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Post by TheGunheart on Apr 26, 2012 21:27:32 GMT -5
I remember it being one of those games I really wanted as a kid, but never got for some reason. In retrospect, seeing a screenshot of Freedan was probably the reason I wanted it in the first place.
Sadly, even in the age of emulation, I only ever played halfway through Soulblazer and never got around to the rest...
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Post by Ryu the Grappler on Apr 26, 2012 22:20:44 GMT -5
I never said Dragon Quest's popularity in Japan is why it is extremely good. I said the reason the formula hasn't changed much in 20 years is because the mechanics are very well-designed. Dragon Quest games are balanced incredibly well, and offer some of the best turn-based combat available in a jRPG. The series really hit its stride with Dragon Quest 2, and while the series has evolved and been refined over the years, the core mechanics have remained largely unchanged because there hasn't been a reason to change them. It has nothing to do with nostalgia or fear of change. I see this argument all the time when it comes to Dragon Quest (and turn-based RPGs in general), and it's a really dumb argument. The implication is that turn-based combat is somehow outdated or automatically inferior to real-time combat, which is completely untrue. You may as well say chess is outdated because it isn't in real-time. Turn-based combat offers very different mechanics and strategy than real-time combat does. I would rather play X-Com than Starcraft 2. I haven't played Dragon Quest VII in years, but unless Dragon Quest VII is some kind of strange exception, you haven't needed to use a special menu command to use stairs in Dragon Quest since the NES games. You obviously have very little experience with the series, and are making large assumptions and judgements without any real experience with the game mechanics. From my understanding, some of the Dragon Quest games (specifically, the NES version of the first game and Dragon Quest VIII) featured updated systems for their export versions. Dragon Quest VIII in particular had a more user-friendly interface, along with updated battle animation and voice acting, to make it marketable in the western market. Dragon Warrior VII on the other hand was kept more or less the same way as it was in Japan. Just because a game's play mechanics are good for its time, doesn't mean they couldn't be made better. Your chess analogy shows a bit of ignorance about its history, considering the game underwent quite a few rule revisions prior to the current version and even to this day there are many variants of the game. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_chessAnd to be completely honest, I just never cared that much about the Dragon Quest series to begin with, hence why I didn't like Earthbound that much either. The NES original, VII and VIII are the only games in the series that I've played (along with a bit of VI via emulation) and none of them truly grabbed my attention. I've already explained my feelings about VII and while I'll admit that I was hooked on the original for awhile, I found the game boring after a certain point since most of the challenge consists of level-grinding in order to reach the proper level or gain enough money to buy whatever equipment your character needs. I much rather play a game that gives instant gratification than one forces you to do too much boring stuff to achieve your goal. Sorry, but I'm just telling it like it is. I'm just not the kind of person who spends his time over-analyzing fictional stories just to affix some subjective "meaning" or "significance" that may have nothing to do with the author's actual intention to begin with. |
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Post by Sac (a.k.a Icaras) on Apr 27, 2012 0:13:19 GMT -5
Guys, I think we're starting to get not only off topic but also a little defensive.
its a common failing on the internet to forget that our opinions on whatever are just that: OUR OWN opinions. Not a fact.
I can understand feeling the need to defend your point of view when you see something you disagree with but it seems to me this topic is starting skew well off course because of it.
This isn't aimed at anybody in particular, just a...general observation.
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Post by 9inchsamurai on Apr 27, 2012 2:09:52 GMT -5
And to be completely honest, I just never cared that much about the Dragon Quest series to begin with, hence why I didn't like Earthbound that much either. I don't like musicals, but I'm not about to go watch The Sound of Music and then claim it's overrated and that Fight Club is a more artistic movie. |
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Post by retr0gamer on Apr 27, 2012 3:37:03 GMT -5
Sorry, but I'm just telling it like it is. I'm just not the kind of person who spends his time over-analyzing fictional stories just to affix some subjective "meaning" or "significance" that may have nothing to do with the author's actual intention to begin with. What about the fact that in multiple interviews about the game Shigesato Itoi has explained the feelings and emotions he wanted to convey in the game. It's not overanalyzing when it's evidently clear exactly what the authors intents are, in this case he's expressed this on numberous occasions. Shigesato Itoi is a much better writer than a hack like Kojima will ever be, it's what he does for a living. There's actual nuance and subltly to what he conveys in Earthbound which is why it will go over peoples heads and it also does not make these things clear until you actually finish the game. |
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Post by megatronbison on Apr 27, 2012 4:34:49 GMT -5
I have to say that Earthbound I personally find to have some of the worst fanboys. I did really enjoy the game- the presentation was cute and the strategy guide that came with it was nice too. I just find that it isn't this life changing game many paint it to be - maybe I played it too late or whatever but I found I connected with Mother 3 far more.
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Post by Pitchfork on Apr 27, 2012 9:44:31 GMT -5
One reason I've lost interest in video games is because of the frequency of vehement arguments about them between people who play them.
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Post by r0ck3rz on Apr 27, 2012 10:17:33 GMT -5
Well, people get passionate about some things. I'd like to think that no video game is life changing. A little on the inspirational side maybe, but not life changing. Of course I still think of them as, you know, games.
The thing is, is anyone really losing interest in gaming as a whole, or just large pieces of?
For example, Pitchfork, you're losing interest in the discussion side of things, but if you thought about a favorite game, could you not still go back and play it?
Ike, you lost interest in collecting, but it really sounded like you go could still go back and play Earthbound. If you can, and you can see it through all the way to the end, I'd say you just need to weed your collection out, even if by a massive amount, until you're left with the titles you enjoy, even if it's only a minor few.
Myself? I still love all of 2D non-RPG/adventure gaming. I lost interest in lengthier titles, storytelling, having more than 6 buttons(which I think is kind of overkill as is), and all sorts of other things since gaming went 3D, that aren't coming to mind at the moment...
Robert A Gilmore: Did you really have to kill your account because you can only find 1 game per console to be interested in? I mean, there's nothing wrong with that. We all carry on at our own pace. If that 1 game is enjoyable enough to constantly return to, than the console and especially the game, were well worth the money.
It's all about figuring out what we enjoy and how we enjoy it. Like a lot of things in life, our tastes in gaming change over time. If we really do lose all interest, well, there's nothing wrong with that either, but neither is there anything wrong with being a gamer for life. As long as the latter isn't taken to an extreme extent.
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Post by Ike on Apr 27, 2012 10:37:25 GMT -5
Ike, you lost interest in collecting, but it really sounded like you go could still go back and play Earthbound. If you can, and you can see it through all the way to the end, I'd say you just need to weed your collection out, even if by a massive amount, until you're left with the titles you enjoy, even if it's only a minor few. Like I said, I'm not done with gaming in its entirety, I'm just coming to realize how completely irrelevant the vast majority of games are. Earthbound is one of those that I'm keeping. So are Nier, Deadly Premonition (Maybe, unless the PS3 version comes out, since this game and ToV are the only reason I'm keeping my 360), and a few others. I think I'm starting to boil down what I really appreciate in a game. |
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Post by megatronbison on Apr 27, 2012 10:55:53 GMT -5
I'd say I should consider doing the same Ike- a lot of the time recently I have been playing games more to keep up with whats considered to be a modern classic rather than you know, playing through the ones that I already have that seem infinitely more interesting.
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Post by Ryu the Grappler on Apr 27, 2012 10:56:05 GMT -5
Yes, let's conveniently ignore the part where I said I used to be a big JRPG fan and that I was into other similar titles such as Final Fantasy VI and Illusion of Gaia back when Earthbound came out (which would imply I expected something closer to those games than Dragon Quest). Personally, I always preferred Final Fantasy over Dragon Quest, even though I don't care much for the newer Final Fantasy games in the series pass VI. Shigesato Itoi is a much better writer than a hack like Kojima will ever be, it's what he does for a living. Maybe so, but Kojima and his team are much better game designers since all of his MGS games have engaged much more than Earthbound ever did, and ultimately that matters more to me in a video game than whether or not the final boss of Earthbound is meant to represent some sort of aborted fetus. It wasn't even my intention to compare Itoi with Kojima to begin with (I was actually comparing MGS to Policenauts and Ike thought I was also comparing it to Earthbound as well), but there's a reason why Kojima still works as a game designer and Itoi is only a copywriter who has no intention of making a fourth Mother game. Quoted for truth. You have no idea how obsessive the Earthbound fanbase is. That's the only cult following that I know of that lives up to the word "cult." |
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Post by Ike on Apr 27, 2012 10:59:51 GMT -5
jesus christ somebody close this thread
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Post by Pitchfork on Apr 27, 2012 11:24:31 GMT -5
Going once...!
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Post by 9inchsamurai on Apr 27, 2012 12:00:01 GMT -5
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2012 12:25:39 GMT -5
As one of the biggest trolls on this board, this thread makes even me say "Damn."
Seconding Ike's notion.
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