Back in the 1980s and 1990s, we had Saturday-morning cartoons (the concept actually dates back to the 1960s, but I wasn’t around back then).
This was exactly what it sounded like, a block of animated television series that was worth getting up early for, even on a non-school day. Obviously, technology has sort of rendered this slice of suburban American culture obsolete for the most part, but there was a certain magic to it nonetheless. As much as I hate waking up early, especially on a Saturday, the memory of getting up before the sun to catch a beloved cartoon does bring me a twinge of nostalgia.
Cris Tales, an upcoming RPG from Modus Games, brings back a little bit of that magic. The game opens up with what feels like the theme to a Saturday-morning cartoon.
Now, I’m not sure what they were going for was more along the lines of the epic animated openings of JRPGs such as Lunar: Silver Star Story, Wild Arms, and the Tales games. Cris Tales is described as “A love letter to JRPGs” after all. But the pacing and energy of this intro — along with the Cartoon Network-like art style — really conjure memories of American cartoons from my childhood.
The game looks incredible, by the way. It’s beautiful to look at, and it has an intriguing time-shifting premise. But it was that intro that really caught my attention.
Cris Tales is due out November 17, 2020.
