Dragon Quest, Christmas, and More

Not long ago I finally finished Dragon Quest XI. It's quite an amazing game. Even after just one playthrough, I think it may be the best game in the series. It's got a great story and some amazing characters. The battle mechanics and character development system are engaging. It evokes nostalgia while still moving into new territory. I loved it.

It's also a very long game. It took me significantly longer than even Dragon Quest VII, which previously was the longest single player RPG I'd ever played. But I enjoyed it all the way through. The further I got, the more the game drew me in. I'd recommend this to any JRPG fan.

After finishing the game, I decided I was ready to go back and revisit my minimalist challenge on Dragon Quest III. I've been chipping away at it for a few weeks. I've made it up to level 17. EXP-wise I am about one-fourth of the way to where I was when I accidentally erased my file, which is about one-sixteenth of the total amount needed to learn the Open spell. Moving forward.

I got the game Banjo Kazooie for Christmas. I have an extensive collection of Nintendo 64 games including most of the systems biggest hits, but this is one hit that I never got around to buying or playing back then. I was inspired to put it on my Christmas list after Banjo & Kazooie made it into Smash Bros. Ultimate. I've finished the first three levels in the game and I'm enjoying it quite a bit. But I think it's going to have to be a weekend game. Trying to get everything in a single level takes longer than I have on the weekdays.

I finished replaying Startropics on my Switch, a classic NES game that was a favorite of mine long ago but which seems to have become much more obscure than other contemporary Nintendo properties. I've started playing through Crystalis, which recently got added to the NES selection on the Switch and is also a classic that I very much enjoyed back then.

I decided for the New Year I need to really cut back on Tetris 99. I've spent way too much time with new game modes and trying to unlock new character icons. The game is quite addicting.

I also got Kid Icarus: Uprising, hoping to finish off the series. I've only played the first two levels. It's very different than the games it's supposedly based on. I'm a little disappointed by how different; there don't seem to be many similarities on the surface at all, and I really liked the old games. But it's really too soon in to judge it too much.

That's all for now.