The 'classic' game I can’t throw away.
Hello GIO, welcome to my 4th blog. You’ll have to forgive me in advance, I may ramble a bit, because I really don’t have too specific a topic for this blog; but people have done worse things. So wrap your lips around the fire hose and prepare to drink, because here I go.
We’ve all heard of Sony’s plans for their streaming service, and we’re all in the dark as to what extend it goes to past games. Personally, I want Sony to go back and make ALL of the PS1 and PS2 games available for download, why? Because that way people like me could finally get rid of (or at least go back to) all the games they’ve hoarded and refused to sell from previous generations. Today, I’m going to be talking about ‘that game’ for me. ‘That game’ is Jade Cocoon 2.
(I think it would be easier to get struck by lightning than to find someone else to played this game. Then again, this is Game Informer Online)
Let me take you back about 6 years; it’s a Friday, and a 5th grade me is having a sleep-over at a friend’s house. We’re both blissfully ignorant of all aspects of the Video game community, but like most other kids at the time we had a PS2; and before anyone says it in the comments below, Yes, I know the PS3 was already out by that time, but didn’t care to upgrade.
That night we decided to play a video game, but most of our options were pretty lame; we weren’t gamers, or even the annoying little brothers of gamers, just kids. Then my friend stuck his hand into the bottom of the game pile and pulled out a weird looking game called ‘Jade Cocoon 2.’ We really didn’t know what to make of it; I don’t even remember how or why he got it, he just had it.
On a whim (and out of lack of a more interesting option), we played it and loved it. Heck, I loved it enough that I went and tracked down a copy at age 10 (a pretty big deal for mw at the time). At the time it was (and is still among) my favorite game(s). Here’s some game play, so you can see what I’m talking about.
(Please visit the site to view this media)
(It's a lot more complex then it looks)
If you saw that and thought “It’s just an old Pokémon Rip-off,” I wouldn’t blame you. Really that’s all it is; then again, games sharing similar characteristics is the dictionary definition of genre. Going back now and analyzing it, It makes me wonder why the series never got continued past 2 entries, despite all it has going for it.
I really don’t have any hopes of seeing another entry into the franchise (I don’t even know who owns the rights to it, let alone if they could, or even would.) But I think the battle system has hope of being fully implemented in future Pokémon games.
(Oh, what an original design, not done before by anyone anywhere.)
It would seem a lot more versatile; having your Pokémon grouped by element so you could use them for a specific situation. It also helps with the whole idea that these Pokémon are yours, and they are protecting you. The only problem I could see is Jade Cocoon style combat is A LOT more complex than what the Pokémon series has now; then again, more complexity may just be exactly what Pokémon needs.
Well, I really don’t have anything else to say about this game. Tell me what you thought about the blog below, as well as your own personal favorite old game.