What I'm Playing (Volume 3): The Legend of Dragoon & The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

This week's What I'm Playing (and probably for several weeks after this) features The Legend of Dragoon and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. What can I say? It's Legend Week!

Anyone who knows me even slightly well knows what a huge fan I am of Final Fantasy. My first Final Fantasy game was Final Fantasy 4, played on the Final Fantasy Chronicles collection for PS1 (wow, what a great set of games). My first RPG, however, was Pokemon Blue (except for the Legend of Zelda and Link to the Past, which I've never seen as RPGs in the genre sense of the term). I've been a fan of the RPG genre, thus, from the second I picked Charmander. I picked up The Legend of Dragoon for cheap as it was one of PS1's greatest hits, and I had heard good things.

At the time I picked it up, I was hugely into Final Fantasy 7 and 9, and still loving Pokemon, but this one really grabbed me as being nearly a peer to those fantastic franchises.

However, due to my short attention span, I never finished it.

I am back to remedy my past sins!

I'm about two hours in, and am remembering why I loved this game. The soundtrack is almost as good as Uematsu's legendary work on Final Fantasy. The visuals are probably better than any Final Fantasy of the era. And the additions system changes battling from the mash-x fest that is Final Fantasy into a strategic, timing based combat that feels much more engaging than FF. The characters are fairly cool looking, and the battle animations are extremely well done.

It isn't perfect though. The dialogue is frequently beyond corny. The story is a constant JRPG cliche, although if you like JRPGs, as I do, you won't mind too much. The leveling system feels SO grindy, even for an old school JRPG. If you can grind out even one level on little minions between bosses, you are a more devoted human than I. Each level takes probably 30 random enemy encounters (estimate), the battles are fairly long, and encounters do not happen too often. So if you find yourself too weak to beat a boss, prepare to burn an hour or so to grab a level or two before fighting him.

Overall, I'd give it an 8.8/10. Far from perfect, but it feels great for a JRPG.

As for Link Between Worlds....oh boy. This one's incredible. So good, in fact, that I'll write a full review after completing the game. So hang in there!

-TRO

A Sad Day

Fortunately, I finally beat Mega Man 9 and Mega Man Zero 4. Unfortunately, I've now hit peak Mega Man. Someday I'll beat Mega Man 10. And Mega Man and Bass. And the Mega Man X series. And Mega Man Starforce...you get the idea. But it won't be this day, or likely even for months. On to far different pastures, but still deciding what to do. Leaning towards finally finishing Final Fantasy XIII, or perhaps GTA IV...tough choice. Keep an eye out for the next "What I'm Playing"!

-TRO

True Detective

I'm not a big tv person, to be completely honest. I loved tv and movies as a kid, but mostly because I was denied them, I think. When I get free time, my first instinct is rarely to turn on the tv, unless I'm turning it on to play video games. Even when I am watching tv with my wife, I'm almost always playing a game on my phone or 3DS to cover the boredom.

When I tell you, then, that I've watched a movie or tv show three times, that means something big. It means that this one captured my attention. Watching a tv show again means that nothing will be different. I'll be experiencing the same exact thing again. That rarely intrigues me. 

The number of tv shows I've watched through three times is very limited. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. True Detective (season 1). Arrested Development. And my personal favorite, Cowboy Bebop. 

What's truly remarkable about True Detective is not just that I've watched it three times, putting it in rare company, but that I've watched it three times in such a short time.

True Detective came out in 201, and I didn't watch it until 2015. That means that in the span of less than two years, I've watched an eight hour long tv show three times. 

McConaughod (as he's known in our house) and Marty

I can't help myself! No matter how many times I watch it, the performances of McConaughey and Harrelson are absolutely captivating. McConaughey's performance of Rust Cohle is second to none as far as tv goes. Movie performances have surpassed it, but I've never seen better on tv. The notion of someone whose world view should absolutely reject the possibility of an absolute sense of good and evil, yet dedicates his life so wholeheartedly to the protection of the weak and innocent, is absolutely fascinating to me. The writing of Rust's character is superb, but the acting lives up to it.

While McConaughey's Cohle has gotten accolade after accolade, Harrelson's performance has gone relatively unnoticed. While the chemistry between them is fantastic, Harrelson's Marty dances the fine line felt by all supporting actors, and turns in a role that must be the most challenging thing to do as an actor, diminishing yourself, and making someone else look truly great. These tend to be the roles that I appreciate the most, and puts him in the pantheon of some of my favorites, like Robin Williams' (sob) phenomenal role in The Birdcage.

The cinematography is superb. The overhead shots of green, yet dead Louisiana, set the tone of the show perfectly. The music is appropriately creepy. And the entire cast does their job (making McConaughey look good) superbly well. The conclusion of the show is one of the best episodes of tv I've ever seen, featuring a fantastic conclusion to the show, in the realist terms of True Detectives universe, while also giving us a scene so suspenseful it's rivaled only by a few. If you haven't yet watched the show, please do! It's my guaranteed pick for you. I'd give it a 9.8/10

-TRO

What I'm Playing (Volume 2): Mega Man 9 & Mega Man Zero 3

Back with more of what I'm playing! Since last we met, I finished up Mega Man 8 (actually not too bad, see update from last one) and have begun Mega Man 9 and am working on Mega Man Zero 3 in handheld time (I promise, this section will feature something other than Mega Man games. Someday.).

I was expecting very big things from MM9, given the buzz about it and have been mostly impressed thus far.

Pros:

1. Stage design is superb.
2. Retro visual look is fantastic, and everything is very lovingly done, visually speaking.
3. Best MM sound track in ages. Concrete Man's music in particular.
4. It doesn't feel like they were running out of Robot Master ideas, like in previous games (Yamato Man? Tengu Man? Clown Man? Come on.).
5. Removing sliding and charge shots lends itself well to a classic feel, while also opening up more avenues for using the special weapons stolen from the Robot Masters within the stage, not just against bosses. Gameplay functions really nicely with these new changes. You don't feel the need to slow down to charge up before proceeding.
6. Story presentation has been really nice, without breaking up the free choice of levels from the NES games.
7. Love the existence of the challenges.

Cons:

1. No trophies? On PS3?
2. Removing slide and charge shot makes sense as game design, but makes little sense in the Mega Man timeline. Couldn't they work in some sort of Dr. Wily sent Mega Man back in time angle at least, or explain why Mega Man's capabilities are less now?
3. BOX ART. Does ANYONE like the Mega Man NES box art? At least go with the Japanese-style approach, not bringing back those dreadful MM and MM2 box styles. Seriously, look at this abomination. The above art for the Japanese version is so much better. I understand that this is sort of tongue-in-cheek, but just let it die already.

Mega Weirdo 9

All in all, I'd give it an 8.9 at this point. It's very good, although I think it could be improved a bit.

Ahhhh...good box art

Mega Man Zero 3 is also excellent.

Pros:

1. Keeps up the more linear, story-driven approach of Mega Man Zero 1 and 2, which is nice in a spin-off.
2. Very challenging, without feeling impossible.
3. Great visuals.
4. Love collecting the secret disks in all the levels.
5. Controls are perfect, as always.
6. Love the grade system. It builds in incentives to work towards those speed run and minimal damage runs, by rewarding you for good performance. Earlier Mega Man games didn't care if you won with 1 notch of health left, or took 3 hours and 80 continues to finish a level. This incentivizes replaying the game more than any other MM game.

Cons:

1.  This game has a lot more "that's BS" moments than other Mega Man games. Sometimes you'll just blindly wander into something that's absolutely unbeatable the first time, because you've never seen it before, which never feels nice.
2. Music isn't up to the standard of other Mega Man games.
3. Doesn't really offer too many new wrinkles on the MM Zero franchise.

I'd probably give this one an 8.9 as well. Anyway, check back in for something new in the next few days!

-TRO