Double Agent

Okay, let's keep this snappy.

Despite people laughing at me for playing it, I'm still wallowing in Symphony of the Night. I'm not terribly good at it, but damn, is it ever fun. I'm currently hunting for Crissaegrims (okay, one will do). Oh, but that's a fine weapon.

Some of you may notice that this column is slightly shorter than is my usual. Well, there's two reasons for that. First of all, I didn't have anything to really rant about tonight. Second, I spent a lot of time this weekend preparing for a special new feature, and writing up a Vault entry that should be posted up within a week. I think. I'll check the schedule.

So, in light of that, the "watch the blue box" reminder is being formally put off until next weekend, when I will leave you aghast and agog at my skill with words and innovation. Okay, not really. But it'll be nifty, and it will be done. It's just that the things I'm already committed to doing, like this column, always come before the new feature on the block.

All that aside, I've got some letters to answer, including the list of my top 10 PSX games, so duck and cover, since I'll sure as hell get flak over some of my choices...

Dreamcast RPGs are where, exactly?

Ten will get you twenty there have been gay characters in Japanese RPGsthat never got translated, but I can't recall any gay characters fromAmerican RPGs off the top of my head. There were insinuations about somecharacter or another in one of the Lunar games, and Amon (was that hisname? I think so) in Albert Odyssey was a trifle on the effeminate side(the bit in the inn in the desert was pretty funny), but I don't thinkthere's ever been a character who was fully out of the closet.

And now, a question. Is it me, or is there a paucity of RPGs for theDreamcast? We have Evolution, which seems to be something along the linesof Nethack with lovely graphics, Climax Landers, which should be prettygood, Grandia 2, which isn't coming out for over a year at the inside, andthat's it. I write previews for a Sega website, and in three or fourweeks on the job I seem to have written about nothing but fighting andracing games. It's getting me down. Perhaps Sega ought to look intocommissioning ports of American PC productions, if they can't get supportfrom Japanese console developers. I seem to recall BioWare mentioning intheir interview with Next Generation that they were considering thepossibility of porting Baldur's Gate to Dreamcast, for example. I'venever played the game myself; do you or anyone you know have any idearegarding the feasibility of playing it on a console?

Regards,

Rev. Dr. David Francis Smith.


Though I'm really lost as to where the Evolution is like Nethack bit comes from, your point is taken. As it stands, the Dreamcast's focus seems to be firmly on the genres that Sega has traditionally cleaned house in - fighting games, racing games, and most importantly, sports games. Locking up the sports market wins them a hefty share of the US and worldwide market. Tending to their RPG prospects wins them sales in Japan, and that's about it. I'm disappointed that there's so few RPGs for the DC now, and in the offing, but I understand why this is so.

As for Baldur's Gate on Dreamcast, I'm afraid I haven't played it either, though from what I've seen of the tech specs, it's nothing a DC can't handle. The playability side, though, I just don't know about. Heavy keyboard emphasis could spell doom for a console port.

Strategy games for NES and SNES

*gasp!* A letter for GIA that's actually on topic and doesn't bash [insert game title here]! Anyway, I give thee a simple request. Do you know of any good 2-player strategy games for the NES or Super NES? I suck at 'em, but occasionally I'm lucky at 'em.


Well, there's MULE for NES, the grandaddy of all multiplayer strategy games. It's looking pretty dated now, but the gameplay is rock-solid. Archon for NES is pretty fun. And... er... well, multi-player strategy for consoles are pretty rare. Traditionally, they've been one player only, like Ogre Battle, or the Koei games. Beyond the two I mentioned, I'm honestly drawing a blank. Help?

Are you a bad enough dude to beat Legaia?

You're missing one point... Legaia may not be the toughest game ever..but it's the toughest RPG to come out in quite some time. I've playedRPGs since DQ1 (I'm really tired of this "veteran RPG-fan" crap, butmaybe that'll come later) and it is a hard game, especially after thestuff that's been out lately (not to say it's bad.. just easy lately).Besides... I kinda like them easier. Say this were a book... would theheroes really wander around for three years fighting random battles sothey could fight the next boss? I doubt it.

-Brad Williams


Then again, you can't screw up and "lose" a book. Challenge of gameplay is something unique to games, and comparing it to other media just doesn't work. With the exception of some of James Joyce's novels, you don't have to work at reading a book. The outcome and the effect will not be affected in any way by how much time you spend on it. On the flipside, you do get better at games as time goes on. In RPGs, you build up characters. There's just no equivalent in terms of books, so comparing them doesn't work.

Be that as it may, I sympathize that fighting random battles isn't all that fun. SLADE wrote in to say that LoL is hard as hell if you never level build at all, and I bet he's right. I certainly don't begrudge LoL being hard - reasonable challenge in games is a Good Thing, and being harder than most is a distinction.

Front Mission 3 multiplayer

Dennis Harpen ask if Front Mission 3 might have a two player mode. Since Ihad Front Mission 2, it DID have a battle mode of some sort. ( can't test itbeacuse I only had one control) By the way, I skip Super Bowl to play FinalFantasy VI


If it's anything like the original, Front Mission, the two-player mode would be restricted to the Arena battles between Vanzers. FM3's two player mode, I imagine, would be the same. Personally, I'm hoping that FM3 introduces proper two-player modes, like Kartia does. I have my gripes with that game, but damn, that was a nice feature.

My picks of the litter

Hey Fucko (hehe),

You mentioned how CV:SotN is "one of the ten best games on thePlaystation.", so I was wondering if you could give us your own top tenlist. Unless you've done so before. In which case, just completelydisregard this. Thanks anyway. :)

just some guy


Ooooo, tough one. Please note that these aren't the games I think all of you should fall on your knees and worship. Heaven forfend, some of them aren't RPGs. But I had a blast with them, so in random order, here are my top 10 PSX games.

1. Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo (the most fun you can have outside a hottub with Catherine Zeta-Jones)

2. Metal Gear Solid (I trust I don't need to explain this)

3. Advanced VG 2 (2D anime-styled import fighter, with an all-female cast, and cutscenes so inexplicable that I nearly had a stroke laughing at them)

4. Final Fantasy Tactics (Orlandu crucifies the play balance, but it kicks booty anyway)

5. PaRappa the Rapper (I gotta believe!)

6. Xenogears (zero replay value, but I really got into it at the time)

7. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (I explained why before)

8. Fantastic Four (I give equal-opportunity for shit games on my top ten list)

9. Gran Turismo (the perfect racing game)

10. Silent Hill (atmosphere, sheer atmosphere)

Man, there's not very many RPGs on this list, are there? I note that I have played every RPG for US PSX, short Legend of Legaia, and while I enjoyed most of them, none of them addicted me quite as thoroughly and completely as the above games, or (in the case of SH and AVG2), made a major impression on me in a relatively small period of time.

Due to space considerations, I'd rather not see top ten lists from everyone. If this inspires you to send off your top picks, keep them restrained to three or five, please.

FF8 preorders are ninja go!

Hello! ^_^

In responce to a request for a FF8 preorder date, I have info that would be helpful.

See, the good folks at EB will start taking preorders.... now. As far as I know, all US/CA EB stores should be able to (they take money for it in EB stores in Ontario). That's right, they have started already. I preordered a copy myself about two weeks ago. EB DOES have FF8 on their database, though they do not have a release date or a sales price yet. Also, some extra preorder "goodies" may be included, as I've been told.

-Dell


Cool beans. I'll head down to EB tomorrow, then...

Where's BSM? and other mysteries

Zoiya Allan. ^^

First, did BSM die during his trip that was mentioned in the Sketch Artist?If he didn't, someone is going to go and kill him for not updating thesection (not me though ... O_o), so tell him to hide.

BSM was, in fact, attacked during his trip by a white-furred Siberian tiger, one which we believe was drugged and sent after Mr. M as an attempt to eliminate him as inconspicuously as possible. How a Siberian tiger attacking someone in North America qualifies as inconspicuous, don't ask me. Brian M. managed to subdue the tiger with his power, fast-acting hypnosis technique, but not before being severely mauled on the leg and torso by the tiger. He's in recovery now, doing great, but that's why Sketch Artist is so late.

Secondly, what are some of your favorite Xenogears quotes? The Xeno quoteslist on GIA is just so awesome. Googily awesome too! *GOOG!*

And can you guess the meaning of goog, yuu (hint: yuu is a verb), goatwop(hint: another verb) and MONK! (with that capitalization and !) ?

-Keiiii


Great googily moogily!

Basically, all my favourite Xenogears quotes are everything Hammer says. The rest of the cast can come and go, but man, Hammer rocks.

"yuu" means to slash something with the broken-off head of a rake, goatwop means to track down a female goat and dress it up in Victoria's Secret lingerie, MONK! is the last thing you say after you lift up the Pope's robes as a joke, and "goog" is short form for Gugenheim.


Closing comments

I love my socks in ways your simple minds cannot comprehend. So sad. Some day, I will share the wisdom of the Lint with you. For now, I bid you all to remove your socks and to walk in sandals until you are one with the true meaning of Sock.

- Allan Milligan

 
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