iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 28/09/2026

I booted up The Dog Island on PS2. I was not expecting to get hit in the feels like that. I think all pet owners understand the trauma of seeing a loved one in pain. So yeah, if a game offers a journey to get a magical medicine to save a sickly sibling, you better believe I'm emotionally invested.

Zonerunner the schnauzer, the bravest and goodest boi going on a perilous adventure to find a cure for his sickly sister.

Even my mum and sister are sending me letters wishing me well on my journey. How can I not see this through?

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 28/09/2026

I was playing the demo for the Dynasty Warriors 3 remaster and enjoyed myself so much that I booted up the PS2 original. It really struck me just how much technology has progressed over the last 25 years. I'd say they've done a good job of updating the classic while still respecting the original.

A screenshot from the Dynasty Warriors 3 remastered demo, taken on a PlayStation 5 Pro.

A screenshot of the same area in Dynasty Warriors 3, taken with the PCSX2 emulator.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 26/09/2026

In this week's selection for #RandomGameSaturday I humbly submit E.X. Troopers. A spinoff of the Lost Planet franchise that uses recycled assets from the cancelled Mega Man Legends 3. A real curio. I hear there's a fan translation available for this nowadays, I really need to check it out.

Japanese box art for E.X. Troopers on the PlayStation 3.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 25/09/2026

You know, I got incredibly depressed yesterday over the big news in the Phantasy Star Online scene, a vibe coded browser implementation of PSO and just how many people in the community were defending the use of AI slop in projects like this. I'll stick to my GameCube, thanks.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 23/09/2026

Huh. Just saw that at some point I crept into the top 1% of users on RetroAchievements and only just noticed. It's a weird feeling, as it wasn't a goal I was actively seeking - quite frankly I'm too old to be chasing competition - but there is a certain sense of pride in achieving it nonetheless.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 19/09/2026

Good morning #RandomGameSaturday peeps, today my choice is Yakuza. Released in Europe 20 years ago, the English dub is infamously crass with its liberal use of swearing. Still, a lot of effort has clearly gone into the localisation, showing remarkable confidence in the series' chances in the West.

PAL box art for Yakuza on the PlayStation 2.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 14/09/2026

Well, that's a core memory unlocked. I seem to recall using a two letter notation system for recording my passwords as a kid - one letter for colour, one for object. I don't recall ever getting particularly far in the game, so that should tell you how well that system worked.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 12/09/2026

For today's #RandomGameSaturday the hand has chosen Soul Blade. The Namco fighter that wasn't Tekken, it's a humble start to a series that wouldn't find its footing until the sequel. Putting the series' resident gimp Voldo front and centre of the European cover was an incredibly bold choice...

PAL box art for Soul Blade on the PlayStation.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 05/09/2026

Today in #RandomGameSaturday we have Gotcha Force. A cute little arcade arena battler that definitely derives a lot of its DNA from the Capcom developed Gundam Versus games, the usage of small toy robots as playable characters also brings to mind the Virtual-ON series.

PAL box art for Gotcha Force on the Nintendo GameCube.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 01/09/2026

I appreciate the sentiment, and I know it's realistically out of their hands. But as a collector I'm not buying a game for the feelies. Steelbooks, art books, soundtracks and figures are all cool, but at the end of the day I'm buying a game because I want a copy on a disc/cart that I can play.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 30/08/2026

Just got my 300th platinum trophy with Shin Megami Tensei III. It was my first MegaTen game back in the day and it's still my favourite now. I know the remaster isn't without its issues (the FMV's are *shockingly* compressed) but it's good to be able to play a classic again with modern conveniences.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 29/08/2026

I'd like to dedicate my #RandomGameSaturday this week to the late Tim Curry with Brütal Legend. The last game I played starring Tim before his retirement, he provided a memorably hammy performance that stole every scene he was in. A truly great talent and the world is lesser for his absence.

PAL box art of Brütal Legend for the PlayStation 3.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 22/08/2026

For #RandomGameSaturday this week I've got Dark Cloud. Level-5's debut title is a game that plays like a Zelda, with some light RPG mechanics and even a town building mode. It lacks the graphical prowess of later Level-5 titles, but it has far more heart than any of their recent developments.

PAL box art for Dark Cloud on the PlayStation 2.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 15/08/2026

Well, it took until the game coming to an end to finally do it, but I finally worked up the motivation to solo flawless the Grasp of Avarice dungeon in Destiny 2. Sure, it's not the hardest dungeon in the game and it's been power crept pretty hard, but it feels nice to have finally done it.

Screenshot from Destiny 2 acknowledging my solo flawless completion of the Grasp of Avarice dungeon.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 15/08/2026

It's #RandomGameSaturday time and this week my hand has sought out Samurai Warriors 3. Despite being a big musou fan and owning this since it was released, I only played it for the first time this year. There's a lot of that old school Koei charm here, but the game runs terribly for an exclusive...

PAL box art for Samurai Warriors 3 on the Nintendo Wii.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 08/08/2026

I finally decided to start working on my PS3 backlog, so this week's pick for #RandomGameSaturday goes to Ratchet & Clank: Q-Force. Booting it up and seeing the franchise's 10th anniversary logo kind of made me feel horribly old some nearly 14 years after its release...

PAL box art for Ratchet & Clank: Q-Force on the PlayStation 3.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 01/08/2026

A bit of an odd one for today's #RandomGameSaturday with Blazing Beaks. My copy is unusual in that it came with a doodle drawn by one of the developers. As you can see, they've taken the opportunity to craft an intricate narrative that recontextualises the entire conceit of ducks shooting mutants.

PAL box art for Blazing Beaks on the PlayStation 4. A developer on the game has doodled a couple of speech bubbles onto the cover, where one of the playable ducks declares to a nearby mutant that "You are CUTE!", and the local fauna responds negatively.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 25/07/2026

We're returning to nature for this week's #RandomGameSaturday with the OG farming life simulator, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life. It's not my favourite game in the series, but the muted colour palette and more grounded, melancholic storyline certainly makes it one of the more memorable.

PAL front cover of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life on the GameCube.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 23/07/2026

The Queenswalk encounter theme from Destiny 2 popped up into my YouTube feed and I wasn't prepared for just how it made me feel. The memories of me and 5 mates completing a new raid and knowing I'll likely never experience anything like it again is... disquieting in a way I didn't realise I felt.

youtube.com

Shell of What Was (Queenswalk High Action) - Destiny 2: Forsaken OST

YouTube video by Destiny Music Archive

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 18/07/2026

My pick for #RandomGameSaturday this week is Eternal Ring, a fantasy action RPG made by From Software and released on PlayStation platforms. Not to be confused with Elden Ring, a fantasy action RPG made by From Software and released on PlayStation platforms.

PAL front cover for Eternal Ring on the PlayStation 2.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 17/07/2026

Things I learned today: the developer of Ape Escape P is SIMS Co., Ltd. A name that may not be familiar to most, unless you're like me and grew up playing a whole bunch of Sonic the Hedgehog games on the Game Gear. Looks like they're still around too, which is heartening to see.

Screenshot from the credits of Ape Escape P showing the developer of the game, SIMS Co., Ltd.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 11/07/2026

Some lazy #RandomGameSaturday afternoon vibes with Bioshock 2. I was thinking about Bioshock 2 and Infinite earlier this week. They both tackle similar themes of paternity, but Infinite is more cynical while 2 is more idealistic. I don't think it's a coincidence that 2 is my preferred sequel.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 07/07/2026

I've just finished Time Hollow for the Nintendo DS. If a Konami visual novel about time travel starring a cat sounds familiar to you, it was nagging at me too. It's only when the credits rolled that it clicked: both Time Hollow and Shadow of Memories share a writer in one Junko Kawano. Neat!

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 04/07/2026

Apropos of nothing announced this week, for #RandomGameSaturday I have a PlayStation game that was digital-only but got a physical release. Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara takes Capcom's two officially licensed arcade brawlers from the 90's and packages them with some modern conveniences.

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara (PlayStation 3)

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 04/07/2026

Finished up my 277th Platinum trophy last night with Cyberpunk 2077. I've been wanting to play it for a while now and this seemed like the perfect time to finally do so. I really enjoyed my time in Night City and Cherami Leigh nailed it as fem V. It wasn't an *entirely* bug-free experience though...

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 01/07/2026

As someone who collects video games physically and has a lot of pride in their collection, I think it's fair to say I am absolutely livid with a decision like this. Suffice it to say I'll not be buying any new games on PlayStation come 2028. Besides, got plenty enough games in the backlog...

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 27/06/2026

For today's #RandomGameSaturday I've grabbed Dewy's Adventure. I'm fascinated by the "Produced by Shingo Mukaitoge" credit on the cover. Was this Konami's attempt at grooming a second auteur ala Hideo Kojima? If so, it didn't work: it appears he left Konami after they stopped developing Wii games.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 21/06/2026

I decided to play through Get Even this weekend. Wasn't sure what to expect going in, but a psychological thriller with a strong stealth emphasis that gave me Condemned: Criminal Origins vibes except everyone has a Bri'ish accent was not on the bingo card. A genuine short but sweet surprise.

A screenshot from Get Even. As it was made by a Polish developer, the game does abandoned, decaying rural environments really well.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 20/06/2026

I see some PS1 love this week on #RandomGameSaturday so here's my contribution with Ape Escape. Fun fact: the PAL disc uses copy protection that triggers every time on a PS3. Imagine my reaction to finally getting a chance to play the original, only to be greeted by an unresponsive title screen.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 13/06/2026

I just met a player in Destiny 2 called "Nep's Pudding", so today's #RandomGameSaturday is dedicated to my fellow Nep Nep fans. The Hyperdimension Neptunia Hypercollection puts the first three games in the series on one disc. That's an awful lot of anthropomorphised consoles for your purchase.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Hypercollection (PlayStation 3)

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 06/06/2026

A new Gundam game got announced which got me thinking about other Gundam games, so for #RandomGameSaturday I've got a little Federation Vs Zeon action. This is the first Gundam video game I owned and it's still one of my favourites. The DNA of this game can still be felt in the more modern titles.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation Vs Zeon (PlayStation 2)

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 30/05/2026

I've been playing a lot of platformers lately, so how about one for #RandomGameSaturday with Croc? It's the platformer with tank controls. It shouldn't work (and it doesn't really) but levels are short and lives plentiful enough that it doesn't feel too punishing. I can see why it's a cult classic.

Croc: Legend of the Gobbos (Sega Saturn)

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 23/05/2026

This week in #RandomGameSaturday my hands have stumbled upon Virtua Quest. Despite the name (explicitly being called Virtua Fighter in Japan), this is an action RPG set in a generic cyberspace shonen anime world where kids find the digital souls of the fighting game characters for glorified cameos.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 16/05/2026

For #RandomGameSaturday this week, I've grabbed Operation Winback. Developed by Omega Force before they made the juggernaut that was Dynasty Warriors, this is a third person shooter with one of the earliest examples of cover-based shooting in a video game that I can think of.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 09/05/2026

No objections to this week's #RandomGameSaturday with the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection. I imported a Japanese version originally, convinced it wouldn't get a physical edition in the west. When I learned that it did get a European release, I immediately went out and purchased a copy.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection (PlayStation 4)

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 04/05/2026

I played through the original Armored Core today. It's actually a much shorter game than I remember it being, and it's one of From Soft's easier titles if you can get used to the controls. Still, it's reassuring just how many of the fundamentals of the series were there right from the beginning.

My AC at the end of my playthrough of Armored Core. I only managed to reach rank #2, so the rust is there. Still, I'm always glad to represent bunny girl superiority on my decals.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 02/05/2026

I needed a distraction this morning, so here's an early #RandomGameSaturday to start the day with Bujingai Swordmaster. If I had a penny for every PS2 action game starring Gackt, I'd have two pennies. Which isn't a lot, but it is weird it happened twice.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 25/04/2026

Good #RandomGameSaturday to you all, this Saturday the random game is Universe at War. A RTS from the makers of Command & Conquer, published by a Sega who at this point had a strong PC strategy presence. The game's now stuck behind Games for Windows Live, so good luck getting it to run these days.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 24/04/2026

I mean, I'm not expecting anything more than some merchandise for any of these "projects"... ...But I'd take some sweet Guardian Heroes merch. Always was a big fan of Tetsuhiko Kikuchi's character designs.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 18/04/2026

For #RandomGameSaturday I've got 3D Dot Game Heroes, From Soft's take on the classic Zelda formula. The game has a character customisation tool, which UK publisher SouthPeak took advantage of by releasing skins allowing you to play as one of the leaders of the big 3 political parties at the time.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 17/04/2026

Pretty cool to see the PS2 Armored Core community have got modem emulation working in PCSX2 to restore online multiplayer functionality to the gen 2 and gen 3 games that originally supported it. github.com/ddobokki/pcs...

github.com

GitHub - ddobokki/pcsx2_modem: PCSX2 - The Playstation 2 Emulator

PCSX2 - The Playstation 2 Emulator. Contribute to ddobokki/pcsx2_modem development by creating an account on GitHub.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 16/04/2026

It always kind of irks me when I'm doing research and the top result is "use the Discord". I don't want to sign up to a thousand different servers to maybe find the information I'm looking for buried deeply who knows how far back, provided they even still exist. Urgh.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 12/04/2026

I've been playing through Pokemon Rumble for the first time this week. Why did nobody tell me that the soundtrack sounded like it was ripped straight out of a PlayStation 1 game? www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAm2...

youtube.com

21 - Pokémon Rumble Soundtrack - Eternal Tower - Battle!

YouTube video by ClownsAreScary2

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 11/04/2026

For today's #RandomGameSaturday I have Ridge Racer on the PS Vita. Honestly more a vehicle for selling DLC than for racing, it none the less managed to snag a Daytona USA collaboration which gave Takenobu Mitsuyoshi an excuse to sing us a new song, so it's not the most ignoble end to a franchise.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 07/04/2026

It's World Health Day, so post some doctors/nurses!

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 04/04/2026

I'm taking a trip to the Silent Line for #RandomGameSaturday this week with this Armored Core 3 expansion pack. Being an AC fan in Europe was difficult. It took five different publishers to get all seven PS2 games released. I remember frequent delays and worries about cancellations abounding.

Silent Line: Armored Core (PlayStation 2)

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 28/03/2026

Been playing a lot of Wii this week, so decided for #RandomGameSaturday to go with this gorgeous slipcase for Okami. They used a reflective material for Amaterasu to make her stand out and embossed the logo to make it feel premium in the hands. Someone at Capcom Europe was passionate about this.

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Zonerunner @zonerunner.co.uk · 26/03/2026

I'm a massive musou fan and a big part of that is the voice acting. I enjoy Warriors Orochi 3 but always lamented the lack of a dub. So it was really cool to wake up and see that fans have started to dub the game and it's as gloriously hammy as I'd hoped. Looking forward to the full release!

youtube.com

Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate English Fandub Mod - Demo Progress

YouTube video by CapRat Gaming

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