Final Fantasy 12 - PS2 (part 1)

Well, we all heard about the security breech on the Playstation Network of the past few weeks. Some guy hacked in, got access to about 80,000 credit cards, and now Sony's in a big mess. After a few days of trying to repair the network, they just said it wouldn't work, and are going to create a new one from scratch. Yeah, it seems like a Matrix movie plot, but no, it's real and a lot of people are upset. I think you can finally play multi-player games on it now, but I actually I was more worried about my trophies. A bit frustrated with it all, I just went back to Final Fantasy 12. Good ol PS2 gaming.

The thing about Final Fantasy 12 is that I never completed everything in that game. For the avid player, that's what FF games are about - you play it through once to get the feel about it, but you play it again to sweep up the nooks and crannies. The first time I finished it, I spent about 60 hours and made it past the boss with no problem. This was 2005? Bush was still in office. I remember not enjoying it much, but something rushed me. Then again, how can you tell someone you didn't like the game if you spent 60 hours on it? It's getting to the dessert portion of the meal and then telling your mate that, "well, this place kind of sucked". No, I like 12, and I like it a lot more this second time through.

So what did I miss? Pretty much everything. I didn't have the Zod spear; I didn't get the Genji gear; I finished the game with like four Espers. I finished about 20 Hunts, just to get by. It's interesting how little you have to do to complete a Final Fantasy game. I wish they remade this game for the PS3 and put in trophy pack. Hell, I wish they did that for every previous Final Fantasy game.

So starting over. Was it hard? Not really. Playing the game again was a bit odd for the eyes, as I had to go back to 480i, standard definition gaming. But I got used to it about three hours in. One thing that changed was that I got the Brady Guidebook this time, and well, I'm playing it as a cheater. Is it really cheating if you still have to DO the tasks? Sure I have access to maps, boss weaknesses, and just the general feel of the future, but I still had to play the game. Do I still die? Well, rarely. I think I got the game-over screen once. I took the wrong turn in the Fey Wood when my party had no reason to be there. Anyway, back to the game.

I really like this game. Sure it's the most different of the Final Fantasy series by far. It's engine and battle system is ported over from Final Fantasy 11, and the world of Ivalice is quite different from Spira or Gaea. So what's great about it? The characters and story. That's for another post. Right now, I'm 62 hours in, and walking through the city of Giruvegan.

Dragon Quest 6 - Realms of Revelation (NDS)

Originally released in 1995 to the Super Famicon in Japan, this chapter of the Dragon Quest series rarely made it to United States - until now that is. I picked up the new release last month and started playing it when I got home. It was the last chapter in the "Zenithian" trilogy (4,5, and 6) because they all feature the castles in the sky. I had to redo it because I don't even remember if I finished the game the first time around.

The game revolves around three characters: the hero, Carver the muscle man, and Milly the witch. They embarked on a journey to defeat the great evil of the land, Murdaw. But the fight was not much of a battle. They get their bodies separated in twos and sent into another world, the dream world. With their memories altered, they have to find their other selves and each other, and thats when then adventure begins.

The game wasn't that much different from DQ9, even though this game was released more recently, the style is noticeably older. All the modern finishes went to DQ9. I missed being able to view the characters equipment in the menus. Naturally the game doesn't have the mixing pot neither. What it does have, and a lot, were monster encounters. You get so used to seeing monsters on the screen and dodging them after DQ9. In DQ6 every five steps you'd be accosted to another quick battle. It gets pretty annoying when you're trying to complete a quest instead of out there just grinding for levels.

But the game's story was really good. I'm about 3/4ths through and I found it intriguing. It's the ultimate adventure of "finding oneself". The hero had to go through the real world and the dream world to re-unite with his other self. A lot of talking with townsfolk ensues, but for now I'm enjoying the ride. The nostalgia is definitely a treat.

Dragon Quest 9 - NDS (part 1)

When I write about Dragon Quest I know I'll be writing for more than just one part, so just for my own sake, I'm calling this part one. While the last Square Enix game took about 100 hours plus to completely attain all the achievements, and I didn't even get there, this game might take even more. I wasn't even sure if I was going to play this game. I mean, Dragon Quest? again? Why?

Well why not? I found myself starting this game in a hotel room in San Jose. Before long I wanted to play through the night. Playing through eight games, and the sound and feel of it has not changed a bit. From the opening score to the cheerful themed songs in the towns, I feel like I'm instantly transported to another world. Final Fantasy 13 took my breath away with it's 1080P graphics in a 30 gig blu-ray disc, but Dragon Quest 9 does the same on the NDS with just 250 megs!

But the game is not just all tradition, there are many new aspects about the game. To start, you not only can choose your hero's gender, but you can create his look. It's like playing the Sims to a small extent. Then you they expanded the inventory slots to more than just four, there there are seven items that a character can equip. Plus everything that you equip is displayed on the screen. It's just sad that you sometimes have to wear something uncouth like a tortoise's shell.
Next, there are no more random battles. Perhaps that bugs players that are learning about Dragon Quest, but I've lived through so many of it through the series and don't find it too much to complain. Although now with the ability to pick and choose which enemies to encounter, I find myself rushing to attack when I see a metal slime (or any of the metal family for that matter). Next there is the experience point splitting system. After the battle, the ones with higher levels will get more EXP. I guess this prevents you from power leveling a new person you create from level 1. And yes, most of the party members you get (at least from the beginning anyway) are those that you create and recruit yourself. I start with a priest (pole arms), martial artist (war fans), and theif (daggers). Another new development I notice is that when a character dies in battle, at least for boss battles, if the party wins, he still gets EXP. That's quite helpful as I tend to fight bosses under-leveled and I win by a hair many times. I don't like to "grind" much any more, so I tend to fight bosses before the recommended levels.

There are more game concepts that developed, but I'll have to reserve those for the second post.
For now, I'm trying to hack my way through the game. But life is busy at the moment. My game time has been reduced significantly. Until then, I'll be wearing slime earrings. Screenshots to come too.

Final Fantasy 13 - PS3

Like every other RPG fan in March, I took time out of my schedule to play Final Fantasy 13. Scoreless screen shots and reviews have been written on the game and I might as well try to write one also. I'm not going to lie, this isn't a game for everyone. It's not much of a RPG game, but it is a very beautifully crafted cinematic piece of work. I'm about 26 hours in and I'm not sure if I would class this as an interactive movie or a really linear episode of Final Fantasy.

The story begins with a band of outcasts are being chased down by the local government of Coccoon. They are seen as diseased elements and all those that come in contact with them are to be "purged"; they are the L'Cie. It's not long that you realize that Lightning, a former captain of the military is the main character. Snow, the young leader of the resistance group, NORA (No obligations or Authority?), gets sucked into the mess because he's trying to save his fiancee. His wife-to-be has already been changed from L'Cie to Crystal because she had fulfilled her "focus". This will inevitably happen to all L'Cie. The other three characters that get dragged into this are Sahz, Vanille, and a boy named Hope. They later meet a fighting woman named Fang, who is in search of Vanille; she plans to rescue her.

These six characters are in search of an author. No, not really, but they are in search of some answers as to what is the connection between Coccoon and Pulse, legendary city outside of their world. They're also wondering if it's better to fulfill their focus and become crystal, or run away. They've already tried running. So they decided to take up a third alternative and rush towards the highest office of the Coccoon order, the Sanctum, and ask for answers.

So if I had to guess what happened at the game designer's table at Square-Enix, I'd have to say they were trying to concentrate all the "good" stuff in Final Fantasy and take out all the "bad" stuff. The players love the feeling of beating a boss, so let's make it so that all the battles are pretty similar to boss battles. Players loved the seeing Cloud, Squall, or Tidus slashing monsters in the air, so why not make it so that you'd get to see that in every battle?! Sounds great so far. People love cinematics, lets give them more than they've ever seen before; how about one after every chapter! Now to the bad stuff. Players didn't like talk to people in towns, let's just take out towns. Let's take out weapon shops, item shops, magic shops, and inns and put them all neatly in a save-point. Let's take out that tedious aspect of healing yourself after the battle also. Well you get the point. It's evolution, sort of. I'm not saying I don't like the game, but it sure is a different approach to Final Fantasy.

For the best, longest, and funniest review of Final Fantasy 13, please see Action Button.net's review. It's 18,000 words, and pure entertainment.

Dragon Quest 4: Chapters of the Chosen - NDS (part 2)

Without a doubt, this game took less time than I thought it would. I completed most of the first four quests in about 15 hours and began playing the final chapter in November. It took awhile to get back into it, but it was actually really enjoyable to play even for a game this old. I'm glad they brought it back to life with the DS remake and I think if I had more time I would play through the extras.

The game began to unfold as they described the story of Psaro the Man Slayer. He's the one behind all the evildoings in the game. Well, I guess he's the big thing that the demons have tried resurrecting. The story is that he did a lot of bad things because they imprisoned his girl, Rosa. Or was it that they killed that girl. I stopped paying attention at one point.

(My equipment for the last fight, don't forget to bring the Baron's horn so you can call your party before the boss) The fight with the final boss is tough, but not that tough. I went in there at level 36 with my crew of adventurers one or two levels below that. The boss is a golden guy, that you fight and he slowly disintegrates into a green gob with no arms or head. Fear not, he will regenerate into something more hideous and engaging. The most important thing here is remember to use the spell Oomph. It'd make your life easier. I started the part as the Hero, Alana, the Cleric, and the Black Mage. The first few forms of his body is hardly adversarial. Just keep "Kabuff" on and putting on "Oomph" on your characters. If you run into problems, don't forget that the Hero has "Omniheal", which fully recovers your entire party for 20 MP. As He starts to become whole again, in his final form, he'll start doing more fire spells so it's safe to say you'll need "insulate". But as long as you keep your Oomph up and attack him at least twice a turn, you'll be fine.

The ending is pretty much the same as the NES version. You visit all the towns of your party members and then you make a trek back to the home town, where you were raised by your foster parents. The place is burned down, but upon your return you find that young girl that saved your life by turning into your decoy. Finally you two can be together, and I guess it's speechless, but I hope you live happily ever after.

But wait! There's more. Because it's the NDS version, there's a added Chapter 6. I'm going to save that for another time. Until then, I might as well start on Dragon Quest 5.

The following are a lot of pictures I took along the way.

Devil Summoner - PS2

I couldn't help it, I decided to put in some hours on another Atlus Shin Megami Tensei game. I started Devil Summoner and couldn't stop - even though I just bought a PS3.

This one is actually not an RPG, and it's not set in present day. The story revolves around a group of mages in industrial Japan. The order of "Raidou" is committed to maintaining peace in Tokyo. They do so with the power to see, combat, and summon "devils" (which are Personas in all the Persona games).

This was a major turning point in Japan, as they began westernizing and adopting technologies from America and Europe. I always felt that the days were pretty bleak there, but playing this game makes it feel very exciting. There're young men who are intrigued by the steam boats and trains and young women who want to try the sun dresses from Europe. I think I enjoy these aspects more because I was a Japanese history major in college.

(Raidou and his funny hat) The game itself is an action RPG where battles warp you to a fighting screen. You have a sword, a handgun, and the ability to summon devils. You fight in towns and then you fight in the dark world. This is the natural sequence of events in the game. Once again there is monster fusion, and it becomes like a mature version of Pokemon. Each monster has it's strengths and weaknesses and they also come with special abilities like "sneak" and "fly". These abilities enable the detective summoner to snoop in places where any normal sleuth cannot.

(the detective agency) All in all the game is fun and has a nice sense of challenge. You can go through levels quicker if you know how to hack and slash correctly, but you can also dominate the bosses if you rather level up. So it's got a good balance of "Action - RPG". The fusions for the devils make this game interesting for those who like to "collect them all".

I'm finally in Episode 8, and I think there will be only two more episodes before this all comes to an end. I'm about 20 hours in, so I doubt this will take more than 30.

Below are some scenes I took with my camera. I love the settings: the Red Light District, the old Ginza district, and a conversation with a huge demon.

Final Fantasy - NES, NDS

Well, it seems odd to have a video-game website that mentions Dragon Quest but not Final Fantasy. To tell the truth, I'm such a Final Fantasy fan that I actually thought I'd dedicate them all on a separate sight. That didn't go so well. So now I'm just going to port over some of the results from that sight.

I've played Final Fantasy about 11 times in my life, it is just one of those games that I can play over and over just to see if I can still do it over again. It's like a Rubix cube for me. So when I found out that they did a re-release for it on the GBA with extra dungeons, I jumped at the chance to play it once more. I won't go into the details, but I will just port over the results from my other blog, the Final Fantasy Challenge.

(from September of 2007)

So as you can guess, the posting isn't going to catch up with the gaming. I need to back-track and talk about the end of Final Fantasy one.

The fight up to Tiamont took up 12 hours, but the optional bosses took up another 8 hours. Our friend Garland was the culprit the last boss. Channeling the powers of time and evil he becomes Chaos. By the time I got there, I was a whopping level 77. The last time I played and beat it, I was level 43. This game definitely was made easier. Also back then my strongest weapon was the Masamune and the Excalibur, now I had the Ultima Weapon and armor that never existed back then. It was just a breeze. Well here are some stats, and I'm on my way to Final Fantasy II (not the one with Cecil, but the one with Firion).

Chaos Shrine - defeated Chaos (level 77)

• Game Time: 21 hrs 28 mins
• Total Time: 21 hrs 38 mins (10 mins added)
  
• Days: 9 of 80
• Bestiary - 93%
• Weapons Completion - 99% (missing Assassin's Dagger)
  
• Optional Bosses - 100%
• Optional Quests - 100%

Persona 4 - PS2

Well, I didn't think I would play this one so soon, but it was like opening up gifts on Christmas morning - I just couldn't wait. I played Persona 3: FES not too long ago, so the concepts of the game were still fresh in my mind. Turning on Persona 4 for the first time took me back to the end of the P3 in a rush as the animated intro started. The beginning the title theme is similar to the last score in P3. It was effortless continuity from 3 to 4. I started the game and I knew that this would be another 100 hour journey into the world of Shadows and Personas.

From the start, let me warn those that have never played these games that you don't get any control of the character until 90 minutes into the story. Lots and lots of story happens and you're not too sure when a battle will even begin. I'd say you don't fully get to a first battled until 2 hours and 15 minutes of the game. So please be patient! To me, it's like watching a movie, and I am loving it so far.

Similar to Persona 3, this chapter in the SMT world begins with a young man pondering through a train car's window. Pan to something ultra-violent, and then back to signal lights blinking and you have iconic Japanese Anime sequences. It's campy, but hey, it works. The young man is transferring from the big city to a small town of Inaba because his parents works overseas and they entrusted him to his uncle, who works as a detective in town. The young man quickly makes friends with Yosuke, an absentminded boy who works at the local electronics depot, and Chie, a super jubulent Kung-fu loving girl who is turning into one of my favorite female video-game character in recent memory. Now THAT was a geeky statement.

(Yosuke, someone who literally ran into you on the first day of school.) Let's talk about some differences between part 3 and part 4. First of all, the Dark Hour is gone. Instead, you can enter the world of Persona's through the TV department of the Junes building in the day time, usually after school. Secondly, during the dungeon stages, there is no longer just one giant Tartarus dungeon but instead sectioned off areas where you can delve into. After a battle ends, the way you attain Personas is different. The new lottery for cards causes a lot more eye strain. But there's a lot more. Thirdly, there are two more sections added to your personal status, putting it into five: Emotions, Knowledge, Courage, Diligence, and Expression. If that's not enough, you still have to level up your social links. So there is a lot to learn and a lot to do.

Igor, your guide into the Persona World.

Yukiko, another classmate of yours that is born and raised in Inaba. Her parents own an inn on the edge of town. It's where all the murders have started.

Eternal Poison - PS2

Another one of Atlus's RPG's for 2009. It's rare to be playing PS2 games in 2009, but I still find it entertaining. The cover dissuaded me from picking this one up because it seem like the kind of game that guys with Lolita fetishes would buy. I ended up trying it out anyway with some reserve. They bundled it with a soundtrack, but I got it used at the Game Stop and unfortunately I didn't get the CD along with the game.

The game starts with a young sorceress, the one dressed in gothic attire on the cover, Thage and her wolf companion Raki. They are Majin (magical creatures I suppose) and they are seeking the power of the "Eternal Poison" to either resurrect the legendary princess or destroy the world. Early in their travels they take up a young boy that got lost along the way named Retica. He is a half-breed between Majin and Human, so like many stories, he is conflicted between good and evil. They both battle monsters and unravel a story that intertwines with the other major characters.

So here's the deal-breaker for this game: you have to play all five story-lines to get the true ending. I hate games like this. I actually was able to complete the Thage story in about ten hours, but do I really want to go through it again? four more times? I will have to make that choice soon. This game reminds me of Saga Frontier, where you have to complete all seven quests. And yes, I did complete it all but I had a lot more time when I was a student.

Dragon Quest 4: Chapters of the Chosen - NDS

I began playing this game to ween myself away from Civilization again. It seems like every time I reinstall a new computer I install Civ. 4 and try to give it another go. It's an addiction, or perhaps it's just delusions of grandeur - we all want to rule the world.

But back to Dragon Quest 4. This is probably my favorite Dragon quest game. The idea of putting the main character four chapters later into the game was novel at the time. We spend like ten hours playing through four quests and we haven't invested any time in the main character yet. It was a breakaway from the first three Dragonquests, especially as it no longer talked about Edward. Playing it again after 17 years (it came out in 1992), I find it remarkable that I remember so much about it. I still love the Taloon quest, and so did many other fans because Taloon created some franchises out for himself in Japan. I am amazed at how smooth it runs on the NDS, nothing is lost, but a lot is gained. The game will not live up to the action packed RPG's of today, but it's definitely for nostalgia's sake. People who played this one before, will love it. The music would literally time warp you back to the time you played this on your NES.

I spent about six hours on it and got through the first three chapters. Now I'm playing the fourth chapter with Meena and Maya. It's a matter of time before I get to the end of that one. There seems to be a relative ease on game settings, because I'm able to get through them with relative ease. Hopefully I don't lose my edge in the coming dungeons.

Persona 3: FES - PS2

Persona 3: FES is the first Persona game I've ever played. I played Digital Devil Saga and got to the end, but got defeated by the boss and never got around to complete it. Another game that I played from the SMT series seems was from the Super Famicon and I can't even remember the title. But regardless of the background of this demonic series, I am thoroughly enjoying Persona 3.  

The story revolves around six high school kids from Gekkokan High, somewhere in Japan. They go to school, meet up with friends, live in a boarding house, and fight demons. Yes, they fight demons with conjured spirits called Personas. 

The game's protagonist goes to school and makes social links with his friends, which in turn powers up his Personas. He studies, plays sports, goes on dates, and gets picked on by teachers to answer test questions. He gains academic points by studying, charisma points by doing well in front of his peers, and courage points by taking on dares. In a sense, he's not like your regular RPG protagonist at all - and I'm loving these aspects!

The game revolves around a calendar and the phases of the moon. While every day you'll have to go to school and find clues amongst the students, nights are made for dungeon crawling. The only dungeon so far in the game is Tartarus. I've only gone up to the 50th floor, but it seems to extend towards infinity. Sundays are days where you're free, but you should go hang out with your friends to boost social links. Then there are the days with the full moons; these are days with boss battles. With that in mind, every day can be used to effect, or wasted if you're not careful. It took me awhile to get used to this format of playing, but once I did, I felt something I haven't felt in video-games for awhile. I get totally absorbed. 

Another aspect is the Rated-M parts of the game. I haven't played an RPG that's rated-M since Digital Devil Saga, and it does make a difference. They can say harsher words and use a lot more blood. Even bosses expose a bit more sexual innuendo than before. But all in all, I think everyone should give this game a try. I know I'll be rushing to defeat it. Hopefully Persona 4 will be just as good.  The following pictures are of the main characters: Mitsuru, Junpei, Akihiko, and Yukari. 

Continued on Part 2

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon - NDS

Somehow I put down the Fire Emblem game for the Wii to play this game. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is actually a remake of the first fire Emblem game published on the SNES. It's still new to me because I completely forsaked this series, as like many people did because it wasn't ported over to the United States until much later. 

The game follows the young prince, Marth, who is chased out of his kingdom by the kingdom of Gras. He is secluded to a small city in the far marginal eastern area of the land. Slowly he gathers his forces and lauch a rebellion. He has his trusted followers: Cain and Abel, Shiida, Frey, Coyote and Wolf, etc. It steadily gets more interesting as he recruits people from every map, reminisient of the old Suikoden games. I kind of reminds me of Japan's Onin war in the Muromachi period. It took me about seven maps to totally get emotionally invested, but now I'm determined to beat it. 

The game actually does well with the NDS. Having the bottom screen as the main screen and the top screen as the profile helps you switch information quick. The mechanics move the characters quick and you can always end all the turns just by hitting START - something that happens often to me. I just want to quickly reset. I'm on map 10 now, and it seems like I'm getting better finally, dying less. Until then, I'll be playing that and Henry Hatsworth, Goodshow!

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn - Nintendo Wii

Have you ever played a game that took so long, that life invariably gets in the way? When I first started playing this game for the Wii, I was planning a vacation and my company was going through some of the hottest summer days with work spewing out by the truckload. Now, 3 months later, I have already returned from my vacation, the DOW has lost another 1500 points, and I have found little time to pick up my wii-mote. Fire Emblem takes a long time, so don't go off buying it and expect to complete it in a week to return it to your local game store. 

t's the 5th of the series I believe, and it continues off of the Game Cube instalment, Path of Radiance. The DS version, Shadow Dragon is a remake of the first one, not sequential to Radiant Dawn. What makes it new is that it's the FIRST time I'm playing a Fire Emblem game, and I am liking it. It does make you whimper though, or as some reviewers say, "makes you cry like a little girl". Yes, the maps are difficult. Your guys are not superior to the enemy. Death occurs and there is no revivication. Death is death. It's part of the appeal of the game, the relentless difficulty of it. I've seen the Game Over sign countless times and it really makes me want to buy the guide. 

The game is like a rubix cube and a crossword puzzle; it makes you think, try new things, and build of answers for a complete solution. Well, you'd have to if you want your guys to survive.  You have to fiddle with it. Play through maps again and again until you realize your party's strengths and weaknesses.  You have to attack the maps from different perspectives. Once one segment is solved, other parts of the map is revealed. It's really a patient man's game. Whether it makes you patient or it's meant for patient people is a different story. 

The story is about a small group of rebels that are fighting back against a ruthless empire in the medieval times. Magic, might, and mayhem are all parts of the game. But there's also a big paper-rock-scissors. Lance takes swords, swords take axes, and axes take lances - I guess thats how it always have been in the series? What I find new is the "CARRY" command. I have played Disgaea and Final Fantasy Tactics, but never came across a game that lets you carry a person. I guess there's a a bit of that in Super Robot Wars as you can go back to the main carrier ship, but in this game, you have to use every command to your advantage. 

For now, I'm still learning the ropes as I play this in between Shining Force Neo and God of War.

Here's a video (set of videos) of a guy doing this game on a "speedrun". The blinking makes my eyes hurt, and I didn't watch anymore after the first video to prevent spoiling the game. I read that you can cut out animations only after you beat the game once, what an interesting reward:

Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen - SNES

When I first played this game, it was the only game of it's type in 1997, and well, twelve years later, I still feel like it's the only game of it's type. Ogre Battle is a RPG game that acts more like a strategy game. You control parties instead of individual characters and you send them all out from your base to defeat the enemy parties. Your characters have HP, MP, levels, and character class. Naturally there are special characters that have unique abilities. The "new" concept of the game is that you don't actually control your parties in battle, you have to learn their tendencies and just hope that the outcome goes in your favor. It was truly novelle at the time; I consider it like Final Fantasy 12 of today. It also has a great soundtrack with memorable tunes perfect for battle. The way the game is set up and the rich story of how you're the last bastion of light rebelling a giant empire (cliche nowadays?) made it an awesome game for 1997. 

I spent that summer in the 11th grade playing it for the first time. I got through it begrudgingly at snails pace and missed out a LOT of characters. It was also the first game that had good, evil, and neutral meters that reflected your actions in battle. Using your sense of morality, you can dominate over the weak or using weak characters to overcome adversity; creating a good alignment for your campaign. It had like 13 endings and I played it four times. The fourth time, with the help of a FAQ, I finally got it right, the uber ending.

Why did I bring this back up? Because I read this morning from 1up.com that this game is coming back, yes to the Wii as a Wiiware for like $8.00. Great deal for a game that is limited to 25,000 copies in North America. Ebay was selling this for at least $50.00, thankfully most of these games belonged to RPG lovers in the first place so they were kept in good condition. Ogre Battle, celebrated as an "A+" game, has finally made it's way back to our homes. 

I've included a video I found on youtube that shows how some of the battles go. I say don't go watch the ending videos, it spoils the game... even though it's 12 years old. 

Completion: Collected all characters and received rarest ending.

First Run: 35 hrs

2nd Run: 30 hrs

3rd Run: 60 hrs

4th Run: 80 hrs 

Hours Spent: approx. 205 hrs

Swords and Serpents - NES

Ahh yes, another heavily forgotten game for the NES. Another game that I am writing about because it's old and lesser known? Well, just like the Magic of Scheherazade, I owned Swords and Serpents as a kid also. It was an RPG in the first person, and boy was it boring. I think when you're a kid, you had a knack for boring things, or at least I was. 

The game consists of your four characters fighting in a labyrinth to save the world from a certain evil. Sounds like Gauntlet doesn't it? Well, it's not because it's turn-based and the graphics were sub-par. You really don't know if you've hit the monster well because all it does is blink. The map on the screen was interesting, because you basically felt like a rat in a maze. Worse of all is that a lot of the rooms are filled with dead-ends, and yes, they just kind of sucked. You had to figure out where the trick was, because sometimes you can just jump through. 

I couldn't remember what the hell the ending was to this game, but I know I beat it. It was a crazy hot summer, and I wasted too much time on my Nintendo. 

Completion: Beat the game 

Hours Spent: approx. 40 hrs.

Check out these retro videos on you-tube, amazing!

And this TV commercial of the game!

the Magic of Scheherazade - NES

What is this game? Why is this worth writing about now? Why talk about this game that nobody cares about anymore? Well it's only important because it belonged to me. This game came out in 1989 and I actually went out and bought it at a Woolworths with my mother. It's odd why I picked that one, but I think it's only because I liked RPG's, and back then RPG's were few. I had a lot of fun with this one. Just look at the cover-art! Still looks inviting today. I think another reason was because my friends already had Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior. 

The game is basically one of the earliest action RPG's for Nintendo. You're a warrior that is out to save the Princess Scheherazade (I still have a hard time pronouncing that name) that is abducted by an evil wizard. Not the most original of plots, but it establishes the mission. The setting is Arabic, and pretty much as stereo-typical as it goes. You weild a scimitar, you have balloon-like pants, and heck, you even wear a turban. You walk around from place to place talking with merchants and wacking monsters. You have a health bar and a magic bar, and you had levels. 

I don't remember much about this game after that. I knew I bought it, I played the hell out of it, and it was lost in this mass jettison of old stuff that I owned in my past. I'd like to see it again, but I doubt I'd really have the patience for it now. It just reminds me of the good old days. 

Completion: Beat the game 

Hours Spent: approx. 40 hrs.

Enjoy this video from youtube! Ahh, the 8-bit graphics. 

Shining Force Neo - PS2

Shining Force Neo is an action RPG developed by SEGA as a throw-back to it's original Shining series. As the title suggests, the "Shining Force" is a sword that the hero finds to defeat the evil monsters conjured by the Clan of the Moon. Max, the hero of the story, begins at a fortress outside of the towns and is being trained by a Captain Graham.

On the first few hours of gameplay I realize that it's very similar to Diablo and Diablo 2. You run through dungeons, collect forcepoints to upgrade your skills and magicks, collect items and "identify" them for your inventory, and you are the sole person that you actually control. While there are other characters that fight with you along screen, they are pretty much NPC's. The monsters swarm on you like D2 and as you cut them down, their energy bars fall like Record of the Loddoss War (for Dreamcast). I miss games as simple as this one. The game boasts "over 90 enemies appear on a single screen", so I have yet to see this. The first boss, which is a bug, attacks with more than 30 bug minions. But still it is quite insane seeing them clobber you.

The game is ranked B+ on 1up.com. I bought it from Gamestop for 10.00 bucks, but hopefully it will be sold for a bit more as it seems rarer than rpg's out there today.

Rogue Galaxy - PS2

Rogue Galaxy is a great action RPG from the guys at Level-5 Video Games. Think of it as a FF12 that includes button mashing and cell-shaded graphics that are are similar to Dark Cloud 2 and Dragonquest 8.

My first impressions of it are positive. I like the cartoon-like characters as well as it's battle system. Not much different from your usual Square-soft Game. The learning curve isn't that difficult and after an hour into it you'll become accustomed to the menus and controls.

The game itself involves eight playable characters: Jasper, Kisala, Zegram, Simon, Steve, Jupis, Deego, and Lilika. Each has a moderately intriguing back story, with Deego being the most tragic. My favorite character seems to be Jupis, with his love for coffee and wacky break-dance moves.

The REVELATION power-up system is not different from the liscence system in Final Fantasy 12 nor is it too different from the sphere grid in Final Fantasy 10. You take common items found through-out the game and place it in designated grids to reveal new skills for your characters. Not too difficult to figure out, and the ease of use makes the game quite addictive for the first 20 hours. There's a bit of a sticky point when you start running out of high level items.

Graphically, this game is quite impressive for a PS2 title. One of my favorite cut-scenes is when you see Jasper try to solve the puzzle of the ancients. As a giant pile of digital bricks swirl in algorithmic motions, the hero tries to re-construct something out of it with his hands and mind. Quite a trip, even for a PS2 hooked to a 720p HD screen with component cables.

As the game progresses, we find more about the evil forces that are trying to profit from the warring planets, and the mysteries of the planet Eden. As the story begins revealing the background of Jaster's parents and Kisala's origins, we begin to see why the game is titled "Rogue Galaxy".

Dragon Quest VIII - PS2

Last Played: October 2008.

For the first Playstation 2 Dragonquest game, it will be remembered as the most traditional RPG in the console. It's odd to pack the playable trailer of Final Fantasy 12 on this game because they share very little in common. I think this is one of those games that will linger in your mind for days to come after finishing it, but finishing it, well that's not an easy task.

The odd thing about my playing of Dragonquest VIII is the three month hiatus that I took inbetween the 40th hour of game time. Life gets in the way of video-games.

It's odd how many hours I spent on leveling up here. Compared to the previous Dragonquests, this one wasn't that bad at all. Fly to the plateau north west of Empryea. Walk around at night, and you'll find metal babbles. Have all your guys on "follow orders" for tactics. Have the hero do metal slash, Yangis to attack regularly (hoping for a critical hit), Angelo do metal slash, and Jessica to cast the Accelerate spell. Keep up this pattern until it's your third turn, by then your speed is so high, even Jessica should be attack (for the chance of a critical hit). Somehow with this strategy I was able to gain six levels for each of my guys. I totally over leveled for Rhapthorne, and I found that it was the easiest Dragon Quest boss I ever fought.

The two shots shows my winning team in the monster arena. The rival team uses a metal babble, so you better get lucky with those critical hits. In the end you get a nice piece of clothing. But anyway, I just like taking screen-shots.

All in all, I really liked this game. From the British accents to the cell-shaded graphics, the game really brought you back to the Dragon Quest franchise. I found myself not wanting it to end, but it had to finish somehow. I know that there is a New Game Plus for a second quest, but I don't think I will have enough time for it. The ending contains one of the funniest surprises in recent RPG gaming; the true guise of King Trode. I laughed, and I gave myself a pat on the back.

Spoiler Picture of King Trode below!

Completion: Beat the game's first run. Obtained S-Rank for the Monster Arena.
Hours Spent: 86 Hrs. 18 mins.

1UP's Review

Dragon Quest 1, 2, and 3

Dragon Quest is the first RPG game I've ever played, and most likely, it was the first for many. It was released in 1986, yes, that was during Ronald Reagon's second term. We barely had 14.4k modems back then. And most likely the game was less than 1 megabite. We, as Americans, got the English versiona as Dragon Warrior in 1989 for the NES.

The game featured one knight out to save a princess. It was pretty much the entire plot. It introduced ideas like regaining your HP at the inn, saving at the cathedrals, and getting clues from villagers. Monsters like the Wyvern, Golem, Slime, and Dragons got their start in this first game. Remember walking through tunnels and you actually had to use the ITEM torch? Remember walking through the marsh and picking up a clue in the middle? The good old days.

In Dragon Quest 2 we explored the possibility of the party. While Final Fantasy already had the hero party of four members, DQ2 introduced a team of three. The cool thing about Dragon Quest games are that they continue after another. The descendant of Erdrick (or Eldrick) makes his name in the world. You actually can find your father towards the end of the game. Pretty fun stuff. It came out in 1990, so I can't remember much about it.

Dragon Quest 3 still had an attachment to the first two games as it was set as a prequel to them. It introduced a system of recruiting teammates with different classes. There were skill points in addition to experience points. This game really brought replay value into the series as you can pick different classes of heroes to finish the game. I remember the goof-offs became sages, odd way of doing things, but I guess they wanted you to suffer carrying a goof-off in your team until you can get him to the shrine for a class change.

All in all, these games really set the tone for NES rpg's, especially since Final Fantasy 2 and 3 were not ported over to the US.












[image from Entropypump.com]

I recommend this the Dragon Quest Shrine for more info on this series of games.

Completion: Completed all three
Dragon Quest 1 (x 4) = 80 hours
Dragon Quest 2 (x1) = 50 hours
Dragon Quest 3 (x 2) = 100 hours
Hours: 230 hours