Wish this Set January 2024 - 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
True Crime: Streets of L.A.	PlayStation 2	Action-Adventure, Sandbox

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

True Crime: Streets of L.A. is a GTA clone that was released in 2003 for PS2 and GameCube by Luxoflux and published by Activision.

You play as Nick Kang, an operative in the LA Police Department's Elite Operations Division. After a series of bombings in Chinatown, you are called in to investigate, leading you down a trail uncovering a massive criminal operation dating back 20 years. HOWEVER, if you are a bad cop, you will wind up in one of several bad routes, such as a bank heist that you must deal with.

Streets of LA has a variety of gameplay styles. Sometimes it is a 3rd-person shooter, sometimes it is a beat 'em up, and sometimes it is a stealth game. Between these sections is an open world exploration mode (although sometimes there is a time limit, preventing too much exploration) in which you can stop crimes in order to increase your good cop score (too low means you get a bad route/ending). Between chapters you may complete one of several challenges, giving you either a better weapon/more ammo, a better car to chase criminals with, or new martial arts moves; however, these rely on you completing each mission in a chapter with the good/complete path, not losing early.

All in all, True Crime: Streets of LA is a decent PS2 game that (especially now that PCSX2 has fixed the bugs) definitely deserves a set. If you enjoy Sleeping Dogs, you will also enjoy this game.

Game	Console	Genre
Herdy Gerdy	PlayStation 2	Action-Adventure, Puzzle

• Write-up by: {% rauserpic Pudpod %}

Have you ever had a game that you saw on TV or played in a store for a few minutes that made a huge impression on you but you didn't catch the name? Years pass and every so often that game begins to creep into your memory again, but because you don't know the name you start searching with every little detail you can remember. Eventually with some luck, the stars align and you see a screenshot or a video that looks almost exactly as you remember, and with it, a name.

The great herding tournament is about to begin and your father, Master Gedryn, is considered the greatest shepherd in the land and a shoo-in to win the grand prize: an acorn which is said to be the source of all magic on the island. Only one problem: your father is in a deep sleep and is showing no signs of waking up.

You play as Gerdy, a young boy who must learn the ways of the shepherd by traveling across the land, learning and herding the 9 different types of animals, ranging from the simple chicken-minded Doops to the large aggressive Gromps. You find items that make you a more effective shepherd, such as a pair of boots that make you more athletic and a magic flute that allows some of the animals to follow you like a pied piper. Eventually, Gerdy grows into a talented shepherd of his own and takes his father's place in the tournament. Will you find the one responsible for putting his father into a eternal slumber and maybe even find a way to wake him?

The game works mostly like a puzzle game. In each area you must herd a certain amount of the animal population into their respective pens while avoiding hazards for the animals you are herding. These range from great heights to drowning to being eaten by other animals. If too many animals are killed, then you are unable to travel to the next area. Some areas won't let you do everything at once. Sometimes you have to travel to another location to find a item that will help you, and then return to unlock whatever remains. Not only do you need to keep an eye out on the animals, but there are also 100 small bells in each area, and when you find them all a big bell spawns on the map, which unlocks a bit of concept art.

I can imagine this could be a nice comfort game - no monsters, no combat, just a young boy in nature with the animals of his world.

Game	Console	Genre
Jade Cocoon 2	PlayStation 2	Role-Playing Game

• Write-up by: {% rauserpic Xionx %}

It all began with Jade Cocoon 1 on PS1. As a kid, I was impressed by the huge amount of combinations you can merge your monsters to, but the story flow and difficulty was not that good. I started the game from the beginning probably 10 or more times. When I saw Jade Cocoon 2 got released, I was so hyped that I forgot all the flaws of JC1. Jade Cocoon 2 took a different approach to storytelling, story flow, and monster merging.

The battle system is not like the first one. There are 4 elements and you can put 8 monsters around you and switch the front three by spinning them around you. If your main character gets hit, you lose shields, and if you lose all of them you lose the battle. The 4 elements are focused on different skills and strategies: Fire for big damage output, Nature for defensive skills or buffs, Water for healing HP or MP, and Wind for debuffing and nasty status effects. This is, of course, simplified; some monsters learn attack skills even on Nature element, for instance.

Monsters can evolve after reaching certain levels, but only after increasing the max level cap by merging. Merging works differently than in JC1. You use your monster as a base and merge it with unlocked merging monsters. You don't lose the merging partner and your base doesn't change form, but it learns skills and traits of the merging partner. It is not very complex, but it's fun to look for different merging possibilities and different base monster eggs.

In the main hub you also have Tournaments, which you can beat to unlock more slots in your team. Even if the gameplay loop is simple, it's very addictive for a Monster Tamer genre fan. There's also a rare DRAGON type monster in each element you can chase after in the endgame.

I would be very very thankful if any dev would pick this game up. It is very underrated because in that time many other good Monster Tamer games were on the market. But I promise it is a lot of fun and would make for very good RA content.

Game	Console	Genre
Civilization II	PlayStation	Strategy, 4X

• Write-up by: {% rauserpic danyelalejandro1980 %}

I remember this was my first approach to the Civilization Franchise and I fell in love with it. I had previously played games such as Age of Empires and SimCity, but nothing like this, and I was amazed with the gameplay of this game (besides, I prefer turn-based strategy or RPG games rather than active ones). I enjoyed hundreds of hours here. It feels a bit weird playing a strategy game such as this one with a controller rather than a mouse, but you get used to it. Activision did a great job porting this from PC.

For people who want to play a turn-based strategy video game for the first time, this is a very good choice, and for the ones who have played already a Civilization game or something similar, this is a refreshing and important part of history. This game has so many features that there are a lot of possibilities to make achievements for it. I am pretty sure that both devs and players would enjoy this addictive game.

Game	Console	Genre
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure	Nintendo DS	2D Platforming, Puzzle

• Writeup by: {% rauserpic MeloDeathAtmoBlack %}

If there's one thing I love seeing in games, music, etc., it's a mashup of two seemingly opposite genres that create a new experience. Something that can draw upon the strengths of both influences and transcend either genre to create something wholly unique. Henry Hatsworth is one such game. Simply described as a 2D platformer crossed with match-3 puzzle game, Henry's brief but memorable adventure for the DS holds a very colorful part of my collective gaming conscience, and for a relatively obscure one-off title, there are quite a few others who've had a similar experience.

The two genres are admittedly not perfectly blended together, but combined they create a unique and novel gameplay loop. On the DS's top screen, you control the protagonist in side-scrolling stages, fighting swarms of enemies along the way... but not defeating them. When their health reaches zero, they possess a color tile in the bottom screen, where rows of tiles rise back up to the top screen, reviving each enemy if they're allowed to reach the top. So at any point in the game, you can swap control to the bottom screen, to clear these blocks and permanently defeat each enemy, while also increasing a special skill gauge, giving Henry access to more and more powerful attacks, which is almost necessary given the size and strength of the enemy hordes that ambush you in each level. And to add to the pressure, the puzzle never stops rising, but you don't have infinite time to clear it - if you don't fight enemies in the first place, you can't swap to the bottom screen.

Put succinctly, skillful platforming gives you more time to clear the puzzle board, while fast and acute puzzling gives you more safety and freedom to platform. Even though you're interacting with these systems separate from the other, the constraints they impose on each other will inevitably create a downward spiral where the game falls apart around you, or an incredibly satisfying loop of progressing forward and out across two games at once. And as a nice bonus, this puzzle can be played with the face buttons - no touch screen balderdash necessary (although I can't guarantee it's never required for some other context later on).

It's worth front-loading this preview with the systems that make this game unique, because outside of the unique loop, there's admittedly not too much going for this game. The story is silly and unmemorable, the platforming itself is plain, and the presentation, albeit colorful, is otherwise lacking in any distinct appeal (in my opinion, at least). That all aside, it would fit perfectly at home on a site dedicated to achievement hunting. Not only because the game can be fairly challenging at points, but because its many systems lend themselves well to different types of challenges, such as: don't use special skills, deliberately ignore the puzzle and let enemies respawn, or don't buy upgrades from the shop between levels. Any self-respecting platformer gentle-fan should well consider honing their skills on this game. I'll patiently sip my tea in my parlor while I wait for a set, since this is indeed one of the most puzzling yet fun and unique adventures you can find.

Game	Console	Genre
Robowarrior | Bomber King	NES	Action

• Writeup by: {% rauserpic r0ach3d %}

Have you ever played Bomberman and wished you could shoot your way out of a corner? How about carry an inventory full of awesome items? Enter Robowarrior (or Bomber King), an awesome cross-up between Blaster Master and Bomberman.

You control a Z-type Earth Defense robot colloquially known as ZED as it rampages through mazes inundated with strange creatures, collecting power-ups and improving your defenses. The game is set on a planet called Altile, a refuge for humanity escaping an overpopulated Earth that's been overrun by critters from an alternate dimension! There are 8 levels to explore to save Altile from the frightening grip of the Xantho Lords.

Power-ups are managed through an inventory screen with a whopping 10 items to choose from - from missiles to nukes, you have tons of options to help deal with those pesky Baiters and Mecha-birds across its 27 levels. There is also an experience system allowing you to improve your defense, speed, and power as your score increases.

The graphics shine brighter than ZED's metal plating, and because it's a Hudson Soft game you know you're going to enjoy some excellent tunes while you plant bombs trying to blast open the next secret room.

Are you hyped yet? Then hop on over to Robowarrior's page and request a set.

Game	Console	Genre
Circuit Breakers	PlayStation	Racing

• Writeup by: {% rauserpic Lafungo %}

I never played Circuit Breakers growing up. I've never owned Circuit Breakers, never owned a PS1, and never even heard of this game until a few years ago when it was thrust upon me and I was dragged into a multiplayer match with three of my friends. From that moment onward, I have taken every opportunity I've had to play this game again. It is flawed, engrossing, imperfect, rewarding, glitchy, skill-intensive, cruel, and exhilarating. To play Circuit Breakers is to subject yourself to a roller coaster of emotions, riding on the crest between triumph and despair, just as the game balances itself on the fine line between mechanical masterpiece and glitchy mess.

True to itself, a potential core set for Circuit Breakers would also be flawed, as it would not cover the best part of the game: multiplayer. And yet, I yearn for such a set as it would still communicate the essence of Circuit Breakers. Attempting to divine developer intentions is always a murky endeavor at best, but this game's AI does a remarkable job of mirroring the emergent behavior of human players in multiplayer matches, and asks the solitary player to answer the fundamental tenet of Circuit Breakers: will you fight? Or will you perish like a dog?

I would be remiss to omit some of the technical oddities of Circuit Breakers, which may be of interest to any reader and, I hope, incite a developer to pick up this game. Developed in the UK, it is clear from having tested both versions of the game that the PAL release is superior, as the NTSC version has substantially more physics bugs and tumbles down from the fine line described above squarely into the territory of glitchy mess. With that in mind, if you decide to develop a set for this game, please do it for the PAL version. I've mentioned the game's multiplayer mode a couple times, but there's something else to highlight about it: although the track names remain the same, their layouts are completely different in single player and multiplayer! Another wrinkle is that you can still access the multiplayer tracks when playing solo and run Time Trial on them.

Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, is the demo disc. As with many games of the era, Circuit Breakers appeared on demo discs released with the Official UK PlayStation Magazine. What sets Circuit Breakers apart is that its demo disc serves a second purpose. If you have both the full game disc and a demo disc (or a very rare copy of the Circuit Breakers demo/add-on disc published separately), you can swap out the main disc for the demo disc through a menu option and access four brand new tracks! While not within the scope of a core set, I hope that Circuit Breakers can one day also receive a subset for this unusual PAL-exclusive additional content.

Game	Console	Genre
Choro Q HG | Gadget Racers [USA] | Penny Racers [Europe]	PlayStation 2	Racing, Arcade Racing

• Writeup by: {% rauserpic ViceroyOfMonteCristo %}

For those familiar with the Choro Q franchise, you may know a couple of things about the games that currently have sets: first, the games have a tendency to swap between an open-world exploration section and circuit races, and second, they're very finicky to control, especially around corners. Interestingly, the first Choro Q game to be released on the PS2 changed the first of these traits, and replaced it with a multitude of features that would be exclusive to this entry.

Choro Q HG is exclusively menu-based, eschewing the previous towns that you'd explore to find shops and activities, but adds significantly more vehicle customization options. Among these are some options that give you additional functionality for your car, including roof-equipped wings that allow you to glide short distances at marked locations on tracks, as well as floats and propellers which allow your car to stay buoyant in water. Alongside these improved customization features are specialized races that require you to have certain parts or bodies to enter, such as races that require service vehicle bodies or police car lights.

Additionally, this game is quite a bit easier to control than the previous Choro Q games released on PSX, making it a much easier entry point to the franchise. There were 3 more Choro Q HG games released on the PS2 after this one, and interestingly, they all reverted to the previous gameplay style of the PSX games, bringing back the open-world aspect and leaning more into RPG aspects. While I enjoy all 4 of the HG games, personally I consider this one to be the most enjoyable, both due to the innovative way that it adds new abilities to your car through customization, as well as the very memorable and creative list of tracks available.

Game	Console	Genre
Turbo Turtle Adventure	Game Boy Advance	Adventure, 2D Platforming

• Write-up by: {% rauserpic Bilalscape12 %}

Upon getting into emulation, this was one of the first games I decided to try out. Although I never beat the game, it was clear to me that this is one of the most underrated games that the system has to offer.

You play as a cute turtle who must adventure through a total of 49 main levels and 11 bonus levels under the pressure of a time limit. Playing like a top-down Super Monkey Ball, this is a must-play for any fan of that series. The level select is a map of an island, with 7 locations containing 7 levels each. Each location has their own distinct theme: Jungle Ruins, Lagoon, Woodlands, Space Station, Glacier, Volcano, and the Bat Cavern. Levels are labyrinths that feature locked doors, keys, power-ups, and the occasional vortex that can transport you to a hidden level; perfect for speedrun achievements and leaderboards! For newcomers to the game, there are tutorial levels that teach the main mechanics and obstacles that the player will face. The game does track the number of deaths and collected items in a playthrough if the dev want to create a challenge for the expert gamers.

It's a shame the game developers did not include an in-game achievement system. It's not very often do you find a game so perfectly suitable for additional objectives and achievements.

Game	Console	Genre
Dashin Desperadoes	Mega Drive	2D Platforming, Racing

• Writeup by: {% rauserpic wolfman2000 %}

The Sega Genesis, as it was called in the United States, had a number of traditional two player games, but none were quite like this. In Dashin' Desperadoes, you play as one cowboy trying to get to the other end of varied locales in order to meet your beau first. Of course, neither you nor your opponent follows traditional racing rules. In this split-screen 2D platformer race, you can attack each other at any point. Watch out for the final "race" in each world, where you actually have to destroy a vehicle the other player has commandeered.

There's some potential in this game for difficulty playthroughs (Easy does not have the same maps as Medium/Hard), and there's likely some additional challenges that folks can come up with here. This game has multi set potential as well: the bosses are different due to two players having to fight it out.