Thank you, anon, you gave me the perfect opportunity for a post I’ve been meaning to make!
Baten Kaitos is a two-game series of JRPGs for the Nintendo Gamecube. It never really took off to become a hit – a culmination of imperfect timing given the demise of the Gamecube, lack of advertising, and other things – but it’s well-regarded as a cult classic among many, and most people who’ve played the game have excellent things to say. It’s voice acting is certainly… not the best (though I’ve played the game since I was eleven and thus cannot imagine any other voices), but the backgrounds and the overall aesthetic of the games are absolutely stunning. It has absolutely gorgeous visuals, and the graphics have aged pretty well. Baten Kaitos’s gameplay is also unique because the fighting is card–based. While the exact details differ from game to game, the overall fighting premise is that you have a deck of cards you build with healing, attacking, and defending cards – you then use these in battle for their intended purposes. It’s probably my favorite fighting style, honestly, I really like it!
One of the most interesting things about Baten Kaitos, imho, is that YOU, the player, are your own character! In both of the BK games, you are a Guardian Spirit from another world, bonded with the main character (Kalas and Sagi, respectively). You get to choose your own name (and gender in the first game), speak with the main character, and your presence is a plot point in and of itself (one that differs from game to game). It’s really fun!
All this sounds cool and all, Grell, you may say, but what is the game about? I’m glad you asked!
“A long, long time ago it was. Before people began to dwell in the sky. A terrible war was waged between us humans and the wicked god. After a horrendous battle, our ancestors entombed the wicked god, and left the polluted and barren earth to find a future in the sky…”
That is the intro to the first game, Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, and aptly sums up the backstory. A long time ago, humanity battled against a wicked god, Malpercio – this battle polluted earth, and so five great islands rose up from the ground and into the sky, where humanity now resides. They take floating ships from island to island, and even have their own wings – called ‘Wings of the Heart’, they’re supposed to be a reflection of one’s soul. Each island has its own unique culture and look, but… it seems that one of the islands, Alfard, is trying to unearth the power of Malpercio for itself. You join together with a motley band of heroes to stop them, but perhaps there is more than the Empire to contend with… not all is as it seems…
The second game, Baten Kaitos: Origins, is a prequel to the first game, set about twenty years before. A young boy, Sagi (your spiriter!) is framed for the murder of the Emperor – on the run and with his two companions, Milly and Guillo, he must uncover the purpose and people behind the machinations of the Empire. But something more is at work here than the simple ambitions of man, and it may be related to the strange dreams Sagi has been having, with people he’s never met who know him, somehow…
Both of the BK plots seem straightforward. Save the world by collecting these items. Figure out who is pulling the strings and stop them – but BK is very, very good at plot twists. The plot twist in the first game I never saw coming in a million years, and I was devastated as a child… and it wasn’t even the only plot twist! Nothing is as it seems in the BK verse, and everyone has their secrets. ❤
I want to play, Grell! But I don’t have a Gamecube… Never fear! I’ve got you covered! First things first, download the Dolphin Emulator. Next, here’s the ISO for Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, and the ISO for Baten Kaitos: Origins. All you have to do is unzip them and then you can play them on your emulator just fine! No Gamecube controller necessary, even – just make sure you set up your controls. I’ve been playing BKO like this for the past week-ish, and it’s been great!
I would love it if you would reblog this, whether you plan on playing the game or not – the fandom here is super small, a thimble and a shoestring, and I would love love LOVE for more people to play this absolutely fantastic game. It’s way too underrated! Thank you for asking, and I really hope you play this and join in the fun!
And if you do play, please send me ask(s) about it. I would love to hear. 🙂
~My Tumblr Back-Up And Stuffs~ 
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