Timestamps

Asking $365 shipped via PayPal or Venmo

Selling my shelf queen Odin 2 mini pro (12/256)

It’ll come with a printed grip, the box, and cable. (Also a screen protector applied)

I’m planning to sell a bunch of gear, but I’ll start with my currently least used device. No issues, just downsizing.

Retroid pocket mini v2, includes case and JCSY flip grip. Asking $200 + shipping CONUS

Local to NorCal, near Sacramento

photos

Device: Ayaneo Pocket Air Mini

Game: Threads of Fate (PS1)

"Fate goes ever as fate must." - Beowulf

Quick confession: I actually finished this game about three or four weeks ago, but I've been stewing on what to say about it ever since. While I enjoyed Threads of Fate, I don't have a lot to say about it. So consider this post a mini-review and a quick check-in on the quest.

Threads of Fate is an action RPG with some Zelda-like similarities. It tells its story through two protagonists, Rue and Mint, each searching for a mythical relic for very different reasons. The two stories intersect frequently, and each character has completely different mechanics and playstyles.

Rue is primarily a melee fighter who can transform into the last five monsters he has defeated, giving him a variety of abilities and attacks. Whereas Mint mixes melee combat with magic. I enjoyed Rue's gameplay far more and ultimately only completed his side of the story.

Why did I pick it?

I'm usually a turn-based JRPG and tactics RPG person. I love deep stories, complicated characters, and games that ask me to sit with them for dozens of hours. So why did I pick Threads of Fate?

Simple: it's short, and I don't have time right now for an epic.

I'd heard it described as a “hidden gem” of the PS1, physical copies regularly sell for over $100, and at roughly 10-12 hours to finish one character's story, it felt like the perfect game for this quest.

What did I like?

Threads of Fate was a nice change of pace from my typical games, and most of the combat and exploration was fun. I enjoyed that there were two separate ways to experience the story and that while the characters had differing motivations for getting this powerful relic, they were involved in each other’s story. I also liked how the story and art are light, bubbly, and not too heavy (for the most part). I enjoyed playing as Rue (the shape shifter/melee character) as he is a bit of an enigma at the beginning, but his story really opens up emotionally by the end.

What didn't I like?

My biggest issue with the game was the platforming. The game revolves around visiting various dungeons from the hub (the village), and the dungeons themselves are enjoyable enough: you fight monsters, solve puzzles, defeat a boss. However, many of the puzzles require jumping and precise movement.

Unfortunately, early 3D platforming and PS1-era camera movement/perspective are a rough combination. Those sections weren't just challenging; they were pretty damn frustrating. I'm unashamed to say that I abused save states whenever the game demanded precise jumping.

VERDICT:

Overall, I liked Threads of Fate quite a bit. The light-hearted story, dual protagonists, and straightforward mechanics made it easy to pick up after bedtime without needing to remember a dozen systems or a complicated plot. It's short, charming, and never overstays its welcome.

Will I still be thinking about it a year from now the way I think about Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, Koudelka, or Dragon Quest V? Probably not.

But not every game needs to be a masterpiece or a philosophical exploration. Sometimes as a busy parent, a good twelve-hour game you can actually finish is more valuable than the hundred-hour epic that stays in your backlog forever.

Score: 3.5/5

Recommended if you want a short, colorful PS1 action RPG that is paced well and has a few story surprises. But it’s definitely skippable if you hate platforming or are looking for a deep, memorable story.

A note about the Pocket Air Mini:

The PAM is, as usual, comfortable, and the screen (ghosting issues aside) is gorgeous for colorful games like this one. This was my last RPG on the PAM as I sold it to fund my pre-order of the RP Nova, but it was a great device for PS1 games and RPGs. I’d heartily recommend it to anyone.

NEXT STEPS:

Over these last 4 weeks since finishing Threads, I’ve started Wild Arms and am thoroughly enjoying it. It’s longer than any of the other games on my quest so far (except DQV), but I’m about 20 hours in and it’s still got its hooks in me. So, that review will be coming soon...ish.

After Wild Arms I’m thinking of taking a break from PS1 RPGs to try out Final Fantasy III/VI. Does anyone have an opinion on the preferable way to play it? I’m thinking GBA as the text seemed a little clearer, but I’m open to having my mind changed.

As always, thank you again for reading my post! I hope I’ve inspired other parents (or anyone with limited free time) to stop watching “Top 10 Best ____ RPGs!” videos and just play a game or two. See you in the next one!

Device: Ayaneo Pocket Air Mini

Game: Vanguard Bandits (PS1)

“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

So, it’s been a little while since my last review; longer than expected. I picked Vanguard Bandits because it’s relatively short for an RPG at around 20 hours, but I ended up playing through it twice. First because I accidentally locked myself into the “bad” ending (can’t have that), and second because I spent most of my initial run confused about what half the game’s systems actually did. Once everything finally clicked though, I thoroughly enjoyed this game. It’s ambitious, looks fantastic, and has some serious bops in its soundtrack.

Section 1: The Goods or “Why I played this game twice”

I’ll start with this: I am very bad at tactical RPGs. That said, they are perfect for a busy parent as I can essentially pause whenever. I also think they’re really cool and love the feeling of outsmarting an opponent even if that doesn’t always happen for me. Vanguard Bandits is a tactical RPG which reminds me of Fire Emblem. There is a team you level up along with your MC, you play on a checkerboard with set movement and order, and when you attack an opponent, it changes to a one-on-one screen where you watch both characters do their actions. Also similar to Fire Emblem, it’s in a medieval-ish, fantasy-ish setting.

However, unlike Fire Emblem, everyone is in a badass fuckin mech and it’s a 90s anime! It also bounces between excellent pixel art for the story scenes and battle map, to PS1 polygonal 3D for the mech one-on-ones. The whole game’s story is told through these isometric pixel art scenes with 2D-3D diorama backgrounds that were really interesting and detailed even if you’re only in one for one short conversation. It’s very clear how much love and thought went into the creation of this game.

Section 2: The Meh or “Why I played this game twice”

A lot of love and thought certainly went into this game, its art, its music, its battles and mechanics. I’m just not sure the same amount of thought went into how to present it to the player. While I kind of enjoy complex RPGs, I do struggle with abject opacity, and this game opaques, man.

Every time you level up in battle, you’re given 3 points to add to your character. You can add these to any of the stats you want and those include: BAS, POW, DEX, AGL, DEF, WEP. If me not explaining those three letter acronyms confused you, then welcome to Vanguard Bandits. These stats are never explained in the game, there is no “info” box that pops up at the bottom of the screen, or an in-depth tutorial, or really any assistance at all for how to level someone up or why you should choose one stat or the other. These stats not only help your character grow, but they also unlock attacks and abilities when you have a certain amount. I had to resort to the Vanguard Bandits subreddit and an incredibly detailed fan-made website to get any information that could help me. There are about 20 battles throughout this game in a single path (there are 3 paths), and so, if you are an RPG veteran, you kind of understand what these stats are for and what they do and through trial and error you can build a fairly proficient understanding of most of these stats.

There is also a “morale” system in this game, where you are loved, liked, disliked, or hated by members of your party based on how you fight in battles, who survives each battle (no one dies in battle permanently, unless it’s story related), and who you talk to in the pre-battle “interview” mini game (you’re allowed to talk 3 times, and can use them all on one character if you really need them to like you). This morale system is also not explained, but is VERY IMPORTANT for the end of the game. If anyone in your crew dislikes you in the final battle you will not have enough friendship in your heart and will be locked into the “bad” ending. This was the ending I got in my first playthrough after 19 chapters/battles of stumbling through this game

When I started this quest, I said that I wouldn’t worry about getting the best ending, wouldn’t finish every side quest, and wouldn’t spend too much time reading guides. I’d just play games that I never got a chance to when i was a kid, and just enjoy them as they are. BUT I am also a long-time RPG fan, and I can’t just finish a story as a bad guy (No matter how cool force lightning was, I could never be a dark Jedi in KOTOR either). So, I read a few guides, looked up stat explainers, and made a plan. Then I reloaded the game and started over (with fast forward on), and you know what, I really enjoyed it.

Section 3: Device Selection

I played through this whole game on the Ayaneo Pocket Air Mini even though I have a perfectly good (objectively better) RG 476h on my desk. Why did I do this? Because the PAM rules. I love my 476h, it’s got a great screen, more power, and I will likely play through my next RPG on it, but for the games I play (PS1 and GBA) 90% of the time, the power wasn’t a factor, and the screen actually didn’t matter to me at all. Something about the more compact nature of the PAM, its very solid build, and the color tuning of the panel just made me choose it over the 476h when I started the game. The PAM’s color tuning is so good it made the pixel art in this game really pop. I know folks complain about the ghosting, but personally, I think that complaint is overblown. Yes, it exists (especially in the Ayaneo home screen), but in game I’ve never noticed it or been affected by it. The buttons are also mushy and quiet, so it’s especially suited for early morning and late night play sessions (when I do most of my questing). Both machines are overkill for what I play, but they both make for great places to play RPGs. If you were choosing between one or the other, and your use case is similar to mine, my honest response is that you can’t go wrong with either. So, just pick one and actually finish some games.

Section 4: End?

This game is good. Really good, despite its faults. Vanguard Bandits is one of the most charmingly frustrating RPGs I’ve played in a while. It’s beautiful, ambitious, mechanically dense, and occasionally terrible at explaining itself. But once it clicks, it’s hard not to appreciate just how much creativity and personality is packed into this weird little mech tactical RPG.

So would I replay it? I already did! But jokes aside, there are 3 main paths or branches for the story, and someday I’d like to finish another one (the game is fairly short at about 20 hours without fast forward).

Would I recommend it for other busy parents or busy people? Yes! Provided you don’t mind a bit of pre-learning/reading, once you understand how the game works, it’s a lot of fun and can be stopped and started easily if needed.

My final score: Vanguard Bandits gets a B+; well worth your time!

If you’re thinking about playing it, here are three pieces of advice for success:

1. Don’t over-level anyone: spread your kills out fairly evenly between most party members. This will ensure that the later chapters won’t absolutely spank you, and also hopefully leads to fewer party member deaths (if a party member dies a lot they’ll grow to hate you which means “bad” ending).
2. BAS is health and support ability unlocks, POW is attack power, DEX is likelihood to hit, AGL is likelihood to evade (and maybe turn order?), DEF is defense and damage you take per hit, WEP is individual weapon damage (arguably the most useless stat)
3. You’ll have access to shops only about 3 times in one playthrough, you have limited funds, so I’d recommend upgrading everyone’s weapon first (better weapons add extra points to the WEP stat), then their stones (ability unlocks), and then accessories if you want.

I realize this may have been my longest review yet, and if you read the whole thing, holy cow, thank you, you’re a real one. I really do appreciate everyone who takes the time to read, skim, and/or interact with my posts.

For all the busy folks:

TL;DR: Vanguard Bandits is a tactical RPG dripping in 90s anime aesthetic. Though some of its systems are flawed, at 20 hours of really enjoyable, sometimes difficult gameplay, I think this is 100% worth your time.