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Well dudes, i finished Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates last week and I must say, it was a great feeling especially for Dragon Quest VIII since I started that like back in October. In total, I spent 75 hours on DQVIII and 13 hours on FFCCRoF. Both were milestones for me actually, it was the first Dragon Quest game I've ever played and finished it and FFCCRoF was the second ever Final Fantasy game finished when I have got so close to finishing the other Final Fantasy games.
One thing i like about DQVIII was that it was a typical traditional RPG with fairly basic RPG elements. RPG nowadays have so much things happening in them that people get confused and are sometimes also borderline RPGs. Probably the last console RPG I enjoyed playing was Final Fantasy X and from there, the Final Fantasy series just started to get confusing with the Licensing Grid, Active Dimension Battle (ADB) etc. DQVIII's battle engine is very simple and sticks to its original roots very closely while giving everything else a major overhaul. The whole world is cel-shaded but it looks very pleasant and clean compared to 3D RPGs which can have everything looking realistic but muddy looking. Theres no CGI or FMVs, all done with its superb cel-shading technics. Theres voice acting as well, a first for the series and the voices have a British accent to it so it feels like a medieval Europe fantasy. It was a long long game and the ending was completely satisfying, especially if you do the secret ending but the original ending is still very good!
FFCCRoF is a real step up from the original Crystal Chronicles on the GameCube. Ring of Fates still have many problems like interface and your party's AI problems that can be totally frustrating but can be tolerated because everything else is awesome. The story that was missing from the original gets a major overhaul here with an engaging story accompanied by the best graphics the DS can offer and voice acting (for major scenes)! This is how Square games should be, high budget productions. Hope they would fix the interface and AI problems for future sequels then it would be the most perfect Action-RPG on the DS! Pissed off that they removed the Japanese song from the ending credits, would've made the ending a lot more satisfying or at least redid the song in English like what they did with the other Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts games! Grab this game anyway guys, we need to support third party games like this when so much time has been put into everything that makes it good!
Well thats two major games out of the way, dunno what console-RPG to put my head into atm. Pondering between Final Fantasy XII, Dark Cloud 2, Chrono Cross, Grandia III and Xenogears. All fairly long games but I am not sure if i want to start another RPG for the time being. I do play other other games while playing RPGs but RPGs do take a lot of time to complete so I take my time with them. On the DS front though, I have started with Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon, Children of Mana and The World Ends With You. At least with DS, I can use my public transport time to play the DS to death without thinking I'm wasting my time when i could be doing something else :)
Oh yeah, Mario Kart Wii comes out next Thursday, just before ANZAC Day! Long weekend to play it. Anyone that has it, give me their Friend Code so we can verse eachother online! So freakin' can't wait! Screw Brawl!
Well here I just want to make a list of games that I have completed through my lifetime and when if possible. As its of my lifetime, I probably will never remember what I have completed... but its good to keep track of what I may forget in the future. Most of these games aren't clocked 100% just story, campaign or main mode finished :)
SEGA Master System II
Aladdin
Alex Kidd in Wonder World
Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse
Double Dragon
Land of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse
Mortal Kombat II
Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2
Sonic the Hedgehog
Super NES
Super Bomberman 3
Super Mario Allstars (incl. Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3)
Super Mario World
Super Mario Kart
Nintendo 64
GoldenEye 007
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Lylat Wars
Mario Kart 64
Mario Party 2
Mario Tennis
Perfect Dark
Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium 2
Star Wars: Rouge Squadron
Super Smash Bros.
Nintendo GameCube
Batman Begins
Dance Dance Revolution with Mario
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Medal of Honor: Frontline
Metroid Prime
killer7
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Master Quest
The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask)
Luigi's Mansion
Mario Party 4
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
R: Racing
Resident Evil 4
Second Sight
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
Soulcalibur II
Star Fox Adventures
Star Wars: Rouge Squadron 2 - Rouge LeaderSuper Mario Sunshine
Super Smash Bros. Melee
TimeSplitters 2
Viewtiful Joe
Viewtiful Joe 2
Nintendo Wii
Mario Kart 64 (Virtual Console)
Mario Kart Wii
Paper Mario (Virtual Console)
Red Steel
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
Sonic and the Secret Rings
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Paper Mario
Sony PlayStation
Chocobo Racing
Final Fantasy VII
Jackie Chan Stuntmaster
The Legend of Dragoon
Metal Gear Solid
Soul Blade
Time Crisis: Project Titan
Sony PlayStation 2
The Bouncer
Bully
Dead or Alive 2
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
God of War
Grandia II
Guitar Freaks and DrumMania: Masterpiece Gold
History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi: Gekitō! Ragnarok Hachikengō
ICO
Killzone
Kingdom Hearts
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
Rise to Honour
Shadow of Memories
Star Wars: Battlefront 2
Tekken 4
Tekken 5
Tekken Tag Tournament
Time Crisis 2
Time Crisis 3
Yakuza
Sony PlayStation 3
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the PatriotsTime Crisis 4
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Microsoft X-Box
Dead or Alive 3
Dead or Alive Ultimate
Nintendo Game Boy
Pokémon Blue
Pokémon Red
Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition
Nintendo Game Boy Color
Pokémon Gold
Pokémon Silver
Pokémon Crystal
Pokémon Pinball
Pokémon Puzzle Challenge
Nintendo Game Boy Advance
Golden Sun
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past + Four Swords
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Metroid: Zero Mission
Nintendo DS
Advance Wars: Dark Conflict
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
Bomberman Land Touch!
Contra 4
Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2
Elite Beat Agents
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy
Jump Super Stars
Jump Ultimate Stars
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom HourglassMario Kart DS
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mega Man ZXMetroid Prime Pinball
Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Phoenix Wright: Justice For All
Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulation
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Project Rub
The Rub Rabbits!
Sonic Rush
Sony PlayStation Portable
Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City StoriesMetal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
PC
Battlefield 1942
Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer: The Covert Operations
Command & Conquer: Renegade
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero
Grand Theft Auto III
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
Metal Gear Solid
Need for Speed II
No One Lives Forever
Red Alert
Red Alert: Counterstrike
Red Alert: The Aftermath
Red Alert 2
Red Alert 2: Yuri's RevengeWarcraft II: Tides of Darkness
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Last Updated: 28th of September 2008
One thing i like about DQVIII was that it was a typical traditional RPG with fairly basic RPG elements. RPG nowadays have so much things happening in them that people get confused and are sometimes also borderline RPGs. Probably the last console RPG I enjoyed playing was Final Fantasy X and from there, the Final Fantasy series just started to get confusing with the Licensing Grid, Active Dimension Battle (ADB) etc. DQVIII's battle engine is very simple and sticks to its original roots very closely while giving everything else a major overhaul. The whole world is cel-shaded but it looks very pleasant and clean compared to 3D RPGs which can have everything looking realistic but muddy looking. Theres no CGI or FMVs, all done with its superb cel-shading technics. Theres voice acting as well, a first for the series and the voices have a British accent to it so it feels like a medieval Europe fantasy. It was a long long game and the ending was completely satisfying, especially if you do the secret ending but the original ending is still very good!
FFCCRoF is a real step up from the original Crystal Chronicles on the GameCube. Ring of Fates still have many problems like interface and your party's AI problems that can be totally frustrating but can be tolerated because everything else is awesome. The story that was missing from the original gets a major overhaul here with an engaging story accompanied by the best graphics the DS can offer and voice acting (for major scenes)! This is how Square games should be, high budget productions. Hope they would fix the interface and AI problems for future sequels then it would be the most perfect Action-RPG on the DS! Pissed off that they removed the Japanese song from the ending credits, would've made the ending a lot more satisfying or at least redid the song in English like what they did with the other Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts games! Grab this game anyway guys, we need to support third party games like this when so much time has been put into everything that makes it good!
