"Any tree can drop an apple. I'll drop the freaking moon."

Now Playing: Xenoblade Chronicles, Fire Emblem Awakening, Tales of the Abyss, Tomb Raider

Wishlist:
Tales of Xillia

• 25Mar 13

  Fire Emblem Awakening Final Thoughts, and no the Wii U is not dead

  Fire Emblem Awakening. This is the game that got me regretting selling my 3DS; so I acted and saved my pennies again and useless games to aquire this hiddem gem. It is my first Fire Emblem game, and I have to say I was surprised, like many others, on how well this game was made. For my first playthrough, I played on Normal and CIassic. I didn't play on Casual because I wanted to feel the intensity everyone spoke of, and oh boy, it took a great deal of resets for me to understand how to play this game to win. Particularly the whole arrows one-shotting my pegasus knights.

  

  To continue, I really like behind the scenes in video game stories. I noticed this after viewing the skits in the Tales series, where the party converses on a random or story related event. Fire Emblem awakening has this ideal in the form of support conversations. After two units aid each other in battle, they gain points to contribute to their next level in support conversation. The skits range from serious, to embarrassing, to actual funny dialogue. I've enjoyed pairing odd units together and see how they act in the camp, it is quite interesting and leads to some character development.

  

  I entered Fire Emblem Awakening after playing Final Fantasy Tactics, which set the bar for me for strategy games. But the two are diverse in their battle systems. Fire Emblem Awakening is more simple than FFT, while FFT can be exploited with its system (thank you Ninja and Arithmetics). Fire Emblem is more balanced and more difficult (mind you I played on Normal) while FFT is allows more freedom and creativity.

  

  To conclude my Fire Emblem Awakening segment, it is a stellar video game that you will increase your quick math skills as you spend your 40 hours+ grinding your unique characters into the heroes they were meant to be.

  BUY IT!

  Next topic: Wii U.

  Slow days among us gamers as we await the PS4, Nextbox, and many titles set for the latter of the year. These slow days are affecting the internet with this deduction that the Wii U is on a path of failure. Sales are down, below the PSP in Japan, and a drought of video games are in effect world wide. I admit, things are looking gloomy for the lonely console, but I do believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

  

  The Wii U is like the Nintendo 3DS at this point. Last summer, the handheld was in the same situation; it had a drought of video games just like the Wii U is going through and in time, it gained such hits like Fire Emblem, Animal Crossing, Bravely Default which gained millions of sales in Japan. The Wii U is in the same situation. If you remember the Nintendo Direct which was focused directly on the Wii U, it had shown a great amount of stellar titles in the future for the console. These titles included Zelda WindWaker HD, Monolith Soft's new Project X, Yoshi Epic Yarn, and the Wonderful 101. Now yes, none of these titles have confirmed release dates (I'm looking at you Project X). But here is where I go over your heads.

  With the Wii U in the state it is in. I think Nintendo and their owned developers have been too quiet; every day something isn't announced, they are working on this ways to get out of this predicament. I think that Nintendo has a few cards that were hidden from us, the audience. So, to conlclude this segment, I firmly believe before the Wii U is the next Virtual Boy, like the 3DS was fated to be ( ), I suggest that those who believe it doesn't have a light at the end of the tunnel to wait until E3 before deciding Nintendo's ultimate fate.

  • Posted Mar 25, 2013 8:35 pm GMT
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• 26Aug 12

  Square Enix's Most Recent Disappointment(s)

  Hello again, my dear fans. Kidding (wanna be my fan?) I'm here on a serious issue that won't get off of my mind. I've tried playing The Last Story to calm myself down, but here I am writing a blog about it while it's paused.

  Square Enix is a famous video game company, known for it's hit franchisesFinal Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, etc. It has been making hit video games for over 25 years. Recently, the company has angered me in it's recent decisions , ranging from it's recent trend of mobile games, and the TWEWY fiasco.

  As you all are aware by now, Square Enix posted a teaser website about TWEWY six days ago with a countdown, stirring up a lot of hype. Many of the fans thought it was a long overdue sequel on 3DS, while those who weren't fans guessed a Vita port. The fans were extremely exited and thoroughly hyped for the announcement, until...

  Until a leak got out about a mobile platform release for the game that shockedeveryone.(Look at comments) The internet community exploded in reaction to the leak, thinking "Why on iPhone/Android??" The issue of mobile gaming is a debate that is nearly one-sided coming to the conclusion that it is inferior to handheld gaming. The games made for the handhelds contain substance, and last much longer than mobile game. Why spend 5 minute's throwing birds at blocks when you could be using it to catch Pikachu or to beat Brock and Misty?

  

  This is where it gets good, after the leak, one of the translators of this game tweetedthat the leak "is more like a drip," hinting that there is more to come. After the countdown was over, the announcement was indeed an iOS port with remixed tracks. The part he was hinting was that combat was all done on one screen. Talk about aggravating.

  What really angers me is that Square Enix did not forsee this coming. A countdown for a mobile port. Think about it. It's not something to do when your fans are expecting a sequel or something. Countdowns are used for big announcements, like example another Assassin's Creed game or a new Zelda game. Their announcement of TWEWY on iOS should have just... announced!! Not building up hype to disappointment!

  

  "Why... What the hell!?"

  Square Enix does make it's retro games available on mobile platforms, but it's not what you will expect if you go search for it right now. The prices are incredibly inflated compared to the dollar games normally sold. While Where's My Perry costs $0.99, Final Fantasy costs $8.99. Final Fantasy III, the third in the series (aka. Not Final Fantasy VI), costs $15.99 along. Final Fantasy Tactics War of the Lionsis the same price, even though it has a cheaper version on PSN; not to mention you can choose whether to buy the PSP enhanced version, or the PS1 CIassic for $9.99.

  The newest Final Fantasy is called Final Fantasy Dimensions, being released as... you guessed it. Mobile platforms. This Final Fantasy follows a traditional ATB system with a Final Fantasy III/V like Job System. It was to be released in seperate stories. Sounds familiar, yes? That's because Final Fantasy IV: The After Years on WiiWare was the same way. The game had an expensive prologue and epilogue (about 1500 Wii points if I remember correctly), and about 300 Wii points or so. The game ranged to be about over $30 for everything. Final Fantasy Dimensions is to be released on the 31st of August. You have the choice to buy the full story for $28.99 or buy everything seperate for $32.96.
  Just to let you know, TWEWY is $20.

  

  I was interested greatly; until they dropped a $29 price tag on me.

  I'm really disappointed in the marketing department of Square Enix. The countdown should not have happened and these mobile game's should not be this price.

  I'm going to post some un/semi-related posts in spoilers.

  Future of TWEWY:

  ***SPOILER***

  Rumors say that if this port doesn't sell, then TWEWY wont be recieving a sequel. I think this should be busted because of the fact that the game sold well on DS, but I have been proven wrong before.

  Final Fantasy Versus XIII:

  ***SPOILER***

  Sorry, let's not get into that....See how I just got your hype up to view this then just shot it down? That's how I feel...Too make you feel better I'll say we'll add it to the list of disappointments.

  Mobile Gaming:

  ***SPOILER***

  I really hope this doesn't become a trend for video game companies as big as Square Enix.

  What are your thoughts? Please voice them in the comments section.

  • Posted Aug 26, 2012 3:22 pm GMT
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• 25Jul 12

  Soundtrack Special: How Important Music is to Video Games

  What makes up a video game? Let's count some major key points that are mentioned: graphics, gameplay, frame rates, and voice acting. Ah, now that is a game.

  Huh? Did I forget something? Nah...

  WAIT! I just remembered something; as a kid, I would hum the Lost Woods theme throughout the entire day after playing the game (I didn't know how to get through the Lost Woods at the time...). I believe these songs aren't just songs; they are memories, especially in today's age of video gaming.

  

  You're already humming the song, aren't you?

  Because I am a single player gamer 98% of the time; I'm more attoned to story-telling games. When a song plays, I know exactly what happened during the song. Like this; Final Fantasy IV: Boss Battle, I remember Tellah's famous quote "You spoony bard" and he whacks Edward with his staff uncontrollably.I laughed pretty hard because he dealt so little damage.

  
  If you're a social gamer; listening to a song can remind you of a time you played a game with someone. Example: Route 209, a buddy of mine despised this song and I remember getting my butt handed to me in Super Smash Bros Brawl. Trust me, now I know Pikachu>>>>>>>>Link...back in the day I would've never accepted it.

  

  FYI, I chose the stage and I still lost continously...

  There is one FPS game that I thoroughly enjoyed its music: Battlefield Bad Company had an exert. Normally with all the shooting and trying to save Haggard, people likely missed this amazing piece. I'm lucky and I heard it early in the demo before I picked up the game.

  

  Haggard: I didn't know dem shooters had 'em tunes and beat.

  Amazing, right? Let's take a path down recent memory lane, limiting it only to current generation software; going too far will just be praising the already praised. This way I can give those who lived up to their respective past some credit.

  WARNING: SPOILERS?

  ---------------------------------

  Composers: Hajime Wakai, Shiho Fujii, Mahito Yokota, Takeshi Hama
  Their piece I picked as my favorite:Zelda: Skyward Sword Music - Koloktos / Moldarach
  My memory: Grabbing that 50 ton sword and cutting off the legs of Koloktos.

  Composers:ACE+
  Favorite: Xenoblade Chronicles: Gaur Plain
  Memory:That ineffible feeling when I first ventured onto the plains; those who've played this know what I'm talking about

  Composers:Motoi Sakuraba,Yuzo Koshiro,Masafumi Takada,Noriyuki Iwadare,Yasunori Mitsuda, Takahiro Nish
  Favorite: Kid Icarus Uprising Boss Battle
  Memory: ''Twinbellows!Here boy!Old Pit's gonna teach you some MORE new tricks!!And if you're good, I'll take you for a walk, and give you a bath and a treat.WE'RE GONNA RACK UP SOME SERIOUS NINTENDOGS TRAINER POINTS!!!"

  Composer: Shoji Meguro
  Favorite: Persona 3 Portable: Danger Zone
  Memory: Wasting time just to continue hearing this song.

  Composer: Yuko Shimonura
  Favorite: Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep: Final Battle Vanitas
  Memory: My heart was racing before this battle and an intense battle it was.

  Composer: Gred Edmonson
  Favorite: Uncharted: Nate's Theme 2.0
  Memory: I think the composer was trying to convey the feelings of the game through this song; and it worked.

  Composer:Kohei Tanaka
  Favorite: Gravity Rush: Resistance and Extermination
  Memory: This song made me feel like I was a flying superhero!

  
  

  
  Ah, I'm finished; to conclude, I'll ask, isn't it amazing how these composers can not only describe what is taking place through song, but also force a memory to come out of no where? If I were a philosopher, i would say that music connects the player to the video game if done right. It is a very important element of gaming and shouldn't be ignored as easily as it is currently. I would like to thank GameSpot for it's SoundByte section for focusing on the music of video games; yes people do actually read that. And lastly, I would like to thank the many composers, they are definitelywizards in my book for succeeding in their job. I know I couldn't come up with masterpieces like I listed.

  Did you enjoy my blog? Say so in the comments section; and while you're down there, tell me which song can evoke a memory you have.

  • Posted Jul 25, 2012 6:44 pm GMT
  • Category: Games
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