Summer Games Challenge 2014

[BoneSnapDeez]

The Xbox port is ridiculous. Game Over = back to the beginning of the level.

Pretty sure the PS2/PSP/Wii compilation versions will let you just pump in virtual quarters.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I'm moving slowly through Zelda II. Haven't had much time to play lately. Three palaces down, four to go.

Don't worry...you will hit a wall of difficulty pretty soon.

Did you see my last post? I also finished palaces 4 and 5.

I saw it...

That said, if this is like any other Zelda game I'm sure the final dungeon will be a real kick in the ass.

...and that's what I'm talking about. (The final dungeon - and the road to the final dungeon - are really, really hard.)

[scarper]

gave Metal Slug 3 a shot today. Wow. Balls hard. I made it to mission 3, but I went through a lot of continues. I don't remember how many credits the Steam version gives you, but it was a lot. Like... a lot.

Metal Slug aint easy. I love the series, but dayum... I too blow through many many credits.

[laurenhiya21]

This sounds interesting... I'll have a lot of time on my hands next month and this would give me a good excuse to play some older games. (I have a lot more newer games than older, so I accidentally tend to go for the newer ones ><)
So I'm not sure if all of these would be considered "classic", but I'll try my best?

1. LoZ: Ocarina of Time (Wii VC)
2. Ico (PS2)
3. Silent Hill (PS1)
4. Super Mario 64 (Wii VC)
5. LoZ: Oracle of Ages (3DS VC)
6. Half-Life (Steam)

Maybes?
- Diablo
- A Phantasy Star game
- Star Tropics

That's all I can really think of for now... I really don't have many old classics ha ><

[darsparx]

That said, if this is like any other Zelda game I'm sure the final dungeon will be a real kick in the ass.

...and that's what I'm talking about. (The final dungeon - and the road to the final dungeon - are really, really hard.)

Better off than I am at any zelda game ha ha. I always miss the obvious and get stuck half the time ha ha...probably exactly why I stink at Zelda I(since I do have the port of that to the wii vc but for the life of me keep forgetting to play and beat it). One of these days I'll pick up the pattern and get some zelda games off my back log like I keep meaning to do ha ha

[BoneSnapDeez]

...and that's what I'm talking about. (The final dungeon - and the road to the final dungeon - are really, really hard.)

You aren't kidding. However, with that being said...

This sounds interesting... I'll have a lot of time on my hands next month and this would give me a good excuse to play some older games. (I have a lot more newer games than older, so I accidentally tend to go for the newer ones ><)
So I'm not sure if all of these would be considered "classic", but I'll try my best?

1. LoZ: Ocarina of Time (Wii VC)
2. Ico (PS2)
3. Silent Hill (PS1)
4. Super Mario 64 (Wii VC)
5. LoZ: Oracle of Ages (3DS VC)
6. Half-Life (Steam)

Maybes?
- Diablo
- A Phantasy Star game
- Star Tropics

That's all I can really think of for now... I really don't have many old classics ha ><

These are good picks. Are you sure you want to play two games in the same series though?

The Phantasy Star games are fantastic, though notoriously difficult. If you've never played one I would start right at the beginning with the first game.

[noiseredux]

I fired up Fallout tonight... had no idea what was going on. That's one I'll need to read about before jumping into.

Played an hour+ of Batman Arkham Asylum. Seems pretty good.

[laurenhiya21]

These are good picks. Are you sure you want to play two games in the same series though?

The Phantasy Star games are fantastic, though notoriously difficult. If you've never played one I would start right at the beginning with the first game.

Heh I don't mind :3 I've been in a big Zelda mood lately so... that's why I went with 2 Zeldas I guess haha (plus those two are very different from each other).

And that's good to know. I'll probably see if I can beat the ones on my list before doing Phantasy Star then...

[Retrogamer0001]

1. Mega Man 2 (NES) Beaten
2. The Legend of Zelda (NES)
3. Star Tropics (NES)
4. Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest (NES) Beaten
5. Earthbound (SNES)
6. Panzer Dragoon Saga (Saturn)
7. Metroid: Other M (Wii)
8. Silent Hill 3 (PS3 HD Re-release)
9. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
10. Final Fantasy 9 (PS1) Beaten

Finished up Final Fantasy IX this morning after a six-hour binge. I have to admit, the game is better than I initially gave it credit for. That being said, I still consider it to be one of the weakest entries in the entire franchise and the worst of the three games on the original Playstation.

Pros
1. This is one of the best-looking games on the original Playstation and it really shows with the Eidolon attack animations. The world itself is full of great, creative artwork and some of the areas are really quite memorable (Iifa Tree, Cleyra, Burmecia).
2. The soundtrack is really quite good, with the exception of the battle theme, which sounds like a butchered version of Final Fantasy III (VI in NA). The Black Mage Village theme is one of my favorite tracks.
3. The game wasn't overly drawn-out, with the exception of the end scenes. It did what it had to do and that was it. As an RPG fan, I appreciate that.

Cons
1. Trance is a nearly worthless ability, especially because of its uncontrollable and random nature. Very rarely did I get to use this ability against a boss because common enemies will nearly always increase your meter and trigger the ability. Very disappointing, and a real step down from Limit Breaks in the previous two games.
2. The character development in this game is very weak. None of the characters are particularly well fleshed-out, and I really found it hard to give a shit about any of them. Compared to the development in the previous two games, and Final Fantasy VII in particular, this was a big disappointment and the result is a group of forgettable characters.
3. The ATB system is a pain in the ass. Enemies always seem to get an attack off, even when your characters go first and you've already made an attack selection, and in many cases, enemies get multiple attacks for no reason. Using Eidolons and abilities with long animations guarantee enemy attacks. I really found this to be annoying and frustrating.
4. The card game is a complete and utter joke compared to Final Fantasy VIII's Triple Triad. It's ugly, stupid, and unnecessary. Remember the beautiful card graphics and awesome end-game items the original Triple Triad offered you? Not in this game! I wish they had completely omitted it instead of clumsily trying to incorporate an inferior version into this game.
5. A minor complaint here, but one that is noticable - tents only refill half your life and mana. Why? They cost half the amount in IX as they do in VII and VIII, so why do I have to use two to get the same effect? Annoying and stupid.

Anyway, I do like the game better than I did when I originally played it, but it's still a very flawed and forgettable game and not a worthy successor to the earlier entries in the series. I'll be moving on to either Star Tropics or Shadow of the Colossus next.

[dunpeal2064]

I get why they nurfed Trance, considering how completely broken Limit Breaks were in VIII, but I have to agree that it is so disappointing.

Its not just that they are unpredictable and can't be saved, but even when you do have one they are worthless, since you can't break damage limit in the game anyways, and everyone can do near max damage, if not max. I honestly can't even remember what Steiner's Trance does (Other than making him look badass), since Shock is just going to hit for 9999 either way.

Character development I pretty much agree on, but I can't give VIII any more credit. I would take IX's cast over VIII's. Neither of them hit it quite right for me.

Fuck that card game though, VIII trumps there easily. Simple, a little strategy, badass looking cards, and they are probably the best items in the game.

It was cool to read your thoughts on this game, glad you were able to enjoy it.