Preliminary: I'm liking the Mother-esque setting and dialog. Not loving the usual slow movement, the NES-era limitations to the Look, and the need to go into a men just to search. Seemed like basic QoL in 91 to allow for one-press searching. In a positive QoL, I like that the equipment shop shows the stats as you browse. Nice touch. As usual I'm getting drawn into the initial grind. Looks like this'll be a long RPG (not a surprise). I'm curious how it is sandbox. And I'm curious about the Tank aspect, I hope it doesn't get too tactical/strategy. Or maybe it can be my first intro to that world! Tho I was a bit skeptical at first with the slow movement and usual NES limitations in the era of Genesis and SNES, it does have me intrigued and the initial grind already is giving me that RPG hook feeling

Early Game

The conversation in the first cave reminds me of the Pokemon games too. "Did you come into this cave to look for a tank, too?". Very much like Pokemon Trainers meeting each other :-p Things are definitely sluggish especially with menu for Search and slow combat, but the music is mostly good and I'm enjoying it (possibly thanks to Fast Forward haha).

The Tank is a neat idea, and luckily it doesn't make it too complicated (so far, at least). However, it seems it could've just been anything since it really just limits your movement and . I'm still waiting for the post-apocalypse aspect of the esries to be fleshed out, and for the Tank aspect to be a bit more in-depth (hopefully without being too complicated)

Okay I'm starting to see that this is more so an open-ended RPG, not necessarily a sandbox RPG in the sense that I expected. It sort of feels "quest-driven" like in Runescape. Presumably/hopefully there is still an end goal for me to reach toward like in most console RPGs.

Nice there is a teleport feature quite early in the game. (well, teleport Tool).

Tho it has lots of neat ideas and is well-executed, I am feeling a bit blah about it. My biggest issue is the sluggishness of everything. Also, the backstory is amazing, but they do so little with it (tho I am happy to read there is a set ending!). If only the music or Look were more remarkable.

Ok I finally got another team member and better understand why I would rent a tank. Tho I still prefer the idea of earning the true plotline tanks instead. Is there a plotline? I dunno. I suppose I should go back and get the first Wanted team that absolutely wrecked me at first. I'm seeing how it's seen as nonlinear for sure, but that's mostly resulting in confusion on where to go for me. Like, I couldn't even figure out how to open the first barrier lol tho it was so simple. But I'm so used to RPGs where you first do everything you can in an area before wanting to move on. But the Wanted team was far too hard even at Level 7, with only one tank and one team member. I think I'm getting the concept tho and hopefully that'll get me to push through. Tho part of me is recognizing that unless it gets really addicting, or an incredible tune happens, or the Look improves... it likely will just be a 3 star anyway (tho I am def adding all the series to my backlog because I like the concept and can imagine they get better and better), so why do I feel the need to play it to the end heh. Maybe I will set a goal, instead of all the way to the ending. After all, if it weren't for Fast Forward, this would CERTAINLY be a 3 star and move on type situation.

It's nice that it says the stats in the equipment purchase screen, but it would be cool if it explicitly said who could equip it. Luckily it tells you when the person you're giving it to can't tho. A lot of the equipment is making me think of Mother. Baseball Cap, Slingshot, etc.

Cute little touches like the Frog Race in Bars and being able to buy decorations for your room back home (Subnauticaa comes to mind but also of course Mother). 2 Wanted Posters done! And oooo I'm liking the petty item retrieval side quest that supposedly leads to the best weapon in the game :-p Returning a Wedding Ring. Classic. And some of the tunes are getting better. Hopefully it's growing on me.

I was really craving it the following day, getting that RPG urge, but ugh now tedious things start like these explosions draining my tanks' SP and the start of frequent status ailments. This is obviously a good and well-thought-out RPG, but I'm thinking it's time to drop it. Without an amazing Look or Sound, and with the capabilities and plotlines of its contemporary RPGs, this just doesn't cut it. It has arguably innovative ideas, but a lot of it had already been done esp the things I liked the most being from Mother.

Look: 7/10 Standard NES fare.

Sound: 7/10 Mostly lame tho a few good tunes boosted this up.

Play: 7.5/10 Some neat ideas, and the usual RPG urge. Normally I would push through the tedium of status effects etc, but in 91, with the rise of the SNES... with Ys remake for the PC Engine CD being years old now and FF4 about to be released,... the neat concept just doesn't make it worth pushing through.

Feel: 7.5/10 Excited to see where this series goes.

Attachment: 7/10 I likely would play other games in this series, but unlikely to replay this one. Maybe with copious cheats? I dunno haha.

Overall: 7.2/10

Completion: Just past the 2 "Big Cannons" after those annoying explosions. I had caught 2 Wanted groups and had 2 non-rented tanks for my 2 team members.