Lv 5 ~ Costume Quest

 It's still another six months until October, but now is as good of a time as any for me to review the RPG Costume Quest and its DLC "Grubbins On Ice". I had been meaning to play through this title for quite some time, but made sure that during Halloween I'd do so -- and I was pleasantly surprised.

 Costume Quest is an adorable downloadable title for the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and most recently, Steam, and combines traditional RPG elements with a modern, comedic setting, reminiscent of EarthBound. You take control of one of two twins (Reynold and Wren) whose other sibling ends up being kidnapped by a monster while trick-or-treating (after being mistaken for candy due to wearing a candy corn costume, hah!) and it is up to you to rescue him or her. Over the course of the game you end up befriending other kids in the neighborhood -- two of which join your party (Everett and Lucy) -- and travel to various neighborhoods while collecting candy and costumes in order to save the day. The totally awesome catch is that these costumes seemingly transform the children during battle: from a vampire, to french fries, to my personal favorite, the statue of liberty.

Lady Liberty ROCKS that toga. Faaabulous!!

 I didn't expect an incredibly deep storyline given that it was just a child-friendly downloadable title, and so thankfully, I wasn't disappointed in that aspect. Not to say that there isn't a story, it's just... well, simple. The characters are charming, however, and the humor is spot-on. The dialogue was well-written (although again, I use the word "simple") and the names of characters, enemies and items were clever. I typically believe that story is the most important factor in an RPG, but I will admit, the childlike humor made up for the lack of an incredibly deep plot. But yeah. It's a cute, simple story, and suits the game's characters and setting.

 The game's music and sound effects weren't anything notable, either; again, they weren't bad, per say, but they weren't anything that particularly impressed me. The cartoony, cel-shaded graphics, on the other hand, are something I'm incredibly fond of, and the character design and art style both reminded me of games like Animal Crossing and yes, EarthBound. (It's fairly obvious that the developers had EarthBound for inspiration -- I swear it's not just because I'm biased... although I do love that game...) So where audio was mostly "meh" -- especially seeing as how there was no voice acting whatsoever (I mean, sure, it's a DLC title meant to be a retro-styled RPG, but still...) -- the graphics and design really tickled my pickle.

Mmm, smell that scrumptious sizzle.

 What were most surprising to me were the elements featured when actually playing the game. Sure, none of them are necessarily new, and are far from ground-breaking, but it was nice seeing the inspiration from classic games be applied in this title.

 Costume Quest takes the typical RPG feature of a "class" or "job" system that determine skills and abilities and links it with the game's Halloween theme by using costumes, which I thought was both innovative and adorable. There are various roles that can be played: from ranged to melee and from healing and offense, and mix-and-matching my favorite costumes was delightful. Each of the costumes possess special abilities, and most of these costumes also have field abilities that can be used when traversing neighborhoods (for example, the rocket skates of the robot costume to dash). It was a nice touch, although, again, nothing too incredibly innovative. But nice.

 Instead of money or gold, seeing as how the game involves children actively trick-or-treating, candy is used as currency. The only purpose for candy is to purchase stickers, which are equipped to provide statistical bonuses or added effects. Some of these added effects, however, made the game painfully easy -- and it never was a challenge, at any point, even during boss battles. Ultimately, the player has to make a conscious decision to amp up the difficulty by not using stickers if they are seeking any sort of challenge at all. Also, while the game does feature a few mini-games and side quests, it's still a very, very linear experience.

 The turn-based battle system is reminiscent of Super Mario RPG, namely because of the use of quick time events in order to increase offense and mitigate damage taken from enemies. I am a fan of using features like this in an otherwise "typical" RPG, simply because it forces the player to not only implement strategies, but also to engage during the battles instead of simply watching what happens. However, the difference between successfully completing a timed attack or block and not doing so was substantial; I quickly learned that timing was crucial to not being defeated. The game does prompt the player when to input a command -- and does so EVERY single time -- so once you've figured out what to do, it's not a challenge in the least.

 The DLC chapter, "Grubbins On Ice", picks up where the children left off, and adds a new story arc, new costumes, and new stickers. Although certainly not a massive expansion, I recommend that if you plan to give this game a shot, make sure to get the DLC, as well. The costumes are fun, the stickers are ridiculous, and the new enemies are somewhat more difficult than in the main game, but still not anywhere near the difficulty level I was hoping for. Still, I think that the DLC is integral if you're wanting to play through this game and "truly" complete it, like I did. (and hey, it has a few more achievements to pick up, too!)

 It may not be incredibly difficult; it may not be the most innovative; it may not be the most immersive... but Costume Quest is most definitely a fun and enjoyable game. I honestly do recommend it, especially if you're looking for a light-hearted, quick and casual RPG to beat in a day or two and feel like taking a walk down memory lane... and remembering what it's like to be a kid again.

• Audio: 2
• Gameplay: 3
• Originality: 3
• Story: 2
  
• Visuals: 4
• Overall: 3
• Difficulty: Very Easy
• Completion Time: 13 Hours (... and I literally completed everything)

+ Adorable concept, art style and character design

+ Generally fun to play

+ Incredibly amusing and clever humor

- Far too short to fully complete

- Almost annoyingly easy

- "Meh" storyline and no replayability whatsoever

Long Time No See!

 Indeed, it's been nearly a year since I've made an update... meaning that my "beat a game every week for a year" resolution was an epic failure. Go me, eh?

 Stuff happened, I moved to northern Virginia, and got caught up with life, resulting in the complete neglection of my "gaming schedule" and writing regularly.

 So I apologize for the ridiculous hiatus, and admit defeat. However, that doesn't mean I'm hanging this blog up to dry, oh no, no, no. In fact, I've completely updated this blog, from its general "look" (I'm not too keen on the super-fancy, animation templates that Blogger provides, though, sorry) to its individual posts (I've implemented a more analytical scoring method for my reviews), and even have a new "purpose" in mind.

 As I mentioned before, I moved to live with my boyfriend of nearly three years, Brad aka "Damo", although it is temporary; we'll be moving back to the middle Tennessee area as soon as he's done with his four years of service as a US Marine. Living with someone is a prime opportunity to truly get to know someone, and, despite knowing that Brad is quite the anime-loving, video game-playing guy I fell in love with, there's some things I simply didn't know...

  The best RPGs ever released (in my opinion) -- the "classics", as many refer to them -- are largely unknown to Brad.

 I know, right?! I couldn't even believe it, myself. Never having played Chrono Trigger? Never having heard of the masterpiece that is EarthBound, or spending hours upon hours customizing a massive army of characters in Final Fantasy Tactics?

 I refuse to allow Brad to go on without experiencing what I believe are games that should not be passed up by anyone who thinks of themselves as a "gamer". So... why not do a bit of encouraging?

 Indeed, the new purpose for my blog presented itself to me like a ethereal epitome:. I'm going to continue to play (and re-play, in many cases) games, mostly RPGs, and do so with Brad at my side, in order to share with him what he's been missing out on for all of these years; and I'm going to share the experiences (and potentially frustrations) of doing so with all of you -- sans the crazy game-a-week plan that I had given myself, before. This time, I'm simply going to adhere to a "play-as-I-please" schedule, and I'll make sure to post a minimum of once a week, every Wednesday.

 So, for those of you who, like Brad, never felt like playing through Chrono Trigger (seriously, why haven't you...?), for those of you who've never been able to find a copy of EarthBound, and for those of you who simply don't have the motivation, time or patience to play through some of the best games of all time, I will.

 I'm going to continue to play through games and write about them for Brad, for all of you, and for myself. Games, particularly role-playing ones, are truly amazing experiences, and hopefully I will be able share that passion, or even ignite a new one, for anyone who wishes to pay my geeky ramblings any attention.

 You're welcome to follow me on Twitter or subscribe via RSS to keep up with me and my blog posts.

 Thanks to those of you who're still following this blog after nearly a year-long hiatus, and for your support of my gaming obsession (er... passion! PASSION!!!) and my desire to chronicle my experiences in a blog. I'll be posting again soon about the games I'm currently playing! Game on, everyone!

Lv 4 ~ Mother 3

 I am the self-proclaimed largest fan of EarthBound (Mother 2 in Japan) in the entire universe, yet I have no idea why it took me so damn long to actually play through its long-anticipated sequel (triquel?), Mother 3. I freaked out when I heard that this game was going to be released for the 64DD, and nearly cried when I heard it was canceled. I freaked out again when I caught wind that it was being redeveloped for the GameCube, and nearly had a heart attack when that was canceled, too. Finally, though, the game was completed and released on the Game Boy Advance in Japan and, although it will probably never, ever see a US release (I'm assuming due to the major plot line surrounding around a race of transsexual beings known as the 'Magypsies'), thanks to Starmen.net, I was able to enjoy the translated ROM. Oh, happy day!

 Having played and beaten EarthBound so, so, SO many times since I was 10 years old or so, I had really high expectations for this game, which is basically a classic, turn-based RPG with a light-hearted, almost comedic approach. Unlike EarthBound, this RPG isn't necessarily set in an almost mockingly modern setting, possibly due to the fact that it takes place in the "Nowhere Islands". The setting is much less "United States city", like its predecessor, and, unfortunately, the world you get to explore isn't nearly as vast as it was in EarthBound. However, the visual style is exactly the same as it was in EarthBound, and there was a constant barrage of nostalgia that made me constantly giggle like a giddy schoolgirl. The names of the various psychic abilities, the sound effects, the music and even a lot of the same sprites for NPCs are featured in Mother 3, and although they aren't necessarily exactly the same, it's perfectly fitting for a follow-up title. Fantastic.

 The story is told quite cleverly, and follows a multitude of characters (namely Lucas, Kumatora, Dusty, and Boney)--two of which are gifted with psychic abilities--on their journey to rid their land of a tyrranical "king" by the name of Porky (also known as Pokey in the US translation of EarthBound). At various points in the game, characters join your party temporarily, and the game flashes back, forward, or to another party's perspective in present-time.While I do appreciate this take on storytelling, for me, it was often difficult to follow, and far too often was I asking myself who would eventually end up in my "final" party because characters come and go so often. Thankfully, the game doesn't require experience-grinding, so it ultimately wasn't too much of an issue.

 The gameplay in this title is pretty much what you'd expect from a traditional RPG. You explore various areas with your party (which constantly is shifting, as mentioned before), battle monsters and level up to learn new abilities. The battle system is simple and turn-based, and characters act based on their speed statistic. The new additions to the battle system were totally rad, though! One of the most notable aspects of EarthBound was the battle music--unlike in most RPGs, different music played when you were fighting with an enemy, and not just a difference in random-encounter monsters and boss battles. When facing the "New Age Retro Hippie", the music would shift to a rock 'n roll sound. When fighting robotic enemies, the music would become techno-tastic and mechanical. Mother 3 continued this awesome aspect and took it one step further and incorporated music into the battle system, itself.

 When fighting, you can actually combo your basic attacks by pressing the button to the enemy "heartbeat", which, essentially, is the beat of the background music, and you can chain up to fifteen hits together. At first, this seems like a really simple task, but later on in the game, the music becomes erratic and complex, so comboing against final bosses and enemies is quite an arduous task, indeed. Another neat aspect is that when a character or enemy attacks, a sound effect or musical instrument rings out, in various pitches and tones to correspond with the current music track playing. Some characters had trumpets, some had guitars. Boney the dog, one of your final party members (which made me really happy, since Ness's dog King left the party early on in EarthBound), makes a bark noise when he attacks, which I always adored hearing. I really thought this was a fun way to take advantage of the awesome soundtrack, as well as keep otherwise simplistic and monotonous battles somewhat engaging. This game's soundtrack is absolutely outstanding.

 Battle scene of what was going to be the GameCube version of Mother 3.

 Only two of your characters continue to learn abilities as they level up, Lucas and Kumatora. Duster and Boney don't have psychic abilities and don't even learn new abilities past what they begin with, so that's a little bleh, but whatever. Learning abilities isn't as simple as leveling up as it is in EarthBound, however. Once they have reached the level necessary to learn an ability, they experience a "fever" while their mind realizes a new ability, during which your party is unable to dash on the field map. It's an interesting concept, and I understand because it's psychic abilities and all, but it was a bit of a downer, for me.

 I am quite saddened as a fan of this series to admit that I was a bit disappointed. My expectations were so, so high because of how amazing EarthBound was, and although Mother 3 was incredibly charming and addictive, it lacked something that I just can't put my finger on: that spark that EarthBound had from beginning to finish. Having that said, it's not a bad game at all. I'd go so far to say that it's astounding. The humor is spot-on, and that is the primary appeal of the Mother series, anyway. I found myself constantly laughing out loud at silly lines spoken by random NPCs, as well as a lot of the monsters encountered (although they weren't nearly as memorable as the ones in EarthBound, like the Cranky Old Lady), but most amusing were, of course, the Magypsies, the race of tranny, bearded, immortal beings that the plot of the story eventually revolves around.

 What I thought was the most appealing about Mother 3 was, as I said before, the addition of a music-based combo system in the battle. I was also incredibly impressed by the storytelling devices used, although I didn't really care for the whole "chapter" method. There were lots of flashbacks, lots of shifts in perspective, and far too much party member shuffling. Having so many temporary party members was a bit frustrating -- it made me feel like I was wasting time leveling characters I knew I wasn't going to be taking to the end of the game, but in general, I was impressed by the way the story was told, and the plot was certainly much more in-depth and emotional than it had been in EarthBound.

 I really hated the fact that I had to wait so much time after leveling up Lucas and Kumatora for them to learn a new ability instead of just freakin' learning it. I had to walk around without being able to dash 'til they decided to realize whatever new power they learned from leveling up ten minutes prior. Bleh.

 Something else that was totally disappointing was the overall serious and dark tone. EarthBound was incredibly light-hearted and silly, all of the way until the final battle. In Mother 3, the game starts out... well, dark. Incredibly dark. So dark that I cried. Several times. This game is just plain sad. It lightens up a bit, here and there, but over all, the tone of this game is much, much more serious than its predecessors, and that killed it for me. The whole appeal of EarthBound, to me, was the light, goofy atmosphere of it all. Bummer.

 It took far, far too long for the central plot of the game to even be explained, and it certainly seemed rushed, particularly the ending. Oh geez, the ending. I have never been so disappointed when beating a game since... well, okay, never. It honestly pissed me off; it was a fun experience, but the ending made the entire journey feel like it was totally not worth it. There were so many loose ends that weren't tied off, and never will be. Sigh.

 The cons do not outweigh the pros, for me, with Mother 3, but once again, keep in mind that I'm comparing it to the masterpiece that is EarthBound. So I apologize to those of you who are huge Lucas fans, but please understand that Mother 3 simply doesn't live up to the amazingness that is Ness's game of origin. Overall, I did enjoy playing it, although I felt like I was having to force myself through it, as opposed to being helplessly addicted to it, and once again... the ending. Oh gawd, the ending. Just... there... wasn't even an ending! Just... ugh!!!

• Audio: 4.5
• Gameplay: 4
• Originality: 4 
• Story: 5
  
• Visuals: 3.5
• Overall: 4
• Difficulty: Very Easy
• Completion Time: ~25 Hours

+ Excellent retro-styled graphics and soundtrack

+ Nostalgic, yet engaging battle system

+ Quirky humor that fits perfectly in the Mother series

+ Incredibly emotional and surprisingly deep storyline

- Too many flashbacks and perspective-shifts

- Fairly short completion time with an unsatisfying ending

Emulators

 On my way from a friend's 21st birthday party, I was taking in the awesomeness that is Autumn. The colors, the temperature... and then I realized something odd. Have you ever had moments of like, well... I guess it's sorta like deja vu, but not really. Certain types of weather and temperature seem to trigger times where I've played certain games in the past; Autumn, in particular, for some odd reason, gives me the odd craving to play one of the Harvest Moon games. During the summer, I yearn for a good romp through EarthBound, since I played through it so much during my summer breaks.

 I'm sure it's something deeply psychological, and not really something I'd like to think too hard about... I just think it's an occurrence that I've noticed -- certain moods, seasons, and weather effects the things we like to do, and... in my case, what video games I feel like playing.

 My thinking process is a snowball effect, of course, so I'm like "Mmm... Harvest Moon... 64...", and then I'm like "Wait, I don't have that cartridge any more...", which then leads to "Wow, I really need to stock up on emulators."

 And that leads us to what I'm really posting about, today, in my sleep-deprived state (I got rather drunk at the party and ended up with a second wind, being unable to fall asleep and playing through an entire game of Civilization V on my laptop). I really don't care for emulating and pirating games that are easily and readily available in retailers, but games that are excessively expensive and hard to find? Yeah. For sure.

 I've had emulators for the SNES and NES for a while, and although I have tons of "ROMs" for them both, I'm sure that I don't have EVERY game for them, I'd like to. Why not, right?

 So, as terribad as so many people think it may be... I'm wanting to mayhaps find decent emulators for various "classic" systems and amass a collection of the games which I know I'll probably ever have raw copies of. It'll certainly help me work toward that massive list of games to complete (which I still need to get around to posting up there, next to my wishlist... I'd do that now, but my body is dying for a nap... which will more than likely evolve into hibernation....) and discover others that I'd like to try out.

 Anyone have any suggestions, places for me to look for easy, massive rom downloads, or anything like that? I don't really know where to start -- what I have were actually given to me by a friend years and years ago.

... Oh! And while my mind is still on it, I've totally decided what I'm gonna do to make steady progress. I'm going to do a "fortune cookie" random-pick thing to choose which game I'm gonna work on each week. If I finish a game early, I'll just get a head start on the next week's game... although I certainly have a feeling it'll be much more likely that I'll end up falling behind. Regardless, I'm too fickle and indecisive to actually pull this thing off without a plan, so we'll see if it works!

... and now, off to bed with me. It's beckoning to me with the force of a thousand ... um... okay, I don't really know where I'm going with this. Shutting up and sleeping, now.