Last month Petter went on his vacation and after today it's my turn. So far, the summer has had terrible weather (except in May, when it was high summer deluxe), but apart from the fact that I can't grill, it's really the same for me. I'm looking forward to playing a lot of games I haven't had time to deal with, where I'm currently playing  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate  on Switch, and I know that for some unclear reason I'm always tempted to play a lot of retro when I'm free.

In addition to this, I hope to have time for a trip to the mountains and have thought of trying to check out some more of the tourist attractions we have very close to us, such as Döda fallet (a completely drained lake) and Hällingsåfallet (Sweden's longest canyon). In addition, there will be a visit to the family down south and a trip to Atlanta - and hopefully plenty of good food and good ice cream. Somewhere here I want to squeeze in a book or two as well, but if it really will be that remains to be seen.

Have a nice summer everyone, see you just in time for Gamescom (picture from Death Valley).

If you've played the Like a Dragon series, you know that it can be a big surprise. One second you're picking up a mini-game via a dating app, then you're walking nappy nappy men in a stroller, then you're welding your team together at a strip club before trying to solve the mystery of a UFO stealing cows.

When a Ryu ga Gotoku Studio representative says, "I'll tell you, you'll be surprised," about their next title, you can assume they mean it. A simple sequel would probably not be very surprising at all, so what is it then? Of course, I don't know, but if I had my wish, I really hope for that surprise, because it's rare to really lose your jaw in the gaming world anymore.

The series is versatile and it would be phenomenally nice to have a regular beat 'em up, but it would also work as a strategy game, why not with an Xcom setup. Or why not let mini-games like Sujimon or Dondoko Island become full-fledged titles that stand on their own two feet? I also wouldn't mind an adventure based on playing cards or for that matter a mini-game collection with the best ones in the series.

As long as I actually get to be surprised, I'm in short satisfied.

What do you think and hope Sega has cooked up for the next Like a Dragon?

The last six months have really been about Japanese role-playing games for me. Partly the brilliant Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but also more classic coziness such as Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, Persona 3 Reload and Octopath Traveler II. All four role-playing experiences I would highly recommend.

It's no secret that I prefer menu-based battles to action-focused ones in Japanese RPGs (Western is another story), but Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, Persona 3 Reload, and Octopath Traveler II have really made me remember how wonderful this genre can be. Now I wish that more games from a bygone era would have the chance to make a comeback so that today's gamers could experience them in fresh condition – and so I could experience them as the games look through nostalgic memory glasses.

So... Here are the three Japanese RPGs I most of all hope will get a remake:

3. Lost Odyssey I considered including Blue Dragon in this position, but honestly it's already a kind of remaster in its own right thanks to the improving backward compatibility of the Xbox Series X. The original theme that was told in an innovative way is still a gripping story, and it would be a real cultural achievement to give this title new life.

2. Phantasy Star IV It wasn't really until I got the Dreamcast and started playing Phantasy Star Online that I managed to buy a copy of Phantasy Star IV. But better late than never, they say, and I definitely got to experience that in a great role-playing game with super cozy music and presentation and an absolutely phenomenal combat system. The sci-fi game world was also beautifully designed and a nice break from the fantasy role-playing games that dominated this era. This should definitely be given another chance.

1. Final Fantasy Tactics Neither my brother nor I really knew what we had bought when we started playing Final Fantasy Tactics about 25 years ago, but we sat with our chins in our laps when we watched the intro movie. What awaited us was an absolutely delightful role-playing game, which introduced us to the world of Ivalice (where Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy XIV, among other things) and allowed us to experience Final Fantasy in a new and more strategic way. It was the Final Fantasy VI team that was responsible for the development and to this day I would rank this as one of the best Final Fantasy games ever – and a title in dire need of a remake.

Which classic Japanese role-playing game would be your dream remake?

Every year I try to make at least one proper trip abroad. I love to travel around and soak up impressions, talk to people and just experience things - not least food cultures. Often my trips go to the US, but not always, and I've managed to tick off a decent number of countries anyway, where Australia and South America are white spots. 

In addition to traveling, I also want to have time for at least one better mountain hike a year, and I also like to just lie in our hammock and chill for hours. But one does not exclude the other. That said, here are three places I would very much like to visit (and will do in time, I hope). Quite simply, a dream destination.

3. Mérida (Mexico) I am a violent history buff and in the area around Mérida there are plenty of spectacular Mayan sites, not least the magnificent Chichén Itzá. Combined with the fact that the city is considered extremely nice and safe for tourists (something that unfortunately is not true for all of Mexico) as well as Mexican food, this destination has attracted for a long time.

2. Jaipur (India) Probably it's the food that attracts the most with a trip to Jaipur, to spot a lot of good restaurants and eat your way through a candidate to be the world's best cuisine. But all the travel programs and articles I've read about the beautiful Jaipur also seem to be lyrical and all in all, this is a place I really want to visit.

1. Seoul (South Korea)  Actually, I want to visit all of South Korea properly and check out both rural and big cities, as well as eat their almost ridiculously good food, go to a concert and shop for strange stuff and cool clothes. But since I have chosen to limit myself to cities, Seoul still ends up in first place. Traveling here attracts something extraordinary.

What is your dream destination and what is the best place you have visited (Seoul picture of Joon Kyu Park ) ?

Of course, I have many fond memories from the 80s and GB ice creams, not least the one that had a jelly core with an ice cream casing, whereupon all the children carefully gnawed away the latter and then left something that most resembled a flabby tongue on an ice cream stick.

But... In the last maybe 20 years, the GB ice creams have really plummeted in quality, and every time the ice cream craving sneaks up in connection with a walk, car trip or something else - I look for the alternatives. The best way to actually understand how lousy the GB ice creams are, is to buy a Sandwich. This has most of the people in its range, at least Sia and Triumfglass, and a side-by-side test shows almost perversely clearly how bad ice cream GB actually has.

I often think GB's Magnum ice creams are the worst. They are often macabre sweet and full of artificial flavors.

So what do I recommend instead? Well, this summer I've fallen in love with Triumfglass' lovely Hockey powder. A licorice ice cream rolled in something that tastes like classic hockey powder. And it's a true hit. Buy if you can find.

The best stick ice cream of the summer. Which is your favorite?