Can you say a game is one of your favorites even if you've never beaten it?
Napple Tale: Arsia In Daydream is a Dreamcast exclusive game that really hits on all the stuff I like to see in a game. It's a niche linear 3D platformer with collecathon elements, a creature collecting system, a dreamlike world and atmosphere, a mature story about dealing with death, and a sublime soundtrack by Yoko freaking Kanno, it's practically made for me. The imaginative visuals, the abundance of content, the simple but fun platforming, everything was in place for an all-time classic. And despite only releasing in Japan, it actually had an English translation, and a great one at that!
And yet, I could not beat it. When I tried playing it, I hit an emulator bug where a platform had completely disappeared in a level, leaving me softlocked. I didn't know if there was any way for me to see the game through, so despite my complete devastation, I decided to drop the game there and then.
However, since then, I haven't been able to stop thinking about Napple Tale. While I only played about half the game, the half I did play left such a massive impact on me all on its own. It's still unlike any other platformer I've played, both mechanically and visually.
I often wonder if I should've put more effort into trying to get around the bug, and if I should come back to the game to see it through to the end one day. It's been a few years, after all, maybe the emulator fixed the issue? Maybe some day, I'll come back to Napple Tale and actually figure out how to finish it. Maybe it'll even rise up the rankings, and I can write another, more fleshed-out Top 100 post that can stand up to all the others.
But even now, I think my Top 100 list would feel incomplete without Napple Tale. Even if I wasn't able to finish it, just discovering it was already a one-of-a-kind experience.
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