Never in a million years did l expect to read about Hard Edge in the news again.
I first discovered the original through a review in Play Magazine that, in hindsight, definitely oversold the game. Against my better judgment, I picked it up, only to be met with nonsensical plot and characters, RE 1 "quality" voice acting and worst of all, a misguided attempt to mix tank controls with melee combat.
Yet, despite the glaring flaws, there is something deeply endearing about it. Between the funky DnB/Jazz-fusion soundtrack and that urban-futuristic aesthetic of the prerendered backgrounds, the game radiates a unique identity. It captures a specific '90s atmosphere that sets it apart from almost anything else on Ps1.
Judging by the trailer, I imagine the only reason Sunsoft brought the IP back, is to save money by reusing story, characters and music.
During that era, Japan was at least a decade ahead of the rest of the world in terms of mobile phones. Around 2005, I felt like I was at the forefront of technology just by using a crappy WAP browser to download a ringtone once in a blue moon or by sending an MMS.
It’s impressive, though, how they failed to adapt afterward to stay competitive, despite being so far ahead. Seeing how they still remain masters of cross-marketing and collaboration strategies for their ips, it’s ironic that their industry and major corporations couldn't somehow coordinate to evolve within the new climate. Beyond the 'Galapagos Syndrome,' it’s as if they suffered a perpetual brain freeze the moment something foreign and competitive entered the scene and pushed them out of their comfort zone.
Furthermore, I can’t help but find it endlessly amusing that a culture with such an emphasis on respecting the past and its heritage didn't even think about digital preservation. I guess all of it boils down to their attitude of undervaluing digital and software in general compared to hardware.
Kudos for not just serving up some copy-paste Wikipedia slop; it's refreshing to see actual research.
Anything related to the 90s console scene, especially niche stuff like the PC-FX, is still endlessly fascinating. Truly the golden days for console hardware. A single year back then felt more consequential than five years do today.
Comments 3
Re: Sunsoft Is Bringing Back PS1 Cult Classic 'Hard Edge' As A Real-Time Tactical Card Battler
Never in a million years did l expect to read about Hard Edge in the news again.
I first discovered the original through a review in Play Magazine that, in hindsight, definitely oversold the game. Against my better judgment, I picked it up, only to be met with nonsensical plot and characters, RE 1 "quality" voice acting and worst of all, a misguided attempt to mix tank controls with melee combat.
Yet, despite the glaring flaws, there is something deeply endearing about it. Between the funky DnB/Jazz-fusion soundtrack and that urban-futuristic aesthetic of the prerendered backgrounds, the game radiates a unique identity. It captures a specific '90s atmosphere that sets it apart from almost anything else on Ps1.
Judging by the trailer, I imagine the only reason Sunsoft brought the IP back, is to save money by reusing story, characters and music.
Re: Learning From The End Of i-mode, The "Life Infrastructure" That Revolutionised Japanese 'Keitai' Gaming
During that era, Japan was at least a decade ahead of the rest of the world in terms of mobile phones. Around 2005, I felt like I was at the forefront of technology just by using a crappy WAP browser to download a ringtone once in a blue moon or by sending an MMS.
It’s impressive, though, how they failed to adapt afterward to stay competitive, despite being so far ahead. Seeing how they still remain masters of cross-marketing and collaboration strategies for their ips, it’s ironic that their industry and major corporations couldn't somehow coordinate to evolve within the new climate. Beyond the 'Galapagos Syndrome,' it’s as if they suffered a perpetual brain freeze the moment something foreign and competitive entered the scene and pushed them out of their comfort zone.
Furthermore, I can’t help but find it endlessly amusing that a culture with such an emphasis on respecting the past and its heritage didn't even think about digital preservation. I guess all of it boils down to their attitude of undervaluing digital and software in general compared to hardware.
Re: Pure FX Appeal - Unpicking The History Of The PC-FX, One Of Japan's Biggest '90s Console Flops
Kudos for not just serving up some copy-paste Wikipedia slop; it's refreshing to see actual research.
Anything related to the 90s console scene, especially niche stuff like the PC-FX, is still endlessly fascinating. Truly the golden days for console hardware. A single year back then felt more consequential than five years do today.