Wish This Set November 2023 - RetroAchievements/RANews GitHub Wiki

Wish This Set is a showcase for our passionate community members to write about the games they love that aren't yet represented on the site. Is there a game you'd like to see receive an achievement set? Let us know by sending a private message to {% rauserpic RANews %}. We encourage you to explain what makes the game so special to you, and you may be featured in a future issue of RANews!

Game	Console	Genre
Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity	PlayStation Portable	Role-Playing Game

• Write-up by: {% rauserpic JRodslegend %}

If you are looking for the ultimate Phantasy Star experience, this is it. Hundreds of missions and weapons, partners to unlock, rooms to decorate, bosses to farm, and thousands of hours of content. PSPO2 is needless to say my favorite game of all time and any release after this one has been a step in the wrong direction. Best part of all the game already HAS a built in achievement system ready to go that covers almost 100% of the content in the game plus some extra challenges, which should amount to an easy dev set to make!

For those uninitiated, the more recent Phantasy Star games have been compared to Monster Hunter in space, while that is an extremely loose comparison, it highlights much of what is similar. Instance based action RPG that involves farming bosses for drops to prepare you for the next stage of bosses, repeat for the rest of your life. It's the most addictive formula there is and it works wonderfully! PSPO2: Infinity is the Japan only release which includes the Infinity DLC. There is an English translation available and easy to acquire. Infinity almost doubles the already massive amount of content within PSPO2, adding a new race, new end game missions, new weapons, bosses AND a rebirth system, giving you even more ways to power up your character. It is the definitive release of Phantasy Star, and I would give anything to be able to play through this game again with an RA set.

Game	Console	Genre
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings	Nintendo DS	Role-Playing Game, Strategy

• Write-up by: {% rauserpic mywifeleftm %}

When I first joined RA, this was one of the first games I searched for, and when I learned about the request system, the first game I put a request for. There's really nothing quite like Revenant Wings in the Final Fantasy series. A sort of sequel to Final Fantasy XII, this game features Vaan with his own airship and a more fleshed out Penelo on the search for treasure, where things obviously take a turn from there.

The main gameplay plays similar to games like StarCraft, being a real time strategy game. The controls are fairly simple, with most of the control being from the stylus. Here, you summon groups of your own, well, summons, to attack enemy enemy summoner crystals and bases alongside your leader characters. You can customize groups of summons before every encounter so that an entire group of different summons are assigned to your summon gates. Summons are categorized by Melee, Ranged, and Flying types and it comes with a rock paper scissors element where melee beats ranged, ranged beats flying, and flying beats melee, so there's a delicate balance of how you group your summons. Alongside attacking enemy bases, you can also mine for materials spread out on the map and use them to craft weapons and armor for your units, and unlock more units on the skill tree in your base.

Any fans of the Ivalice setting, especially the Tactics games, will love this game. Its more Ivalice! On top of all that, the soundtrack is killer as well. It's pretty much the FF12 soundtrack on a DS soundchip but it doesn't sound compressed at all. Overall, it's a very unique DS title and would be a great addition to RA as there's not very many RTS games as a whole on the site.

Game	Console	Genre
Sky Odyssey	PlayStation 2	Non-Combat Flight Simulation

• Write-up by: {% rauserpic Tdiggity13 %}

The PlayStation 2 isn't short on amazing games, but I believe Sky Odyssey to be the most underrated gem in its collection. A stunt flying adventure, Sky Odyssey asks the player to navigate a remote series of islands, collecting pieces of a map that lead to the final destination across a series of incredibly unique and thrilling missions. In one, you may be flying through a narrow canyon to keep your plane clear of the deadly high winds above, while in another your fuel tank may spring a leak and you'll have to refuel via moving train!

With a soundtrack composed by Kow Otani of Shadow of the Colossus fame, and a mission briefing experience years ahead of its PS2 release, Sky Odyssey remains an absolute delight throughout its many story missions, as well as its Target and Skywriting modes. With several ways to play and a number of unlockable aircraft and A+ ranks to chase, Sky Odyssey would also make for a delightful achievement set.

If you're one of the many people who's never played Sky Odyssey, give it a shot. Forgive some very PS2-era graphics and you'll have surmounted the only barrier to entry for one of the most interesting flight simulation experiences in video game history.

Game	Console	Genre
Unlimited Saga	PlayStation 2	Role-Playing Game

• Write-up by: {% rauserpic AmazingBaha %}

Who's down for some Unlimited SaGa?

Anyone? Okay, it is a pretty tough sell. I remember fondly when this game came out as a third "Not SaGa Frontier" in a row. SF2 couldn't grab me, Romancing SaGa's PS2 port I dropped after trying once then dying, and Unlimited? It was the worst, the most Not SaGa Frontier title of the bunch with a board game movement style and more confusing mechanics than ever.

After a few years I was able to convince a bud - shoutout to {% rauserpic Prota %}, to play a couch session to the end with one character. This was at a time where I was starting to appreciate the series more, and not fault everything for not being my favorite. Not long after we would finally see US ports of Scarlet Grace, Romancing SaGa 2/3, a second chance at the PS2 port of RS1 and even an updated port of Frontier. With Emerald Beyond being recently announced, this is a great time to be a SaGa fan. At this point, although remasters are trickling in, I imagine Unlimited would be at the bottom of the priority list. Along with Frontier 2, this is one of the few games in the series without an achievement set of some kind.

Despite being difficult to pick up I feel like there is a lot of achievement potential for devs to get creative with. Multiple scenarios could be broken down into their own progression categories. With tabletop board style exploration, a whole weird monster ecosystem and other ambitious mechanics, in the right hands I can picture a killer achievement set that can bring fun to a game a lot of people have a hard time getting enjoyment from. If nobody else, I'm down for Unlimited SaGa.

Game	Console	Genre
Bionic Commando: Elite Forces	Game Boy Color	Action

• Writeup by: {% rauserpic StingX2 %}

In many ways it is important to complete series on RA, and usually that is pretty easy, but with Bionic Commando this is a game most people don't even know exists. It was the real first attempt at an edgy reboot, this time focusing on a futuristic setting. Ignore the fact the female lead is running around in her underwear and the gaudy GBC graphics and what you have is another traditional Bionic Commando adventure.

The game really picks up from where the Game Boy monochrome game left off in speeding up the gameplay. Elite Forces moves with a ton of speed and it's reflected in responsive controls. It still has plenty of grappling sections, item loadout priority for missions, and endless communication arrays. Where Elite Forces differs from the standard Bionic Commando is it goes to a bunch of locations that aren't just warzones and military bases. Ever wanted to see a Bionic Commando at an Egyptian pyramid?! At its core it's still a decently unforgiving 2D platformer that, when mastered, becomes a game players can truly fly thru.

Elite Forces features 18 Zones but also two playable characters. I mentioned underwear gal but one eyed military man is the other playable character. You might be wondering, why even mention this? That's because each character gets two exclusive levels which is a big surprise. The other big addition here is Sniper Mode, which is a very downgraded take on Metal Gear Solid 1's sniping system, shakey cam and all! The Game Boy Color remains one of those system libraries people haven't really torn through for nostalgia like NES, SNES, or Genesis. Elite Forces isn't the best entry in the series, it definitely might be the ugliest, but it is a decent entry in a series with such a low volume of titles.

Game	Console	Genre
Saru! Get You! Million Monkeys	PlayStation 2	3D Platforming

• Writeup by: {% rauserpic PenguGG %}

This title in the Ape Escape series shifts the focus from capturing monkeys... to fight an heavily armed force of them that wants to conquer the whole world (though the game takes place only in Japan). This time they're armed to the teeth, and even have giant mechs! The game revolves around more linear levels, or rather missions, with specific objectives to complete, some either destroying objectives or fighting bosses. The monkeys will be either armored or in a mech, of course requiring from you to first destroy their defenses before catching them. It is different from the usual and probably not what a fan of the series would be looking for, but it does a great job at making it a bit more serious without straying too far from what the series is about.

Game	Console	Genre
One Piece: Big Secret Treasure of the Seven Phantom Islands	Game Boy Advance	Role=Playing Game

• Writeup by: {% rauserpic CassetteCobra %}

Ahh One Piece, the most popular and well-selling Manga in the world. The series has captured many people's hearts and it was no surprise One Piece would get video games associated with it in a short period of time. Due to the sheer demand for such games, however, a lot of the Japan-only titles were made with haste, resulting in many of these titles being of questionable quality. This game, however, was made with love and care for a GBA title.

Released on November 15th, 2002 as the 10th One Piece video game, The Nanastu Islands is a traditional RPG where you explore the world around you with the Straw Hats utilizing their abilities to continue on their journey or do optional side-quests. The battle system takes place on a grid based arena where you move characters into position to attack enemies or interact with objects. The graphics are bright and colorful as it should be in the One Piece world, the sprite work is well made, and the music is well versed. It's these qualities that make me disappointed that there's no translation patch for it, which is odd because you'd think there would be programmers who are fans of the franchise who would make such a patch.

What distinctively sets this game apart from almost all the games in the series is that this game has a completely original story with no recycled story arcs or characters from canon appearing besides the Straw Hats. This is a breath of fresh air as playing through abridged versions of arcs like Arabasta or Enies Lobby over and over gets repetitive and stale. The game takes place on an archipelago, that fittingly has seven islands going by the name "Nanatsu", that has quite a mysterious history surrounding it as rumors of a legendary treasure residing within it lures many-a-crew to its location. The Straw Hats however, in typical hijinks, unintentionally crashes onto the island; the crew is split up and Luffy has to find and reunite his crew while also learning about the history of the island and combat the villainous group, the Simon Pirates. Along the way, they befriend the various natives of the island to guide them on their quest and also meet up with some characters from filler arcs and movies such as Eric, The Bear King and Honey Queen, and Eldoraggo who despite being enemies of the Straw Hats help them out in return from doing their quests. This is a game that was made with heart and care that a franchise like One Piece deserves.

Game	Console	Genre
Sheep	PlayStation	Action, Puzzle

• Writeup by: {% rauserpic ShadwSonic %}

The rumors are true! Aliens do want to abduct our livestock! But it's not our cows they're after, it's our sheep! Why sheep, you may ask? Well, funny thing...See, those aliens are sheep. Confused?

Turns out, when they first arrived, the sheep that landed here were given a mission: observe this planet by posing as simple, stupid creatures. Suffice it to say, they "became the mask" as it were, forgetting everything about their mission, their ancestry, and even their sapience in favor of being domesticated by us. So then, why don't we just defeat these aliens? Because they aren't the villains, they just want to bring their lost relatives back home, codenamed "Blue Hawaii". No, the real villain is "Mr. Pear", a descriptively named despot who seeks to infect us with the complacency in sheep genetics. Such would guarantee his world takeover, and we can't give him the opportunity! Besides, we've... kind of had a desire to round up all sheep subliminally planted into us by the alien flock. Can't really go against that.

It's not going to be easy though! These goofy grass-guzzlers come in four varieties, and each will need to be taken through their own levels safely before we can move on! We can choose which herds will go where, but that just means more ways things can go wrong. They could get run over by cars! Or eaten by wheat sharks! Or filled with arrows! And who knows what else!

So are we going to save the world by shipping our sheep off our sphere successfully? Or will Mr. Pear pervert us with those peaceful plushes' primary gene patterns?

Game	Console	Genre
X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse	PlayStation 2	Action

• Write-up by: {% rauserpic ManyHours %}

Growing up in my household with two older half-brothers, an older sister, and a younger brother, I found it hard to ever really connect with my sister. It was easy with my brothers, they taught me how to skateboard, though badly, and my younger brother was perfect to play co-op games, if a little annoying at times. There just wasn't a thing we could share with each other, she was into illegally downloading music, i was into playing outside and breaking windows, we just rarely connected besides a few TV shows we watched together.

Then my two older brothers gifted me a PS2 for Christmas one year, my first ever home console I ever owned, and I played A LOT. From Dragon Ball, to Dynasty Warriors, to even Guitar Hero, I took a stab at so many genres. Yet, besides a song or two on Guitar Hero, my sister and I never played co-op or even against each other in a fighting game.

Until one day, we were at a Best Buy, and PS2 games were on sale for some low price (I honestly think it was 2 for $20, but I don't remember), and both of us were allowed to pick-up one game. We both found X-Men games, specifically X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends II. X-Men was a cartoon we watched together, and even if the animation was rough, we loved it anyways. So the choice was easy. Picking up those two games changed how we interacted, after school, it wasn't me going outside, and her hiding in her room. We both played through the first one, and adored it.

Then we played X-Men Legends II, we loved it. Yes it was simpler then the first, or even repetitive at times, but we loved playing our favorite hero/villain up against Apocalypse, enough to have four fully completed saves on three separate memory cards. From the 18 different characters we messed with, to the challenge run we did with only a single power per character, we put in a lot of hours. It was a game we connected through, and while we aren't as close, we appreciate those times a lot, and it still comes up in conversation to this day.

New Game Plus, challenge runs, min/maxing, collectibles, and some enjoyable beat 'em up moments captured my attention, along with my sister's attention almost two decades ago. I think it deserves a little bit of attention from others as well.

Game	Console	Genre
RPG Maker 3 | RPG Tsukuru	PlayStation 2	Role-Playing Game, Turn-based RPG

• Writeup by: {% rauserpic Bearfax62 %}

RPG Maker 3 is one of several console adaptations of RPG Maker, a series of development tools typically used for creating Japanese-style turn based RPGs. While I'd love for all of them to receive sets at some point, I have a good amount of nostalgia for this one, so it's what I'll be talking about today. Typically, console RPG Makers are more limited than their PC counterparts, and 3 is no exception. But what it lacks in the ability to import your own assets, it makes up for in the quality of the assets it provides. RPG Maker 3 is one of the only games in the series to use fully 3D environments and character models, which gives it an extremely unique feel in comparison to its contemporaries. There's just a lot of charm in the way it looks, it makes anything made with it feel like some kind of long lost PS2 game from another dimension. And for those with creative minds, there's a lot you can accomplish with the magic that is event scripting, as users of any RPG Maker engine can attest to.

I'm sure a solid main set could be made out of adapting the sample game it comes with, or perhaps testing players' ability to use the customization tools by asking them to recreate certain mechanics or scenarios, but what I really want to see out of this game, and RPG Maker as a whole, are user-generated content subsets. Seeing people from around the RA community exercise their creativity within the limitations of different engines and be able to earn achievements playing all of their games would be a dream come true for me. I'd love to contribute my own work to it, as well. I'm sure this is no easy ask, but if anyone ever managed to pull it off, I think it could be one of the coolest events RA has ever seen.