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Jan 31st, 2007 at 19:12:38 - Super Smash Brothers (N64) |
So I typed this, my second entry and submitted it, but it didn't show up. That's a little frustrating, but I'll try to get past it. For this second hour, I played with someone new. I'm used to fighting the same three or four people, so it was a bit exciting. Even though there are a set number of different moves, people use them differently. People favor certain attacks or combos and it makes for a new and challenging fight when you change opponents. I played as Kirby and Ness, occasionally as Pikachu. The new person I fought favored Fox and Ganondorf. Playing against someone new made me really appreciate each character's strengths and weaknesses and how hard it must have been to balance these fairly. Kirby's not that strong, but can float around, out of danger. Ganondorf is very slow, but his attacks are quite powerful. It really makes for an interesting game.
I was also thinking about the fact that this videogame has no storyline to speak of. Then I thought of the aspects of this videogame that compensate for that. Firstly, there is the inherent fun of free-for-all battle, then there is the cultural familiarity with the characters, then there is the variety of characters, stages, and attacks, and finally is the ease with which one can pick up this game. I think that these ingredients make for a lasting game, but yet, one that I might tire of. I could play this game forever if it was only once every one or two weeks. But playing every or every other day gets rather boring. OOooh, but one cool thing, I got up to 300% and the guy I was fighting just couldn't manage to kill me. Eventually, he got up to 200% or so and I killed him with a down smash. It was the most exciting five minutes in the past month. By the end, we were all squealing and shouting and laughing, proving once again that this is a great social game.
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Jan 26th, 2007 at 17:08:31 - Super Smash Brothers (N64) |
After playing Melee, Super Smash Bros. for N64 seems to be in slow motion. There are also noticeably fewer stages and characters to choose from. However, the essential attack styles are there. In this version I like Pikachu, Mario, and Kirby much better than in Melee. In fact, they are the only characters I can use successfully in this version. In Melee, I can do a fairly good job playing almost any character. I really like Ness in Melee. I haven't really played with him in Smash Bros. 64, so I think I'll try him out in the next hour or so I play. I find that I really like Hyrule in this version. The only thing that's really frustrating is that I get knocked into the tornado and die. I just have to watch it happening in slow motion, unable to do anything about it. But, I do like the fact that there are no moving stages, so we can put it on random without the fear of ending up on Pokefloats or the Ice Climbers stage, two very annoying ones from Melee.
I also think that Saffron City and Peach's Castle are constructed very well. Saffron City has elements of danger and challenge with the two moving platforms and occasional attacking Pokemon. Also, the two outer stationary platforms (the tops of buildings) are very small, and therefor difficult to get back to, especially if someone is edge-guarding and wont let you back on. This happens to me a lot. The good thing is that when you're playing with four players, one is bound to notice that the edge-guarder isn't paying attention and can be snuck up on and thrown. This means there is a window of opportunity to get back without notice. In Peach's castle there are a few rules as limitations and also annoyances. The bottom platform that shifts from side to side makes it difficult to get back from a down attack. Since it is not possible to grab on to the edge of this platform, you are generally out of luck if the platform is on the other side at the time. The bumper over the top middle is also a bit annoying, but the wedges of platform in the air to the sides have saved me many a time.
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Jan 19th, 2007 at 04:35:54 - Final Fantasy XII (PS2) |
I’m in the Tomb of Raithwall and I fought the optional boss Demon Wall. I have a strategy guide that advises otherwise, but it said I could get to a treasure weapon unlocked by killing him. I was out of MP for Quickenings, and was desperately switching party characters, before I remembered to use some of my many ethers. I beat him even without Vaan, whom he teleported away from the battle. This game is so all-consuming! I just realized that I played it for an hour more that the requirement…Oh well. In any case, I fought the non-optional Demon Wall next. It was about the same as the first, but I was able to get more hits in my Quickenings, so it didn’t take as long.
I was thinking about what makes this game so popular and I think that I settled on it. There are a few connecting threads, such as Chocobos, Moogles, and Phoenix Downs that connect these many games and worlds and this along with the name Final Fantasy, has become a part of our culture and has a certain comfortable familiarity about it. We can talk about it with many people our age and discuss our experiences of gameplay with one another. However, the characters in each Final Fantasy are new and unconnected. This means that there are new characters to add to our cultural dialogue for each new Final Fantasy. We have new favorites and villains and evil twin brothers to keep us entertained. That, and since the graphics get better and game systems can handle more, Final Fantasy gets more and more visually stunning. If you happen to see a friend playing this game, it is very easy to be drawn into it by the beauty of the graphics. All of a sudden you’re playing the game and gaining the cultural awareness until you become well-versed in the language of the game and can pass it on to others.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 19th, 2007 at 04:36:26.
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Jan 19th, 2007 at 04:32:42 - Final Fantasy XII (PS2) |
Well, I’ve leveled up and now all the creatures in the Westersands are one-hit kills, and don’t yield hardly any experience. I’ve leveled up enough so that I probably won’t die in the Garamsythe Waterway fighting Marlboroughs or Lizards, though they’re still a challenge. I’ve been fighting them to level up even more before I try to take on the White Mousse, Marilith, or the Ring Wyrm. These three monsters are hunts from the Notice Board. They’re a side quest, and as such, they tend to sidetrack me from the main story. But, that’s what I really like about Final Fantasy XII. Even though it’s a game of Progression, you have a lot of freedom along the set path.
I’ve just purchased the Iron Hammer, and it reminded me to take a look at my license board and spend some license points. It takes me such a long time to decide which party member should take which path to which certain Quickening space. In the end, I’m so indecisive, that I unlock a little of everything. That’s what is so new about the license system. Normally, in games of this nature, you have one warrior, one mage, etc. This method is very restrictive, while in FFXII, you have the freedom of choice to decide which character you want to specialize in which weapon type or magic type. Also, if you want to, you can give your archer black magic, or your swordsman green magic, and make them well rounded. When I play this next time, I might specialize my characters, and be more precise, but for now, I’ll just play around and have fun.
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| Molly's GameLogs |
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Molly has been with GameLog for 17 years, 10 months, and 13 days |
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| Entries written to date: 10 |
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