Puzzle Quest DS - NDS

Last played - January, 2008

Let's face it, when you're playing the DS, you usually want just a quick game of something to kill the time before you get back to what you're doing. I usually find it that way, and the best games to play on it are puzzle games. I am a firm believer that Tetris DS is a must have for the DS owner. So of all the puzzle games that are available to the DS, one really that I find highly addictive is Puzzle Quest.

Puzzle Quest is an RPG where the battles are done in puzzles. You choose a hero and fight monsters and mages with weapons and armor - all this done with puzzle games. The game itself is a cross between Bejewelled and columns. Match things and you can unleash skills.

Somehow this game got me through 50 hours of boredom spread out workdays and outings. Too bad my save was erased not too long after I defeated Bane. It was the journey that counted.

Completion: Beat the game.
Hours Spent: 50 Hrs

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".

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI - part 2

Twenty hours into my course of reunifying China, I realize how difficult this game has become. In RTK 11, the computer is prone to fighting. I started my scenario at 190 and I'm currently holding one third of the map with Sun Jian at 201 A.D. I can easily say that the last three years have been plagued with wars, not a dull moment to see. 

I fell into the same problem as I have in before, I picked the "fictional" setting with Dong Zhou in the picture. With this option, he doesn't get defeated with the ruse from Wang Yun and Diao Chan, meaning he holds one of the super powers in China at that time. Ten years into the game I see Cao Cao and Lui Bei be destroyed under his massive army. Naturally I stayed alive because my cities are in the south. In the mist of the mayhem I forged my empire. 

One thing you notice as you try to recruit vassals is that there are a lot of ladies present. Yes, they artificially incorporated women into RTK. I know that there are many things in the books, but it's a very masculine-dominated 1000 pages. Characters like Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao are now officers that can lead troops and build cities for you. I like it. 

Now one of the things that I am turned off for in the game is the monotonous background music. It never really sways from the three tracks. Even RTK3 has the decency to switch up the music after you acquire more cities. I don't think this one ever will change. I am planning to make my own music to put in the background while I'm playing this. 

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As the 45th hour began end ended, I took my positions in the north east. It becomes a steamtrain to roll over my last foe, Gungsun Zan. After conquering Dong Zhou in the south west, I had defeated all but one warlord left. Notice the mini-map on the bottom right corner of this picture. 

The final battle wasn't much a fight at all. As I collected the land's greatest warriors, I had all five of Lui Bei's Tiger Generals and most of the greatest thinkers under my realm. As my legions horsemen routed the last few companies of men from the enemy I brought my war machines in. These rolling flame throwers were new to the game, and pretty much artificial in my understanding of Chinese history, but boy were they effective.

In the end I defeated them and ended my turn. The results is the ending credits. So my game played at BEGINNER and FICTIONAL setting took about 45 hours (official timer stopped at 44:47:20). Under Sun Jian, it took about twenty gametime years: from January of 190 to April of 212 A.D. 

Completion: Beginner / Fictional 
Hours Spent: 45 Hrs