I've been thinking a lot about a couple of things. Namely time and the shear number of video games I own. I would love to completely play them all but realistically it's not possible. So how do I decide which ones to play all the way through and which ones I play whenever with no expectation of finishing them.
I've been looking through my list of games and based on the influence a game has had on the industry and my experiences with it I've come up with a list of games that I own that I feel are a "must play" game. Meaning, this is a game that I want to tell everyone "I played that and finished it". I'm going through this one system at a time so some lists will be shorter or longer than others depending on how many games I own for that system. Maybe some day I'll make a list of must play games for games that I don't own (but will probably own them some day - I just can't stop buying them). But right now this is based on games that I OWN. Keep that in mind as you read this list. I've made some comments on some of them just because I can.
Playstation (original)
Abe's Oddysee
The beginning of the Oddworld games and their wonder irreverent style of gameplay. Farting and burping have never been as fun . . . or productive in video games.
Chrono Cross
Some people would say Chrono Trigger but I started playing this game first and I love the shear number of characters you can recruit and have in your party. It adds some strategy to what seems like a typical RPG. And the enemies can really mess with your strategy.
Crash Bandicoot
This mascot has been in quite a number of games. It should be interesting to see the game that started it all.
Descent
A Doom clone but this time you're in a ship. The game has true 6 axis movement which blew my mind when I played it for the first time. I don't know why I struggle to play the original Doom games but don't really have any problems navigating this game. It's the first game that made me think of games in a real three dimensional environment.
Final Fantasy Tactics
I have this game for my PSP and I actually like playing it more on that system than on the Playstation. I'm not sure why. But I first started playing it on this system and I love the amount of customization that you can do for your group as a whole and each individual character in your party. This is a game that I love to sit and just do random battles and not advance the story because I love it so much.
Final Fantasy VII
Everyone says this is the best Final Fantasy game. I disagree but you can read about that below. It has had such an influence on gamers and is being remade so it's definitely one that every games should play.
Final Fantasy IX
This is my favorite Final Fantasy games. Ever. The only one that comes close is Final Fantasy X and that isn't close to over take IX. I got so close to finishing this game before my stuff was robbed that I was heartbroken to have all that progress lost . . . until I realized that it meant I had to play it again and I was happy. One of the few games I was willing to say that about.
Grandia
This is an epic RPG that showed Final Fantasy didn't have a corner on the market for RPG games. And it spawned a couple of sequels in the franchise.
Legend of Dragoon
This is the first solo campaign that finished and got to the end credits. It was simply beautiful. And I cried. And it deserves a sequel more so than any other game I can think of. Somebody please make that happen.
Legend of Legaia
Discovering all the hidden special moves made this game really fun. It's so satisfying to see that you unlocked something just by pushing random button combinations. It helps give you a different take on combat too.
Metal Gear Solid
This is a game everyone should play. You can't deny how much of an impact it has had on the industry. But someone please explain to me the whole Metal Gear lore. I'm lost and clueless about it.
Rayman
Another mascot that has spawned several games. One of those games I'm playing and capturing now and it's killing me. Literally. Still fun. Another one where it's nice to see where everything started. And I remember when it came out and everyone was upset that he didn't have any legs or arms, but had hands and feet. Weird.
Spyro the Dragon
Another franchise game. Fun. Simple. I just wish the camera controls were better.
Threads of Fate
I think this is the first game that I played that switched between 2 main characters. I found it innovated. Probably wasn't the first game to do this, but it was the first for me that I remember.
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
Not the first Tomb Raider game but it's the first one I played. The controls have gotten much better since this one. It was nice to have a female protagonist instead them always being the damsel in distress, even if her boobs are unrealistically too large (this was before the age that plastic surgery and boob enhancements went wild). That girl must have so many back problems.
The only one on the list that I've actually finished is Legend of Dragoon. The rest are on my wish list to capture and post to me YouTube channel . . . some day. I might even replay Legend of Dragoon. It's that good of a game even if it doesn't hold up graphically very well these days.
What are the original Playstation games that you would say are "must play"? Maybe our lists have a couple duplicates. Tell me in the comments and why I should play them. Maybe if you're convincing enough I might go out and try to find a copy and play it. Influence me. I dare you.
Showing posts with label Chrono Cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chrono Cross. Show all posts
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Must play games for Playstation (original) (that I own)
I've been thinking a lot about a couple of things. Namely time and the shear number of video games I own. I would love to completely play them all but realistically it's not possible. So how do I decide which ones to play all the way through and which ones I play whenever with no expectation of finishing them.
I've been looking through my list of games and based on the influence a game has had on the industry and my experiences with it I've come up with a list of games that I own that I feel are a "must play" game. Meaning, this is a game that I want to tell everyone "I played that and finished it". I'm going through this one system at a time so some lists will be shorter or longer than others depending on how many games I own for that system. Maybe some day I'll make a list of must play games for games that I don't own (but will probably own them some day - I can't stop buying). But right now this this is based on games that I OWN. Keep that in mind as you read this list. I've made some comments on some of them just because I can.
Playstation (original)
Abe's Oddysee
The beginning of the Oddworld games and their wonder irreverent style of gameplay. Farting and burping have never been as fun . . . or productive in video games.
Chrono Cross
Some people would say Chrono Trigger but I started playing this game first and I love the shear number of characters you can recruit and have in your party. It adds some strategy to what seems like a typical RPG. And the enemies can really mess with your strategy.
Crash Bandicoot
This mascot has been in quite a number of games. It should be interesting to see the game that started it all.
Descent
A Doom clone but this time you're in a ship. The game has true 6 axis movement which blew my mind when I played it for the first time. I don't know why I struggle to play the original Doom games but don't really have any problems navigating this game. It's the first game that made me think of games in a real three dimensional environment.
Final Fantasy Tactics
I have this game for my PSP and I actually like playing it more on that system than on the Playstation. I'm not sure why. But I first started playing it on this system and I love the amount of customization that you can do for your group as a whole and each individual character in your party. This is a game that I love to sit and just do random battles and not advance the story because I love it so much.
Final Fantasy VII
Everyone says this is the best Final Fantasy game. I disagree but you can read about that below. It has had such an influence on gamers and is being remade so it's definitely one that every games should play.
Final Fantasy IX
This is my favorite Final Fantasy games. Ever. The only one that comes close is Final Fantasy X and that isn't close to over take IX. I got so close to finishing this game before my stuff was robbed that I was heartbroken to have all that progress lost . . . until I realized that it meant I had to play it again and I was happy. One of the few games I was willing to say that about.
Grandia
This is an epic RPG that showed Final Fantasy didn't have a corner on the market for RPG games. And it spawned a couple of sequels in the franchise.
Legend of Dragoon
This is the first solo campaign that finished and got to the end credits. It was simply beautiful. And I cried. And it deserves a sequel more so than any other game I can think of. Somebody please make that happen.
Legend of Legaia
Discovering all the hidden special moves made this game really fun. It's so satisfying to see that you unlocked something just by pushing random button combinations. It helps give you a different take on combat too.
Metal Gear Solid
This is a game everyone should play. You can't deny how much of an impact it has had on the industry. But someone please explain to me the whole Metal Gear lore. I'm lost and clueless about it.
Rayman
Another mascot that has spawned several games. One of those games I'm playing and capturing now and it's killing me. Literally. Still fun. Another one where it's nice to see where everything started. And I remember when it came out and everyone was upset that he didn't have any legs or arms, but had hands and feet. Weird.
Spyro the Dragon
Another franchise game. Fun. Simple. I just wish the camera controls were better.
Threads of Fate
I think this is the first game that I played that switched between 2 main characters. I found it innovated. Probably wasn't the first game to do this, but it was the first for me that I remember.
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
Not the first Tomb Raider game but it's the first one I played. The controls have gotten much better since this one. It was nice to have a female protagonist instead them always being the damsel in distress, even if her boobs are unrealistically too large (this was before the age that plastic surgery and boob enhancements went wild). That girl must have so many back problems.
The only one on the list that I've actually finished is Legend of Dragoon. The rest are on my wish list to capture and post to me YouTube channel . . . some day. I might even replay Legend of Dragoon. It's that good of a game even if it doesn't hold up graphically very well these days.
What are the original Playstation games that you would say are "must play"? Maybe our lists have a couple duplicates. Tell me in the comments and why I should play them. Maybe if you're convincing enough I might go out and try to find a copy and play it. Influence me. I dare you.
I've been looking through my list of games and based on the influence a game has had on the industry and my experiences with it I've come up with a list of games that I own that I feel are a "must play" game. Meaning, this is a game that I want to tell everyone "I played that and finished it". I'm going through this one system at a time so some lists will be shorter or longer than others depending on how many games I own for that system. Maybe some day I'll make a list of must play games for games that I don't own (but will probably own them some day - I can't stop buying). But right now this this is based on games that I OWN. Keep that in mind as you read this list. I've made some comments on some of them just because I can.
Playstation (original)
Abe's Oddysee
The beginning of the Oddworld games and their wonder irreverent style of gameplay. Farting and burping have never been as fun . . . or productive in video games.
Chrono Cross
Some people would say Chrono Trigger but I started playing this game first and I love the shear number of characters you can recruit and have in your party. It adds some strategy to what seems like a typical RPG. And the enemies can really mess with your strategy.
Crash Bandicoot
This mascot has been in quite a number of games. It should be interesting to see the game that started it all.
Descent
A Doom clone but this time you're in a ship. The game has true 6 axis movement which blew my mind when I played it for the first time. I don't know why I struggle to play the original Doom games but don't really have any problems navigating this game. It's the first game that made me think of games in a real three dimensional environment.
Final Fantasy Tactics
I have this game for my PSP and I actually like playing it more on that system than on the Playstation. I'm not sure why. But I first started playing it on this system and I love the amount of customization that you can do for your group as a whole and each individual character in your party. This is a game that I love to sit and just do random battles and not advance the story because I love it so much.
Final Fantasy VII
Everyone says this is the best Final Fantasy game. I disagree but you can read about that below. It has had such an influence on gamers and is being remade so it's definitely one that every games should play.
Final Fantasy IX
This is my favorite Final Fantasy games. Ever. The only one that comes close is Final Fantasy X and that isn't close to over take IX. I got so close to finishing this game before my stuff was robbed that I was heartbroken to have all that progress lost . . . until I realized that it meant I had to play it again and I was happy. One of the few games I was willing to say that about.
Grandia
This is an epic RPG that showed Final Fantasy didn't have a corner on the market for RPG games. And it spawned a couple of sequels in the franchise.
Legend of Dragoon
This is the first solo campaign that finished and got to the end credits. It was simply beautiful. And I cried. And it deserves a sequel more so than any other game I can think of. Somebody please make that happen.
Legend of Legaia
Discovering all the hidden special moves made this game really fun. It's so satisfying to see that you unlocked something just by pushing random button combinations. It helps give you a different take on combat too.
Metal Gear Solid
This is a game everyone should play. You can't deny how much of an impact it has had on the industry. But someone please explain to me the whole Metal Gear lore. I'm lost and clueless about it.
Rayman
Another mascot that has spawned several games. One of those games I'm playing and capturing now and it's killing me. Literally. Still fun. Another one where it's nice to see where everything started. And I remember when it came out and everyone was upset that he didn't have any legs or arms, but had hands and feet. Weird.
Spyro the Dragon
Another franchise game. Fun. Simple. I just wish the camera controls were better.
Threads of Fate
I think this is the first game that I played that switched between 2 main characters. I found it innovated. Probably wasn't the first game to do this, but it was the first for me that I remember.
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
Not the first Tomb Raider game but it's the first one I played. The controls have gotten much better since this one. It was nice to have a female protagonist instead them always being the damsel in distress, even if her boobs are unrealistically too large (this was before the age that plastic surgery and boob enhancements went wild). That girl must have so many back problems.
The only one on the list that I've actually finished is Legend of Dragoon. The rest are on my wish list to capture and post to me YouTube channel . . . some day. I might even replay Legend of Dragoon. It's that good of a game even if it doesn't hold up graphically very well these days.
What are the original Playstation games that you would say are "must play"? Maybe our lists have a couple duplicates. Tell me in the comments and why I should play them. Maybe if you're convincing enough I might go out and try to find a copy and play it. Influence me. I dare you.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
1 minute Time Travel game + 3 new games
I know I haven't blogged for awhile but that's because I've had a lot of stuff going on in my life that has made blogging (and sometimes gaming) very hard to do. For starters my birthday was this month (the 15th). I've gotten to a point in my life that another birthday is just another day in my life. But on the other hand I've been feeling a little blue lately that having someone actually acknowledge it's my birthday and want to celebrate with me would be nice.
On top of all of that my supervisor went out on maternity leave this month and I've had to tag along to a bunch of her meetings before she left so I can step in to her shoes and fill in for her while she's out for the next 3 months.
On top of that I've had problems with my AC unit. Right when the temperature starting hovering around 108-110. I called the guy out the first time and he couldn't pin point what was wrong with the unit, but admitted that it wasn't functioning correctly. He suggested either the thermostat, the compressor or the blower motor. The cheapest fix was the thermostat, starting at $200. My dad suggested I go to Home Depot and buy one myself. I got one for $25 and he helped install it. Unfortunately that didn't solve the problem. After getting another guy to come out and have a look he found out it was the starter relay for the compressor and the compressor wasn't running efficiently. The bad news is I ended up spending $1,116 to fix the relay and compressor. The good news is I finally have cold air in my house again.
So with all those things (and a general disgust with how things have been happening while playing) I haven't blogged or felt like playing for awhile. I did buy 3 new games though. It was my birthday present to myself. And I needed some cheering up. I got The Darkness 2, Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns and Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Got 'em used and cheap at Gamestop (although I found out later I could have gotten SC:B even cheaper on Amazon . . . and new too). I should probably stop buying new games and just focusing on the games I already have.
If I hadn't had to spend so much money to fix my AC unit I would have gotten a PS3 bundle. There's a The Last of Us PS3 500GB bundle on sale for $269. Unfortunately I'd rather have cool air than a new system right now. I'm hoping it will still be available next month or August after I've financially recovered from this.
But until then I have a new "1 Minute" game. This time (ha ha) it's with time travel. You have one minute to list every game you can think of that has time travel as an element of game play. Your character either travels through time to another point in the time continuum or your player plays in two different time periods. I'm going to rule out the Fable games. Starting as a kid for the "tutorial" parts and then playing as an adult for the main game doesn't count. That's just a gimmick to help you learn the mechanics of the game before getting in to the real story. So Fable games are ruled out. For me and for you.
So now lets get to your list.
On your mark.
Get set.
Go.
Time travel.
Don't be cute and try to reset the timer. That doesn't count as 'time travel'.
If you can get one in a certain franchise you should be able to get all 6.
And no, I'm going to give you a hint.
You better hurry. You're running out of time.
(hee hee)
And STOP!
Okay how many did you come up with?
Here's my list:
Chrono Cross
Chrono Trigger
Time Splitters: Future Perfect
Assassin's Creed 1-3, Brotherhood, Revelations & Black Flag
Gears of War Judgement
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Final Fantasy X and X-2
Blink: The Time Sweeper
Civilization Revolution
That's a total of 14 games. I'm very disappointed in myself. I thought I could think up more than that. There's got to me more, right?
I wasn't going to included Gears of War Judgement because I was thinking it was all flashback story telling but then I remembered that you actually play in the present when the Locus storm the courtroom place. It's not stereotypical "time travel" but you are playing in two different time periods and I said that would count.
I haven't played Blink for so long but I remember it has something to do with time. I could be totally wrong about that game. I think I might have to go look up the story for that game and see if I'm way off.
I will admit that Civilization Revolution was also a stretch. But since you play in multiple time eras and things change as you play I'm counting it. Hey, it's my game so I will allow it.
As for the Final Fantasy games I'm saying they count even though I don't understand exactly how or why. I'm not even sure I can explain to you my reasoning in a way that you'll be understand, even if you have played the games. I understand all the Summoners and Sin stuff (to a point with Sin anyway) but where (or maybe when) Tidus comes from and how and what Yuna does in the second game to find him is still pretty hazy to me. I'm working on another play through of the first game and I'm slowing plodding my way through the second game (when I can get my system to load it). Maybe when I finish the second game I'll have a better understanding.
So tell me how many you got in the comments. Was there an obvious game I missed? Did I have some that you think you should have gotten? Did you cheat and read my list first? Shame on you.
On top of all of that my supervisor went out on maternity leave this month and I've had to tag along to a bunch of her meetings before she left so I can step in to her shoes and fill in for her while she's out for the next 3 months.
On top of that I've had problems with my AC unit. Right when the temperature starting hovering around 108-110. I called the guy out the first time and he couldn't pin point what was wrong with the unit, but admitted that it wasn't functioning correctly. He suggested either the thermostat, the compressor or the blower motor. The cheapest fix was the thermostat, starting at $200. My dad suggested I go to Home Depot and buy one myself. I got one for $25 and he helped install it. Unfortunately that didn't solve the problem. After getting another guy to come out and have a look he found out it was the starter relay for the compressor and the compressor wasn't running efficiently. The bad news is I ended up spending $1,116 to fix the relay and compressor. The good news is I finally have cold air in my house again.
So with all those things (and a general disgust with how things have been happening while playing) I haven't blogged or felt like playing for awhile. I did buy 3 new games though. It was my birthday present to myself. And I needed some cheering up. I got The Darkness 2, Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns and Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Got 'em used and cheap at Gamestop (although I found out later I could have gotten SC:B even cheaper on Amazon . . . and new too). I should probably stop buying new games and just focusing on the games I already have.
If I hadn't had to spend so much money to fix my AC unit I would have gotten a PS3 bundle. There's a The Last of Us PS3 500GB bundle on sale for $269. Unfortunately I'd rather have cool air than a new system right now. I'm hoping it will still be available next month or August after I've financially recovered from this.
But until then I have a new "1 Minute" game. This time (ha ha) it's with time travel. You have one minute to list every game you can think of that has time travel as an element of game play. Your character either travels through time to another point in the time continuum or your player plays in two different time periods. I'm going to rule out the Fable games. Starting as a kid for the "tutorial" parts and then playing as an adult for the main game doesn't count. That's just a gimmick to help you learn the mechanics of the game before getting in to the real story. So Fable games are ruled out. For me and for you.
So now lets get to your list.
On your mark.
Get set.
Go.
Time travel.
Don't be cute and try to reset the timer. That doesn't count as 'time travel'.
If you can get one in a certain franchise you should be able to get all 6.
And no, I'm going to give you a hint.
You better hurry. You're running out of time.
(hee hee)
And STOP!
Okay how many did you come up with?
Here's my list:
Chrono Cross
Chrono Trigger
Time Splitters: Future Perfect
Assassin's Creed 1-3, Brotherhood, Revelations & Black Flag
Gears of War Judgement
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Final Fantasy X and X-2
Blink: The Time Sweeper
Civilization Revolution
That's a total of 14 games. I'm very disappointed in myself. I thought I could think up more than that. There's got to me more, right?
I wasn't going to included Gears of War Judgement because I was thinking it was all flashback story telling but then I remembered that you actually play in the present when the Locus storm the courtroom place. It's not stereotypical "time travel" but you are playing in two different time periods and I said that would count.
I haven't played Blink for so long but I remember it has something to do with time. I could be totally wrong about that game. I think I might have to go look up the story for that game and see if I'm way off.
I will admit that Civilization Revolution was also a stretch. But since you play in multiple time eras and things change as you play I'm counting it. Hey, it's my game so I will allow it.
As for the Final Fantasy games I'm saying they count even though I don't understand exactly how or why. I'm not even sure I can explain to you my reasoning in a way that you'll be understand, even if you have played the games. I understand all the Summoners and Sin stuff (to a point with Sin anyway) but where (or maybe when) Tidus comes from and how and what Yuna does in the second game to find him is still pretty hazy to me. I'm working on another play through of the first game and I'm slowing plodding my way through the second game (when I can get my system to load it). Maybe when I finish the second game I'll have a better understanding.
So tell me how many you got in the comments. Was there an obvious game I missed? Did I have some that you think you should have gotten? Did you cheat and read my list first? Shame on you.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
I'm a Serial Starter
Since I was having a hard time getting people to play with me on Xbox Live I decided to take a break and go old school. Like Playstation old. I fired up Final Fantasy VII and played for a bit. After all, that is one of the games that started this whole blog thing about 3 or 4 years ago or however long it's been.
While I'm still not up to playing any new part of the game, I am further along with my characters. With this play through I'm taking my time to level up my limit breaks and all the Materia I've collected. I've been grinding away on the world map and getting into any battle I could when I enter an area. Right now I've got Aries's Limit Break up one level higher than where I was before my stuff got stolen and I've still got a lot of game left to play before I start seeing anything new. My only problem is keeping a consistent rotation with my third party member. And now that I've just picked up Vincent I've got another one thrown into the mix.
After playing Final Fantasy VII for several hours I decided I needed a break from that game. I wasn't in the mood to go back to Xbox so I flipped through all my games to find something new to play. Since my games are alphabetical and I started at the top I didn't get far before I decided to put in Chrono Cross.
This is a game that I've started several times even before my stuff got stolen. I'd start and play for 10 hours or so and then put it away for awhile to play something else (or several something elses). When I pull the game out again I couldn't ever remember where I was in the story. And worse . . . what world I was in (if you've played the game, you know). When I would flip through the strategy guide to see if I could jog my memory about what I needed to do I would find that I missed recruiting several characters along the way because I forgot to do one simple thing. Since I was past that point it usually meant that I wouldn't get to add those characters to my party. After a little bit of soul searching about the time I had already spent playing the game (okay, maybe not that much soul searching) I would restart the game and make it a point to collect those characters. After a couple of days (and another 10-12 hours of the first part of the game) I would put it away for something else. And thus the cycle would begin again.
As it did Sunday night.
I put the game in and instead of rushing through the first part that I've played a million times (at least it feels like a million times) I decided to take my time. If I can get further along in Final Fantasy VII while still being behind, perhaps it could work for Chrono Cross as well. And it has.
That big bird boss in the valley where you pick up the talking skull (weird game by the way) use to give me fits every time I played the game. This time it was a piece of cake. There are other areas that use to be hard but now they're kind of boring because they're so easy. I've probably played the game for 10+ hours but in reality I've probably only progressed 2 hours in the story. It sure makes things easier, but it does get kind of boring grinding most of the time. That's why I put in another game.
That game was Final Fantasy Tactics. It wasn't another start, but it's another game that I've started many times. I guess you could say I'm a serial starter. If I ever get to finish one of these games I think it will be a miracle. Now, if you'll excuse me I've got a game to start.
While I'm still not up to playing any new part of the game, I am further along with my characters. With this play through I'm taking my time to level up my limit breaks and all the Materia I've collected. I've been grinding away on the world map and getting into any battle I could when I enter an area. Right now I've got Aries's Limit Break up one level higher than where I was before my stuff got stolen and I've still got a lot of game left to play before I start seeing anything new. My only problem is keeping a consistent rotation with my third party member. And now that I've just picked up Vincent I've got another one thrown into the mix.
After playing Final Fantasy VII for several hours I decided I needed a break from that game. I wasn't in the mood to go back to Xbox so I flipped through all my games to find something new to play. Since my games are alphabetical and I started at the top I didn't get far before I decided to put in Chrono Cross.
This is a game that I've started several times even before my stuff got stolen. I'd start and play for 10 hours or so and then put it away for awhile to play something else (or several something elses). When I pull the game out again I couldn't ever remember where I was in the story. And worse . . . what world I was in (if you've played the game, you know). When I would flip through the strategy guide to see if I could jog my memory about what I needed to do I would find that I missed recruiting several characters along the way because I forgot to do one simple thing. Since I was past that point it usually meant that I wouldn't get to add those characters to my party. After a little bit of soul searching about the time I had already spent playing the game (okay, maybe not that much soul searching) I would restart the game and make it a point to collect those characters. After a couple of days (and another 10-12 hours of the first part of the game) I would put it away for something else. And thus the cycle would begin again.
As it did Sunday night.
I put the game in and instead of rushing through the first part that I've played a million times (at least it feels like a million times) I decided to take my time. If I can get further along in Final Fantasy VII while still being behind, perhaps it could work for Chrono Cross as well. And it has.
That big bird boss in the valley where you pick up the talking skull (weird game by the way) use to give me fits every time I played the game. This time it was a piece of cake. There are other areas that use to be hard but now they're kind of boring because they're so easy. I've probably played the game for 10+ hours but in reality I've probably only progressed 2 hours in the story. It sure makes things easier, but it does get kind of boring grinding most of the time. That's why I put in another game.
That game was Final Fantasy Tactics. It wasn't another start, but it's another game that I've started many times. I guess you could say I'm a serial starter. If I ever get to finish one of these games I think it will be a miracle. Now, if you'll excuse me I've got a game to start.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Poll Results - Organizing my games
Here's the poll results for organizing my games:
The way I had things organized before I got robbed was alphabetical regardless of system. This had some ups and downs. When looking for a particular game I got easily distracted by other games. If I wanted to play a PS game I might find myself pulling out a PS2 game instead. And there was the whole alphabetical problem. How do you file all those Star Wars games. Since "Star Wars" is usually first they would all go together. But I don't think of Bounty Hunter as "Star Wars Bounty Hunter". Those games were all filed by the game title; I left the Star Wars out of it. And that was the same for the Lord of the Rings games.
Some sequels had alphabetical problems as well. Chrono Cross is a sequel (of sorts) to Chrono Trigger, but alphabetically Chrono Cross would get files first. Of those games that had the sequels close in name to the original (Abe's Exodus vs. Abe's Oddysee another example) I filed those chronologically instead of alphabetically. But that created a problem with Final Fantasy Tactics. It's not a sequel to any Final Fantasy game, and is, in fact, a different type of game entirely. where does that one go? I could have put it after Final Fantasy XII (the last one in number order that I owned) but that didn't seem right to have an original PS game after the newest PS2 games. I could have figured out when that game came out in the series and put it there but I didn't want to bother. So Final Fantasy Tactics was filed first. Of course I do have a couple of games that when I think of the title I think of it differently. Like "The Legend of Alan D'ar" I only think of as "Alan D'ar". Makes it hard to find sometimes.
What I liked about filing alphabetical regardless of system was that all games of the same story could be filed together no matter what console you played them one. That way Serious Sam I and II for the original Xbox could be filed with Serious Sam: The Next Encounter for the PS2. The two Hunter: The Reckoning games for Xbox could be filed with the abysmal one for the PS2. If I was in the mood for a particular game world I could flip to those pages (I keep all my games in a disk binder) and then decide which version I wanted to play.
This time however I'm filing them alphabetical by system. Hopefully this might encourage me to play some of my older games for the Playstation since those games are filed first. Unfortunately I'm still replacing games so my filing system isn't accurate. I leave spaces for some games but forget to for others. I guess I'll wait until I've gotten everything back before I put things in their proper place. But then I have to decide what to do with the duplicates. when I started rebuying games I didn't have a good enough system to keep track of ebay auctions bidding/won/paid for so I ended up with several duplicate games. I'll probably sell them back to Gamestop for credit to buy more but I'm really not going to get much for them. One of them will go to kai to try out (Rainbow Six: Vegas 2) and maybe we can get a match together sometime along with anyone else who wants to play.
I have picked up some new games that I didn't have before but I'll wait to list those once I'm done shopping. And I've started the process of redownloading all my Arcade games to my new hard drive. Unfortunately I've got DRM issues with some of them so I have to change the rights to my new machine. But if there's anything you guys want to play with me just send me a note or an invite. If I've got, I'm game.
How should I organize my games?
alphabetical (regardless of system) = 1 vote
alphabetical (by system) = 5 votes
52-card pickup = 0 votes
alphabetical (by genre) = 0 votes
The way I had things organized before I got robbed was alphabetical regardless of system. This had some ups and downs. When looking for a particular game I got easily distracted by other games. If I wanted to play a PS game I might find myself pulling out a PS2 game instead. And there was the whole alphabetical problem. How do you file all those Star Wars games. Since "Star Wars" is usually first they would all go together. But I don't think of Bounty Hunter as "Star Wars Bounty Hunter". Those games were all filed by the game title; I left the Star Wars out of it. And that was the same for the Lord of the Rings games.
Some sequels had alphabetical problems as well. Chrono Cross is a sequel (of sorts) to Chrono Trigger, but alphabetically Chrono Cross would get files first. Of those games that had the sequels close in name to the original (Abe's Exodus vs. Abe's Oddysee another example) I filed those chronologically instead of alphabetically. But that created a problem with Final Fantasy Tactics. It's not a sequel to any Final Fantasy game, and is, in fact, a different type of game entirely. where does that one go? I could have put it after Final Fantasy XII (the last one in number order that I owned) but that didn't seem right to have an original PS game after the newest PS2 games. I could have figured out when that game came out in the series and put it there but I didn't want to bother. So Final Fantasy Tactics was filed first. Of course I do have a couple of games that when I think of the title I think of it differently. Like "The Legend of Alan D'ar" I only think of as "Alan D'ar". Makes it hard to find sometimes.
What I liked about filing alphabetical regardless of system was that all games of the same story could be filed together no matter what console you played them one. That way Serious Sam I and II for the original Xbox could be filed with Serious Sam: The Next Encounter for the PS2. The two Hunter: The Reckoning games for Xbox could be filed with the abysmal one for the PS2. If I was in the mood for a particular game world I could flip to those pages (I keep all my games in a disk binder) and then decide which version I wanted to play.
This time however I'm filing them alphabetical by system. Hopefully this might encourage me to play some of my older games for the Playstation since those games are filed first. Unfortunately I'm still replacing games so my filing system isn't accurate. I leave spaces for some games but forget to for others. I guess I'll wait until I've gotten everything back before I put things in their proper place. But then I have to decide what to do with the duplicates. when I started rebuying games I didn't have a good enough system to keep track of ebay auctions bidding/won/paid for so I ended up with several duplicate games. I'll probably sell them back to Gamestop for credit to buy more but I'm really not going to get much for them. One of them will go to kai to try out (Rainbow Six: Vegas 2) and maybe we can get a match together sometime along with anyone else who wants to play.
I have picked up some new games that I didn't have before but I'll wait to list those once I'm done shopping. And I've started the process of redownloading all my Arcade games to my new hard drive. Unfortunately I've got DRM issues with some of them so I have to change the rights to my new machine. But if there's anything you guys want to play with me just send me a note or an invite. If I've got, I'm game.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Day 3 and beyond of Xbox 360 Purgatory
So, my first couple of days didn't go so well back on the PS2. It's certainly not the consoles fault. I'm just a little rusty with the system. Everything will go much better now. Right?
Not exactly. I gave up on Half-Life. I just wasn't in the mood to replay the opening part again for at least the 4th time. Time for a new game. So I put in SSX Tricky. If there's any game that could get me out of this funk that would be the game to do it.
Except I couldn't get my controller to activate. No matter what buttons I pushed or how many times I plugged the controller in and out it just wouldn't do anything in the game. So I took the game out and put in another one. After all the controller worked during Half-Life so that couldn't be the problem. Right?
I put in TimeSplitters. If SSX Tricky couldn't do anything for me TimeSplitters should be able to pick up the slack. When the game booted up my controller wouldn't work in that game either.
Maybe there's nothing wrong with the game, but something is wrong with my controller.
So I now I had to figure out where my extra Playstation controllers were kept. I still have boxes I haven't unpacked, could they be in one of them? Or maybe there in a box or plastic crate that I have opened up, but just haven't done anything with. And then it hit me. I unpacked a bag of extra controllers for all my systems, along with extra cords of all kinds, and placed it behind the TV. After pulling out the bag and rummaging around for a Playstation controller I finally found one and plugged it in. I was ready to play. And it worked.
I played through the first mission in the story mode of TimeSplitters before I got bored (it's just not the same playing by yourself) and then went back to SSX Tricky. I picked the character Zoe (because of my dog) and headed down the first mountain as a refresher course. I was starting to hang of it so I started the second race. That was when the real Zoe decided the only place she wanted to be right then was sitting on my lap. And the only thing she wanted to be doing was licking my hands. I couldn't get her to stop. And I couldn't play while she did it. So I turned the system off, turned the TV on, and let my dog get comfortable in my lap. Twenty minutes later she was off to play with her Wubbie, but I was too tired of hassling with things just to play a video game that I didn't bother turning the system back on.
The next day, after work when I had a chance to play again, I decided I was going to play an RPG. And old RPG. The kind of game that got me hooked as a gamer in the first place. So I took some time and flipped through my book of games trying to decide which game to play.
I wanted a game to get lost in the story. If it was something I had already started I didn't want to be too far along in the game because I either wouldn't know what was going on or I would have to restart it and play through parts I had already done. That left a lot of the Final Fantasy games.
I also didn't want to play a game that was on 4 disks. I wanted something quick and not something that would take months to play through. That left out .dot Hack, the Final Fantasy games (again), Xenosaga (even through their multiple "games" it's still one story line to me) and number of other games as well. I also eliminated the Grandia series even though their not 4 disks in length. If I played the first one I might very well want to move on to the later ones as well and then when would I play my 360 when I get it back?
After a couple of other elimination rounds I had it narrowed down to my two Arc the Lad games or Chrono Trigger (and then Chrono Cross if my system was out that long). On the one had I had played through Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits and I think I got to the end but I couldn't beat the final boss. I didn't have the right armor or weapons and I was caught in an area that wouldn't let me leave to go find them. So I had restarted the game (see, I'm always restarting games) making sure I keep the required weapons/armor for that final boss. And then stopped about a quarter of the way through the game. I didn't want to start from scratch again, but since I've already played the game it didn't have that much appeal for me this time.
On the other hand I really wanted to play Chrono Cross, but that's a game I've started at least 3 times that I can remember. I love that game. But I have a problem with that game. I'm a completionist at heart so I want to collect every single playable character there is in the game. But once I have them in my party I have a hard time managing all their skills and growth. I get overwhelmed. Find out I missed picking up another characters. So I restart the game with a specific game play in place for when I pick up new characters. I love working with the battle system and field effects. But I have a hard time picking the right characters for the right battles. If I played this game I know I'd want to start all over again, but the first 2-3 hours of that game are boring because I've played them so many times.
So after looking at all the pros and cons I decided on playing Chrono Trigger. It's a game I don't think I've played (although the first 10 minutes looked a little familiar, but maybe I just watched dain play the game) and I didn't have a saved game file for. I could start fresh. Yeah!
I put the disk in, played for 41 minutes (according to the save file) before I got to a good stopping point before going to bed. But before I went to bed I remembered I had the strategy guide for this book and I should probably get it out to have handy just in case I get stuck. Once I got it out I started flipping through it and found out that I had missed exploring half of the opening area, missed out on half of the mini-games at the fair, and didn't do one of the things I would need to do later on in the game. Great. Re-start anyone?
I went to bed debating whether I should re-start the game (great, another re-start) or just make do with what I've done so far. One of the things I failed to do (win a clone of yourself) I could do later on in the game but would be harder to get. Plus I had spent all my meager gil on items that I didn't have enough to fully equip myself when I set out. If I had explored the other areas mentioned in the book I would have had the money to get everything I wanted and I would be better prepared for battles to come. What to do?
After a long day at work I decided I would re-start the game, explore all the areas available to me, have a hand at all the mini-games in the fair and win myself a clone. Like I said I'm a completionist at heart. When I got to the same point where I had saved before it had only added 20+ minutes to my game, but it was well worth it. I had enough gil to buy anything and everything I wanted and I had mastered two Techs, whereas the book recommended one. And every since then that is all I have been playing. When I get further into it I might post a review.
I should have my 360 back by this weekend, if not sooner. Until then I'll keep playing Chrono Trigger and maybe I can finish it. And maybe I'll just keep my PS2 out so I can play other games. Every now and then.
Not exactly. I gave up on Half-Life. I just wasn't in the mood to replay the opening part again for at least the 4th time. Time for a new game. So I put in SSX Tricky. If there's any game that could get me out of this funk that would be the game to do it.
Except I couldn't get my controller to activate. No matter what buttons I pushed or how many times I plugged the controller in and out it just wouldn't do anything in the game. So I took the game out and put in another one. After all the controller worked during Half-Life so that couldn't be the problem. Right?
I put in TimeSplitters. If SSX Tricky couldn't do anything for me TimeSplitters should be able to pick up the slack. When the game booted up my controller wouldn't work in that game either.
Maybe there's nothing wrong with the game, but something is wrong with my controller.
So I now I had to figure out where my extra Playstation controllers were kept. I still have boxes I haven't unpacked, could they be in one of them? Or maybe there in a box or plastic crate that I have opened up, but just haven't done anything with. And then it hit me. I unpacked a bag of extra controllers for all my systems, along with extra cords of all kinds, and placed it behind the TV. After pulling out the bag and rummaging around for a Playstation controller I finally found one and plugged it in. I was ready to play. And it worked.
I played through the first mission in the story mode of TimeSplitters before I got bored (it's just not the same playing by yourself) and then went back to SSX Tricky. I picked the character Zoe (because of my dog) and headed down the first mountain as a refresher course. I was starting to hang of it so I started the second race. That was when the real Zoe decided the only place she wanted to be right then was sitting on my lap. And the only thing she wanted to be doing was licking my hands. I couldn't get her to stop. And I couldn't play while she did it. So I turned the system off, turned the TV on, and let my dog get comfortable in my lap. Twenty minutes later she was off to play with her Wubbie, but I was too tired of hassling with things just to play a video game that I didn't bother turning the system back on.
The next day, after work when I had a chance to play again, I decided I was going to play an RPG. And old RPG. The kind of game that got me hooked as a gamer in the first place. So I took some time and flipped through my book of games trying to decide which game to play.
I wanted a game to get lost in the story. If it was something I had already started I didn't want to be too far along in the game because I either wouldn't know what was going on or I would have to restart it and play through parts I had already done. That left a lot of the Final Fantasy games.
I also didn't want to play a game that was on 4 disks. I wanted something quick and not something that would take months to play through. That left out .dot Hack, the Final Fantasy games (again), Xenosaga (even through their multiple "games" it's still one story line to me) and number of other games as well. I also eliminated the Grandia series even though their not 4 disks in length. If I played the first one I might very well want to move on to the later ones as well and then when would I play my 360 when I get it back?
After a couple of other elimination rounds I had it narrowed down to my two Arc the Lad games or Chrono Trigger (and then Chrono Cross if my system was out that long). On the one had I had played through Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits and I think I got to the end but I couldn't beat the final boss. I didn't have the right armor or weapons and I was caught in an area that wouldn't let me leave to go find them. So I had restarted the game (see, I'm always restarting games) making sure I keep the required weapons/armor for that final boss. And then stopped about a quarter of the way through the game. I didn't want to start from scratch again, but since I've already played the game it didn't have that much appeal for me this time.
On the other hand I really wanted to play Chrono Cross, but that's a game I've started at least 3 times that I can remember. I love that game. But I have a problem with that game. I'm a completionist at heart so I want to collect every single playable character there is in the game. But once I have them in my party I have a hard time managing all their skills and growth. I get overwhelmed. Find out I missed picking up another characters. So I restart the game with a specific game play in place for when I pick up new characters. I love working with the battle system and field effects. But I have a hard time picking the right characters for the right battles. If I played this game I know I'd want to start all over again, but the first 2-3 hours of that game are boring because I've played them so many times.
So after looking at all the pros and cons I decided on playing Chrono Trigger. It's a game I don't think I've played (although the first 10 minutes looked a little familiar, but maybe I just watched dain play the game) and I didn't have a saved game file for. I could start fresh. Yeah!
I put the disk in, played for 41 minutes (according to the save file) before I got to a good stopping point before going to bed. But before I went to bed I remembered I had the strategy guide for this book and I should probably get it out to have handy just in case I get stuck. Once I got it out I started flipping through it and found out that I had missed exploring half of the opening area, missed out on half of the mini-games at the fair, and didn't do one of the things I would need to do later on in the game. Great. Re-start anyone?
I went to bed debating whether I should re-start the game (great, another re-start) or just make do with what I've done so far. One of the things I failed to do (win a clone of yourself) I could do later on in the game but would be harder to get. Plus I had spent all my meager gil on items that I didn't have enough to fully equip myself when I set out. If I had explored the other areas mentioned in the book I would have had the money to get everything I wanted and I would be better prepared for battles to come. What to do?
After a long day at work I decided I would re-start the game, explore all the areas available to me, have a hand at all the mini-games in the fair and win myself a clone. Like I said I'm a completionist at heart. When I got to the same point where I had saved before it had only added 20+ minutes to my game, but it was well worth it. I had enough gil to buy anything and everything I wanted and I had mastered two Techs, whereas the book recommended one. And every since then that is all I have been playing. When I get further into it I might post a review.
I should have my 360 back by this weekend, if not sooner. Until then I'll keep playing Chrono Trigger and maybe I can finish it. And maybe I'll just keep my PS2 out so I can play other games. Every now and then.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Why do we replay video games?
Gamer Informer online had an interesting article about why we replay video games. I had to stop and think about it for a bit to try and see why I replay video games. Here's their eight reasons and my take on them.
#1 - Financial Limitations
It's been awhile since I've had some financial limitations on my game buying experience. It's not that I make a lot of money or I've won the lottery, it's just that I've refined my tastes in games a lot better. There was a time when the Game Cube and original Xbox came out that I wanted both but couldn't afford them. My brother dain and I compromised. He was making more money than me so he bought the Xbox and I bought the Game Cube. We'd meet up at my parent's house and share systems. Once I realized that I just couldn't play Xbox games once a week I re-examined my budget and found away to buy an original Xbox (refurbished).
I've bought several games because they were popular (Grand Theft Auto III) and haven't liked them, so I eventually sold them back. Since then I've tried to be informed about games and only buy the ones I think I'll like. I have gone out on a limb for games that looked interesting without knowing anything about them (Pikmin) but now I do a little bit of research before buying.
#2 - Nostalgia
Yes, I go back and play older games because I miss the game play. They also remind me of when my life wasn't filled with so much responsibility. Games can be an escape not just with their game play but also with the mind set they can put you in. I will always love Legend of Dragoon and I think as long as I've got a system to play it on I will always be going back to play that game. Final Fantasy IX and X are also like that for me.
#3 - Old Games/New Tricks
I'm not a glitcher. I don't use cheat codes (unless I absolutely can't get through an area without one). So picking up an old game just because someone figured out how you can get through one area without dying doesn't do it for me. I might pick it up because the first time through I struggled to beat a boss using wind based weapons but then I find out fire based weapons work much better. I like replaying games to see if there was a way I could have gotten past a point a little easier without using any cheats. Games that now have downloadable content will get a second play through by me. Same game but new stuff is always a good thing.
#4 - Unlockables
Unlockables are good. Playing a game where the choices you make determine what future missions are available is also a good thing. I like the fact that how you play the game and the decisions you make effect what actions and story lines are available to you. If you pick the good story line (being a saint in Fable or good in Knights of the Old Republic or a by-the-books soldier in Mass Effect) and having that determine what you can and can not do (even if only in dialogue choices) makes playing the game a second time to see what things are different a good game. And the "New Game+" option I first encountered in Chrono Cross (I think) is fantastic. How much do you hate getting to the end of the game and finally getting that ultimate weapon but there's only one battle left to use it in? Let us keep what we've got and start all over with the enemy adjusting accordingly.
#5 - Difficulty, Co-Op and Multiplayer Modes
I will never play a game the first time on the hardest difficulty. I'm just not that good of a player. I always start out at easy or normal. Once I've gotten a feel of the game I usually can do better but it takes me a while to get to that point. I like playing Co-Op games. I don't have to start at the beginning with someone but jumping into a level with someone else is so much easier then doing everything yourself. And if you're playing a level ahead of where you are in your single player game once you get up to that level you'll know what to do. I can't tell you how many times this has helped me in a game. For multiplayer games I will always enjoy going back and playing Star Wars Battlefront. Partly for nostalgia but partly for the fact that you can get more people in a Battlefront game than you can in a Gears of War game. The more the merrier I say.
#6 - Achievement Points
There is one thing I don't like about difficulty level achievements. If you play a game through on Hard you get the achievement for that but also the achievement for Easy and Normal as well. To me (maybe because I always start on easy) you should have to play the game at each level to get those achievement points.
And what are you going to do if you finish BioShock and realize you're missing a journal or two? You could load up a previous save or you could restart the game. Either way you're replaying the game to get that Historian achievement. A lot of games have achievements that aren't possible to get in just one go through. Mass Effect is a perfect example. If you like a game enough to replay it for achievements then why not? If you like the game have fun with it and enjoy it second time around as well.
#7 - I can't quit you - addiction
For a while there I was addicted to Star Wars Battlefront. I had to play it every night. It didn't matter what kind of mood I was in or what things I should have been doing after I got home from work (like laundry), I just had to play the game. I went through a similar thing with SSX Tricky for the PS2. There are certain games that strike just the right chord in you at just the right time and you just have to play them. It's a drug and you need your fix. And there's nothing wrong with that . . . unless it interferes with living in the real world. It's a lot safer addiction than tobacco or alcohol or other drugs. And those people that are dying playing World of Warcraft have a lot more serious issues than just a game addiction.
#8 - Who the hell needs a reason?
Exactly. A good game is a good game no matter how new or old it is. And there's nothing wrong with playing a good game.
#1 - Financial Limitations
It's been awhile since I've had some financial limitations on my game buying experience. It's not that I make a lot of money or I've won the lottery, it's just that I've refined my tastes in games a lot better. There was a time when the Game Cube and original Xbox came out that I wanted both but couldn't afford them. My brother dain and I compromised. He was making more money than me so he bought the Xbox and I bought the Game Cube. We'd meet up at my parent's house and share systems. Once I realized that I just couldn't play Xbox games once a week I re-examined my budget and found away to buy an original Xbox (refurbished).
I've bought several games because they were popular (Grand Theft Auto III) and haven't liked them, so I eventually sold them back. Since then I've tried to be informed about games and only buy the ones I think I'll like. I have gone out on a limb for games that looked interesting without knowing anything about them (Pikmin) but now I do a little bit of research before buying.
#2 - Nostalgia
Yes, I go back and play older games because I miss the game play. They also remind me of when my life wasn't filled with so much responsibility. Games can be an escape not just with their game play but also with the mind set they can put you in. I will always love Legend of Dragoon and I think as long as I've got a system to play it on I will always be going back to play that game. Final Fantasy IX and X are also like that for me.
#3 - Old Games/New Tricks
I'm not a glitcher. I don't use cheat codes (unless I absolutely can't get through an area without one). So picking up an old game just because someone figured out how you can get through one area without dying doesn't do it for me. I might pick it up because the first time through I struggled to beat a boss using wind based weapons but then I find out fire based weapons work much better. I like replaying games to see if there was a way I could have gotten past a point a little easier without using any cheats. Games that now have downloadable content will get a second play through by me. Same game but new stuff is always a good thing.
#4 - Unlockables
Unlockables are good. Playing a game where the choices you make determine what future missions are available is also a good thing. I like the fact that how you play the game and the decisions you make effect what actions and story lines are available to you. If you pick the good story line (being a saint in Fable or good in Knights of the Old Republic or a by-the-books soldier in Mass Effect) and having that determine what you can and can not do (even if only in dialogue choices) makes playing the game a second time to see what things are different a good game. And the "New Game+" option I first encountered in Chrono Cross (I think) is fantastic. How much do you hate getting to the end of the game and finally getting that ultimate weapon but there's only one battle left to use it in? Let us keep what we've got and start all over with the enemy adjusting accordingly.
#5 - Difficulty, Co-Op and Multiplayer Modes
I will never play a game the first time on the hardest difficulty. I'm just not that good of a player. I always start out at easy or normal. Once I've gotten a feel of the game I usually can do better but it takes me a while to get to that point. I like playing Co-Op games. I don't have to start at the beginning with someone but jumping into a level with someone else is so much easier then doing everything yourself. And if you're playing a level ahead of where you are in your single player game once you get up to that level you'll know what to do. I can't tell you how many times this has helped me in a game. For multiplayer games I will always enjoy going back and playing Star Wars Battlefront. Partly for nostalgia but partly for the fact that you can get more people in a Battlefront game than you can in a Gears of War game. The more the merrier I say.
#6 - Achievement Points
There is one thing I don't like about difficulty level achievements. If you play a game through on Hard you get the achievement for that but also the achievement for Easy and Normal as well. To me (maybe because I always start on easy) you should have to play the game at each level to get those achievement points.
And what are you going to do if you finish BioShock and realize you're missing a journal or two? You could load up a previous save or you could restart the game. Either way you're replaying the game to get that Historian achievement. A lot of games have achievements that aren't possible to get in just one go through. Mass Effect is a perfect example. If you like a game enough to replay it for achievements then why not? If you like the game have fun with it and enjoy it second time around as well.
#7 - I can't quit you - addiction
For a while there I was addicted to Star Wars Battlefront. I had to play it every night. It didn't matter what kind of mood I was in or what things I should have been doing after I got home from work (like laundry), I just had to play the game. I went through a similar thing with SSX Tricky for the PS2. There are certain games that strike just the right chord in you at just the right time and you just have to play them. It's a drug and you need your fix. And there's nothing wrong with that . . . unless it interferes with living in the real world. It's a lot safer addiction than tobacco or alcohol or other drugs. And those people that are dying playing World of Warcraft have a lot more serious issues than just a game addiction.
#8 - Who the hell needs a reason?
Exactly. A good game is a good game no matter how new or old it is. And there's nothing wrong with playing a good game.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
My Favorite Games - Playstation
I've been thinking about making up a favorite list for a while now but that's something that's usually done at the first of the year. You know, "Favorite Games of 2006" or "Best RPG for non-RPG fans" or "The 10 Best Games You Never Heard of". But I'm not that patient. If I get an idea that I like I don't want to sit on it because I just might forget about it. Even if I write it down I'm bound and determined to lose whatever scrap of paper I wrote it on. So I started to make my list and I realized I had a problem.
How could I do a Top 10 lists of all my games? Is Gears of War better than Legend of Dragoon just 'cause it's newer and looks more real? Would those things influence what makes the list and what doesn't? And how could I narrow it down to just 10?
I have an inventory list of all the games I own, what system they're on, if I have the strategy guide, what genre it is, if I've finished it or not and whether or not my brother has the game as well. This list is separated by system so it's easy to pull out the list in the store and when I'm standing in front of the Game Cube section and only have to look to see what GC games I already have. It's much easier looking through 1 or 2 pages than 9 or 10. I started glancing through the lists and jotting down the names of games I really liked. But I was still hung up on which should be ranked higher Gears or Dragoon.
Then it hit me. Why not do a list for each system? My 10 favorite games for Playstation, Super Nintendo, etc. Brilliant idea. I wouldn't have to decide between Gears and Dragoon; I could have them both. And more columns. And I have to admit that some of them I still haven't finished yet, but that doesn't mean I don't still love the experience . . . I just have too many other games and not enough time to play them all.
So here's my favorite games for the Sony Playstation and why I like them:
#1 Legend of Dragoon - This was the first game I finished, but that's not enough to earn it the top spot. It was the first story I've cared about. The characters, the world, the outcome. I lost many hours playing this game trying to find every Star Dust and getting every piece of equipment. And that's not counting mastering all the combat moves. For a while there I didn't think I'd ever master some of Haschel's combat attacks. I remember feeling a great sense of accomplishment each time I got to a point in the story when I had to put a new disk in the playstation. I even started it all over again to see how much of everything I could find without using a strategy guide for help.
#2 Final Fantasy IX - I love Vivi!!! And even though it took me a while to understand how to play the game Tetra Master once I understood it I loved it. I could spend hours just playing that game alone. Steiner is hilarious and you can't help but love a mini-game where you need to capture frogs (even if you spend most of your time cursing while doing it). And your main character is a lovable thief . . . with a tail. You gotta love that.
#3 Chrono Cross - I can't tell you how many times I've restarted this game just to see which characters I could enlist in my party and how they interact with each other. If I had just stuck with my original save I would have been long done with it by now but I'm still tinkering around with "how" I want to play the game. I love the field effect that comes into play during the battles. It's very frustrating planning your moves to get the fields all green only to have the enemy launch a red attack before your last player gets a turn. Or even worse have your enemy take advantage of the field colors and do more damage to your characters than you're prepared for. It's never the same old turn based battle system of other RPGs where the field effect is concerned. And you have to use just as much, if not more, thought and consideration to the magic that you bring into the battle as much as how you use it during battle.
#4 Legend of Legaia - The first time I played this I got lost. I left the village and had no idea where to go. I wandered around a lot, leveled up a lot, before I finally realized I needed a little help. Once I figure that out I deleted my save and started all over again. Why? Because I felt like I had cheated because I didn't pay enough attention to the clues people were giving me. Legaia is another game that added a wrinkle to the combat system outside the normal turn based we had all come to love. There were hidden combinations you could use to do more damage. You had to play around with the directional pad to figure out what those were. You were never sure you had learned them all so each new discovery was a thrill of excitement.
#5 Abe's Oddysee/Abe's Exodus - Okay I'm listing 2 games here, but can you really tell the difference? Besides, who knew farting and belching could have such a significance in completing a game. The Oddworld games are all hilarious and I wish more people would play them so the developers would make more.
Now for some Honorable Mentions:
Ape Escape, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy I, Frogger, Pipe Dreams 3D, and Pong
These are MY favorites, but I curious. What do you think about my list? What games would be on your list? Stay tuned for lists for the other systems that I own.
How could I do a Top 10 lists of all my games? Is Gears of War better than Legend of Dragoon just 'cause it's newer and looks more real? Would those things influence what makes the list and what doesn't? And how could I narrow it down to just 10?
I have an inventory list of all the games I own, what system they're on, if I have the strategy guide, what genre it is, if I've finished it or not and whether or not my brother has the game as well. This list is separated by system so it's easy to pull out the list in the store and when I'm standing in front of the Game Cube section and only have to look to see what GC games I already have. It's much easier looking through 1 or 2 pages than 9 or 10. I started glancing through the lists and jotting down the names of games I really liked. But I was still hung up on which should be ranked higher Gears or Dragoon.
Then it hit me. Why not do a list for each system? My 10 favorite games for Playstation, Super Nintendo, etc. Brilliant idea. I wouldn't have to decide between Gears and Dragoon; I could have them both. And more columns. And I have to admit that some of them I still haven't finished yet, but that doesn't mean I don't still love the experience . . . I just have too many other games and not enough time to play them all.
So here's my favorite games for the Sony Playstation and why I like them:
#1 Legend of Dragoon - This was the first game I finished, but that's not enough to earn it the top spot. It was the first story I've cared about. The characters, the world, the outcome. I lost many hours playing this game trying to find every Star Dust and getting every piece of equipment. And that's not counting mastering all the combat moves. For a while there I didn't think I'd ever master some of Haschel's combat attacks. I remember feeling a great sense of accomplishment each time I got to a point in the story when I had to put a new disk in the playstation. I even started it all over again to see how much of everything I could find without using a strategy guide for help.
#2 Final Fantasy IX - I love Vivi!!! And even though it took me a while to understand how to play the game Tetra Master once I understood it I loved it. I could spend hours just playing that game alone. Steiner is hilarious and you can't help but love a mini-game where you need to capture frogs (even if you spend most of your time cursing while doing it). And your main character is a lovable thief . . . with a tail. You gotta love that.
#3 Chrono Cross - I can't tell you how many times I've restarted this game just to see which characters I could enlist in my party and how they interact with each other. If I had just stuck with my original save I would have been long done with it by now but I'm still tinkering around with "how" I want to play the game. I love the field effect that comes into play during the battles. It's very frustrating planning your moves to get the fields all green only to have the enemy launch a red attack before your last player gets a turn. Or even worse have your enemy take advantage of the field colors and do more damage to your characters than you're prepared for. It's never the same old turn based battle system of other RPGs where the field effect is concerned. And you have to use just as much, if not more, thought and consideration to the magic that you bring into the battle as much as how you use it during battle.
#4 Legend of Legaia - The first time I played this I got lost. I left the village and had no idea where to go. I wandered around a lot, leveled up a lot, before I finally realized I needed a little help. Once I figure that out I deleted my save and started all over again. Why? Because I felt like I had cheated because I didn't pay enough attention to the clues people were giving me. Legaia is another game that added a wrinkle to the combat system outside the normal turn based we had all come to love. There were hidden combinations you could use to do more damage. You had to play around with the directional pad to figure out what those were. You were never sure you had learned them all so each new discovery was a thrill of excitement.
#5 Abe's Oddysee/Abe's Exodus - Okay I'm listing 2 games here, but can you really tell the difference? Besides, who knew farting and belching could have such a significance in completing a game. The Oddworld games are all hilarious and I wish more people would play them so the developers would make more.
Now for some Honorable Mentions:
Ape Escape, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy I, Frogger, Pipe Dreams 3D, and Pong
These are MY favorites, but I curious. What do you think about my list? What games would be on your list? Stay tuned for lists for the other systems that I own.
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