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[DuskShark]

OK, I was unable to post due to those damn Trojans but that's old news. Over the past few days, my main focus was Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. I beat it and I'll do my second run as soon as I get the other 3 Metal Gear Solids because half the time the plot went from one ear and out the other. On the portable front is BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Portable. Trying to 100% everyone's story. I am a beast when playing as Noel.

Now, I got 3 new games:

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal: Not touching until R&C: Going Commando is beaten.

Wario World: I saw some gameplay and said "Why the hell not". I like this game so far but I don't like the music in the pause screen. >_>

Super Mario Sunshine: I effin' love this game. Moreso than Galaxy(not saying Galaxy is bad. I like it too). Best 3D Mario, IMO.

My primary focus has been shifting between Sunshine and Going Commando.

[Takel]

Ec Tisia is quite nice, even if half the song is just all three games' Harmonics songs strung together. But it doesn't beat Phantasmagoria for me.

Akiko Shikata is a legend. And I'm not a jpop fan.

The localization made me angry, SO freaking angry when I played it when it came out. That's what we get after the release took 15 months? For a supposed "professional" release? Atlus has stated in the past that it typically takes them 6 months to complete a project, and 6-8 weeks of that is the translation and editing process...and they're bloody amazing with that kind of schedule.

I couldn't even finish phase 1 of ATII...I remember having to mentally reconstruct many lines just to make them sound normal, if I could even figure out exactly what they're trying to say.

NISA better deliver big with the ATIII localization, and that also means going well beyond the (mediocre) localization effort for ATI. Sakura Wars was supposedly very well done for a NISA project (perhaps their best localization ever?), but I haven't played it yet. Gives me some hope, I guess...but their track record is pretty spotty overall. (isn't Sakura Wars also 100% voiced? It's pretty clear the ADR scriptwriter edits the voiced lines to sound much more normal and natural in their crappier localizations).

Amen to Akiko Shikata being absolutely awesome.

I just made my 4th attempt to resume Ar Tonelico II and failed miserably after 2 minutes. The original voices patch is a blessing and a curse since it lets me pick up on every single glaring inadequacy or rewrite of the script compared to the original dialogue. I might check our Sakura Wars to see if it can redeem NISA, but I have strong doubts given my absolute hatred for them over AT2.

I've locked on to finishing off The World Ends with You on the DS. Going to take a while to get through it since I'm a masochist when it comes to battle systems. After that I should go over the first Ar Tonelico now that I've soaked up all the background fluff then finish off the .hack//GU series. Dear god my back log is intimidating.

[Kajitani-Eizan]

Just finished the visual novel Ever 17: The Out of Infinity. If you're going to Wikipedia it, don't read anything below the "Characters" heading... this is one game where you really, REALLY want to avoid all spoilers possible. It's mindblowingly awesome with a great sense of suspense and mystery, and then later plot twists and turns pretty much had me going OMGWTFBBQ at my screen every so often.

[Wildwurger]

Star Ocean 4 for PS3. I already got through most of the 360 version, but I want anime portraits and no disc-changing. Besides, the ability to switch targets makes things a lot easier when playing as Reimi. I main her until Arumat joins. Edge's playstyle just doesn't click with me. Maybe I've just been spoiled with Tales, or maybe it's that Tri-Ace has really fallen off the horse when it comes to sword-movesets in Star Ocean. In 2, all you had to do was mash X with the Eternal Sphere equipped. Despite the 3-hit combo in First Departure, it's not like it really messes with anything. Pretty easy to deal with, and Roddick is a one-man murdermachine. My friend said he soloed the secret boss with him and didn't take any damage because of how powerful he'd become.

I advanced the plot of FF13 into Chapter 12 early this morning. Figured it'd be easier to deal with the later hunts if I had access to my entire Crystarium and all that stuff. I mean, I know I'll never platinum the game (I don't really fight superbosses, and I've never 100%'d anything with a postgame outside of Valkyrie Profile, and even then it wasn't that LAST LOUSY POINT because I only beat the Seraphic Gate about five times).

[BassForever]

I finally finished Fire Emblem: Monshou no Nazo and I'm probably going to star playing Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu

[Cless]

Indeed playing Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica. I've already gotten further than I got  in my first attempt. Somehow I'm tolerating this wretched script much more than the first time...lowered expectations for the win?

It's still loaded with awkward phrasing, and poor dialogue flow, but...I really need to finish this, especially since I've chosen to assist the fan retranslation. There were TONS of spoilers when I dumped the menu text for that last year...by some miracle, I forgot almost all of them.

Still, it's a good game regardless of the localization. It seems a lot better than the first one in almost every way.

EDIT: Yes, this game is really great. I'm actually impressed that there seems to be far less cheese in the dialogue as compared with the first game. Luca just dropped a hell of a whopper; something I would have never expected out of the first game. The story and characters are a lot more interesting. If only it all read better...

[throughhim413]

I didn't realize that retranslation was still happening. Hope it goes well. I haven't played the second game yet, but if it means avoiding script nightmares, I'm willing to wait.

[Cless]

Yeah, I checked on it a few months ago. Things slowed down a bit since it started, but they were still making progress. AT2 has a loooooooooooot of text.

[Cless]

I have to let this out: I'm completely in love with Ar tonelico II. It just keeps getting better and better as far as I'm concerned. It takes most of what I liked about the original and refines it, and trims out most of what I didn't like (replaced with better stuff). The battle system is more interesting with its semi-realtime elements and is far better designed overall. I've already written my thoughts about the characters and story. The 3rd Reyvateil is total AT1 fanservice.

This is now my runner-up for game of the year 2009 (just trailing Demon's Souls), and will fit comfortably somewhere in my top 3 PS2 games. If you liked anything at all about AT1, you seriously have to play this someday.

[Goshi]

Finished yet another playthrough of Final Fantasy VI. This was my first time using Shadow in my main four. He seems to have a habit of dying a lot during the final battle >_>

This is the SNES version though so his Evade is pretty much useless >_>

Also stared another playthrough in Wizardry 8. Trying out a party filled with hybrids (Lord, Samurai, Monk, Ninja, Gadgeteer, Bishop). Early game has been pretty painful so far, I've reached Arnika though! So things should look up soon!


And finally Dragon Quest V. First time playing through game. It's actually pretty good, though I liked DQIII better. I'm almost near the end of the game, I think. I'm up to fighting Bishop Ladja in the Talon Tower.

[Takel]

I have to let this out: I'm completely in love with Ar tonelico II. It just keeps getting better and better as far as I'm concerned. It takes most of what I liked about the original and refines it, and trims out most of what I didn't like (replaced with better stuff). The battle system is more interesting with its semi-realtime elements and is far better designed overall. I've already written my thoughts about the characters and story. The 3rd Reyvateil is total AT1 fanservice.

This is now my runner-up for game of the year 2009 (just trailing Demon's Souls), and will fit comfortably somewhere in my top 3 PS2 games. If you liked anything at all about AT1, you seriously have to play this someday.

The massive gap in my impressions of AT1 and AT2 is the reason why I feel compelled to replay AT1, simply because I have to double check to confirm if AT2 really is such a improvement or if I have some huge bias running against the first game. The biggest difference from my recollection is the impact of the story and events. In AT1 I've pretty much always felt like an observer from afar on what was happening, while with AT2 it feels like I'm being thrown into a brutal knife fight, it's that close.

The 3rd reyvateil's cosmosphere is absolutely gorgeous if you know her background from AT1, hence the fanservice. Just wait until you get to the bonus cosmosphere =) though I've heard that part of the game was barely translated and edited.

How far have you gotten? Reached the first massive revelation in the Infelsphere yet?

[Wildwurger]

Disgaea 2 PSP. I used the code to do Axel mode first, since I already beat the PS2 version back when it came out in '06. Ah, memories. I'm up to the end of Chapter 7. As for DLC characters, I only have Plenair and Sapphire, as they're free (I haven't FOUGHT Sapphire, but she's sitting on the memory stick while I level up enough to fight her). I may get Almaz at some point, but I don't particularly care about Ash and Marona, and I NEVER liked Hanako.

I may attempt Gihren's Greed: Threat of Axix V (I don't know if it's a V like Combattler V or a 5 like Voltes V) AGAIN later today. Or maybe I'll just play more SRW. Or take a nap. OR ALL THREE. ...yeah, right.

[DuskShark]

Playing more Sonic CD. The music makes be come back for more...to the point where breaking the robot generators in the past became second nature.

Also, anyone know how I can quickly grind in Disgaea 2? Chapter 3-3 of Axel mode is kicking my butt.

[Goshi]

Playing more Sonic CD. The music makes be come back for more...to the point where breaking the robot generators in the past became second nature.

Also, anyone know how I can quickly grind in Disgaea 2? Chapter 3-3 of Axel mode is kicking my butt.

The last battle in Chapter 1 is good for that. The wolves are pretty strong though.

[Cless Aileron]

Super Street Fighter IV (Xbox 360).  It takes Street Fighter IV and give it even more of a kick.  I'm still maining M. Bison/Dictator, but I am looking to pick up on Cody as an alt.  While I am playing on Xbox Live, I do have every intent to also bring the street fight onto Playstation Network.  Now, I just need to get a Playstation 3 arcade stick because even a Dual Shock 3 controller doesn't do for me (Looks like I better get ready to order both off of Amazon.com).

Doesn't help that I also had a huge Final Fight kick as far as old school gaming was concern.  Yeah, cleaning up the streets of Metro City.  Vote Mike Haggar for mayor.

On another note, I'm finally going through with playing through Metal Gear Solid 4 (Playstation 3).  I'm liking it.  Though I'll have to realize that trying to not kill anyone in Metal Gear Solid 4 may be too difficult for me.  Oh yeah, and I should expect never to get the Altair costume that's unlocked by going through the highest difficulty undetected.

[Empty_sky]

i am very proud of myself. i finally beat Final Fantasy V!!!! i actually died the first time i fought neo exdeath, but the second go was much easier after changing my abilities. it was a great game... and i can safely say that so far, it's my favorite. now to move on to Final Fantasy VI!!!