Semjaza

Is this just a MGS thread or can we discuss the original Metal Gear titles as well? I'm not referring to the dumbed-down NES versions, but rather the original titles. I don't know how many people here have played them, so I don't know if there's even much to discuss here lol.

There are plenty of FPS games with RPG elements and RPGs with FPS elements... I don't know what rock people live under lol. Bungie certainly isn't going to pave the way for something that's existed for years and years. I'm not including RPGs that happen to be in first person, such as Morrowind, Wizardry or the Xeen games, because they don't really mesh with the idea of a FPS... They do exist though. Most of them are for the PC, however. Both the Deus Ex games fit into this, although the first moreso than the second. The System Shock games are also excellent examples and I really recommend both of them. I recently picked up Deus Ex 2 at Best Buy for only $8 and the first one is sometimes on cheap-o racks. They're not hard to find, nor are they expensive. In fact, I'd say System Shock 2 is my favorite PC game in general. There's also the No One Lives Forever titles, which while they are mostly shooters at heart, feature lots of exploration and problem solving. The second one makes use of an experience point system that lets you increase various stats of your choosing. I can't remember if the first has that or not. Vampire Bloodlines is a recent RPG that's played in both 3rd and first person, with the gun segments mostly being FPS in style. Usually in these RPG-style games, however, you can't really just easily run around and blow crap up because stats directly influence your firepower prowess. There's more out there and I know of a few for consoles as well, but I have to get going.

[quote name='Bombu][color=darkred']But, it's still available through Zero Mission, which is for the GBA, so I don't see why anyone who owns Zero Mission won't have access to the NES version of Metroid.[/color][/quote] Yes, but it's also an unlockable that really isn't heavily advertised unless someone bothered to pick it up and read the back of the box (or already knew beforehand). While I am personally in the group that would be like "Just get Zero Mission, it's in there for free", I do know a lot of people who see the original NES Metroid boxart (or Zelda or whatever) and are just far more interested in picking it up, plugging it in and playing it right then and there. From a financial standpoint, it doesn't make much sense to me and seems like a waste of money (although not for Nintendo lol), but there is a retro/nostalgic crowd around who are willing to buy things in that format. It's why vintage stuff is so popular lately.

I own 3, which I loved. It's a really great strategy RPG that I wish more people cared about. It seems as though Square didn't really push it much. FM4 is only $15 at Best Buy, for those who care.

Lunar games are only difficult if you don't spend enough time leveling up, really. In Eternal Blue, the opening castle can be a complete and total ***** if you just run through it. RPGs back then relied on that stuff a lot more. I really enjoy the games, although I recently sold them. I had both of the Playstation collector's editions that Working Designs localized. Certainly took them long enough and I'm not fond of their voice overs or some of the changes, but I'm glad it came out at all. I agree with the general idea that Eternal Blue is better. It's just more interesting, well-paced and better developed in really every aspect. I enjoyed it far more than the original (which I feel has a really slow opening), but both games really are excellent. Makes me want to get that dumbed down GBA port lol.

Personally, I'm going to wait for more reviews to pour in. I don't trust any of IGNs sections (other than Pocket) for scores I personally agree with. I must be one of three people who really didn't get into the original game. It does a lot of things well, but it also does a lot of things rather poorly. I really enjoyed the character development and your control over it, but the story (outside of involving Star Wars, which seems like enough for many people) was rather disappointing and predictable. Battle system was rather eh, the reuse of character graphics was pretty saddening (why an important character would look just like a non-important one standing ten feet away is beyond me). Maybe I would be more blown away if I never played a decent PC-RPG in my life, but I've had enough experience with Bioware to know they have done much better. With that in my head (and that the major development was handed to Obsidian - who knows if that'll help my opinion lol), I just am not very excited about this game. I hope it is as good as the review makes it seem, because I would like to be surprised.

[QUOTE=Siren]To add to what you said there, I'd say I fall into the "Games used to be better back in my day" category, though not entirely. But, even then...the NES Classics are identical to the ones Easter Egged in the Collector's Editions and so forth. Oh well, most things make no sense these days, like how I'm actually enjoying Rogue Agent, lol.[/QUOTE] I don't consider you one of the people I was speaking of, simply because you keep up on newer games. Many so-called "retro" gamers apparently do not and when they see something like Zelda sitting on the shelf by itself in its own packaging, it's more appealing than having to reserve a $50 GameCube game in order to get it. It also seems people are ignoring the key fact that there are twenty times as many GBAs out there as there are GameCubes. Not everyone has access to these GBA/GCN link-ups and Animal Crossing NES games. Most GBA owners don't. In addition to that, here is a difference between playing these games on the road and setting them up on your home console. I can see why the general public would be interested, although I do think the carts are overpriced. I agree that they having been pushing Metroid too much... Between the cart and the other ways to get it through link-ups, I'd rather they would come up with something else. I doubt they'd remake Metroid II anytime soon, however... It's not the most highly regarded game in the series.

They announced this several months ago... I figured most people knew about it already. There were some shots around, as said, but I'm not sure where I saw them anymore. They shouldn't be hard to find. The game didn't look too bad, but that's just graphically. I rarely find cell phone games worth the time. I'd think the chance of this leaving Japan is rather low. They've had some interesting, well made games out there for a while (including a Dragon Quest remake that's even better than the SNES remake)... meanwhile the US gets new versions of Solitaire and Tetris. I guess the market just isn't as big here.

[quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082']Um ... couldn't you have just charged up a shot to open the doors?[/color][/quote] Must have missed that... lol :D

It's a bit more difficult than that, I think... [spoiler]You have to go to a specific room and jump up to the next floor. I remember it being in a room with books. You jump off a small, angular platform that has a red block floating over it. Once you're up there, Luigi's painting is close at hand.[/spoiler] I personally did it on the mission to Boo's Balcony. I don't know if it matters when you do.

The Dark World damage thing is something I personally like. First, it just fits the theme and atmosphere of that side of the planet. While, yes, it is a pain to be losing energy constantly, it heightens the mood in a few ways by creating a sort of tension the game couldn't get through other methods. It's not like light beacon points are hard to find and the other suits make up for it. I don't mind the beam ammo. Considering what they were made for and what they are, the ammo makes sense to me. As mentioned, getting more is simply as easy as killing any lifeform (I use those weird purple sack things mostly) with the opposite beam. If they get to zero, then you are given some from any kill automatically. No big deal. I've never had a problem recharging it in a normal situation and it adds quite a bit of challenge to battles, particularly boss fights where beam types seem to make the most difference. I must say that there are actually points where you can get stuck completely without the proper beams. I remember one tunnel where there were two light doors but I didn't have any light ammo once I was inside... the only enemies inside of the tunnel were unbeatable. I was forced to reset, which was quite aggravating.

Strangely, the market basically is dictating that people want these games as stand-alone products... Basically, not stuck in collections or as unlockable extras. While I'd not blow $20 on NES Metroid, I can see how it would interest quite a bit of people... especially people who still lean towards the "Games used to be better back in my day" ideal.

I'm still not very far... I just don't have the time for games really. However, I think the game really gets a lot better as you go. I really love the Bowser and Peach story segments.

[quote name='satan665']A good way to get past White Rider is to turn to stone his demons that he summons. That way you don't have to keep killing them and he won't be able to resummon them because they're not dead. All of the bosses that summon help can be made easier if you do something like that. Another way is to suck out all their MP so they can't cast spells anymore if stone doesn't work.[/quote] I was going to use Stone Gaze before, until I realized that my only good character that had it evolved it into Evil Gaze. I'll have to get another demon summoned.

You're past me, Tricool, heh. Did you try GameFAQs? I played a bit more over the weekend and my enjoyment of the game just keeps going up. You really have to admit that the level designers at Retro are at the top of their field. The way everything ties in believably is rather impressive, through design and even story. At first glance, it makes little sense as to why there would be "morph ball canons" on a Luminoth planet, until you read that they were designed for kinetic orbs. It's a small thing, but I am glad it is addressed. I got to play two players the other day with my little brother. He, admittedly, wasn't very good at it, but he wasn't awful either. I actually had quite a bit of fun with it. Sure, you can lock on to the other guy, but the idea of it being nothing more than locking on and mashing A is really not how it worked... even against someone who wasn't too hot at it. There are a lot of ways to get away from shots (boosting, morph balls, side jumps, etc) and the pickups make the game pretty random. So, overall, while it's not the best multiplayer thing you'll ever play and its totally outside the story of Metroid (four Samuses?), it actually is pretty solid. I wish there were more maps, though.

[quote name='satan665']Yeah, every RPG should steal the "Auto" idea, there's nothing like just hitting triangle and watching the battles go at super-speed, plowing through the weak enemies. I use it a lot, and I suppose its a must with the large number of encounters.[/quote] It's funny playing this game because, in many ways, the battle and conversation systems are not as deep as in the Persona titles... and Persona is generally considered a "SMT-lite" for some reason. But it's not necessarily a bad thing. In Persona, Auto-Mode was so complex that I sometimes didn't even want to use it. In SMT:N, it's so easy to use that there's really not even any reason not to. Anyway, I've really not gotten to play much. Each time I turn it on, I know I have to invest a lot of time, so the little time I have has been going to MP2, mostly. I've just been leveling up to kill that damn White Rider, lately. Did you defeat the Fiend that's by the escalator outside of the Mantra HQ? I stumbled upon that one later by accident, so I was curious if you missed him or not. I can't remember which he was... I think the bell guy.

[quote name='Wingnut Ninja][color=darkred']I can see a good mix of wants for all consoles, but isn't anyone looking forward to any of the upcoming GBA games aside from The Minish Cap? [/color][/quote] Well, I mentioned DK King of Swing, which I'm really looking forward to. Possibly moreso than Minish Cap. The GTA game also looks quite fun, a nice mix of old and new. I forgot to mention FF 1&2, which I'm really looking foward to. Plus, there's other stuff like Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, Metal Slug, etc. I think there's plenty, for me at least. I think I might have to pass on the DS... the thing is just pre-ordered up almost entirely. Retail stores will get some, sure, but based on my experience, old women buying for their tiny grandsons can get up far earlier than me. I was unable to get the original GBA on launch thanks to them. Word points to the second shipment being after Christmas, too... I've actually been thinking of getting a Tapwave Zodiac 2, honestly. It's just a PDA running Palm OS (with some extra horsepower), but it's laid out for games. Analog pad, 4 face buttons, shoulders. Between the games out for it, the stuff it emulates (I can even play my old Lucasarts adventure games on the thing), its MP3 capabilities, its wireless Bluetooth options and on and on... I think it's a good buy for me right now. I actually found one for a good price (used, but great condition) with some games and accessories... I might pick that up.

[quote name='Siren]This somewhat relates to the newness vs familiarity thing being discussed. I got into Dark Aether about an hour ago, and I must say, the Luminoth Light crystals are gameplay gold. You have the permanent crystals, but then you also have these dots that you have to shoot to activate the [i]temporary[/i'] light barrier safe zones.[/quote] Sometimes I find these very aggravating, but at the same time, it really increases the threat of the area. Plus, it's fun to lure Ing into a darkened safe zone and light it up with them inside. I really like going between Light and Dark, doing things that affect both of them. Many times I'm like "There's no where else to go in here..." and then I notice a portal and switch over. I've gotten stuck several times in this game, but I sit back and look at the map or think a bit and things become clear. That's a rarity in games lately, I think. And Desbreko, I agree with the menus. Some of them get a bit ridiculous. Personally, I just use the C-Stick, which lets you go directly to the items without spinning.

Unless you magically find a PS2 for $99, it costs the same amount as a DS. I'm going to be asking for one. There's actually a few US launch titles I want, as well as a Japanese only game I plan on importing (Baku Baku, that weird animal game I have on my forums). How people cannot want Mr. Driller Spirits is beyond me. Mr. Driller rocks. I already have most of what I wanted to get... I guess I'll just include that in my general Buying Guide... [b][u]GCN[/u][/b] -Paper Mario 2: The Thousand Year Door (Bought - Rocks) -Metroid Prime: Echoes (Bought - Rocks More) -Baten Kaitos (Good reviews, will get eventually) -Mario Power Tennis (Maybe... I don't know yet) -Resident Evil 4 (Not till next year, but I still think about it now lol) [b][u]PS2[/u][/b] - Rachet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal (A maybe. I don't like Jak at all, but I don't know if I need another R&C so damn soon) -Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (GotY for me) -Shadow Hearts: Covenant (IGN's ravings for this are misleading, I've found the game to be rather mediocre) -Snake Eater (I can't even believe this is coming this year... I liked the first, hated the second... not sure yet) [b][u]Xbox[/u][/b] Sold it because I never played the thing. If I get another, it'd be to try Halo 2... But I don't know if I'll bother. [b][u]GBA[/u][/b] -The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (More Zelda from Capcom makes me happy) -DK King of Swing (looks like a blast, I think) [b][u]PC[/u][/b] -Half-Life 2 (Original is amazing still... I really want this game, despite its supposed flaws) -Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (Looks great, I might pick it up later) That's my main list, outside of any weird additions and things I'm forgetting.

I picked up the game Tuesday night... Played a few hours since then (I'd guess 3 to 4, outside of deaths). I'm very happy with the game thus far and have no real problems with it. It looks great, plays great and is improved in many ways over the original. Cinematically, the game is beyond the first. I was surprised by the cutscenes. While they really don't occur that often, they are far more story intensive in general. This is the only Metroid game outside of Fusion where you actual speak to another entity of some form, which adds another side to the series that it really just lacked in the past. It doesn't stop you from feeling alone and isolated (which is nice for this series), but it does give a bit more of a motivational factor, I think. Graphically, there's obvious improvements. For someone who didn't really play lots of the original, these might be hard to spot. Overall, textures are quite a bit sharper. They still blur if you're right against them, but they look excellent in most gameplay views. Lighting is better, there's more dynamic shadows, more particle effects, etc. The worlds look great, far more organic than most titles I've played. Samus' model is noticably improved (and includes a more transparent visor, you can see her face in all cutscenes), which you could tell from movies... However, in person, a lot of the detail is more obvious. Gameplay is largely the same. For some people, this is a problem, for others it is not. I fall in the latter category. While at times I long for a dual analog set-up, mostly because I want to look around, I don't feel the current one hinders much. The way some of these new creatures move (particularly the bosses and sub-bosses), I don't even know how you could keep up with them manually as it is. I know Charles was wondering about this, so yes: you do lose pretty much all of your equipment yet again. However, [spoiler]this time its due to a theft and you wind up having to defeat creatures that utilize your items. You keep your Varia Suit, Charge Beam and Morph Ball, however.[/spoiler] Surprisingly, you gain most of these items back fairly early on in the game. I'm really not missing anything that I didn't start with, aside from beams and visors that aren't in the game at all... and it's only been a few hours. The game does lack the same feeling of "newness" that the original has, mostly because it doesn't really do anything to revolutionize the formula from the first. There are evolutions and additions and such, but few are amazingly different. Some music and sounds are reused (I also feel that some of the enemy designs, while very different in appearance, feature very similar core models -- something I've not noticed any review talk about and it probably bothers me the most). However, what the game does it does really damn well, so I can't really get too bothered by this. The game is far more challenging as well, something I appreciate. While I don't know if its as difficult as say, Phazon Mines on Hard in the original, it's definitely up with Hard Mode in general. Some of the fights are quite difficult to win your first time through, although a second try usually makes it far easier. The boss fights in general have been really great. Most of what I've gone against has just been sub-bosses, offering their own quirks. However, Amorbis (which everyone has seen by now, he is that three worm ball thing), was just an amazing fight in every respect. Probably the best boss fight I've had this year. I've not tried multi yet, but I didn't get this game for that. Even if it sucks, it wouldn't affect my enjoyment of the single player game.

Part of me looks at this thing and expects to be set up for disappointment. The more I read hands on impressions, though, the more I get excited for this thing. Specific game impressions at IGN, for example, just make this thing seem so fun and interesting compared to what's out there now. I look at the PSP, which is more stylish and powerful, but there's not a single game on there that really excites me. Nothing I find to be interesting or innovative, as of yet (although I want that Persona game it's getting lol). I don't have the money right now, but I really do want to get this thing.

[quote name='Morpheus']Battery life depends on what game you're playing. In true sony style, the PSP's battery life was false, as a graphically intensive game may last as little as 2 hours, 3 tops.[/quote] This really does not matter much as we already knew it depended on what the system was doing through Sony's older comments. They've yet to give any remotely concrete numbers, however, and everything as of this point is really just an assumption. Who has played the thing extensively enough on its battery alone to say? No one other than Sony itself.

[quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082']It's kind of strange, but I really hadn't been all that excited about the game for a while up until now. I was really interested when the first susbstantial information was released about the game, and around E3, but then my anticipation of it kind of lulled. I pretty much knew for sure that I was going to buy it, but I just never got around to pre-ordering it until now, only a week before its release. Whereas with the first Metroid Prime, I was hanging on every screen shot and bit of info released from the time it was first announced to its release, and had the game pre-ordered months in advance.[/color][/quote] At the same time, Nintendo has barely said a single thing about the game since E3. They've obviously not divulged many story details and the most coverage I've seen on the game has been at IGN, which has mostly just been old stuff regurgitated. Nintendo doesn't seem to be as forceful with this title... although I don't think they did well promoting the original either. IGN and other places have final copies though, so things are finally trickling out. Up until now its mostly been E3 videos and screens of things I could see in the demo for myself.

Yeah, Amazon, Gamestop and EBGames would be fine. I got mine through Gamestop... Used copies are going on eBay for around $25 currently. I expect that will go up shortly once Atlus runs out of copies... I have no idea how well this game is selling, honestly. [quote name='satan665']I also managed to fuse to make Hell Biker, who I love because he's silly more so than really useful. What I found out when I fused him though is that fusions can be dependent on what the current phase of the "moon" is. I had to be at 7/8 to fuse to get him, and I think it took a Holy and a Divine demon. Nothings more fun than ramming bad guys with a motorcycle though.[/quote] Fusing Fiends is fun, just because its so tempermental. Moon cycle when I did it was Full, so I was only able to bother with that bell guy, who I like anyway. I've not gotten to play this in a few days... I've played some Shadow Hearts: Coventant, which while very good, doesn't really compare to this game in my opinion (the story is okay, but all it really does with it is have lots of talking characters... little has happened in the 8 hours I've played, really). Battle systems in every other RPG seem painfully slow after this game lol.

I've been playing mostly RPGs lately so this will be a nice change of pace. I absolutely cannot wait for this. Looks better than the first in basically every way, which is not a small feat. Only about one more week.