All Things Videogame Related: EXTREME VS!!

[GU-11]

I'll be honest, the only FF game I've ever played was X. I have fond memories of playing it when I was young but I've never hand any interest in going out of my way to play other FF games.

X is probably not a very good example of what Square had to offer. VII is IMO one of the better FF games thus far (others will tell you FF Tactics kicks VII's ass, but I've never played it before). Although the CGI clearly shows its age, the gameplay is interesting and the plot keeps you intrigued, to say nothing of the iconic characters.

My final party was usually Squall, Quistis, Irvine, only because Irvine's gun can be VERY useful when upgraded etc late in the game. Whereas Rinoa is useless when not casting, and has an often-useless limit break.

Quistis is in the "never leaves the party" category.

Well, gameplay-wise, Irvine was useful. Character-wise, I hated him.

Besides, I was in my early to mid teens when I played FF VIII. Rinoa was like the perfect girlfriend that never existed. And let's face it; VIII was the closest Square's RPG equivalent of a dating sim.

IIRC, my main team is usually Squall, Rinoa and Quistis. I sometimes switch between Irvine and Rinoa, though. Zell and Selphie almost never get to fight.

[Benson13]

I'll be honest, the only FF game I've ever played was X. I have fond memories of playing it when I was young but I've never hand any interest in going out of my way to play other FF games.

Please play 6 and 7. Hands down my favorite two games of all time.

[David Hingtgen]

IIRC, my main team is usually Squall, Rinoa and Quistis. I sometimes switch between Irvine and Rinoa, though. Zell and Selphie almost never get to fight.

Same here. Zell and Selphie are only there if the game forces it.

Please play 6 and 7. Hands down my favorite two games of all time.

And 4! I got my entire party to level 99 on the original SNES version, loved it that much. I think I'm one of the few who liked 13 more than 12. Never replayed either, but 12 seemed "harder to finish" to me. (as in, desire to keep going to see how it ends) I thought 12 had better "dungeons" though.

[Radd]

Yeah, I'd rank 4 higher than probably both 6 and 7. But I love all three games.

[Benson13]

When Relm hits for 9999 with a paint brush you know you're dedicated.

[GU-11]

Same here. Zell and Selphie are only there if the game forces it.

Never replayed either, but 12 seemed "harder to finish" to me. (as in, desire to keep going to see how it ends) I thought 12 had better "dungeons" though.

It's much more "open world" than 13. While I also found 12's dungeons more playable and fun, I kept wondering why they made Vaan the protag instead of Ashe. It was basically her story. Had Vaan had something to gain or lose from this adventure, I'd have felt satisfied, but nothing was at stake for him. And personality-wise, he was still the same Vaan in the end as when he started out, except he became a sky pirate. His brother's death doesn't seem to hold much significance in his story.

[David Hingtgen]

Basch would have also been better than Vaan as the main.

[GU-11]

Basch would have also been better than Vaan as the main.

Apparently, they originally wrote the story around Basch, but halfway during development, the higher ups decided that his age and rugged look wouldn't fit with their inteded teen Japanese demographic. That was why Vaan was made; to act as a young, androgynous replacement for Basch. They basically had to shoehorn Vaan into his role as the main character.

According to wikipedia, it seems that this was a lesson they learned from Vagrant Story, which didn't sell as well in Japan as Square intended. They chalked t up to the fact that the lead character Ashley Riot was in his mid to late twenties, and had a confident, mature look about him. Supposedly, teenage players in Japan couldn't relate to him.

I'd say it was the overly-complex weapons mechanics rarther than the demographics.

IMO, Vagrant Story has one of, if not the best storylines in any RPG I've played, and if they replaced Ashley with a younger guy like they did with 12, it just wouldn't work.

[David Hingtgen]

Wow. Vaan's almost non-existent "presence" is probably my main beef with the game. Second would be Penelo---you could completely erase her and it'd make NO difference. If Basch had been the main, it'd probably be one of the all-time greats in the series (with a few additional tweaks).

[Beltane70]

Heh, I found 12 to be Balthier's story to me!

At least you guys aren't complaining about 12's combat system, like so many others do. I actually liked the system myself.

XII and XIII are the only 2 Final Fantasy games that I've played both Japanese and North American releases of.

[GU-11]

Wow. Vaan's almost non-existent "presence" is probably my main beef with the game. Second would be Penelo---you could completely erase her and it'd make NO difference. If Basch had been the main, it'd probably be one of the all-time greats in the series (with a few additional tweaks).

Agreed on both points. In all probability, Penelo, along with all the other orphans in Vaan's little gang, were added only when Vaan was created. She would never have existed in the game if Vaan hadn't been added, and he was enough of a third wheel as it is.

Heh, I found 12 to be Balthier's story to me!

At least you guys aren't complaining about 12's combat system, like so many others do. I actually liked the system myself.

Basch, Ashe and Balthier would all have made better main characters than Vaan because the story was conceived around them, making them a necessary part of the game. Vaan's sole purpose was to fill a demographic need.

And what's not to like about 12's combat system? It happens to be one of my favorites. Saves you from the tedium of controlling all the characters during fights, and you're free to focus on one character while the other do as you programmed them to. Gambits rock!

[Benson13]

Just curious, but who here beat the Emerald and Ruby Weapons from VII and finished all the hunts in 12? The last hunt alone had 40 million life.

I beat Emerald with nothing but healing magic, physical hits, and limit breaks using Cloud, Cid, and Barret. For Ruby I killed off my party except for Cloud and used the Knights of the Round/Mimic combo. For the last hunt it took me 15 hours to beat him. I was 6 hours into it when the power went out. Let's just say I was miffed and then 9 more hours to kill him.

[Shadow]

The best FF was XI ! You play a greedy adventurer who grinds and grinds and grinds to max out jobs only to find out that Prostitute Bard is the best job to get friends, parties, and invites to high level Linkshells.

I was a Red Mage and then a Dragoon. Both were interesting in their own respect. If you went the Dragoon route however, you'd have to prepare for a long wait if you're trying to get into a party. Dark Knights and samurai were usually picked before the DRG in my experience. In many cases, you were better off just soloing it. After a certain point as the Red Mage, you just become the backup to the White Mage in party. I had my fun playing the game and made some good friends in FFXI but after a certain point, I just got tired of the same grind.

I haven't even touched FFXIV.

Edited December 28, 2012 by Shadow

[MC-2]

Did someone mention Strike Suit Zero? Looks to be a promising game. Although from the in-game footage I've seen the capital ships seem a bit on the small-ish side. Unless the strike suits are humongous to begin with? Worth keeping an eye out for this one I think. Hehe.

[Benson13]

Episode 1 of The Walking Dead XBL Arcade game is free right now. I highly recommend it.

[Beltane70]

Just curious, but who here beat the Emerald and Ruby Weapons from VII and finished all the hunts in 12? The last hunt alone had 40 million life.

I beat Emerald with nothing but healing magic, physical hits, and limit breaks using Cloud, Cid, and Barret. For Ruby I killed off my party except for Cloud and used the Knights of the Round/Mimic combo. For the last hunt it took me 15 hours to beat him. I was 6 hours into it when the power went out. Let's just say I was miffed and then 9 more hours to kill him.

I did. Other than using the Knights of the Round/mimic combo, I don't remember much of the fight.

While I don't remember exactly how long it took me, but Yiazmat actually wasn't too hard for me considering that all of my characters were at level 95+.

[Shaorin]

"ELSWORD" Anime style old-school Action/Platformer style MMO

hey guys, just started on this rather awesome MMO, my second ever (AIRMECH being my first)

if you like or can stomach ultra Moe cutesyness, and have a wistful fondness

for the side-scrolling action/platforming style of gameplay

that once dominated both Arcades and home game consoles alike,

than this MMO just might be something approaching a Godsend. i know it most certainly was for me, YMMV...

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=37904

[Shadow]

Just curious, but who here beat the Emerald and Ruby Weapons from VII and finished all the hunts in 12? The last hunt alone had 40 million life.

I beat Emerald with nothing but healing magic, physical hits, and limit breaks using Cloud, Cid, and Barret. For Ruby I killed off my party except for Cloud and used the Knights of the Round/Mimic combo. For the last hunt it took me 15 hours to beat him. I was 6 hours into it when the power went out. Let's just say I was miffed and then 9 more hours to kill him.

I beat both Ruby and Emerald once a long time ago. I actually had an easier time taking on Ruby Weapon just due to luck with that quick sand attack it does. I didn't do my research with Emerald and had a much tougher time dealing with it. Another interesting question is, has anyone here defeated Ultimate and Omega Weapon in FFVIII? To this day, I haven't really had the motivation to try either. I had attempted Omega once and that didn't go well.

Currently, I've been playing the hell out of Wing Commander Saga which is a great fan-made game. Some of the later missions are just ridiculous though on the difficulty scale. Kept losing the Armageddon because some Kilrathi torpedo bomber would escape my view and I'd be too preoccupied with evading missile shots. Got through it last night though.

[GU-11]

I beat both Ruby and Emerald once a long time ago. I actually had an easier time taking on Ruby Weapon just due to luck with that quick sand attack it does. I didn't do my research with Emerald and had a much tougher time dealing with it. Another interesting question is, has anyone here defeated Ultimate and Omega Weapon in FFVIII? To this day, I haven't really had the motivation to try either. I had attempted Omega once and that didn't go well.

I defeated Omega weapon (the one you fight underwater, after getting the submarine or something).

As for 12, I got stuck at the T-Rex quest. Damn thing almost made me throw my controller out the window. Kept buffing and healing itself, and debuffing your team. The only way to defeat it is probably to max out your team, but I never got around to it--didn't bother.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

After 12 years, Sony has finally pulled the plug on the PS2. My original model is still going strong, even after being modded. I really hope it lasts because I still have a lot of parts to collect in Front Mission 5! Thanks for the good times Sony, I really wish your latest model was as durable.

[anime52k8]

After 12 years, Sony has finally pulled the plug on the PS2. My original model is still going strong, even after being modded. I really hope it lasts because I still have a lot of parts to collect in Front Mission 5! Thanks for the good times Sony, I really wish your latest model was as durable.

Whoever wrote that article uses incredibly stilted, awkward sentence structure and appears to be afraid of using the word 'the' too munch. It's very odd.

[Ghost Train]

After 12 years, Sony has finally pulled the plug on the PS2. My original model is still going strong, even after being modded. I really hope it lasts because I still have a lot of parts to collect in Front Mission 5! Thanks for the good times Sony, I really wish your latest model was as durable.

My PS2 is still alive and kicking after so many year - I bought mine in 2002, that seriously makes it the oldest piece of electronic equipment that I own! Unmatched in quality, NEVER had a problem with it. Can't say the same for my 360, though my PS3 has thankfully been problem-free.

May it rest in piece in video game Valhalla where Solid Snake, Jehuty, and Razgriz squadron live forever.

[Shaorin]

my pair of new old stock 1972 PIONEER SE-305 headphones are the oldest single piece of electronic gear i own...

closely followed by my 1976 PIONEER PL-112D turntable. newest A/V piece i got is a 2007 SONY BDP-S300 BDP.

that said, my own PS2 is an early 2000's original, babied all these years.

i recently opened her up and thoroughly lubed the disc tray mechanics and laser guide rails.

the thing now operates smoother and more quietly than back when it was new...

[Shadow]

My original PS2 that I purchased back in 2001 died awhile ago. Actually, non of my original Sony consoles from the PSX to PS3 survived.

PSX: The disc spinner broke off. My fault for not treating it with kid gloves.

PS2: It was running into serious problems playing certain games. I decided to part with it after my attempts to fix the issue (altering the disc tray angle) failed.

40GB PS3: YLOD

Edited January 3, 2013 by Shadow

[Benson13]

Still have my original PSOne, PS2, and my 7th 360.

[anime52k8]

I've had the same 360 for 5 years now (my first and only one). I feel like that's more of an accomplishment.

[Benson13]

I think you're the only one.

[Vepariga]

I've had one 360 die on me,it was first batch. But the Elite I have hasnt let me down since. PS3 still going strong same with my PS2,even my original Halo-themed Xbox is still running well.

[mikeszekely]

My original PlayStation crapped out, although I'm foggy on the details. In total, I had three original PlayStations, but the third was just because I wanted a slim. My original PS2 succumbed to the dreaded disc read error. My second PS2, which is modded, still worked the last time I wanted to use it (although my wife nearly broke it once). My original 60GB PS3 got the YLOD last year, so I'm on my second PS3.

My launch-day Xbox 360 got the RROD, and I replaced it with a 120GB probably six months before the the Xbox 360 S hit the market. That Xbox 360 still works fine for me, but my wife wanted a Kinect for Dance Central so I wound up buying a 250GB Kinect Bundle with Dance Central 2 for her for her birthday, so all in all three Xbox 360s. I only ever had one Xbox, which continues to work to this day.

For all the crap Microsoft gets about the RROD, Microsoft actually has a slightly better track record with me. I've only had to replace one defective 360 and never an original Xbox, but I've had to replace a defective PlayStation every generation.

[Benson13]

Alot of my 360's ate it because of me taking them with me on deployments. Between the dust, mortars, and convoys I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did.

[GU-11]

PSX Original: Worked fine the last time I used it...which was over a decade ago. Long since mothballed after I got my PS2.

PS2 Original: 7 years of loyal service, before the gears went out of alignment. I might bring it back to a repair shop one of these days to get it fixed, but I haven't got around to it.

PS2 Slim : Still working.

PS3 Original: Currently my main console.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Yup, my PS2 is still kickin. Proud to say my Saturn and Dreamcast are still spinning as well, though my VMU batteries are probably dead now.

[Shadow]

Of all consoles I've ever had in my possession, my original PS2 took the most abuse and lasted the longest out of all of them. It saw the most action with Gran Turismo 4 and Star Wars Battlefront which claimed a number of controllers.

[anime52k8]

I have gone through more controllers on my xbox than any other console. by that I mean I never broke/wore out the original controller on any console but the 360.

The first one had the B button start to ware out and the two halves of the case on that side split apart. The second one that replaced it had one of the screw holes on the right side rip out completely and the head of the left analog stick broke off. I ended up buyng a 3rd controller and a cheap aftermarket shell to rebuild the other two.

[GU-11]

One thing I noticed about my PS2 controllers is that the knobs on the L3 analog stick tend to leak some kind of "ooze" from a possible chemical reaction with the sweat from my thumb--similar to the HT DX02 Batman suit's "leaking oil" problem. The knob on one of my controllers actually came off after a few years.

The PS3 controller seems to have a similar problem, but I've taken to wiping off the knobs with a damp cloth after use. Hopefully that will prolong its lifespan some.

Edited January 5, 2013 by GU-11