nintendo learned a thing or two from the riaa
final fantasy iv is back, and it's baaaaaaaaaaaad.
But as Run DMC says, not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning good. As every nerd knows, Square-Enix just pushed out its latest 
Final Fantasy remake, for the DS. Final Fantasy IV has always been a favorite of mine, thanks to an enjoyable cast and a story I adore. Seriously, you take a whale to the moon. What's not to like? So, is this another cashgrab, or is this actually worth it? Let me answer that for you.
Short answer: Yes. It's a nicely polished remake of a great game, with additional features to boot.
Long answer: FFIII was okay, I guess. It was a good remake of an okay game, and thus it ultimately lacked any real draw for me. Class changing was a hassle and the story was reeeeeeeeal light. FFIV changes all that. It's a remake of a great game, so the foundation is more solid. What it adds, however, is what really makes it.
First off, the Active Time Battle system isn't much changed. The meter still fills, you still pick an action, and then perform said action. Nice touch: you know see how long it will take until the spell you just selected is cast, as the gauge starts filling up again, in a different colour.
Secondish, also related to battle: Each character's battle commands are now customizable. Do you think Edward's Hide command is useless? Replace it with a shortcut to a potion. That's right, instead of just being able to pick "Items" to throw on their list of five battle commands, you can specify which item. Same with magic-users. Why dig through the menu to cast Cure or Fire, when you can put it smack on the commands list up front. The only ones that must stay static are Attack and Items. The other three slots are flexible. AND, since characters now have the full complement of actions they had in the Japanese version of the original 16-bit game, there's quite a variety. Rosa now has Pray, not just Aim. Edward can use Salve, to use an item on every party member. Palom and Porom, Yang, too — every character I've used has extra commands.
Thirdforth, also also battle-related (let's face it, the bulk of time you spend playing an RPG is spent in battle, so it better be good and tweaked): Auto-battle. No longer must you sit and pay attention to every single random encounter. Push X and the party will fight for you. What's awesome about this, aside from the time savings? It's completely customizable. You choose the command. If you want Cecil to fight, Tellah to cast Thundara, Yang to use Kick, and Rosa to heal, you can do it. It's all set up in the same menu as their battle commands. Reeeeally tricky, Square. Nice.
Fourthwise, and this is a plus that potentially was a minus: Cut-scenes and voiceovers. Any time you take material this old, with a following this large, you run the risk of shattering everyone's mental impressions of characters, which have been established for what, about 15 years now? I'll admit: at first I hated the voices. Cecil sounds younger than I always imagined. Kain sounds too growly. Everyone else, however… has been pretty spot-on. I've even started to accept the others. Combine them with cut-scenes — thankfully NOT FMV — and it's a nice touch. Cut-scenes use the same character models as the rest of the game, so there's no shocking switch from 3D to FMV. It's a nice touch, and I don't usually like these things. I do, however, wish that you could skip them, which you can't.
So what's not to like about it? Not much. It's hard, for one. You will die. You will probably die multiple times. You will have to level your party or face death at every boss, and occasionally in random encounters. For serious. I also don't understand why they missed out on a couple little tweaks that would've made a big difference. For example: You can't set the cursor to memory mode, meaning you have to pick your action again and again every time you're in a battle. That's an annoyance. Also not configurable is the battle message speed, so you'll have to sit for five seconds after you're done reading, every time someone says something in-fight. Not major items, but silly just the same.
To summarize: If you like Final Fantasy IV, you'll like this. If you don't, you should. If you want something easy, don't get it, and miss out. It's up to you. I just can't imagine passing this gem up.
Final Fantasy remake, for the DS. Final Fantasy IV has always been a favorite of mine, thanks to an enjoyable cast and a story I adore. Seriously, you take a whale to the moon. What's not to like? So, is this another cashgrab, or is this actually worth it? Let me answer that for you.Short answer: Yes. It's a nicely polished remake of a great game, with additional features to boot.
Long answer: FFIII was okay, I guess. It was a good remake of an okay game, and thus it ultimately lacked any real draw for me. Class changing was a hassle and the story was reeeeeeeeal light. FFIV changes all that. It's a remake of a great game, so the foundation is more solid. What it adds, however, is what really makes it.
First off, the Active Time Battle system isn't much changed. The meter still fills, you still pick an action, and then perform said action. Nice touch: you know see how long it will take until the spell you just selected is cast, as the gauge starts filling up again, in a different colour.
Secondish, also related to battle: Each character's battle commands are now customizable. Do you think Edward's Hide command is useless? Replace it with a shortcut to a potion. That's right, instead of just being able to pick "Items" to throw on their list of five battle commands, you can specify which item. Same with magic-users. Why dig through the menu to cast Cure or Fire, when you can put it smack on the commands list up front. The only ones that must stay static are Attack and Items. The other three slots are flexible. AND, since characters now have the full complement of actions they had in the Japanese version of the original 16-bit game, there's quite a variety. Rosa now has Pray, not just Aim. Edward can use Salve, to use an item on every party member. Palom and Porom, Yang, too — every character I've used has extra commands.
Thirdforth, also also battle-related (let's face it, the bulk of time you spend playing an RPG is spent in battle, so it better be good and tweaked): Auto-battle. No longer must you sit and pay attention to every single random encounter. Push X and the party will fight for you. What's awesome about this, aside from the time savings? It's completely customizable. You choose the command. If you want Cecil to fight, Tellah to cast Thundara, Yang to use Kick, and Rosa to heal, you can do it. It's all set up in the same menu as their battle commands. Reeeeally tricky, Square. Nice.Fourthwise, and this is a plus that potentially was a minus: Cut-scenes and voiceovers. Any time you take material this old, with a following this large, you run the risk of shattering everyone's mental impressions of characters, which have been established for what, about 15 years now? I'll admit: at first I hated the voices. Cecil sounds younger than I always imagined. Kain sounds too growly. Everyone else, however… has been pretty spot-on. I've even started to accept the others. Combine them with cut-scenes — thankfully NOT FMV — and it's a nice touch. Cut-scenes use the same character models as the rest of the game, so there's no shocking switch from 3D to FMV. It's a nice touch, and I don't usually like these things. I do, however, wish that you could skip them, which you can't.
So what's not to like about it? Not much. It's hard, for one. You will die. You will probably die multiple times. You will have to level your party or face death at every boss, and occasionally in random encounters. For serious. I also don't understand why they missed out on a couple little tweaks that would've made a big difference. For example: You can't set the cursor to memory mode, meaning you have to pick your action again and again every time you're in a battle. That's an annoyance. Also not configurable is the battle message speed, so you'll have to sit for five seconds after you're done reading, every time someone says something in-fight. Not major items, but silly just the same.
To summarize: If you like Final Fantasy IV, you'll like this. If you don't, you should. If you want something easy, don't get it, and miss out. It's up to you. I just can't imagine passing this gem up.
chrono trigger ds announced!
If you're a fan of RPGs like myself (obligatory link to rpg2knet), the fact that Chrono Trigger has been announced for the Nintendo DS probably hasn't escaped your attention. It's pretty fantastic news if you're a fan of the struggling Square-Enix. Lately, they seem to be pretty obsessed with releasing poor rehashes or half-sequels of their old classics. Fanboyism asside, I played through and thouroughly loved Final Fantasy VII when it was first released. I locked myself in my room with my friends Playstation and played it solidly, only coming out for toilet breaks and meals. I cared for the characters, and I don't feel any other game has managed to surpass it so far. Even a fool can see they are attempting to cash in on VII's success by releasing tripe like Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII.Finally it feels like they are getting back on track by developing something that the fans actually want. I mean, I know it's still a bit of a cash in (with it probably being a direct port of the SNES game [although people have hinted Square-Enix will continue porting the FMV into the DS versions of their games, as seen on the PlayStation edition of Chrono Trigger) but at least it is a product that the fans will actually be interested in. I think the Dirge of Cerberus tie-in was a complete insult to the intellect of their fans (duuur you like FF7 so you'll immediately buy this game). A large cross-section of their fans would not have played previous Final Fantasy games and bought FF7 on the strength of the reviews it received. If you're the sort of gamer, you're not going to rush out and buy any title that has been labeled an obvious doozey by a reputable magazine such as EDGE. Final Fantasy tie-ins are no exception.
Well… rant over. I'm just glad to see something that, in my eyes, is worth doing by Square-Enix. With this announcement, I thought I'd compile my top 5 16-bit era role-playing games that I would like to see get the DS treatment:
- Earthbound. And Mother 3. I will CRY if they announce this.
- Secret of Mana (imagine link-up play for co-op!)
- Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
- Super Mario RPG: Legend of the 7 stars
- Shining Force 3 (I wish they'd done the map engine in 2D, though)
All relatively unlikely, but a gamer can always dream…
insane super mario world handsfree melody
I am speechless. Here is an absolutely insane medley of video game and anime songs overlayed by timed sound-effects from Super Mario World on the SNES. The crazy thing is, whoever has done this has gone and developed his own level (I assume via ROM hacking) which is completely hands free. Mario and Yoshi flow through this magical world bouncing off all sorts of blocks and shells to recreate the highlights of the backing track.
Weighing in at around eleven minutes long, it really must have been a labour of love. I had to post it as Mario is a strong favourite here at dovka, and I've never seen anything quite like it. It is quite fun to try and identify the songs in the video. I definitely heard a bit of Mega Man in there, some Final Fantasy and bizarrely a song by IOSYS. Have a listen, it is well worth it!
"hell, it's about time."
As most of you are (hopefully) aware, Blizzard announced Starcraft II this weekend in Korea. I won't bother reciting the details of the announcement or video, which you can read and see here.
What I'm wondering is how Blizzard plans to overcome what could be a serious challenge in their development; resources. I don't mean crystals and gas like in the game; I'm talking video and RAM resources on systems. Most of you are probably vexed as to why I'm bringing it up. But, if you stick your dusty Starcraft 1 CD in your drive and start playing, you'll notice that the game is unit intensive (anybody remember building fleets of 15 carriers on Battle.NET just to have the game lag out? or your machine go insane?). Well, imagine that scale of units, with the obvious new attention to detail that Blizzard can afford to pay to units with the advances in processor and video technology since their last event?
While the company was pretty okay when Warcraft III came out, there is some serious competition in the RTS market now; C&C 3 showed a huge amount of promise, Supreme Commander is a fantastic (albeit large game). And, I'm sure that Blizzard is planning on enlarging the map sizes far beyond the original Starcrafts size and scope, and obviously upping previous unit caps, all the while having to ensure the company doesn't alienate gamers who don't embrace the top-of-the-line machines.
But, I could be wrong, Blizzard has shown great skill at fitting the best quality game into the smallest possible packages before, and hopefully Starcraft II won't fall back on those previous promises.
As for me, I'm looking for to this game. I'm even debating digging my original Starcraft CD and Brood Wars CD out for a jaunt through old memories.
What I'm wondering is how Blizzard plans to overcome what could be a serious challenge in their development; resources. I don't mean crystals and gas like in the game; I'm talking video and RAM resources on systems. Most of you are probably vexed as to why I'm bringing it up. But, if you stick your dusty Starcraft 1 CD in your drive and start playing, you'll notice that the game is unit intensive (anybody remember building fleets of 15 carriers on Battle.NET just to have the game lag out? or your machine go insane?). Well, imagine that scale of units, with the obvious new attention to detail that Blizzard can afford to pay to units with the advances in processor and video technology since their last event?
While the company was pretty okay when Warcraft III came out, there is some serious competition in the RTS market now; C&C 3 showed a huge amount of promise, Supreme Commander is a fantastic (albeit large game). And, I'm sure that Blizzard is planning on enlarging the map sizes far beyond the original Starcrafts size and scope, and obviously upping previous unit caps, all the while having to ensure the company doesn't alienate gamers who don't embrace the top-of-the-line machines.
But, I could be wrong, Blizzard has shown great skill at fitting the best quality game into the smallest possible packages before, and hopefully Starcraft II won't fall back on those previous promises.
As for me, I'm looking for to this game. I'm even debating digging my original Starcraft CD and Brood Wars CD out for a jaunt through old memories.
a quiet yawn.
And so the PS3 has finally been released in Europe and the UK after what seems like years of waiting for it and it has met a quiet hum of excitement. When the X-Box 360 was released there was a huge excitement in the air people at gaming shops talking about it and happily taking them home. The Wii release beat this you couldn't move for people wanting Wii's - I was working in a music shop at the time and we had people queuing up outside despite the fact we weren't even stocking them, unless you had ordered about 12 months in advance you were very stuck for getting one.
I went into town today and I was offered a PS3 at every shop I went too. Is this Sony shipping millions of PS3's to UK shops? (Nope they shipped 200,000) or is it the fact that at £425… in March. No-one can be bothered. People are still recovering from Christmas/New Year on their Credit Cards, even Valentines Day which has become nearly as expensive as Christmas for a lot of people. March isn't the best time of the year to ask people to spend more money and I think most people in the world who want a console already shelled out the money for a 360 or a Wii. Or is it that people are really not that interested I know I'm not, I don't know anyone who is and no chance I'm spending that much money on it to play Medal of Honour, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (seriously way to be new and exciting), whatever NBA/NFL games there is or the plethora of Tom Clancy games that I'm sure will roll out. At least the Wii had Zelda on release there is nothing on the PS3 till Metal Gear 4 is released sometime in Q4 of 2007.
Of course Sony knows this this is why; "At the London launch everyone who bought a PS3 also received a free 46-inch HD television and a taxi home." Beg more Sony?
I'm not saying the PS3 will fail because it obviously won't (you have brand loyalty and because of franchise games and rich bastards with money to spend). I'm not even saying it's a bad console, you're an idiot if you say the technology is bad. But with all the mistakes Sony have made from E3's and it's other "worldwide" launch to all the cutbacks with the sup-par European PS3 this is another bump. I think it's surprising that something which is meant to be the most amazing console has been released to such a yawn or is it a culmination of their mistakes? In my opinion, the FFXII launch was much more exciting and that was a game not hardware.
But at least Will Smith seemed to have got his PS3.
I went into town today and I was offered a PS3 at every shop I went too. Is this Sony shipping millions of PS3's to UK shops? (Nope they shipped 200,000) or is it the fact that at £425… in March. No-one can be bothered. People are still recovering from Christmas/New Year on their Credit Cards, even Valentines Day which has become nearly as expensive as Christmas for a lot of people. March isn't the best time of the year to ask people to spend more money and I think most people in the world who want a console already shelled out the money for a 360 or a Wii. Or is it that people are really not that interested I know I'm not, I don't know anyone who is and no chance I'm spending that much money on it to play Medal of Honour, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (seriously way to be new and exciting), whatever NBA/NFL games there is or the plethora of Tom Clancy games that I'm sure will roll out. At least the Wii had Zelda on release there is nothing on the PS3 till Metal Gear 4 is released sometime in Q4 of 2007.
Of course Sony knows this this is why; "At the London launch everyone who bought a PS3 also received a free 46-inch HD television and a taxi home." Beg more Sony?
I'm not saying the PS3 will fail because it obviously won't (you have brand loyalty and because of franchise games and rich bastards with money to spend). I'm not even saying it's a bad console, you're an idiot if you say the technology is bad. But with all the mistakes Sony have made from E3's and it's other "worldwide" launch to all the cutbacks with the sup-par European PS3 this is another bump. I think it's surprising that something which is meant to be the most amazing console has been released to such a yawn or is it a culmination of their mistakes? In my opinion, the FFXII launch was much more exciting and that was a game not hardware.
But at least Will Smith seemed to have got his PS3.
hello, my name is: rogue galaxy
Happy Sunday, dames and gents. What follows is a quick journal of my first 48 hours with the PS2 RPG Rogue Galaxy. Nothing too in-depth, just first impressions, notable quirks, flaws, etc. Not quite a review, but the beginnings of one. The initial WOW factor which is really what grabs you. I'm thinking I might make this an ongoing bit, with games, and maybe books or music, if it works. So by all means, tell me if it does/doesn't.
9:28pm, 15 March 2007: I just put Rogue Galaxy in the PS2. Immediately, I am taken by it. Level 5, you are amazing. The style of this game is exactly what I hoped it was. Why more people don't make Space Operas, I'll never know. I am Jaster Rogue, who is more than a little Luke Skywalker. From a desert planet, doesn't know his real father (yet), fights with a sword/sabre and a blaster. You get the idea.
9:38: First battle. Combat is fast! Not in a bad way, but when you have five baddies on-screen, it gets a bit hectic, and I wasn't prepared for it in my overtired state.
9:44: Second battle. I died. Little cactus creatures slaughtered me in two hits before I could hit triangle to use a potion. Whoops. That's discouraging, just a bit. Restart! Skip intro this time, and head back into it, only this time a little smarter.
9:58: Wow, I'm bad at this. I died. Again. Ethan needs more random encounter practice, and needs to learn to dodge.
10:07: This time I manage to hack up a whole lot of enemies, and roll on down to the first boss, after a bunch of cutscenes, and allies coming and going. I especially appreciate Steve, the robot, because who names a robot Steve? I find that hilarious.
10:28: First boss cleared. It took me forever. I have a habit of wanting to wander around looking at everything, instead of just killing stuff. I'm also having a conversation as I play this game. This was an interesting fight. I was handed a gun that forms platforms over its back, so I can jump up on them, while it's moving, and hack away at its exposed heart. Nuts!
10:42: Ethan, you are a dumbass. I forgot to save after my big boss victory… and ended up dying in a huge, hectic, random encounter. Restart again…
10:58: I finally managed to level up, upgrade my equipment, and get ready to head out of town into the desert, ALL WITHOUT DYING. Hooray!
Since I have to work tomorrow, that's it for day one. I really do enjoy this game, despite the whole… dying three times thing. But, to be honest, I suck at any sort of action game until I play it for forever, so it's to be expected.
Friday: 5:01: Time for space! After a couple random battles, and a new flamethrower, I head into the desert. Lots of cutscenes ensue. They are GORGEOUS. Lots of craziness involving giant worms and cute space girl and big flying ship. I am assuming she will become the love interest at some point, because hey… that's just how these things work.
5:10: Finally, I am a crew member on Captain Dorgengoa's (The Greatest Space Pirate in the Galaxy) ship, the Dorgenark. Not the most creative name, I know, but its second in command is a suspiciously Meowth-like cat. He is highly entertaining, though, so I'll let the plagiarism slide. After all of five minutes aboard, CRASH, and we land on a jungle planet, and I get the chance to roam around free, battling and levelling and DYING but only a couple of times, and that was from the mimics. Note to anyone playing: save before you wander to the end of the stream. That chest is a mimic, and it most like will kill you, as it does about 90% damage to all your characters at close range.
And there you have it. My first 48 hours with Rogue Galaxy. I spent a little more time with it tonight, and still, I do love it. It is almost on par with Dragon Quest VIII, though that is a Dragon Quest game, so it naturally wins out. I've discovered a couple of clunky menu design flaws, but nothing major. On a scale of zero to one, with zero meaning don't buy, and one meaning buy, I give this: 1.
Now, I'm off to play Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime until I go ZZZZZ. ….When did I become such a gamer?
9:28pm, 15 March 2007: I just put Rogue Galaxy in the PS2. Immediately, I am taken by it. Level 5, you are amazing. The style of this game is exactly what I hoped it was. Why more people don't make Space Operas, I'll never know. I am Jaster Rogue, who is more than a little Luke Skywalker. From a desert planet, doesn't know his real father (yet), fights with a sword/sabre and a blaster. You get the idea.9:38: First battle. Combat is fast! Not in a bad way, but when you have five baddies on-screen, it gets a bit hectic, and I wasn't prepared for it in my overtired state.
9:44: Second battle. I died. Little cactus creatures slaughtered me in two hits before I could hit triangle to use a potion. Whoops. That's discouraging, just a bit. Restart! Skip intro this time, and head back into it, only this time a little smarter.
9:58: Wow, I'm bad at this. I died. Again. Ethan needs more random encounter practice, and needs to learn to dodge.
10:07: This time I manage to hack up a whole lot of enemies, and roll on down to the first boss, after a bunch of cutscenes, and allies coming and going. I especially appreciate Steve, the robot, because who names a robot Steve? I find that hilarious.
10:28: First boss cleared. It took me forever. I have a habit of wanting to wander around looking at everything, instead of just killing stuff. I'm also having a conversation as I play this game. This was an interesting fight. I was handed a gun that forms platforms over its back, so I can jump up on them, while it's moving, and hack away at its exposed heart. Nuts!
10:42: Ethan, you are a dumbass. I forgot to save after my big boss victory… and ended up dying in a huge, hectic, random encounter. Restart again…
10:58: I finally managed to level up, upgrade my equipment, and get ready to head out of town into the desert, ALL WITHOUT DYING. Hooray!
Since I have to work tomorrow, that's it for day one. I really do enjoy this game, despite the whole… dying three times thing. But, to be honest, I suck at any sort of action game until I play it for forever, so it's to be expected.
Friday: 5:01: Time for space! After a couple random battles, and a new flamethrower, I head into the desert. Lots of cutscenes ensue. They are GORGEOUS. Lots of craziness involving giant worms and cute space girl and big flying ship. I am assuming she will become the love interest at some point, because hey… that's just how these things work.
5:10: Finally, I am a crew member on Captain Dorgengoa's (The Greatest Space Pirate in the Galaxy) ship, the Dorgenark. Not the most creative name, I know, but its second in command is a suspiciously Meowth-like cat. He is highly entertaining, though, so I'll let the plagiarism slide. After all of five minutes aboard, CRASH, and we land on a jungle planet, and I get the chance to roam around free, battling and levelling and DYING but only a couple of times, and that was from the mimics. Note to anyone playing: save before you wander to the end of the stream. That chest is a mimic, and it most like will kill you, as it does about 90% damage to all your characters at close range.
And there you have it. My first 48 hours with Rogue Galaxy. I spent a little more time with it tonight, and still, I do love it. It is almost on par with Dragon Quest VIII, though that is a Dragon Quest game, so it naturally wins out. I've discovered a couple of clunky menu design flaws, but nothing major. On a scale of zero to one, with zero meaning don't buy, and one meaning buy, I give this: 1.
Now, I'm off to play Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime until I go ZZZZZ. ….When did I become such a gamer?
objection! take that! hold it!
Wow, I am hip, now. "Why?" I hear you ask. Because, my friends, I have discovered the joy of Phoenix Wright.
It is no small secret that I love the DS. NDS, even, if you want to keep things to sweet three-letter abbrev's. I haven't bought so many games for a system since… well. Never, probably. Not in such a short period of time, at least. In a little more than a year I've probably bought a dozen games, and all but one are gold. So, when Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney came out forever ago, I thought "that looks nifty," but then promptly left it alone. Cue to a year later. The sequel And Justice For All came out, and herds of fanboys got excited, and about then, I started to wonder if I was missing something. The short answer is "HOT DAMN I CERTAINLY WAS!"
Phoenix Wright is intense. That is the single word that describes it best. Everything is exaggerated. Beautifully so. Every little action in dialogue results in anime sweatdrops or tit bounces or *WINKS* n_~ Every time you object or present a new piece of evidence brings fullscreen graphics saying OBJECTION! or TAKE THAT! on top of a big explosion graphic. The dialog is honestly funny, unlike a lot of games that try to be humourous and end up…. just failing. The plot is honestly somewhat predictable. Logic-ing out whodunnit is never an impossible task, though presenting the right evidence and cross-examining properly, can get challenging. It seems like it will offer very little replay value, but the quality of the rest of the game more than makes up for this. That and its pure INTENSITY.
Besides, I got it for 17 bucks on eBay, so who's complaining? Not me! I'll be picking up the sequel as soon as I'm done with the first, and attacking all the text adventure-type games that have come out for NDS in the last little while. Hotel Dusk ready yourself. Ethan Ace is headed your way.
On another note: Fixedsys Excelsior 3.00 is out, and it is heavenly. ï—ï—Ž
It is no small secret that I love the DS. NDS, even, if you want to keep things to sweet three-letter abbrev's. I haven't bought so many games for a system since… well. Never, probably. Not in such a short period of time, at least. In a little more than a year I've probably bought a dozen games, and all but one are gold. So, when Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney came out forever ago, I thought "that looks nifty," but then promptly left it alone. Cue to a year later. The sequel And Justice For All came out, and herds of fanboys got excited, and about then, I started to wonder if I was missing something. The short answer is "HOT DAMN I CERTAINLY WAS!"
Phoenix Wright is intense. That is the single word that describes it best. Everything is exaggerated. Beautifully so. Every little action in dialogue results in anime sweatdrops or tit bounces or *WINKS* n_~ Every time you object or present a new piece of evidence brings fullscreen graphics saying OBJECTION! or TAKE THAT! on top of a big explosion graphic. The dialog is honestly funny, unlike a lot of games that try to be humourous and end up…. just failing. The plot is honestly somewhat predictable. Logic-ing out whodunnit is never an impossible task, though presenting the right evidence and cross-examining properly, can get challenging. It seems like it will offer very little replay value, but the quality of the rest of the game more than makes up for this. That and its pure INTENSITY.
Besides, I got it for 17 bucks on eBay, so who's complaining? Not me! I'll be picking up the sequel as soon as I'm done with the first, and attacking all the text adventure-type games that have come out for NDS in the last little while. Hotel Dusk ready yourself. Ethan Ace is headed your way.
On another note: Fixedsys Excelsior 3.00 is out, and it is heavenly. ï—ï—Ž
Tags: Gaming
im in ur browser needin ur suggestions
Good evening folks. I just finished Dragon Quest VIII after about four months of extremely-solid-followed-by-not-at-all-ohshitthat'srightineedtofinishthatgame play. It is probably my favourite game at the moment, and destined to remain there for some time, as I've always been a Dragon Quest fanboy, ever since Dragon Quest II came out here in the states (the first one hardly counted). I'm not totally done with it, to be honest, as there is a very large optional part that I'm left with, in order to get the true ending. Which is quite a thought, as the first ending was probably half an hour long. But, I promised a certain girl I would finish this game, so I could send it to her, and we could trade. She'll be sending me FFXII. Not to be confused with FFX2. That would also be acceptable, however.
So, until that arrives, which probably won't be for weeks, since I won't be shipping this off til the weekend, I am in need of a new PS2 game. Bear in mind that I only got my PS2 in October, so I missed an asshatful of games in the past few years. The PS2 games I have played are…. just about nothing, really. Final Fantasy X and X-2, Dragon Quest VIII, and…. Leisure Suit Larry. I think that's about it, actually.
I am looking at Shadow of the Colossus, because I think the design is brillyunt, but I am wondering if it won't frustrate me. Mayhaps not, as it gets really good reviews, so it can't be too bad in any area. Rogue Galaxy is also another possibility. That's done by the same team as DQ8, even, but I think it would require more huge time commitment, and I'm not very good at that. The Katamari games I must pick up at some point. Uh, aside from that, I have no clue. Bully looked kinda good? I think?
So, dovkafans, help a brotha out. Give me good suggestions for something to pass the time in the meantime until my darling sends me some love in the shape of a Final Fantasy. I'd even be up for a driving game or something. No sports games, though, please. RPGs are a help, but I may not get to them til later.
Thanks in advance. Also, Final Fantasy VI Advance on Monday in North America wooooo.
So, until that arrives, which probably won't be for weeks, since I won't be shipping this off til the weekend, I am in need of a new PS2 game. Bear in mind that I only got my PS2 in October, so I missed an asshatful of games in the past few years. The PS2 games I have played are…. just about nothing, really. Final Fantasy X and X-2, Dragon Quest VIII, and…. Leisure Suit Larry. I think that's about it, actually.
I am looking at Shadow of the Colossus, because I think the design is brillyunt, but I am wondering if it won't frustrate me. Mayhaps not, as it gets really good reviews, so it can't be too bad in any area. Rogue Galaxy is also another possibility. That's done by the same team as DQ8, even, but I think it would require more huge time commitment, and I'm not very good at that. The Katamari games I must pick up at some point. Uh, aside from that, I have no clue. Bully looked kinda good? I think?
So, dovkafans, help a brotha out. Give me good suggestions for something to pass the time in the meantime until my darling sends me some love in the shape of a Final Fantasy. I'd even be up for a driving game or something. No sports games, though, please. RPGs are a help, but I may not get to them til later.
Thanks in advance. Also, Final Fantasy VI Advance on Monday in North America wooooo.
Tags: Gaming
what exactly is professional gaming?
It may (or may not, these days) come as a surprise that you can be considered a professional at a video-game. Several countries have even been fighting to get some of these competitive video-games listed as sports (under the moniker ‘e-sports’). Akin to the Olympic Games, the World Cyber Games or WCG for short is held every year and has the full backing of corporate sponsors Samsung. These competitions (from which competitors fly from all over the globe) aren’t just about pride – there is some serious money up for grabs: $462,000 passed through in 2006, and it’s looking set to surpass $500,000 this year. Several smaller contests all over the world take place during each year in each country, at LAN events such as i-series in the United Kingdom and dreamhack in Sweden.
Support for these tournaments is strongest at current in the East, with the United States fast in pursuit. In Europe, many nations are warming to the idea (particularly Scandinavian countries) but here in the United Kingdom, uptake has been slow – but why? And how can sitting in front of a computer be considered a sport, and how can you be professional at playing a video-game?
To answer these two questions, you need to consider what the definition of professional is. A professional, according to the dictionary, is a person who earns a living in a sport or other occupation frequently engaged in by amateurs; for example, golf professionals. With the purses at some of the larger events reaching and in some cases surpassing yearly salaries for traditional jobs, it isn’t difficult to see why people can live off the money and become professional. At these events, the way in which tournaments take place mimic classic sporting events such as the World Cup – so many parallels can be drawn between ‘classic’ sport and e-sports that it seems almost obvious to group them together. Obviously, this angers some people. I for one have definitely seen heat rise about the subject, usually because of the lack of physical training involved in playing a video-game. However, the mental training, practice and obedience required to make it to the top of the e-sports world is staggering.
I've been playing counter-strike source practically every day since before it came out, and its predecessor sporadically before that still. I have been playing games on and off since the age of 6, and I can quite openly say that at times, I’ve been completely addicted to them. However, I am far from the level of skill seen within some of the top players today, and I can barely class myself as a strong player in the amateur circuit. Occasionally whilst playing, I’ll run into players in the United Kingdom that are teetering on the edge. They have the skill, but nobody is there to push them, elevate them into a position of fame, money, competitions. I still wonder why the United Kingdom has been slow to pick up on the competitive scene, and companies so slow to nourish its growth. Only this year has a company seemingly taken notice (the company being eBuyer). They have organised a LAN event where the prize is a year contract, with PC equipment, travel, expenses, clothing and accommodation all being taken care for. To win, all you must to is prove your team the best in the entire country. The scene has been buzzing about this for several months already, but the sign-ups are closed and the competition is due to start soon.
With approximately £40,000 at stake, this is an important and much needed step forward for our “competitive sceneâ€. Perhaps 2007 will be the year when competitions of this nature become more accepted by the general public, perhaps not as a sport (I can’t see that ever happening), but as a viable industry, and something to be encouraged… especially when you can be earning close to $1,000,000 per year at the top.
Support for these tournaments is strongest at current in the East, with the United States fast in pursuit. In Europe, many nations are warming to the idea (particularly Scandinavian countries) but here in the United Kingdom, uptake has been slow – but why? And how can sitting in front of a computer be considered a sport, and how can you be professional at playing a video-game?
To answer these two questions, you need to consider what the definition of professional is. A professional, according to the dictionary, is a person who earns a living in a sport or other occupation frequently engaged in by amateurs; for example, golf professionals. With the purses at some of the larger events reaching and in some cases surpassing yearly salaries for traditional jobs, it isn’t difficult to see why people can live off the money and become professional. At these events, the way in which tournaments take place mimic classic sporting events such as the World Cup – so many parallels can be drawn between ‘classic’ sport and e-sports that it seems almost obvious to group them together. Obviously, this angers some people. I for one have definitely seen heat rise about the subject, usually because of the lack of physical training involved in playing a video-game. However, the mental training, practice and obedience required to make it to the top of the e-sports world is staggering.
I've been playing counter-strike source practically every day since before it came out, and its predecessor sporadically before that still. I have been playing games on and off since the age of 6, and I can quite openly say that at times, I’ve been completely addicted to them. However, I am far from the level of skill seen within some of the top players today, and I can barely class myself as a strong player in the amateur circuit. Occasionally whilst playing, I’ll run into players in the United Kingdom that are teetering on the edge. They have the skill, but nobody is there to push them, elevate them into a position of fame, money, competitions. I still wonder why the United Kingdom has been slow to pick up on the competitive scene, and companies so slow to nourish its growth. Only this year has a company seemingly taken notice (the company being eBuyer). They have organised a LAN event where the prize is a year contract, with PC equipment, travel, expenses, clothing and accommodation all being taken care for. To win, all you must to is prove your team the best in the entire country. The scene has been buzzing about this for several months already, but the sign-ups are closed and the competition is due to start soon.
With approximately £40,000 at stake, this is an important and much needed step forward for our “competitive sceneâ€. Perhaps 2007 will be the year when competitions of this nature become more accepted by the general public, perhaps not as a sport (I can’t see that ever happening), but as a viable industry, and something to be encouraged… especially when you can be earning close to $1,000,000 per year at the top.
Tags: Gaming, Counter-strike
