Author Archives: Megan_Highwind

About Megan_Highwind

I'm a 20 something college graduate who loves to play video games, see movies, listen to music, hang out with my friends and family, and have fun! Check out Disk Read Error and let us know what you think about our site!

Final Fantasy Excitment!

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Hey everyone! Megan Highwind here again with a short entry about something that I am highly anticipating, Final Fantasy X HD! Now this may not seem like a big deal to everyone, but Final Fantasy X is my second favorite entry in the series. My PlayStation 3 is not backwards compatible and I am not buying the game again, this time from the PSN store, without any upgrades. I will freely admit that I would prefer for Square Enix to just release Final Fantasy XIII Versus (or whatever they are going to call it now, I’ve heard rumors they are changing the title but who really knows?) but I am just glad that they are putting out something that actually interests me.

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Recently, they have also disclosed to fans that Final Fantasy X-2 will be included in the bundle. While Fantasy Final X-2 is not on my list of top Final Fantasy games, I did enjoy this game. I liked Shuyin and Lenne’s story even better than I liked the main story of Yuna and Tidus and I thought that the mini games were entertaining and fun. I know that more of the Final Fantasy gaming community would have preferred an HD remake of Final Fantasy VII and myself and a few others would prefer other FF title remakes even before this one, but the way I see it this is a start. I think that if the reception of FFX remade is good, that may persuade Square to continue with remakes for the new generation. I am excited that any remake that Square releases may bring new audiences to the franchise since sometimes bad, or old in this case, graphics can be a turn off for newer gamers. I am glad that these games that I enjoyed so much ten years ago (I know, it makes me feel old too!) are coming back somewhat new and definitely improved. Hopefully, this will be the start of a revolution of remakes from the Square Enix crew and it gets them to realize that fans still love Final Fantasy and maybe get them working faster on releasing Final Fantasy Versus XIII.  Until next time!

-Megan Highwind has left the party.

Convention Craze!

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Hello everyone! Megan Highwind here! Today, I am going to cover something a little different from what we normally talk about here at Disk Read Error. To preface what I am going to talk about, I am not only a fan of video games but also of anime, comics and the like. One of the most fun things that I have gotten into because of my love of the above is going to conventions. I just got back from one this weekend and had an urge to write about how much fun these events are. I have not been to very many and all of them have been in my region, but I would love to go to more outside of my hometown in the future. I have mostly only been to anime conventions, which also include video game and comic referenced panels (shoutouts to Anime St Louis and Natsucon) and look forward to going to as many as I can each year. I would love to share with all of you why I love these events and why you should go to one!

program 2013

First off, the crowd of people that attend these conventions and the amount of excitement they have for the subject matter pertaining to the chosen convention is something that is contagious. Whenever I attend these events everyone is so happy and welcoming so that it is hard not to want to be there.  Whether you want to dress up or not (in case you are wondering, I love to cosplay), people are open to starting a conversation about this or that game or show or even giving you a hug just for being there and being awesome. The fun vibe of the convention does not only stay within the convention center, but works its way into the city or town that it is taking place in as various people dressed up as their favorite characters take over restaurants surrounding the center. Whether you are outgoing or a little more on the shy side, everyone who attends the convention tries hard to make it a warm and inviting place and you know that you have at least one thing in common with everyone so it is easy to make friends. I cannot stress enough that while every other aspect of the con is fun, it really is the people who make it great. There are of course, those people who try to sour the event, but the amount of them compared to the amount of people who are there to just have a good time is next to none.

No, this is not a riot, I promise…but don’t tell us that there is no cake or you may start one.

Another thing I love about conventions are the panels. I really enjoy learning things that I did not know about my favorite anime, video game, voice actor and anything else people decide to throw panels on. There are enough panels per convention that I have never once felt like a topic is tired or that I would not want to attend them anymore. At the anime/gaming conventions I have been to there have been panels on things like the mechanics of how to make one of the above mediums, panels specifically about the different anime/games, game shows based on these topics, and my personal favorite, the 18+ panel that the voice actors throw in which they share their stories of things that have happened to them during their time in the industry among others.

I also love going to the conventions because of the cosplay aspect of them. I will freely admit that I can’t sew so I don’t actually make my own costumes like some others do, but something about dressing up as a character from a game or an anime is fun and adds to the experience.  Part of the thrill of it is that people at the conventions appreciate that you have dressed up and want to take pictures or discuss with you the character you are dressed up as. Another part of the fun is that the outfits that most of these characters wear are not something that is acceptable in everyday society so having one weekend to dress up in something out of the norm is a nice break from social norms regarding what people should and should not wear in public. I personally have cosplayed as Rinoa from Final Fantasy VIII, Tifa from Final Fantasy VII-Advent Children, and Serah from Final Fantasy XIII and am hoping if I can afford it in the future to branch out and maybe dress as some non-Final Fantasy characters as well.

The final thing I love about conventions is the dealer room. There is always at least one room full of stuff for sale relating to video games/anime/general nerdom… need I say more?

So. Much. Stuff!

All in all, if you have never attended one of these get togethers, you should! It may not be for everyone, least of all those who are not interested in the subject matter being presented, but as far as I am concerned it should be something that anyone who loves video games/anime/comics, etc. should go to at least once. Go, if for no other reason than to get the experience of being in a space with a bunch of people who love the same thing you do and want nothing else than to celebrate how great it is to be a fan.

So I would love to know, have any of you ever been to a convention? Which ones? Did you enjoy the experience and have anything you would like to add about why people should or should not attend one of these events? Please sound off in the comments below! Until next time!

-Megan Highwind has left the party.

Great Game(s) You May Have Missed! (Part 2)

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Megan Highwind here! This time I am going to delve into the reasons why tri-Crescendo’s Eternal Sonata is a game that did not get the attention I feel that it deserved. Eternal Sonata was a Japanese RPG released on the Xbox 360 back in 2007 and the Playstation 3 in 2008. This game is amazing for many reasons, the first of which being its story.

Eternal Sonata is the story of the composer Frederic Chopin, lying in his deathbed in Paris, and the world he creates in his mind while he is not awake to the outside world. He creates an intense story with an alluring set of characters to match. I will freely admit that when I started this title I found myself thinking that it was going to be another overdone story, especially with the cutesy cover art and young looking characters, but I was wrong. When first falling into the world that Chopin creates, it is easy to feel like the story is going nowhere; but after the beginning sequences end and the heart of the story begins, it becomes so much deeper than at first glance. The story brings to the forefront the meaning of life and death, light and darkness and even dreams and reality such as the dream that Chopin created for himself. When the game ended, I found myself wanting more. All of the different characters that player encounters and the circumstances that have brought them together are also part of what make the story great. While they may all seem as though they are just children with no real issues to face, the more time spent with them the more it surfaces that not just Chopin, but Polka, Allegretto, and the others are all dealing with issues that are well beyond their years.

The gameplay in this title is another interesting part of the allure. Like some other RPGs, when a monster runs into the party the player controls three different characters and has to fight. Hitting the monsters is done by slashing with the X button while special attacks are reserved for the triangle. However, unlike other games the light and darkness elements and the party level system keep the game from becoming too linear. As the Party Level of the group goes up, things become increasingly difficult. For example, when the player begins the game there is plenty of time to counter attack an enemy whom is attacking you. However, the further along the game gets the less time the player has to use a counter attack. Similarly, the counter of time above the players’ head shows how much time is left before the enemies can attack. As players level up, the counter gets faster so tactics have to be taken into account to figure out the best way to get the most damage in. The final thing I loved about the gameplay in this game is the Light vs Darkness system. Depending on whether characters are standing in a light area or a dark one, the attacks that they can use change. This adds a level of difficulty to the game as well because it is not always easy to reach a light or dark area without wasting at least one turn. Little side quests like finding Score Pieces also add to the gameplay to keep it from being just about running through dungeons and killing monsters.

Orchestral composition has taken a VERY different direction these days.

Orchestral composition has taken a VERY different direction these days.

The final things that make this game worth checking out are the music and graphics. The music in this game is fantastic. Some of the songs are ones created by Chopin himself and are played at times with a thoughtful little saying or phrase that really add to aspects of the storyline. Other times pieces created by Motoi Sakuraba flood the speakers. No matter which composer’s songs are played during different times in the game, they blend together beautifully to create a picture of a world of beauty and hope as well as sadness and pain. Finally, the way the characters and backgrounds look and feel together are well done. The characters show emotion with every word and look that comes out of them. This makes it easy for the player to feel for them and their situations as the game progresses. The different places that the characters travel to and the worlds that they encounter inside of Chopin’s mind also contribute to the understanding of the state of Chopin’s innermost feelings and it is beautiful to behold how fluidly the characters and the settings blend together.

Overall, Eternal Sonata definitely falls into the great games that you may have missed category. Trust me when I say that if you enjoy games with an alluring story, memorable characters, beautiful graphics and incredible music that this game is worth a try. I decided to try it and even though it took a little while for the storyline to draw me in; once it did it kept me coming back until Chopin drew his last breath.

– Megan Highwind has left the party

Great Games you may Have Missed!

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Hello all! Megan Highwind here! So this week I have decided to write an article about a couple of games that I loved but that did not get the attention they deserved. With every console generation there are thousands of games that get released. While this is a good thing because it keeps a variety of titles around for players to choose from, it makes it a lot easier to pass over an amazing title without a second thought. Therefore, I wanted to bring to your attention two fantastic titles that you may have passed over and telling you that you need to play them! This time around I have chosen to highlight Shadow Hearts: Covenant and Catherine as my games that you should play but may not have.

First up is Shadow Hearts: Covenant. This insanely good title came from Midway and Nautilus back in 2004 for the PlayStation 2. When I picked this title up I had no idea what to expect. I had not played the first Shadow Hearts game and decided to try it on a whim when I was at a GameStop one day and I am glad I did. This game takes place directly after the events of the first Shadow Hearts game, at the beginning of World War I.  Soldiers from Germany are trying to take the town of Domremy in France, but are not able to because it is being protected by the likes of a demon. The demon, Yuri, takes out the entire German force except for one woman named Karin who goes back to her superiors to let them know what happened. From there she is sent with a priest named Nicholai in order to take the town from the demon. When they arrive Yuri tries to stop them from taking the town and gets cursed, unable to use his powers to protect the town from Nicholai and the Germans, while Karin realizes that her superiors’ ideals may not be what she thought. Karin ends up joining up with Yuri in order to get his powers back to take the town back and stop the evil forces that are surrounding the destruction of the towns in the area. During the journey, the two meet an incredibly alluring set of characters that create many plot twists and turns and keep the game going so that it never once feels boring or stale. The story focuses on the main characters, but also focuses on the stories of the supporting characters so that you not only get to know the stories of Yuri and Karin, but the stories of the other characters that come into their lives along the way.  Not to mention, the ending of the game is amazing. It is a fitting end that gripped my heart and just squeezed and I will freely admit that I cried…a lot.

The game has a level of darkness about its story and characters that is not immediately apparent, but as more is revealed about them and their lives, becomes part of the draw of the game. While keeping to this dark tone, the game also does a great job of adding bits of humor and excitement to level out the sadness. The characters themselves are so varied and their voice acting and appearance are so well done that by the end of the game it is hard not to care about what happens to every single one of them. Not one character that I encountered in this game made me want to pull my hair out, which is saying something since I will admit that I tend to hate at least one character in every single game I play. Going along with the voice acting, the music in this game is also well done. As stated earlier, since the game has a darker feel to it, the music needs to match that. The songs that Yoshitaka Hirota and Yasunori Mitsuda made for this game fit perfectly. Depending on the feel of the situation the characters are placed in, the music can immediately change from a sad organ theme to a pounding rock hit. The art direction in this game follows suit. The theme of desolation and destruction that people think of when we think of war carries into the look of the towns and cities that the crew goes through. It also appears in the characters. Their faces convey what they are feeling and the way they act and move help to draw the players in further. Just when you think you have a character completely figured out, they will do something to surprise you and that is part of what I love about this game. The final thing that makes this game amazing to me is the battle system. The judgment ring system was unlike anything I had played before. Basically, the players are given a wheel looking thing that has a section of the wheel highlighted and whenever your cursor moved through that section you press the X button. If you hit the Strike Zone, the tiny red zone at the end of a white hit zone, you cause extra damage. You can customize the judgment ring to add more sections to the wheel. This helps you get more hits, but it also makes it harder to hit. There are also status ailments that can affect how the Judgment ring spins, be it faster, slower, backwards, etc. The final thing that makes the battle system great is no two characters Judgment Rings are the same. They have different upgrades that change their attacks and power. Finally, Yuri and Kurando, the two demon type characters, can transform into their demon selves and unleash a whole new level of pain onto your foes. I love this game. Without a doubt, it is on my list as one of the best games ever. Everything about this game is awesome, so go play it!

The other title that was unexpectedly brilliant is the PS3 title, Catherine. Catherine is a weird game. That is definitely the first thing that I thought when I picked up this title. Atlus released this game in 2011 and I was extremely hesitant to pick this game up when I saw it in the store. I saw the cover and immediately thought it was some sort of Japanese porn game and that I should steer clear. But, the more videos I saw for the game the more I wanted to play it and it was way beyond what I originally thought it would be. Catherine is a title that is unlike any other, which is hard to do when there are millions upon billions of games floating around in the world. The game is about a man named Vincent who is dating a woman named Katherine. Katherine and Vincent have been dating for a while and Katherine wants Vincent to take things to the next level by proposing and starting a life together. Vincent is terrified by this idea and decides to make the brilliant decision to go drink his troubles away. As you can expect, things do not go very well for the inebriated Vincent. He ends up sleeping with a woman named Catherine. When Vincent wakes up, he loses it. He cannot decide whether he wants to be with Katherine or Catherine and is stuck with intense nightmares about what direction he should take his life in. Vincent discusses this issue with his pals at their favorite bar entitled the Stray Sheep, which is where you are allowed to talk with players around you, check emails, drink, etc. In his sleep, Vincent is changed into a sheep and finds himself stuck in a room with a bunch of other sheep and by talking to them realizes some interesting things about those surrounding him. In order for Vincent to wake up the next day, he has to answer a question and complete a puzzle. The puzzles are the main gameplay aspect that you encounter. Basically, you are stuck pulling and pushing blocks around in order to climb higher up a tower to reach the top and not die. At the bottom of the tower chasing you are different fears that Vincent has in his life. The blocks that you climb can crumble, be made of ice, shoot out spikes or cause other varying hazards that Vincent has to avoid in order to make it to the top. These puzzles are not easy. In fact, they get so exceedingly difficult that sometimes I was worried I would never complete them. However, since the puzzles were so difficult, they gave me a huge sense of relief when I did complete them, even if it took me two hours to do so. The puzzles are hard, but varying enough that they still manage to be fun. Not to mention, the supplemental gameplay elements add to the game so that you are not stuck doing puzzles constantly.

The supplemental elements of the gameplay, as well as the music and the good graphics, add to the plot. The game deals with some issues that most games would not dare touch, cheating and commitment phobia. During the course of the game, you make choices that may not seem to mean much. Who you talked to at the Stray Sheep at night, whether you emailed Katherine back, whether you checked out those dirty pictures Catherine sent you, and other things like that they seem insignificant at the time. The story is deep and compelling; Vincent is truly in a predicament and you can feel the weight that it is putting on his shoulders and how hurt the two women in his life are by his lack of decision. While dealing with these intense issues, it also manages to add humor to keep the game from becoming too serious. You are never sure whether you want to feel sorry for Vincent or if you want him to fall off the tower every time he climbs, but that is part of the draw of the game. There are no black and white answers in the game. Obviously Vincent should have never cheated, but his answers to questions afterwards fall into a gray area that keeps you guessing. A decision that you make you may think means one thing could actually cause a different outcome. You quickly come to realize that Catherine much deeper than a puzzle game on steroids. It is a game that deals with a real world issue and brings it to the forefront. This game is different, entertaining, and really fun to play. It brings together so many different elements in a really new and interesting way. Catherine is an amazing mix of different styles of gaming that you should definitely find and play.

Shadow Hearts: Covenant and Catherine are my first two choices for games that you should play but may have missed. Are there any games off the top of your head that you played that did not get the recognition they deserved? If you’ve played these titles do you agree with my choices; if not have I gotten you interested in trying them? Please let us know what you think in the comments below and as always thanks for reading. Until next time!

-Megan Highwind has left the party.

Is this truly the FINAL Fantasy?

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Hello everyone, Megan Highwind here! Joshua Evo sent me an interesting article from the website Kotaku that prompted me to examine and wonder about my feelings on the future of the Final Fantasy series as we know it. If it is not obvious, I am a huge fan of this series and the article entitled “The Slow, Excruciating Death of Final Fantasy” discussed a new game from Square Enix entitle, Final Fantasy All the Bravest, is a game which pits heroes of the series against villains while various themes from the different titles play in the background. Now, I have yet to play this title since I refuse to pay any money for something that has, in every sense of the word, been considered terrible by everyone that has reviewed it. However, this article not only brought up this poor excuse for an addition to the long lived franchise, but how the future of the Final Fantasy series as a whole is in question due to poor choices in titles and lack of anything with any real sense of depth from Square Enix as of late in regards to Final Fantasy and how the writer of the above article feels that Final Fantasy has gone off the deep end and may never recover.

My favorite series of all time.

IS it Final? Who knows?

Square Enix has become a bit of a money grabbing company as of late, this is hard to deny, but the titles they have released are not games that make fans come and stay with a series. Between titles released for the iOS that cost an arm and a leg just to buy some new little upgrade and the terror that is Final Fantasy XIV, there are definitely questions to be raised. It is obvious that all companies in the industry are out to make some money, of that there is no question. It just seems as though Square has become too focused on the money and has started to forget how to make those good, solid, interesting titles of years past. Now, before anyone who likes Final Fantasy XIII gets down my throat about being an old fart who is always going to say things were better back “in my day”, let me tell you that is not the case. I did not love Final Fantasy XIII, I will not lie about that. But, I did not think that it it is the worst thing that happened to the series. It did bring in new fans who never had interest and maybe reawakened new fans who were wanting a change in pace. It also added some new systems and elements to the series that were fun to play. I do think, however, that in trying to bring new fans into the fold, Square has pushed away some of its veteran players. It seems like ever since Square Soft became Square Enix, everything for the series has changed. The first game after the combination, Final Fantasy XII, was fairly similar to other games before the merge except with a more action RPG based fighting style instead of the more familiar turn based style. Then, Final Fantasy XIII took this more action based style even further and changed even more from the older style. Some fans love this new direction that the series has taken while others disagree. The main point I am trying to make is that these changes have changed how veterans feel about the series and that is bound to catch up with Square at some point. There were a lot of people who were excited about Final Fantasy XIII, less excited about XIII-2, and I am supposing from that trend even less are awaiting this final installment in the Lightning saga. Now, will I play this title? Yes. Will I enjoy myself at least somewhat? Probably. However, if Square wants to save itself from losing the fans that it has built from the inception of the Final Fantasy franchise, something needs to change. Things have just become too different for fans of the older titles and while newer fans may enjoy these changes, compromises need to be made to keep both sides happy.

No, you can't take away the Chocobos!

Not the Chocobos. Never the Chocobos.

In my opinion, Square needs to take Final Fantasy Versus and release it, SOON. It may be too late for some fans who kept waiting and being disappointed, but for the series to recover its veterans and keep its new fans Square should release this game. You might ask why I am saying this. Final Fantasy Versus looks to be the combination of the two that will keep both sets of fans happy. I could be completely wrong on this, but at this point what does the company have to lose? From all of the screen shots and demos we have seen Versus uses the old school open world style, storyline concepts and emo main characters, while incorporating the more action oriented style of the newer versions of the series. As I said earlier, there are fans that have been lost and gained by Square Enix as of the past few years. My disappointment in the direction the series has taken I’m sure is apparent from my reviews of the past two Final Fantasy titles. I think that XIII disappointed a bit too much with the overly linear style and XIII-2 tried to bring some of that back, which is why I prefer the latter over its predecessor. However, Square could do better. I have been a fan of Final Fantasy for over 10 years now and in order for the company to keep myself, other older fans, and newer fans from getting bored and straying from the beloved series, Square needs to work to merge the new and the old to make a game everyone can enjoy. I do agree with one thing, at least, that the author has said though, for good or for bad the Final Fantasy series will never be the same.

-Megan Highwind has left the party.

The Hits and Misses of 2012: Part 1 of 4

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Hi everyone! Megan Highwind here to start off our review of 2012. So as to not have to go through every single title of the year we have narrowed it down to our favorite, least favorite or most disappointing and biggest surprise or sleeper hit of the year. Now, I am going to start off my part of this segment by saying that 2012 was a VERY slow year of gaming for me. There were titles toward the beginning of the year that I looked forward to and titles toward the end (which I am not actually going to be able to play until Christmas) which has therefore limited my year of gaming. However, I think the titles that I have chosen fit well into these categories so without further ado here are my personal best, most disappointing and surprising games of 2012!

 Best – Mass Effect 3

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Mass Effect 3, as most of the readers probably know, was the final entry into the Mass Effect saga that started on the Xbox in 2007 and ended on the PS3 and Xbox this year. While I must say that I did not get to play the first Mass Effect since I myself only own a PS3, I really enjoyed Mass Effect 2 and 3. I think one thing that Mass Effect 3 did a good job of portraying was a sense of urgency throughout. The world was finally being attacked from all sides and Shepard was put in charge of bringing together different groups that still hated each other even when things were looking bleakest. It starts with an attack on Earth and quickly grows into an assault of every planet in the relay system. Shepard’s decisions not only in this title, but in the past two titles, affect what is going to happen and who is going to have Shepard’s back in the final fight. Not only that, but collecting things like War Assets to increase the player’s Galactic Readiness rating is crucial. This is an important aspect to the gameplay when the enemies could easily wipe out Shepard’s entire fighting force if not well enough prepared. Basically, Shepard has to take charge and make everyone see that fighting with him, or her, is the only way to go.

The gameplay is more of the run and gun style that Mass Effect 2 had. The small differences are that Shepard is now able to jump over things easier (thankfully. I cannot tell you how much this bothered me in ME2) and do more rolling and diving and things of this nature. Another thing added to the gameplay is the multiplayer aspect. Bioware did a good job of taking the team aspect of the single player and bringing it in so that it is just as important in the multiplayer levels. Bringing in levels from the single player campaign, the multiplayer is a rewarding experience that allows players to buy bigger, better, and cooler weapons, characters, and powers throughout. The graphics and the soundtrack are on par if not slightly better than the last two titles, but without much difference to mention. The only real downsides I found with this title were the occasional frame rate issue that has affected past titles and the lack of side quests that delve into the characters lives like those of Mass Effect 2. I will say something about the ending of this title. A lot of people were upset that the ending did not give enough about what happened to Shepard and everyone else and that the scale was not good enough for going through three previous titles and putting so much time, effort, and emotion into these games. I would have to agree. The ending was disappointing. I wanted to not only see some big explosions but I wanted to know how they were going to rebuild the relays or what Shepard’s crew was going to do after everything was over, or something. Even when they patched in the new endings, I found myself wanting more. However, even though Mass Effect 3 may not be a perfect title, and the ending did not satisfy as much as I would have liked, it did a lot of things right and that is why it is my favorite title of 2012 and a fitting way to end an amazing trilogy.

 Most Disappointing –  Final Fantasy XIII-2

final-fantasy-xiii-2-logo-530px

 So, I will start this off by saying that I actually did enjoy Final Fantasy XIII-2. I gave it a 12/15, but since I did not play a whole lot, if I had to pick a game that disappointed me most it would be this one. I think it was improvement on XIII in pretty much every way. The graphics were slightly better, which makes sense since the game came out a few years after its predecessor, and the music was fantastic. The gameplay was also much better. The inclusion of the third character being a monster that Serah and Noel had to capture in order to use in their party was an interesting choice and gave the game an interesting spin since the monster had different abilites and strengths. I also found myself quite enveloped by the story by the end of the game. However, while I did enjoy the storyline to an extent and I thought the developers tried to make it as compelling as possible, I was never 100% drawn into the world and the characters like I was with say a Mass Effect game or an Uncharted title. In my original review, I stated that the story never left me feeling like I was ready for it to be over before the end of the game came around. While this is true, I still never felt the emotional connection that I have with other titles from this year and years past. I always just wanted that one big push that made me care fully about what happened to this world and its characters. Another thing that drove me crazy was one particular anomaly. The ridiculously frustrating and annoying clock puzzle that was added easily took me out of the story and made me want to turn off the game and maybe come back later. It was insanely difficult to figure out what moves to make to solve this puzzle and it easily ate up an hour trying to get through all of them in one area. Basically, while I did enjoy the overall feel that Final Fantasy XIII-2 had to it, I do wish that the storyline could have grabbed me a bit more and that the clock puzzle would have never been invented.

Surprisingly Fun/Sleeper Hit –  The Simpsons: Tapped Out

the_simpsons_tapped_out

So to start, this is a mobile title. I know that we have not done a lot of reviews or news about mobile titles in the past but this was one that I have been addicted to since it came out earlier this year and has become my sleeper hit of 2012. Tapped Out takes all of the characters that have become well-known from The Simpsons tv show and made them into a collect coins, build things, and repeat game. However, there are things about this particular title that have made it more interesting to me than previous ones that have used the same concept. First off, anyone who likes the Simpsons will probably like this game. It starts off with Homer eating donuts in the nuclear plant while playing on his Ipad and ends up that the whole of Springfield is destroyed and it is up to Homer and the other players that come along the way to rebuild the town. Basically, when the player builds a building it will give them coins, and sometimes a new character, and with those coins other buildings can be constructed which bring back more characters. The idea is to eventually rebuild all of Springfield and bring back everyone that has been lost. Now, this may sound like it gets old fairly quick, but it has not gotten there for me yet. There are random times where the player gets a scene that looks like it could be from the show and these are entertaining little tidbits that break things up a bit. Since it is Christmas time, the game was just updated so that there is snow everywhere and if the player collects specific Christmas coins by having the characters do Christmas themed things, the player can put lights on their houses, and  even build Christmas specific buildings. Now, I am not saying that is the greatest game to come out this year. It is actually far from it. There really is not much storyline besides trying to rebuild Springfield and having characters do the same certain tasks everyday, but this is a fun free game that is worth playing while having free time at work or being on the go. There are just enough little variations sprinkled throughout that game is not exactly the same for too long to get boring.

Plus, who doesn’t love Homer Simpson?

– Megan Highwind has left the party.

First Look – Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Demo

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Hello all! Megan Highwind reporting in back from the land of work and no fun. Worry not though, I am going to try to start being more active and not fall off the planet again. My first order of business is to give you all my take on the demo for the new Japanese RPG from Namco Bandai Games,  Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.

What?! This yellow bug with a lamp coming out of its nose is supposed to help me see my mom again? I quit!

What?! This yellow bug with a lamp coming out of its nose is supposed to help me see my mom again? I quit!

The first very noticeable thing about this game its art style. It’s very much in the spirit of Hayao Miyazaki’s amazing animated films like Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away to name a few. The music, characters, and even the gameplay lead to a sense of playing through one of these fantastic movies rather than a traditional game, which is a good thing. There are elements that remind the player  that this is of course a game, but the story and the gameplay do not seem to suffer from a lack of attention that sometimes occurs when movies and games mix. The game is about a boy named Oliver whose mother passes away. A doll that he is given by his mother comes to life and allows Oliver to use magic and visit to the Ni No Kuni world in order to find his mother. Although I did not get a true sense of the storyline just yet, the little I did get was promising.

From what I gathered, the gameplay is a real-time system that allows the player to attack and defend and awards the player more points if the player is able to defend or attack at the precise moment that the game wants you to. Basically, if the player can defend when the enemy is preparing a large attack or attack while the enemy is attacking causing a counter to their attack, the game rewards power ups and health. One thing I must say that I noticed is that this does not seem like it will be an easy game. Even from the demo, especially the lava themed level, the bosses that I fought against were not easy to beat. This could possibly be due to the fact that the demo does not really give the player a clear sense of how the gameplay works so much as just throwing the player in and letting them figure it out on their own.

Nothing is more intimidating than three small, angry children.

Nothing is more intimidating than three small, angry children.

Overall, I am excited for this game. I am curious to see how the coming together of two companies such as Studio Ghibli and Level-5 goes but so far I am impressed. I have been a fan of Miyazaki’s films for a while, which is originally why I was so excited for this game, but after playing the demo I am excited for many more reasons. From what I’ve learned so far, the graphics, music, and gameplay all seem to be on par with what make a game great. If the storyline turns out to be as good as these other elements, I see no reason where Ni No Kuni would not fall into one of the great games of 2013. Look for this title when it drops on January 22, 2013!

– Megan Highwind has left the party.

I Love Final Fantasy Songs! – Part 1

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Hey all! As the resident FF nerd of the bunch, I am going to be the one starting off this awesome segment!  I am going to start this off by saying I had a REALLY hard time picking out my favorites. I love the music in almost every game and there are quite a few songs that I would throw on this list if I could. It also made it harder on me being able to choose only one song per game. However! I am excited I could put my list together. Going back and listening to some of my old favorites makes me remember how much I really do love these games. Final Fantasy games are probably the ones that I can say I am the most fond of out of any games that have come out on the market. Of course, I do not like some of the installments as much as others, but without Final Fantasy I probably would not have become a gamer at all. That being said, I hope you all like my list and please comment, like, or whatever it is you people do. Enjoy!


5. Vamo’ Alla Flamenco – Final Fantasy IX

I adore this song. It is so upbeat and made me excited to play the game the first time I heard it. It also makes me feel like I should be getting up and dancing everytime I hear it somewhere. I think it is a fitting song to play during the “mini battle” between Blank and Zidane during the performance in the game. For some reason, it just fits perfectly as a theme for these two putting on this fake battle in front of all of Alexandria. There may be plenty of other songs that do a better job of stirring up emotions in players or readying them for a major boss battle, but this song will always be special to me for its ability to make my day instantly a little better.


4. The Promise – Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XIII is definitely not one of my favorite of the genre. To be honest, I did not even really enjoy it that much because I think it was too much of a far cry from the things that I loved about all of the prior entries in the series. However, I did think the music was beautiful. I am sucker for piano pieces and FFXIII’s The Promise is a beautiful one. It is one of those songs that is both sad and hopeful at the same time and when I first heard it during the opening of the game, I knew that it would be one of my favorite songs.


3. One Winged Angel –  Final Fantasy VII 

When you ask most people what their favorite song from Final Fantasy VII is you are most likely going to get one of two answers. Either this gem right here or Aerith’s theme. While I am partial to both, One Winged Angel is easily my favorite from this game. To start with, Sephiroth is simply awesome. He is an amazing villain and one of the most heartless characters to ever step into the Final Fantasy universe. This song fits him so well it is amazing. I have never both loved and hated a character as much as Sephiroth and part of it is because of this theme. You hear the song and you think that you want to hate him because the song sounds so evil and crazy yet between the guitar rifts and the outstanding orchestra in the background it is hard to not love this song and the character himself. This song is far and away one of the most easily recognizable songs of the series and for good reason. One Winged Angel is the most b******(edited for the protection of young ears and eyes) boss battle theme out there.


2. To Zanarkand- Final Fantasy X

This song and my number song were the hardest for me to choose. Final Fantasy X and my number one choice of song’s game are by far the ones whose music I enjoy the most. I absolutely adore Otherworld, Suteki Da Ne, and this song, but this song barely pulls out the win for me. Before you even know anything about these characters or their world you are greeted by this overwhelming heartbreaking masterpiece. To Zanarkand is the kind of song that makes me want to cry everytime I hear it. Partially because I know the story behind Tidus, Yuna, and the others and why this song fits their stories so well and partially because this song draws me in without letting go. This song is haunting. When I saw the opening credits for this game and heard this song it made me want to know more and that is exactly what a song should do. While this may not be my favorite game of the series nor my number one pick for best song, I will always love this song because it makes me remember that playing a game is supposed to make you feel something and this song did just that for me.


1. Liberi Fatali- Final Fantasy VIII 


As many of you know, Final Fantasy VIII is my favorite game of the series. While this may somewhat influence my decision, even standing alone this song is absolutely amazing. Fisherman’s Horizon and Eyes on Me are other great pieces from this game, but this one will always be my favorite. The opening sequence to Final Fantasy VIII is, in my opinion, the best of the series. It is fast paced and full of action and sets the tone for the rest of the game. It also gives you a good idea of how good versus evil stacks up in this title. Part of the reason this opening was so good was the influence of this song. It gives me chills everytime I hear it. I am not entirely sure whether it is the demanding tone of the Latin being sung throughout or the fantastic orchestral score but this song will always stand out in my mind as a piece of perfection. Every sequence of this theme fits in exactly with what is going on in the opening sequence and makes it that much more exciting. This song is the definition of a masterpiece to me. It brings together everything people have learned to love from the series; the intensity of battle and the promise of an alluring storyline to come. I had the pleasure of singing this song with my high school choir and I am so glad that I got to learn this wonderful piece. Without a shadow of a doubt, whether it be a song from the past, present, or future of Final Fantasy, Liberi Fatali will always be my number one.

Well, that is my list for you all, I hope you liked it! Stay tuned for the other three writers takes on what their favorite songs are.  Also, please leave a comment! Let me know if you liked my choices or not, what your favorites are, or anything else that you have to say about the Final Fantasy series. Until next time!


-Megan Highwind has left the party.

SURPRISE!

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Hey all, this is Megan Highwind popping in to say sorry for the lack of much lately I promise we have been trying, life as always has just gotten in the way! However, we have a pretty awesome surprise coming up next week (Joshua Evo just told me about it today and I am super excited, I don’t know if I’m supposed to say anything but I love sharing my excitement so I am!). Be ready! I’ll give you a small hint….NOT! You’ll just have to wait and see what awesome things we have in store for you all. As always, please comment and let us know what you think of how we are doing, what you like and don’t like, and how we can improve. After all, we do not know what to change or keep the same unless you tell us. =) I’m looking forward to posting my part of this surprise piece for you all next Tuesday! Until then!

–Megan Highwind has left the party

Pokemon Fantastique’: Day 31 of 31

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Megan Highwind here for the last of our Pokemon entries! It is sad that this has come to an end with so many great Pokemon left to mention, but I think we have done a fairly decent job of giving you all of our favorites and telling you why we love them. Without further ado, the final Pokemon in our little series and one I hinted to a few days back is none other than…..



Entei! I will freely admit that most of my love for this Pokemon stems from the Pokemon movie that he was involved in. He was an altogether different main character in the movies than Mewtwo or Lugia in that he acts as a protector toward a human. Even though, [SPOILERS] Entei is technically just a figment made up by the Unown he still acts as though he cares for the little girl, Molly, and wants to help be there for her. [/SPOILERS] Something about the strong look and power of Entei drew me to this Pokemon the first time I saw it. Without a doubt, if I was in a fight I would want Entei on my team and not the other way around! Not to mention, in the games this Pokemon has some killer attacks. It gets the great fire attacks such as Fire Blast, Firespin, and Flamethrower, but can also learn other skills such Sandstorm, Dig, and Hyper Beam. No matter which way you look at it, this Pokemon is a power house. I was originally drawn to it from the Pokemon movie Spell of the Unown, but I will always adore this Pokemon for the fact that even though it emits sheer power, there is also this grace and regalia that make this one of the most unforgettable Pokemon I’ve ever encountered.

Well, that’s it for this month’s days of Pokemon. We really hope you enjoyed the entries and any feedback you have for us is always appreciated. Did you like this segment and want us to do more like this? Is there something you wish we did differently? Or even did we not talk about one of your favorite Pokemon and you want to let us know why we should have? Let us know in the comments below! Until the next entry…

-Megan Highwind has left the party.