the be all end all video game thread

Personally, I like a game where you see a character or party going from being a bunch of pussy-ass wimps to being unstoppable monsters. The grinding is basically a RPG version of a movie's training montage. It's not something that I'm always fascinated by, and if I can I'll just automate it. But it is quite fun to power-level another five levels and kick the shit out of something that was meant to be hard.

 

It's really the joy of masochism for me. Everyone's had those videogame moments where you failed again and again on a seemingly impossible part of a level or boss, only to burst into orgasmic joy upon victory.* RPGs in the Final Fantasy model are basically that feeling translated into an epic fight against evil. It gives you a context for the feeling, instead of it just being about you beating that goddamn level with the Jackal snipers.**

*Well, maybe not everyone...

**Oh Halo 2 Legendary, how I loved and hated you...

 

Puzzle Fighter is amazing... and only second to Tetris Attack which was one of my top favorite games for SNES PERIOD. Simple concept, vicious computer, outstanding vs mode, and enough endless and puzzle challenges to keep you playing for as long as you'd ever want. I have yet to meet anyone who knows about the game, let alone is good at it, and that's kinda disappointing because next to Wario's Woods Tetris Attack was one of the better designed puzzle games that just got completely skipped over.

RPG's... are somewhat addicting (to me) because there is a very obvious progression gauge throughout the game. It's a great outlet for people who like collecting and for people who like to have their progress measured. You can see when you'll level up next, and you can speculate what move you'll get at level 20, and you wonder what will happen to an enemy if you put reflect on yourself and bounce spells off you into enemies. PRG's usually give you a lot of control over how you act on the world, and a lot of side paths and quests that let you explore interests instead of forcing you to go a linear path and just shoot stuff on the way. To me its just a matter of collecting... I like finishing checklists.

 

I honestly never thought of that even though I HAVE a collection of said burned games that I didn't even make. I've been modding stuff to get extra titles and lessen costs since PS1 so it didn't even phase me when the Dreamcast put up no fight... I would have never realized this if you didn't point it out.

 

Speaking of Puzzle Fighter, I found an article I read a long time ago about slippery slope and perpetual comeback in video games. Chess is held up as an example of the former - a game where as you fall further behind, it is easier to do worse (many drinking games fall into this category). Puzzle Fighter is an example of the latter - a game where the worse you do, the easier it becomes to come back. Street Fighter IV, with the addition of Ultra Combos (which are activated upon receiving sufficient damage, and are the most powerful attacks in the game) also falls into this category.

Thoughts?

 

That's part of what makes Puzzle Fighter so unique and fun; each game is 45 to 120 seconds, and every decision to hit a combo could be the game-winner or game-loser based on your opponent's possible counters, what his board distribution is, when he will get the crystal breaker, etc. At no point is the game "over" or "obviously won" for one side or the other.

Thanks for the responses about the appeal of RPGs. Oddly enough, I enjoy a lot of the same things in games (leveling up, gaining all the available powers and gears), just not in the context of a RPG.

 

Ummmm I think it depends... on who you're playing against. Most of the players I've versed in Puzzle are smart enough to pick characters with difficult drop patterns, and when they see someone stack like a dumbass they just calmly build up a one-hit-kill.

I didn't play STF4 that much, but their system isn't new, and isn't guaranteed a comeback. If you remember Capcom vs. SNK 2 there were two amazing, EXPERT level grooves that allowed you to do that. A groove, and K groove both got stronger as you got your ass kicked, and both were nothing to joke with if you were a begginer. As a matter of fact if you were in a tournament and one of the later matches picked K groove I was more alert than anything... that guy has only one chance at using a special, and that special is at max strength. If he doesn't know how to do that well he wouldn't be here.

So my point is, there desperation moves are a tool in themselves. If you and your opponent are casual players odds are you'll make use of these well and they will provide the lucky upsets. If you are fighting an expert however you'd better learn how, when, and how often to do the desperation which makes you a decent player by definition.

A good example is Guilty Gear and its 20+ versions. Each character has a rather simple one-hit-kill special... but how many people have you honestly seen use it and have it work??

 

The only character in Puzzle Fighter worth playing with is Ken. Everyone else is strictly worse, and usually never selected except for handicap purposes. Also, you're wrong about stacking. Having a number of blocks going past the medium row of the board is ideal for a game-ending attack, and in fact, it's what every good player aims for. At the same time, it allows the opponent to kill you with a couple of medium combos strung together. So it's simultaneously a winning and losing position. Ditto for a completely empty board. That's what the article is describing.

Your "one-hit-kill" wouldn't normally work against any decent player, though; both players get the same blocks, and thus, have similar colored stacks. I would look over to your side if you had anything big (and I can roughly tell by my own blocks if you do), and if so, I would calmly counter it with a medium/large break, made easier by the the extra turn I get after you break anything until it actually falls on my side.

Also, there's a bonus for breaking blocks near the top of the screen, so I need to break less than you to counter everything/most of it. Finally, if you play a legitimately good opponent, like I used to be, that whole strategy is worthless anyways, because I'll break enough small blocks along the way, and get to the crystal by the time either player can launch a significant attack. In other words, you need a major combo (35+ blocks) at SOME point in the game, even if you eventually win with a couple of medium attacks strung together. (The latter usually occurs after getting a better position after each player has gotten to the first crystal)

There are better players than me, too, but the point is that the game is more complex in both general and concrete strategy than what you described.

 

I suck at Puzzle Fighter but I have had fun playing it.

As far as DreamCast, I think that system was just a bit ahead of its time.
I remember my neighbor had it, and it was the first console I am aware of that had internet capabilities. I remember he actually downloaded porn to his memory card, and when he sold his system to some middle school kid down the street he forgot about it and got in trouble for it. Tony Hawk on that system was the shit.

 

Are there any games free games out there with Guild Wars-esque PvP arenas? I'd like to do some team PvP in an mmo but don't really have a clue where to start anymore. Input would be much appreciated.

 

What do you think of Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic, Fallout or Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines then?

RPG doesnt = grindfest

 

The only real free game I know that does that is Runescape. And that's like beating your head against a brick wall.

If you want PvP, Guild Wars or WoW is definitely the way to go.

 

While it's not free, I'd say Warhammer Online is a pretty solid pvp oriented game. Much more than WoW I would say.

 

Just a quick FYI to the PS3 owners out there, head on down to Gamestop and put 5 down on the God of War 3: Ultimate Edition and you will receive a card to download the demo of God of War 3

http://kotaku.com/5393531/behold-the-god-of-war-iii-ultimate-edition

Of course you can still get it two other ways, you can get the God of War Collection in two weeks or you can get it by buying the Blu-Ray of District 9 in December.

Kratos today people!!!! Get moving...

 

Holy SHIT. I LOVED Super Mario RPG when I was a kid. Had an emulator and ROM of that game when I was in elementary school and played it all the time. It's my favorite RPG ever.

 

Second that... except my ROM had a bonus feature that would randomly reset my file to older locations and states once I got to around level 14 or so. I've never made it past getting Geno. If you still have the ROM I'd love a copy.

 

Any game and emulator you could want for NES, SNES, Genesis, and N64.

 

I dusted off Silent Hill last night in honor of Halloween and goddamn are those games scary (1-3 anyway). I think that is the only series of games that can genuinely freak me out to the point where I have a hard time playing them alone with the lights off. I seriously had to take a break every 20 minutes or so to regain composure.

 

Love those games. I may bust them out myself now.

The original FEAR had that effect on me. The sequel..meh not as much. While I was playing the original I found myself completely freaking out at random creaks in my house. I remember one scene in particular, you have to climb down a ladder. Your character faces the drop, grabs the ladder then turns around facing where you came from; only to see the little girl standing there staring at you. I nearly shit myself.