Now playing...

[Cless]

Well, I've been playing Super Paper Mario. This game so far really isn't the "second coming" the massive hype suggested. Some sections are really fun, and some sections are really horribly boring. Incidentally, this game seems to be getting ripped to shreds like I can't believe on some other forums, though. I'm liking it more than those people. I'm also liking it more than the gamecube paper mario (I seem to be the minority on that opinion, oh well). About a 3/5 game I'd say...

I also got the DS version of Puzzle Quest but I really don't like it as much as what the PC demo showed. Perhaps it's my own fault, but I keep making a lot more accidental illegal moves than I feel is acceptable. Something about this version just feels more boring, and the music really didn't get ported very well. I think I'm just going to sell this one and wait for the much superior PC version.

[Hen78]

I also got the DS version of Puzzle Quest but I really don't like it as much as what the PC demo showed. Perhaps it's my own fault, but I keep making a lot more accidental illegal moves than I feel is acceptable. Something about this version just feels more boring, and the music really didn't get ported very well. I think I'm just going to sell this one and wait for the much superior PC version.

I wouldn't mind the PC version either if it turns out to be the least bug-ridden option, but at this rate I'll be long finished with the game by the time it's released. Anyway, I don't think the DS version is all that bad, at least none of the bugs have been game breaking (yet). I read that many people have trouble with illegal moves, I've only made about 3 or 4 in all the time I've been playing so I wouldn't say I've had a problem with it myself.

I decided to try out the latest ScummVM which led to me finishing Sam & Max: Hit the Road (DOS/CD) for the first time in the god-knows-how-many-years it's been since I bought it. I'm certainly keen to try the new games at some point.

PC wise, I'm currently playing The Longest Journey (DVD re-release), Heroes of Might & Magic III and this addictive little HeroQuest fan game

Console wise, same old.

[Cless Aileron]

I have been playing Super Paper Mario (Wii).  I really like it and it is a pretty great game.  Though right now, I've been AWOL on this game.

Also playing Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All (DS).  Well, it's more crazy courtroom stuff and I like it.

I'm going to end up admitting this.  Despite how I just seem to love to take cheap shots at the franchise whenever I criticize Nintendo, also despite affiliating myself with said franchise, I bought Pokémon Diamond (DS).  All that aside, it's not a bad game, despite basically being the same thing I've been doing in the previous installments.  No, I have not done any competitive battling or serious trading yet.

Now, if there's a reason I'm neglecting my Pokémon training, it's because I've got Goemon fever.  It got me to buy Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Wii Virtual Console/SNES) and I found myself playing it a lot.  If my Wii's been active lately, it's thanks to this game.  It's one of my childhood games and I'm reliving it again.  This game even fueled my Goemon fever that it convinced me to go after the Nintendo 64 installments that I missed (and I feel ashamed for missing them).  I was thinking of, "I'll see if Konami would release them on Virtual Console" but thanks to what I heard about a certain issue with Mario Kart 64 on Virtual Console, I went, "Just buy the physical cartridge."

So yeah, I'm playing many games.

[Goshi]

Yeah I'm playing Pokemon Diamond as well. Its better than Ruby/Sapphire though but its mostly the same thing. I also haven't done any trading or competitive battling yet either.

I decided I might go through another playthrough of Xenogears, since the game's long, the story's awesome and I have nothing else to do.

[Magicpaint]

Now playing FFIII DS. It's great fun. I just got to one area that made me say wow. Perfect music, moody atmosphere, just sweet. Reminds me that I still love old school RPGs where I don't have to sit through cutscenes every hour.

[Cless]

I'm getting addicted to Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind again. It runs so awesome on my super upgraded PC, but Bethesda's crappy optimization skills still rear their head... it still manages to dip below 60FPS in some circumstances outdoors. The game is like 5 years old now...

Etrian Odyssey and Odin Sphere are coming soon, too...

[Kogahazan]

The guy I borrowed a PS2 from took it back last weekend to play some wrestling game and has been meaning to let me borrow it again but keeps forgetting. In the mean time I've gone back to what I do have... my GCN has been collecting dust so I went back and played a short spurt of Baten Kaitos and just leveled up a bit since I didn't want to go through any major story events that may suck me back into playing it when I should be focusing on studies...

Also got around to playing Mega Man Zero 4 since I knew it would be a fairly short game... I really like how they made Elf and Parts management easier. Really lets you focus on the main gameplay although it hasn't fundamentally changed from previous installments. I sort of miss the Triple/Chain Rod... I sort of don't like Z-Knuckle because most weapons you get from it are crap. Went through and beat it, then beat it under an hour to get that mini-game. Now trying for a Hard Mode playthrough and a complete database playthrough.

Also I'm planning to go back to my Dreamcast and play through Capcom vs SNK 2. About two weekends back, I went back unlocked everything in the PS2 version again because my main memory card got stolen 2 years ago and I was too lazy to go and unlock everything again... Didn't take as long as I thought it would (did it all in a day) and since I haven't played it for so long, I had enough interest to drive me to go through it again. Since that went quickly, I thought I may as well do it for the DC version since I have that and it's just sitting around.

Once I borrow that guy's PS2 again, I want to finish up the Main Scenario for Legendia because I was left hanging before spring break right before the last chapter and I haven't had time to go back until now.

[Cless Aileron]

Continuing to fuel my craziness for Mystical Ninja/Goemon (even after beating Legend of the Mystical Ninja), I have bought a used Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon (N64) and I'm playing it...well, I would be but I got a harsh reminder about third party memory cards, particularly the multi-page kinds.  My memory card ended up going kaput on me!  Great!  Not only does my Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing ghosts get erased but now I can't save my Mystical Ninja data.  I even checked with Perfect Dark and find out it's the memory card that's acting up, not the game itself.  Even when it looks like I saved something on the memory card, it goes kaput after turning the game off.  I've just realized it yesterday after getting to the first Impact battle.  So yeah, I can't really play Mystical Ninja right now, and I'm suddenly picturing Ebisumaru mocking me to play this game in his extremely weird way, knowing that I want to play it badly but also know that I can't save.  Guess all I can do is constantly watch the intro video to the game until I get another memory card (and the official Nintendo kind) off Amazon.com or eBay or wherever (Just a warning, be careful about the intro video to Mystical Ninja.  The song is catchy and will get stuck in your head no matter if you like it or not.  Heck, it's still stuck in my head).

So during that Mystical memory card mess up, I actually feel like I'm not neglecting my Pokémon training for the time being so now it's just more Pokémon Diamond until I can play it.

[Kajitani-Eizan]

yep, seems to me that official memory cards are the way to go. unless maybe you have a lot of saves you don't mind losing, and you use third-party stuff for most of it and just back up the most important stuff onto the official card

but uh... i don't remember the n64 using memory cards? i forget, do you stick them in the expansion slot?

also starting on Tales of the Abyss (finally, yes, i know). initial thoughts: luke is an asskicking asskicker, mieu's dialogue is unlistenable (which i assume was the intended effect), the text speed option is stupid, and i sure wish i could X past dialogue in skits so i wouldn't be frustrated at the low text speed. they're still amusing even without voicing, but they just need to let you move on to the next line when you're done reading it, seriously. having the text scroll based on your text speed setting might not be a bad idea, either.

[Kogahazan]

but uh... i don't remember the n64 using memory cards? i forget, do you stick them in the expansion slot?

Yeah, that's right, it went into the expansion slot. It was weird and the official ones are called "Controller Paks."

the text speed option is stupid, and i sure wish i could X past dialogue in skits so i wouldn't be frustrated at the low text speed. they're still amusing even without voicing, but they just need to let you move on to the next line when you're done reading it, seriously. having the text scroll based on your text speed setting might not be a bad idea, either.

Some people complain that the skit speed was too fast since the text is somewhat small and hard to read o_O

[Goshi]

Dicing Kinght, probably one of the best dungeon crawlers I've played. I love it =)

[Kajitani-Eizan]

Yeah, that's right, it went into the expansion slot. It was weird and the official ones are called "Controller Paks."

Some people complain that the skit speed was too fast since the text is somewhat small and hard to read o_O

clearly these people are not fast readers

well, i guess i can't complain about lack of ability to see the text. i'm sitting like 7 feet away from a 24" flat CRT. maybe those people need to sit closer or wear glasses, or their TV is just small or fuzzy?

as for the n64, oops, i forgot about the slot at the bottom of the controller. (rumble pak...) i was thinking of the slot on the console, used for extra memory or whatever

[Kogahazan]

Oh, I forgot there was a separate expansion slot on the console (or "control deck" as it says on the system itself)... I thought the controller thing was what you meant by expansion but oh well, you get it.

For Abyss, I agree with those who say the text is pretty small. I sit about 2 feet away from a 14" TV and although I can read it, I still feel it's too small to read comfortably. I'd say I have an average reading speed and a few times (not often enough for it to be a problem) it goes faster than I can read.

[Cless]

Finally working through the bonus content of FF6 advance, which somehow feels a bit uninspired to me.

The wait for Etrian Odyssey is killing me. I knew I should've selected faster shipping. Destined to be the best RPG for the DS so far. The soundtrack is all kinds of awesome (need more game soundtracks with old school style composition).

Odin Sphere ships tomorrow...

[Phren]

Etrian Odyssey is okay so far - the lack of a plot is a turn-off so far, but the fact that it's not a cake walk is nice for a change.

[Cless]

I'm glad I finally get to play another JRPG sporting a roster of nothing but generic classes. They're too rare these days. So the lack of story and pure fixation on hardcore old school gameplay is a huge plus for me...

I just got some attachable grips for my DS Lite, makes the thing MUCH more comfortable to play.

Also. I officially don't care for the bonus content of FF6a. Nothing like throwing 2-3 hours down the drain (soul shrine is stupid. Getting killed after going through 100+ of the nonstop battles is not my idea of fun. It doesn't help that the battlefield there is animated, hence fueling extra slowdown because of the port's crappy battle engine code). I'm done with it.

I wasn't a big fan of FF4a's bonus content either (aside from late game party customization). I found the Lunar Ruins boring and didn't complete it.