|
Post by Isao Kronos (BANNED) on Nov 17, 2006 9:52:41 GMT -5
Chrono Cross is awesome, doofus.
|
|
|
Post by Shellshock on Nov 17, 2006 12:30:46 GMT -5
I thought all of the SNES FFs tried and achieved that... FF6 and FF4 had deep stories? Did you play them? FF4 is the game that invented the cliche fantasy story in console RPGs. The Story in FF6 isn't even close to something you can call deep. It's exactly the opposite: a fun and simple story. Ouch dude, that hurts. But I'm glad you like FF4 instead of 7.
|
|
terranigma
Junior Member
World Resurrector
Posts: 65
|
Post by terranigma on Nov 17, 2006 12:55:42 GMT -5
Chrono Cross is awesome, doofus. Wow, very mature. . .
|
|
|
Post by bioniccommando83 on Nov 17, 2006 14:01:25 GMT -5
This might be a bit different that what is expected with a cranky gamers article (going after a gaming convention than a particular game), but here's my rough shot at one.
WEAPONs of Woe
When FF VII hit US shores, it had two rather noticeable changes from the Japanese version. This rather fun and iconic game introduced most American RPG gamers to the concept of RPG super bosses. After all, with Knights of the Round being able to pwn the last boss with one or two good hits, where was the challenge? Furthermore, they added a bit of fear and excitement to the game. One careless dive underwater could be one's last, running into that thing you saw for just a few seconds when all hell broke loose at the North Cave. For beating these terrible titans, you gained some decent rewards and earned bragging rights.
What came out as an innovative little challenge has become rather clichéd, tiring, and really unnecessary. Every FF game now has some sort of super boss that requires ridiculous amounts of power leveling and an absurd amount of time to beat. We now know there's at least one Omega/Ozma/Nemesis/Hidden Super boss of great power in every game. FF X international even went so far as to throw in the Dark Aeons and Penance, taking absurdly powerful super bosses to a whole new [power] level[ing] of mind numbing irritation to take down.
I only use FF here because it is arguably the most popular RPG franchise with the best-known super bosses. It is still far from being the worst offender. The Shin Megami Tensei games have a rather nasty set of super bosses- Digital Devil Saga I & II and Persona 3's ultimate bosses will spam their kill all attack every turn unless you know what you are doing, requiring a very set, pre-ordained strategy so you can beat them down to just that right amount be killed before they pull their full heal move. You fail once after the 40th minute of battle and it's game over. Luck also plays a rather strong factor here. Hell, it might be the only factor at all that matters.
Of course when testing your luck against the Shin Megami Tensei or even the likes of say a Nippon Ichi super boss, you need some damn high levels. 255 STR, DEF, MAG, CHA, INT, LSD, STD, and LUCK are all necessary to stand even a chance against these guys. Naturally this means running around for hours on end, fighting tons of piddly little enemies just to max out each and every stat just so you don't have to bend over and clutch your ankles the moment you start battle. I fail to see the great love affair with these super bosses here. People complain that games are too short, too easy, and have pointless leveling up. This might excusable in certain games, like those of Tri-Ace, but it seems like each Seraphic Dragon Cave 211 segment has more work put into it than the rest of the game all together. You're more likely to spend your time there than saving the universe. But it gives you a chance to try out the battle system! These battles are fun!
Here's a hint: Make the actual game and main storyline harder, longer, more challenging and do it in a way that avoids power leveling! Make it so the last boss doesn't fall over if you sneeze at it. I'm not saying you need to have 9999 in everything to win the game, but hey, why not put all these extras into the part of the game that most players will actually play?
Hypothetically you've spent hours upon hours power leveling to beat the new uber boss, blurring the line on time spent between a regular RPG and an MMORPG and taken down the Kerafyrm of your console RPG, where is the pay off? Some shiny new weapon that can cleave through anything? Some powerful new spell? But wait... if you've killed that uber boss, what's the point? Couldn't you crush anything to begin with? Bragging rights ring hollow here lest one declare to the roof tops "I HAVE NO LIFE!"
Of course uber-bosses aren't all without merit. Lavos in the Ocean Palace allows one to view an extra ending, as does taking out Dark Dream in Dragon Quest VI. The Dark Demon from Demon's Crest, while insane, requires real skill and is a nice bonus. Sadly these moments are far and few between. Worse, unlocking the real ending or getting that fabled 100% to a game requires plowing through these life sucking monsters, only to go back and take out the *yawn* final boss at the end of that last dungeon...
Uber bosses...I think I can pass the next time someone suggests taking on the Super Baal Iseria Omega Metal Fiend. I think I'll try something new, something fresh, and dare I say... Innovative?
|
|
terranigma
Junior Member
World Resurrector
Posts: 65
|
Post by terranigma on Nov 17, 2006 14:45:48 GMT -5
Very nice post bioniccommando83!
|
|
|
Post by MRSKELETON on Nov 17, 2006 15:05:13 GMT -5
What I hate about the FF7 playersi s that almost EVERYONE I knew until way back until AC was released in japan was they usually said ""FF7 Is so awesome it needs more expansion squaresoft!" So AC is announced and released and you talk to the same people "Final fantasy fucking sucks and always has"
|
|
|
Post by jameseightbitstar on Nov 17, 2006 23:44:46 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by YourAverageJoe on Nov 18, 2006 6:57:42 GMT -5
I remember reading that upper one, something about Final Fantasy making status effect spells ineffective against bosses, how effective they are when used against the player, and how spells have become nothing more than an alternative to the attack button.
|
|
|
Post by jameseightbitstar on Nov 18, 2006 15:43:17 GMT -5
Final Fantasy isn't the only guilty party, but otherwise yea, you've got it.
|
|
|
Post by papersquadcontrol on Nov 18, 2006 20:47:02 GMT -5
everything after that has been a complete lack of imagination and innovation. I disagree with this. While they do rely a lot on their flagship titles, each of these games for the most part manages to deliver a satisfying, fresh experience despite being part of a franchise. Games like Pikmin, Odama, and Geist also show that Nintendo still has imagination left, even if some of these games didn't completely succeed at what they set out to do (I have yet to play a couple of these, so I wouldn't know for sure; just going off what other people have said). And the fact of the existence of the DS and the Wii shows that Nintendo aren't lacking in the innovation department, either. I strongly disagree with this as well. I don't want to dwell too much on this point, but I believe that the Metroid Prime games, as a couple of examples, do NOT fall under these descriptions. Nintendo is far from being the only guilty party here. Besides, I can't recall a single Nintendo game in recent years that had a "mandatory" tutorial, at least not one that bogged the game down too much, with too-obvious information. A "carbon copy" of OoT? Am I reading this right? The graphics are more than just "nicer"...I was seeing the Zelda universe a totally new way. WW's take on Hyrule is also very different from OoT's. Though people's feelings for the sailing element border on love and hate, I found great satisfaction in sailing across the vast sea, and stumbling across the various islands, mini-islands, and such to see and explore. Yes, there are aspects retained from OoT, but I cannot see this as a bad thing (certainly not the combat system), and hardly enough to warrant it being called a carbon copy. This also goes back to what I said in the first part of my first paragraph, about how I feel that many of Nintendo's games manage to feel fresh, despite most of them being part of long-established franchises. Enough Nintendo fanboy talk for you? Really though, I still believe Nintendo makes some of the most enjoyable games in today's age, and I probably will never understand some of the criticisms that are commonly leveled against them, like that the DS and Wii are gimmicky and that they're "stuck in the past," and so forth. That's my take, anyway. As for Cranky Gamers articles, I'd like to see one on Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee. That game was a MAJOR disappointment for me. I haven't played the game in a while, and don't have it (or my Xbox) anymore, so I wouldn't be able to write a very thorough article without likely missing some important details that have since slipped from memory. I DO recall though, and this was my main complaint about this game, that it had the blandest presentation that I have seen in a video game. The fog for backdrops, the extremely dull green and brown flatland and hills with an occasional generic tree tossed in for good measure, along with indoor areas consisting of cramped, flat-dark grey grates and walls all made for a completely dreary (and not in a good way, either) gaming experience. This stood starkly opposite from the PS1 Oddworlds, with its wonderfully, majestically surreal and alien backdrops, that made you truly feel like you were part of another world.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2006 23:47:38 GMT -5
Here's a hint: Make the actual game and main storyline harder, longer, more challenging and do it in a way that avoids power leveling! Make it so the last boss doesn't fall over if you sneeze at it. I'm not saying you need to have 9999 in everything to win the game, but hey, why not put all these extras into the part of the game that most players will actually play? ... holy damn. Dude, you hit on something exactly that happened to me. I didn't mind it much at the time, but... well, I spent 130+ hours doing absolutely everything in Final Fantasy X, and I vanquished the almighty Nemesis. It then only took me two moves to kill Braska's Final Aeon. That save game is long gone now, but now that I think of it... what would have been the point of keeping that if there wasn't much else to do except waste the final boss with no effort? Interesting mention of Demon's Crest there. You remind me of the time when I beat the game. It took me many a try to waste the Dark Demon, but it was a satisfying win. I found the game super-challenging overall, and it didn't let up with the finale. See, I like a good game that maintains a steady balance of challenge. There doesn't seem to be much of that anymore, especially in today's RPGs. Is it any wonder why I'm not wholly fond of them?
|
|
|
Post by MRSKELETON on Nov 19, 2006 19:57:18 GMT -5
everything after that has been a complete lack of imagination and innovation. I disagree with this. While they do rely a lot on their flagship titles, each of these games for the most part manages to deliver a satisfying, fresh experience despite being part of a franchise. Games like Pikmin, Odama, and Geist also show that Nintendo still has imagination left, even if some of these games didn't completely succeed at what they set out to do (I have yet to play a couple of these, so I wouldn't know for sure; just going off what other people have said). And the fact of the existence of the DS and the Wii shows that Nintendo aren't lacking in the innovation department, either. I strongly disagree with this as well. I don't want to dwell too much on this point, but I believe that the Metroid Prime games, as a couple of examples, do NOT fall under these descriptions. Nintendo is far from being the only guilty party here. Besides, I can't recall a single Nintendo game in recent years that had a "mandatory" tutorial, at least not one that bogged the game down too much, with too-obvious information. A "carbon copy" of OoT? Am I reading this right? The graphics are more than just "nicer"...I was seeing the Zelda universe a totally new way. WW's take on Hyrule is also very different from OoT's. Though people's feelings for the sailing element border on love and hate, I found great satisfaction in sailing across the vast sea, and stumbling across the various islands, mini-islands, and such to see and explore. Yes, there are aspects retained from OoT, but I cannot see this as a bad thing (certainly not the combat system), and hardly enough to warrant it being called a carbon copy. This also goes back to what I said in the first part of my first paragraph, about how I feel that many of Nintendo's games manage to feel fresh, despite most of them being part of long-established franchises. Enough Nintendo fanboy talk for you? Really though, I still believe Nintendo makes some of the most enjoyable games in today's age, and I probably will never understand some of the criticisms that are commonly leveled against them, like that the DS and Wii are gimmicky and that they're "stuck in the past," and so forth. That's my take, anyway. As for Cranky Gamers articles, I'd like to see one on Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee. That game was a MAJOR disappointment for me. I haven't played the game in a while, and don't have it (or my Xbox) anymore, so I wouldn't be able to write a very thorough article without likely missing some important details that have since slipped from memory. I DO recall though, and this was my main complaint about this game, that it had the blandest presentation that I have seen in a video game. The fog for backdrops, the extremely dull green and brown flatland and hills with an occasional generic tree tossed in for good measure, along with indoor areas consisting of cramped, flat-dark grey grates and walls all made for a completely dreary (and not in a good way, either) gaming experience. This stood starkly opposite from the PS1 Oddworlds, with its wonderfully, majestically surreal and alien backdrops, that made you truly feel like you were part of another world. I agree completely
|
|
|
Post by The bag of sand on Nov 19, 2006 20:06:39 GMT -5
Im more of a Legend of Dragoon boy and Final Fantasy 8
|
|
|
Post by aggroger on Nov 25, 2006 11:50:58 GMT -5
I really would like to see a Cranky Gamers article of New Super Mario Bros. As a platformer fan,I feel insulted by that rushed out,ridicolously easy game.Completing a game with over 50 lives left (not thanks my skills,but because the game stuffs you with extra lives) is something I never want to experience again.
|
|
|
Post by jameseightbitstar on Nov 25, 2006 20:56:21 GMT -5
Errr, aggroger? Why don't YOU write the article? You've played the game and apparently didn't like it, and cranks can be submitted by pretty much anyone.....
|
|