RPGamer - Letters for April 25, 2000

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TSUBABABA!

Googleshng - April 25 '00- 1:30 Eastern Daylight Time

If the title didn't tip you off, in addition to winning RE4, I picked up Chu Chu Rocket this weekend. The whole getting paid concept is pretty darn cool. It looks like I'll be able to get to Anime Central next month even. Anyway, I'm pretty darn happy. I am a tad shocked though at the similarities between the end of RE4 and Parasite Eve. By the way, this column is a day late because Sunday's went up too late for me to get enough letters. Sunday's went up late because Brad's weekend just plain sucked. Oh well, let's just get going.

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Chu Chu Rocket
I love Japan.

Prequel/Sequel

Googleshng- OK, as shocking as it may sound, I actually have a couple questions about RPGs. First off, we all know about Star Ocean 2. What about Star Ocean 1? My friend swears he played it on the SNES, late in its life, and that it was awesome, but I have never seen it. Never. He also says it had vocals, which made me think he was thinking of Tales of Phantasia. But ToP was never released in the US, so he couldn't of played it. Can you help out here? Second, I know this may be completely out there, and I hope you won't laugh too much if I'm completely off base with this, but are they making a Lufia 3? I just got my hands on a copy of Lufia 2, and it rocks. Do you know of any plans for a sequel and/or already released sequels? Thanks for any help you can give me. -TetrisGod "He's the one that's been asking relevant questions! GET HIM!"

Googleshng:
Well, if your friend is into importing or was in Japan at the time, everything he says about SO1 checks out. It was during the period when Enix wasn't on speaking terms with the US. As for Lufia 3, well, they are making one, but it keeps hopping systems. I think currently it's slated for Dreamcast and Lufia: Ruins Chasers for the GBC. It might be the other way around.

Tactics 3

Google-

Do you know if Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth is going to be ported to America? I think it makes very little sense to not bring the unofficial sequel to FFT to America. Just by looking at the game you can tell it's going to be just like it, also due to the fact that it's made by the same team of developers. I would get it imported, however it just so happens that I don't speak Japanese! Help with this question.

The Buff Guy with Blue Hair.

Googleshng:
Well, there has been no official word either way of Hoshigami being translated. Hopefully it will be, but if so, I'm guessing there will be a title change.

Do you go to E3s? Are you going to be there? I wouldn't mind meeting you, if that's alright and doesn't seem too stalker-ish. In fact, do you know if anyone of the RPGamer staff is going?

-Skip Olivares a.k.a Squall

Googleshng:
Well, I'm not going this year (probably not any other year either unless there's a massive plague and I suddenly strike it rich) but a whole bunch of other staffers are going. The news guys, a couple new media people, Mike of course, and I believe Lorelai and Brad are too. Like I said before though, I am going to Anime Central this year (I hope) so if you REALLY want to stalk me, you can do it there.

Amano

Dear Googleshng,

Something from Brad's column yesterday really got me angry, now I know you don't really like to carry subjects over from other weeks or from the weekend, but I couldn't help but speak out against this. Yesterday, on the subject of Yoshitaka Amano, someone said "and don't anyone complain about his work unless you can do better!", I hear this comment a lot, and it always makes me want to punch someone in the teeth. Now, I'm an artist, in very many senses of the word, drawing, painting, music, theater, writing, etc. And when is comes to visual art, EVERYONE should be able to complain about art, or comment on these artists, just as long as they've got two eyes that work, heck, even one eye that works. Just because someone is better than someone else doesn't mean that the second person can't call the first person's work crap, everyone's got their own opinions, their own tastes. I am a realist, as in, someone that tries to draw things as they ACTUALLY look, and to someone with realist tastes, Amano's work is CRAP, absolute CRAP. To a realist, I'm a thousand times better than Amano, but to an abstract artist, I've got nothing on him. Everyone should be able to praise Amano's art, complain about Amano's art, comment on it, use it as toilet paper, whatever they want to do. The same goes with EVERY visual art.

I'm sorry for the long winded letter, but these kinds of things really get me going, art is free for everyone to talk about, if only the artists were able to, than the world would be boring.

-Anotsu

"As for me, I say the only truly outstanding warriors or kenshi or whatever you want to call them are the ones that try anything and everything to make themselves more deadly."

Googleshng:
This puts it pretty well. As far as people complaining about Amano's art, he has a unique style. If you like it, great, if you don't, well ignore it. The real bottom line though is that Amano came up with the look of black mages, and whether you like his style or not, you have to admit they look pretty darn cool.

M is for blood.

Possible Parasite Eve spoilers

Do you have any idea why the ESRB ratings went from black outline on a pixelated background with white interior to black on a white background? It just seems kinda trivial, and I'm sure it cost a bit of money. On that note, who pays for the ESRB? Is it the US government? Aren't some of the ratings kind of strange? I mean FF7 got a Teen rating, which I believe in, but it doesn't jive with some of the other ratings. I mean in FF7 you see someone run through with a sword and some pretty serious cursing. Look at some games that are rated M like Parasite Eve. The worst thing in Parasite Eve is when some people turn into proto matter. It doesn't make sense to me.

Googleshng:
The ratings went from pixelated to black on white to make them easier to read. Anyway, I'vbe hated those ratings forever. First of all, back when they were first put into use, there was no call for them. It was way back in the 16-bit days. I seem to recall Mortal Kombat started it actually. Anyway, they are VERY inconsistant. Vandal Hearts (one and two) are rated M for "animated blood and gore". This is because whenever you kill one of the unrealistic looking characters, there's a big red geyser. Not exactly traumatic. Kinda funny really. Parasite Eve is another good example. I agree that it deserves an M (look at the dog movie if you don't know why... and have a strong stomach). However, the official reason it's rated M is "Animated Violence, Mature Sexual Themes." I suppose I can see why it says Animated Violence, because everything has that, but Mature Sexual Themes? Not only does this get you some really odd looks from certain people when they see it, but it's just out of nowhere. The best I can figure is that there's mention at one point of artificial insemenation. I suppose in a technical sense that would be a Mature Sexual Theme, but that doesn't explain the rating. Maybe it's one of the last bosses looks vaguely like a female human without any clothes, but then, that's true of most RPGs! Off the top of my head, Phantasy Star 4, FF6, FF7, FF8 (well, there's Siren), Castlevania: SotN, Xenogears' ending and intro, Magic Knight Rayearth's intro, need I go on? I know at least a couple of those are rated K-A/E. For that matter, the only game I can think of that DOES have "mature sexual themes" is Harvest Moon. 8) So, in conclusion, video game ratings are just crazy and pointless.

Weird Stuff

Hey Goog!

Ok, you always complain about people asking about your gender, and I'm getting bugged too. The way I see it, your more likely to tell them if everybody just stops asking. So why do they ask?!?!

Ok, now that I have that off my chest, for my real question. What's your opinion on Working Designs' games? (Especially Lunar) I believe that they are too under-rated. Personally, I think they have some games better than Square does! I think they have much better dialogue than any other company, and their voice-overs were so much better than SOME games I know of... <cough> Xenogears! <cough> And what is the big thing about Xenogears? I played it for a few hours, and got bored. I didn't like the battles at all. What do you think?

-Roste-

Googleshng:
I like Working Designs. They make really funny translations, plus they improve the games code wise. If you look in the back of the instructions to most Working Designs games, in addition to appologizing for delaying it so much, they explain all the things they fixed/added. Shortcut keys in Dragon Force, fixed some slowdown in MKR, that sort of thing. Plus they stick outtakes at the ends of their games, and that just rules. As for the dub in Xenogears, people complain about that every once in a while, but honestly, it isn't that bad. I'd still prefer if it were subbed, but what are you going to do?

Quickies

if you make this a quickie
i'll let you live after my ascent into godhood is complete.

~Fizzywig~

Uh, OK...

The Dwarven blacksmith in FF1 is named Smith, not Cid.

A few people said this.

About the slime thing in slayers the movie, its a reference to dragon half which has a half slime/human in it.

Scrofula

Oh, I've seen Dragon Half, I just don't recall any references to it in Slayers the movie. I'll have to watch it again.

Someone sent in asking how to get the final attack materia in Final Fantasy VII. I'm thinking...or trying to...but I believe it's the prize for winning the "special" battle in the battle arena..not in the chocobo races. Requirements for special battle: Omnislash, W-Summon, and the Ultima Weapon for Cloud. I think that was just about everything. Have fun with ducks.

~Dark Highwind~

Bring a Mime too. Then you can do Omnislash, Mime, Mime, Mime, Mime... >8)

What about Final Fantasy Mistic Quest? Where's the Cid?

Mystic Quest is not an FF game. It is a game which had FF stuck onto it's title so that it would sell more copies. FFT isn't really an FF game either, although it does have more in common.

GOOG, GOOG, I WON TWO TICKETS TO E3!!!! I WON THE TICKETSSSSSSSSS!!!!!
http://e3.stomped.com/
-Squall the Surly SeeD!!!
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! (not surly today)

uh, good for you.

Google, you're staying, right? For good? Promise?
I'm.... *sob*.... so glad to have you back!! Brad was horrible to me... he didn't post my letters!

-Xenochick

Brad doesn't tend to print my letters either, or a couple hundred other people's I'm sure.

The Last Laugh:

I don't have the background knowledge required to get this.

FakeOut made this sig for me, amusing.

Googleshng "Drought" @rpgamer.com
Ugh. Too much chocolate. Don't like chocolate.


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