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Add Me on the Twitterrr? Prep for AC
Posted 11 years agoHoly carp. I finally understand what Twitter is good for.
(Firstly, look me up on @LilFoxKero.)
My Facebook has such a general audience that I'm not comfortable posting something unless it's cool for everyone. This short-messaged avenue will let me do shoutouts to people about games and such. It's going to be furry-friendly as hell instead of just furry-neutral.
So feel free to add me, chat about gaemz, silly furries, and challenge the (diminutive) king of the world!
I also hear people use Twitter to coordinate for AC. Wouldn't hurt to try~
Btw, holy shit; I'm not dead.
(Firstly, look me up on @LilFoxKero.)
My Facebook has such a general audience that I'm not comfortable posting something unless it's cool for everyone. This short-messaged avenue will let me do shoutouts to people about games and such. It's going to be furry-friendly as hell instead of just furry-neutral.
So feel free to add me, chat about gaemz, silly furries, and challenge the (diminutive) king of the world!
I also hear people use Twitter to coordinate for AC. Wouldn't hurt to try~
Btw, holy shit; I'm not dead.
Digimon Adventure PSP
Posted 13 years agoOh, my gawdddd. I may be blind, but I still know the sound of my childhood/young-adulthood callin'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUzCpAkDMNE
Warp evolutions, even for the Digimon who didn't initially get them~ <3
Best scenario for this game would be if Namco Bandai chooses to localize it for North America, and adds the option for Japanese voices. ...Probably won't happen, but eh, it beats the alternative: English voices with probably not all of the same VAs for heightened letdown.
This is the only reason I'd ever get a PSP, and I'm tempted to get one and just import the game. @@;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUzCpAkDMNE
Warp evolutions, even for the Digimon who didn't initially get them~ <3
Best scenario for this game would be if Namco Bandai chooses to localize it for North America, and adds the option for Japanese voices. ...Probably won't happen, but eh, it beats the alternative: English voices with probably not all of the same VAs for heightened letdown.
This is the only reason I'd ever get a PSP, and I'm tempted to get one and just import the game. @@;
Huzzah! 3DS~
Posted 14 years agoOne of the two spoils from working this summer: a new 3DS! Right now all I've got is Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, but eh, couldn't hurt to add people to stalk them and see what games they play.
Drop me some friend codes, people. :o
Friend Code: 4854-6641-7212
Drop me some friend codes, people. :o
Friend Code: 4854-6641-7212
Servers, Where Art Thou?
Posted 15 years agoSoooo, due to a slow connection attributed to my router and endgame stuff for FFXI, it took me 27 hours in total to finish the download for the Final Fantasy XIV beta.
6.38 GB.
112,928 Files, 18,288 Folders.
That's a lot of spaghetti.
No wonder it took me forever to download! They certainly don't tell you how much data you're downloading.
So I finished that at 5:00 A.M. yesterday morning. I install everything and excitedly start up the game. I fear I may go Lalafell Plainsfolk. :< The longer ears make me unf. I HAVE TO GO BACK ON MY TRADITION OF WANTING TO BE A POWERFUL MAGE TO BECOME AN AVERAGE MELEE DAMAGE DEALER. Besides, I've been all into melees lately.
Samurai level 80 bitches. *flop-flop*
Er... got off-track. I loaded up the game at 5:15 or so, only to get a lobby server error: timeout. "Wow, there must be a lot of people playing right now." Very well. Waited 30 minutes and tried again. Same error. Keep in mind, the Error Code was "0."
After some investigation on the beta test site I probably should have read in the interminable duration of the download, I found that the servers came down at 4:00 A.M. for maintenance. Wouldn't be up until 4:00 A.M the next day.
I spent today being quite awkward; I was all ready to play FFXIV, but I wasn't able to play it... I didn't even want to play FFXI. Anyway, I trudge through the day and take a nap so I'm energetic for 4:00 A.M. so I can maximize my play-time. I log on and I get the lobby server timeout error. I CHECK THE SCHEDULE AGAIN AND FIND THAT KERO IS WRONG. KERO IS ALWAYS WRONG.
5:00 A.M. PDT. Kero lives in PennOhio. US SIMPLE FOLK USE EDT. Goddamn it. So now I've got to hibernate again for four and a half hours.
SERVERS. WHERE ART THOU. So that I might punch you in the... face.
6.38 GB.
112,928 Files, 18,288 Folders.
That's a lot of spaghetti.
No wonder it took me forever to download! They certainly don't tell you how much data you're downloading.
So I finished that at 5:00 A.M. yesterday morning. I install everything and excitedly start up the game. I fear I may go Lalafell Plainsfolk. :< The longer ears make me unf. I HAVE TO GO BACK ON MY TRADITION OF WANTING TO BE A POWERFUL MAGE TO BECOME AN AVERAGE MELEE DAMAGE DEALER. Besides, I've been all into melees lately.
Samurai level 80 bitches. *flop-flop*
Er... got off-track. I loaded up the game at 5:15 or so, only to get a lobby server error: timeout. "Wow, there must be a lot of people playing right now." Very well. Waited 30 minutes and tried again. Same error. Keep in mind, the Error Code was "0."
After some investigation on the beta test site I probably should have read in the interminable duration of the download, I found that the servers came down at 4:00 A.M. for maintenance. Wouldn't be up until 4:00 A.M the next day.
I spent today being quite awkward; I was all ready to play FFXIV, but I wasn't able to play it... I didn't even want to play FFXI. Anyway, I trudge through the day and take a nap so I'm energetic for 4:00 A.M. so I can maximize my play-time. I log on and I get the lobby server timeout error. I CHECK THE SCHEDULE AGAIN AND FIND THAT KERO IS WRONG. KERO IS ALWAYS WRONG.
5:00 A.M. PDT. Kero lives in PennOhio. US SIMPLE FOLK USE EDT. Goddamn it. So now I've got to hibernate again for four and a half hours.
SERVERS. WHERE ART THOU. So that I might punch you in the... face.
Final Fantasy XIV beta test GET!
Posted 15 years agoThe site opens tomorrow and Kero got an invitation to participate in the beta test for Final Fantasy XIV. Hell yuh.
Excitement! Just to see how it'll run on my computer. ^^
Lalafell Dunesfolk let's see iiit!
Excitement! Just to see how it'll run on my computer. ^^
Lalafell Dunesfolk let's see iiit!
FFXIV Beta test WHUUUUUT.
Posted 16 years agohttp://entry.ffxiv.com/
WHUUUUUT. I'm worried I won't get accepted because I don't have Windows 7 available, but they better not limit it to 7 only. I mean, it's only been out for a short time. XP IS GOOD.
Lalafell are adorable. MUST BE ONE... *grabby hands*
WHUUUUUT. I'm worried I won't get accepted because I don't have Windows 7 available, but they better not limit it to 7 only. I mean, it's only been out for a short time. XP IS GOOD.
Lalafell are adorable. MUST BE ONE... *grabby hands*
Age 20 GET!
Posted 16 years agoYO GUIZ, I'M SO 20 RITE NAO... *hic*
Yush, useless plug of birthday. Birthdays are becoming less of party days and more of nods.
Accomplishments since last year... hmm... hm...
Well, I got Puyo Puyo 7 a month and a half ago, which r00lz. I have met very few people who even know what Puyo Puyo is, let alone play it well. Most just dismiss it as "Tetris." But playing online with a majority of people that outperform me is a new challenge. :D
I went to Anthrocon this passing summer, this time in a suit of my own, a generous gift from
kojikogel . He was also providing the money for a room at the Westin. I owe him a great deal for the fun I had there, as well as the signatures we got. Just telling my friends about the event encouraged them to want to come next year.
I quit Final Fantasy XI. It seems I may be done with it for good, and it has its ups and downs. With the somewhat forced decision to give it up for school, my account was cancelled by my dad without my confirmation. I didn't get to say goodbye. However, the true friends I made on there, I have my ways of contacting them. Any regrets I had made in-game I think I had made up for: the pricey Hagun I sold a long time ago that shot up in its cost soon after--I painstakingly bought back. In any case, i look forward to Final Fantasy XIV. Looks quite promising with an upgrade in graphics.
I was graced with playing the Ecco the Dolphin series featured on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. Never finished my review of Ecco II: The Tides of Time, but never has a game moved me so much. It's very, very unfortunate that Appaloosa didn't finish the third in the series, only a "secret password" at the end of Tides of Time to give the hint of something big. Playing through The Tides of Time on the Hard Mode was an incredible undertaking that I pride myself on being able to beat. It took many hours of frustration, but after repeating Welcome to the Machine from the first Ecco after being swallowed by the Vortex Queen, eh, it's not so bad. The games had been available to me for a while--since I was pretty young--so when I tried it, I was kind of creeped out, but little did I know how morbid the two Genesis games really got. Thinking about what The Tube and The Machine really are and the whole concept behind the Vortex still make me shiver. In summary, the games have made me really appreciate dolphins, moving them up, towards the top of my favorites. ;p
This past weekend, for my birthday as well as my mother's, she and I got that Beatles Rock Band set. Definitely the best of the series for me, it's good to see that there's not just 5 or 6 good songs on a $60 game. Being able to do vocals and guitar on a song was very exciting, too. Of course, growing up listening to the Beatles is how I can get away without looking at the lyrics. Previously with Rock Band, my mother would show some interest, but I'd have to put on no-fail mode. Howeeever, with this game, she can do well on Expert vocals. ...And I'm pretty sure she was loopy, too. That'd explain why we were playing the game through her expensive and loud stereo. Too loud for me and a couple of my friends from college. Hahaha. :3
That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.
However, this last year will be memorable for me with the loss of a dear friend. One of my main inspirations of being a furry was my black cat William. When he got past his young stage, he didn't play as much, and he always tried to be the alpha-cat. So mild-mannered and, not to mention, de-clawed, he was a wuss deep inside. He seemed like he would be quite the gentleman. I got to see him as a kitten; I was 7 at the time, I believe. Between that time and now, I've moved five times and he's been there, right beside me. In the past few years, he's always wanted into my room at night to sleep in the same room as me. When I first went away to college, my mom told me he would wait outside my door for me, and after a couple of weeks, he would spend a lot of time in the basement. She said he thought I was gone for good. And whenever I came home for a weekend or whenever, i'd pick him up and he'd start purring.
However, in the week and a half before i went away to college for this (my second) year, he got quite sick. It seemed like a cold he'd get over eventually, but when his legs started getting weak, we decided that the vitamin-enriched formula that we had been feeding the malnourished kittens with wasn't enough. So I made the call to the local vet to get him some help. Taking him in, it was sad to see my buddy suffering, though he seemed to be a tad stronger after the injections that the vet administered. His appetite increased to near normal, it seemed. So with him on the road to recovery, I didn't have a problem going back to college with something hanging over my head.
A few days into college, my mom gave me a call and said that William had not been feeling well lately. This was on a Tuesday night. Taking that to mind, I figured I would visit that weekend. Right before I went to bed at 12:30 A.M. two days later, that Thursday night, I got an e-mail from my mom. Assuming that I had went to bed, she sent the e-mail instead of calling me. She said that she was watching a movie with William in her arms when she looked down, only to see that he had died. I didn't take it particularly well, though, I had no regrets. I did what I could to help and he knew I loved him. He was 12; that's plenty of time for a cat to live. Though, spending as much time with that cat as I did, no amount of preparation could brace me for his departure. I cried, indeed. My family was worried how I'd take it, so when I was silent the next day, everyone seemed to be calling me, asking how I was doing. My mom told me that she thinks William was holding on to life until I went away to college again.
William was a special cat, and he still is. He's got a grave with a small headstone in the yard beside a somewhat big tree. My family adored him and his passing wasn't easy, but he's got a place with us.
If you've read down this far, thanks. You must be really bored. ;p LONG-ASS JOURNAL. Every year's gonna have ups and downs, and this is just another year.
Yush, useless plug of birthday. Birthdays are becoming less of party days and more of nods.
Accomplishments since last year... hmm... hm...
Well, I got Puyo Puyo 7 a month and a half ago, which r00lz. I have met very few people who even know what Puyo Puyo is, let alone play it well. Most just dismiss it as "Tetris." But playing online with a majority of people that outperform me is a new challenge. :D
I went to Anthrocon this passing summer, this time in a suit of my own, a generous gift from
kojikogel . He was also providing the money for a room at the Westin. I owe him a great deal for the fun I had there, as well as the signatures we got. Just telling my friends about the event encouraged them to want to come next year.I quit Final Fantasy XI. It seems I may be done with it for good, and it has its ups and downs. With the somewhat forced decision to give it up for school, my account was cancelled by my dad without my confirmation. I didn't get to say goodbye. However, the true friends I made on there, I have my ways of contacting them. Any regrets I had made in-game I think I had made up for: the pricey Hagun I sold a long time ago that shot up in its cost soon after--I painstakingly bought back. In any case, i look forward to Final Fantasy XIV. Looks quite promising with an upgrade in graphics.
I was graced with playing the Ecco the Dolphin series featured on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. Never finished my review of Ecco II: The Tides of Time, but never has a game moved me so much. It's very, very unfortunate that Appaloosa didn't finish the third in the series, only a "secret password" at the end of Tides of Time to give the hint of something big. Playing through The Tides of Time on the Hard Mode was an incredible undertaking that I pride myself on being able to beat. It took many hours of frustration, but after repeating Welcome to the Machine from the first Ecco after being swallowed by the Vortex Queen, eh, it's not so bad. The games had been available to me for a while--since I was pretty young--so when I tried it, I was kind of creeped out, but little did I know how morbid the two Genesis games really got. Thinking about what The Tube and The Machine really are and the whole concept behind the Vortex still make me shiver. In summary, the games have made me really appreciate dolphins, moving them up, towards the top of my favorites. ;p
This past weekend, for my birthday as well as my mother's, she and I got that Beatles Rock Band set. Definitely the best of the series for me, it's good to see that there's not just 5 or 6 good songs on a $60 game. Being able to do vocals and guitar on a song was very exciting, too. Of course, growing up listening to the Beatles is how I can get away without looking at the lyrics. Previously with Rock Band, my mother would show some interest, but I'd have to put on no-fail mode. Howeeever, with this game, she can do well on Expert vocals. ...And I'm pretty sure she was loopy, too. That'd explain why we were playing the game through her expensive and loud stereo. Too loud for me and a couple of my friends from college. Hahaha. :3
That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.
However, this last year will be memorable for me with the loss of a dear friend. One of my main inspirations of being a furry was my black cat William. When he got past his young stage, he didn't play as much, and he always tried to be the alpha-cat. So mild-mannered and, not to mention, de-clawed, he was a wuss deep inside. He seemed like he would be quite the gentleman. I got to see him as a kitten; I was 7 at the time, I believe. Between that time and now, I've moved five times and he's been there, right beside me. In the past few years, he's always wanted into my room at night to sleep in the same room as me. When I first went away to college, my mom told me he would wait outside my door for me, and after a couple of weeks, he would spend a lot of time in the basement. She said he thought I was gone for good. And whenever I came home for a weekend or whenever, i'd pick him up and he'd start purring.
However, in the week and a half before i went away to college for this (my second) year, he got quite sick. It seemed like a cold he'd get over eventually, but when his legs started getting weak, we decided that the vitamin-enriched formula that we had been feeding the malnourished kittens with wasn't enough. So I made the call to the local vet to get him some help. Taking him in, it was sad to see my buddy suffering, though he seemed to be a tad stronger after the injections that the vet administered. His appetite increased to near normal, it seemed. So with him on the road to recovery, I didn't have a problem going back to college with something hanging over my head.
A few days into college, my mom gave me a call and said that William had not been feeling well lately. This was on a Tuesday night. Taking that to mind, I figured I would visit that weekend. Right before I went to bed at 12:30 A.M. two days later, that Thursday night, I got an e-mail from my mom. Assuming that I had went to bed, she sent the e-mail instead of calling me. She said that she was watching a movie with William in her arms when she looked down, only to see that he had died. I didn't take it particularly well, though, I had no regrets. I did what I could to help and he knew I loved him. He was 12; that's plenty of time for a cat to live. Though, spending as much time with that cat as I did, no amount of preparation could brace me for his departure. I cried, indeed. My family was worried how I'd take it, so when I was silent the next day, everyone seemed to be calling me, asking how I was doing. My mom told me that she thinks William was holding on to life until I went away to college again.
William was a special cat, and he still is. He's got a grave with a small headstone in the yard beside a somewhat big tree. My family adored him and his passing wasn't easy, but he's got a place with us.
If you've read down this far, thanks. You must be really bored. ;p LONG-ASS JOURNAL. Every year's gonna have ups and downs, and this is just another year.
Keroro Gunsou the Super Movie 4: Gekishin Dragon Warriors!
Posted 16 years agoWhoa, moar Keroro movies! :o Go watch before it gets removed from YouTube like Keroro Gunsou the Super Movie 3 was! The word "dragons" should be enough to make you watch it. Though, my one complaint is that it needz MOAR KURURU.
Part 1-8:
http://www.keroroworld.com/keroro-e.....agon-warriors/
Part 9:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ZiKyB7tPw
Didn't realize this was translated and uploaded weeks ago. D: I would have watched it then. :3
Also, Funimation has revamped their actions on dubbing the show. The voices are loads better now, but... I'm not too convinced by Fuyuki. Keroro's laugh is also a little weird in English. "Kero kero kero" doesn't run as smoothly as Japanese VA's "gerogerogero..."
http://www4.funimation.com/video/?p.....deo&v=2584
Part 1-8:
http://www.keroroworld.com/keroro-e.....agon-warriors/
Part 9:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8ZiKyB7tPw
Didn't realize this was translated and uploaded weeks ago. D: I would have watched it then. :3
Also, Funimation has revamped their actions on dubbing the show. The voices are loads better now, but... I'm not too convinced by Fuyuki. Keroro's laugh is also a little weird in English. "Kero kero kero" doesn't run as smoothly as Japanese VA's "gerogerogero..."
http://www4.funimation.com/video/?p.....deo&v=2584
I NEED THIS GAME.
Posted 16 years agoGame: Puyo Puyo 7
Release Date: 7.30
http://puyo.sega.jp/puyopuyo7/movie/index.html
To someone such as myself who only has Puyo Puyo Fever and Puyo Puyo Tsuu for the Master System (Virtual Console, hurr), this is groundbreaking! :o Since the DS isn't region-controlled, I can just pop the game in and play. Excitement for Puyo Puyo 7!
2, 4, and 8-player games are available, which is madness past 2 players. Also, judging from the video, Fever mode seems to expand and contract the dimensions of the playing field (original: 6x12) depending upon what tier of Fever is active. I saw as small as 4x4 and as big as what seems to be 10x20. I know it's not much to say, but from the video, everything in the game looks a lot more gaudy than my current Puyo Puyo Fever; I like it. The flashing and the excitement of the character animations.
Considering that I've been playing Puyo Puyo Fever on the GameCube since its release in US (gee, thanks, Sega. ONE Puyo game? ._.;), I'm very excited to be getting a change for once. However, since I have Tsuu on the Virtual Console and the original game illegally on my computer as a ROM, I know a great deal of the classic characters going into this mix.
http://puyo.sega.jp/puyopuyo7/character/index.htm
The likely event that the main character being a girl doesn't throw me off; I expected such. Instead, I look at the more eccentric newer characters. Screw Amitie. From clicking around on that page, I can see that there are some neat-looking characters. Without the classic characters included, there's a teddy bear-like professor, a student wizard with a broom, the rather unenthusiastic-looking blue-haired student with the two different colored eyes, and a cocky purple-haired female student with a short skirt. There's a couple other new characters, but they don't catch my eye as much. :3
CLASSIC CHARACTERS! Bwahaha. Skeleton-T, my hawttie Klug (the young scholar with the glasses), goodie-goodie Arle, almighty powerful rabbit-thing Carbuncle, studly fish-man Sukedou-Tara(!), bishonen swordsman Schezo, demon Draco-Centaur, vengeful blue-haired witch Rulue, and (last but certainly not least) the evil Satan-sama! Oh, Satan. :3 Never have I had such an affection for a horned man with such a despicable name. <3 YOUR RED EYES AND HAWT VOICE WILL CONQUER ALL.
This game will haul ass. >:o HAUL ASS, I TELL YOU!
...It will cost me the price of the game + about $15 to get it here 'cause of some asshole making money off of selling Japanese games to other countries' gamers. I WANT TO PLAY ONLINE AGAINST OTHER JAPANESE PLAYERS, DAMN IT. People in the US don't appreciate great puzzlers like this.
Release Date: 7.30
http://puyo.sega.jp/puyopuyo7/movie/index.html
To someone such as myself who only has Puyo Puyo Fever and Puyo Puyo Tsuu for the Master System (Virtual Console, hurr), this is groundbreaking! :o Since the DS isn't region-controlled, I can just pop the game in and play. Excitement for Puyo Puyo 7!
2, 4, and 8-player games are available, which is madness past 2 players. Also, judging from the video, Fever mode seems to expand and contract the dimensions of the playing field (original: 6x12) depending upon what tier of Fever is active. I saw as small as 4x4 and as big as what seems to be 10x20. I know it's not much to say, but from the video, everything in the game looks a lot more gaudy than my current Puyo Puyo Fever; I like it. The flashing and the excitement of the character animations.
Considering that I've been playing Puyo Puyo Fever on the GameCube since its release in US (gee, thanks, Sega. ONE Puyo game? ._.;), I'm very excited to be getting a change for once. However, since I have Tsuu on the Virtual Console and the original game illegally on my computer as a ROM, I know a great deal of the classic characters going into this mix.
http://puyo.sega.jp/puyopuyo7/character/index.htm
The likely event that the main character being a girl doesn't throw me off; I expected such. Instead, I look at the more eccentric newer characters. Screw Amitie. From clicking around on that page, I can see that there are some neat-looking characters. Without the classic characters included, there's a teddy bear-like professor, a student wizard with a broom, the rather unenthusiastic-looking blue-haired student with the two different colored eyes, and a cocky purple-haired female student with a short skirt. There's a couple other new characters, but they don't catch my eye as much. :3
CLASSIC CHARACTERS! Bwahaha. Skeleton-T, my hawttie Klug (the young scholar with the glasses), goodie-goodie Arle, almighty powerful rabbit-thing Carbuncle, studly fish-man Sukedou-Tara(!), bishonen swordsman Schezo, demon Draco-Centaur, vengeful blue-haired witch Rulue, and (last but certainly not least) the evil Satan-sama! Oh, Satan. :3 Never have I had such an affection for a horned man with such a despicable name. <3 YOUR RED EYES AND HAWT VOICE WILL CONQUER ALL.
This game will haul ass. >:o HAUL ASS, I TELL YOU!
...It will cost me the price of the game + about $15 to get it here 'cause of some asshole making money off of selling Japanese games to other countries' gamers. I WANT TO PLAY ONLINE AGAINST OTHER JAPANESE PLAYERS, DAMN IT. People in the US don't appreciate great puzzlers like this.
Persona 4 -- Low-Level Playthrough(?) and Further Discussion
Posted 16 years agoMain question: does a high difficulty in a game appeal to you?
First of all, I don't see this as a journal that will get any comments, seeing as though I really haven't built a base of journal-watchers. Oh, well. Gonna go over my experience in P4. <(NOT A REVIEW)> ...Haven't beaten the fuckin' game yet.
<(|Persona 4|)>
Being the crazy nut I am about difficulty in video games, when I picked up Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4--a series that I was a virgin to until I started playing it... a lot--I chose Expert mode. It advised it was for advanced players and for sure, it, uh, is. I hadn't done any research prior to buying this game (AND I KNOW I'M NOT PLAYING IT AS SOON AS IT COMES OUT LIKE A FANBOI), but apparently, it has a reputation for being difficult.
Certainly, as somewhat of an avid Ecco the Dolphin gamer, I can honestly say that I'm a masochist when it comes to games. Give me the difficulty.
110 hours into playing Persona 4, I find myself towards the end, though I can honestly say I had an easy time with the penultimate dungeon's boss; being brought down to 2-5% HP with one of his moves but not actually dying... is that considered "an easy time?" In any case, with my massive stock of yen, I decided to press forward, with a little twist to give myself the ride of my life. Instead of fighting enemies, I'll just get the initiative and run automatically or use an item to allow automatic escape. Already below par in level--i.e. checking every enemy and Rise throwing a fit, like, "This one's strong. But don't worry."--I went forward with my idea, fighting 0 enemies on my way to the boss. The mini-bosses that were placed in the dungeon were pretty difficult considering my level, giving everyone 1 level and 3 levels respectively. This is a good sign for me. I also spent a collective 75 minutes trying to beat both the mini-bosses.
The moment of truth comes as I encounter the final boss... on Expert (damage multiplier on the enemy 1.5x-2x). I find it so amusing when three of my four characters are used defensively instead of offensively. The AI is pretty smart for this game; they know to take advantage of your every move, and they won't hesitate. But sometimes, I feel like they fool you by acting incompetent at times. Needless to say, I didn't beat the final boss, but damn. Nothing like a refreshing wipe. So many things that I didn't know when I started the game that probably would have been nice to know... How to truly make the best of my time so I can maximize PC efficiency.
Can't recall my levels, but with my set-up of Yukio (protagonist), Yukiko, Teddie, and Naoto, I'm making it harder than it has to be with Naoto's expertise in instant death magic, but I'm totally straight for that girl. <3
IT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE THAT MY CHOICE IN CHARACTER NAME IS ONE LETTER FROM ANOTHER CHARACTER'S. Ugh. Looking at them side-by-side, it's kind of silly.
Getting back on track, I've realized that I can be an excellent strategist; it's how I made it through the game thus far without farming once. Looking at a listing of weaponry and armor, I can say all of my characters lag behind significantly because I don't stay on floors for extended periods of time and farm materials so Daidara can make equipment so I can buy it! Without levels, I can't make higher-level Persona, relying entirely on Social Links. Normally, gear can compensate for the level discrepancy. That's what I did in Chrono Trigger, and I'm loving it. But... if I have to rely on the sheer massive list of items I could get from chests to get my equipment, I'm screwed. Talk about betting on a d100.
Strangely enough, I'm encouraged by this absolute loss. It lets me rip into those various items I've just pooled the whole game. Challenges like this seem to intrigue me more than anything and can turn a great game into an awesome game. I like to feel the story as it progresses, and that can be assisted by making the bosses difficult enough where I feel as determined and seasoned as the characters act.
I commend this game on difficulty, characters (I hate having an RPG where you only use three characters and you only like two or less), gameplay time (fuck, there's a New Game+), its realistic qualities (emotions in this game seem raw and unfiltered, and it brings up several unprecedented decisions where the basis of right and wrong are questioned), and, uh, yeah, how could I forget? MUSIC. A lot of tracks get re-used but never have I turned down the volume on my TV. The story seems particularly strong, reinforced by unique characters, and it's not overdone. I mean, you get the dialogue read by the character, but the anime image has about only four or five different expressions. Amusing for how little effort was put into it. It reminded me of Trauma Center--another fantastic series--made by Atlus as well. Both Trauma Center and Persona 4 had some pretty memorable voice acting; I'm a fan of the Japanese voices on most any game that originated that way, but Atlus seems to handle their VAing pretty well. There's a sense of comfort and relaxation in hearing a language like Japanese. And in the context of video games, they seem to have a lot more emotion. Always sounds like they put 110% into the lines. Call me strange.
Geez, now I sound like I'm just kissing ass. I regret nothing! This game deserves a lot of praise for its presentation of some important issues for teenagers that rarely get mentioned in the video gaming world: sexual orientation, heritage, and even sexism.
I think I should conclude here. Ehhh... just some things I wanted to get out after playing this game at a moderate pace since the end of college. You know a game is pretty interesting if you have three or four people over in your dorm room each day, watching you play through it... and if you play without them watching and you tell 'em... and if they go "c'mon, man! What'd I miss? You know I wanted to see <story-related event>!" Also, I hate people who dis JRPGs just because they're... Japanese. They usually contain quirky characters, and that's what Kero likes. '3'
In my defense, I can say I own Fallout 3 and all of its current expansions.
All-nighters made for playing Persona 4: 4 and counting.
First of all, I don't see this as a journal that will get any comments, seeing as though I really haven't built a base of journal-watchers. Oh, well. Gonna go over my experience in P4. <(NOT A REVIEW)> ...Haven't beaten the fuckin' game yet.
<(|Persona 4|)>
Being the crazy nut I am about difficulty in video games, when I picked up Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4--a series that I was a virgin to until I started playing it... a lot--I chose Expert mode. It advised it was for advanced players and for sure, it, uh, is. I hadn't done any research prior to buying this game (AND I KNOW I'M NOT PLAYING IT AS SOON AS IT COMES OUT LIKE A FANBOI), but apparently, it has a reputation for being difficult.
Certainly, as somewhat of an avid Ecco the Dolphin gamer, I can honestly say that I'm a masochist when it comes to games. Give me the difficulty.
110 hours into playing Persona 4, I find myself towards the end, though I can honestly say I had an easy time with the penultimate dungeon's boss; being brought down to 2-5% HP with one of his moves but not actually dying... is that considered "an easy time?" In any case, with my massive stock of yen, I decided to press forward, with a little twist to give myself the ride of my life. Instead of fighting enemies, I'll just get the initiative and run automatically or use an item to allow automatic escape. Already below par in level--i.e. checking every enemy and Rise throwing a fit, like, "This one's strong. But don't worry."--I went forward with my idea, fighting 0 enemies on my way to the boss. The mini-bosses that were placed in the dungeon were pretty difficult considering my level, giving everyone 1 level and 3 levels respectively. This is a good sign for me. I also spent a collective 75 minutes trying to beat both the mini-bosses.
The moment of truth comes as I encounter the final boss... on Expert (damage multiplier on the enemy 1.5x-2x). I find it so amusing when three of my four characters are used defensively instead of offensively. The AI is pretty smart for this game; they know to take advantage of your every move, and they won't hesitate. But sometimes, I feel like they fool you by acting incompetent at times. Needless to say, I didn't beat the final boss, but damn. Nothing like a refreshing wipe. So many things that I didn't know when I started the game that probably would have been nice to know... How to truly make the best of my time so I can maximize PC efficiency.
Can't recall my levels, but with my set-up of Yukio (protagonist), Yukiko, Teddie, and Naoto, I'm making it harder than it has to be with Naoto's expertise in instant death magic, but I'm totally straight for that girl. <3
IT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE THAT MY CHOICE IN CHARACTER NAME IS ONE LETTER FROM ANOTHER CHARACTER'S. Ugh. Looking at them side-by-side, it's kind of silly.
Getting back on track, I've realized that I can be an excellent strategist; it's how I made it through the game thus far without farming once. Looking at a listing of weaponry and armor, I can say all of my characters lag behind significantly because I don't stay on floors for extended periods of time and farm materials so Daidara can make equipment so I can buy it! Without levels, I can't make higher-level Persona, relying entirely on Social Links. Normally, gear can compensate for the level discrepancy. That's what I did in Chrono Trigger, and I'm loving it. But... if I have to rely on the sheer massive list of items I could get from chests to get my equipment, I'm screwed. Talk about betting on a d100.
Strangely enough, I'm encouraged by this absolute loss. It lets me rip into those various items I've just pooled the whole game. Challenges like this seem to intrigue me more than anything and can turn a great game into an awesome game. I like to feel the story as it progresses, and that can be assisted by making the bosses difficult enough where I feel as determined and seasoned as the characters act.
I commend this game on difficulty, characters (I hate having an RPG where you only use three characters and you only like two or less), gameplay time (fuck, there's a New Game+), its realistic qualities (emotions in this game seem raw and unfiltered, and it brings up several unprecedented decisions where the basis of right and wrong are questioned), and, uh, yeah, how could I forget? MUSIC. A lot of tracks get re-used but never have I turned down the volume on my TV. The story seems particularly strong, reinforced by unique characters, and it's not overdone. I mean, you get the dialogue read by the character, but the anime image has about only four or five different expressions. Amusing for how little effort was put into it. It reminded me of Trauma Center--another fantastic series--made by Atlus as well. Both Trauma Center and Persona 4 had some pretty memorable voice acting; I'm a fan of the Japanese voices on most any game that originated that way, but Atlus seems to handle their VAing pretty well. There's a sense of comfort and relaxation in hearing a language like Japanese. And in the context of video games, they seem to have a lot more emotion. Always sounds like they put 110% into the lines. Call me strange.
Geez, now I sound like I'm just kissing ass. I regret nothing! This game deserves a lot of praise for its presentation of some important issues for teenagers that rarely get mentioned in the video gaming world: sexual orientation, heritage, and even sexism.
I think I should conclude here. Ehhh... just some things I wanted to get out after playing this game at a moderate pace since the end of college. You know a game is pretty interesting if you have three or four people over in your dorm room each day, watching you play through it... and if you play without them watching and you tell 'em... and if they go "c'mon, man! What'd I miss? You know I wanted to see <story-related event>!" Also, I hate people who dis JRPGs just because they're... Japanese. They usually contain quirky characters, and that's what Kero likes. '3'
In my defense, I can say I own Fallout 3 and all of its current expansions.
All-nighters made for playing Persona 4: 4 and counting.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots -- PlayStation 3
Posted 16 years agoFuckin' hated it.
I watched that whole game, and I want my time back.
Everyone loves that shit, but it's so obnoxious and shoddily written. Gameplay, good. Storyline, don't bother me. Your well-executed graphics don't compensate for your monkeys in a room full of typewriters. The cutscenes are the whole game and if the cutscenes suck, you've got yourself an annoying game. The voice acting is spot on, though.
No, this wasn't really a review. YOU WERE TRICKED. It's venting because people think it's the best game ever. People need to jump off the bandwagon of hardcore fans, 'cause that wagon's missing a wheel and it's only going to the trash heap.
Now everyone'll be, like, "ohmigawd, k33r0, thought u had gewd tastes..1!1 /block"
/rage
...
*waits for /troll*
I watched that whole game, and I want my time back.
Everyone loves that shit, but it's so obnoxious and shoddily written. Gameplay, good. Storyline, don't bother me. Your well-executed graphics don't compensate for your monkeys in a room full of typewriters. The cutscenes are the whole game and if the cutscenes suck, you've got yourself an annoying game. The voice acting is spot on, though.
No, this wasn't really a review. YOU WERE TRICKED. It's venting because people think it's the best game ever. People need to jump off the bandwagon of hardcore fans, 'cause that wagon's missing a wheel and it's only going to the trash heap.
Now everyone'll be, like, "ohmigawd, k33r0, thought u had gewd tastes..1!1 /block"
/rage
...
*waits for /troll*
'Ecco the Dolphin' -- Sega Genesis
Posted 16 years agoLast month, I took the liberty of playing through 'Ecco the Dolphin,' a game I hadn't played for years. I remember playing it through Sega Channel, AT&T's scheme of letting you play 50 (or 100, I can't remember) different Sega Genesis titles for $25 per month (and by the time my parents stopped getting it, $50 per month). The game seemed interesting to me, but at my age--I couldn't have been older than 5--I didn't really figure it out. Coming back to the game after almost 15 years, I've found that Ecco the Dolphin is a series with an innocent exterior, but once you crack the walnut open, you're obligated to eat the innards. The story is far deeper and more interesting than I could have ever imagined. With my latest obsession, I present my review of 'Ecco the Dolphin.'
Gameplay:
'Ecco the Dolphin' is a unique action-adventure game with a lot of depth given its 1993 release. Exploration runs most of the game. Presented in a fashion that requires the gamer to put forth some effort to get the actual objective instead of being blatantly told what to do, you--as Ecco--must seek out NPCs or use sonar/echolocation to find your way to the exit. Showcasing the sea's harsh nature, everything is out to kill you, so to speak. Jellyfish, octopi, and sharks are only the basic enemy types you'll see early on. Defense is fairly easy with Ecco's charge attack, and later on, kindness to your dolphin kin will award an upgrade to your sonar to give it offensive powers. Dexterity is tested with the puzzles in the game: some areas must be accessed by moving a block and hiding behind it to break a powerful current or careful movement of a ring of stars using sonar waves. In terms of difficulty, THIS GAME IS ONE OF THE HARDEST I'VE EVER PLAYED. Levels can take as long as 20 minutes without the use of sonar maps or guides. It doesn't sound bad at first, but with the lack of checkpoints, this game can become easily frustrating. Some enemies can move quickly and can beat you down if you panic. If you move too quickly in an area and run out of air, act too reckless and lose all your health, or get crushed, you have to repeat the level. An unorthodox method, but I believe it helped me understand Ecco's character more.
Music:
The soundtrack is something unique for the Sega Genesis. It has an odd feel to it, and it matches. I wasn't knocking myself over to get the soundtrack, and after playing through it again, I think I understand why. I connected a lot to Ecco. The music speaks the words that At the beginning of the game, it has a more adventurous theme, but it slowly transitions to a creepy theme. None of the tracks are what I'd call notable, but overall, for Sega Genesis, I'd say it's well thought-out. Since the game was later ported to the Sega CD, I found out that Spencer Nilsen orchestrated the soundtrack. The Sega CD version's OST is much more dramatic and captures the essence of the moment in story while you're playing. When I heard a couple tracks, I had to get the whole thing, which is very easy to find.
Storyline:
I connected well with Ecco. He's a dolphin in search of his pod that was mysteriously swept away, taken from the ocean at the beginning of the game. Virgins of the game would be confused at this occurrence. The thought of a game based off of a dolphin would seem more upbeat, at least in the beginning. Jumping out of the water is the attraction initially, but underlying that first impression of innocence comes the lonely search for your family. It's not long before you find that other residents of the ocean are in a similar distress. However, it's up to Ecco to save them, behind powerful currents. The rescued dolphins tell Ecco of "the Big Blue" to the north that can help him. He goes to the Arctic to seek out this elder. The Big Blue, the gigantic blue whale, tells Ecco that the Vortex, a species of xenomorphic aliens, come to the Earth to harvest the lifeforms from the oceans every 500 years. He directs Ecco to locate the Asterite, the world's oldest creature on Earth. After telling Ecco that he is the chosen dolphin, the Asterite can endow Ecco with a power to defeat the horrible Vortex if he can restore her damaged globe. To restore the globe, he must travel 55 million years into the past using the time machine in the sunken city of Atlantis. That's not the end, but it's certainly the first half of the game. This storyline is quite deep for a game about a dolphin. It means a lot to me, maybe because I can relate to the emotions Ecco must feel at the different points in the game, maybe it's because I struggled so much with the difficulty of this game.
Controls:
D-pad moves Ecco, A is sonar, B is charge, C is accelerate. Not much else to say about it. Some people complain about how difficult it is to master the controls, but it didn't take me long, even after I switched the controls on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection to ABC mode.
Graphics:
For its time, Ecco's graphics are amazing. The thing that surprised me at first about the game, was how fluid the splash effects are when Ecco jumps out of the water. For Sega Genesis, in 1993, pretty damn good. Even if you study the rocks/reefs, you'll find that they're done with great detail. There were very few to no moments in the game where I was bothered by graphics. For being 3D, the Asterite was portrayed masterfully.
Misc:
'Ecco the Dolphin' has a few hidden messages to go find, to add to the story, even make it creepier. A random glyph will tell you: "Ecco, if we breathe air, why do we live beneath the waves?" Something to ponder on. Other than that, there isn't much reason to replay this game, other than to challenge yourself.
OVERALL:
It's a classic, by all means. 'Ecco the Dolphin' brought me to my gaming limits, testing my patience, skill, dexterity, judgment, and intelligence. I loved it. For a game that I've heard people jeer about--the sheer thought of a dolphin as a protagonist seemed to make people scoff. I guess speedy blue hedgehogs who fight egg-shaped madmen is a scoff-able concept. There's not much else I can say about this game without restating what I've already said. It's definitely earned a place on my favorites list. I recommend this game to anyone who isn't afraid of a challenge or has an unusual taste in storyline. It's definitely "out there."
Due to my latest obsession, I may do a review on 'Ecco: The Tides of Time,' the sequel, next.
Gameplay:
'Ecco the Dolphin' is a unique action-adventure game with a lot of depth given its 1993 release. Exploration runs most of the game. Presented in a fashion that requires the gamer to put forth some effort to get the actual objective instead of being blatantly told what to do, you--as Ecco--must seek out NPCs or use sonar/echolocation to find your way to the exit. Showcasing the sea's harsh nature, everything is out to kill you, so to speak. Jellyfish, octopi, and sharks are only the basic enemy types you'll see early on. Defense is fairly easy with Ecco's charge attack, and later on, kindness to your dolphin kin will award an upgrade to your sonar to give it offensive powers. Dexterity is tested with the puzzles in the game: some areas must be accessed by moving a block and hiding behind it to break a powerful current or careful movement of a ring of stars using sonar waves. In terms of difficulty, THIS GAME IS ONE OF THE HARDEST I'VE EVER PLAYED. Levels can take as long as 20 minutes without the use of sonar maps or guides. It doesn't sound bad at first, but with the lack of checkpoints, this game can become easily frustrating. Some enemies can move quickly and can beat you down if you panic. If you move too quickly in an area and run out of air, act too reckless and lose all your health, or get crushed, you have to repeat the level. An unorthodox method, but I believe it helped me understand Ecco's character more.
Music:
The soundtrack is something unique for the Sega Genesis. It has an odd feel to it, and it matches. I wasn't knocking myself over to get the soundtrack, and after playing through it again, I think I understand why. I connected a lot to Ecco. The music speaks the words that At the beginning of the game, it has a more adventurous theme, but it slowly transitions to a creepy theme. None of the tracks are what I'd call notable, but overall, for Sega Genesis, I'd say it's well thought-out. Since the game was later ported to the Sega CD, I found out that Spencer Nilsen orchestrated the soundtrack. The Sega CD version's OST is much more dramatic and captures the essence of the moment in story while you're playing. When I heard a couple tracks, I had to get the whole thing, which is very easy to find.
Storyline:
I connected well with Ecco. He's a dolphin in search of his pod that was mysteriously swept away, taken from the ocean at the beginning of the game. Virgins of the game would be confused at this occurrence. The thought of a game based off of a dolphin would seem more upbeat, at least in the beginning. Jumping out of the water is the attraction initially, but underlying that first impression of innocence comes the lonely search for your family. It's not long before you find that other residents of the ocean are in a similar distress. However, it's up to Ecco to save them, behind powerful currents. The rescued dolphins tell Ecco of "the Big Blue" to the north that can help him. He goes to the Arctic to seek out this elder. The Big Blue, the gigantic blue whale, tells Ecco that the Vortex, a species of xenomorphic aliens, come to the Earth to harvest the lifeforms from the oceans every 500 years. He directs Ecco to locate the Asterite, the world's oldest creature on Earth. After telling Ecco that he is the chosen dolphin, the Asterite can endow Ecco with a power to defeat the horrible Vortex if he can restore her damaged globe. To restore the globe, he must travel 55 million years into the past using the time machine in the sunken city of Atlantis. That's not the end, but it's certainly the first half of the game. This storyline is quite deep for a game about a dolphin. It means a lot to me, maybe because I can relate to the emotions Ecco must feel at the different points in the game, maybe it's because I struggled so much with the difficulty of this game.
Controls:
D-pad moves Ecco, A is sonar, B is charge, C is accelerate. Not much else to say about it. Some people complain about how difficult it is to master the controls, but it didn't take me long, even after I switched the controls on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection to ABC mode.
Graphics:
For its time, Ecco's graphics are amazing. The thing that surprised me at first about the game, was how fluid the splash effects are when Ecco jumps out of the water. For Sega Genesis, in 1993, pretty damn good. Even if you study the rocks/reefs, you'll find that they're done with great detail. There were very few to no moments in the game where I was bothered by graphics. For being 3D, the Asterite was portrayed masterfully.
Misc:
'Ecco the Dolphin' has a few hidden messages to go find, to add to the story, even make it creepier. A random glyph will tell you: "Ecco, if we breathe air, why do we live beneath the waves?" Something to ponder on. Other than that, there isn't much reason to replay this game, other than to challenge yourself.
OVERALL:
It's a classic, by all means. 'Ecco the Dolphin' brought me to my gaming limits, testing my patience, skill, dexterity, judgment, and intelligence. I loved it. For a game that I've heard people jeer about--the sheer thought of a dolphin as a protagonist seemed to make people scoff. I guess speedy blue hedgehogs who fight egg-shaped madmen is a scoff-able concept. There's not much else I can say about this game without restating what I've already said. It's definitely earned a place on my favorites list. I recommend this game to anyone who isn't afraid of a challenge or has an unusual taste in storyline. It's definitely "out there."
Due to my latest obsession, I may do a review on 'Ecco: The Tides of Time,' the sequel, next.
Sonic and the Black Knight
Posted 16 years agoTHIS IS A REVIEW, DAMN IT.
I've heard bad, bad things about this game and previous Storybook Series game, Sonic and the Secret Rings. It didn't catch my eye as much as a sword-wielding hedgie did. But I was at a midnight release for Resident Evil 5 and I decided to pick it up. I have to say, I'm impressed but not obsessed. Now, I personally don't like breaking reviews down to rate each portion, but I will do it for the sake of adding my opinion.
Gameplay:
This is everyone's problem with the game. However, I have to say that most of the game is done quickly, fulfilling Sonic's general pace. You can clear levels by slashing through enemies without losing speed. A lot of stages are "reach the goal"-oriented, some are getting chains of enemies or even as hard as "complete the stage with swinging the sword less than 10 times," so it can be rather difficult. Sonic finishes a stage and is graded based upon score (killing enemies in high chains, not harming townspeople, etc.) or time, and another factor depending upon the objective. Many critics had a problem with not knowing what they could do to better their star rating, but it was presented. The stars serve to upgrade Sonic's proficiency level with his current style. When the other styles are introduced, you have a balanced style, attack-oriented style, and speed-oriented style, each with their own level of proficiency. Sounds like Kingdom Hearts with Sora's alternate forms and special traits. Very much so, as with the proficiency levels increasing, more traits are added and some are upgraded. Past the normal stages, there are boss stages, which are basically nothing but a boss. Thank God. These duels are exciting, that prove that you can't go through the game just flailing the Wiimote about and actually have you use the Z button to guard. Just an addition, later on in the story, you can use Knux, Blaze, and Shadow in the stages and they have their own traits and even custom weapons that can be forged by items found by the Blacksmith, Tails.
Music:
I wanted to save this for the end, seeing as though it's my greatest affection for this game, but I have to get it off my chest. I have absolutely no complaints about the music. In fact, I highly praise it. The game's main theme is "Knight of the Wind," performed by Crush 40. That enough was what baited me to buy Sonic and the Black Knight. Their unique style is written all over this game, with passionate music in the stages. It fuels the soul to cut right through your enemies to reach the goal. These driving tunes are noticed multiple times, as soon as the first half-hour of the Adventure mode, when you reach the first boss. "Through the Fire"--no, not TTFAF. Don't break out your plastic guitar--is another Crush 40 tune. Not as good as "Knight of the Wind," but I found myself playing the boss levels repeatedly just for this song (as well as some others). Very appropriate. I won't ruin the later music, but there are a few more vocal tracks that are "epic" as everyone loves to say these days. The music had me get really into some of the boss battles.
Storyline:
If you don't pick up this game, you aren't missing much. I didn't cry, I didn't sync to any character's emotions. The cutscenes at the critical parts of the game use the high-quality videos. Computer generated, y'know. Whereas... all other cutscenes are done as if they're actually in a book, drawn out. It was a unique touch that I took to and enjoyed. However, do yourself a favor and use the Japanese voiceovers. I love the characters to death with their Japanese voice actors. Especially knowing that the 4Kids voice actors are the main stars here. Yuck. Blaze just doesn't sound right with her domineering feminine voice. And the Black Knight, don't get me started. Doesn't sound deep enough. Caliburn, Sonic's sword, has a deeper voice in English. ...I could talk for hours about the English vs. Japanese voice acting, so I'll stop now. ...Japanese is much more fluent. But overall, I'll say there was a major story arc that surprised me with the way it turned out, but nothing to write home about. If you worked straight on it, you could complete it in 5-6 hours.
Controls:
When you see gameplay videos with Sonic whizzing in S-curves and you wonder how people can nail that every time, it's because Sonic moves on a bit of a track. It's not as non-linear as some critics may want, but it's nice at times. You can't miss all the grind rails like you could on Final Rush in Sonic Adventure 2. You may be tempted to move that analog stick around with some of the high-speed stages at the beginning, but you'll learn better. Duels are fun, and like a Sonic game, it's all about learning your enemy's attack pattern and finding a window in which to launch a slash or two... or five (in the case of the easy first boss battle). In the chance the game wants you to time an attack with the image of the blue Wiimote swinging, SWING ONCE. If you swing wildly, your ass is losing some goddamn rings. Patience is necessary some times, waiting for the icon to pop up. If you clash swords with your opponent, you'll be forced into a pressing sequence, waiting for the icon to tell you to swing the controller. SWING. ONCE. If you swing twice (or make a big swing for the first and it counts you for swinging the second time), you'll miss the next step, which range from slow to incredibly fast and accurate depending upon who you're fighting. Lancelot is the first boss, but I haven't even won one of those. If you miss one, you lose rings, but you clash swords in this sequence at least three times, but I haven't successfully completed it once. The swing concept is somewhat unresponsive as everyone complains, but it's just a mere matter of getting used to it. It doesn't take long and is nothing to ruin or tarnish the game. One last thing. When you fight a dragon--I think it was just the first one that gave me this trouble--you can get to its head and that's as far as you can go. But you have to move to the side to get to its head. JUST ITS HEAD. So, uh, when Sonic's at a dead halt, moving to the side is a total inconvenience. In addition, there should have been a somersault button or something, but nope. Only time I was angered by the controls.
Graphics:
They're goddamn beautiful, but most of the time, you don't have the opportunity to sit around and look at the scenery. There's nothing else to say. Every critique I've seen is completely content with the graphics, so there's nothing to set straight.
Before I go any further, DON'T PLAY MULTIPLAYER. There's absolutely a total slow-down. Characters move incredibly slow, but it's good for a chuckle with your friends. 2-4 players at once on one screen, so I can understand the limitations they had to set for a multiplayer. Also, each character has their own style, so it was refreshing to have Tails... use a sling...shot... Yeaaah... Weird.
Misc.:
The extra content in this game is enough to make you devote an additional 40+ hours to this game, I predict. I beat the game and didn't get even half of the items available. And some require multiples to forge some weapons. Fortunately, if you have friends with this game, you can trade items. Cool. Let me show you my pokemanz. The Gallery is full of content to be unlocked, including character profiles, cutscenes, music, a fanart show, concept art from King Arthur, each with its own challenge. My favorite is "Get all mastery stars on all stages." FUCK THAT. 180 Emblems from SA2 is cool and all, but... Christ. I smell Action Replay.
OVERALL:
It's difficult what to say about this game. It's certainly not the best Sonic game ever, but it's nice to be able to use the Wiimote to slay enemies at high speeds. The graphics and music from Sonic and the Black Knight are the giants here, making this game worthwhile for me. The battles are of epic proportions, which is something I can appreciate to a point. They're not over-glorified but definitely beautiful in aesthetics. Maybe it's because I'm playing it on a 46" HDTV. It makes the game come out crisp and clear. SonicTeam was put in a hard place for the storyline. There's only so much you can do with an Arthurian game without bastardizing the entire concept that they were wrapped around. I'm certainly glad they didn't, y'know, incorporate the Chaos Emeralds to change the whole scheme of things.
Final verdict: Don't be scared off by the fact that "omgz sonikku'z got a sword. instant bad game!" Don't listen to what most critics say. Their arguments are valid albeit blown out of proportion. For someone like me who has been playing newer and old-school RPGs for the last few months, this high-adrenaline game was more than enough to satiate me.
I don't fucking like number or letter ratings ('cause they always seem inaccurate for me), so you aren't getting one. Fuck IGN and their pissy 4-something out of 10 for this game.
I've heard bad, bad things about this game and previous Storybook Series game, Sonic and the Secret Rings. It didn't catch my eye as much as a sword-wielding hedgie did. But I was at a midnight release for Resident Evil 5 and I decided to pick it up. I have to say, I'm impressed but not obsessed. Now, I personally don't like breaking reviews down to rate each portion, but I will do it for the sake of adding my opinion.
Gameplay:
This is everyone's problem with the game. However, I have to say that most of the game is done quickly, fulfilling Sonic's general pace. You can clear levels by slashing through enemies without losing speed. A lot of stages are "reach the goal"-oriented, some are getting chains of enemies or even as hard as "complete the stage with swinging the sword less than 10 times," so it can be rather difficult. Sonic finishes a stage and is graded based upon score (killing enemies in high chains, not harming townspeople, etc.) or time, and another factor depending upon the objective. Many critics had a problem with not knowing what they could do to better their star rating, but it was presented. The stars serve to upgrade Sonic's proficiency level with his current style. When the other styles are introduced, you have a balanced style, attack-oriented style, and speed-oriented style, each with their own level of proficiency. Sounds like Kingdom Hearts with Sora's alternate forms and special traits. Very much so, as with the proficiency levels increasing, more traits are added and some are upgraded. Past the normal stages, there are boss stages, which are basically nothing but a boss. Thank God. These duels are exciting, that prove that you can't go through the game just flailing the Wiimote about and actually have you use the Z button to guard. Just an addition, later on in the story, you can use Knux, Blaze, and Shadow in the stages and they have their own traits and even custom weapons that can be forged by items found by the Blacksmith, Tails.
Music:
I wanted to save this for the end, seeing as though it's my greatest affection for this game, but I have to get it off my chest. I have absolutely no complaints about the music. In fact, I highly praise it. The game's main theme is "Knight of the Wind," performed by Crush 40. That enough was what baited me to buy Sonic and the Black Knight. Their unique style is written all over this game, with passionate music in the stages. It fuels the soul to cut right through your enemies to reach the goal. These driving tunes are noticed multiple times, as soon as the first half-hour of the Adventure mode, when you reach the first boss. "Through the Fire"--no, not TTFAF. Don't break out your plastic guitar--is another Crush 40 tune. Not as good as "Knight of the Wind," but I found myself playing the boss levels repeatedly just for this song (as well as some others). Very appropriate. I won't ruin the later music, but there are a few more vocal tracks that are "epic" as everyone loves to say these days. The music had me get really into some of the boss battles.
Storyline:
If you don't pick up this game, you aren't missing much. I didn't cry, I didn't sync to any character's emotions. The cutscenes at the critical parts of the game use the high-quality videos. Computer generated, y'know. Whereas... all other cutscenes are done as if they're actually in a book, drawn out. It was a unique touch that I took to and enjoyed. However, do yourself a favor and use the Japanese voiceovers. I love the characters to death with their Japanese voice actors. Especially knowing that the 4Kids voice actors are the main stars here. Yuck. Blaze just doesn't sound right with her domineering feminine voice. And the Black Knight, don't get me started. Doesn't sound deep enough. Caliburn, Sonic's sword, has a deeper voice in English. ...I could talk for hours about the English vs. Japanese voice acting, so I'll stop now. ...Japanese is much more fluent. But overall, I'll say there was a major story arc that surprised me with the way it turned out, but nothing to write home about. If you worked straight on it, you could complete it in 5-6 hours.
Controls:
When you see gameplay videos with Sonic whizzing in S-curves and you wonder how people can nail that every time, it's because Sonic moves on a bit of a track. It's not as non-linear as some critics may want, but it's nice at times. You can't miss all the grind rails like you could on Final Rush in Sonic Adventure 2. You may be tempted to move that analog stick around with some of the high-speed stages at the beginning, but you'll learn better. Duels are fun, and like a Sonic game, it's all about learning your enemy's attack pattern and finding a window in which to launch a slash or two... or five (in the case of the easy first boss battle). In the chance the game wants you to time an attack with the image of the blue Wiimote swinging, SWING ONCE. If you swing wildly, your ass is losing some goddamn rings. Patience is necessary some times, waiting for the icon to pop up. If you clash swords with your opponent, you'll be forced into a pressing sequence, waiting for the icon to tell you to swing the controller. SWING. ONCE. If you swing twice (or make a big swing for the first and it counts you for swinging the second time), you'll miss the next step, which range from slow to incredibly fast and accurate depending upon who you're fighting. Lancelot is the first boss, but I haven't even won one of those. If you miss one, you lose rings, but you clash swords in this sequence at least three times, but I haven't successfully completed it once. The swing concept is somewhat unresponsive as everyone complains, but it's just a mere matter of getting used to it. It doesn't take long and is nothing to ruin or tarnish the game. One last thing. When you fight a dragon--I think it was just the first one that gave me this trouble--you can get to its head and that's as far as you can go. But you have to move to the side to get to its head. JUST ITS HEAD. So, uh, when Sonic's at a dead halt, moving to the side is a total inconvenience. In addition, there should have been a somersault button or something, but nope. Only time I was angered by the controls.
Graphics:
They're goddamn beautiful, but most of the time, you don't have the opportunity to sit around and look at the scenery. There's nothing else to say. Every critique I've seen is completely content with the graphics, so there's nothing to set straight.
Before I go any further, DON'T PLAY MULTIPLAYER. There's absolutely a total slow-down. Characters move incredibly slow, but it's good for a chuckle with your friends. 2-4 players at once on one screen, so I can understand the limitations they had to set for a multiplayer. Also, each character has their own style, so it was refreshing to have Tails... use a sling...shot... Yeaaah... Weird.
Misc.:
The extra content in this game is enough to make you devote an additional 40+ hours to this game, I predict. I beat the game and didn't get even half of the items available. And some require multiples to forge some weapons. Fortunately, if you have friends with this game, you can trade items. Cool. Let me show you my pokemanz. The Gallery is full of content to be unlocked, including character profiles, cutscenes, music, a fanart show, concept art from King Arthur, each with its own challenge. My favorite is "Get all mastery stars on all stages." FUCK THAT. 180 Emblems from SA2 is cool and all, but... Christ. I smell Action Replay.
OVERALL:
It's difficult what to say about this game. It's certainly not the best Sonic game ever, but it's nice to be able to use the Wiimote to slay enemies at high speeds. The graphics and music from Sonic and the Black Knight are the giants here, making this game worthwhile for me. The battles are of epic proportions, which is something I can appreciate to a point. They're not over-glorified but definitely beautiful in aesthetics. Maybe it's because I'm playing it on a 46" HDTV. It makes the game come out crisp and clear. SonicTeam was put in a hard place for the storyline. There's only so much you can do with an Arthurian game without bastardizing the entire concept that they were wrapped around. I'm certainly glad they didn't, y'know, incorporate the Chaos Emeralds to change the whole scheme of things.
Final verdict: Don't be scared off by the fact that "omgz sonikku'z got a sword. instant bad game!" Don't listen to what most critics say. Their arguments are valid albeit blown out of proportion. For someone like me who has been playing newer and old-school RPGs for the last few months, this high-adrenaline game was more than enough to satiate me.
I don't fucking like number or letter ratings ('cause they always seem inaccurate for me), so you aren't getting one. Fuck IGN and their pissy 4-something out of 10 for this game.
You Know What's Bullshit?
Posted 17 years agoThe economy in the US as we know it is losing its once gloriousness. Sure, yeah, none of us in the States really know what it's like to live in a thriving economy, but today I saw where we are.
This Christmas, I got a $100 gift card for Best Buy. Equipped with the idea of buying a DS--perhaps after I sell my 360 and PSP--I also needed to pick up a PS3 controller. I don't have a PS3, but it's a familiar gamepad I can use for my PC for Fallout, FFXI, Stepmania, and emulated games. It has a comfortable feel with an intuitive set-up that makes it very nice for working my macros and such on FFXI, as well as quick and accurate work with Stepmania, so why not?
Knowing the controller itself would cost me $55, I walked in and picked up the controller, but I remembered that a cord comes with it, similar to a cord that connects the PSP to USB ports or even a camera. However, only a cord designed with the pure purpose for the PS3 controller works the best. After going through a wired controller for the 360, I didn't want to have to deal with that bullshit ever again, so I bought the extra cord for the PS3 controller.
But wait. Stop right there. If I had picked up the controller for $55 and went home, I would have opened it and let out a fierce cloud of expletives. Why would you make a controller that can't be plugged in to charge? Given that you're using the controller for the PS3 and play alone, sure, you only have to charge one controller at a time, so the one cord distributed with the system, you're fine. But what if you're playing a four-player game? What the fuck.
So if I hadn't gotten the cord, I would have had to drive my ass back to the Best Buy and buy the damn cord for another $12. I mentioned the pure irony of it all to the person who helped me browse their gamepad section and the cashier. Why have a controller with an internal battery that you can't recharge...!? Even watches have batteries that can be replaced! And the fucking cashier has the decency to ask me if I wanted to buy insurance for my cord for $10. I don't know why I'd pay double for a cord that--by the company's slogan--keeps going and going and going... I nearly called that cashier a fucking succubus.
$71 out of my gift card was gone with a single controller for a system I don't even have. A controller that can't be charged... that's bullshit.
This Christmas, I got a $100 gift card for Best Buy. Equipped with the idea of buying a DS--perhaps after I sell my 360 and PSP--I also needed to pick up a PS3 controller. I don't have a PS3, but it's a familiar gamepad I can use for my PC for Fallout, FFXI, Stepmania, and emulated games. It has a comfortable feel with an intuitive set-up that makes it very nice for working my macros and such on FFXI, as well as quick and accurate work with Stepmania, so why not?
Knowing the controller itself would cost me $55, I walked in and picked up the controller, but I remembered that a cord comes with it, similar to a cord that connects the PSP to USB ports or even a camera. However, only a cord designed with the pure purpose for the PS3 controller works the best. After going through a wired controller for the 360, I didn't want to have to deal with that bullshit ever again, so I bought the extra cord for the PS3 controller.
But wait. Stop right there. If I had picked up the controller for $55 and went home, I would have opened it and let out a fierce cloud of expletives. Why would you make a controller that can't be plugged in to charge? Given that you're using the controller for the PS3 and play alone, sure, you only have to charge one controller at a time, so the one cord distributed with the system, you're fine. But what if you're playing a four-player game? What the fuck.
So if I hadn't gotten the cord, I would have had to drive my ass back to the Best Buy and buy the damn cord for another $12. I mentioned the pure irony of it all to the person who helped me browse their gamepad section and the cashier. Why have a controller with an internal battery that you can't recharge...!? Even watches have batteries that can be replaced! And the fucking cashier has the decency to ask me if I wanted to buy insurance for my cord for $10. I don't know why I'd pay double for a cord that--by the company's slogan--keeps going and going and going... I nearly called that cashier a fucking succubus.
$71 out of my gift card was gone with a single controller for a system I don't even have. A controller that can't be charged... that's bullshit.
8 Things
Posted 17 years ago1. Post these rules.
2. Each tagged person must post 8 things about their self on their journal.
3. At the end, you have to choose and tag 8 people and post their icons on the same journal.
4. Go to their pages and send a message saying you tagged them.
5. No tag-backs.
1. I have a terrible tendency to procrastinate. In fact, there's a book I need to have read in two days, and I've got about 180 pages to read and an essay left to do!
2. I have a very high standard for my friends. If you make the cut for something beyond that, you're exceptional. <3
3. I sometimes forget things that just happened moments ago. I'll remember them, but it scares me for that Alzheimer's possibility.
4. I cry during emotional scenes of TV shows. At least, when I've gotten to know certain characters. It gets to me. :X
5. I'm a puppet, controlled by TV Tokyo. I get pumped up when anime characters call out names of attacks. <:3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1r-0GhNLYA Shining Taruru Genocide EX!
6. I don't have plushophilia, but I sometimes go to bed with my Keroro plush. :X Gonna get my Kururu plush soon.
7. I indulge myself too much in ice cream and junk food, and I'm not even in college yet. So my strong un-pained teeth have 19 cavities in them (just found out the other week).
8. When I sang "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones on Rock Band, I performed better with the female vocals than I did with Mick Jagger's part. D: And I call myself male.
2. Each tagged person must post 8 things about their self on their journal.
3. At the end, you have to choose and tag 8 people and post their icons on the same journal.
4. Go to their pages and send a message saying you tagged them.
5. No tag-backs.
1. I have a terrible tendency to procrastinate. In fact, there's a book I need to have read in two days, and I've got about 180 pages to read and an essay left to do!
2. I have a very high standard for my friends. If you make the cut for something beyond that, you're exceptional. <3
3. I sometimes forget things that just happened moments ago. I'll remember them, but it scares me for that Alzheimer's possibility.
4. I cry during emotional scenes of TV shows. At least, when I've gotten to know certain characters. It gets to me. :X
5. I'm a puppet, controlled by TV Tokyo. I get pumped up when anime characters call out names of attacks. <:3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1r-0GhNLYA Shining Taruru Genocide EX!
6. I don't have plushophilia, but I sometimes go to bed with my Keroro plush. :X Gonna get my Kururu plush soon.
7. I indulge myself too much in ice cream and junk food, and I'm not even in college yet. So my strong un-pained teeth have 19 cavities in them (just found out the other week).
8. When I sang "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones on Rock Band, I performed better with the female vocals than I did with Mick Jagger's part. D: And I call myself male.
