Game Journal #4

Today is February 24, 2026. First, let me lead off with a minor apology for not posting for a bit. Just after the holidays, I had to rearrange my apartment for an upcoming paint job, which took about a month to prepare for. Additionally, I got sick for a week and a half not long after that. To top things off, I was in a bit of a gaming rut for a while. I was mostly replaying old games through Nintendo Switch Classics through the online subscription. I might as well list what games I am playing now:

• Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
• Octopath Traveler 0
• Pokémon TGC Pocket
• Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
• Golden Sun

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Thanks to a recent update to Nintendo Classics for the Gamecube for Nintendo Switch 2, I finally get to replay this game for the first time in nearly 2 decades. I originally remember this being one of the easiest games in the Fire Emblem series, to the extent that I beat it on all three difficulties when I first owned a copy. That being said, this game is actually harder than I remember it, as I’ve had to reset for a few character deaths, so far, which is more than I anticipated. I still enjoy this game, but I forgot a lot of details. Interestingly, this game doesn’t show the details of combat when you enter a fight (such as damage dealt, accuracy, and critical hit rate), it only forecasts the outcome for combat you initiate right before attacking an opponent, and not during battle animations. I think this is the only Fire Emblem game that does this, at least among the games released in the west. I think I’m up to chapter 11 at this point. Stay tuned for more in a future article, if something interesting happens.

Octopath Traveler 0

I recently bought this game on a whim, and for sale too! Of note, the game is cheaper than most switch 2 titles, and is only available digitally, or as a game key card. I’ve completed two of the three major stories, with the end of the third story to be the next part I’ll tackle. Interestingly, the game seems to be easier than the previous 2 games in the series, and has some surprising customization options early on. In some ways, it appears there might be some influence over the game’s story, though I’m going into this game spoiler free, and will only look that up after I feel like I’ve had my fill of the game (presumably after I see the credits). I really hope that the decisions the game offers you isn’t the “illusion of choice” where you could say one of two things, but the outcome is the same regardless of what you do. Still, if you enjoy the combat of the first two games, you’ll probably like this one too, although maybe not quite as strongly.

Pokémon TGC Pocket

Since I last mentioned this game, I think two or three new card sets have been released. I managed to get all the diamond level rarity cards in series A, (except deluxe pack EX, which is only available temporarily on occasion). I do like the new option to play against a random deck played by the CPU, although the rewards taper off after gaining enough points after a while. I still see myself collecting new cards daily, even if I can’t keep up with playing against other players. The main reason I got this game was to enjoy card collecting for free.

Fire Emblem: the Sacred Stones

I did achieve quite a bit of progress here. I got every character to level 20 in their promoted classes, and filled out their support conversations in this save file. When I go back to this game, I’ll be running through the game’s tougher of the two dungeons with the game’s strongest hidden character by himself to gain as much in game gold as possible in order to reach maximum stats for all non hidden characters. I may post some best times for this challenge, as the game records that statistic, though it will be poorly optimized thanks to opening treasure chests for money and such.

Golden Sun

So when I have only a small amount of time to kill, I may play more of the original Golden Sun. Here, I’m trying to get all characters to maximum level, and I’m not even halfway there. I’m at a point where leveling up takes around a half hour. Needless to say this process is much slower in this game than it’s sequel. I’m doing this so I can see what the arena looks like at max level, and I may share high scores after that process is complete. I’m also partway through a max level arena run in Golden Sun the Lost Age, but lost interest (thank goodness for save states on the switch online version). I’ve encountered that game’s superboss around 20 times, and haven’t failed the run yet (which is the only truly challenging foe in this game at max level. I’m surprised I’ve been able to adapt each time I’ve fought this enemy, though there’s no guarantee when fighting him here).

One final note before I go. I completed Pokémon Legends Z-A, and just barely started the DLC content. There was going to be a mini review, but then everything happened all at once during and after the holidays. Personally, I feel conflicted about the quality of the game. It’s fun and a neat deviation from traditional Pokémon games, but seems to lack staying power after you complete the main story. This assessment does not include the DLC, so I might revisit this game in the future.

Hopefully, I can get around to more game journals in the near future. Expect to see new articles anywhere from once a week, to once a month. See you then!