This year just passed, I decided it was time to do something about my backlog. Problem is, my backlog is a beast with more than one head. It isn't just made up of titles released in recent years – it's also full to the brim with games I never played as a kid, often despite owning the console they released on (lack of money).
So, I tried to divide and conquer. Most of my interest lies in Nintendo consoles and their titles, so I've been able to ensure I've got myself spread across GBA, DS, 3DS, and Switch in some kind of balance. I'm also trying to weave Pokemon ROM hacks in, again because they've been passing me by and I want to explore what the awesome fan community has cooked up.
In no particular order:
Stella Glow - 3DS
I'd been meaning to play this game for a long time. Finally breaking into it ultimately felt rewarding and I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. The presentation was good as was the music, and it had that good level of ATLUS polish that helped the game feel tight even when combat was slow and sometimes monotonous. The story, overall, was pretty fascinating when it was at the right level of serious. Other times it had absolutely bonkers deviations and the game is dripping with fan service, which was very off-putting and downright annoying at times.
The way the story dives into angels and a real, genuinely harrowing apocalypse at the halfway point is amazing. The stakes shoot through the roof and suddenly, your plucky group of go-getters are literally the only thing holding back a tide of death. It concludes in an utterly insane but satisfying way.
Much as I enjoyed it and am glad to have finished it, I also have to put this game in my own personal hitlist of 'games that randomly smash the gas at the end point with bullshit-hard bosses'. It felt like it was padding an already-bloated runtime and I was not in the mood to go back and grind. Soured the ending a little and because I just wanted to leapfrog to the story conclusion, I cheated my team's stats like a little bitch. No regrets on this occasion.
Verdict: Worth it but demanded a hell of a lot more time than I bargained for. I'd pay attention if they ever made a sequel but can't imagine ever picking it up again.
Attack of the Friday Monsters - 3DS
I needed something short and sweet after the long journey of Stella Glow, and apparently this would fit the bill. In that regard, it perfectly met expectations.
Problem is, it was boring and just kind of nothingy. I'm aware that this is a Level-5 game and they're known for their short conceptual ventures that aren't always 'full games', so I can't be mad at it. I'm not anyway, because it gave me something to do for a handful of hours, but I'm only including it here for the sake of disclosure.
It was fine. I ended up confused over what it was truly trying to be and I think a lot of the story gets lost in translation, but it was fine. To its credit, it's clearly a love letter to a bygone era in rural Japan that I cannot and will not appreciate like those who know that first hand, and I can't punish the game or its team for that.
Verdict: Eh. It feels vaguely Studio Ghibli-esque, so for some, it might tickle a sweet nostalgic spot. If you're looking for gameplay, you won't find much. YMMV.
Kirby: Planet Robobot - 3DS
Stupid, crazy fun. I knew Kirby was going to be light-hearted and casual-friendly with a smidge of challenge for those who want it, and Robobot gives you just that. This time, however, Kirby pilots rotund little mecha suits which can copy enemy powers just like he does. These sections are hilarious and over the top and exactly what they need to be. Your robot can have giant stone fists, comically huge bombs, powerful fans, flamethrowers, circular saws – all kinds of variety depending on the power.
If you've ever looked into Kirby games, you know the core DNA to expect going in. This game builds on that just enough to make it worth playing, especially as a no-brain palate cleanse between other things. It's over in good time, probably about half the length of a traditional Mario title, which is ideal.
Verdict: Great. Just good fun, not meant to be thought about too deeply or scrutinised. It's drenched in colour and turns your brain off in the best way.
Recharged Yellow - GBA (Pokemon Gen 3 ROM hack)
Recharged Yellow is made by ROM hack creator Jaizu. It essentially turns Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green into Pokemon Yellow but in the series third generation (it uses Emerald as its base, not FRLG themselves), though it adds a lot more quality of life changes and nice-to-haves alongside that core concept.
There's a pantheon of Pokemon hacks that enjoy the most attention and discussion at the moment, and Recharged Yellow is not part of that select group. Regardless, this deserves attention as the current ideal answer to 'what if Game Freak did a third version like it did for Generation 1?'. Like all hacks, there are noticeable and deliberately un-GF-like choices, like letting HM moves be used without needing to teach them to any of your Pokemon, and jettisoning trade evolutions for simpler methods. Still, it's cool to have Pikachu as your starter, following you in the overworld and growing alongside you. The roster is still faithful to the original 151 and Kanto's geography is almost entirely unchanged.
I think what I appreciate with this hack is its restraint. It knows what it wants to be and sticks to that, expanding creatively inside that scope so as not to muddy the original, simple journey of Red through Kanto. If you liked Yellow in particular back in the day, this is a great homage.
Verdict: Loved it, but I am biased as a lifelong Pokemon fan. If you've never tried a ROM hack and want to dip your toes in, this is a great starting point.
Emerald Seaglass - GBA (Pokemon Gen 3 ROM hack)
I would argue that this hack is in the aforementioned pantheon of popular and highly regarded work. It's the work of the talented Jack Wellman, who goes by Nemo622. The most upfront change made to Seaglass is the art style overhaul it gives to Pokemon Emerald, bringing it more in line (but not entirely copying) the GBC style of Gold/Silver/Crystal. New overworld assets have been made that flex the rules of this style, but the result is cohesive and comes together beautifully.
On top of this, you've got the improvements Gen 3 brought across the board – such as running, a fast battle engine, a snappy and responsive graphical interface for the PC storage – avoiding the tedium that came with the Game Boy titles. Then there are the original additions, like the wishing wells. You can use a new item called Wishing Stars to, well, wish into the, well, well, and receive any one of a wide variety of mons at a time. The first one you discover is in a newly added extension to Rustboro City, which also has its own grass patches and encounters. I got an Alolan Vulpix, which instantly bagsied a spot in my team and stuck with me all the way to the end.
There's also new pinball games added to the Mauville Games Corner, the points from which can be traded for prizes including any one of a variety of eggs, randomly selected, which hatch into Alolan forms. I grinded for an Alolan Marowak, which also took a spot on my team. There's also Pokemon up to Gen 9, but rather than taking the usual hack approach of throwing all of them into the game and swelling the encounter table to ridiculous proportions, there's restraint shown in the selection, giving you a ton of options to answer the overhauled gym leader teams without overwhelming you. Many mons also have new moves added and simplified evolutions.
I could go on and on, but I doubt there's any need!
Verdict: Sublime. Again, biased
but if you like the early three generations of Pokemon in particular and you want a way to explore Emerald version's Hoenn in a way that feels fresh yet familiar, you must try it. Recharged Yellow convinced me to give hacks more credit, this one cemented it firmly.
Golden Sun - GBA
What a fucking game. I cannot believe it's taken me this long to discover Golden Sun. The fact that this shit was made in the early 2000s for the Game Boy Advance blows my mind.
The Djinn system was, at first, daunting. I think this is a necessary wobble before grasping the real depth of this simple magic system. The way that having different elemental djinn affect the psynergy on the table, which itself changes as different ones go on standby and then become useable for summons – chef's kiss. It creates such a great balancing act in the combat and gives you plenty of tools to approach challenges your way. And the way that combat is presented is totally unique, not just among its brethren on the GBA but in its genre. Navigating the overworld with different psynergies kept things interesting and the puzzles are genuinely great at many points. Also, props for letting you save pretty much whenever.
Having said that, I do have two major criticisms. The first is that the story meanders like crazy. So many things happen that I almost mentally lost track of the overarching narrative at times, and it's difficult to see the connecting thread through many of these disjointed events. The second is that there are many events in which the dialogue drags on, and on, and on. It feels like the writers were getting paid by the hour. Somebody makes a statement, the rest of the characters nod, then somebody asks a question to clarify that statement, the original character nods, then voices their confirmation, then everybody nods...then several exchanges later, somebody once again restates the thing that has already been said. Once instance of this wanted to make me claw my face off because a premise as simple as 'we need an item, it's not here, but somebody in [other location] might have it' somehow becomes a five-minute exchange of thoughts, tautologies, tangents, pointless questions, etc.
Despite all that, the game rocks. It almost entered my sin list after the fusion dragon kicked my arse, but I told myself to stop being shit and saw it through.
Verdict: Legendary. I now consider myself among the people who want to see Camelot make a return to this series. I found this GBA RPG more engrossing than many modern day titles trying to justify their bloated price tags.
So, that's my highlights. Nobody asked, but I wanted to document my thoughts.
Currently on the play list for 2026:
- Hollow Knight (already started)
- Final Fantasy X-2 (tempted to drop this after about 30 minutes in...)
- Golden Sun: The Lost Age
- Pokemon Lazarus
- Bravely Second
So, I tried to divide and conquer. Most of my interest lies in Nintendo consoles and their titles, so I've been able to ensure I've got myself spread across GBA, DS, 3DS, and Switch in some kind of balance. I'm also trying to weave Pokemon ROM hacks in, again because they've been passing me by and I want to explore what the awesome fan community has cooked up.
In no particular order:
Stella Glow - 3DS
I'd been meaning to play this game for a long time. Finally breaking into it ultimately felt rewarding and I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. The presentation was good as was the music, and it had that good level of ATLUS polish that helped the game feel tight even when combat was slow and sometimes monotonous. The story, overall, was pretty fascinating when it was at the right level of serious. Other times it had absolutely bonkers deviations and the game is dripping with fan service, which was very off-putting and downright annoying at times.
The way the story dives into angels and a real, genuinely harrowing apocalypse at the halfway point is amazing. The stakes shoot through the roof and suddenly, your plucky group of go-getters are literally the only thing holding back a tide of death. It concludes in an utterly insane but satisfying way.
Much as I enjoyed it and am glad to have finished it, I also have to put this game in my own personal hitlist of 'games that randomly smash the gas at the end point with bullshit-hard bosses'. It felt like it was padding an already-bloated runtime and I was not in the mood to go back and grind. Soured the ending a little and because I just wanted to leapfrog to the story conclusion, I cheated my team's stats like a little bitch. No regrets on this occasion.
Verdict: Worth it but demanded a hell of a lot more time than I bargained for. I'd pay attention if they ever made a sequel but can't imagine ever picking it up again.
Attack of the Friday Monsters - 3DS
I needed something short and sweet after the long journey of Stella Glow, and apparently this would fit the bill. In that regard, it perfectly met expectations.
Problem is, it was boring and just kind of nothingy. I'm aware that this is a Level-5 game and they're known for their short conceptual ventures that aren't always 'full games', so I can't be mad at it. I'm not anyway, because it gave me something to do for a handful of hours, but I'm only including it here for the sake of disclosure.
It was fine. I ended up confused over what it was truly trying to be and I think a lot of the story gets lost in translation, but it was fine. To its credit, it's clearly a love letter to a bygone era in rural Japan that I cannot and will not appreciate like those who know that first hand, and I can't punish the game or its team for that.
Verdict: Eh. It feels vaguely Studio Ghibli-esque, so for some, it might tickle a sweet nostalgic spot. If you're looking for gameplay, you won't find much. YMMV.
Kirby: Planet Robobot - 3DS
Stupid, crazy fun. I knew Kirby was going to be light-hearted and casual-friendly with a smidge of challenge for those who want it, and Robobot gives you just that. This time, however, Kirby pilots rotund little mecha suits which can copy enemy powers just like he does. These sections are hilarious and over the top and exactly what they need to be. Your robot can have giant stone fists, comically huge bombs, powerful fans, flamethrowers, circular saws – all kinds of variety depending on the power.
If you've ever looked into Kirby games, you know the core DNA to expect going in. This game builds on that just enough to make it worth playing, especially as a no-brain palate cleanse between other things. It's over in good time, probably about half the length of a traditional Mario title, which is ideal.
Verdict: Great. Just good fun, not meant to be thought about too deeply or scrutinised. It's drenched in colour and turns your brain off in the best way.
Recharged Yellow - GBA (Pokemon Gen 3 ROM hack)
Recharged Yellow is made by ROM hack creator Jaizu. It essentially turns Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green into Pokemon Yellow but in the series third generation (it uses Emerald as its base, not FRLG themselves), though it adds a lot more quality of life changes and nice-to-haves alongside that core concept.
There's a pantheon of Pokemon hacks that enjoy the most attention and discussion at the moment, and Recharged Yellow is not part of that select group. Regardless, this deserves attention as the current ideal answer to 'what if Game Freak did a third version like it did for Generation 1?'. Like all hacks, there are noticeable and deliberately un-GF-like choices, like letting HM moves be used without needing to teach them to any of your Pokemon, and jettisoning trade evolutions for simpler methods. Still, it's cool to have Pikachu as your starter, following you in the overworld and growing alongside you. The roster is still faithful to the original 151 and Kanto's geography is almost entirely unchanged.
I think what I appreciate with this hack is its restraint. It knows what it wants to be and sticks to that, expanding creatively inside that scope so as not to muddy the original, simple journey of Red through Kanto. If you liked Yellow in particular back in the day, this is a great homage.
Verdict: Loved it, but I am biased as a lifelong Pokemon fan. If you've never tried a ROM hack and want to dip your toes in, this is a great starting point.
Emerald Seaglass - GBA (Pokemon Gen 3 ROM hack)
I would argue that this hack is in the aforementioned pantheon of popular and highly regarded work. It's the work of the talented Jack Wellman, who goes by Nemo622. The most upfront change made to Seaglass is the art style overhaul it gives to Pokemon Emerald, bringing it more in line (but not entirely copying) the GBC style of Gold/Silver/Crystal. New overworld assets have been made that flex the rules of this style, but the result is cohesive and comes together beautifully.
On top of this, you've got the improvements Gen 3 brought across the board – such as running, a fast battle engine, a snappy and responsive graphical interface for the PC storage – avoiding the tedium that came with the Game Boy titles. Then there are the original additions, like the wishing wells. You can use a new item called Wishing Stars to, well, wish into the, well, well, and receive any one of a wide variety of mons at a time. The first one you discover is in a newly added extension to Rustboro City, which also has its own grass patches and encounters. I got an Alolan Vulpix, which instantly bagsied a spot in my team and stuck with me all the way to the end.
There's also new pinball games added to the Mauville Games Corner, the points from which can be traded for prizes including any one of a variety of eggs, randomly selected, which hatch into Alolan forms. I grinded for an Alolan Marowak, which also took a spot on my team. There's also Pokemon up to Gen 9, but rather than taking the usual hack approach of throwing all of them into the game and swelling the encounter table to ridiculous proportions, there's restraint shown in the selection, giving you a ton of options to answer the overhauled gym leader teams without overwhelming you. Many mons also have new moves added and simplified evolutions.
I could go on and on, but I doubt there's any need!
Verdict: Sublime. Again, biased
but if you like the early three generations of Pokemon in particular and you want a way to explore Emerald version's Hoenn in a way that feels fresh yet familiar, you must try it. Recharged Yellow convinced me to give hacks more credit, this one cemented it firmly.Golden Sun - GBA
What a fucking game. I cannot believe it's taken me this long to discover Golden Sun. The fact that this shit was made in the early 2000s for the Game Boy Advance blows my mind.
The Djinn system was, at first, daunting. I think this is a necessary wobble before grasping the real depth of this simple magic system. The way that having different elemental djinn affect the psynergy on the table, which itself changes as different ones go on standby and then become useable for summons – chef's kiss. It creates such a great balancing act in the combat and gives you plenty of tools to approach challenges your way. And the way that combat is presented is totally unique, not just among its brethren on the GBA but in its genre. Navigating the overworld with different psynergies kept things interesting and the puzzles are genuinely great at many points. Also, props for letting you save pretty much whenever.
Having said that, I do have two major criticisms. The first is that the story meanders like crazy. So many things happen that I almost mentally lost track of the overarching narrative at times, and it's difficult to see the connecting thread through many of these disjointed events. The second is that there are many events in which the dialogue drags on, and on, and on. It feels like the writers were getting paid by the hour. Somebody makes a statement, the rest of the characters nod, then somebody asks a question to clarify that statement, the original character nods, then voices their confirmation, then everybody nods...then several exchanges later, somebody once again restates the thing that has already been said. Once instance of this wanted to make me claw my face off because a premise as simple as 'we need an item, it's not here, but somebody in [other location] might have it' somehow becomes a five-minute exchange of thoughts, tautologies, tangents, pointless questions, etc.
Despite all that, the game rocks. It almost entered my sin list after the fusion dragon kicked my arse, but I told myself to stop being shit and saw it through.
Verdict: Legendary. I now consider myself among the people who want to see Camelot make a return to this series. I found this GBA RPG more engrossing than many modern day titles trying to justify their bloated price tags.
So, that's my highlights. Nobody asked, but I wanted to document my thoughts.
Currently on the play list for 2026:
- Hollow Knight (already started)
- Final Fantasy X-2 (tempted to drop this after about 30 minutes in...)
- Golden Sun: The Lost Age
- Pokemon Lazarus
- Bravely Second
