2006 (Hitman: Blood Money, Bully, FF XII, LEGO Star Wars II and Mother 3 are released) WIP

2000｜​2001｜2002｜2003｜2004｜2005｜2006｜2007｜2008｜2009
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (NDS, 2006)
Subgenre: ARPG (see Dawn of Sorrow), Removes the touch screen elements besides an optional tap to make the secondary char jump, Optional collectathon element
Movement Mechanics: Triple jump of sorts, Flight via the owl form, High jump (can jump infinitely in mid-air)
​Other: Non-castle areas accessed via paintings (can move back and forth - these segments are single entry point and generally more straightforward but you do backtrack into one of them to progress at one point and can do optional backtracking into a few others for items, these areas don't connect to each other), Small hub within the castle where you can take on optional side quests (a set of 5 at a time though after finishing a few of these you can come back later to unlock more), MP mode (boss rush) - however you don't play at the same time?, Boss rush mode (course 1 is unlocked from the get go and includes some enemies and bosses from DoS), One shop (still can't buy back rare items you've found and sold, adds more items as you spend more money and beat more bosses though you have to spend a lot of money it seems), You only swim at one point here and it's a boss fight
​
  • 2 different playable chars that you can switch between on the fly after getting an item for it (shared HP & MP, the other char can also move along with you while being controlled by the CPU - then it uses MP as HP and is stunned if it runs out), Can also call on the other char to help solve basic puzzles (a button combo makes them stay put) or use a sub weapon then go away again, The secondary char also replaces the gear set switching from DoS
  • Partially non-linear structure (there are sub areas accessed via large paintings within the castle which are generally more self-contained (few rooms that require abilities gained later on to explore (and backtracking to these is generally optional though you will want to get at least the sanctuary spell to get the good ending) and these sub areas don't connect to each other) in structure and you can only go into one of them at first, lets you pick between 2 painting sub areas after the first one but then only one for the fourth, can choose between 5 side quests at a time but these are optional - have to also come back later at times to make more quests appear if you don't finish all 5 available ones in order, some painting sub areas are almost linear (1/city, 4/forest, 5/dark academy, 13th street, nest of evil), when reaching the last four paintings you can do part of and exit the forgotten city one then play the second and third (fourth as well if you got the owl spell from the dark academy one) - at this point you can also fight the whip's memory boss whenever you want to)
  • Very frequent save points (only one slot per game though, they also heal you and restore MP)
  • Some environmental storytelling (witch who created the blob boss)
  • Use-based skill progression for Jonathan (See Mega Man Zero) - allows for a damage boost when using sub weapons. Can be circumvented for some of the best sub weapons via the shop
  • End game remixed painting areas in the end-game that you unlock and beat for the true ending (a bit like the inverted castle)
  • Unlockable painting area if you get 100% map completion (recycled DoS and SotN bosses here)
  • Some other interesting abilities (triple jump of sorts (can gain the ability to bounce off of the other char and then double jump), toad transformation, dual char/team attacks which cost more MP than sub weapons (similar to a super attack in DoS or item crashes in earlier games) - invincibility time during these though not against all attacks, owl transformation spell - flight, speed up spell (there are also such boots but their stats aren't great)
  • Can make the player chars talk to each other via the pause menu for occasional gameplay or directional tips
  • Same teleport system (choose where to go in the map view, teleport between visited warp rooms, frequent teleporter rooms) and you can also buy magic ticket items later on to teleport from anywhere, A few non-teleporter shortcuts
  • Some sequence breaking possibilities (can do an unintended alternate double jump by tapping the screen and then switching chars to jump again)
  • MP and HP upgrades are back
  • Control config
  • Can't hold more than 9 of each item at once - still OP though. More expensive potions but not quite expensive enough so from the mid-game onwards they become OP
  • One hidden sub area (nest of evil - a battle arena, requires a map exploration rate of at least 888/1000%)
  • Three different endings (best - save both the sisters and the shopkeep/good - save the sisters/bad - don't save either (ends the game prematurely))
  • Some unlockables (richter and sisters modes, new game+ with partially carryover - see the wiki, magus ring, old axe armor mode, boss rush gear rewards)
  • Some breakable walls (the item that shows breakable walls is an annoyingly rare drop by the peeping eye enemy though the stone circle spell can also reveal them as it damages walls (however this spell is a very rare drop), trial & error required to find them without this item)
  • Altered enemy patterns and abilities on hard mode (besides you doing less damage and taking more from hits)
  • The game switches out torch drops if you're maxed out on one resource (max MP for example)
  • The sub areas inside the paintings generally aren't like Zelda dungeons in that you don't gain one new movement ability used to progress in each one (you tend to gain one at the end of them instead). Sub areas instead tend to have more platforming gimmicks in the style of the classic CV games (some like the first one don't really have this though)
  • In a few rooms there are frequently spawning flying enemies
  • ​Slowly regenerating MP - can be made faster if you get the magus ring by finishing all the side quests (a lot of work)
  • No proper forward dash here - rocket slash sort of works like one but there's a charge time before each one. There's also the speed up spell though
  • Static difficulty (means doing the desert after the circus makes that boss kind of easy for example)
  • No HP/MP restored when leveling up however the HP and MP upgrades do restore these bars
  • Quick save/sleep feature lets you quickly backtrack but only to the beginning of the current room so it's not that helpful (would've been better to allow starting at the most recently visited save point instead)
  • New game+ (non-key spells don't carry)
  • Dropped items disappear after a few seconds
  • No crafting/fusing of weapons, no soul system and no Ghost/spiritual separation ability for scouting here (DoS). Can't stand on petrified enemies (could've been used for traversal)
  • Can't place markers or notes on the map screen and it doesn't auto-mark points of interest
  • Can't drop items
  • New enemies do not appear in already explored areas (see CotM; not having them makes backtracking less interesting)
  • No parallel worlds theme as it's done in DoS (can enter mirrors in DoS to explore the "other side" of certain rooms - an underused element which could've been further explored here)

Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review



Mega Man ZX (NDS, 2006)
Subgenre: Action Adventure (mission-based), Collectathon element to some missions (second mission - hide and seek with 4 guards, ) and optionally for the database (bestiary/NPC encyclopedia) entries
Movement Mechanics: Air dash (sideways and upwards) and underwater dash (8 directions), Wall jump and slide+dash which affects jump momentum by default, Hang onto ceilings (lets you climb up if holding onto a platform)
​Other: The town and mountain pass areas (C and B) are hubs of sorts as they connect to four other areas - 8 areas only connect to one other area besides via teleporters and two don't have teleporters, Upgrade chips replace the Cyber-elves and there are fewer of them (they make some appearances but can't be used for buffs/upgrades here), OIS/Overdrive Invoke System - temporary boost to attack power (energy gauge-based and it drains pretty quickly but can be turned off at will, overdrive and some charge attacks activate a suit's element, lost when hit, Model X and ZX suits don't have an overdrive function), Double slot feature - start the game with MMZ3 or MMZ4 inserted into the DS and you can face bosses from those games in a certain area of this game, Some mini-games (sideways arkanoid-style - meh, bejeweled-lite - meh), Don't gain alternate main weapons for the ZX/Zero suit here (no chain rod, recoil rod, shield boomerang or knuckle)
​
  • Partially non-linear mission-based structure (choose from 4+ at a time after the early game where you choose between 2, can only complete one mission at a time and have to activate them in a teleporter or save room which leads to backtracking, optional backtracking and sidetracking for items with new abilities, some mission areas are very straightforward (amusement park, area L), some optional side missions can be taken on via the HQ), Some backtracking to previously visited areas to progress or get to items
  • Pretty frequent save points which also heal you (3 slots, shows current area+time taken+money, take on missions and report back on finished ones at these) - they don't refill energy/ammo however. Some additional quick save points were added to the legacy collection version
  • Lives system (carry up to 9, rare drop but some are placed here and there and can be farmed) - can't choose to restart at the last teleporter or save room after dying
  • Gain transformations/robot AI suits (biometals) w/ new movement abilities (wind/harpuia/model hx - air dash (sideways and upwards, MMX2?)+hover jump+the thunder element to the sabers lets you move some trucks in the town area and activate some moving platforms in area I, ice/leviathan/model lx - underwater swimming and water dash (8 directions)+create ice platforms which rise to the surface if underwater, flame/fefnir/model fx - megaton crash charge shot for destroying certain objects and knocking back enemies+buster edit which lets you draw a trajectory for the shot, shadow/phantom/model px - hang from ceilings and below platforms+see further in dark areas)
  • Various teleporters/transervers that let you move between visited teleporter rooms in other areas (these tend to be placed after bosses at the end of mission areas making them work like shortcuts out of them)
  • Full control config
  • Some other interesting abilities (enemy analysis (wind/harpuia) - name+hp+if it carries a biometal fragment, ice/leviathan - search (light which homes in on nearby items)+doesn't slide on ice+item scan feature (mini-map on the second screen), shadow/phantom - night scope (shoot through obstacles and see the whereabouts of nearby threats)+radar scope (more zoomed in mini-map on the second screen which marks enemies and secret paths)+dash through enemies and projectiles in overdrive mode, copy/model a suit - transform into any defeated enemy and use its attacks (similar to zero knuckle an classic MM)+homing shot that can target up to 8 enemies, remove optional flame barriers in one area with thunder charge shots)
  • Two somewhat different playable chars (vent (boy) and aile (girl), aile crawls a bit faster while vent has less knockback (?) when shot), somewhat different story)
  • Some decent puzzles (getting to the life upgrade in area I w/ tornado, using ice platforms underwater and electricity on some platforms to get to some other items, using buster edit for an optional database item in area M)
  • Skippable cutscenes (unskippable staff roll though)
  • Some environmental changes (can shut down the lab area machinery and certain traps by taking an optional path there - similar to the side objectives in MMZ4, attack on the HQ, shut down the fountain to reach below it, slow down the lava in area k using a hidden computer)
  • Database feature (enemy & NPC encyclopedia; sadly these don't have any gameplay use)
  • Difficulty options (easy and normal by default, unlock hard mode by beating normal - see mini review for notes)
  • One hidden boss which unlocks an overpowered model ox/omega suit
  • Can hit a larger consumable (placed or dropped) to make it split into three smaller and different kinds if you need something other than what it is
  • Off screen enemy and destructible object respawning (placed consumables respawn after moving to a different sub area which means they can be farmed). A few mini-bosses also respawn and they don't drop anything
  • Ammo/energy-based elemental attacks here
  • The Model X suit is replaced by ZX after a couple of missions unless you've beaten the game with both characters on Normal or above
  • No pits outside of mission areas but still plenty of them overall
  • Static difficulty curve (doesn't dynamically change depending on the mission order picked)
  • Can take off the suit to move around in human form but it's not used that well (lets you crawl to go into smaller spaces but doesn't let you shoot or wall jump/slide or dash (a slide would've also been better than crawling - see MM3), can't talk to certain NPCs with the suit on), NPCs can see you put on a suit but still not recognize you
  • Boss gauntlet in the final area - no health or ammo recharges in-between these (just some enemies in-between each pair that may or may not drop them though right before the final boss it's easier to grind for ammo and HP)
  • Spikes insta-kill and you can't become immune to them here (normal or hard)
Some notable cons:
  • ​Constant beeping after finishing the objective in an area
  • Aborting a mission puts you back where you accepted the current one and you lose your current progress+you can't take on more than one mission at a time - makes exploration less dynamic since you also can't properly explore and finish a mission area you might've discovered on your way to another mission (the teleporter is generally placed after the boss room which is locked until mission activation)
  • Confusing and uninformative map system (doesn't show area layouts - only if an area contains a teleporter or save room but not where they are, doesn't show where entrances to mission areas are - only roughly how areas connect, can't mark points of interest such as ability gated parts - Ultima Underworld/System Shock/Ore ga Omae o Mamoru, can't see if an indoors room connects to a different area from outside of it, can't see which locked doors you've moved through on the map nor locked doors themselves, for some reason the corridor rooms connecting one sub area to another (B1-B2 for example) aren't marked in-game like the other transitional rooms are, the second screen could've been used for the map screen - instead used only for the analyze ability which is seriously wasteful and could've been displayed in the regular HUD, oddly some of the areas also aren't placed logically on the map - for example area E is to the left of area C on the map while it's to the right in-game (the maps using only letters and not area names also makes it harder to remember the areas), sometimes the progression order between sub areas in an area is jumbled up in terms of their numbering - for example you'll visit sub area 4 in the lab before sub area 3)
  • Shots from off screen
  • Mission briefings don't tell you about rewards (key cards, crystal amount) - specific missions reward you with colored key cards that let you open doors of that color nor do they show you where an area you haven't been to yet is located
  • Some backtracking - generally no new enemies are encountered when backtracking and sometimes there are no new paths to take with gained suits either
  • Some one-way paths which seem pointless
  • Too many detours just lead to database items - good challenges leading up to them makes doing them not feel worth it
  • No health drops from mini-bosses and enemies don't drop health more frequently when at low health - the splitting mechanic helps a little though
  • Odd boss-specific ranking system (based on which part of the boss you hit - have to not hit their weak point to get the highest rank which is level 4 and it can be very hard to avoid+can force a more reactive approach to fights) - can't restart a fight if you got a low level. If you don't get a high level you'll have to spend money/crystals on repairing the biometal afterwards to get the full energy/ammo bar for it and this is pretty expensive so it leads to grinding
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Playthrough - Video Review/Analysis - Mini Review
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Within a Deep Forest (PC, 2006)
Subgenre: 2D Puzzle Platformer, One mine cart segment (charge jumps rather than bouncing here, very short though), Flip screen (instead of scrolling), One escort segment
Movement Mechanics: Bouncing ball avatar (similar to Cauldron 2 but more advanced, bouncing rather than jumping), Hover via air streams/wind (push back and then forward for a momentum boost)
Other: Hub area and levels w/ single entry points, 3 secret mini-games (accessible via the Secret Levels.exe application after they have been unlocked via found 4-digit codes or with a cheat)
​
  • ​Mostly linear (you can enter some of the sub areas/levels before you're supposed to but in all cases but two (one without sequence breaking) you'll just run into an ability gate/temporary dead end, two paths through the "that hover thing" level, some optional areas that lead to hints but you don't know it beforehand, can get the yoga ball before the glass ball)
  • ​Multiple ball forms with different properties (for example: black/iron ball - heavy+less bouncy and breaks weak walls+no effect from wind, glass ball - bounces higher and moves faster than the pink ball+can pass through lasers but shatters if it hits solid ground or walls at high speeds including longer falls, ascent ball - button mash flight; Can switch between forms at checkpoints)
  • Difficulty options (normal and hard)
  • Frequent checkpoints/temporary save points (can jump over them) and a few save points ("menu rooms")
  • ​Suicide command (Zillion) - Used as a sort of fast travel from levels back to save rooms here (can also teleport between a save point to the tutorial area and back but not between save points or visited levels)
  • One hit deaths
  • Platforming puzzles and logical (sort of) puzzles
  • Optional tutorial area that expands with each ball form/material gained (sort of, some balls don't get a new segment here)
  • One major sequence break possible (getting to the iron ball before the pink ball by jumping to the left off the mountain, early shadowlands via a glitch)
  • Partial time travel/climate change theme (go to a different version of the hub area where it's winter and you can cross water)
  • Kinda weird save/load and fast travel systems (no "resume game" option in the menu - instead you pick the area name of the area you were in and it continues from where you saved in that area which is kinda vague)
  • Many neutral creatures but you can't interact with them (only with stationary NPCs)
  • Can't attack enemies
  • Glass ball form makes you feel vulnerable but the game takes it a bit too far, non-interactive dialogue
  • Some non-persistent obstacles (breakable walls/floors)
  • No control config and no built-in controller support (also can't fully map the game to a controller due to how ball selection and menus work)
  • No message/quest log - pretty big info dump from the first NPC you meet if you go right in the beginning and others are in remote locations so you'll want to write their hints down
  • No maps (and some identical level entrances don't have signs)
  • No bosses

Playthrough w/ commentary - Review - Mini Review
Lyle in Cube Sector (PC, 2006)
Subgenre: Metroid-like, Collectathon aspect (several orbs for the upgrade to the cube spawning ability)
Movement Mechanics: Double jump (up to five times in a row in mid-air with an upgrade) by throwing cubes/blocks downwards similar to  Klonoa
Other: Use found and spawned cubes to fight, Basketball mini-game
​
  • 3 Warp shortcuts (room with three warp pads near beginning, not quite enough though), Can choose to save and quit anywhere to warp back to the previous save point with progress kept
  • Only one save point (at your home in the beginning) - 3 warp points leading to near the beginning but you have to find them and after that there's a couple of areas without warps to them which leads to backtracking​
  • Partially non-linear (can get kick from the third area before phantom cube from the second one, can explore area 4 (purple one with meat eating plants) before area 3, can explore part of area 5 (grey) after the first boss, can explore part of the southeastern lava area before beating the second boss but need large block carrying to clear it and the sand area)
  • Pretty well interconnected world
  • Decent map system overall (Super Metroid-style; doesn't show where found upgrade items are though and you can't mark points of interest, no room topography shown)
  • Starts off tough with no means to attack at first, lots of enemies, few health drops and low health and no checkpoints or save points besides where you start the game
  • Some neutral creatures
  • Slowly regenerating ammo/CP
  • Can avoid most combat
  • No breakable walls
  • The block moving/stacking puzzle aspect is abandoned pretty quickly
  • Don't start with full health and ammo after reloading (only 4 HP and half ammo)
  • Keep finding items you have a full stock of (health when at full health for example)
  • Can't carry blocks between rooms (no puzzle reason for it)
  • Non-persistent green blocks (the ones that don't break from throwing them around) even within the same room and some issues with non-respawning blocks in various rooms - makes you backtrack to be able to retry a segment until you get the phantom cube ability
  • Life and ammo drops from enemies disappear if they move off screen
​
Playthrough (Speedrun) - Video Review - Mini Review
​

An Untitled Story (PC, 2006)
Subgenre: Metroid-like/Precision Platformer, Collectathon element (7 golden orbs to get into the last area)
​Perspective: Side View besides two optional mini-games
Movement Mechanics: ​Double jump+extra jumps via mid-air energy points, Stick to and move on ceilings, Air stomp/downward air dash, Bounce off of certain enemies and objects
Other: Flip screen, Some shops and NPCs, Stat (health, defense, attack range) upgrades
​
  • Partially non-linear structure (can explore above the cannon segment near town before the third boss, various optional upgrades, can open a second yellow gate near the beginning as the first becomes accessible, can go to either the underwater area or the lava area at one point, can do the white wobbly area or the dark cave area after getting the ice shot in the underwater area and the ceiling walk ability near the beginning of the desert area, can do the rainy mountain area or the pink area after the lava cave boss+beginning of desert area, can do the wobbly white area before finishing the underwater area, can go to rainy mountain or the stone castle eye boss after all jump upgrades+yellow energy point ability)
  • Frequent save points overall (one slot per game) which also heal you - these become less frequent in the late game
  • Can teleport between found save points (ability gained early on)
  • Some good puzzles and some decent ones
  • Some interesting gimmicks (red mid-air energy points give you an extra jump but then disappear for a few seconds - similar to bouncing on enemies in SMB3/Sonic/Monster World 3), blue energy points temporarily turn into platforms when shot, heart gates - have to beat the current room or segment leading up to it without taking damage to get to the health upgrade, the blue ghost enemies)
  • Decent map system (shows basic layout, where you are and save points+boss rooms, named areas), Doesn't mark room exits that you haven't used yet and doesn't mark items or other points of interest, Can't place map markers
  • Generally good challenges leading up to items
  • Completion numbers and stats screen (deaths, saves, damage taken or dealt) in the menu
  • Some environmental storytelling (cave paintings, signs - could've been notes though which are actually used later on)
  • Invincible flying enemy appearing on random screens after its first appearance (it kidnaps some NPCs you meet along the way) adds to the sense of vulnerability - similar to the ghost in Bubble Bobble
  • Difficulty options (easy-masterful/very hard, affects how many gold orbs are needed to enter the final area (10 on very hard))
  • Can farm for money from pots though it's kinda slow
  • Money/crystal magnet ability
  • Spikes don't do that much damage though it does increase over the course of the game and you sometimes can't get out of a spike pit without taking several hits
  • Minor money grinding (yellow gates, can find a blue orb that increases money drops - SotN?)
  • Can escape from some boss fights but not most of them
  • Some mini-games (Rainbow catch - catch stars while falling and bounce on some objects+shoot to catch all of them, space invaders-like - decent, pseudo TP runner - ok), Two gambling mini-games (one hidden one which lets you win a money magnet and a health upgrade)
  • Frozen enemies are destroyed instead of restored after the ice melts/breaks - enemies respawn when re-entering a screen
  • Slow rate of fire and getting close to the object or enemy doesn't help - can't upgrade it
  • Some notable cons:
  • Gets very hard towards the end with fewer save points and a bunch of trial & error where a couple of mistakes means you have to restart from the last save
  • Double jump isn't 100% reliable
  • Unforgiving hit detection on the mid-air energy points you use to jump again in the air at various points
  • Some trial & error tied to gaining one progression ability due to vague hints and various optional paths pretty much require a guide to find
  • Some movement upgrades are too minor (slightly improved jump height and slightly improved double jump height) or feel like you should've had them from the beginning (ducking)
  • Some annoying music (can turn it off though)
  • Some bosses have overly long invincibility periods
  • Unskippable cutscenes
  • Invisible walls to the west and the east as well as in the "the bottom" area+invisibile roof in the sky at mountside area and pink area
  • Some difficulty spikes and dips

Playthrough w/ Commentary - Review - Mini Review

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Bunny Must Die: Chelsea and the 7 Devils (PC, 2006/PS4/PSV, 2016) - WIP
2D, ​Bullet hell elements
Perspective: Side View
Other: Chibi bunny suit girl avatar

​Can only hold one weapon at a time (unlike in CV it's your main weapon)
Time slowing+stopping and reversing abilities (Sands of Time)
Map feature (shows layout, doors and some points of interest but no topography within rooms)
Parry system (time directional inputs with the moment of impact according to the direction something is hitting you from - Street Fighter 3)
Odd jumping (jumping without pressing a direction at the same time reaches higher and lets you attack enemies below but has poor horizontal length)
Unlockable second character (new abilities and controls)
​

Soldexus (PC, 2006) - 2D Igavania-like - WIP
​Unlockable second playable character with different bosses (beat it)
​Okami (PS2, 2006/Wii, 2008/Multi (HD ver.), 2012)
Subgenre: 3D Zelda-ish ARPG (towns w/ shops and some traders outside of them, some puzzles and puzzle-style bosses, helper NPC, manual jumping, cracked bombable walls, etc.), exp point leveling w/ manual stat distribution (HP - can also be upgraded w/ found items, ink capacity/MP, astral pouch charges - revive, wallet size), Various QTEs
​​Perspective: Mostly TP view, Side view for some segments
Movement Mechanics: Double jump, Air dash/tackle, Wall jump, Wall climb (see Ninja Gaiden), Vine jumps at specific points (similar to the hookshot in Zelda)
Other: Overworld and dungeons structure, Wolf avatar, ​Partially non-random battle encounters (get teleported inside a battle arena surrounded by walls upon touching an enemy, can escape from it but you lose godhood* levels). You also face a few enemies outside of these encounters, Buy new combat moves at the dojo near the beginning which are then taught by a trainer, Brush drawing gimmick - draw shapes on the screen with a brush pointer to use spells (can hit more than one target with one stroke, gameplay pauses while drawing but certain bosses can override this pause), Some mini-games (dig up the turnips without getting hit by an NPC, fishing, well digging (2D side view) - similar to Boulder Dash or Solomon's Key mixed with Lemmings, transport NPCs to their destinations by blowing lily pad platforms around under a time limit, thief on foot races and runner on foot races, make a large snowball by rolling it into lumps of snow, two time limited "follow the NPC" segments), Many optional collectables (100 stray beads for an OP weapon), Automatic jumping into and out of water at specific points

  • Linear overarching structure (after the second hostile area you can do a couple of side quests per area - sometimes 3+, mostly straightforward dungeon areas, some backtracking to previous areas with new abilities to progress including some towns)
  • Some spells and tools for traversal (create fires (also works like a smart bomb if you draw it bigger though it uses more ink) which melts ice, freeze certain moving platform-style enemies, plant regeneration and some restoring of things like bridges and buildings, create lily pad platforms on water and with wind (make hanging flags/pennants blow horizontally so you can temporarily walk on them), wind gusts that affect various objects and enemies including the lily pad platforms, swing towards certain mid-air platforms - this is kinda similar to the Bash ability used later on in Ori except here there's no time limit when holding the button to aim, slow down target - used on some spinning platforms)
  • Evenly placed save points (multiple slots, shows current area and time taken)
  • Default item magnet for coins (but not for other items - can buy an item that upgrades it) and wall jump move
  • Quest and tutorial message logs
  • The area map system marks save points, warp points and eventually the cat statues for you. Can move around while checking the map for an area (semi-transparent). Can also zoom the main map out both to a regional one and to a map of the entire world (which is based on old Japan). Crazy Taxi-style arrows showing you where to go in some areas early on (can't be toggled off - optional map markers or manual ones would've been preferable) - generally the game uses map markers instead though. The map system spoils the sub area/room/floor layout when getting to a new one (the cursed zones act like a fog of war however and hidden paths aren't shown). Found dungeon maps show more detail+the outlines of unexplored rooms in dungeons and let you switch between floors on the map screen
  • Day/night cycle (different NPC behaviors, can only encounter certain monsters at night and the scroll encounters will chase you at night, white glowing spots (optional buried items) are visible at night) - Can fastforward to morning with the sunrise spell and later on vice versa with the crescent spell (this can also trigger certain events)
  • Astral pouch item which saves you from death (Zelda 3 fairies)
  • Pretty good environmental interaction (fixing broken buildings/statues, feeding wild animals, cutting up trees/statues/grass/boulders, ). Some larger scale environmental changes (restoring the water in the forest ruins, )
  • Enemy bestiary with some combat tips as well as an animal bestiary (friendly animals which can be fed for exp)
  • Find hidden clover spots and other items when backtracking through restored hostile areas or to previous rooms in some dungeons
  • Get better demon fang/special money rewards from enemies by using the right finishers and beating them quickly+without taking damage (the bestiary generally doesn't tell you which brush technique to use though)
  • Upgradeable weapons (attack power only) with gold dust items and upgradeable amount of bombs on screen at certain springs. These are at a limited supply which increases as you progress - some can be bought at certain shops and some are gained as rewards for the bounty hunts
  • Some scripted events during exploration (floor falling down in the forest ruins for example)
  • Some decent-good puzzles (spatial awareness, contraption puzzle and some timing puzzles in wawku shrine, can get underwater chests with slashes - the contents float up, disperse breath attacks with wind, cannon in third dungeon, some platforming puzzles with cat statues on oni island, etc.)
  • Blurs the line between hostile area and town at one point (also creates a decent sense of vulnerability here as you have to fight without your brush powers)
  • A few neutral creatures (platform spiders, animals you can feed though it doesn't make them help you travel)
  • Some warps/teleports (visited mermaid springs - costs 1 coin per teleport until you get the fountain spell in the mid-game) - can be used about 8-10h into the game. Later on you can buy an artifact/tool which lets you teleport between visited save points as well
  • Various sequence breaking possibilities in new game+ (by switching skins/using karmic transformers in mid-air to jump infinitely - more with out of bounds glitches). Can also skip some forced encounters by avoiding the trigger points in the regular game, and skip the double jump move by wall jumping against created trees at some points. 
  • Some systemic elements (elemental effects like wind putting out fire and how it affects various objects like fans and flags as well as animals, enemies can accidentally hit each other)
  • Some NPCs also travel around the world a bit making it feel more alive (most stand in place or perform some repeated task in one spot however and those who travel also stand in place until talked to outside of cutscene appearances)
  • Fight alongside an NPC for two boss fights
  • Some forced encounters (can escape from some of them but not others, can't escape from gate encounters, can skip some of them by moving around the trigger point). Sometimes have to clear special "gate" encounters on the overworld to progress as clearing them changes the environment, making the game a bit more combat-focused than most Zeldas
  • Partial control config (camera axis inversion only) - not really needed though
  • Respawning pots w/ randomized consumables in them
  • Can bite most NPCs as well as hit them with spells - nothing happens besides a short animation though. Can also carry the children of groups of animals for a bit but if you "kidnap" them they automatically respawn with their group. The trainer NPC can be tackled and at certain points he'll attack you once
  • Semi-silent protagonist (generally acts like a tame wolf and communicates like one but Issun can also hear what it's thinking somehow)
  • Various fetch quests
  • Regenerating ink meter - can upgrade its speed with an item that costs fangs though the temporary infinite ink items are pretty cheap anyway
  • Unlockable skins and artwork (get S ranks in the different categories when completing the game: deaths, kills, money and fangs, praise/exp)
  • Can extend your combos but they're pretty basic (you just mash the same button as fast as possible regardless of the weapon used)
  • Some optional bosses (three giant spiders similar to the first main one) - these are all equally difficult though and they're all easy
  • The game is pretty forgiving about falling into pits - lose 1 HP and respawn where you last stood on solid ground (Zelda 3)
Some notable cons: 
  • Kinda slow and long intro (unskippable unless playing a new game+ game) and mostly unskippable cutscenes which are also pretty frequent though generally not that long. Some of these cutscenes are also rather slow. 
  • Various control/interface issues
  • Starts out very easy and feels like a tutorial for ~1-2 hours (tutorial messages also pause the action since there's no proper VA). It actually takes about 6h+ to get to a proper dungeon (the forest ruins) if you do the sidequests up to that point. Combat stays pretty easy almost throughout and puzzles tend to be easy as well
  • Plenty of dead space and some backtracking
  • Some trial & error 
  • Invisible walls here and there
  • Some tedious aspects (the game is too anal about hitting exactly right with the brush when taking out the blockhead/wall NPCs - gets rather annoying during the later encounters with it, Issun interrupts you a bit too much and sometimes he or tutorial messages tell you things that you've already discovered on your own, Issun also spoils various puzzles in the first 12 hours or so of the game and sometimes later on as well - the game should've let the player ask him when they got stuck instead, etc.)​
  • Inconsistent spell usage in some ways (can't use bombs to remove leaf piles or disturb the elevator operator in the moon cave nor use the fuse of a lit bomb as a fire source to melt ice, can't use brush cuts to propel objects like the crystal ball forwards - can use them to reflect some enemies' projectiles back at them, etc. )

Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
​

Flushed Away (NDS, 2006)? - 2.5D, Side View, Mini-games, Boat segments, 2 different playable chars (Rita has a grappling hook needed to progress at times for example)
Death pits
Can't kill enemies
​No handholding after the tutorial?


The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii/GC, 2006)
Subgenre: 3D Action Adventure, Music element (pitch and note length control but no time signature switching), Rapids/waterfalls canoeing segment, Some collectathon elements (the poe sidequest - find and kill 60 for an endless supply of 200 rupees reward (lame reward on GC)), need to find all 24 bugs to be able to carry 1k rupees on GC, five heart pieces required for each new heart here, tear of light collecting, forced collectathon quest before the sky temple), Some Okami-style enemy encounters, A couple of flight segments where you ride an enemy creature for a bit, Escort mission segment (on horseback so it's fast-paced), Snowboarding segment w/ manual jumping (can replay it as a racing mini-game later on), Boar riding segments
Perspective: TP view (FP aiming mode)
Movement Mechanics: Manual jumping with Epona and between rails with the Spinner, QTE jumping in wolf form, Swimming
Other: Fishing, Sumo wrestling mini-game
​
  • Linear structure (Midna tells you to go back if you try to go to Hyrule field before the forest temple for example, can't go north of hyrule field once it opens up nor return to Link form to meet the golden wolf after reaching death mountain, etc.; some dungeons are also linear besides some optional chests) - opens up more after the third dungeon and gaining the ability to switch forms on the fly but you still have to do the dungeons in a set order
  • One optional gauntlet dungeon (cave of ordeals in the desert) and some optional caves
  • Gain a wolf form early on (dig (pass some wolf-only paths and find a few optional caves within stone circles), talk to animals and explore the twilight-covered parts of Hyrule (similar to the dark world in Zelda 3), perform more difficult jumps in certain spots, can learn scents to see trails leading to certain NPCs while in sense mode)
  • Epona stays where you left her even if moving to another area and back+you can summon her in certain areas using special grass and the game automatically plays her song when interacting with it - later on you get an item to summon her with in more places
  • Some new movement focused tools
  • Can warp out of dungeons as well as back to the last room you were in using a bird that you can carry with you (have to find it in each dungeon, can't warp back to finished dungeons from the outside with it though), Fairly frequent warp spots
  • Very good map system (togglable mini-map, three levels of zoom, show the basic layout+area exits+which door you exited last+dungeon doors(+treasure chests and the boss's location but you need to find the compass to see these as usual), ), Signs outside of houses, Area maps show the whole area as you enter them (helps you not miss details but lessens the sense of exploration a bit), Can't use map markers and the map doesn't show which doors are locked
  • Three save slots per game (shows current stats, location and time taken; save anywhere though you're taken back to a checkpoint when loading (in dungeons you get sent back to the entrance), Frequent checkpoints besides this as well except for a few spots in the fields)
  • Day/night cycle (OoT, each is about 8 mins long? (about twice as long as in OoT), some new enemies in some areas at night and houses in towns tend to be locked, time pauses while in towns; there's only a couple of ways to switch faster: go to the city in the sky and back and it switches to day/go to the twilight palace and back and it switches to night), No song of the sun (to jump to day/night anywhere)
  • Fight alongside Zelda against Ganon (Wind Waker)​
  • Pretty good fortune teller hints (heart piece locations)
  • More believable/immersive world (the world map isn't overly box- or oval-shaped finally, one pretty large town (castle town - plenty of NPCs moving around or doing other things here as well), the different "races" interact more with each other), Can throw rocks at NPCs but they don't tell you off (can also swing the sword and make some NPCs dodge it which is kinda funny), The game breaks from the "can't move items between dungeon doors" rule in the final dungeon, Breaks up the division between hostile and friendly areas at times with enemies appearing in towns (Zelda 3) and NPCs living in a dungeon, The dragon boss of sky temple interrupts your progress once during that dungeon (Shinobi ARC)
  • Some additional lore delivered via the mailman on the field over the course of the game (besides quest-related info; his repeated cutscene should've been skippable though)
  • Skippable cutscenes
  • Partial control config (hold or toggle Z-targeting, have to map Midna to Z - could equip 3 items in WW)
  • ​Some wolf paths get arbitrarily blocked off when back in Link form, Can climb some ledges but not other similar ones (similar issues with QTE jumping at times)
  • Dropped or found hearts/rupees/ammo disappear after a few seconds
  • More scripted events in-between dungeons
  • Enemies (and fish) keep dropping items which you already have a full stock of
  • No proper journal/quest log (the letters help a bit though and it's not much of an issue unless you take a longer break from the game)

Playthrough - Video Review - Mini Review
​

Scurge: Hive (GBA, 2006)? - 2D, Isometric View
Scurge: Hive (NDS, 2006)? - 2D, Isometric View, same game?


The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion & Knights of the Nine DLC pack (PC/XB360, 2006/PC, 2007)?
3D Open World WRPG (in-depth char creation, create your own class), ​Stealth
FP View
Horse mounts
Spells and skills for traversal/exploration (see the prequel?)
Starts with a tutorial w/ pop-ups
Fast travel points
More action/reflex-focused combat
Dynamic level scaling (not perfectly balanced)
Highly interactive environment
Persuasion mini-game
Quest markers
Fewer gear types


Forbidden Siren 2 (PS2, 2006)?
Subgenre: 3D AA/Survival Horror, Some platforming (context sensitive)
Perspective: TP/FP view hybrid (toggle)
Level-based and mostly linear (secondary objectives unlocking new levels, two endings, level select screen, basic hints/briefings before levels, can revisit levels)
​9 playable chars (most w/ unique abilities - Akiko can see visions from the past, one can lay traps, two can use flares, one can possess enemies, one sees through others (sightjacking), )
Difficulty options
Optional map markers
Subtitles and JP voices options
Control config
Maps but no mini-maps
​Unlockable mini-games


Gothic 3 (PC, 2006)
3D Open World WRPG (no arbitrary gates, can kill anyone)
TP View
Other: NPC schedules (day/night cycle), 2 factions (orcs and humans, humans are occupied and you can liberate cities)
Teleport stones - have to find them
​Some spells and skills for exploration/traversal (Telekinesis?, Light, Fog (stealth), Soul Travel, Some transformations?)
Buggy w/o fan patch
Map and compass (no mini-map?)
Hard
Quest log and dialogue journal features
Highly interactive world?
Tooltips for nearby interactive objects - SS1?
Save anywhere
Night to Day - skip ahead and heal spell
Visual effect when hurt
NPCs tend to knock you out and steal your stuff rather than kill you if you misbehave
​Can make NPCs and enemies fight for you

​
Sketchy (PC, 2006 (Demo)/2013 (Longer but unfinished)) - https://studiohunty.com/sketchy/


Outliers: 
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic (PC/XB360, 2006)
FPS/FP ARPG w/ Platforming (3 skill trees), ​Stealth and Trapping elements (can make enemies slip on ice or demolish wooden structures on top of enemies for example)
Level-based and mostly linear (two story choices)
No shops
Some spells for exploration and traversal (rope bow, telekinesis, highlight secret switches when still skill, ); Interactive environment (used for puzzles), Underdeveloped archery/ranged combat, Can stun and then disarm enemies, Many secrets, MP regen and you can gain HP regen, Mini-maps

Ys Origin (PC, 2006/Multi, 2017)
2.5D ARPG (sprite characters, fixed camera angles)
Bird's Eye View/Side View hybrid (a few segments)
3 different playable chars (choose before beginning), See the prequel, Basic swimming
Gain dash and double jump moves+wind skill that allows for a hover jump (also items for seeing hidden things and holding your breath longer underwater), Linear structure (some detours for items), Rough level scaling, Fast travel+healing+save point statues, No mini-maps

Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (PS2, 2006) - 3D/2.5D hybrid JRPG (3D battles in TP view - enemies move when you do, 2.5D location exploration w/ mostly 2D sidescrolling gameplay), Party-based combat w/ CPU allies?, Non-random encounters, Hub map
Gain some movement abilities? (short teleport/blink, can freeze enemies to use as platforms), Prequel story, Mini-maps

LaTale (PC, 2006) - 2D MMORPG w/ Platforming, PvP, Similar to Maple Story; Can/could gain some movement abilities but there's no ability gating, Attack combos, Level gating, Mini-maps

LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (Multi, 2006) - 3D Action Platformer/AA (Small hub area w/ a shop - buy chars), TP view, See the prequel, Hub room w/ a shop (access all 3 first episodes based on the movies and create a character based on bought chars, can you go back and forth between episodes during a session?), More vehicle segments
No new moves gained for any char?

Raw Danger!/Zettaizetsumei Toshi 2 (PS2, 2006)? - 3D AA/Survival (Disaster Sim), Open ended w/ missions (Rescue, ), Basic dialogue trees w/ story choices, Stealth element, Crafting
Can't travel between locations freely?, Gain vehicles and tools used to progress (temporary vehicles?, need umbrellas to stay dry?, flashlight), Some NPCs can open certain doors found later on, Large-scale environmental effects and destruction, Some puzzles, Body temperate mechanic affecting your performance, Save points, Weight mechanic

Bully (PS2, 2006/PC/Wii/XB360, 2008) - 3D Open World AA w/ RPG elements, TP view, Chapter-based (map expands as you complete each one), Reputation/respect levels (nerds, bullies, preps, etc.), Race segments, Mini-games, Dating, Schedules, Stealth element
No ability gating besides combat moves and weapons?, Mini-maps, Fast travel via buses/skateboards/bikes/scooters

Tomb Raider: Legend (Multi, 2006) - 3D Puzzle Platformer/TPS, No more tank controls, See the prequels, Hub area of sorts (mansion which gradually unlocks) - Linear and level-based otherwise?, Semi-automatic jumps and grabs?, Less boxy environments and obstacles+physics, QTEs
Three tools for progression (flashlight, grapple, pistols?), Bullet time (slow motion), Fewer weapons, Can only carry 3 health packs, Still no maps?, Partially skippable cutscenes

Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm (PS2, 2006) - 2D JRPG/AA Hybrid w/ Platforming, Isometric View exploration/Tilted View battles (TB), Sandbox/Open World structure

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (PSP, 2006)(Remaster of the PS1 game)? - New cutscenes and presentation, See the PS1 game, Don't gain new movement abilities?, Time limit, TB battles?

Destroy All Humans! 2 (XB/PS2, 2006) - Open World 3D AA/TPS, Mission-based (mainly protection, destruction and infiltration), TP view, Crafting? (gene blender), Flying Saucer segments, Side quests
​Some ability gating (body snatching - time limit), Mini-maps

Wild ARMs 5 (PS2, 2006) - 3D JRPG w/ Platforming, TD/TP View hybrid (TD Hex-based battle system), Collectathon element, Puzzles; Gain some abilities for progression in dungeons?, Can turn off encounters with an item

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent (Multi, 2006) - AA/Stealth Action, See the prequel, Partially non-linear (some story choices and you can do missions for two different factions (need to keep both sides happy but it's fairly easy on Normal?), three endings), Some more open areas with missions in daylight, Swimming and skydiving segments, 3v3 MP and Co-op modes (MP is less technical than the prequel?); Mini-maps, Have to wait in some missions (can't speed up time), Difficulty options, No shop?, Save anywhere, No revisiting of previous areas?

Hitman: Blood Money (PC/PS2/XB, 2006) - 3D AA/Stealth/Trapping (Assassin Sim), TP view/FP view hybrid, Larger and sandbox-style/open-ended levels/missions, Shops, Minor platforming; Lore via newspaper articles, Minor optional ability gating (disguises, explosives, ), Get penalized for going on rampages, Time limits between saves?, Maps but no mini-maps

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (PSP, 2006/PS2, 2007) - 3D Open World AA, Two hub areas (islands), See Vice City, Swimming; No ability gating besides vehicles needed for some missions?, Maps and mini-maps

Yakuza 2 (PS2, 2006) - 3D Open World AA/Beat 'em up w/ RPG elements, See the prequel, Some QTE elements, Many fetch quests, Little platforming (context sensitive); No ability gating?, Mini-maps

Scarface: The World Is Yours (Multi, 2006/Wii, 2007) - 3D Open World AA/Crime Sim (see GTA), Dancing and decorating your mansion; No ability gating besides vehicles used for some missions?, Mini-maps

Dead Rising (XB360, 2006) - Open World/Sandbox Action Adventure/Hack 'n Slash (Zombie theme) w/ RPG elements (HP, inventory, gain moves - mainly combat moves), Mission-based (scheduled objectives), Time limit (72 game hours/7-8 real hours), Escort missions (can sometimes carry them), Cooking; Some gating via vehicles?, Few movement/traversal abilities or tools gained (zombie ride lets you walk on zombie crowds, gain japanese language ability for rescuing such NPCs, zombie walk=disguise), Weapon/item/vehicle deterioration (can boost their durability w/ items), Can start the story over while keeping your gained levels, Unlockable overtime and infinite modes, No mini-maps?

The Godfather (Multi, 2006) - 3D Open World AA/Crime Sim (see GTA) w/ RPG elements (skill point allocation), Stealth element; No ability gating besides vehicles used for some missions? (upgradeable movement speed - not required?), Mini-maps

Monster House (GBA, 2006) - 2D AA/Survival Horror, TD view, 3 playable chars - Can switch in certain rooms, Single dungeon (house) setting, No platforming (besides jumping down in a couple of spots), Dark rooms, Some ability gating (disguise, put out fires, DJ can climb, Chowder can push obstacles, Jenny can go into small spaces), Save+healing points, Basic maps (shows layouts and false doors), Die if one char dies, Upgradeable HP, Fast travel via an elevator you can activate

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (Multi, 2006) - 3D ARPG/Beat 'em up, TD View, 24 playable chars, CPU allies that you can switch between on the fly, Some QTE mini-game battles, Co-op; Individual abilities are sometimes used to progress?, Semi-transparent mini-maps, Simple puzzles

Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand (PS2, 2006)(Remake) - 3D-ish ARPG (2D sprite characters) w/ Some platforming, Isometric view, Voice acting, See the SNES game; No ability gating?
​
ROBLOX (PC, 2006) - 3D Sandbox Creation Kit/Platformer/TPS/MMO/Action (a bit like Little Big Planet or Minecraft), TP View, Some games are basically clones of other games; Transformations and vehicles

Rengoku II: The Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N. (PSP, 2006)? - 3D AA/TPS, TP View, Hub area, MP mode; Mini-maps

Saints Row (XB360, 2006) - GTA-like Open World AA (Crime Sim), TP View; No ability gating besides vehicles?, Mini-maps

Monster Hunter 2 (PS2, 2006)(semi-fan translated) - 3D ARPG/MMORPG (real-time combat), TP view, See the prequel, Very little platforming (can climb ledges+vines and jump down), Hub towns?; No ability gating?, Worse drops in SP?, Maps and mini-maps, Seasons mechanic/cycle, Day/night cycle

Baten Kaitos Origins (GC, 2006) - 3D-ish JRPG (pre-rendered backgrounds besides the battles which are TB, non-random encounters), Some platforming?, Meaningless dialogue choices?, Hub map, Many side quests; Card mechanics

Tales of Destiny (PS2, 2006)(Remake, untranslated)? - Partially 3D backgrounds during exploration (automatic camera, sometimes static), fully 3D WM/overworld, See the original, Story changes, No platforming during exploration?

Ace Online (PC, 2006) - 3D MMORPG, Plane-based w/ real-time combat, Hub area (hangar); Mini-maps

Veggie Tales: LarryBoy and the Bad Apple (GBA, 2006) - 2D Puzzle Platformer?, Level-based (level select)

Wai Wai World (Mobile, 2006)(NES port/remix) - 2D Maze Platformer, Replaces two chars and their levels

Painajainen (PC, 2006) - 2D Collectathon/Puzzle Platformer

Knytt (PC, 2006) - 2D Collectathon/Maze Platformer

Akumajo Dracula Special: Boku Dracula-kun or "Devil's Castle Special: Kid Dracula" (Mobile, 2006)(NES port?) - 2D Action Platformer

Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia (PS2, 2006) - 2D JRPG, Isometric View, Very little platforming

Brave Story (PS2/DS, 2006)(Untranslated, not the same as New Traveler for PSP) - 3D ARPG w/ platforming, TP View, Hub map; No ability gating?, No mini-maps

EverQuest II: Echoes of Faydwer (PC, 2006)(Expansion) - 3D MMORPG, TP view, Jumping but little platforming?, See EQ2

Blue Dragon (XB360, 2006) - 3D JRPG, Minor platforming (context sensitive?), TB battles, Non-random encounters

No platforming: 
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams (PS2, 2006) - 3D AA/Hack 'n Slash, No platforming (no jump button), CPU ally (or 2-player co-op w/ a code), Level-based, Weapon crafting; Multiple playable chars - Only certain characters gained can reach certain parts of levels, 

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP, 2006) - 3D AA/Stealth, See MGS 3, Recruit allies, No platforming besides jumping down? (can jump over some obstacles with the roll move), Some strategy aspects

Blood+ One Night Kiss (PS2, 2006)(Untranslated) - 3D AA/Survival Horror?, TP view w/ automatic camera, Chapter-based (Sandbox/open-ended areas?), 2 different playable chars, QTE finisher moves, No platforming?; Maps

Juka and the Monophonic Menace (GBA, 2006) - 2D Isometric AA, No platforming besides jumping down a few times?, Swimming, Crafting/Potion mixing; Tedious combat?, Minor ability gating (animate potion raises and lower platforms in certain spots, status potions used against enemies)

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence (NDS, 2006)(RE1 Port/Remix) - 3D-ish AA/Survival Horror, TP view w/ fixed camera angles, Second screen is used for the map; Skippable cutscenes (including door animations)

Guild Wars Nightfall & Guild Wars Factions (PC, 2006) - 3D MMORPGs, TP view, See the prequel, No platforming?; Fast travel

Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan (PC/PS2, 2006)(Expansion?) - 3D MMORPG, TP view, Mounts, No platforming?

.hack//G.U. vol. 2//Reminisce (PS2, 2006) - 3D ARPG, TP View, No platforming, Flight-based battles?

.hack//G.U. vol. 1//Rebirth (PS2, 2006) - 3D ARPG, TP View, No platforming, Flight-based battles?

Final Fantasy XII (PS2, 2006) - 3D JRPG (semi-TB battles - actions are on timers but can move around freely), Party-based (in-depth behavior system (gambits - if/then command strings); can manually order chars as well), Linear (optional side quests/bounty hunts in the mid-late game), No platforming

Mega Man Star Force: Leo & Mega Man Star Force: Pegasus & Mega Man Star Force: Dragon (NDS, 2006) - 2D ARPG, Isometric view, No platforming

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner - Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army (PS2, 2006) - 3D ARPG/RPG, TP view, No platforming

BOTS (PC, 2006)? - 3D MMORPG, TD view, No platforming?

Dragon Quest: Shounen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon (Young Yangus' Mysterious Dungeon) (PS2, 2006) - 3D Rogue-like RPG, TP view towns/TD view dungeons, No platforming; Semi-transparent mini-maps

Sword of the New World: Granado Espada (PC, 2006) - 3D MMORPG, TP View, Control up to 3 characters at the same time, Healing and basic attacks are handled automatically by the game, No platforming?, PvP in 3 layers (player, guild, city); No ability gating?, Get knocked out for a couple of minutes if you die?, Mini-maps

Dungeon Siege II: Broken World (PC, 2006)(Expansion) - 3D Diablo-like ARPG, See the prequel, No platforming

Final Fantasy XI: The Vana'diel Collection 2007 (PC, 2006)(Expansion?)?

Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC, 2006) - 3D WRPG (in-depth char creation), TP view (can pitch the camera to TD view), Party-based (real-time w/ pausing), Tactical element (gain a stronghold - a bit like Suikoden), No platforming, MP mode; Mini-maps

Rune Factory A Fantasy Harvest Moon (NDS, 2006) - 2D ARPG/Farming Sim Hybrid, TD View, No platforming?; No ability gating?, Stamina mechanic, Non-persistent dungeons

Harukanaru Toki no Naka de: Maihitoyo (DS/PS2, 2006)(Untranslated? - No video footage or screenshots

Brave Story: New Traveler (PSP, 2006)(Remake/Remix?) - 3D JRPG, TD view exploration/TP view battles (turn-based), No platforming

DragonFable (PC (Browser), 2006) - 2D WRPG, Tilted view, Mouse-driven exploration, No platforming?

Titan Quest (PC, 2006) - 3D Diablo-like ARPG, Isometric view, No platforming

Phantasy Star Universe (PC/PS2/XB360, 2006) - 3D MMO ARPG, Party-based (2 CPU allies in SP), See the prequel, Linear?, No platforming; No ability gating?

Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology (PSP, 2006) - 3D ARPG, TP view, No platforming? (combat jumping only?), See the prequels

​Lunar Knights (NDS, 2006) - 2D ARPG, Isometric View, Boktai spinoff, 2 playable chars, No platforming