Trom's Weekly Video Game Review Thread

[Spawn_of_Cloudy]

Yeah, I used to do that, but now I just use the loan system. I have to wait a few days to get the points back, but I have enough ROMs to keep me busy.

I need to go download project 64 and starfox 64 now that i think about it great game. DO A BARREL ROLL!

 

[Trombonus]

I need to go download project 64 and starfox 64 now that i think about it great game. DO A BARREL ROLL!

lol, I played Beetle Adventure Racing at my friends place the other day. Now that's old school racing. Another and I played a single match of Pokemon Puzzle Leagues 3D mode for over an hour. I finally eeked out a win, but he was pissed. This guy is like twice my size, so I was more than a little scared, but he's the gentlest person I know. Lucky me. Except now every time I come up he bugs me to bring the game so he can have a rematch. Our friends were pissed at us too because they wanted to go for dinner, but neither one of us was willing to throw in the towel.
I mean we'd been playing hard for an hour, there was just no way we were gonna pack it in. Course I still hold the title of puzzle champion. I get destroyed at Halo though.

 

[Spawn_of_Cloudy]

lol, I played Beetle Adventure Racing at my friends place the other day. Now that's old school racing. Another and I played a single match of Pokemon Puzzle Leagues 3D mode for over an hour. I finally eeked out a win, but he was pissed. This guy is like twice my size, so I was more than a little scared, but he's the gentlest person I know. Lucky me. Except now every time I come up he bugs me to bring the game so he can have a rematch. Our friends were pissed at us too because they wanted to go for dinner, but neither one of us was willing to throw in the towel.
I mean we'd been playing hard for an hour, there was just no way we were gonna pack it in. Course I still hold the title of puzzle champion. I get destroyed at Halo though.

IMO Halo is overrated and most classics I like.

 

[Trombonus]

IMO Halo is overrated and most classics I like.

Agreed. Halo's an awesome party game though.

 

[JamesSD]

IMO Halo is overrated and most classics I like.

Halo is overrated by people who never played PC First Person Shooters. It was the first good console FPS (unless you count Goldeneye). The vehicles were fairly novel, and the world really was very pretty. Also, if you have 2+ X boxes and TVs and the right cables, Trombonus is absolutely right that it's a great party game.

Don't get me wrong, Halo is a very good game. It's just not quite as perfect as it was made out to be when it came out.

 

[deathlynx]

Yep. We'll be buying pearl and diamond (with the funky styluses) for our kids. Next week - payday- whatever. Son wants diamond, daughter wants pearl.
Here we go again.

Actually, that's a good thing, between the two they can then trade and collect all of the pokemon...one of the things the series has always done is to split some of the pokemon exclusive to each game so you have to have both and trade in order to "catch them all"...

Agreed. Halo's an awesome party game though.

You want party games? Nothing beats Mario Kart or Mario Party...just don't forget to bring the mind altering substances first

 

[Trombonus]

Actually, that's a good thing, between the two they can then trade and collect all of the pokemon...one of the things the series has always done is to split some of the pokemon exclusive to each game so you have to have both and trade in order to "catch them all"...

Yup, I always buy both.

You want party games? Nothing beats Mario Kart or Mario Party...just don't forget to bring the mind altering substances first

This is also true. Don't forget Bomberman as well. Classic!

 

[deathlynx]

Yup, I always buy both.

Here's a question...When you start out a new one, do you collect up 5 random pokemon so you can trade them to the other game, restart and select a different initial pokemon, in order to get all three starters on both games?

 

[Trombonus]

Here's a question...When you start out a new one, do you collect up 5 random pokemon so you can trade them to the other game, restart and select a different initial pokemon, in order to get all three starters on both games?

I sure do. I always make sure I have all three starters before I actually start a game. Kinda sucks at the start when they don't listen to you, but I think it's worth it.

 

[Guest]

. . .
For those that don't know, Final Fantasy XII is the game that has sucked up almost all of my time for the last few months, so it seemed only fitting that this would be my next review. It is the most recent offering in the main Final Fantasy line, and also one of the best. So, here we go with my review of Final Fantasy XII.

Final Fantasy XII
System: Playstation 2
Genre: RPG

Final Fantasy XII is set in the land of Ivalice . . .

Thanks for that review. I'm a FF fanatic and won't mention how many hours I've put in FFX (months spent getting everything possible). I'm not quite there in the FF series to play FFXII yet, but I'm anxiously working towards it since my friend/editor/gamer mentioned how kick ass the graphics are.

 

[Trombonus]

Thanks for that review. I'm a FF fanatic and won't mention how many hours I've put in FFX (months spent getting everything possible). I'm not quite there in the FF series to play FFXII yet, but I'm anxiously working towards it since my friend/editor/gamer mentioned how kick ass the graphics are.

I currently have over 100 hours of gameplay on it. It honestly didn't feel like it.

 

[Guest]

I currently have over 100 hours of gameplay on it. It honestly didn't feel like it.

Ya? With FF I can imagine. It's so easy racking up time. Sounds like I will like the levelling up/abilities for FFXII. I liked the spheres in X, which I spent most of most of my time playing Blitz Ball and whipping ass in the Monster Arena. The game was so stingy dropping Dark Matter.

 

[Trombonus]

Ya? With FF I can imagine. It's so easy racking up time. Sounds like I will like the levelling up/abilities for FFXII. I liked the spheres in X, which I spent most of most of my time playing Blitz Ball and whipping ass in the Monster Arena. The game was so stingy dropping Dark Matter.

I really liked the new system. Very clear and well organized. I like how it goes back to the old ways of FF where you had to buy your abilities before you can use them. You have to unlock it and buy it too. Makes it so people can't level up like crazy in the beginning so that they can get the most powerful spells and all. Sure you can do that and unlock anything, but what's the point? I did level up quite a bit, but that was so I could get enough loot to buy the equipment and abilities I needed at that point. I think that helped speed up gameplay.

 

[deathlynx]

Money definately seems to be the biggest issue of this game as the only way battling can give you money is selling off items dropped...realistic to be sure, but much more of a challenge...

 

[human_male]

I just finished Stalker. It was pretty good. It's a bit more grownup than other shooters with various realism factors like an encumberance limit and weapons that degrade with use and start to jam as they wear out. The art design and atmosphere's terrific.

My only complaints would be the amount of loot that's available making money fairly meaninless. By later stages of the game you're likely to have a huge stash of high end weapons and armour suits that you've found laying around and about a quarter of a million rubles. You don't need to buy anything. I think I bought some ammo once or twice and that's it. That's a shame because the buying and selling aspect should have been one of the most fun aspects of the game.

There's not much of a main plot and what's more it's not presented in such a way as to be compelling or at all dramatic.

The misc missions keep renewing themselves so any quest-giver will have the same list of missions that are always available no matter how many times you do them.

Respawn. I hate respawn. It's not all that bad except for one map where the bandits just keep coming no matter how many you kill. And evey time you enter the map they've all respawned again.

It's still a bit buggy too.

 

[Pen_Dragon]

Someone tell me if Lord of the Rings Online is any good!

 

[Darklove666]

I meant to ask this yesterday, but weren't FFIV, and to some extent FFVI centered around love stories? Or do you think it was more in the sub-plot until FFVIII came along.

 

[Trombonus]

I meant to ask this yesterday, but weren't FFIV, and to some extent FFVI centered around love stories? Or do you think it was more in the sub-plot until FFVIII came along.

I think FFIV had some elements of love, but I feel the main story was about Cecil discovering who he truly is, and growing from the discoveries and changes he makes as the game goes on. The love story only really applies to Cecil and Rosa, but there are several little sub stories like that with each character.

I don't feel as if there was a love story in FFVI. Only so far as Locke's relationship with Celes, and his former love Rachel. However, Locke and Celes never openly admit their love for each other. The main story centers around the party trying to stop Kefka from destroying the world, and after when they're unsuccessful, freeing the world from his control.

VII was where it really started, but VIII, X and X-2 were completely centered around the love story. Even IX had a prominent one. I'm glad to see XII did not, and hope future installments of the series follow its example.

 

[rydia57]

Ya? With FF I can imagine. It's so easy racking up time. Sounds like I will like the levelling up/abilities for FFXII. I liked the spheres in X, which I spent most of most of my time playing Blitz Ball and whipping ass in the Monster Arena. The game was so stingy dropping Dark Matter.

I know it's a stoopid question but ... you've played FFXII? Is it really good? And it's not another online game right? As for the romantic subplots, I think that's the way it kinda was in FFIV and FFVI, FFVIII kinda.... well, that romantic think made the game slow for me. I still have it, but I don't think it was one of the better Final Fantasy series. Loved the summoning tho!

 

[Darklove666]

Yeah, I agree with what you said about FFIV, and I hate to admit it but it's been so long since I played FFVI, I didn't really remember much outside of the "opera" scene.

I never finished FFVII or FFIX. I never even played FF x or x-2. FFXII is the first one we've bought since FFIX. (I think.)

 

[Trombonus]

I know it's a stoopid question but ... you've played FFXII? Is it really good? And it's not another online game right? As for the romantic subplots, I think that's the way it kinda was in FFIV and FFVI, FFVIII kinda.... well, that romantic think made the game slow for me. I still have it, but I don't think it was one of the better Final Fantasy series. Loved the summoning tho!

Yup, played it straight through for a solid month, and over 100 hours. As for how it is, you can read my review a page back and see for yourself. And no, FFXII is not an MMO, or even has any sort of online play. It's a regular FF game.

 

[Trombonus]

Yeah, I agree with what you said about FFIV, and I hate to admit it but it's been so long since I played FFVI, I didn't really remember much outside of the "opera" scene.

I never finished FFVII or FFIX. I never even played FF x or x-2. FFXII is the first one we've bought since FFIX. (I think.)

lol, yeah the opera scene is usually what people remember about it. Funny story, the first time I saw that scene was on the same day that I went to my first real life opera. I saw Carmen in San Francisco with a group of performing art students. That was a great day.

 

[Darklove666]

lol, yeah the opera scene is usually what people remember about it. Funny story, the first time I saw that scene was on the same day that I went to my first real life opera. I saw Carmen in San Francisco with a group of performing art students. That was a great day.

Awesome. I think that scene sticks out (at least for me) because it was the first time I had seen something like that in a game. FFVI was really like an epic movie, told from lots of perspectives. I also loved, the memories Shadow(?) got back if you stayed in certain towns with him in your party. to use your line: Good Times.

 

[Trombonus]

Awesome. I think that scene sticks out (at least for me) because it was the first time I had seen something like that in a game. FFVI was really like an epic movie, told from lots of perspectives. I also loved, the memories Shadow(?) got back if you stayed in certain towns with him in your party. to use your line: Good Times.

Yup, good times indeed, and still my favorite FF game, although XII is giving it a run for its money.

 

[Darklove666]

Yup, good times indeed, and still my favorite FF game, although XII is giving it a run for its money.

The one guy in FFXII (the sky pirate, his name starts with a B I think) looks and talks a little like Hugo Weaving. I had to look at the voice credits to see if it was him, turns out it wasn't, but the mannerisms seem to fit.

I'm thinking of playing it after I finish a couple of my 360 games.