The term that’s stuck for this subgenre (for better or worse) is “Character Action”. It’s not particularly descriptive - I agree with Kamiya in that it ought to make clear that it’s in reference to the Japanese school of action game design, which is very distinct from western sensibilities.

That said, I’d consider the best western take on the genre is the indie game Furi.

You know that Kamiya is the creator of DMC and a founder of PlatinumGames, right?

I’ll always go to bat for Gunstar Super Heroes. It’s a full on sequel to the Genesis game - hardly anyone seems to talk about it, which is a shame because it’s incredible. Easily one of the best action games on GBA, if not the best. Absolutely deserves a spot in any top GBA list, right alongside Astro Boy Omega Factor.

There’s not a whole lot you can do to improve things with RF - it’s the lowest quality signal type supported by most retro consoles, and CRTs that only had that as an input were generally older or budget sets.

Make sure you get good quality coaxial cable that isn’t fraying or super old, and keep daisy chaining of adapters to a minimum. Also, try to get RF Modulators that are OEM whenever possible. It’s still going to look rough compared to other signals, but that’s all you can really do.

By the way, there’s a CRT magazine on Kbin if you or anyone else would like to join (questions like this are encouraged over there!)

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Just totally missed the boat when they were in the zeitgeist - I ended up loving them 15 years later though.

I don’t know your personal tastes, but if I had to recommend one recent game to help anyone break a rut, it would be Hi-Fi Rush.

Too many games, especially those in the AAA space, are more focused on being bloated engagement treadmills over simply being fun, concise experiences. I’d recommend seeking out shorter, offline games that don’t rely on RPG elements. It’s also ok to just take a break from gaming altogether.