It's time for a small digression. As some regular readers already know, a longtime Double Agent reader and contributor, Daniel Seltzer (that's his Deep Thought in the blue box) passed away on Sunday morning. I honestly didn't know him all that well, but he earned my respect and my friendship, and I don't ask much more of anyone. He will be missed, by family, by friends, and by me. I think my two best, more representative memories of Daniel both relate to the column. On one hand was the running joke that I had managed to work his name into every single column for the month of January. Looking back at them, I came pretty close. He sent me a letter every single day that month, most of them arguing with me about SaGa Frontier, and even when the letters batch for the day mostly sucked, there was at least one interesting, printable letter in there. Every day. The other thing I'll remember him for was his massive .sig file, which I always screwed up the line breaks on, for which he chewed me out regularly. The climax came, though, when he put forth this classic threat: "Screw the line breaks up again, Allan, and you're going to be inhaling a llama." I got it right from then on, believe you me. However you slice it, Daniel Seltzer was a nice, funny, smart guy who died far too young (fifteen years old), and will be sorely missed. I don't know if there's a Heaven, but if there is, I'm betting he's up there, making damn sure that Saint Peter spells "elephantine wonder" right. God rest you, Daniel. | Our home and native land | I noticed that you spell some words in the English style. Such as "favour"and several others. I also noticed you said you're in Canada. I put two andtwo together (Where did that phrase come from? I see only two facts here...),and I was just wondering...do you speak UK-English, or US-English? Hey, youcan be strait with me. Hey, you should be strait all the time, but that's ina different context. I don't really care, so you don't have to post thisletter. I just thought some other people might want to know. You know, oneof those things that you would find in a book full of useless knowledge. --Matt Elder |
Barring accent differences, Canadians pronounce things like Americans (though we pronounce "z" as Zed, not Zee). In written form, however, we follow British spelling rules: rumour instead of rumor, humour instead of humor, and so forth. We also use the metric system, but 99% of Canadians still measure their height in feet and inches anyway. Consequently, if I read this column aloud, it would sound completely normal, but in text, I tend to wander between US and British spelling conventions by accident, so it looks weird. Don't you feel enlightened now? | Short games and time spent | Allan- I just finished reading AV's History of Console RPGing and History ofFinal Fantasy over at videogames.com. Isn't it fun to take a stroll downmemory lane sometimes? [Ed. Note: yes, it is indeed.] Do you mind short games? By "short", I mean as compared to the normalRPG game length of around 40 hours or so. I myself don't mind them.Nothing irks me more than reading a review on a game like Parasite Eveof Metal Gear Solid and being told that I shouldn't buy it because I'llfinish it the next day. I don't have any researched facts to supportthis, but I seriously doubt that most RPGers have 15 or so hours withintwo days just to play their PSX, so I get a little pissed when someoneassumes that's the case. On a related note, how much time per day do YOU spend playing your PSX? I just completed Tales of Destiny today, which I had purchased 3 weeksago (playing time per day was sped up due to a sprained ankle), a coupleweeks after beating BFM. It was a decent diversion, but now I don't haveany RPGs to play for weeks until Lunar comes out! My question for you is"If a company had the foresight to schedule an RPG for the timeframewe're in right now, doesn't it seem like they could sell a decent amountof games?" I think that if the game was even just decent it would sell alot, simply because of lack of competition. _I'd_ probably buy it. -Brud |
My opinion of short games depends on how much I like the time I spent with them. For example, I spent countless hours hacking my way through 7th Saga, and I still felt ripped off. On the other hand, there are games I blazed through that I rate very highly indeed (MGS for one) simply because it rocked. The Fun-Per-Minute rate was really high, so I didn't mind that it ended quickly in comparison to some things. Moreover, I think there's a certain point where even a good game becomes a bit tedious. Wild Arms is the quintessential example of that, to my mind - a good game in and of itself, but I just got tired of it after a while. If they'd cut about five hours of gameplay, I'd have been fine, but as it stood, it felt dragged out and dull to me. I don't spend any time playing my PSX right now because it's broken. Which sucks most mightily. And as for RPG release dates, well, while I guess it would've been nice for someone to plan ahead and release a game during this little lull, it's not as if they companies were planning to have delays. Also, late January and February tend to be weak periods in the sales industry, so it does make good business sense not to release anything right this minute. | A totally shameless plug | Hey Allan. Since I work with you guys a good deal, I figured y'all might be interestedin RPGC (the Remote Prototype Gaming Colony), the PC/Console RPG news siteI'm running, is opening tonite. Hope to be workin' with ya again soon. Eric Kolb, a.k.a. Dygel RPGC |
Who, me? Plug another site in my column? Never.... ;) | Talking about Xenos | I have been reading the letters you have been posting on what makes a good translation, and I disagree with people calling Xenogears a bad translation because of how it was worded. I think Xenogears had a great translation because it explained the extremely complex story in an understandable way. FF7 had a much less complex story but to this day I don't understand half of it. it doesn't make sense. Xenogears made perfect, blissful sense and so I don't think the translation really could have been screwed up that bad. Also I have a question for you. Who do you think is the best couple in any RPG? I say Cecil and Rosa although Squall and Rinoa look promising. - Chris "Kain" |
Well, okay, that's a good point, though I think the clarity of the text degraded as the game went on. I thought the translation of Xenogears was superb at the start, peaked with the introduction of Hammer (MAD SKILLZ!), but I found the 2nd disc's dialogue generally lacked... spark. I also got seriously annoyed with the typos, which also become more and more frequent, because it's something so annoying, and something that could have been fixed very easily, and would have showed up during playtesting. It doesn't ruin the game by any means, but it's a nuisance. | Music talk | Hey Allan- Did Nobuo Uematsu compose the music for the opening movie of FinalFantasy VIII? If so, I'm astounded by Uematsu's maturation as amusician...I'm something of a composer myself, and that song isabsolutely amazing. It sounds like Verdi... - Edge
Bad, bad, bad, bad Square! Please explain to me why they chose to pay amillion dollars for the pure, utter, crap that is "Eyes on Me?" It soundslike a bad anime romance song sung by a Celine Dion imitator. Jonathan S.
Okei. I listened to Eyes on Me at least 3 times and my verdict is .... it'sgood. I like it. ^_^ The tune has a nostalgic feel; like it's from the60's or 70's. It's not that I'm a major fan of the songs from those eras oranything (I'm a fan of music from mid-80's and on, actually) but that'swhat the mood of the song makes me think of. ^^ Yet from what little BGM Ihave from FFVIII, I don't see how this song could really ... um ... fit inwith the soundtrack. I suppose we'll just have to see how well it goes withthe game sequence(s) it'll be played with. My only beef is about the radio recording itself. Actually, I should blameit on the Chinese DJ for this: WTF is it with the DIRE NEED to update theweather right in the MIDDLE of the freakin' song!? Well, the one piece ofuseful info that came out of the DJ's babbling was the announcement of thesingle's release date (Feb. 24th). I wonder how many people would think the Cantonese dialogue is part of EyesOn Me? =P Now on a somewhat related note~~Whee~! I got my Estpolis Denki II soundtrack on Saturday! Gods, I love themusic from Estpolis II! Everyone should too! +D (I still can't believeArtea's Japanese name *IS* Arty!! >< */me pukes*) Can't wait till EstpolisIII comes out! ^______________^ Kouryuu! |
Yes, the opening to FF8 was composed by Nobuo "Nobby" Uematsu. And yes, he is brilliant. As for Eyes On Me, well, I still don't like it. Sorry. I listened to the full radio version, and annoying DJ or no, it just seems pretty lame and whiny to me. Hey, maybe we'll hear it sung as a duet in one of those damnable Pavarotti and Friends specials... Estopolis (aka Lufia) music rocks muchly, though. | Evil is sexy | Hey Seb, remember those days when it seemed like guys who were jerks gotall of the girls? Well, for better or for worse, it looks like they'regone: forever lost in the passage of time. Now, you've got to be apsychopath to really get their attention. Take a look at the craze thatsurrounded Sephiroth. Here's a character who's undependable, arrogant,certifiable, a freak of nature (what can you do with only one wing? Flapabout uselessly like Hawkman?), and he only says around ten coherent linesthroughout the game. Yet, for some obscure reason, he drives girls crazy(Can you honestly admit you don't know five girls who want to bear hischild? I could probably name ten off the top of my head). But sadly,Sephiroth isn't an oddity in today's game/anime filled world. Otherexamples include such characters as Dark Schneider and Magus amidst manyothers, (although it's a lot more understandable why chicks would dig DS) With this tragic turn in our society, I offer up this grim prediction:from now on, girls will be dumping not only nice guys, but also jerks inthe hopes of meeting their "One Winged Angel" (Why do you think so manypeople hate FF7? They were probably dumped by their girlfriends, orboyfriends). And someday when he does come, he'll probably give them onenight of great sex before: killing everyone they know, burning down theirhometowns, and casting them aside, condemning them to die alone and unloved(seeing as every guy who might have married them is already dead andburied). HA! That'll show them. So, in light of the above, I have a question for you. Do you think Ishould grow long hair and go on a psychopathic rampage? And if so, whereshould I start? Secret Asian Man |
If it were anyone else, S-A-M, I'd give it serious consideration. I mean, hey, evil is sexy. Whitebread heroes are yesterday's news. If you want to score with the chicks, you've gotta have a scarred, but smooth and muscular chest. You need a massive sword, but enough confidence to use it without it seeming like compensation for lacks in other attributes. You need a badass attitude and evil, dazzling eyes. But you're the Secret Asian Man, so you've got two other cachets that you can use to score - the Jackie Chan effect (he always scores in his movies), and the James Bond Aura that all good secret agents radiate. | A special companion | Hey! Love, you say? Well, what if we dont have a special someone to share Valentines Day with? Why, the answer is simple! Share it with someTHING...A RPG, that is! Do you like the adventurous, outgoing type? Then cuddle up with a little Suikoden. Or are you fond of the romantic type, who has a deep personality and likes talking a lot? Embrace Xenogears with love. Maybe you like the smart type, one who gives you intellectual stimulation? Ask Final Fantasy Tactics on a Valentines date! Or do you like the musicians, thes ones who live on music, failing to make it "big", but always say they gotta believe! Meet Parappa the Rapper. (not a RPG, but who cares?:)) Oh, I know what you want....You want passion, you want to walk on the wild side!! Well then, watch the FF8 intro movie, she will give you a video game high.... Ahh, RPG's......Even if you don't have that special someone, you have the next best thing! :) Ice_Man_Ash |
Hey, why restrict yourself to RPGs? There's a mountain of games out there! Why, just consider all the similarities between sex and Bomberman! Top 5 Similarites Between Getting Some and Bomberman 1. Both are enhanced by background music. 2. You never tell anybody that you got the boot. 3. You can't wait to use the "glove of love." 4. It's not as much fun in one-player mode. 5. It can last for hours, but it never seems more than a few minutes. Top 5 Differences Between Getting Some and Bomberman 1. Only two players--but a LOT more interactive. 2. The controllers are more fun to hold. 3. Getting to the next level means more than just a new set of enemies. 4. You're GLAD when you lose articles on your person. 5. Setting your date on fire is considered bad etiquette.
Closing comments From solemnity to total insanity and perversion, you see it all here at Double Agent. Your thoughts and rants are, as always, appreciated. 'Til then, I'll see you tomorrow. - The Double Agent | | | |
