Saturday, September 28, 2013

30 Day Video Game Challenge Quick Fire Round

So, I've fallen behind in these due to life taking up time, so here's a quickfire round where I'll answer 7 of these at once ...

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30 Day Video Game Challenge Day 11: Gaming System of Choice

Whatever Nintendo system is out at the time. I don't get if the question is gaming system of choice at the current time or of all time, so I'll just say that I prefer whatever Nintendo system is out at the time, as I always enjoy Nintendo games the most, as well as the developers they partner with. However, if the question asks what my preferred system of all time is, at the moment, I'd say the Nintendo Wii thanks to its great games and the Virtual Console.

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30 Day Video Game Challenge Day 12: A Game Everyone Should Play

Chrono Trigger. This is a really hard question, as the term "everyone" is so broad and it's hard to pick a game for everyone. But, I decided on Chrono Trigger because it's a very accessible, fun, and high quality game. RPGs are often a very niche taste, as they often take a long time to get into and/or require a lot of tedious grinding and cutscenes for things to get rolling, but CT starts off beautifully and doesn't take long at all to get really interesting. Furthermore, the game is a hallmark of the videogame medium as fun and beautiful experience.

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30 Day Video Game Challenge Day 13: A Game You've Played More than Five Time

Metal Slug 1-5. I love the Metal Slug series, and I will occasionally just pop in my Metal Slug Collection and play several straight-through at once. It's an arcade shooter that never gets old. If you wanted an answer that wasn't an arcade-style game, than that would be Vanquish, which, imo, is the modern spiritual successor to the Metal Slug series, even if it wasn't really meant to be.

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30 Day Video Game Challenge Day 14: Current (or Most Recent) Gaming Wallpaper

New Team Gravity Project.


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30 Day Video Game Challenge Day 15: Post a screenshot from the game you're playing right now

The Wonderful 101 - The amazing Orowchee boss fight!


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30 Day Video Game Challenge Day 16: Game with the Best Cutscenes

Devil May Cry 3. Incredibly cinematic, filled with little details, and passionately directed; the cutscenes of DMC3 are a sight to behold and definitely one of the game's biggest highlights. DMC3's cutscenes set the bar for videogame cinematics for me, and still hold a special place in my memory.

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30 Day Video Game Challenge Day 17: Favorite Antagonist

King Valentine (Odin Sphere). I find it impressive when the antagonist of a fictional story can give me the shivers just from their very presence. In videogames, that antagonist is King Valentine from Odin Sphere. He was but a simple rotting skeleton who still spoke as a king, and yet, thanks to a powerful story and superb voice acting, King Valentine felt like the game's greatest menace, even when up against the towering Odin and the Queen of the Netherworld. A masterful villain.

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30 Day Video Game Challenge Day 18: Favorite Protagonist

Zack Fair (Final Fantasy VII Complilation). I mentioned Zack before so I won't go into too much detail, but I will explain why I favor him over other protagonists. The simply answer is because he's such a nice, happy guy. Despite living in a rough environment, Zack always keeps a sincere smile on his face, not out of stupidity, but because he believes life is beautiful despite the problems he may face. He wants to fight for others and keep his pride while doing it. Zack was a breath of fresh air after dealing with so many conflicted protagonists in other videogames, especially when dealing with urban or steampunk settings. It's nice to see that Zack's spirited smile has lived on in characters like Zidance Tribal (FFIX) and Sora (Kingdom Hearts).

Friday, September 20, 2013

30 Day Video Game Challenge: Day 10 - Best Gameplay

Day 10: Best Gameplay

The Wonderful 101. This question is far too hard to answer with just one game, though, if I had to make the choice, I'd go with The Wonderful 101. Maybe it's because I'm playing the game intently right now, but 101 is really, really impressive in the gameplay department. 101 basically feels like the culmination of all of Hideki Kamiya's previous games' gameplay systems, and as a result, the game feels absolutely filled to the brim with content, creativity, and gameplay diversity. It's that gameplay diversity that really makes me love gameplay systems in games. Donkey Kong Country Returns, Yoshi's Island, Gravity Rush, Okami, Metroid: Other M, Metroid Prime, Dragon's Crown, and many more are other games that have great gameplay diversity and original ideas. Gameplay is the most important aspect of a video game, and it's always been something I really pay attention to and critique, so when a game has gameplay that really impresses me, it often becomes a favorite.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

30 Day Video Game Challenge: Day 9 - Saddest Video Game Scene

Day 9: Saddest Video Game Scene

The Death of Zack Fair (Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII). We all saw it coming, we all started Crisis Core knowing exactly how it would end; and yet, Zack's death is the saddest freakin' thing in videogames. The way the player continues to fight throughout his death is very impactful, and the way the roulette gameplay system was implemented into the scene is amazing. There is a lot I forget about Crisis Core, but I will never forget how great the character of Zack Fair was, and how emotional and impactful his death scene was.

Monday, September 16, 2013

30 Day Video Game Challenge: Day 8 - Best Video Game Soundtrack

Day 8: Best Video Game Soundtrack

Chrono Cross. I listen to videogame soundtracks all the time, even to videogames I've never played, so this question comes up a lot, and I always have the same answer: Yasunori Mitsuda's masterpiece: the Chrono Cross soundtrack. To me, no other soundtrack hits the mood, atmosphere, and emotion of its accompanying game as good at Chrono Cross' OST. The focus on Mediterranean instruments and music styles is beautiful to listen to, and the really emotional tracks hit the soul just right. On its own, Chrono Cross' OST is incredible, but accompanying the game, it's an amazing experience.

Runners-up: Okami OST, The World Ends With You OST, Odin Sphere OST, Final Fantasy IX OST.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

30 Day Video Game Challenge: Day 7 - Favorite Game Couple

Day 7: Favorite Game Couple

Lillet and Amoretta (Grimgrimoire). This was a very unexpected surprise when playing Grimgrimoire, especially since promotional artwork for the game hinted at the possibility of Lillet/Bartido happening. But instead, we got a well-developed, cute, and obscure pairing in the form of Lillet/Amoretta. Their relationship grew well over the course of the game, and while it could feel a little cheesy at times, it was always sincere and often cute. The pairing also deserves credit for being one of the few lesbian pairings in videogames.

http://www.deviantart.com/art/But-the-paperwork-353725781

Saturday, September 14, 2013

30 Day Video Game Challenge: Day 6 - Most Annoying Character

Day 6: Most Annoying Character

Tidus (Final Fantasy X). This was a battle between Tidus or Yuna from FFX, but I went with Tidus. My main problem with Tidus is how he never feels like a hero. He was meant to feel down-to-earth and relatable, but came across more as an annoying kid who had no business being in the game. A character can be down-to-earth and a likable hero, as shown by Tidus' predecessor Zidane, but Tidus never pulls it off. At least Tidus is a pretty good character in Dissidia.

Friday, September 13, 2013

30 Day Video Game Challenge: Day 5 - Game Character You're Most Like

Day 5: Game Character You're Most Like

Issun (Okami). I feel like I'm most like Issun because we're both slackers who would rather laze around and casually enjoy life than do "what we're supposed to do." However, when the time comes, we'll always accept our responsibilities and help out those who need it. We also both have a soft spot for the ladies.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

30 Day Video Game Challenge: Day 4 - Your Guilty Pleasure Game

Day 4: Your Guilty Pleasure Game

Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2. Videogames aren't all about graphics, but in the case of CyberConnect2's fighting games, I make an exception to this rule; especially Naruto Storm 2. While the gameplay os Storm 2 may be lacking in depth, the graphics and music come together so well that it makes the game an interactive anime, and I find it very satisfying. Many may criticize Storm 2 for simple gameplay and heavy use of QTEs, but due to its superb execution of graphics, music, and QTE cinematics, I find the game to be one of the best of it's console generation.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

30 Day Video Game Challenge: Day 3 - A Game That is Underrated

Day 3: A Game that is Underrated

Grimgrimoire. I stated how underrated I find Grimgrimoire many time in the past, and that still holds true today. Satisfying and deep RTS gameplay, a unique and beautiful presentation, and a superbly written and interesting story. Grigmrimoire should have been praised immensely for being a superb console RTS experience for both newcomers and veterans to the genre. The story alone deserves immense praise as it superbly written and original, as well as being a very mature story.

Runners-up: Metroid: Other M, Kid Icarus: Uprising.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

30 Day Video Game Challenge: Day 2 - Favorite Character

Day 2: Your Favorite Character

Kirby. He's my favorite due to his simplicity and potential. Kirby can literally be anything thanks to his power, which results in a highly customizable and fun experience in-game, but his ability also has a meta ability where his games can be any type of genre because Kirby can be anything. He's the most diverse character in videogames, and yet he's a simple and innocent character who's very liable and very, very cute.

Monday, September 9, 2013

30 Day Video Game Challenge: Day 1 - Very First Video Game

So, in an attempt to possibly discover more about my favorite videogames, I'm gonna do this "30 Day Challenge" thing I see so many doing. Though, I'll admit now, that I may not make one of these every day in a row due to scheduling, heh.

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Day 1: Very First Video Game

Sonic the Hedgehog. This is a hard question to answer, but my very first memory of playing a game is the original Sonic the Hedgehog, which came with the Sega Genesis system, which was my very first game system. I was only 3 years old at the time, so I rarely got past the second level, heh. I remember when I beat Marble Zone very well, because I might as well have beaten the game then, heh.