The From A to Z series lets our editors go back and take a look at games from past generations that are classics, overlooked gems, or just titles they remember fondly. The idea behind this is to pick five games from each letter of the alphabet, once a week to showcase. This delivers 26 weeks and tons of games to talk about. Hopefully it sparks some conversation, and of course plenty of memories.
The system everyone has been waiting for, the Super Nintendo.
Let’s continue with the letter “L.”
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Every Zelda game released on a major platform is a big deal and the SNES entry in a Link to the Past was no different. This was the perfection of a formula set forth by its predecessors with tight controls and intricate world/dungeon designs. Iconic, timeless music and stunning visuals for its time mark this as not only one of the best Zelda games but as one of the most loved video games in general of all time.
The Lost Vikings 2
There was a time a little known developer called “Blizzard Entertainment” used to make games that weren’t world-renowned RTS or MMO. The Last Vikings 2 was a puzzle platformer that allowed the player to control three different characters during a level and each of the characters had unique abilities. The player was tasked with switching between the different vikings to solve environmental puzzles and as a fan of puzzle games, I quite enjoyed this aspect over the typical mashing of the same button to deal with a horde of enemies and simply moving forward.
Lufia & The Fortress of Doom
One of the most underrated JRPG series that really caught my attention during my binge of the genre after playing FF6 and Chrono Trigger. Lufia puts a bigger emphasis on the use of tools and gimmicks in dungeons. Even though the combat was standard turn-based affair, the dungeons took center stage with numerous traps and clever puzzles that really put my young mind to the test and it was quite the ordeal finishing this title but when I did, I was hungry for more.
Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrails
Even though this is the sequel, narratively speaking, it’s actually the prequel. Learning about the ancestors of the heroes of Lufia 1 was a fascinating twist and it featured the same emphasis on puzzles in the dungeon which were amped up to make it even more difficult. The visuals were improved noticeably and Lufia 2 also possess a stellar soundtrack which has been arranged a few times over the years. The most recent Lufia game released was on the 3DS but it was a departure from the series as far as the gameplay was concerned.
Tune in next week for the next collection of titles.
YouTube Credits:
World of Longplays
Daniel’s Game Vault
LordCloudStrife
