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Lady Stalker – Revving Up The Apocalypse Engine

When Nintendo Power introduced Epic Center to its pages in 1995, it offered previews and tips for many role-playing games on Nintendo platforms as the genre was growing in popularity. A feature I loved in gaming mags at this time were when games from overseas were previewed, and Epic Center would eventually do this with RPGS exclusively for the Super Famicom. In these parts at-home Internet was still finding its footing.  When you’re a kid who doesn’t have much savvy because they’re still new to the Internet and you’re living in a community without an import scene – that you could possibly be aware of anyhow – information like this just seemed extra special.

Among the games showcased in issue 74 of Nintendo Power was the unfortunately named Lady Stalker. I was interested in all of the Super Famicom games shown in this issue but Lady Stalker stood out. It was an isometric view like Equinox, another game I poured over in the pages of NP, or Mystic Towers – a game I fell in love with through shareware. It was an action RPG that promised to be engaging and quirky. And while I would eventually play Landstalker and place it among my favourite Genesis games, somehow I’ve held out this long for Lady Stalker.

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Considering Chrono Cross

Chrono Cross faces a difficult hurdle – following up a game with a reputation like Chrono Trigger. Whatever your preference, it’s not controversial to say that Chrono Trigger had and has an enormous following. And it’s not controversial to say that some of Chrono Cross’ most polarizing elements are born out of this association. But is this entirely fair?

Element used: TreePicture

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Monster Hunter: Adventuring Back to the Beginning

Monster Hunter has been around for 17 years, its first releases being on 2004. When a series becomes this storied, with multiple distinct generations and iterations it’s sometimes difficult to reach a consensus on where it has peaked and where it’s headed. There’s often a specific entry or generational period that speaks to an individual, and with a fandom as impassioned as Monster Hunter’s the positions can sometimes be truly entrenched. However, what about the very first entry, Monster Hunter, for PlayStation 2? This is one of those games where people continually told me “don’t go back that far” or “you would be lost.” My position is usually that I have to see it for myself.

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