I'm quite positive that the last thing anyone wants to talk about with anyone else are dreams, religion, and politics. I avoid discussing the latter two because the majority of people are quite fond of bigotry and talking about their opinions for a long, long, long (Read: long, long, long) time.
Still, I don't mind talking about my dreams to people who care. Some of my dreams are actually kind of awesome, fueled by my punishing imagination and anime-watching habits. (I'm looking at YOU, Blue Exorcist)
So here was a dream I had last week.
Here is a dream I had last week.
There was a group of archaeologists, Kyo, Kevin, Marks, and Liliana, on a search for a mystical ruin rumored not to even exist at all. As they were exploring an old building for some artifact, Kyo accidentally sat down on a button. The button opened a door, and the group went through it and found themselves walking down a stone staircase. At the bottom, they saw a magical ruin that looked just like the one they had been told about.
Kyo saw a crystal.
"Oh look, a crystal!" he said.
"Don't touch it!" Kevin shouted.
Kyo touched it.
The world around them began to shake and the air rippled like water. A shock wave came from the crystal, knocking them all back and rendering them unconscious.
Liliana and Kyo woke up and found themselves in the ruin, but the crystal was gone and everything looked . . . changed. They saw a person walking around in fancy and old-looking clothes and asked where they were. When the person answered, L and K realized that they were 500 years in the past.
Meanwhile, Kevin and Marks woke up to find themselves in the ruin, but completely surrounded by desert. There was no life to be seen. They walked through the sands and almost died running into a strange shadow creature. A nomad rescued them and said that a strange energy had been released, causing horrible creatures to walk the earth and causing the earth to turn to dust (kind of like my novel. Direct influence, yes). Kevin and Marks were 500 years in the future.
Later, the two groups realized that they could get in contact with each other through strange warps in time, probably caused by crystal explosion. Together, they work with the time line in order to restore the world back to normal, while also trying to get back to their own time period. (FF XIII-2, I'm sure)
It was actually pretty cool. Kyo fell in love with Liliana, Kevin and Marks became very good at riding camels, and Kyo died his hair red and got some strange accent.
----
I love it when my dreams have plot. This was one of my better ones. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this filler post. I will come up with something much better when I'm not dying of writer's block.
*Throws squid*
Electrocute!
*squid shoots electricity from tentacles*
Now, pose!
*squid poses, with fireworks exploding in background*
Booyah.
May all of your squids be as cool as mine,
Esther
Showing posts with label Final Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Final Fantasy. Show all posts
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Final Fantasy XIII-2 Review
Hello my friends! Recently, I just finished playing Final Fantasy XIII-2, the sequel to the promising but ill-carried out Final Fantasy XIII. If you read my other blog at all, you'll know that I found FF XIII to be rather disappointing. Still, I looked for the sequel to redeem itself. Did it?
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Genre: RPG
Pros: Beautiful graphics; exciting gameplay, plenty of sidequests, good monster catching system, manages to pull off time travel in a fun way; replay value
Cons: Poorly developed characters fail to give story emotion depth, side quests almost impossible without manual, frustrating ending, gathering some materials for leveling too difficult; Snow is in it.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 takes place after its predecessor ended, of course. After people left Cocoon to live on Gran Pulse, things have gotten pretty quiet. Serah is pretty content too: she's getting married to her fiance, she has a good teacher job, and everybody loves her.
The only bad thing is that her sister Lightning has gone missing, but she is the only one who noticed. Everyone else thinks that Lightning died fighting on Cocoon, but Serah is positve that Lightning had given Snow and Serah her blessing -- a memory only she remembers. Snow believes her eventually and he leaves her to find Lightning.
Turns out Lightning has been chosen by the goddess Etro to kick evil's butt, so she is in place that is rather inaccessable because its inbetween time and space or something like that. So she sends Noel, a young man with a beautiful face but hideous pants, to get Serah and bring her back to Lightning. Noel comes from a future he is determined to make sure never happens -- via time travel! And Serah wants to find Lightning -- via time travel! So they hook up and ultimately try to save the world.
Plot
This may sound kind of convuluted, but XIII-2 does a very good job with the whole time travel thing. Even though you are going through dozens of different time periods, they all link together in a believable way. However, time travel has never made for a very . . . tangible story line. Since anything can happen and technically be reversed, you can't get attached to anything. Because it tries so hard to keep time straight, the actual plot is actually very simple and lacks any real development. However, I like the plot more than XIII more because XIII-2 is not deliberately trying to confuse you. Barely any references to L'cie, Fal Cie, Cieth or any other "CIE" here.
The simplicity is what makes it work. Honestly if the plot were any more complicated, it would die.
You will feel cheated with the ending. There are fragments that are scattered throughout the game, and if you collect them all, you'll get a better ending, but only after you beat the main story line. Which means you'll have to watch the "bad" ending and just might be yelling at your TV at the humanity of it all.
Characters
Characters are one of this game's downfalls. There isn't much character development, probably because the game can be completed in many different orders because of time travel. If an aspect of character development were one thing in one era, but different when you go to a different place, there would be continuity issues. Still, it's disappointing. It's hard to cheer for characters you don't care for much. The strongest characters in the game are Noel and Caius, the latter being the villain of the game. Noel and Caius have a backstory that is revealed and has good emotion. I actually began to like Caius because he was only fueled by his love for a single girl, and I'm not spoiling this because it is obvious from the beginning.
Serah is adorable and strong-willed, but that is about it. She doesn't grow like Lightning did in the previous game. I like her, but she is pretty 2-dimensional.
There are cool side characters too. Hope and Alyssa were an awesome duo, and had interesting character quirks.
Snow was included in this game and because of that I hate the game more. Snow might just be the worst FF character in the history of FF characters. He is obnoxious and cliche, and I hate his voice-actor. He treats his fiance like a younger sister, rather than a lover. To make it worse, he treats her like she can't do anything of value. I loathe him to death. There is no chemistry between the two. Final Fantasy VIII this is not.
Music
I miss Nobou. Still, the track of this game is pretty good. Not a memorable track in the game, but the ambiance is good enough. The song played while fighting the giant Flan was so ridiculous it made me laugh, but it was the only bad song in the bunch.
Gameplay
The game keeps the fighting system like its predecessor, except more polished. So that means it is awesome. Leveling up is a lot easier than in the previous game.
If you've always wanted to be a Pokemon master like me, this game is a dream come true. You can capture monsters, train them, and use them in battle. For the first time you can have a chocobo consistently fight at your side, valiantly "KWEH"-ing as he stabs your enemies through the heart with his perfectly manicured talons. Or maybe you want a giant robot? Or a giant cactar? Or a tonberry? You must have them. Sometimes the materials you need to make your creatures grow are too difficult to obtain, which is frustrating.
You'll spend a lot of time capturing and training monsters, but that isn't all the game has to offer. Besides the main story line, there are also plenty of sidequests. But unfortunately, most of them are fetch quests, and you get tired of stealing the Jewel of Thadmus off the Cliff of Eternity after a while. Or fetching a watch. (Seriously? A watch?!) Most quests have you go look for an item, but do not give you directions, so you bumble about in search of them. The bad thing is that the items are often in DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS, so not only do you have to search ground, you have to search time. Not having a manual will make the task almost impossible.
There is also a place called Serendipity where you can gamble and race that Chocobo you have been training all this time. Chocobo races are awesome, and a good call back to VII.
You can also reset levels and beat them over, which unlocks alternate endings to the game. These endings are fun, but honestly unsatisfying.
OVERALL
FF XIII-2 improves on its predecessor in every way. The characters are less obnoxious, but they don't develop much at all. Snow is so annoying I want to shoot him. Noel is a sexy beast though, and kind of reduces the Snow thing. Caius in all his purple and feathery glory will kind of melt your heart and then stab it with his Soul Calibur-esque sword. Gameplay is much improved, but monotonous side quests are detrimental. The ending will make you sad for many reasons. I won't gives spoilers.
I still continue to play the game, collecting my fragments. I need to get some money so I can get a downloadable outfit for Noel. His pants make me sad.
NOEL: Whaddid you say 'bout my pants?
Nothing, Noel. Go back to being eye candy.
NOEL: Mm'kay.
*sighs* He needs a woman.
FINAL SCORE
8.5/10
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Genre: RPG
Pros: Beautiful graphics; exciting gameplay, plenty of sidequests, good monster catching system, manages to pull off time travel in a fun way; replay value
Cons: Poorly developed characters fail to give story emotion depth, side quests almost impossible without manual, frustrating ending, gathering some materials for leveling too difficult; Snow is in it.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 takes place after its predecessor ended, of course. After people left Cocoon to live on Gran Pulse, things have gotten pretty quiet. Serah is pretty content too: she's getting married to her fiance, she has a good teacher job, and everybody loves her.
The only bad thing is that her sister Lightning has gone missing, but she is the only one who noticed. Everyone else thinks that Lightning died fighting on Cocoon, but Serah is positve that Lightning had given Snow and Serah her blessing -- a memory only she remembers. Snow believes her eventually and he leaves her to find Lightning.
Turns out Lightning has been chosen by the goddess Etro to kick evil's butt, so she is in place that is rather inaccessable because its inbetween time and space or something like that. So she sends Noel, a young man with a beautiful face but hideous pants, to get Serah and bring her back to Lightning. Noel comes from a future he is determined to make sure never happens -- via time travel! And Serah wants to find Lightning -- via time travel! So they hook up and ultimately try to save the world.
Plot
This may sound kind of convuluted, but XIII-2 does a very good job with the whole time travel thing. Even though you are going through dozens of different time periods, they all link together in a believable way. However, time travel has never made for a very . . . tangible story line. Since anything can happen and technically be reversed, you can't get attached to anything. Because it tries so hard to keep time straight, the actual plot is actually very simple and lacks any real development. However, I like the plot more than XIII more because XIII-2 is not deliberately trying to confuse you. Barely any references to L'cie, Fal Cie, Cieth or any other "CIE" here.
The simplicity is what makes it work. Honestly if the plot were any more complicated, it would die.
You will feel cheated with the ending. There are fragments that are scattered throughout the game, and if you collect them all, you'll get a better ending, but only after you beat the main story line. Which means you'll have to watch the "bad" ending and just might be yelling at your TV at the humanity of it all.
Characters
Characters are one of this game's downfalls. There isn't much character development, probably because the game can be completed in many different orders because of time travel. If an aspect of character development were one thing in one era, but different when you go to a different place, there would be continuity issues. Still, it's disappointing. It's hard to cheer for characters you don't care for much. The strongest characters in the game are Noel and Caius, the latter being the villain of the game. Noel and Caius have a backstory that is revealed and has good emotion. I actually began to like Caius because he was only fueled by his love for a single girl, and I'm not spoiling this because it is obvious from the beginning.
Serah is adorable and strong-willed, but that is about it. She doesn't grow like Lightning did in the previous game. I like her, but she is pretty 2-dimensional.
There are cool side characters too. Hope and Alyssa were an awesome duo, and had interesting character quirks.
Snow was included in this game and because of that I hate the game more. Snow might just be the worst FF character in the history of FF characters. He is obnoxious and cliche, and I hate his voice-actor. He treats his fiance like a younger sister, rather than a lover. To make it worse, he treats her like she can't do anything of value. I loathe him to death. There is no chemistry between the two. Final Fantasy VIII this is not.
Music
I miss Nobou. Still, the track of this game is pretty good. Not a memorable track in the game, but the ambiance is good enough. The song played while fighting the giant Flan was so ridiculous it made me laugh, but it was the only bad song in the bunch.
Gameplay
The game keeps the fighting system like its predecessor, except more polished. So that means it is awesome. Leveling up is a lot easier than in the previous game.
If you've always wanted to be a Pokemon master like me, this game is a dream come true. You can capture monsters, train them, and use them in battle. For the first time you can have a chocobo consistently fight at your side, valiantly "KWEH"-ing as he stabs your enemies through the heart with his perfectly manicured talons. Or maybe you want a giant robot? Or a giant cactar? Or a tonberry? You must have them. Sometimes the materials you need to make your creatures grow are too difficult to obtain, which is frustrating.
You'll spend a lot of time capturing and training monsters, but that isn't all the game has to offer. Besides the main story line, there are also plenty of sidequests. But unfortunately, most of them are fetch quests, and you get tired of stealing the Jewel of Thadmus off the Cliff of Eternity after a while. Or fetching a watch. (Seriously? A watch?!) Most quests have you go look for an item, but do not give you directions, so you bumble about in search of them. The bad thing is that the items are often in DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS, so not only do you have to search ground, you have to search time. Not having a manual will make the task almost impossible.
There is also a place called Serendipity where you can gamble and race that Chocobo you have been training all this time. Chocobo races are awesome, and a good call back to VII.
You can also reset levels and beat them over, which unlocks alternate endings to the game. These endings are fun, but honestly unsatisfying.
OVERALL
FF XIII-2 improves on its predecessor in every way. The characters are less obnoxious, but they don't develop much at all. Snow is so annoying I want to shoot him. Noel is a sexy beast though, and kind of reduces the Snow thing. Caius in all his purple and feathery glory will kind of melt your heart and then stab it with his Soul Calibur-esque sword. Gameplay is much improved, but monotonous side quests are detrimental. The ending will make you sad for many reasons. I won't gives spoilers.
I still continue to play the game, collecting my fragments. I need to get some money so I can get a downloadable outfit for Noel. His pants make me sad.
NOEL: Whaddid you say 'bout my pants?
Nothing, Noel. Go back to being eye candy.
NOEL: Mm'kay.
*sighs* He needs a woman.
FINAL SCORE
8.5/10
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
My 10 Favorite Video Games -- Part 2
Hello and welcome to the second and final part of my super-special-awesome countdown, spawned from the blackest depths of my perpetual writer's block. Last post, I included some of my favorite games, and while my list of favorites is somewhat protean, I think I did a pretty good job with it. There are so many good games out there, I feel guilty for only listing ten. Enough will my rambling! Commence the countdown music!
COUNTDOWN MUSIC: Uptown girl/she's been living in her uptown world/I bet she's never met a backstreet guy/I bet her momma never told her why--
Ah, the countdown music seems to be broken. I'll have to fix that later. To number five!
NUMBER FIVE: Day of the Tentacle
Day of the Tentacle is one of the most hilarious games I've had the pleasure of playing. In it, a mad scientist's pet tentacle drinks toxic waste, causing it to turn into an intelligent and very evil madman (madtentacle?). The only way to solve this dilemma? Time travel, of course! This doesn't work and, after accidentally sending three different teens to three different eras of time, the teens must work and find their way back to the present while also trying to destroy a future in which evil tentacles rule the world.
This game is kind of old. In fact, it debuted a year before I was born. I grew up watching my mom play this game, so it is really close to my heart. This was created when Lucas Arts was the leader in media entertainment, when point and click games were still cool. And they are STILL cool, dagnabit! If you want a laugh and a unique gaming experience, this is an excellent game to choose. The main characters are so funny, you get to make fun of George Washington, and learn the glories of hamster power. Rodent power is the way of the future. We should all just get a bunch of hamster wheels and attach them to generators.
On a side note, it takes me a while to beat these types of games because I have no puzzle skills, and point and clicks are ultimately puzzle games (Unless you are playing Myst. Still trying to figure that one out).
NUMBER FOUR: The Curse of Monkey Island
The Curse of Monkey Island is one of the many installments in the Monkey Island series, and it is the best one. I've played it four times and I still laugh every time I play it. Guybrush Threepwood, pirate extraordinaire, has been lost at sea for a very long time, and is in search of his beloved Elaine. His ship is a bumper car, which has not sunk for some reason while in the MIDDLE OF AN OCEAN. He floats into an epic battle between Pirate Lechuck, undead dude, who is trying in vain to capture Elaine once again. Things get hairy, Guybrush accidentally turns his love into a gold statue, and then she is stolen by pirates.Things get even more fun from there. If you are willing to watch 7 minutes, here is the (very funny) intro.
For a nineties game, the graphics are great, and the art is beautiful. I love the art style, and wish they would have kept it in the future installments. This is probably the best point and click game ever made, so if you play one, pick this one. You don't really need to have played the previous games before it, although it gives relevance. The soundtrack is also really pretty. I never got tired of listening to it.
Also, his name is Guybrush Threepwood.
Why would you not play this game?
Ico is the prequel to Shadow of the Colossus, and it is one of the most beautiful games of all time. It stars a young boy named Ico, who was born with horns. In his village, if a boy is born with horns, he is dubbed a sacrifice and taken to a monumental castle and placed into a sarcophagus that will slowly eats his flesh. Luckily, poor Ico escapes from him tomb and finds a young girl, and together they try to find their way out of the mystic castle. Unfortunately, the girl is not meant to leave the castle, and her mother, the master of the castle, sends strange shadow beings to bring her back. Will Ico be able to protect the girl and also save himself?
One of the cool aspects of the game is that there is practically no dialogue. Barely any words pass between Ico and Yorda (name changes depending on translation) and yet they grow such a powerful bond throughout the game. In addition, Yorda has the athletic ability of a potato. In order to get through the game, you have to manipulate the surroundings to make them suit her so she can get around. Sometimes she just can't climb a ledge, and that's when you can have Ico reach his hand down to her, and call for her to grab his hand. One time, I had a shadow being come and grab Yorda just as she had grabbed Ico's hand, and the drama of wrestling between good and evil was so powerful I was in awe. It manages to be poignant and emotional game with so little. It is truly a masterpiece.
Ico did very poorly in the US. It didn't even make it to 70k units sold before production was killed. I was lucky to find a copy that was not sixty dollars on Ebay, and was thrilled. If you can find it, play it. It's awesome.
NUMBER TWO: Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII was yet another game I watched my mother play while I was growing up. After playing twice over myself, I'm content to say that it is my favorite Final Fantasy game. It holds so many firsts for me: my first RPG, my first videogame, my first romance story, my first crush.
Oh yes. My first crush. It was on this guy:
Yup, Squall Leonhart was my first love. Until I realized that he was actually kind of a jerk and a bit too emo for me, he was my dream boat. I wrote stories that starred main characters with personalities exactly like his. Anyway, enough about my geeky love.
Squall Leonheart is a SEED. I don't know what that stands for, but he's a mercenary that works for a giant organization called a Garden. (HOLY SHNIKE! GARDEN? SEED? I NEVER NOTICED BEFORE) After he gets sent on his first mission, he runs into a headstrong girl named Rinoa (they met previously at a dance) and things kind of go awry after the president he is sent to kidnap turns into an undead zombie.
Final Fantasy will always be fantastical with their plots, but I love FF VIII's plot anyway. It is kind of dark, but it doesn't take itself too seriously like FF VII did. Also, the romance between Rinoa and Squall is flipping awesome, dudes, Flipping awesome. It also has one of my favorite leveling up systems. The graphics are still pretty good, as well. It has a great sound track. "Eye's On Me" is one of my favorite video game songs. The characters are cute, too.
I'm also fond of the fact that this was one of the first times the Final Fantasy series tried to fiddle with character development. FF VII never did this which is why it didn't make it on this list. (I didn't like FF VII's characters anyway)
If you don't mind spoilers and you want to spend a couple of minutes, please watch this video of Rinoa teaching Squall to dance. Yes, this probably set the precedent for all video games with romantic subplots to follow.
NUMBER ONE: Shadow of the Colossus
Ha, I bet you didn't see this one coming. What am I saying, of course you did! You know why? Because this game is a majestic, heart-breaking masterpiece. It begins with a nameless boy we call Wander carrying the body of his dead love across a giant bridge. He climbs his way down a tower and places her on the altar. It is quiet. And then the voices of some powerful, ancient force speak to him. Wander wants to bring her to life. They say it's impossible. He says that he must. They tell him that if he wants to revive her, he must defeat sixteen colossi. And with nothing but a sword and his trusty steed Agro, he sets out to do just that.
Like Ico, the magic in SotC is its simplicity. Barely any words are spoken in this game, yet you can infer a story by examining the world around you. Desolate temples, buildings, towers, all abandoned and withered with time, hint that something strange has happened here. The bond between Wander and his horse is touching, and towards the end there is a scene between the two that will melt your heart and make you cry. A lot. A lot of crying. No spoilers though, let's just say it's awesome.
The colossi are as big as buildings, and you have to climb each one of them. YAY! And to think that Wander does this all for just one girl blows your mind.
SotC has the best sound track for a game I have ever heard. I actually own it because it is that good.
I won't continue to ramble. How about you buy the game so we can talk about it, okay? I'll love you forever.
_________
And that is the end of my fantabulous countdown! You can relax, it's over! I hope you enjoyed me thrusting my opinions on you. I'll probably do it a lot because I like lists . . . ah, lists.
Hugs to the men and cookies to the girls,
Esther P.
COUNTDOWN MUSIC: Uptown girl/she's been living in her uptown world/I bet she's never met a backstreet guy/I bet her momma never told her why--
Ah, the countdown music seems to be broken. I'll have to fix that later. To number five!
NUMBER FIVE: Day of the Tentacle
Genre: Point and click/adventure
Platform: PC
Release Date: 1993
Day of the Tentacle is one of the most hilarious games I've had the pleasure of playing. In it, a mad scientist's pet tentacle drinks toxic waste, causing it to turn into an intelligent and very evil madman (madtentacle?). The only way to solve this dilemma? Time travel, of course! This doesn't work and, after accidentally sending three different teens to three different eras of time, the teens must work and find their way back to the present while also trying to destroy a future in which evil tentacles rule the world. |
| Makes more sense than the plot of Waterworld |
On a side note, it takes me a while to beat these types of games because I have no puzzle skills, and point and clicks are ultimately puzzle games (Unless you are playing Myst. Still trying to figure that one out).
NUMBER FOUR: The Curse of Monkey Island
Genre: Point and click/adventure
Platform: PC
Released: 1997
The Curse of Monkey Island is one of the many installments in the Monkey Island series, and it is the best one. I've played it four times and I still laugh every time I play it. Guybrush Threepwood, pirate extraordinaire, has been lost at sea for a very long time, and is in search of his beloved Elaine. His ship is a bumper car, which has not sunk for some reason while in the MIDDLE OF AN OCEAN. He floats into an epic battle between Pirate Lechuck, undead dude, who is trying in vain to capture Elaine once again. Things get hairy, Guybrush accidentally turns his love into a gold statue, and then she is stolen by pirates.Things get even more fun from there. If you are willing to watch 7 minutes, here is the (very funny) intro.For a nineties game, the graphics are great, and the art is beautiful. I love the art style, and wish they would have kept it in the future installments. This is probably the best point and click game ever made, so if you play one, pick this one. You don't really need to have played the previous games before it, although it gives relevance. The soundtrack is also really pretty. I never got tired of listening to it.
Also, his name is Guybrush Threepwood.
Why would you not play this game?
NUMBER THREE: Ico
GENRE: Adventure/Rockyoursockawesome/Platform/Puzzler
Released: 2001
Ico is the prequel to Shadow of the Colossus, and it is one of the most beautiful games of all time. It stars a young boy named Ico, who was born with horns. In his village, if a boy is born with horns, he is dubbed a sacrifice and taken to a monumental castle and placed into a sarcophagus that will slowly eats his flesh. Luckily, poor Ico escapes from him tomb and finds a young girl, and together they try to find their way out of the mystic castle. Unfortunately, the girl is not meant to leave the castle, and her mother, the master of the castle, sends strange shadow beings to bring her back. Will Ico be able to protect the girl and also save himself?
One of the cool aspects of the game is that there is practically no dialogue. Barely any words pass between Ico and Yorda (name changes depending on translation) and yet they grow such a powerful bond throughout the game. In addition, Yorda has the athletic ability of a potato. In order to get through the game, you have to manipulate the surroundings to make them suit her so she can get around. Sometimes she just can't climb a ledge, and that's when you can have Ico reach his hand down to her, and call for her to grab his hand. One time, I had a shadow being come and grab Yorda just as she had grabbed Ico's hand, and the drama of wrestling between good and evil was so powerful I was in awe. It manages to be poignant and emotional game with so little. It is truly a masterpiece.
Ico did very poorly in the US. It didn't even make it to 70k units sold before production was killed. I was lucky to find a copy that was not sixty dollars on Ebay, and was thrilled. If you can find it, play it. It's awesome.
NUMBER TWO: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: RPG
Platform: PS1
Released: 1999
Final Fantasy VIII was yet another game I watched my mother play while I was growing up. After playing twice over myself, I'm content to say that it is my favorite Final Fantasy game. It holds so many firsts for me: my first RPG, my first videogame, my first romance story, my first crush.Oh yes. My first crush. It was on this guy:
 |
| He looks stern because Zell told Squall he looks like a woman. |
Yup, Squall Leonhart was my first love. Until I realized that he was actually kind of a jerk and a bit too emo for me, he was my dream boat. I wrote stories that starred main characters with personalities exactly like his. Anyway, enough about my geeky love.
Final Fantasy will always be fantastical with their plots, but I love FF VIII's plot anyway. It is kind of dark, but it doesn't take itself too seriously like FF VII did. Also, the romance between Rinoa and Squall is flipping awesome, dudes, Flipping awesome. It also has one of my favorite leveling up systems. The graphics are still pretty good, as well. It has a great sound track. "Eye's On Me" is one of my favorite video game songs. The characters are cute, too.
I'm also fond of the fact that this was one of the first times the Final Fantasy series tried to fiddle with character development. FF VII never did this which is why it didn't make it on this list. (I didn't like FF VII's characters anyway)
If you don't mind spoilers and you want to spend a couple of minutes, please watch this video of Rinoa teaching Squall to dance. Yes, this probably set the precedent for all video games with romantic subplots to follow.
NUMBER ONE: Shadow of the Colossus
Genre: Platforming/puzzler/action/awesomesauce
Platform: PS2
Released: 2005
Ha, I bet you didn't see this one coming. What am I saying, of course you did! You know why? Because this game is a majestic, heart-breaking masterpiece. It begins with a nameless boy we call Wander carrying the body of his dead love across a giant bridge. He climbs his way down a tower and places her on the altar. It is quiet. And then the voices of some powerful, ancient force speak to him. Wander wants to bring her to life. They say it's impossible. He says that he must. They tell him that if he wants to revive her, he must defeat sixteen colossi. And with nothing but a sword and his trusty steed Agro, he sets out to do just that. |
| Hmm, I wonder how I should try to do this. |
The colossi are as big as buildings, and you have to climb each one of them. YAY! And to think that Wander does this all for just one girl blows your mind.
SotC has the best sound track for a game I have ever heard. I actually own it because it is that good.
I won't continue to ramble. How about you buy the game so we can talk about it, okay? I'll love you forever.
_________
And that is the end of my fantabulous countdown! You can relax, it's over! I hope you enjoyed me thrusting my opinions on you. I'll probably do it a lot because I like lists . . . ah, lists.
Hugs to the men and cookies to the girls,
Esther P.
Monday, May 7, 2012
My 10 Favorite Video Games
Hey everybody! Allow me to amaze you with my philosophical skills.
Ha ha, just joking. I'm not Hannah. And wasn't her last post pretty? I've read it like three times already. Anyway, I thought I would submit you to something really cool.
My 10 Favorite Video Games! Yay! Huzzah! Hurrah!
I've always considered myself a bit of a geek. I make obscure references to things all the time, although I'm not as extreme as most. I'm just a girl that is fond of the digital media. Throughout the years, I've encountered several video games that I loved, and I thought I would share them with you. My list of favorites changes constantly, so this is just kind of basic list. Let's start with number 10:
NUMBER 10: Advance Wars
I don't know about you, but I simply suck at chess. However, I simply adore the concept of chess and all its little details and strategies. Advance Wars is like chess, except instead of chess, you get people who shoot each other with tiny, adorable guns.
I found Advance Wars when I was but a wee lass, nine or so, and discovering the glory that is video games. To be fairly honest with you, I was really bad at it, but I loved it to death. I've never been very good at logical reasoning. I'm more of the type of girl who throws a rock at a door until it opens kind of girl. Still, the brilliant gameplay and the cute character design still hold a chunk of my heart, and I play the first and second games from time to time.
HONORABLE MENTION: Fire Emblem, Radiant Dawn
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is fantastically awesome, but so incredibly difficult at any difficulty besides easy that it is harder to approach than Advance Wars.
NUMBER 9: Yoshi's Island 3
I think Yoshi's Island is probably the best 2D platformer ever, with Ratchet and Clank taking the 3D category. I cannot imagine a better set up. In it, you are Yoshi, attempting to rescue a baby Mario from the forces of evil by fighting your way through adorable and crayola-colored landscapes.
This game is easy enough for a nine year-old to play, but has enough nuances to please someone of any age. I'm also a die-hard Yoshi fan. I mean, he's a dinosaur that poops eggs. I love it.
NUMBER 8: Pokemon Snap
Some of you might not of heard of Pokemon Snap. It's okay if you haven't. It's actually kind of obscure for a Pokemon game. Basically, it is an on the rail shooter, except instead of shooting things, you are taking pictures of Pokemon that pop out of the grass. It's awesome. In no other condition can you throw an apple at a Charmeleon, knocking it into a pit of lava, which causes it to evolve into Charizard, so you can take pictures of it.
Pokemon Snap is fun because of its surprising depth. There are hundreds of different shots you can take, and all are judged by professor Oak, the best one, you know. Its sound track is pretty relaxing, and there are a lot of different areas to explore. And, it's family friendly. Can't go wrong with that.
HONORABLE MENTION: Pokemon Puzzle League
It's like Tetris on Steroids.
NUMBER 7: Pokemon Gold
I've played several generations of Pokemon, but Gold is my favorite. It has a plot, kind of, and this is before all the Pokemon started to look like deformed animal fetuses. It also has Entei, the lame but very pretty flame Pokemon who spawned the weirdest Pokemon movie ever. So we kind of owe it a lot.
HONORABLE MENTION: Pokemon Ruby
Simply because it was prettier and it had Shroomish.
NUMBER 6 (All I can think about is the anime now): Beyond Good and Evil
Beyond Good and Evil is awesome in a can. It is set on another world that is being dominated by a mysterious company. Jade, photographer, must investigate the company by sneaking in and taking pictures of incriminating evidence that will prove that the company is up to no good. There are also mind-wiping aliens and a giant talking pig. It's also awesome for its action elements. For the most part, the enemies of the game are much, much stronger than you, so it fares you better to sneak around them instead of fighting. If you do get caught, only reflexes and timing can save you. The voice acting is great, Jade is an awesome main character, and the plot is wonderful. The game didn't do well in stores, so some people don't know about it. Play this game though, seriously.
HONORABLE MENTION: Ratchet and Clank(Any)
Ratchet and Clank is loads of fun no matter which one you play. I just prefer Beyond Good and Evil's gameplay mechanics.
NUMBER FIVE: Final Fantasy IX
Oh, how I do love this game. Final Fantasy IX is great because it embraces all of fantasy's greatest strong points and meshes them together. It isn't as dark as VII or VIII, and doesn't take itself too seriously. It stars a sky pirate Zidane, who can not rival XII's Balthier by any means, but his monkey tail is pretty cool. The plot emerges after a kidnapping of a princess goes horribly wrong. I mean, kidnapping princess is always good fun, right? I LOVE kidnapping princesses. I do it in between lunch breaks.
The gameplay isn't as good as its predecessors, but its still approachable. It might hold my favorite sound track for a Final Fantasy game. It's also very pretty for a PS game.
Preeeeeeetty.
THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES SOON! ESTHER NEEDS TO GO TAKE A NAP NOW!
Hugs and Kisses to all of the men, and winks to the girls,
Esther Perisho
Ha ha, just joking. I'm not Hannah. And wasn't her last post pretty? I've read it like three times already. Anyway, I thought I would submit you to something really cool.
My 10 Favorite Video Games! Yay! Huzzah! Hurrah!
I've always considered myself a bit of a geek. I make obscure references to things all the time, although I'm not as extreme as most. I'm just a girl that is fond of the digital media. Throughout the years, I've encountered several video games that I loved, and I thought I would share them with you. My list of favorites changes constantly, so this is just kind of basic list. Let's start with number 10:
NUMBER 34
(oh shoot, my countdown is messed up. One sec)
NUMBER 10: Advance Wars
Platform: GBA
Genre: TBS (Turn based strategy)
I don't know about you, but I simply suck at chess. However, I simply adore the concept of chess and all its little details and strategies. Advance Wars is like chess, except instead of chess, you get people who shoot each other with tiny, adorable guns.
 |
| Awwwww! |
HONORABLE MENTION: Fire Emblem, Radiant Dawn
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is fantastically awesome, but so incredibly difficult at any difficulty besides easy that it is harder to approach than Advance Wars.
NUMBER 9: Yoshi's Island 3
Platform: GBA
Genre: Platforming
I think Yoshi's Island is probably the best 2D platformer ever, with Ratchet and Clank taking the 3D category. I cannot imagine a better set up. In it, you are Yoshi, attempting to rescue a baby Mario from the forces of evil by fighting your way through adorable and crayola-colored landscapes.  |
| And you get to eat giant, sentient flowers. BONUS! |
NUMBER 8: Pokemon Snap
PLATFORM: N64
GENRE: Platforming, I guess.
Some of you might not of heard of Pokemon Snap. It's okay if you haven't. It's actually kind of obscure for a Pokemon game. Basically, it is an on the rail shooter, except instead of shooting things, you are taking pictures of Pokemon that pop out of the grass. It's awesome. In no other condition can you throw an apple at a Charmeleon, knocking it into a pit of lava, which causes it to evolve into Charizard, so you can take pictures of it.  |
| You don't think he'll hold a grudge, do you? |
HONORABLE MENTION: Pokemon Puzzle League
It's like Tetris on Steroids.
NUMBER 7: Pokemon Gold
Platform: GBA
Genre: Adventure
I've played several generations of Pokemon, but Gold is my favorite. It has a plot, kind of, and this is before all the Pokemon started to look like deformed animal fetuses. It also has Entei, the lame but very pretty flame Pokemon who spawned the weirdest Pokemon movie ever. So we kind of owe it a lot.HONORABLE MENTION: Pokemon Ruby
Simply because it was prettier and it had Shroomish.
NUMBER 6 (All I can think about is the anime now): Beyond Good and Evil
PLATFORM: PS2
GENRE: Platform, stealth
 |
| Didn't I just kill you? |
HONORABLE MENTION: Ratchet and Clank(Any)
Ratchet and Clank is loads of fun no matter which one you play. I just prefer Beyond Good and Evil's gameplay mechanics.
NUMBER FIVE: Final Fantasy IX
PLATFORM: PS
GENRE: RPG
Oh, how I do love this game. Final Fantasy IX is great because it embraces all of fantasy's greatest strong points and meshes them together. It isn't as dark as VII or VIII, and doesn't take itself too seriously. It stars a sky pirate Zidane, who can not rival XII's Balthier by any means, but his monkey tail is pretty cool. The plot emerges after a kidnapping of a princess goes horribly wrong. I mean, kidnapping princess is always good fun, right? I LOVE kidnapping princesses. I do it in between lunch breaks.The gameplay isn't as good as its predecessors, but its still approachable. It might hold my favorite sound track for a Final Fantasy game. It's also very pretty for a PS game.
Preeeeeeetty.
THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES SOON! ESTHER NEEDS TO GO TAKE A NAP NOW!
Hugs and Kisses to all of the men, and winks to the girls,
Esther Perisho
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Well, Hello There
I'm Esther, as you may have guessed from the earlier paragraph. I'm also known as Scotty, Eether, Estoy, and That One Girl. That picture to the left is actually not a picture of some Scarlett Johansson but of me. I know, I know, the resemblance is ridiculously uncanny. The only way you can tell me and Scarlett apart is by the hat I am wearing, which identifies me as Esther, Pokemon Master.
So, who is this Esther? You may know me from previous blogging endeavors. A Very Random Pickle and Take Esther to Europe are my previous and quite possibly dead blogs, so if you want a history lesson you can check them out. If you don't know me, which is altogether much more possible, allow me to tell you about myself: I'm seventeen years old. I adore writing and I would enjoy pursuing it as a career, however I am considering pursuing the much more stable investment that is an English teacher. I have a guinea pig named Fatone, whom has inspired many a lyrical poem in his glorious honor. Seriously, Fatone is awesome and you're lucky that I even mentioned him to you. He's so wonderful. When I'm not writing, I like volunteering at my local library. I've spent quite a chunk of my life there, and every moment is great because I'm surrounded by books and people that like books. I grew up on Final Fantasy and it is my favorite video game series. Shadow of the Colossus is my favorite video game, though. I can't draw worth a darn. Any effort to attempt such a thing would surely result in my portraits petrifying everything they come into contact with. I love books. My favorites are Lord of the Flies, Pride and Prejudice, and The Good Earth, and many others. I hate Catcher in the Rye, and I think the Great Gatsby is overrated. I love the smell of pickle juice, and dancing naked in the moonlight, but I'm not a witch. Lot's of people like pickle juice and they aren't witches.
I also love yams.
Mmm . . . yams.
Now, there is a purty little intro! Hannah and I will do our best to provide you with our thoughts on life. Together, we may be able to create a blog that will last forever maybe.
Esther P.
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