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Episode 253: Daddy's Home for Dinner

by James Jones, Greg Leahy, and Jonathan Metts - August 7, 2011, 2:01 pm EDT
Total comments: 53

Billy returns to RFN, and this time, he stays for nearly the entire show.

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Jon is out yet again due to circumstances beyond his control; he positively swears that he'll be back next week! Taking over the senior chair at our RFN table this week is Billy Berghammer, a dude you might know from here or there. He's got a few thoughts on the recent 3DS news and what's to come for the system, plus tempered impressions for Shadows of the Damned, the latest game from a certain Suda 51 who may be coming up again soon on this podcast. Jonny dives into the memory hole with Final Fantasy 3/6, which is better than ever on Virtual Console, and he also catches up with Bulletstorm, the innovative and apparently under-performing FPS from Epic Games. James has a buffet of Summer of Arcade demos and seems to especially like Bastion. Greg wraps up the segment with hands-on impressions of Skyward Sword and eyes-on impressions of Xenoblade Chronicles.

In Listener Mail, we field your magnificent queries on topics like how Nintendo's troubles with 3DS will influence their handling of Wii U, and reverse-import suggestions for Japanese gamers who want to check out the Western world's exclusive treasures. Then Billy has to run, but we keep on truckin' through a pair of additional letters. The last two include an assessment of the Fire Emblem series (and similar games) and the fantastically fun question of which characters we'd like to see in the next Smash Bros game(s).

RetroActive #19 has been decided -- we'll be playing Killer 7 in a matter of weeks, so stock up on canned food and ammo. If you dare to play along, or just want to observe gamers in agony (kidding... sort of), check out the official discussion thread. Your comments could be read on the podcast! Also, thanks again to everyone who voted and made this poll our most successful yet.

This podcast was edited by Greg Leahy.

Music for this episode of Radio Free Nintendo is used with permission from Jason Ricci & New Blood. You can purchase their newest album, Done with the Devil, directly from the record label, Amazon (CD) (MP3), or iTunes, or call your local record store and ask for it!

Additional music for this episode of Radio Free Nintendo is copyrighted to Nintendo, and is included under fair use protection.

Talkback

Myxtika1 AznAugust 08, 2011

Johnny:


In regards to performing Sabin's Blitz attacks, there are two methods to execute them.  The first method is to do it a la the Street Fighter II method; the second is by double pressing the d-pad.


For example, to perform the Fire Dance Blitz with method one, you'd have to slide from the d-pad in a half circle from Left to Right, then press A.  With method two, all you have to do is press Left, Left, Down, Down, Right and then A.


This makes performing his blitz attacks a piece of cake, and ensures a 100% success rate.  Try it out.

KDR_11kAugust 08, 2011

Johnson's distant relative who marks checkpoints in Shadows by leaving a flaming turd is called One Eyed Willy. The gun Johnson turns into is called the Boner.

fordrobAugust 08, 2011

Any update available on the upcoming t-shirts?

CericAugust 08, 2011

Quote from: fordrob

Any update available on the upcoming t-shirts?

Its on the DNF Release Schedule.

Quote from: Ceric

Quote from: fordrob

Any update available on the upcoming t-shirts?

Its on the DNF Release Schedule.

In my personal defense... Wait, t-shirts?

KisakiProjectAugust 08, 2011

I hope Billy comes back soon!

Also its kinda sad when your own retroactive players voted upon a title specifically to troll you.  I think you should dictatorial do Baten Kaitos Origins.

CericAugust 08, 2011

Quote from: KisakiProject

I hope Billy comes back soon!

Also its kinda sad when your own retroactive players voted upon a title specifically to troll you.  I think you should dictatorial do Battalion Wars.

Corrected for Greater Justice!

fordrobAugust 08, 2011

Quote from: Crimm

Quote from: Ceric

Quote from: fordrob

Any update available on the upcoming t-shirts?

Its on the DNF Release Schedule.

In my personal defense... Wait, t-shirts?

Updates on this t-shirt project have been so sparse that I'm beginning to fear I may have made the whole thing up. I remember a poll several months ago attempting to guage interest in the shirts, and I even risked banishment from the forums by then Director Jon Lindemann for suggesting that the shirts would be better without any references to Cho Aniki

ShyGuyAugust 09, 2011

Tell Billy he needs to be on Weekend Confirmed more often.

Chocobo_RiderAugust 09, 2011

Another enjoyable episode!!

Responses ...

1. People are sometimes needlessly negative regarding Nintendo?? *shock face*

2. As a fan of many, many Final Fantasy games, FF6 is sadly one of my least favorite.  Don't get me wrong, the worst FF game is still a great game (well, until recently that was true).  But in spite of it's cool characters, interesting plot and grand scheme, I just never got into it like I did other games in the series.  I honestly think it is the "muted" color palette that really turned me off about it.  I'm sure it is supposed to reflect the condition of the world, but the visuals were just too drab for me to enjoy it - only my opinion.

3. Wow, I thought I was bad for having not played Chrono Trigger until recently.  But, Billy never played CT or FF6? Yikes!

4. Guys, guys ... those "2D display of a 3D image" tags aren't there to prevent people from wondering why they aren't seeing depth on their SDTV, it is simply to A) remind people that the device does 3D and B) to inform people that the part they are seeing will be in 3D when they buy it.  That way it prevents people saying "yea, but, come on, that cool part won't be in 3D, will it?" *months later after discounted purchase* "oh it IS in 3D! wow!"
... or some such scenario.

5. Nintendo's "rules" about couches and hands and whatnot might be easy prey ... but that sh*t has worked and worked well!! You can't say those weren't smart moves! That's why the Wii was able to transcend stigmas of being a game device for hardcore nerds and caught on as a social device for everyone! That's how they overcame the typical graphical arms race!  The proof is in the puddin' ... Sony and MS have followed suit because it was a smart choice.

6. oh noes! A Zelda game striving for increased mimetic experiences (physical, if not psychological, immersion) may require some standing up!  Heaven forbid!

To me, James keeping his arm down to make his Link avatar "look cool" is a fabulous example of how motion control is eroding the barrier between reality and the entertainment fiction.  No, I know, James isn't going to play the game and suddenly think: "I'm in Hyrule! I'm a magical elf boy saving the world!" but, it's erosion is a slow and steady process ... I won't fault it for taking its time.

7. Paraphases from Billy and my responses ...
"Nintendo shouldn't march to its own drum regarding launch line-ups.  They should provide high quality up front."

Are poor launch titles exclusive to Nintendo?! No.  Nearly every platform ever has had a weak launch line-up.  That's why the term "launch title" has meaning.

"I don't want a cost effective console, I leading edge processing power."

Wonderful. I'm sure Sony is currently hard at work on your next console!

As someone who has used tablets a lot for artwork, I go out of my way to purchase old single-touch computers... just sayin'.

Thank god Greg and Jonny chimed in with voices of reason.  Also, yes, I think the 3DS' shaky start will make WiiU a holiday release for sure.

8. Fire Emblem could be a fantastic series if characters didn't die forever.  Even if they had like their XP brought back to zero that would at least make it bearable to suffer casualties.

9. I really enjoyed hearing the passionate and rapid-fire creativity surrounding Smash Bros ideas!!
Personally, I don't need more Waluigi in anything, but I greatly respect and enjoy Jonny's passion for expanding him! Of the characters suggested, I would most look forward to Little Mac and/or Chibi Robo.

I've been playing a lot of Ecco the Dolphin lately ... anyone got the rights to him anymore!? ;-)

Oh, man, enough with the ExciteBots, people!  I just don't see the appeal of this game.  But I must be missing something because people talk about it like underrated Beatles music =P Ah well, I guess even my affinity for Wii games has its short-comings, eh? =)

NinSage, your placement of FF6 as the worst Final Fantasy games means we can't be friends anymore.

SorenAugust 09, 2011

Characters I'd like to see in the new Smash Bros:
-Battletoads
-Bomberman
Of course, never gonna happen.

Glad to see some Fire Emblem discussion!

CericAugust 09, 2011

Quote from: NinSage

...
No, I know, James isn't going to play the game and suddenly think: "I'm in Hyrule! I'm a magical elf boy saving the world!"
...

Your right.  He won't think he's in Hyrule but, I think he is already a Magical Elf  Boy.

Chocobo_RiderAugust 09, 2011

@ Neal

:'( I said some good things about it though! 'Tis only my opinion!

@ Ceric

Truth. =)


KikoriMinoru Yamaizumi, Japan CorrespondentAugust 09, 2011

Hi, I'm Minoru, the writer of the listener mail from Japan. This is my first post here.
Thank you for reading my e-mail on the air and your suggestions for importing games!

Regarding Secret of Evermore, I have a working Super Famicom to play on it! I'll give it a shot after Secret of Mana. (I play the games of former retroactive features as I clear backlog episodes.) I heard SNES games can be played on a Super Famicom if the shell is replaced with that of a Super Famicom cassette (and vice versa?).

Beyond Good and Evil, I'll check it out on XBLA. Speaking of XBLA, I downloaded SEQUENCE there, which Jonny recommended. It was ridiculously good.

Dead Space 1 and 2, I got to know them from some Western media and imported PS3 copies. They are popular here in Japan too, but it's very unlikely these games or sequels will be released in Japan because of dismemberment.

Exitebots, I've been interested in it since I heard many good things about it on RFN. I like this kind of crazy race game, but unfortunately this would be the most difficult one for me to play. Obviously this is because Wii is completely region-locked. I wonder why later Nintendo systems (i.e., GC, Wii and 3DS, and downloadable games too) are totally region-locked, unlike PS3 or 360. No one would be unhappy with region-free systems. Nintendo might make a small profit but would never lose any money without region lock. (Am I wrong?) And for that matter, few would have made all the fuss on Operation Rainfall.

Killer_Man_JaroTom Malina, Associate Editor (Europe)August 09, 2011

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the Summer of Arcade titles, James, as both Bastion and From Dust are both going up on Steam imminently for £11, and I am torn over which one to buy.

As for future Smash Bros. characters, if I may weigh in...
For the obscure oldie spot: Geno
For the comedy character spot: Tom Nook
For the first villain spot: Ridley
For the second villain spot: King K. Rool
For the Japan-only spot: Starfy
For the old-school Nintendo-associated third-party spot: Mega Man
For the new-school Nintendo-associated third-party spot: Professor Layton

But yeah, the possibilities for stages and music are much larger. I mean, Brawl had a monumental soundtrack of over 300 songs, and there's still a huge, untapped well to take from.

CericAugust 09, 2011

Quote from: Kikori

Hi, I'm Minoru, the writer of the listener mail from Japan. This is my first post here.
Thank you for reading my e-mail on the air and your suggestions for importing games!

Regarding Secret of Evermore, I have a working Super Famicom to play on it! I'll give it a shot after Secret of Mana. (I play the games of former retroactive features as I clear backlog episodes.) I heard SNES games can be played on a Super Famicom if the shell is replaced with that of a Super Famicom cassette (and vice versa?).

Beyond Good and Evil, I'll check it out on XBLA. Speaking of XBLA, I downloaded SEQUENCE there, which Jonny recommended. It was ridiculously good.

Dead Space 1 and 2, I got to know them from some Western media and imported PS3 copies. They are popular here in Japan too, but it's very unlikely these games or sequels will be released in Japan because of dismemberment.

Exitebots, I've been interested in it since I heard many good things about it on RFN. I like this kind of crazy race game, but unfortunately this would be the most difficult one for me to play. Obviously this is because Wii is completely region-locked. I wonder why later Nintendo systems (i.e., GC, Wii and 3DS, and downloadable games too) are totally region-locked, unlike PS3 or 360. No one would be unhappy with region-free systems. Nintendo might make a small profit but would never lose any money without region lock. (Am I wrong?) And for that matter, few would have made all the fuss on Operation Rainfall.

You could probably do the Homebrew Channnel like people here are doing for Xenoblade.  There is links to instruction somewhere on the forums.

So you going to play Killer 7 with us?

motangAugust 09, 2011

Another awesome show guys, I wanted to add to the 3DS advertising. Ever since after E3 I have seen one numerous sites (for example on Kotaku and the History Channel's website) ad banners where Nintendo is advertising the eShop and it is a pretty cool ad if I say so myself. It starts off by an icon (i.e. Excite Bike 3D) and then it zooms out and more icons are shown (other eShop games) and then it zooms out even more to reveal DSiware games. It's a cool ad, just hope there will more 3DS owners (especially now with the price drop) so that the eShop can become a viable platform.

CericAugust 09, 2011

Quote from: motang

Another awesome show guys, I wanted to add to the 3DS advertising. Ever since after E3 I have seen one numerous sites (for example on Kotaku and the History Channel's website) ad banners where Nintendo is advertising the eShop and it is a pretty cool ad if I say so myself. It starts off by an icon (i.e. Excite Bike 3D) and then it zooms out and more icons are shown (other eShop games) and then it zooms out even more to reveal DSiware games. It's a cool ad, just hope there will more 3DS owners (especially now with the price drop) so that the eShop can become a viable platform.

Ironically I don't think I've seen that one on here.

KikoriMinoru Yamaizumi, Japan CorrespondentAugust 09, 2011

Quote from: Ceric

You could probably do the Homebrew Channnel like people here are doing for Xenoblade.  There is links to instruction somewhere on the forums.
So you going to play Killer 7 with us?

Thank you Ceric for your suggestion. I found an apparently practicable way to play North American Wii disks on my Japanese Wii.

To those who are playing Xenoblade, I'd strongly recommend Zangeki no Reginleiv (with a motion plus or Wii remote plus). It will make them hyped over Skyward Sword though their genres are not the same.

Yes, I'm gonna play Killer 7. It looks cool. But even today, a Japanese GC used copy thereof costs as expensive as 4900 yen (=63 bucks)!

CericAugust 09, 2011

Quote from: Kikori

Quote from: Ceric

You could probably do the Homebrew Channnel like people here are doing for Xenoblade.  There is links to instruction somewhere on the forums.
So you going to play Killer 7 with us?

...
Yes, I'm gonna play Killer 7. It looks cool. But even today, a Japanese GC used copy thereof costs as expensive as 4900 yen (=63 bucks)!

Um... Dang.  We can find it just the Disc for $4-6. hmmm....

leahsdadAugust 09, 2011

Quote:

You could probably do the Homebrew Channnel like people here are doing for Xenoblade.

Um, not that I want to start a big how-to discussion on how to install the homebrew channel, because I really don't, but....


Is it me, or is trying to install the homebrew channel really, really dicey?  Like many, I'm thinking about doing it for Xenoblade/LastStory/Pandora, but I found instructions on the web and this is really, really freakin complicated!  And I'm a fairly smart guy in regards to tech stuff, but there are like 20 steps involved, and I keep reading these long guides where they basically say "if you mess up even a single step, you may brick your Wii!"  And apparently the chance of ruining your Wii is quite high, since I see in the forum posts for these Wii homebrew sites lots of posts about people bricking their Wii's and panicking and asking people for advice on how to fix it.  And on top of that, everyone seems to suggest at least 5 completely different solutions, with the caveat "well, this MAY work."


Just reading up on how to do this has really, really turned me off to the prospect of doing it.  It makes me wonder if people hacking their Wii's is really that prevalent, and piracy is really that big a problem on the Wii.  I think most people, and in particular the vast majority of Wii owners, would lack either the time or technical know-how to hack their Wii. 

martyAugust 09, 2011

Quote from: NinSage

5. Nintendo's "rules" about couches and hands and whatnot might be easy prey ... but that sh*t has worked and worked well!! You can't say those weren't smart moves! That's why the Wii was able to transcend stigmas of being a game device for hardcore nerds and caught on as a social device for everyone! That's how they overcame the typical graphical arms race!  The proof is in the puddin' ... Sony and MS have followed suit because it was a smart choice.

this makes no sense.

TJ SpykeAugust 09, 2011

Quote from: Killer_Man_Jaro

For the Japan-only spot: Starfy

Not Japan-only anymore, remember that last year Nintendo released The Legendary Starfy on DS outside of Japan.

broodwarsAugust 09, 2011

Quote from: NinSage

8. Fire Emblem could be a fantastic series if characters didn't die forever.  Even if they had like their XP brought back to zero that would at least make it bearable to suffer casualties.

I don't think Fire Emblem's Perma-death is really a problem, though.  If you care about the characters you're leveling-up, it promotes caution and sound strategic thinking.  If you could just revive characters at any point, it would make you act much more recklessly because there are almost no consequences to your actions.  I think a much bigger problem in Fire Emblem is that under the hood the series (like Advance Wars) doesn't seem to like resetting its random number generator.  This means that if you perform the same actions in the same order, the computer performs the same actions in the same order (including critical hits).  It makes the maps an exercise in finding the "intended solution to the puzzle", rather than strategic planning.  The computer also has an irritating habit of waiting till its last moves on a given turn to execute characters, which gets tedious over time.

A much better fix for the series IMO would be for Nintendo to outright rip-off Sega's design document for Valkyria Chronicles, the best Strategy game this generation IMO.  Make movement more open, incorporate real 3D movement, make it so you level up classes instead of characters, and incorporate elements of real-time combat.  Also, in Valkyria Chronicles, if a character goes down, they only "die" if an enemy unit touches their body or one of your soldiers doesn't reach them within 3 turns.  It's a much more lenient death rule without removing the consequences of a soldier going down.

Fatty The HuttAugust 09, 2011

Quote from: KisakiProject

I hope Billy comes back soon!

Also its kinda sad when your own retroactive players voted upon a title specifically to troll you.  I think you should dictatorial do Baten Kaitos Origins.


This is patently untrue. Folks voted for it because they are interested in it and because it should provoke interesting discussions. I call foul!  ;D

KateDaring52August 09, 2011


Great post! It's very nice. Thank you so much for your post.


__________________
lol @ fake sig

Quote from: KateDaring52

Great post! It's very nice. Thank you so much for your post.


__________________
Watch Horrible Bosses Online Free

IT'S NOT A SIG, IT'S ACTUALLY PART OF THE POST! WORST SPAM BOT EVER!

Chocobo_RiderAugust 09, 2011

Quote from: marty

Quote from: NinSage

5. Nintendo's "rules" about couches and hands and whatnot might be easy prey ... but that sh*t has worked and worked well!! You can't say those weren't smart moves! That's why the Wii was able to transcend stigmas of being a game device for hardcore nerds and caught on as a social device for everyone! That's how they overcame the typical graphical arms race!  The proof is in the puddin' ... Sony and MS have followed suit because it was a smart choice.

this makes no sense.

.... touché .... ?

@ Broodwars

Yea, I can see how the perma-death does make things inherently more "meaningful" or "intense" or whatever one would call it.  It just happens to not be my cup o' tea.  I never played Valkyria Chronicles but I love the art style and a friend of mine gushes about it as one of his favorite games of all time.

Mop it upAugust 09, 2011

Quote from: Killer_Man_Jaro

I mean, Brawl had a monumental soundtrack of over 300 songs, and there's still a huge, untapped well to take from.

Actually, it has 258 songs, at least half of which are ripped straight from other games, and all of which have worse sound quality than MP3s. There is tons of room for improvement.

gojiraAugust 09, 2011

On the Fire Emblem topic.  I love the series and own all the games that have been released in the States.  I started with the first one on GBA.  It would be great if that ended up being one of the Ambassador games.  It was my favorite until I played the GameCube game. 

Not only did the GC version let you save mid-battle (so you didn't have to start at the very beginning if you lost someone), it also had a system to help you level those weak characters that can be such a pain to do so on the battlefield.  There's also some other minor stuff I think they fixed as well.

The Wii game (which I'm playing right now) 1ups the GC version by letting you save whenever you want in battle.  I'm not done with it yet, but so far I still liked the GC game more.

And the DS game was a bit of a letdown for me.  The prerendered characters totally lacked the charm of the hand drawn sprites that were in the previous GBA games.  It was somewhat improved over the original Famicom game (I'm pretty sure they implemented the weapon triangle which didn't come until later in the series). 

But I don't think the DS game would be a bad choice for someones first FE game.  If you think you'll play them all I think it might be the best to start with.  But I'm pretty sure they all have decent tutorials so you could really start with any of them.  Well, except the Wii game.  It's best to play the GC game first since it is such a direct sequel.

SorenAugust 10, 2011

The GBA Fire Emblem is a great entry point into the series. I haven't played any of the other portable entries in the series, but I assume they keep the same feel, only making things a little harder.

Path of Radiance beats out Radiant Dawn only because in RD you're stuck with the Dawn Brigade for so long. For me the characters were so awful I basically ended up babying them through most of the chapters so they wouldn't die on me. I'm sure that ended up hurting me when it came time to level them up.

SundoulosAugust 11, 2011

The only thing that I never really cared for in Final Fantasy VI was that the individual character abilities become somewhat secondary after you can start teaching magic to all of your characters. 

In fact, I wish they had kept the magic-learning to a select few, such as Celes and Terra.  For characters like Gau and Strago in particular, learning magic makes a number of their abilities redundant.

I believe that there is at least one point in the game where it is pretty easy to permanently lose a character.  Shadow is unavailable for the remainder of the game if you don't get through the Floating Continent escape sequence quickly enough.

Mop it upAugust 11, 2011

Quote from: Sundoulos

I believe that there is at least one point in the game where it is pretty easy to permanently lose a character.  Shadow is unavailable for the remainder of the game if you don't get through the Floating Continent escape sequence quickly enough.

That's slightly mistaken. You have to wait standing at the escape vessel until there are only a few seconds left, then he'll show up and escape with you. Otherwise, I guess he's killed when the whole world blows up. Unfortunately, I don't think the game gives you a very good indicator that you have to do this, so I didn't have him on my first playthrough. He's kind of useless anyway since his best advantage, high evade, is a stat that doesn't work as it's supposed to.

SundoulosAugust 11, 2011

Quote from: Mop

Quote from: Sundoulos

I believe that there is at least one point in the game where it is pretty easy to permanently lose a character.  Shadow is unavailable for the remainder of the game if you don't get through the Floating Continent escape sequence quickly enough.

That's slightly mistaken. You have to wait standing at the escape vessel until there are only a few seconds left, then he'll show up and escape with you. Otherwise, I guess he's killed when the whole world blows up. Unfortunately, I don't think the game gives you a very good indicator that you have to do this, so I didn't have him on my first playthrough. He's kind of useless anyway since his best advantage, high evade, is a stat that doesn't work as it's supposed to.

It's been a while since I've played the game, so I must have mis-remembered. :)

oksodaScott Thompson, Associate EditorAugust 12, 2011

Quote from: Sundoulos

The only thing that I never really cared for in Final Fantasy VI was that the individual character abilities become somewhat secondary after you can start teaching magic to all of your characters. 

In fact, I wish they had kept the magic-learning to a select few, such as Celes and Terra.  For characters like Gau and Strago in particular, learning magic makes a number of their abilities redundant.

I definitely agree with you, Sundoulos. I'm playing FFVI for the first time right now, and I was a little disappointed when it got to the point where everyone can learn magic, though I still use the unique abilities to each character quite a bit. Even Gau's morphing ability can create much more damage than using a regular spell if chosen correctly. Edgar's "Tools" and Sabin's "Blitz" are excellent, and as such I find they are almost always in my party when available.

And yeah, the game does nothing at all to indicate that, hey, you should stick around the Floating Island until the last 5 seconds so Shadow will join you and avoid a fiery death. In fact, the game has taught you to that point to expect Shadow to join and leave the party at will. So why the hell should I think to wait for him?? Needless to say, I'm in the World of Ruin right now, and Shadow is dead.

Regardless of these little complaints, I'm still completely enthralled by this game. I wrote a love letter to it that should be showing up on the site soon. The pacing, cast, and variety in completing quests (from escaping a train for departed souls to performing an Opera) are all excellent. I think it's the best game in the series, hands down.

zachs1997August 12, 2011

Quote from: Killer_Man_Jaro

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the Summer of Arcade titles, James, as both Bastion and From Dust are both going up on Steam imminently for £11, and I am torn over which one to buy.

As for future Smash Bros. characters, if I may weigh in...
For the obscure oldie spot: Geno
For the comedy character spot: Tom Nook
For the first villain spot: Ridley
For the second villain spot: King K. Rool
For the Japan-only spot: Starfy
For the old-school Nintendo-associated third-party spot: Mega Man
For the new-school Nintendo-associated third-party spot: Professor Layton

But yeah, the possibilities for stages and music are much larger. I mean, Brawl had a monumental soundtrack of over 300 songs, and there's still a huge, untapped well to take from.

What would professor layton's moveset be

Mop it upAugust 12, 2011

The losing characters thing is the main reason I have yet to try any Fire Emblem game, I just can't get into games which have punishing difficulty. I'm not all that interested in strategy games either, it depends on how they're set up and how complicated they are. I still want to try one at some point, but I don't think I'll like it.

As for Final Fantasy VI, I know it as Final Fantasy III since I have it on the SNES. I missed out on it in its time, and got it from an EB Games back in the early 2000s sometime I believe. At that time, I hadn't played too many RPGs, mostly ones on the PlayStation. FFIII's gameplay, characters, and story showed me just how mediocre Final Fantasy VII really is (and FFVIII's just a mess, so I won't go there), it's amazing how they could go from one of the best and most intricate RPGs created to genericana.

broodwarsAugust 12, 2011

Quote from: Mop

The losing characters thing is the main reason I have yet to try any Fire Emblem game, I just can't get into games which have punishing difficulty. I'm not all that interested in strategy games either, it depends on how they're set up and how complicated they are. I still want to try one at some point, but I don't think I'll like it.

If you have a PS3 (and I don't remember if you do), pick up Valkyria Chronicles.  If you don't own a PS3, buy one for Valkyria Chronicles.  ;)

VC has a few tough spots, but I found it to be a much more fair game than you usually see in Strategy RPGs.  The gameplay concepts are simple and easy to understand, and the game controls similarly to a modern 3rd person shooter, just with turn-based combat once you raise your sights.  And yeah, the game is gorgeous and has an awesome soundtrack and above-average story.

It's a pity that SEGA (being the masters of marketing that they are) bungled the VC North American launch so badly that the series is now condemned to the limbo that is the PSP.

Mop it upAugust 12, 2011

I would have had a PS3 if Amazon honoured their price listing error of $40 a while back. I don't think I'll get one unless something of the such happens for real.

SundoulosAugust 12, 2011

Quote from: zachs1997

Quote from: Killer_Man_Jaro

As for future Smash Bros. characters, if I may weigh in...
For the new-school Nintendo-associated third-party spot: Professor Layton

What would professor layton's moveset be

Well, we've seen that Layton is pretty good with a rapier, and he can apparently assemble a machine gun out of spare slot machine parts.  Maybe he could also use his top hat as a projectile weapon, similar to Oddjob. :D  ...although, that sort of behavior wouldn't befit a gentleman.

Quote from: Mop

I would have had a PS3 if Amazon honoured their price listing error of $40 a while back. I don't think I'll get one unless something of the such happens for real.

Target(at least my local store) had a pretty great, but brief, Black Friday deal last year ($100 store credit) with the purchase of a PS3.  I was out of town, and I missed it.  Maybe they'll have something similarly awesome this year.


I loved the idea and look of Valkyria Chronicles; it's really a shame that I don't own a system that can play it.

Quote from: Sundoulos

Quote from: zachs1997

Quote from: Killer_Man_Jaro

As for future Smash Bros. characters, if I may weigh in...
For the new-school Nintendo-associated third-party spot: Professor Layton

What would professor layton's moveset be

Well, we've seen that Layton is pretty good with a rapier, and he can apparently assemble a machine gun out of spare slot machine parts.  Maybe he could also use his top hat as a projectile weapon, similar to Oddjob. :D  ...although, that sort of behavior wouldn't befit a gentleman.

He could use Luke or Flora as a shield in a fashion similar to Princess Peach...

zachs1997August 13, 2011

Quote from: Shaymin

Quote from: Sundoulos

Quote from: zachs1997

Quote from: Killer_Man_Jaro

As for future Smash Bros. characters, if I may weigh in...
For the new-school Nintendo-associated third-party spot: Professor Layton

What would professor layton's moveset be

Well, we've seen that Layton is pretty good with a rapier, and he can apparently assemble a machine gun out of spare slot machine parts.  Maybe he could also use his top hat as a projectile weapon, similar to Oddjob. :D  ...although, that sort of behavior wouldn't befit a gentleman.

He could use Luke or Flora as a shield in a fashion similar to Princess Peach...

lol he could have luke to anoy them to death

TJ SpykeAugust 13, 2011

Quote from: broodwars

It's a pity that SEGA (being the masters of marketing that they are) bungled the VC North American launch so badly that the series is now condemned to the limbo that is the PSP.

It was a niche game and was never gonna be a huge seller anyways. The game did OK in Japan, but not great.

broodwarsAugust 13, 2011

Quote from: TJ

Quote from: broodwars

It's a pity that SEGA (being the masters of marketing that they are) bungled the VC North American launch so badly that the series is now condemned to the limbo that is the PSP.

It was a niche game and was never gonna be a huge seller anyways. The game did OK in Japan, but not great.

It could have sold a lot better than it did if SEGA hadn't insisted on releasing it in November 2008, where as a new IP it just got buried by everything else.  And if there was any marketing for that game, I certainly didn't see it.

SEGA just has a really bad history with marketing and setting release dates for RPGs, which is a shame because they have some really talented teams for making them (Valkyria Chronicles, Skies of Arcadia).

If you don't like FF6 you shouldn't be playing video games. And you are probably a communist

Killer_Man_JaroTom Malina, Associate Editor (Europe)August 13, 2011

As with Chrono Trigger, I've been tempted to get Final Fantasy 3/6 off of Virtual Console on more than one occasion because of how revered it is, but seldom have I had a good experience with a JRPG. If I'm generally not a fan of this genre, is there any point in me playing this game?

KDR_11kAugust 13, 2011

For obscure Smash Bros characters I'd say the title mech from Chou Soujuu Mecha MG (appears as a trophy in Brawl I believe) since it's a transformer and melee fighter and one of the two playable characters from Zangeki no Reginleiv (they could get silly ranges on their weapons, after all the lances have a standard range of 60 meters, a long one even 120 meters).

broodwarsAugust 13, 2011

Quote from: Killer_Man_Jaro

As with Chrono Trigger, I've been tempted to get Final Fantasy 3/6 off of Virtual Console on more than one occasion because of how revered it is, but seldom have I had a good experience with a JRPG. If I'm generally not a fan of this genre, is there any point in me playing this game?

I'm not sure if FF VI is the game for you if you don't like JRPGs all that much.  FF VI is pretty much the embodiment of everything JRPGs were in the 90s.  If you're interested, it's a great game and at $8 you haven't lost much if you don't like it.  Chrono Trigger, though, is pretty famous for being generally liked by even people who don't usually like JRPGs, and it's much more experimental and original than FF VI is.  It's my favorite game of all time, and at $8 it's also pretty hard for you to go wrong buying it.

SundoulosAugust 13, 2011

Quote from: broodwars

Quote from: Killer_Man_Jaro

As with Chrono Trigger, I've been tempted to get Final Fantasy 3/6 off of Virtual Console on more than one occasion because of how revered it is, but seldom have I had a good experience with a JRPG. If I'm generally not a fan of this genre, is there any point in me playing this game?

I'm not sure if FF VI is the game for you if you don't like JRPGs all that much.  FF VI is pretty much the embodiment of everything JRPGs were in the 90s.  If you're interested, it's a great game and at $8 you haven't lost much if you don't like it.  Chrono Trigger, though, is pretty famous for being generally liked by even people who don't usually like JRPGs, and it's much more experimental and original than FF VI is.  It's my favorite game of all time, and at $8 it's also pretty hard for you to go wrong buying it.

Have to agree, here.  Final Fantasy VI is one of the best examples of the genre, so I think it would be worth giving it a try on some platform or another.  It probably is one of the best examples of storytelling in the 16-bit era, and it marks one of the last "classic" Final Fantasy games, before the games started leaning more to a less traditional settings. 

Plus FF VI features one of the absolutely most crazy, evil villains in video game history.

You may not want to watch this because of the spoilers (some are very big), but the Gametrailers retrospective on Final Fantasy VI sells the game very well:  http://www.gametrailers.com/video/part-iv-final-fantasy/23185

Mop it upAugust 14, 2011

If it's a choice between Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger, I'd have to go with Chrono Trigger, especially if you aren't really into RPGs. I'm actually not very fond of them meself, so I'm somewhat similar to you. Chrono Trigger is more accessible: the combat system is more streamlined, there are no random battles, and there isn't really any grinding since each area has a set number of enemies, which makes things a lot more balanced. The story may not be as good as Final Fantasy VI, that's hard to say since they're so different and Chrono Trigger is less dramatic and has some more lighthearted moments in it. The time travel element might seem cliché but it works, and the characters' personalities don't really come out until later in the game. Plus unlike FF games it has a silent protagonist, a concept which not everyone likes.

Oh, and the music is some of the best I've heard composed for a videogame. But that's one of the more subjective elements about it so no guarantee you'd like it.

Killer_Man_JaroTom Malina, Associate Editor (Europe)August 14, 2011

Cheers for the advice. Based on that, I've surmised that Chrono Trigger would be the best best. I'm still unsure about it, but 900 Points isn't all that much to part with (both of these games cost 900 in Europe because they are imports).

zachs1997August 16, 2011

i want to be able to play smash broes as a gomba

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