I played it relentlessly until the Riku IV battle. It destroyed me and after a couple of weeks the game was permanently returned to the shelf. That battle destroyed the balance in the game and has made me seriously question my desire to continue following the series.
There is a spectacular scene where the whale is rapidly descending to a depth I can't remember. It passes through dirty water and eventually emerges among seven or eight whales sleeping in a group....it looked like Stonehenge. Absolutely beautiful.
In the last two years I've played through:
Final Fantasy: Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy I
Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy IV
...and I'm currently working through V. Final Fantasy VIII was quite possibly the worst turn-based RPG I've ever played. I had trouble with the final boss and after looking at a few strategies online, I realized I missed out on a very powerful and important GF earlier in the game.
Could I exit and go get it? No. I was trapped in the "endgame" world. I actually bought a used GameCodeSharkBreaker thing to finish it. I'd never used one before and I felt kind of cheap doing so. In my opinion, that's a serious case of terrible game balance.
I've previously made my thoughts known on the DS and frankly I haven't been too impressed with it.
That was up until I had a chance to try Kirby & Advance Wars DS.
Wow. I'm picking up one up in the next couple of weeks....I'll admit when I'm wrong and I was wrong. This thing can work well when the games are properly designed.
Here's my question:
Is this a list of DS to DS games (basically like a wireless link cable)? I have read that the unit is capable of playing against units that aren't in your immediate area (ala Xbox Live). If that's true, are these games all capable of it? Any answers on this would be appreciated.
I'm in the midst of watching the series on DVD right now (two episodes left).
As a huge Whedon fan, I awaited the show's debut with baited breath and was sorely disappointed. I gave up after two episodes and Joss' stock immediately plummeted with me. My boss lent the set last week and after sitting through a few mediocre episodes I really started to enjoy it. The characters take several episodes to take hold but once they do, they are far more complex than those in an average drama/scifi.
As long as Japanese games keep coming out, I'm fine.
I'm no economist, but I imagine that a shrinking North American userbase would drive up the costs of the Japanese titles. Is this wrong?
Furthermore, you don't seem to know crap about Nintendogs. Almost every import review of the game (certainly everyone I read) says the game is amazing. Famitsu gave it a great score and that means something.
Your tone aside, I too have read the reviews of the Nintendogs import. Yes, it's been heavily praised by several online gaming sites and some important Japanese magazines. I will say again though, that it is a pet simulator in the same vein of Tamagochi. Of course it offers a significantly deeper simulation and an interesting multiplayer component, but at its core it is what it is. I firmly believe that it won't be nearly as successful here as it is in Japan.
Kirby does look good, I'm with you there. I haven't played it but it is definitely an appealing title.
I found this article to be particularly insightful. The writer sets out several examples of innovation on the part of both Nintendo and the competition. He/She then clearly illustrates how the vast majority of innovations in videogaming aren't assimilated into the canon of game development/interface.
Like a lot of slashdotters, I grew up with a NES & SMS in the house. I'm coming at this from the perspective of someone who wants this company to succeed. Check it out, it's not like I don't own a few Nintendo systems & games.
The author hits the nail on the head though. Nintendo seems far too concerned with distancing themselves from their competitors and not nearly focussed enough on developing appealing content. I agree 100% that the company may not survive in its current state beyond the next generation. Now please, before anybody responds with Japanese sales numbers understand that I want Nintendo to do well. But that market is not what it used to be with respect to dominating the videogame market. I've read interviews with industry execs talking about reviving the ailing industry in Japan. Like it or not, the North American market is clearly the battlefield upon which the big N needs to wage war. I don't see them doing this.
Nintendogs. Yes yes, I know. It's a huge hit in Japan. Does anybody honestly believe that that type of success can succeed in this (NA) market? I may be wrong, but I certainly don't. I'm someone that follows the gaming scene pretty closely, and all I know about it is that it appears to be a Tamagochi in dog's clothing. The mass market which gobbles up the Halos, Maddens & GTAs (all fine games) will likely not be interested.
The majority of games I've played on the DS offer little more than brief diversions. I'm sure that there are some titles that provide a deep and rich experience but the system hasn't even been marketed to profile that. Most people I've talked to (granted, it's not something I bring up at dinner parties) find the entire thing a little offputting. Chances are excellent that I'll get one eventually, but I'm more of a completist than your broadly-drawn NBA Street fan.
Third party support for the Gamecube has dropped to a frighteningly small pool of developers. When you're a hardware/software company that releases 3 or 4 big titles a year, you had better foster important ties to your third parties otherwise your userbase will be left wanting.
Coming from someone who owned both Samba Di Amigo maracas and a Virtua Boy, Nintendo seriously needs to reconsider its position in the market. We're all aware of the huge cash reserves it has, and we're all aware of the worldwide edge the GCN apparently has on the Xbox. They currently rule entire handheld industry & have maintained that stranglehold through excellent software and rock solid hardware. The new direction of "pure innovation" however, is going to destroy the company.
I don't think it says a damn thing about software quality when the DS is the first Nintendo system Tom Courtenay hasn't bought on launch.
Chalk it up to arrogance, but I think my taste is fairly open-ended when compared to a large chunk of the gaming population. I say that only because I do own just about every system, and I'm willing to take a chance on almost any type of hardware/software.
The fact remains that for me, the DS hasn't been even remotely compelling. From the time I've spent on the system, it seems to feature a high percentage of "average" games. I think the system has excellent potential, but right now all I've been exposed to are ports and short "diversion" games (Yoshi, Wario Ware, the rubbing game etc.). This is coming from someone who paid cash money for Seaman (there's a joke in there somewhere).
If I'm not willing to pick one up, do you think Joe-Manhunt is going to want one?
The PSP isn't much better either, so I'm not trying prop up one system while bashing another. I'm just pointing out what for me seems to be a fundamental flaw in the DS line-up...
In my area (Toronto), "pretty darn well" would be a huge improvement over the curernt sales.
I know two people who own video game stores (at completely opposite ends of the city) and the DS is. not. selling.
I'm sure it's selling in Japan, and I'm sure there are markets where it does relatively well, but it's getting hammered by the PSP around here. It says something about software quality when it is the first Nintendo system ever that I haven't bought as soon as it came out. This is not a troll....I'm a Nintendo fan, but I'd rather play a game than a concept.
My wife hates the Final Fantasy games. She's become remarkably keen at identifying the glowing "save points" in FF and similar titles. When she points at them it means, "You're 29. Turn this off now"
That said, there are a few games she doesn't mind. She loves Monopoly Party for the PS2. Animal Crossing didn't click, but Pac Man World 2 for the Xbox did. Any of the old Spyro games are big hits as well. The first game she ever really enjoyed was Jumping Flash on PS1.
The problem is that I can't watch her play them. Watching her control the dragon/plumber/ant/fuzzything and collect fruit is fine, but she has zero interest in progressing the story. She could have Mario standing next too a doorway in the center of an otherwise-empty field and she'd just do laps around the door.
Maybe women are less goal oriented and more about collecting? I dunno. Point being: I'm not really allowed to play games anymore. Dammit.
The last few years have yielded some tremendous Canadian talent:
The Unicorns, The Junior Boys, Death From Above 1979, Feist, The New Pornographers, Stars, Caribou (formerly Manitoba), Russian Futurists, AC Newman, Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think, The Constantines, Raising The Fawn, The Arcade Fire etc. etc.
...proud to be a Canadian music fan for the first time in years.
They're signed. And if they put out a new album, you're frelled.
I would submit that this is exactly how you can make your voice heard. Everybody likes at least a few bands signed to an RIAA affiliate, but if it means enough to you then you will stop buying their records.
One of my favorite bands left their independent label in 2001 to sign with Sony. Because of Sony's connection to the RIAA, I was upset. BUT...
I would rather have the band lose income from my lost CD purchase, than allow the RIAA to get any revenue from it
It really bothersmethatsome of my favorite bands are on (or distributed by) a major. I choose to support them through ticket sales and concert revenue instead. Sure, it sucks. But it's important enough to me that I live with the constraints.
I realize that this a common Slashbot sentiment, but if it's important enough to you then you'll come up with your own solution.
I know this will kill my karma, but what is the big attraction to this game?
After reading all of the reviews raving about it's complexity, it was the first title I bought. But am I missing something? The game seems like a remarkably simple fighter with very unresponsive controls. I can't tell you how many times 3 friends and I have tossed it in to give it a whirl only to switch to another game shortly after.
The general concensus seems to be that it's an impressively deep multiplayer game-am I doing something wrong here? Does anbody else feel this way? I honestly feel like I'm playing a different game than everybody else.
The Unicorns, One Speed Bike, The Stars, Molasses, The Arcade Fire, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Set Fire To Flames, The Shalabi Effect, A Silver Mt. Zion....
what the heck does Kingdom Hearts have to with Final Fantasy
There are some "character advancements" surrounding some of Square's characters, so it may be worth mentioning. Yes, I know this piece was directed at the numerical FF games; I'm just defending the grandparent. In a couple of lines for example, Cloud's saga is completely re-opened.
As for the Gamespot similiarities, on the "History of Square-Enix" section used information found at Gamespot.
After reading through the entire piece, I stand corrected. The similarities between the Gamespot feature and this one lie only on the "History of Square-Enix" page.
Overall it is an interesting read. It comes across a bit like a series of fan reviews, but on the whole they are fairly well-written. I would have liked a bit more depth in the Final Fantasy 1, 2 and 3 sections, but that's only due to the scope of the latter reviews.
Good luck, and keep at it (maybe next you can visit the Algol star system).
Gamespot already did a History of Final Fantasy, a fact that this article points out on its second page.
This article seems to be nothing more than a re-wording of that piece; am I missing something?
Also, please note the difference between "its" (possessive) and "it's". The article is full of all sorts of apostrophe wizardry.
I'm not saying this to disparage the piece, only to let the author (who has already posted in this story) know about it. Even though I'm not a fan of the outcome, as a fan of the series I appreciate the effort!
She is featured in Kingdom Hearts actually. There's a great scene where the protagonist asks Cloud what's wrong and he says something along the lines of:
I'm looking for someone, but got lost along the way
Indeed. As a huge fan of VII, this was a very touching moment.
I'm glad Square is finally listening to its fans! Last year they gave us an innovative sequel to one of the series best games (in X-2), and they're giving us more story for VII in the Advent Children project. Kudos!
I'm sure that most of use would prefer an RPG follow-up to it, but at least they're learning to capitalize on established characters (not just franchises). A game based around this very unique character could work out well. Sort of an updated Altered Beast type of thing? (for those that don't know, Vincent was a character who had the ability to change into various monsters during a battle). Of course, it could suck....kind of like Altered Beast:)
Squeenix games get a lot of flack from people, but it's mostly due to the raging fanboys that the games attract. If you can get past the fact that you're feeding the Squeenix monster, you'll often find a rewarding experience that can entertain those beyond the 14 year olds.
Slashdot Mirror
I loved the Wing Commander series (especially Privateer) back in their prime.
Wasn't that Chris Roberts?
Or at least, a bill has been tabled.
e nt/session2/b060_e.htm
http://www.ontla.on.ca/documents/Bills/38_Parliam
I played it relentlessly until the Riku IV battle. It destroyed me and after a couple of weeks the game was permanently returned to the shelf. That battle destroyed the balance in the game and has made me seriously question my desire to continue following the series.
My money is on the team that spent all of their money on identical twin spokesmodels
Yes I know, shamelessy stolen from Cruel.
Yes! I've seen this too.
There is a spectacular scene where the whale is rapidly descending to a depth I can't remember. It passes through dirty water and eventually emerges among seven or eight whales sleeping in a group....it looked like Stonehenge. Absolutely beautiful.
In the last two years I've played through:
...and I'm currently working through V. Final Fantasy VIII was quite possibly the worst turn-based RPG I've ever played. I had trouble with the final boss and after looking at a few strategies online, I realized I missed out on a very powerful and important GF earlier in the game.
Final Fantasy: Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy I
Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy IV
Could I exit and go get it? No. I was trapped in the "endgame" world. I actually bought a used GameCodeSharkBreaker thing to finish it. I'd never used one before and I felt kind of cheap doing so. In my opinion, that's a serious case of terrible game balance.
I've previously made my thoughts known on the DS and frankly I haven't been too impressed with it.
That was up until I had a chance to try Kirby & Advance Wars DS.
Wow. I'm picking up one up in the next couple of weeks....I'll admit when I'm wrong and I was wrong. This thing can work well when the games are properly designed.
Here's my question:
Is this a list of DS to DS games (basically like a wireless link cable)? I have read that the unit is capable of playing against units that aren't in your immediate area (ala Xbox Live). If that's true, are these games all capable of it? Any answers on this would be appreciated.
Humbly doing a 180 over here....
I'm in the midst of watching the series on DVD right now (two episodes left).
As a huge Whedon fan, I awaited the show's debut with baited breath and was sorely disappointed. I gave up after two episodes and Joss' stock immediately plummeted with me. My boss lent the set last week and after sitting through a few mediocre episodes I really started to enjoy it. The characters take several episodes to take hold but once they do, they are far more complex than those in an average drama/scifi.
As long as Japanese games keep coming out, I'm fine.
I'm no economist, but I imagine that a shrinking North American userbase would drive up the costs of the Japanese titles. Is this wrong?
Furthermore, you don't seem to know crap about Nintendogs. Almost every import review of the game (certainly everyone I read) says the game is amazing. Famitsu gave it a great score and that means something.
Your tone aside, I too have read the reviews of the Nintendogs import. Yes, it's been heavily praised by several online gaming sites and some important Japanese magazines. I will say again though, that it is a pet simulator in the same vein of Tamagochi. Of course it offers a significantly deeper simulation and an interesting multiplayer component, but at its core it is what it is. I firmly believe that it won't be nearly as successful here as it is in Japan.
Kirby does look good, I'm with you there. I haven't played it but it is definitely an appealing title.
Talk about a flamebait title
I found this article to be particularly insightful. The writer sets out several examples of innovation on the part of both Nintendo and the competition. He/She then clearly illustrates how the vast majority of innovations in videogaming aren't assimilated into the canon of game development/interface.
Like a lot of slashdotters, I grew up with a NES & SMS in the house. I'm coming at this from the perspective of someone who wants this company to succeed. Check it out, it's not like I don't own a few Nintendo systems & games.
The author hits the nail on the head though. Nintendo seems far too concerned with distancing themselves from their competitors and not nearly focussed enough on developing appealing content. I agree 100% that the company may not survive in its current state beyond the next generation. Now please, before anybody responds with Japanese sales numbers understand that I want Nintendo to do well. But that market is not what it used to be with respect to dominating the videogame market. I've read interviews with industry execs talking about reviving the ailing industry in Japan. Like it or not, the North American market is clearly the battlefield upon which the big N needs to wage war. I don't see them doing this.
Nintendogs. Yes yes, I know. It's a huge hit in Japan. Does anybody honestly believe that that type of success can succeed in this (NA) market? I may be wrong, but I certainly don't. I'm someone that follows the gaming scene pretty closely, and all I know about it is that it appears to be a Tamagochi in dog's clothing. The mass market which gobbles up the Halos, Maddens & GTAs (all fine games) will likely not be interested.
The majority of games I've played on the DS offer little more than brief diversions. I'm sure that there are some titles that provide a deep and rich experience but the system hasn't even been marketed to profile that. Most people I've talked to (granted, it's not something I bring up at dinner parties) find the entire thing a little offputting. Chances are excellent that I'll get one eventually, but I'm more of a completist than your broadly-drawn NBA Street fan.
Third party support for the Gamecube has dropped to a frighteningly small pool of developers. When you're a hardware/software company that releases 3 or 4 big titles a year, you had better foster important ties to your third parties otherwise your userbase will be left wanting.
Coming from someone who owned both Samba Di Amigo maracas and a Virtua Boy, Nintendo seriously needs to reconsider its position in the market. We're all aware of the huge cash reserves it has, and we're all aware of the worldwide edge the GCN apparently has on the Xbox. They currently rule entire handheld industry & have maintained that stranglehold through excellent software and rock solid hardware. The new direction of "pure innovation" however, is going to destroy the company.
I don't think it says a damn thing about software quality when the DS is the first Nintendo system Tom Courtenay hasn't bought on launch.
Chalk it up to arrogance, but I think my taste is fairly open-ended when compared to a large chunk of the gaming population. I say that only because I do own just about every system, and I'm willing to take a chance on almost any type of hardware/software.
The fact remains that for me, the DS hasn't been even remotely compelling. From the time I've spent on the system, it seems to feature a high percentage of "average" games. I think the system has excellent potential, but right now all I've been exposed to are ports and short "diversion" games (Yoshi, Wario Ware, the rubbing game etc.). This is coming from someone who paid cash money for Seaman (there's a joke in there somewhere).
If I'm not willing to pick one up, do you think Joe-Manhunt is going to want one?
The PSP isn't much better either, so I'm not trying prop up one system while bashing another. I'm just pointing out what for me seems to be a fundamental flaw in the DS line-up...
In my area (Toronto), "pretty darn well" would be a huge improvement over the curernt sales.
I know two people who own video game stores (at completely opposite ends of the city) and the DS is. not. selling.
I'm sure it's selling in Japan, and I'm sure there are markets where it does relatively well, but it's getting hammered by the PSP around here. It says something about software quality when it is the first Nintendo system ever that I haven't bought as soon as it came out. This is not a troll....I'm a Nintendo fan, but I'd rather play a game than a concept.
My wife hates the Final Fantasy games. She's become remarkably keen at identifying the glowing "save points" in FF and similar titles. When she points at them it means, "You're 29. Turn this off now"
That said, there are a few games she doesn't mind. She loves Monopoly Party for the PS2. Animal Crossing didn't click, but Pac Man World 2 for the Xbox did. Any of the old Spyro games are big hits as well. The first game she ever really enjoyed was Jumping Flash on PS1.
The problem is that I can't watch her play them. Watching her control the dragon/plumber/ant/fuzzything and collect fruit is fine, but she has zero interest in progressing the story. She could have Mario standing next too a doorway in the center of an otherwise-empty field and she'd just do laps around the door.
Maybe women are less goal oriented and more about collecting? I dunno. Point being: I'm not really allowed to play games anymore. Dammit.
The last few years have yielded some tremendous Canadian talent:
...proud to be a Canadian music fan for the first time in years.
The Unicorns, The Junior Boys, Death From Above 1979, Feist, The New Pornographers, Stars, Caribou (formerly Manitoba), Russian Futurists, AC Newman, Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think, The Constantines, Raising The Fawn, The Arcade Fire etc. etc.
They're signed. And if they put out a new album, you're frelled.
I would submit that this is exactly how you can make your voice heard. Everybody likes at least a few bands signed to an RIAA affiliate, but if it means enough to you then you will stop buying their records.
One of my favorite bands left their independent label in 2001 to sign with Sony. Because of Sony's connection to the RIAA, I was upset. BUT...
I would rather have the band lose income from my lost CD purchase, than allow the RIAA to get any revenue from it
It really bothers me that some of my favorite bands are on (or distributed by) a major. I choose to support them through ticket sales and concert revenue instead. Sure, it sucks. But it's important enough to me that I live with the constraints.
I realize that this a common Slashbot sentiment, but if it's important enough to you then you'll come up with your own solution.
I know this will kill my karma, but what is the big attraction to this game?
After reading all of the reviews raving about it's complexity, it was the first title I bought. But am I missing something? The game seems like a remarkably simple fighter with very unresponsive controls. I can't tell you how many times 3 friends and I have tossed it in to give it a whirl only to switch to another game shortly after.
The general concensus seems to be that it's an impressively deep multiplayer game-am I doing something wrong here? Does anbody else feel this way? I honestly feel like I'm playing a different game than everybody else.
Karma be damned, that's the funniest /. comment I've read in years.
That comment there is like pouring the milk on your cereal, but the milk is sour!
If somebody doesn't make a Netcraft joke soon I'll just die.
Of course, the field technically is wider, so it may average out in the end.
The Unicorns, One Speed Bike, The Stars, Molasses, The Arcade Fire, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Set Fire To Flames, The Shalabi Effect, A Silver Mt. Zion....
Quebec has some amazing music coming out of it.
what the heck does Kingdom Hearts have to with Final Fantasy
There are some "character advancements" surrounding some of Square's characters, so it may be worth mentioning. Yes, I know this piece was directed at the numerical FF games; I'm just defending the grandparent. In a couple of lines for example, Cloud's saga is completely re-opened.
As for the Gamespot similiarities, on the "History of Square-Enix" section used information found at Gamespot.
After reading through the entire piece, I stand corrected. The similarities between the Gamespot feature and this one lie only on the "History of Square-Enix" page.
Overall it is an interesting read. It comes across a bit like a series of fan reviews, but on the whole they are fairly well-written. I would have liked a bit more depth in the Final Fantasy 1, 2 and 3 sections, but that's only due to the scope of the latter reviews.
Good luck, and keep at it (maybe next you can visit the Algol star system).
Gamespot already did a History of Final Fantasy, a fact that this article points out on its second page.
This article seems to be nothing more than a re-wording of that piece; am I missing something?
Also, please note the difference between "its" (possessive) and "it's". The article is full of all sorts of apostrophe wizardry.
I'm not saying this to disparage the piece, only to let the author (who has already posted in this story) know about it. Even though I'm not a fan of the outcome, as a fan of the series I appreciate the effort!
She is featured in Kingdom Hearts actually. There's a great scene where the protagonist asks Cloud what's wrong and he says something along the lines of:
I'm looking for someone, but got lost along the way
Indeed. As a huge fan of VII, this was a very touching moment.
I'm glad Square is finally listening to its fans! Last year they gave us an innovative sequel to one of the series best games (in X-2), and they're giving us more story for VII in the Advent Children project. Kudos! :)
I'm sure that most of use would prefer an RPG follow-up to it, but at least they're learning to capitalize on established characters (not just franchises). A game based around this very unique character could work out well. Sort of an updated Altered Beast type of thing? (for those that don't know, Vincent was a character who had the ability to change into various monsters during a battle). Of course, it could suck....kind of like Altered Beast
Squeenix games get a lot of flack from people, but it's mostly due to the raging fanboys that the games attract. If you can get past the fact that you're feeding the Squeenix monster, you'll often find a rewarding experience that can entertain those beyond the 14 year olds.