Popful Mail (1991)

This is an interesting game that has four main versions from what I have read and experienced. The PC88/98 version, and the Turbo CD version, there is also a Sega CD version. I played a little of the PC98 and snes versions and a bit more of the turbo cd version.

The SNES version rubbed me wrong right off the bat and i wont come back to it. The SEGA CD i havent tried but looks interesting. its also the only one accessible/T+Eng'd. Initially I was pleased with the transition of the PC98 to turbo CD. the sound and visual (and animation especially since thats what the PC 98 couldnt do) was really good. The PC 98 itself also had a really nice sound to it. But the colors in the Turbo CD were really nice and there was a lot of flavor, I thought some of the colors looked a bit like terraria. in any case. its a most excellent port. This game is not translated and suffers for it and made it cryptic to play. Its a bit like a mix of kirby's adventure and Faxandu (isnt this actually the same crew that made Famicom Xanadu?) its more cute and bouncy like kirby though. and like many of falcom's other games you bump into stuff, so its a simple game as far as controls go.

I really did have fun playing this and even using my phone to translate the text of NPCs chatting and whatnot to get a little hint of what was going on (the cave has caved in so i need a bomb) it lessened my enjoyment. I also couldnt progress because I couldnt find a key item, which is the reason I stopped. I was using a gameFAQ and apparently key items and what gated mechanics that exist vary between each version of the game (which is no bueno)

At some point i might go back and play the segaCD version, but that one is a bit like a brawler... and i kinda liked the bump into stuff to fight dynamic falcom did here and liked the way it evolved on the Turbo CD.

Pros:
+ Amusing, lighthearted story and characters

+ Over-the-top voice acting that was pretty good for its time

+ Colorful and detailed sprites, cutscenes, animations, and backgrounds

+ Lots of politically incorrect dialogue by today's standards

Cons:
- This game is pretty damn hard and unforgiving!

- You can often die easily by getting stunlocked by enemies or bosses

- Platforming can be incredibly frustrating as the game progresses, including lots of backtracking

- The game ultimately doesn't feel all that charming

- I'm probably going to hell for laughing when characters said "mentally challenged" and "retarded"

Final Thoughts:
This has been a game I've been wanting to check out for a little over 20 years, after first seeing an ad or review for it in a Gamepro or some other magazine back in the mid-90's. I finally got around to playing it recently and honestly, it wasn't as good as I had hoped but it had a few redeeming qualities. The gameplay felt pretty bland for the most part as it was mostly just your standard walk-jump-slash-repeat. You get a little variety when switching to another party member but they're really not all that different. Bosses ranged from challenging to flat out unfair, requiring multiple attempts to defeat.

The best part of the game really is the story or rather, the dialogue. One of the best parts of the game is how conversations may be completely different depending on the character you were in control of at the time. For example, while the level-headed mage (Tatt) may have a standard conversation with someone, the conversation can turn borderline ridiculous if speaking to the same npc with Gaw, the weird blue monster thing that joins your cause. I'd honestly say that it's the only thing that really kept me invested considering how the gameplay swung between boring and frustrating.

I think the main problem I have with the game is that when it's all said and done, it just doesn't really feel all that special. Just seeing it on first impression, it looks like the game would be charming, sort of in the way that Ys and Lunar were, but that just wasn't the case here. There aren't many GREAT Sega CD games and I was hoping Popful Mail lived up to the perceived hype I had for the game all these years. On the bright side, I still have Shining Force CD and Snatcher to look forward to!