The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

[Malacite]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

My bro already owns a 360 so I just use his, but I do plan to buy my own at some point (primarily for the prettier 360 version of FFXI and Halo 3 ^^).

So many good games on the way! This totally makes up for pretty much everything since N64...

there were gems here and there on each console starting with N64 and PSX, but honestly, there was also far too much crap. Finally, it looks like games are getting to be really good and worth buying!

[Jarre]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

well i don't have time for new games or have any Next gen console, other than the FF expansion pack I will bu when its released I wont be getting another game until 2008 when spore comes out around april may time (if its not put back again) I onyl ahve time for a couple of hours if that on FF in the evenings due to work and social commitments.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

I'm probably gonna just play conservative and stick to DS and grab a Wii. I don't need too many games and what Nintendo is getting seems to be signifigant and impactful enough this fall. I may pick up a PSP later as well, both PSP and DS are picking up nicely in the Strategy RPG genere and RPG in general.

I'll probably get Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War for collection purposes, but I seriously doubt I'd play any of it over the console version just for two new job classes and an appearance by Balthier. The additions are just too skimpy for a 10 year old game. I've got the PSX version that I've been playing ever since I got off my FFXII kick, that's more than enough.

FFIV remake both excites me and pisses me off. Pisses me off because they just released the GBA remake a couple years ago. Its one of my favorite FFs and I'm excited to play the version of the story the director really wanted to do, but couldn't due to Super Famicom's memory limits.

I'm really excited about Dragon Quest IV, V and VI getting the DS treatment, too.

[LilithAngel]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

As far as the whole "FFT not having the other races to have a TA character in it" thing goes, I remember reading a proposed timeline that puts every Ivalice Alliance game in a rough order that kinda makes sense. Lemmie see where I found it...

Ah, here we go!

Apparently, the games go in a sort of reverse order in which they were released, which, if you think about it, makes sense in terms of the events in each one and how the previous ages are described in each game. While not "official" in the literal sense, due to the similarity (or outright exactness) of a lot of place names, the way events are described in earlier games as they happened in later games, and the fact that the director for just about every Ivalice game has been the same, it's not so far off the mark to make the connections.

Also, FFT had Cloud, who had no business being there in the first place other than the fact that he was a popular character at the time. By that reasoning alone Square put him there. Other characters in other SE games throughout the years have made cameo appearances elsewhere, so there's no reason why Balthier and Llyud can't make an appearance to cash in on FFXII and RW (also, their appearance is more plausible than Cloud's was; but then again, this is SE. They could just say that Cloud's trip was dimensionally, while Balthier and Llyud's was through time; shades of Trigger/Cross, anyone?).

Oh, and just because: This guy owns. Respect!

[Feba]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

Having to enter an alternate universe to get around an obstacle is annoying. I don't care who you are!

SPM handled it awesomely, and Z:TP was pretty good too.

[Malacite]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

They guy who did LTTP also worked on Prime 2, which is how they got the idea for it. But it wasn't done quite as well IMO. Dead horse, let's leave it at that ^^

As for the FFIV remake on DS, I would have much rather prefered it on PSP. The 3D used for III wasn't so hot, while if you look at the recent FF1 and 2 releases for PSP, they are just beautiful.

I'm still going to buy it, because it's the *REAL* version of the game (the original release on SNES and PS1 were only 1/4 of the actual game) so it looks like it'll be an awesome adventure. Again, I just hate that fugly 3D. SE should have just redone all of them the way they did FF1 and 2 instead of basic ports to the GBA with a few new dungeons etc.


And the FFT remake is looking so good. Full cinema this time for conversations but they're rendered in the water color artwork you see in their portraits and the manual. ^^

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

As for the FFIV remake on DS, I would have much rather prefered it on PSP. The 3D used for III wasn't so hot, while if you look at the recent FF1 and 2 releases for PSP, they are just beautiful.

Beautiful, perhaps but just the GBA/Wonderswan games with a new coat of paint, that's not worth $30 per title when I can get both games for $20-$30 on two other platforms.]

Doesn't matter how much you want FFIV on PSP, though, SE will always favor the market leader. The system SE puts Dragon Quest on is the system that will rule that market.

PSP gets SE's leftovers, mark my words, Crisis Core: FFVII will be the best it ever gets from SE on PSP. And even then, its kind of a waste, just take a hint from Rockstar and port it to PS2.

[Malacite]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

That's not entirely a fair statement though. The PSP is lagging behind mostly due to the lack of really good games compared to the fun stuff that the DS offers. And do we really need dual-screen functionality added to classic RPG? Not really.


Being a series that is renowned for it's presentation, you'd think they'd opt for the PSP visuals but no...


FF1 and 2 have been remade 7 times already for the record @. @

The PSP versions have the same features of Origins and the GBA remakes, plus a few extra dungeons and of course, the beautifully rendered graphics.

Last I checked, FF3 wasn't doing so well either on the DS in terms of sales. For as fun as the game is (I do own it ^^) it is butt-ugly (N64 level 3D at best)

[Pai Pai Master]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

FFIII did fine on sales in Japan. Not New Super Mario Bros. good, but the typical sales for a big-selling DS game. It certainly did well enough, since Square Enix has been convinced to remake more of their classic Super Famicom RPGs for the platform.

The PSP's getting SE's leftovers because, up until this year, sales in Japan have been lackluster. PSP sales have been picking up and the console is generally the 3rd best selling platform each week, pulling about 40-50,000 units per week, and many retailers and analysts expect sales to boom once again after the release of the slimline PSP. In addition to getting a hugely anticipated game like Crisis Core, don't be surprised to see the platform get renewed third-party interest at TGS this year.

Sure, it's far behind the DS in terms of market penetration and at this point there's no reason to expect the PSP to ever overtake the DS in this handheld generation, but you have to give Sony credit for actually being the only other platform holder other than Nintendo to release a successful handheld console. I think most people even now are shocked to see 22,000,000 units under the PSP's belt, sales not typical of Nintendo-competitors like the GameGear, Wonderswan Color and Neo-Geo Pocket.

I think the PSP is a victim of Sony's own moderate, surprising success with the platform. Certainly if the PSP came out when it did and destroyed the DS sales from then until now it'd have much better third-party support, but I don't think the industry itself, particularly Japan, was prepared for more than one big handheld platform. Since the dawn of time, developers have focused pretty much exclusively to a Gameboy system of some sort. When it became apparent that the PSP wouldn't just be another failed competitor, it just confused the industry more, particularly with the DS' casual games philosophy and the PSP's desire to bring console-quality games to handhelds. Sony still suffers a certain lack of focus with the PSP platform, a problem which likely won't be resolved until a newer, less experimental iteration.

[Icemage]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

I think the PSP is a victim of Sony's own moderate, surprising success with the platform. Certainly if the PSP came out when it did and destroyed the DS sales from then until now it'd have much better third-party support, but I don't think the industry itself, particularly Japan, was prepared for more than one big handheld platform. Since the dawn of time, developers have focused pretty much exclusively to a Gameboy system of some sort. When it became apparent that the PSP wouldn't just be another failed competitor, it just confused the industry more, particularly with the DS' casual games philosophy and the PSP's desire to bring console-quality games to handhelds. Sony still suffers a certain lack of focus with the PSP platform, a problem which likely won't be resolved until a newer, less experimental iteration.

The PSP is its own worst enemy. The control scheme is too conservative; while I adore the graphic powerhouse that the PSP represents, I really despise that lame excuse for an analog stick. It reminds me too much of that stupid little mouse-pointer nub on some laptop keyboards.

The DS got one thing right: really, really cool controls. The stylus + touch sensitivity is awesome, and the microphone is nifty, too. The only thing I dislike about the DS is the split screen. I know it was a form factor issue to make the DS small and easy to hold, but I hate shifting attention between screens (not as much as I hate the analog nub on the PSP however).


Icemage

[Malacite]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

I hate the nub too, especially for Metal Gear: Portable Ops, but you get used to it @. @


Also, I forgot that Devil May Cry 4 is out soon ^^ (though I freaking HATE the shift on focus away from Dante to Nero)

[Yellow Mage]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

Minor nitpick, but Malacite guessed a while back that SSBB would be released on December 19th. It's actually December 3rd.

/em is a Shadowdancer

. . .

/em hides in plain sight

[Carter]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

...primarily for the prettier 360 version of FFXI and Halo 3 ^^).

Agree with Halo3 but FFXI on 360 looks no different from PC really

The only benefits I can tell you are:

1.) That it's pretty damn nice using the wireless controller + Keyboard combo compared with Mouse + Keyboard ,
2.) that it's nice playing the game on TV sat on the sofa rather than at a desk
3.) The complete game (& all three exp packs) is incredibly cheap now

Carter.

[Malacite]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

You have increased draw range and I believe 720p support. A friend of mine has both PC and 360 and swears by the 360 version.

[Malacite]

Re: The Last Weeks of August = Awesome for All Gamers

Go go Heavenly Sword!

10 GB of Sound Data!