given 65's VERY (IMHO) classic sci-fi movie stylings... classic dinosaur appearances (nary a feather on them), and the strangeness of this world in general... wouldn't surprise me if this is meant to be based on the Rhedosaurus from the film 'Beast from 20,000 Fathoms'. OR, just like old-school sci-fi schlock... meant to be just some random lizard beast... the modern version/equivalent of the crazy 'put cardboard spikes and fins on household lizards' style.
Something That's Been Bothering Me
Because I'm ME, I'm left wondering about something mentioned during the 'Black Widow' movie. The most-underutilized character from that movie, Red Guardian, mentions he had fought Captain America in the 80's. Something everyone scoffs at and thinks he's full of shit. BUT is he? Possibly, but since Steve Rogers went back in time, is it not too much of a stretch to think that perhaps... at some point in time the two fought? Given, the Super-Soldier Serum probably would've still kept him quite fit even when he was presumably in his 60's/70's? THAT or since the looming big bad of the current phase is (supposedly) Kang the Conqueror, is it safe to assume that perhaps this match-up will occur at some point? Multiverses and Time Travel and 'Timeline Worries' are gonna probably collide and perhaps bring this fight into being.
Some Crossover Ideas for 2022
This 'Annual' thing is still going strong. For those who don't know, this is some random crossover ideas I've thought up, crossovers that could (if handled well) be pretty damn awesome to see happen. At least IMHO ;) Crossovers That Would Be Cool: -Professor Challenger meets King Kong Have had this idea in the back of my mind for a while now. Inspired by the King Kong crossovers with Doc Savage and Tarzan, would see this as sort of a 'bridging' moment in that it would (in my mind) eventually explain how Carl Denham came to own the map to Skull Island. He got it from Professor Challenger. Thus it would be a prequel to the King Kong story, but also a sorta-semi sequel to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'Lost World', as that would be a possible connection between the two stories? This would probably need to be a sequel to the FILM version of 'Lost World', but that's just an idea. -Power Rangers vs Gatchaman With everything getting a crossover with the Power Rangers (Ninja Turtles, Justice
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I have played and won all three games; each had their own appeal, and in completing them all, I truly enjoyed the entire series for each 'section' it was meant for