E3 looms - May 6, 2000 - Andrew Kaufmann
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this column are those of
the participants and the moderator, and do not necessarily reflect
those of the GIA. There is coarse language and potentially offensive
material afoot. Don't you hate it when you order a milk shake, then
realize you really felt like a lemonade? Don't say we didn't warn
you.
It's finals time in school, so pardon me if I'm a bit cranky. You
know how it goes this time of year.
| The E3 basics |
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Yo AK,
I don't know if this is a really stupid question or not, but
just where exactly is E3 being held? And is it open to the public
or is it just a press thing. Or, do they do a press day the
first day and then allow the general public in like other shows?
Finally, how does one get in, by just randomly showing up or
getting tickets or something?
If you can answer my questions, I'll send you some cookies.
--The Steve
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Hooray for easy questions! Keeps me from having to think very hard.
E3 is being held in Los Angeles, and is not open to the public. Only
credentialed press and industry members are allowed.
| Dreamcast and RPGs |
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I'm just gonna ask you this point-blank:
Looking at the RPG future of the machine, is it worth it to
buy a Dreamcast, in your opinion? I'm about to get a nice, big,
juicy tax refund check and I need to know if I should get one.
I know about PSO and Eternal Arcadia, but do you think they
are good enough to justify a system purchase to a somewhat cash
starved college student?
Of course I could just use Code Veronica as a justification...but
I got burned on the N64 using Zelda the same way...
-JWH
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Good question. Being a cash-starved college student myself, I'd have
to say with all honesty I'd advise waiting a bit on getting a Dreamcast.
They're not going anywhere for a while, and the RPG scene will likely
look brighter in the future. Eternal Arcadia, Evolution 2, and Phantasy
Star Online are all attractive titles, but since we're talking here
and now, is rather moot. Ditto for Shen Mue.
I'd put that money aside for something else (dinner at a nice restaurant
with a nice girl?) and get your Dreamcast fill at a later date. Besides,
you never know when a price drop will pop up.
| Scritch scratch |
|
AK, PLEASE YOU HAVE TO HELP ME!!!!
I didn't know where else to turn. I'm playing through FF7 again
and I'm at the part where I just beat the Diamond Weapon before
he got to Midgar. Afterwards the CD encounters a scratch in
the CD. I think its minor because it doesn't stop at the same
place every time. Is there anything I can do to ensure that
my playstation has a better chance of overcoming the scratch???
THANKS,
PurpleDrag0n
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Tragically, when a CD is scratched, it's a very sick little object.
I'm assuming you've already tried cleaning it with a CD cleaning solution.
If you haven't, try that. I've also seen some things for sale that
claim to "fix" CD scratches, but I don't know if they work
on black faced PSX CDs (or if they even work at all). Ask at your
local Blockbuster or something.
Sorry I couldn't be much more help. Good luck!
| Replay value |
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I just recently picked up Castlevania Symphony of the Night
for $15 after all these years. It's one hell of a great game,
but it got me thinking about one of the most important qualities
of an RPG -- replay value, and the different things it means
to different people.
Castlevania: SOTN has an endless amount of secrets and extras
that you can find and do after completing the game, but does
that and that alone give the game replay value? To me it doesn't...
I couldn't care less about a hidden item or a secret area, or
even an alternate ending. To me those aren't incentives to replay
a game. I've replayed Final Fantasy 4 and 6 more times over
the years than I've PLAYED other games... and why? These games
have few if any secrets, alternate paths, or alternate endings.
The reason I keep replaying those games is the story and characters...
I got really attached to Cecil, Locke, Kain, and Celes... I
thought that those two games had very moving stories happening
to likeable characters.
I'm using SOTN as an example here, but I'm speaking of RPGs,
Chrono Trigger is perhaps a better example. There's no denying
that the game was fun, but were the characters that likeable?
In my opinion, no... they were an absolute extreme example of
RPG character stereotyping (the spikey-haired hero, the rebellious
princess, the machine with a heart of gold) and got absolutely
no affection from me. So we had a game with 1-dimentional characters
and a so-so storyline with a bunch of cheapo alternate endings
that were supposed to make us play through it again and again
and again. To me that just isn't replay value. You should replay
an RPG because you enjoyed it, like re-reading one of your favorite
books... not because you missed a few secrets.
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I'm going to have to totally agree with you. Castlevania: SOTN is
a very enjoyable game, but I found its replay value to be nil, much
as you did. I think another factor in a game's replay value is how
many plot nuances there are that can be picked up on only during a
replay.
Your analogy to a book is a good one, and I'd like to take it a step
further with a comparison to movies. I think a game's replay value
is like a movie's replay value. I'd be far more likely to watch a
movie a second time because I found it incredibly enjoyable and because
I wanted to experience the fun a second time than because I wanted
to catch a small and insignificant detail I missed the first time.
If only video games had fast forward buttons.
| Give him a muzzle? |
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I never really like the smashing pumpkins, I mean what is the
big deal with them. They are great at writing music, but I cannot
stand Billy's voice. I will give them credit that their instrumentals
are purely amazing, but I don't really like Billy's voice. That
is just from a standing point of being a lead singer myself.
I am sure they are great live though. If you want a good singer
though with good instrumentals, you go to either Kurt Cobain,
Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, or Adam Duritz of Counting Crows.
If you are looking for instrumentals and vocals, then just go
to Counting Crows. Well that is my little speech on music. Peace
Out.
-Loki-
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I'm going to have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of Billy Corgan's
voice myself. He's hard to sing along to, and he tends to screech,
and his singing voice just isn't really that great. That having been
said, I love the Smashing Pumpkins anyway. His voice, while not the
prettiest flower in the rosebush, seems to somehow fit the songs in
such a way that it doesn't bother me much. It helps that the vocal
melodies he writes are excellent.
But their real appeal is in the guitars. Billy and James Iha are
a pair of awesome guitarists, and they make an incredible pair, bouncing
between rhythm and lead, often within the same song. Add Jimmy Chamberlain's
impressive drum work and solid if unspectacular bass, and you have
a great combination.
The singers you named aren't my personal favorites, but they're not
bad. I like their stuff. Of course, don't get me started on who I
think produces the best vocal/instrumental combination... (here's
a hint: R.E.M.).
| Code breaker |
| How do they come up with the passwords on "Super
Castlevania IV"? You know, the grid with the axes, hearts, and
holy waters. Is there some specific thing where each symbol means
how many lives you have and all that? Or is it just random? The
only reason I ask is that I've never seen the same code repeated,
and I've never gotten one by random guessing. If anyone would
know, I'd figured someone there would. Please help me, I'm going
nuts.
- Gaspar Minga
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A fine question. I remember asking myself this once many years ago,
but it gave me a headache, so I stopped worrying about it. The question
has resurfaced, though, and guess what! It's giving me a headache!
I imagine that there's some sort of funky deal, where certain symbols
in certain combinations create the players game position, others for
character status, etc. Or something like that. That's a really cruddy
explanation. Can anyone do a better job?
Closing Comments:
Send me some letters for tomorrow... but save your Arch Nemesis thing
for Chris. That's his cup o' tea. It only confuses me. Take care!
-Andrew Kaufmann
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