Board 8 > Leonhart Presents: 50 Characters, 50 Games, 50 Moments - Part 3 [lists]

(+) Yeah! (+)

Well, when it comes to FFX, it's hard for me not to overflow with love! I think this one and the Yuna writeup have been the two longest ones so far!

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Understandable.

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"we're about 50 years behind the rest of western society." -icon on B8

From: LeonhartFour | #351

Well, when it comes to FFX, it's hard for me not to overflow with love! I think this one and the Yuna writeup have been the two longest ones so far!

Will you even finish the one for Squall? I don't remember you finishing it when you made that favorite character list of yours.

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The Hunger Games>Mockingjay>Catching Fire
Majora's Mask won GotD. Deal with it.

That is the question.

Yeah, that one went on for several posts before the topic accidentally purged, but since the list was over, I didn't bother to remake the topic just to finish it.

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"But you have been given freedom. Freedom to be...outside."
"I am lightning...the rain transformed."

20. Tales of Symphonia


Back when this game came out, it rapidly became a Board 8 sensation thanks to the hype machine formerly known as Heroic Mario (although he would probably prefer to vehemently deny these claims nowadays!), and I decided to buy in myself because we sometimes had similar tastes, depending on what his flavor of the week was. Regardless, I had never played a Tales game before (and I haven’t played one since, what with the only other one I’ve been interested in only being available on a console I don’t own), and I figured I could use a new RPG experience, so I went for it.

Needless to say, as you can see by its high ranking on this list, I really enjoyed Tales of Symphonia. The battle system is really fun. People keep telling me that later Tales games have even better ones, but I can’t say because I haven’t played them! Anyway, Lloyd is a lot of fun to play as with all of his crazy sword moves and linkable attacks. After all, two swords equals twice the power, right? I also enjoy using Presea from time to time because her specials are fun to use, even if she is a bit on the slow side. I generally don’t like using slow characters, but I make an exception for her. Symphonia has some fun boss fights, too, particularly storyline related ones like against anyone from Cruxis. A lot of times it was just satisfying to give the guy what he deserved, as was the case with Rodyle.

Now let’s get into the…”touchy” aspect of Tales of Symphonia, which would be its story and characters. Personally, I love the game’s cast as a whole. For one thing, they have good chemistry together, which makes stuff like Skits so much fun. A lot of them have me rolling because they’re really funny, but then again, I’m easily entertained, so yeah. I know Genis and Colette are often considered to be terrible characters and their annoyance is compounded by the fact that they’re around from the very beginning of the game, but I found them to be more tolerable the last time I played. They occasionally have their moments in skits when they can be enjoyable, even if they are irritating when they’re on their own. Anyway, other than those two, Symphonia’s cast is entertaining, and they have interesting backstories for the most part, especially someone like Zelos. The game can be a bit heavy-handed when it comes to some of the drama at times, but it’s not too bad. But personally, I do enjoy Zelos’s flirtatiousness, Presea’s unintentional ownages, Raine’s craziness, and Lloyd’s…whatever he’s got goin’ on. Put it all together, and it’s a fun group.

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And while you can clearly see the Japanese/anime influence on Tales of Symphonia (such as ‘hey I’m going to do this five second summon animation and shoot out a really slow fireball, just stand still until it hits you’ ‘sure thing dude’), I do like the storyline. One of the things I like about the game is its affection system, and depending on who your top rated partner is at the time, you can get brand new dialogue for certain scenes with that character that you would never get otherwise. I enjoy the scenes designed just for that character at Flanoir and Heimdall. They’re usually interesting scenes where the other character divulges a lot of personal information about themselves to Lloyd. Just about anything that happens in the Tower of Salvation is good stuff, too. That’s when the game’s story really picks up, during your first visit there. Symphonia moves along pretty slowly through the first part of the game up to that point, but it gets really good from that point on.

I will say though as a negative that this game has some terrible dungeons, but for the most part, they’re only bad the first time when you have no idea what to do. Stuff like the Temple of Darkness is fairly straightforward once you know what you’re doing, but Latheon Gorge sucks no matter how many times you do it (That’s the one where you have to use the bubbles and the flowers, if you can’t remember exactly which one I’m talking about). That one can go rot. Well, I’d hate to end this writeup on a sour note, so I’ll finish up by saying I really like Symphonia’s soundtrack, but Board 8 seems to hate it for some reason, particularly the battle themes. It’s got some good stuff there though.

And since no Tales of Symphonia discussion is complete without a character inequality:

Presea > Zelos > Lloyd > Kratos > Sheena > Raine > Regal > Genis > Colette

Bonus Question: What is your favorite Tales game?

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blah blah blah

Bonus Question: What is your favorite Tales game?

As of right now, Abyss, I suppose.

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"we're about 50 years behind the rest of western society." -icon on B8

Bonus Question: What is your favorite Tales game?

Only played Legendia.

So:

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My Little Phineas and Ferb: Summer is Magic!
Aww, I lost to SuperNiceDog, Winner of the Rivalry Rumble Guru Contest

Tidus, maybe.

Tales and KH it seems like these are dominating the list and that's bad!

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the dreamer of improbable dreams

This is the only Tales game on the list! What, with it being the only one I've played and all.

And we hit a flurry of KH stuff there for a bit, but there isn't much else from it that can be on the list.

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From: ZFS | #359

Tidus, maybe.

Tales and KH it seems like these are dominating the list and that's bad!

You are a good person.

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K | H | A | Q | Q | A | H | K
"we're about 50 years behind the rest of western society." -icon on B8

ya what ever dont care goes to punch a mirror

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"Hold on a minute! That testimony stinks!"
"Witness! You can't just say 'Hello' and expect us to get anywhere! I want you to testify!"

D'aaaawwww

...

Actually, not that kind of moment. Or is it?

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My Little Phineas and Ferb: Summer is Magic!
Aww, I lost to SuperNiceDog, Winner of the Rivalry Rumble Guru Contest

Abyss was my favorite I guess.

Phantasia was a great old school RPG though.

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SuperNiceDog - 1, pjbasis - 0

Symphonia wasn't too bad, though playing again today would probably make it worse. I tried playing Vesperia and couldn't get through it. There's something about Tales games that just doesn't sit well.

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the dreamer of improbable dreams

Symphonia's still fine to me. Replayed it a few months ago.

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Guess who I am!
http://gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs3/1345748_o.gif

Maybe. I'm going off Vesperia here, but I think some PS2 RPGs don't hold up as well for me. I tried playing FFX recently, and there were a lot of small things that bothered me. Don't hold that one in as high regard as I used to, though it's still much better than Tales!

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the dreamer of improbable dreams

FFX still amazing today, too

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Vesperia's for 360. I am drunk and perhaps I did not understand that statement, but it sounded like you were implying it's for PS2. >_>

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"we're about 50 years behind the rest of western society." -icon on B8

RPGs knocked down from their pedestals?

... don't remember any, but I haven't had time to replay any recently.

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My Little Phineas and Ferb: Summer is Magic!
Aww, I lost to SuperNiceDog, Winner of the Rivalry Rumble Guru Contest

It's good but not as good. On the other hand, FFIX is even better!

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the dreamer of improbable dreams

FFIX still the worst of the five in five years.

Hasn't changed its position even a little.

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IX is excellent, but I respect Leon's rationale for that statement.

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K | H | A | Q | Q | A | H | K
"we're about 50 years behind the rest of western society." -icon on B8

I sort of changed thoughts mid-sentence. Vesperia's high praise tells me that it's on my end, and that Symphonia probably wouldn't age well given it still receives similar praise.

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the dreamer of improbable dreams

Oh, I think FFIX is an awesome game as well.

Stiff competition though!

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FFIX is definitely the most enjoyable PS1 FF today. FFXII wins on the PS2, FFVI on the SNES, FF1 on the NES. And FFXIII-2 for the 360/PS3!

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the dreamer of improbable dreams

From: ZFS | #376
FFIX is definitely the most enjoyable PS1 FF today. FFXII wins on the PS2
Oy.

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All aboard the XII > X train!

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My Little Phineas and Ferb: Summer is Magic!
Aww, I lost to SuperNiceDog, Winner of the Rivalry Rumble Guru Contest

VII is more enjoyable, IMO, but I only replay the games so often and I'm also a blatant lover of that era of JRPGs. So... I don't tire of VII's "clearly outdated" issues since I only go back to it every few years now, and I can get over a lot of those issues (if not all of them) anyway due to my enjoyment of that general style.

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"we're about 50 years behind the rest of western society." -icon on B8

Natwaf_akidna posted...

All aboard the XII > X train!

woo

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the dreamer of improbable dreams

I like X a lot more than XII, but I won't disrespect the opinions of those who enjoy XII that much. Gameplay-wise it's pretty great and it has the foundation for an excellent plot which sadly never delivers. The script is crisper, too, but the characters don't really deliver overall.

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"we're about 50 years behind the rest of western society." -icon on B8

I just freakin' love the Hunts.

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My Little Phineas and Ferb: Summer is Magic!
Aww, I lost to SuperNiceDog, Winner of the Rivalry Rumble Guru Contest

Yeah, they're excellent. And so much better than XIII's. So much more immersive.

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K | H | A | Q | Q | A | H | K
"we're about 50 years behind the rest of western society." -icon on B8

Well, as someone who's been in the process of playing all of the FFs from VI on in the last year, I can tell you that FFVII, VIII, and Tactics are still glorious games.

Probably gonna wait to finish this list before I resume with FFIX. With my current job, it'd be pretty difficult for me to do two projects. But for those of you wondering when that's going to start back up, there you go!

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"So cold. I am always by your side."
"There ain't no gettin' off of this train we on!"

The thing about FFVII, and this hit me a few years back, is that I don't really care for its gameplay. I think it has a good story and cast, but I just don't get into battles and material combinations and all that. That's where FFVII is weakest to me. On the other hand, FFVIII's strongest aspect is the fun battle system and junctioning. FFIX is a happy middle between the two, I think.

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the dreamer of improbable dreams

I like IX's gameplay quite a bit. As for its battle system in particular, the slowness (compared with VII and especially VIII) and the relatively lackluster Trance system knock it down several pegs for me, but I appreciate its old-school approach to predefined jobs and whatnot. Then again, that's clearly not for everyone.

VII and VIII both have battle systems which offer me more fun overall though, I think.

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K | H | A | Q | Q | A | H | K
"we're about 50 years behind the rest of western society." -icon on B8

Well, usually when I talk about FFIX, I'm comparing it to the other games in the series from that era. FFIX is a very good game in its own right, but I don't think it really excels in many areas clearly above the others.

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Yeah, the class system is cool. The way abilities work is much better than materia or junctioning, too. I can get into the battles, the strategy, learning skills. It's a fun time in FFIX. Trance could have been better, though.

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the dreamer of improbable dreams

From: LeonhartFour | #356

Bonus Question: What is your favorite Tales game?

I'll have to say Symphonia although it definitely has its flaws. Shoutouts to getting your memory card wiped after four or five playthroughs of that game btw. I've only played Abyss once though, so I don't know it nearly as well as Symphonia, even though it may be a "better game." Also played half of Legendia and a small part of Vesperia though. And some Phantasia on GBA. >_>

Dungeons were always the part that made me think, "Do I really want to do another playthrough of this game?" on Symphonia. Meltokio Sewers, Latheon Gorge, Ymir Forest, Temple of Lightning, etc. holy s*** there are some bad ones. But I suffered through them anyway...

and I love Colette =/

Zelos > Raine > Presea/Colette > rest

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What are teacups?? ^_~
2/17/2011 - $5000 // $14,400

From: LeonhartFour | #372

FFIX still the worst of the five in five years.

Aw yeah XI > IX

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SuperNiceDog - 1, pjbasis - 0

sorry dude FFXI doesn't actually fit within that timeframe

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also mmo and really who counts those tbqh

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the dreamer of improbable dreams

I thought the five years meant 98-02

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SuperNiceDog - 1, pjbasis - 0

FFVII came out in 1997, amigo.

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Or 99-03, that works too.

But saying IX is worse than X-2 is debatable.

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SuperNiceDog - 1, pjbasis - 0

yeah you don't get to decide what I meant by 'five years'

especially considering I've already defined what five games I'm referring to

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Guess who I am!
http://gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs3/1345748_o.gif

VII > X > IX > VIII >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Five thousand years later, on an abandoned shell of what a long-extinct people once knew as Earth...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>X-2

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K | H | A | Q | Q | A | H | K
"we're about 50 years behind the rest of western society." -icon on B8

Joke Zero

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SuperNiceDog - 1, pjbasis - 0

From: Jeff Zero | #398
Five thousand years later, on an abandoned shell of what a long-extinct people once knew as Earth...
more like five thousand years later, on an abandoned shell of what was once known as Spira but now known as the Planet (LOL Gaia, that's one addition the Compilation added I can stand to get rid of)

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"I couldn't stand a day without a past or future. I need to live each moment to keep fighting here and now."

Although it's implied that they're different planets, actually. Just existing within the same universe, I guess.

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